By STEVEN NALLEY

Leaders from both the Greater Starkville Development Partnership and the Columbus-Lowndes Development LINK say their existing relationship is beneficial, and there is no immediate need for an alliance between the two organizations akin to the one LINK recently established with the West Point-Clay County Community Growth Alliance.
On Jan. 20, the Growth Alliance announced a formal three-year affiliation with LINK which allows the Growth Alliance to retain control of its chamber of commerce while LINK handles economic development activities.
Joe Max Higgins, LINK CEO, said he was announcing this alliance to the Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau at its meeting Jan. 23 when one CVB member asked if there was a reason why Starkville and Oktibbeha County were omitted from the partnership discussion.
“I said, ‘Well, you’ve got to understand, West Point and Starkville have different situations,’” Higgins said. “I said West Point was without a director, without an economic developer and they had to either decide whether they were going to hire an economic developer or, as they chose to do, contract and partner with us. I said Starkville has an economic developer; they have a program. Maynard, as I see it, is a very capable economic developer, and if Starkville wanted to come to the table they would certainly be welcome.”
Higgins said he does not want the invitation to be misconstrued as an effort to pressure the GSDP or the Oktibbeha County Economic Development Authority into joining LINK.
“It’s their choice, not ours,” Higgins said. “I think people other than me will have to decide whether that would be best. The fact of the matter is if the question had never been asked, I would have never brought up Oktibbeha County.”
Jon Maynard, GSDP president, said there are no plans for the GSDP to establish an affiliation with LINK like the Growth Alliance has.

Read complete article at Starkville Daily News.

By NATHAN GREGORY

Starkville Fire Department officials are still investigating the cause of the fire which destroyed one of the buildings at Summer Chase Apartments on Carver Drive Friday.
SFD Fire Marshal Mark McCurdy said investigators are still narrowing down possible causes.
“There is no formal cause yet. There are still a few agencies involved in looking at it. We know the fire started on the outside of the building. We know the area on the outside of the building where it started,” McCurdy said. “As to the exact cause, there are multiple things it could have been and until we can definitely narrow down to that one cause … we can’t say definitely what it is. At this point … there are still a few things that need to be looked at. Our hope is to have a definite call on (the cause) … in a couple of weeks at the longest if not this week.”
Director of Internal Operations for Oktibbeha/Starkville Emergency Response Volunteer Services Libby Thompson said volunteers are in touch with almost all the victims and have provided materials they can use during the process of getting back on their feet after the fire.
“We’ve offered (the displaced) a hotel room for three nights as well as a Walmart card and care kits for immediate needs,” Thompson said. “We’ve referred each of (those she has spoken with) to the local Palmer Home and Salvation Army stores so they can get clothing and basic furniture.”
OSERVS also provided fast food cards for each family member as well as stuffed animals for children, Thompson said.
“Not only do we respond as immediately as we find out, but we check with people several times after and refer them to the agency they want to meet with to discuss any additional needs they have,” she said.
Also responding to victims’ needs Friday was the Northeast Mississippi Red Cross, emergency response manager Cheryl Kocurek said.
“We’re still meeting with the clients and talking with them to make sure their immediate needs are being met,” Kocurek said. “We’re working with other local organizations to fulfill those needs.”
One of the displaced who lost all the contents in her apartment to the fire, Leslie Neal, has a husband and two children and is the event coordinator at the Mississippi State University Career Center. Scott Maynard, MSU Career Center director said people interested in making donations to her family can drop them off at the Career Center office in Montgomery Hall.
“Certainly as close-knit a group as we are here, we’re trying to help her at this time as she gets ready to move forward and do the things one has to do when this type tragedy happens,” Maynard said. “OSERVS has been really good. They were on the scene right away. They responded immediately, which was very comforting and very helpful.”

Read complete article at Starkville Daily News.

