JASON BROWNE

Time is running out for the Starkville branch of the Salvation Army.

B.J. Andol, manager for the Starkville Salvation Army store, says her branch of the community assistance mainstay is operating in the red and could be gone within a year if its situation doesn’t change.

“We’ve got the items. It’s not that we don’t have anything to buy,” says Andol. “It’s the fact that people are afraid to spend money right now.”

Andol says the weakening of America’s economy has caused the Salvation Army to take a devastating hit via decreased monetary donations. The West Point branch was forced to close its doors in June, and Starkville could be next on the list if the annual holiday boost falls short.

If that happens, Andol says a vital community support service will be lost, and those depending on the Salvation Army to help keep their lights on or put food on the table will have to look elsewhere.

Because the Salvation Army is self-supporting via the donated goods it sells, one could be fooled by the heaps of clothes and household items stored in its warehouse into thinking the store is in good shape.

Read complete article at Commercial Dispatch.

From the Dispatch:

State approves Sunday liquor sales in Starkville

September 16, 2009 10:24:00 AM

Tim Pratt

The State Tax Commission this morning approved the city of Starkville’s request to allow restaurants to sell liquor and wine on Sundays.

The extension in hours, which is effective immediately, will allow for liquor and wine sales in restaurants from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Tax Commission spokeswoman Kathy Waterbury said the Commission received “an impressive stack” of letters from Starkville residents both for and against the extension of hours, plus “a lot” of e-mails, though she had no exact figures.

Restaurants, grocery stores and convenience stores also will be allowed to sell beer and light wine, such as wine coolers, on Sundays beginning later this month since the Starkville Board of Aldermen in August approved amendments to the city’s alcohol ordinance to allow Sunday sales. The city can regulate the hours beer is sold, but the Tax Commission regulates liquor and wine sales.

Tim Pratt is the Starkville Bureau Reporter for The Commercial Dispatch.

DISPATCH STAFF REPORT

Starkville police Tuesday were still searching for a man they say tried to rob Starkville Ready Cash this weekend, but fled the scene after an employee pulled a gun and fired at him.

At approximately 5:30 a.m. Saturday, the Starkville Police Department was notified of an attempted armed robbery at Starkville Ready Cash on Highway 12. The suspect brandished a handgun and attempted to rob the owner when the owner was opening the business, according to a SPD press release.

Read complete article at Commercial Dispatch.

TIM PRATT

STARKVILLE — The Mississippi Tax Commission was scheduled to meet this morning to consider the city of Starkville’s request to allow restaurants to sell liquor and wine on Sundays.

And Tupelo city officials Tuesday reversed a century-old ban on the Sunday sales of beer and light wine in restaurants and stores.

The Tax Commission met Tuesday and discussed the city’s request, though no decision was made, Spokeswoman Kathy Waterbury said.

“They received information requested at the last meeting, including a great number of letters from the Starkville community,” Waterbury said Tuesday afternoon. “They have determined they will consider (Sunday sales) again tomorrow morning. They may or may not make a decision.”

The Tax Commission was scheduled to meet at 8:30 a.m. this morning, and Starkville’s Sunday alcohol proposal was “one of the first things on the agenda,” Waterbury said.

Read complete article on Commercial Dispatch.

TIM PRATT

STARKVILLE — On the same night the Starkville Board of Aldermen approved a balanced budget and long-term plans to improve the city’s infrastructure, the board also voted 4-3 in favor of a utility rate increase for customers of the Starkville Electric Department.

The 3.2 percent rate increase will go into effect Oct. 1. For an average residential customer, the rate increase will equal an extra $2.25 per month, depending on usage, SED General Manager Edd Hattaway said. It also will bring approximately $1.02 million in increased revenue to the Electric Department.

The increase was necessary to meet contractual requirements with the Tennessee Valley Authority, Hattaway said. The Electric Department is required to have funds totaling at least 5 percent of its annual operation and maintenance costs at any given time in case of a natural disaster, he said.

Five percent of the Starkville Electric Department’s annual costs would total about $1.8 million, Hattaway said. At the end of the Electric Department’s 2008-2009 fiscal year, which ended June 30, the SED only had about $800,000, he said.

“We feel like this (rate increase) would get us stabilized and meet TVA’s requirements,” Hattaway said.

Read complete article at Commercial Dispatch.

In a unanimous decision, the Starkville Board of Aldermen passed a resolution Tuesday that will allocate a $3 million-bond to road work in the city. The board also voted on a revised capital improvement plan, which will span 10 years rather than four. The plan will indicate how the bond monies will be spent.

Ward 3 Alderman Eric Parker said he agrees that a 10-year capital improvement plan is necessary.

The bond will go toward projects such as sidewalk construction and repair, ADA curb cuts, storm drainage maintenance, a road-widening and multi-use path project on Hospital Road and the completion of the multi-use path project on Lynn Lane.  

Mayor Parker Wiseman said these are the types of projects that probably couldn’t be completed in a non-bond issue year.

Wiseman also said it’s important that Starkville officials see that the city is steadily turning into a more pedestrian-friendly community.

“You start to see the picture of a network of sidewalks that’s very pedestrian friendly from the northern edge to the southern edge of the community,” he said.

Also approved at the meeting was a road-widening project for Reed Road, which will include the construction of a multi-use path.

Ward 5 Alderman Jeremiah Dumas said he wholeheartedly agrees with installing the multi-use path because the majority of people who don’t own cars resides on Reed Road.

Parker said he supports a pedestrian-friendly city. He said he’d like to see some work focused on a project that’s been talked about, but never resolved – relieving the congestion on South Montgomery Street.

“One of the most traveled roads in this city is South Montgomery,” Parker said. “We need to do something to alleviate that bottleneck. We’ve got to start planning now. It’s such a big project that’s continually put on the backburner.”

Wiseman agreed that the South Montgomery project should be a priority.

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, the board adopted a municipal budget for fiscal year 2010. Wiseman said the budget is now balanced because of the hiring freeze that’s been placed on several city departments.

“Due to the sacrifices of our department heads, this budget has been balanced without a tax increase,” he said.

TIM PRATT

A majority of the Johnny Cash Flower Pickin’ Festival next month won’t take place at its usual location in downtown Starkville, but at Rick’s Cafe American on Highway 182.

The change in location is the result of a down economy and a disagreement between festival organizer Robbie Ward and the Starkville Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“The economy has caused us to downscale some, but we’re doing our best to cut costs and still have a quality event,” Ward said.

The cost of putting on the event in the past has run around $75,000, Ward said. This year he’s estimating it will be closer to $30,000.

Troubles started when the CVB considered forming a committee or advisory board to run the festival. Ward would have been a member of the board, he said, but he felt the move was an attempt to “hijack” the festival he created in 2007.

The event will still feature vendors and live music, though this year they will be located inside and outside of Rick’s, Ward said.

A clash between Ward and the Starkville CVB contributed to the change of venue.

Read complete article at Commercial Dispatch.