The Greater Starkville Development Partnership, The Columbus Lowndes Development Link, and the West Point/Clay County Community Growth Alliance have teamed up for the first time to give the Golden Triangle a premier event to showcase local and regional businesses.

On Thursday, October 29, the Chamber of Commerce entities of Starkville, Columbus and West Point will present the Golden Triangle Business Expo from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. This event will be free and open to the public, held at the East Mississippi Community College Mayhew Campus Lyceum.

In addition to showcasing a variety of businesses from the Starkville, Columbus and West Point areas, the Expo will also include great business seminars for your benefit. We are making plans for the following schedule:

9:30 – 10:30 a.m. Doing Business with Columbus Air Force Base
10:30 – 11 a.m. Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve
11 a.m. – noon Sustainable Economic Development
Noon – 1 p.m. EMCC Workforce Solutions
1 – 2 p.m. Business Resources at Mississippi State University
2 p.m. – 3 p.m. The Seven Steps of Business Success

This is a first-time event, and represents a great opportunity for you to learn more about some of the top businesses in the Golden Triangle! We are excited to be working with other Chamber of Commerce entities to produce an event like this for the first time. For more information, call Allison Matthews at 323-3322.

KRISTIN MAMRACK

Several restaurant owners in Columbus and Starkville don’t expect Sunday or extended weekday sale hours to affect their business much. But it will offer their customers more options and convenience.

Patrick Quinn of Mug Shots on North Douglas Conner Drive in Starkville is “definitely for alcohol sales on Sundays,” but doesn’t expect his restaurant to be impacted significantly by the Sunday sales.

“Not more or less, other than the fact it’s convenient for somebody that eats a hamburger to have a beer with it,” he said. “We sell alcohol, but it’s not a tremendous amount. It’s more of a convenience for our customers to be able to have what they want than a hassle to not be able to have what they want.”

“I really don’t think it’s going to help us that much, the after-hours (sales),” said Doug Pellum, owner of Zachary’s on Fifth Street North in Columbus. There’s not much going on. You need to be going home at 1 (a.m.), but we’ll stay open until 1:30 a.m. (on weekdays).”

Read complete article at Commercial Dispatch.

DISPATCH STAFF REPORT

Downtown businesses are gearing up for the Florida football weekend with a myriad of activities tonight.

“Downtown Pumpkinpalooza” events kick off at 6 p.m. with a pep rally to cheer on Mississippi State against the Florida Gators on Saturday.

Occasions is sponsoring a Hannah Montana impersonator, who will perform and be available for photos after the performance.

The Starkville Community Market will set up in the middle of Main Street, selling fall produce, baked goods and fall plants.

Read complete article at Commercial Dispatch.

TIM PRATT

It’s been nearly two months since fire ripped through the chiropractic office of Dr. Robert Leach at the corner of Russell and Hogan streets.

Now, the veteran chiropractor is preparing to move back into the newly renovated structure, with a goal to be back in business by Nov. 1.

The inside of the building suffered such extensive smoke and heat damage during the Aug. 26 blaze that Leach believed he wouldn’t be able to return to the location. He spent the past two months treating patients out of his home on South Jackson Street and even began to look for new office space.

But construction crews over the past month have worked hard to rehabilitate the office. Crews had to strip the inside down and replace sheet rock, insulation, ceilings and electrical wiring, plus install a new roof, windows, ceiling and siding, among other things.

The blaze caused approximately $163,000 in inventory damage, with much of Leach’s chiropractic equipment getting marred beyond repair, he said.

Read complete article at Commercial Dispatch.