STEVEN NALLEY

The Greater Starkville Development Partnership will hold its annual banquet Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Mississippi State University’s Hunter Henry Center.
The theme of this year’s banquet is “Starkville: Then and Now,” and Austin Shafer, GSDP vice president of membership and the chamber of commerce, said the theme will manifest in the form of a presentation projected on three screens at the venue.
“We’re doing a great little photo montage of businesses and people from the past and present and seeing how their businesses have grown,” Shafer said. “(The theme was) chosen to show how far Starkville has come throughout even the past decade. (The presentation will) play as people are filing in and eating. It’s just a great conversation starter … a walk down memory lane.”
Shafer said GSDP President Jon Maynard will give a speech on the GSDP’s vision for Starkville’s future in 2012, and GSDP Board Chairman Steve Langston will serve as emcee. Shafer said the GSDP will present a number of unique awards at the banquet, including the Crystal Pineapple Award, given to an entity which promotes tourism through events or contributions to the community. Past Crystal Pineapple recipients include the Starkville Area Arts Council, the Mississippi Horse Park, the Mississippi State University athletic department and, most recently, the Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum. Other awards include the R. Clay Simmons Exemplary Service Award, the T. E. Veitch Community Service Award, the Service to Military Award, the Steve Langston Downtown Revitalization Award, the Industry of the Year Award and Ambassador of the Year Award.

Read complete article at Starkville Daily News.

NATHAN GREGORY

Seven water associations in Oktibbeha County were listed in a report by Mississippi Public Service Northern District Commissioner Brandon Presley as not having submitted their corporate bylaws to the public service commission. The deadline to have bylaws submitted is Friday at 5 p.m. Presley said all associations which fail to meet the deadline will face subpoenas.
The list includes the water associations of Adaton, Blackjack, New Light, Talking Warrior, Morill Road, Trim Cane and Longview. Adaton Water Association President Doss Brodnax said he submitted the bylaws Tuesday, and Trim Cane Water Association President Mildred Wade said she would submit them today. Morrill Road President George Bennett said his association would let Presley and the Mississippi Rural Water Association settle a disagreement on jurisdiction over when or whether the bylaws need to be sent before taking whichever action necessary.
Calls to the other water associations were not returned as of press time.
Presley said the deadline for submitting the bylaws was originally Jan. 20, but he extended the deadline because more than 90 water associations in the northern portion of the state had not sent in the necessary information.
He said the purpose for setting the deadlines and getting the bylaws was to make sure all water associations are in accordance with the Mississippi Non-Profit Corporation Act, which defines how the associations are governed.
“We’re simply conducting a review of these bylaws to make sure they’re in compliance with state law,” Presley said.
The associations have also received notification from MRWA stating they did not have to submit the bylaws, information Presley says is inaccurate.
“Mississippi Rural Water Association is 100 percent wrong, and they’re giving out lousy legal advice. What they have done is put these 90-plus associations in a legal jam,” he said. “Number one, I didn’t know (MRWA) had gotten into the legal advice business until this week. Number two, if the associations rely on this advice our next action is to seek subpoenas and go to court if need be. The question somebody needs to ask (MRWA) is why they are telling the associations not to turn over the documents. What are they so worried about?”
Bennett said Morrill Road Water Association, which only serves 13 customers and employs one person, would wait for Presley and MRWA to settle confusion over the matter before submitting information.

Read complete article at Starkville Daily News.

COLLEEN MCCARTHY

A jury ruled in favor of the city of Starkville in an eminent domain case against a local man yesterday at the Oktibbeha County Courthouse.
The city brought a case against J. Prate Montgomery Sr. to determine the amount he should be compensated for two easements on his property for the installation of a sewage line from 2006. The city initially offered Montgomery $1,808 for the easements, an offer he rejected because he said he felt the land was worth much more.
The property in question is located between Highway 25 and Bluefield Road. The city needed to give the Cornerstone Industrial Park, which borders Montgomery’s property, access to a sewer line. According to testimony from Doug Devlin, the Starkville public service director, the city looked into a number of different options so to be least invasive to Montgomery’s property as possible. The final plans were to install the line from the northwest corner to the west border of Montgomery’s property.
There were two easements in the project. The first was a temporary construction easement that was 40 feet wide across 1.01 acres, while the second is a permanent maintenance easement is 10 feet wide across a quarter of an acre. Montgomery still owns the land, but the city is allowed to come onto the property if any maintenance is needed on the sewer line.

Read complete article at Starkville Daily News.

