Starkville Daily News
Oral, head and neck cancers are preventable
April is recognized as Oropharyngeal (mouth/throat), Head and Neck Cancer Prevention Month, and the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) is spreading awareness that many of these cancers are largely preventable. Of the roughly 560...
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Local student performing in nationally-recognized cemetery tour
A cemetery tour by candlelight among historic gravesites may seem like the setting for a Hollywood horror movie, but one such tour takes place far from California and involves history rather than horror. The setting for this performance is Friendship...
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MSU names Mcdaniel National Alumnus of the Year
Mike Mcdaniel, of Houston, Texas, will be honored by Mississippi State University as its National Alumnus of the Year during the MSU Alumni Association 2026 Awards Banquet on Friday, April 17. A native of Cleveland, Mcdaniel graduated from MSU in 1979...
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STEM CAMP
Students in the STEM and Imaginarium camp got the opportunity to learn about advanced materials, fibers and composites through STEM activities on this week. The students got to make kinetic sand, experience balloon polymer magic, practice measurements,...
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Effort to reverse new majority-black Mississippi Senate districts snuffed out quickly in Legislature
The Senate Rules Committee on Monday afternoon killed a last-minute measure that would have turned two majority-black state Senate districts back into majority-white districts if the U.S. Supreme Court weakens the federal Voting Rights Act as many...
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NEW FIRE TRUCK
The Maben Fire Department was able to purchase a new brush/ rescue truck thanks to generous grant funding from Senator Bart Williams and Representative Rob Roberson. In the past, the department has relied on using Mississippi Forestry Program trucks...
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Of the week
BJ Hendrix showed his athletic ability at second base for the Starkville Yellow Jackets in a recent baseball game at West Point. Hendrix made a leaping grab of a line drive that ended a threat by the Green Wave to leave two runners on base and helped a...
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TRAINING
13 Starkville firefighters have officially begun a two week training course working toward earning their Fire Department Apparatus certification. The class is hands on and will require long days and real work driving and operating apparatus, pumping...
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CHAMPS AT THE CAPITOL
Senator Bart Williams and Senator Angela Turner Ford on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, led presentation of Senate Resolution 64, commending Starkville High School Girls Basketball Team for winning 2026 MHSAA Class 7A State Championship, and Senate Resolution...
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Fundraiser:
Blue Plate Mafia served food to community members and police officers on Saturday to help raise money for injured SPD officer Colby Huffman’s family. Members of the community got to enjoy good food and engage with Starkville police and city leaders...
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Ex-wrestler Teddy Dibiase is found not guilty on all counts in Mississippi welfare scandal
Ted “Teddy” Dibiase Jr. began to cry as soon as the federal court clerk read aloud the first of 13 not guilty verdicts. By count seven, tears fell into his lap. When the clerk finished reading the verdict – not guilty on all counts in a notorious...
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Floyd talks about short story writing at Books and Authors
The Friends of the Starkville Public Library hosted author John Floyd as part of their March Books and Authors event on Thursday. Floyd, the author of over 1,100 short stories, spoke to the group about his passion for writing and gave key insights...
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‘Follow your passion’
Louie Gallo is the Managing Editor at the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library and Museum at Mississippi State, a job many may not think about but one he finds great joy in. History was always in the cards for Gallo who began his fascination at a...
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A FAMILY DONATION
The Starkville Fire Department, alongside Modern Woodmen, presented two donations to the family of Firefighter Caleb Cistrunk to support the family after his passing this past year. “While no gesture can truly ease their loss, we hope this small act...
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Softball attendance records broken during series at MSU’S Nusz Park
It was a historical weekend for Mississippi State softball in more ways than one. Not only did the Bulldogs defeat the nation's No. 1 team for the second year in a row at Nusz Park in a 1-0 walk-off win in game two of the series against the Tennessee...
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‘Take me to church’
The Black Prairie Blues Museum will celebrate the homegrown soul of Annie & the Caldwells with a free afternoon blending live music, student art, and performances, honoring the Caldwell family band whose disco soul rhythms have carried real-life...
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Storm leaves one dead, three injured across state
Violent thunderstorms tore across Mississippi on Wednesday night causing substantial damage across the state and even a fatality. The storm, which arrived late Wednesday, brought with it strong winds, heavy rain and good conditions for the formation...
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Take a Spring Break from mowing
This spring, why not go a little wild? Those colorful wildflowers springing up in your lawn are not only beautiful and cost-free but also support biodiversity. That's why the City of Starkville is implementing a reduced mowing strategy this Spring...
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MIDTERM PRIMARIES HELD
Neither incumbent House District 3 Republican Michael Guest nor challenger Democrat Michael Chiaradio ran opposed in Tuesday's primaries. The two still appeared on the ballot and will do so again in November. In Oktibbeha's portion of House District...
