Both the SDN and Dispatch have their top stories of 2009 up.
I think the biggest is the most tragic and it isn’t even close- the Academy Crossing fire. Nine people dying is horrible enough. Six of them being kids breaks the heart. This story has gotten the nation’s attention.
Politics changed in Starkville in 2009. I believe we saw the death of the conservative local Democrat with the defeats of Matt Cox and Scott Maynard in their election bids. Parker Wiseman brought one of the best election machines to town and rewrote the playbook on mayoral elections.
The new Board of Aldermen acted quickly to differentiate themselves from their predecessors. Sunday Sales came out of the gate quickly, just in time for football.
Economic development continued- albeit at a slower pace. CottonMills has almost descnded into a soap opera of “he said, he said” as the developer and MSU have struggled to reach an agreement. The Central Station project (former Borden plant) and Studios on North Jackson (former Black Eyed Pea restaurant) injected new life into underutilized buildings.
MSU reacted to budget problems by cutting back part time instructor positions in some departments. Even though local sales tax collections have slowed, this brought the recession home.
Your thoughts on the biggest stories of 2009?
StarkvilleNow top 5 stories of 2009
1. Academy Crossing fire- A tragedy that has been reported on across the nation.
2. The election of Parker Wiseman as Starkville Mayor- Big city politics came to town as one of the best ground games played out this summer.
3. Sunday sales- Where is the Buffalo Wild Wings and Outback? They’ve had 3 months already.
4. The non development of CottonMills- Will it happen or not?
5. Budget problems affecting MSU- The recession finally came to Starkville.
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