By NATHAN GREGORY

Starkville sales tax revenues for 2011 nearly eclipsed the $5 million mark through November and are on pace to beat the city’s previous annual tax revenue record total set in 2010, according to the city’s most recent sales tax report.
November’s $473,450.02 total was 10.12 percent higher than revenues collected in November 2010 and $12,944.68 more than revenues collected in October 2011. It was the second highest monthly total of the year, only falling short of August’s total of $490,740.10. The percentage increase was also the second highest from the same month in the previous year, with May 2011 revenue totaling more than 10.56 percent more than May 2010 totals.
Total revenues from the city’s 2 percent food and beverage tax totaled $1,378,646.39 through November, meaning revenues for December would only need to reach $9,543.47 to exceed 2010 totals.
The November 2011 tally of $135,378.34 in 2 percent restaurant tax revenue was $16,667.34 higher than the previous November’s 14.04 percent increase.
Total sales tax revenues for 2011 through November reached $4,942,981.15, meaning December revenues would have to reach $374,586.96 to equal the 2010 intake of $5,317,568.11. It is the most prolific November on record since 1999.
The city collected $499,231.46 in December 2010. The average amount collected each month in 2011 is $449,361.92.
Starkville Mayor Parker Wiseman said the probability of setting an annual revenue record for the second straight year is a sign of population growth in the community.

Read complete article at Starkville Daily News.

By NATHAN GREGORY

Construction is set to begin on a two-lane stretch of Louisville Street to expand it to three lanes. The project, which will be mostly funded by federal highway dollars, is tentatively scheduled for completion early this fall. The Starkville Board of Aldermen and city transportation commission selected Columbus-based Gregory Construction when bids were taken Nov. 14.
The total cost of the project is estimated at just over $2 million, $550,000 of which will be paid by the city of Starkville. Federal highway funding will pay the remaining balance. The notice to proceed on the project was issued Jan. 11.
City Engineer Edward Kemp said the project will expand the section of Louisville Street between Lynn Lane and Yellowjacket Drive.
“Currently there is a three-lane section of roadway from Yellowjacket to Highway 12 and there’s a three-way section of roadway from Lynn Lane down to Academy Drive. This is the segment in between that is just a two-lane. When the project gets finished we’ll have a three-lane roadway all the way from Academy to Highway 12,” he said. “The project will involve three lanes of traffic with one going in either direction. In the middle you’ll have that center turn lane, so you can turn left into businesses or residences, and instead of traffic backed up on the through lanes while waiting for those cars to turn, they can get in this turn lane that will allow the traffic to flow better. This definitely increases the efficiency of the roadway, allows for more vehicles and allows for easier ingress and egress out of businesses and properties there.”
The roadway will consist of two 11-foot travel lanes going south and north as well as a 12-foot turn lane. Outside of each travel lane will be 4-foot bicycle lanes as well as a curb and gutter. Also included in the project are an 8-foot multi-purpose sidewalk and stormwater drainage improvements; the latter, Kemp said, will replace undersized, old pipes.
“A lot of the pipes are in need of replacement, so we’re doing an overhaul on all of the storm drainage in that area,” Kemp said. “It’s expensive, but it will last for a long time and will be a worthwhile investment.”
Kemp said along with making the section easier for motorists to navigate, the project will make the stretch of road more pedestrian-friendly.
“Along this specific section of corridor you have Starkville High School. If you go out there right now at pretty much any given time you can see people walking up and down shoulders of Louisville Street,” he said. “There’s a large subdivision that has two primary entrances off this section of roadway. We have residents who live up and down the corridor. We have several businesses that operate up and down the corridor. I think there is a great opportunity for more people to walk safely either to school or businesses from their homes.”
Kemp said the project will also make the section more aesthetically pleasing.

Read complete article at Starkville Daily News.

By COLLEEN MCCARTHY

The Starkville School District Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting today at noon to announce the semifinalist candidates for the district superintendent position.
“We have discussed releasing the names and determining the dates for the timeline going forward,” board President Keith Coble said.
Last week, the board narrowed down the list of 22 candidates and sent the names to the Mississippi School Board Association, which handled the background checks and candidate confirmation.
Coble could not confirm how many semifinalists they now have, but said all the candidates they selected have passed the background check and confirmed they wish to continue to be a part of the pool.
The board has yet to determine how it will proceed with the rest of the process, from interviews to eventually naming a superintendent.
“At the last meeting, we discussed different possibilities in terms of whether we wanted to do it in a one-step or two-step process, and that’s something we plan to discuss in open session,” Coble said.
Last week, the board determined it would hold some form of a public session where the community could hear from the final candidates and give feedback to the board.
The school district has searched for a new superintendent since last spring when former superintendent Judy Couey resigned. Applications were accepted throughout September and October, and the search netted 22 applicants from eight states.