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FORMER STARKVILLE RESIDENT RELEASES NEW SUPERHERO NOVEL
Superheroes are at the heart of modern pop culture, masked vigilantes protecting the biggest cities on the planet, but now Mississippians are finally receiving a hero of their own. “The Interns” is the latest book by former Starkville resident Roland...
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MSU Alumni Association honors outstanding volunteers
Mississippi State's recent Alumni Volunteer Leadership Weekend gathered Bulldogs from across the country to recognize outstanding alumni chapters and individuals, while providing networking and learning opportunities to enhance future engagement. The...
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‘We want more local food’
Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson visited Starkville on Thursday, March 5 to talk about the ongoing Make Mississippi Healthy Again initiative. The event, which was hosted by the Starkville Town and Country Garden Club, focused on...
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WISH TO REALITY
Kadien Manuel got to have his cake and eat it too on Wednesday afternoon. Not only did have a Make-a-wish come true with a trip to Walt Disney World in a couple of weeks, but he got to meet Mississippi State men's basketball player Josh Hubbard in the...
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Emotions run high at Aldermen meeting
The Board of Aldermen met for their regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday where emotions were high and key topics were discussed including future public hearings to ban a currently legal drug. Tensions were quickly heightened at the beginning of the...
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State student team develops AI Procurement solution
The AI Innovation Hub serves to effectively, securely and ethically accelerate statewide AI adoption, modernize public services and strengthen Mississippi's talent pipeline through collaborative proof-ofconcept developments. Designed to position the...
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Mississippi State continues to grow and thrive
Mississippi State student and faculty spent the latter part of the week celebrating nearly 150 years of the university. MSU officially turns 148 years old on Saturday marking another year of growth and change for the university. Originally founded on...
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DONATION
Starkville Chick-fil-a donates to Kiwanis Club of Starkville’s 13th Annual United We Feed Food Drive: Coleman Mcclelland, Marketing Director for Chick-fil-a, Starkville, from left presents Kiwanis Club of Starkville members including Richard Switzer,...
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‘I love being part of those light bulb moments’
Teachers work to teach a classroom full of students various subjects throughout the year, but some students may need additional help, that's where Jerrion Shelton comes in. Shelton is an interventionist at South Side Elementary School where she works...
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Town and Country Garden Club begins tree rescue project
A Starkville Town and Country Garden Club (STCGC) historic tree rescue project has begun thanks to Burns Dirt and the City of Starkville. Everyone knows the City of Starkville is upgrading Main Street as well as Hwy 182; and unfortunately, some...
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Accenting Dr. John A. Peoples
Approaching one hundred years young, Dr. John A. Peoples continue to enjoy quality of lifestyle. A native of Starkville, his birthplace was the residence located at the entrance to Henderson Middle School off highway 82. His father owned and operated a...
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A life between the lines of history
As Black History Month continues it's important to highlight those who have helped make Oktibbeha County what it is today, but not everyone has been etched into the history books the same way. Anderson Boyd was born in February 1835 in South Carolina,...
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Hubbard awarded Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup
Josh Hubbard put together one of the greatest individual performances in Mississippi State history on Wednesday night and now the rising Bulldog legend is being honored for what he's accomplished off the court. The prestigious Coach Wooden Citizenship...
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‘The humblest of beginnings can start in your hometown’ Cool Papa Bell's lasting impact
Starkville and Oktibbeha County are the homes of hall of famers in multiple different sports, one of those being the lightning fast Cool Papa Bell. James “Cool Papa” Bell was born in Starkville in 1903 where he grew up until about the age of 17. He...
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Aldermen and Supervisors hold Special Call Meeting
The Starkville Board of Aldermen alongside the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors held a Special Call meeting Tuesday afternoon to discuss city and county matters. The meeting began with a presentation from John Cunningham of Neel-schaffer...
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‘What’s better than putting books in the hands of kids’ Oktibbeha elementary schools get big book boost
Elementary schools in Starkville and Oktibbeha County got the chance to expand their libraries thanks to donations from the Starkville Rotary Club. Last week, Starkville Rotarian Stan Miller along with various other members visited elementary schools...
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Cutest Couple ‘Being in each other’s presence is enough’
Valentines Day has finally arrived and Starkville's cutest couple has officially been crowned. Blake and Kelly Stewart have known each other through perhaps every important stage of life. They first met in 2005 while they were in sixth grade, but they...
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STARKVILLE HIGH SCHOOL HIRES MORGAN AS HEAD FOOTBALL COACH
Brett Morgan has been hired as the next head football coach at Starkville High School. Morgan was with West Point since 2009 with the last two as head coach. (SDN file photo) Starkville High School has its new football coach and he's bringing a...
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‘I always try to help them when I can’
Starkville's parks are one of it's shining features and bring members of the community together on a daily basis, and parks and recreation workers like Raffiel Jones make sure they continue to shine every day. The Amory, Mississippi native has lived...
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Hamer’s Presidential Award of Freedom now on display at the Two Mississippi Museums
The Two Mississippi Museums are now displaying the Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded to civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer. Fannie Lou Hamer's Presidential Medal of Freedom was donated by her family to the Mississippi Department of Archives and...
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A barrier broken
Oktibbeha County and Starkville have a strong connection to Black history with significant figures going back to Reconstruction, but one man left a lasting impact on Starkville and Mississippi State University just over 60 years ago. Starkville native...
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Wells spoke to Starkville Garden Club about how to host
Lynn Wells, a member of the Oxford Garden Club, spoke to Starkville Town and Country Garden Club about how to host a butterfly release at their February 5, 2026, meeting at the home of Beverly and Nelson Jones. “The Starkville Town and Country Garden...
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CARR LEAVING SHS FOR POSITION IN THE NFL
Starkville High School is back in the market for a new head football coach. Multiple sources told the Starkville Daily News that head coach John Carr is headed to the National Football League. Carr is expected to be hired by new Cleveland Browns coach...
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‘Stress less about the small things’
50 years is a long time to stay in one place, let alone work within that place to make it better, but that's exactly what Mary Howard has done. Mary and her husband of 55 years, Lee, moved to Starkville in 1976 when Lee accepted an Assistant DA job....
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‘The bill dies today.’ Senate committee kills House school choice measure
The House's education bill that includes wide expansion of school choice policies is dead, its fate decided after 84 seconds of deliberation by a Senate panel. The Senate Education Committee met on Tuesday solely to discuss the House's omnibus...
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EMCC FALL 2025 HONORS PRESIDENT’S LIST
Isaac Adams (Mathiston) Korey Adams (West Point) Jackson Aldridge (Houston) Barrett Allen (Cedar Bluff) Katherine Allen (West Point) Kilee Allen (Maben) Logan Andrews (West Point) Christopher Argo (Starkville) Jeilyn Arterberry (Louisville) Eliza...
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House panel approves prison health care reform, questions mysterious bank accounts
Alleged denial of medical treatment, tens of millions of taxpayer funds in mysterious bank accounts and ballooning fees from a prison farm program were the subject of a slate of bills approved by the House Corrections Committee on Wednesday. The...
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MSU WOMEN BEAT NO. 15 TENNESSEE
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Mississippi State has had a knack of knocking off top 25 ranked opponents lately in women's basketball. There have been plenty of chances. At the end of a run of playing seven-straight games against top 25 opponents, the Bulldogs...
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‘My faith keeps me going’
West Point is known for it's strong community that supports those in need and Alma Brown is one of the biggest contributors to that idea. Brown, a Clay County native, moved to West Point after marrying her husband and quickly fell in love with it. “I...
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HOUSE FIRE
The Starkville Fire Department responded to a house fire on Tuesday morning. The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental and from an electrical malfunction. Fire crews arrived within two minutes and had the fire extinguished within five...
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County spared from worst of Fern
Winter Storm Fern has officially passed and Oktibbeha County only saw the most minor symptoms while the far northern parts of the state saw significantly more. After over a week of not being sure how each part of the state would be affected by the...
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67 YEARS GONE
Friday marked 67 years since the Old Main Dormitory was destroyed by a fire on Jan. 23, 1959. The fire claimed the life of MSU student Henry Williamson who had gone back into the fire before getting trapped inside, he was the only death. Before it’s...
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From power outages to icy roads...
With Winter Storm Fern arriving within the next day it's an important time to go over how to stay as safe as possible during the irregular event. Winter Storm Fern is projected to impact Oktibbeha County sometime between midnight and noon Saturday...
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State lawmakers push for protections as Supreme Court considers dismantling Voting Rights Act
As the U.S. Supreme Court weighs a case that could further weaken the federal Voting Rights Act, some Mississippi lawmakers are moving to write their own version. State lawmakers in the the Legislative Black Caucus on Martin Luther King Jr. Day filed...
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Attempted murder charges brought in Sonic shooting case
The Starkville Police Department has officially brought charges against three people in connection to the shooting that occurred at a Sonic in Starkville on Sunday. Damarion Brand, 16 of Starkville, was arrested on Sunday and charged with aggravated...
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Satisfaction:
Mississippi State women’s basketball player Favour Nwaedozi (25) shows her emotion during Sunday afternoon’s 71-59 win over No. 7 Kentucky at Humphrey Coliseum. For more on the upset for the Bulldogs, see sports page 6. (Photo by MSU Athletics, for...