Read complete article at Starkville Daily News.

By CARL SMITH

The Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors began discussion Tuesday for possibly developing projects to facilitate future economic and community growth.
While the board took no action, District 2 Supervisor Orlando Trainer said he will develop a list of potential projects in the coming weeks. The board agreed a work session should be held in the future, but one was not officially scheduled Tuesday.
Trainer told board members now is the time to act on community projects, which includes road work and recreational opportunities, so the tangible, finished product would be completed by the end of the board term. Developing projects to match county growth could be a “signature move” for the board, he said.
“We need to get the ball rolling now … and have something we can be proud of,” Trainer said.
District supervisors, Trainer said, need flexible project money which can be assigned to a variety of district-specific projects. County road quality is a need Trainer said he wants to address with projects in his and other districts.
“I think we need to have the best roads in the state of Mississippi,” Trainer said. “The sky is the limit.”
District 5 Supervisor Joe Williams agreed with the need for improved road quality.
“My constituents want better roads. The present course to pave roads isn’t getting it done,” Williams said. “I pretty much shed tears (while campaigning) for people who say they’ve been on a rock road all of their life. (The county) can fund the hospital but not roads. We need to look into possibilities.”
Project funding could come in a variety of ways. Instead of seeking a bond issue, Trainer said he believes the county can borrow money without increasing the millage rate or find funding by realigning its current budget.
“I’m about giving people choices,” Trainer said. “We get what we pay for.”
Board Attorney Jack Brown said supervisors might have to seek special legislation from state government for flexible funds. Brown advised the board to develop project ideas and then seek proper legislation if so needed.
The board also scheduled a public hearing in February for a potential name change to Redbud Road.
If approved, the road would be renamed St. Matthews Church Road after the church located east of Artesia. A church representative approached the board with the request and signatures from local land owners and congregation members.

Read complete article at Starkville Daily News.

By NATHAN GREGORY

The Starkville Board of Aldermen voted to select Golden Triangle Planning and Development District to assist in the city redistricting process Tuesday. The vote passed 4-3 with Ward 2 Alderman Sandra Sistrunk, Ward 4 Alderman Richard Corey and Ward 5 Alderman Jeremiah Dumas opposing the ordinance.
The board also approved the ordinance amending the city’s chart of permitted uses as well as the implementation of form-based codes as an amendment to the city’s zoning map. Both motions passed by a 5-2 vote with Ward 6 Alderman Roy A. Perkins and Ward 7 Alderman Henry Vaughn opposing.
Additionally, a motion to add the Northside Drive ditch to the drainage improvements for capital improvement projects for 2012 failed, while the board voted to create a selection committee to evaluate request for proposals for public-private partnership for municipal city projects. The capital improvement ordinance failed 3-4 with Ward 1 Alderman Ben Carver, Ward 3 Alderman Eric Parker, Sistrunk and Dumas being opposed.
Carver initially moved to have GTPDD selected to assist the city in redistricting in an amount not to exceed $10,000. A motion by Sistrunk to amend Carver’s proposal to have GTPDD provide three maps from which the board would select one failed.
Despite the measure’s passing, Dumas said he initially moved to table discussion on the requests for qualifications submissions because he felt the need to further discuss legalities.
“I still think there’s some question as to what legal service we need as far as getting this thing through to the Department of Justice. On top of that, how does that integrate with the demography as far as projects we’ve gotten proposals for?” Dumas said. “There are two moving parts. There is the map-producing side and there is the legal side of actually getting this thing approved. I think we’re somewhat ill-prepared by some of the proposals of handling the legal side. I saw no legal expertise on the proposal … I’m more concerned not with producing the maps but making sure we hit all the legal requirements in this process as we go forward with the Department of Justice.”
Perkins said he opposed Sistrunk’s proposed amendment because it would tell GTPDD how to conduct the redistricting process.
“I think it’s very intrusive for us to tell an expert how many maps they need to give us. Once we select a firm we can get it here and decide what we want to do. It is presumptuous at this time for us to tell them what to do and not to do,” Perkins said. “If the board passes this motion, let that group decide how many maps they want to bring in. GTPDD does not need to be told how many maps they need to draw. We are not the experts; they are.”
Corey said he voted for Sistrunk’s proposed amendment because it kept the board’s options open.

Read complete article at Starkville Daily News.