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Birdcall spreads its wings with new franchise agreement in Starkville
Birdcall, a Colorado-born fast casual brand specializing in award-winning all-natural chicken sandwiches, salads, and more—has signed a new franchise development agreement for a restaurant in Starkville, Mississippi. The 3,500-square-foot restaurant...
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Books and Authors kicks off 2026 with mystery author W.D. Mccomb
The Friends of the Starkville Public Library held the first Books and Authors event of the year on Thursday featuring Mississippi mystery author W. D. Mccomb. Mccomb, originally from Aberdeen, went to Mississippi State to become a chemical engineer...
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Legislature to consider police taser restriction bill for second time
The Mississippi State Legislature has already seen bill proposals since the start of the 2026 regular session on Jan. 6 including a bill that was shot down just last year. State Representative Omeria Scott (D-80) has proposed House Bill 182 which aims...
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GARDEN CLUB
Starkville Town and Country Garden Club members Dawn Herring and Christie Lawrence met with City of Starkville Engineer Chris Williams and retired landscape architecture professor Bob Brzuszek to discuss plans for a second tree planting at Cornerstone...
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From winter wonderland to a riot of beads
The Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum got ready for Mardi Gras a month early thanks to the work of local volunteers. Members of the Hic-asha-ba-ha chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution met at the Heritage Museum on Tuesday to update their...
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WELCOME, BABY BOY
Baptist Memorial Hospital-oktibbeha County welcomed it's first New Year's Day baby as part of the Baptist Memorial Health Care system on Jan. 1. Nigeria Chinnery and Lavontraon Smith welcomed a baby boy just after 11 p.m. on the first which marked 3...
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FAMOUS MAROON BAND
The Famous Maroon Band got prepped for MSU’S matchup against Wake Forest in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl by spending the day at Dave and Busters on Friday. The band spent time enjoying games and made sure competition was in the air before the Bulldog’s last...
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Baptist celebrate purchase of OCH and share next steps at conference
Baptist Memorial Health Care celebrated the finalization of sale of the OCH Medical Center at a news conference on Monday, Oct. 6. Members of the hospitals leadership along with community leaders spoke during the conference about the impact the sale...
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EYE ON THE SKY:
Duke’s Mayo had aerial banners flying throughout Starkville over the weekend, announcing that “Duke’s Mayo is coming.” The purpose was to promote the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Friday at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte between the Mississippi State...
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MSU hosts international symposium on advanced vehicle technology
Showcasing its groundbreaking work in autonomous vehicles, Mississippi State University hosted the 7th International Symposium on Advanced Vehicle Technology earlier this month. The symposium brought together researchers from around the world to share...
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This Christmas brings a once-in-acentury calendar moment to Oktibbeha
When families wake up on Christmas morning this year and enjoy family time while unwrapping presents they may not realize just how rare this particular Christmas is. For the first time in a century, Christmas will fall on December 25 in a year ending...
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Santa’s Reindeer Cleared for Christmas Eve Visit to Mississippi
The Mississippi Board of Animal Health (MBAH) has approved a certificate of veterinary inspection for Santa Claus of the North Pole, authorizing his famous reindeer to enter Mississippi on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2025, for a holiday delivery...
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“...to make sure every kid is blessed”
The Starkville Police Department may have been the jolliest place in Starkville on Friday with hallways and rooms packed with toys and other gifts for children in the community. Throughout the month of December members of the community have had the...
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Peter’s Rock gets in the Christmas spirit through gift donation
Residents of Boardtown Village in Starkville will have a gift filled Christmas thanks to the generosity of the members of Peter's Rock Church. The church received a letter from Boardtown in November asking for their help getting the top three gifts...
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‘From pain to purpose’
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Starkville’s own Danny Smith оĞÁÝΨ¾Ũ¾ŁÝΨƄоĘĂŅŎ
Starkville Daily News’ own Danny Smith has been selected as a finalist for an upcoming award for his work in sports journalism. The National Sports Media Association has named Smith as one of only two finalists for the Mississippi Sportswriter of the...
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Legacy comes home
The Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum got a very special visit on Thursday from a true Starkville legend. John A. Peoples Jr. drove to Starkville from his home in Jackson to revisit his hometown and donate items to the Heritage Museum. Peoples, who is...
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‘I love hearing their stories’
The Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum is an important cultural institution in Starkville that has been around for almost 50 years, and it's Derek Aaron's job to keep it up and running. Aaron moved to and began living in Starkville full time in 2023...
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Major road closures set for this weekend
Drivers heading East on 82 may have a slightly longer drive thanks to planned road closures by the Mississippi Department of Transportation. Closures will take place on U.S. 82 eastbound from the U.S. 45 Interchange, the Macon exit, to the State...
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East Webster claims first football title in school history
Trophies line the halls at East Webster for various sports as the school has a culture of winning in athletics. Coaches and players have come through the school over the decades and brought home numerous titles in softball, baseball, basketball,...
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