Starkville Daily News
Redistricting hearing turns tense in US Rep. Bennie Thompson's backyard
CLEVELAND – Most Mississippi residents who spoke on Tuesday at the first public hearing on redistricting in the Delta criticized what they saw as a Republican push for power at the expense of Black representation, while some others said they support...
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ACCIDENT
Starkville Fire $epartment responded to a motor vehicle accident Tuesday, September 1st at the intersection of Owy. 12 and tew hight Road. Firefighters used the Jaws of Life to safely extricate a single patient from the vehicle. The occupant was...
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MSU’S Lebby seeks to ‘start fast, win the opener’
Game week has arrived for the Mississippi State Bulldogs. As the first outing against the ULM Warhawks nears on Saturday, there was one message delivered by MSU head coach Jeff Lebby as he gathered his team for the practice on Monday. “Start fast,...
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MSU honors faculty members
Four Mississippi State faculty members received two of the university's most prestigious teaching accolades on Thursday. Lesley Strawderman is MSU'S latest William L. Giles Distinguished Professor, and Iva Ballard, Peter Summerlin and Benjamin Tkach...
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State alumnus publishes book on faith, healing amid life's challenges
Robert D. Marks, a 1982 Mississippi State University graduate, has co-authored a new book exploring faith, hope and healing through the lens of medical experience. "The Crucible of Illness: A Doctor's Story of Faith, Hope, and Healing," co-authored...
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DOLLY PARTON REMEMBERED
Members of the Starkville High School volleyball team line up for the national anthem prior to Tuesday night’s match against Madison Central. A track was played with the lyrics sung by Dolly Parton. The entertainer and actor died on Tuesday at age 80....
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HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL
The Starkville Academy Lady Volunteers played a home softball game Monday night against Pillow Academy and won a 13-5 decision. The victory was significant as it capped a season sweep of the hady rustangs for what is believed to be the first time....
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‘AN INCREDIBLE STORY’
The legacy of Mississippi State's first African American student, Dr. Richard E. Holmes, now is marked permanently on the campus of the 148-year-old land-grant institution. University officials cut a ribbon on Friday on a monument in the former YMCA...
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DOWN. SET. GO.
Honoring our country: Starkville Academy football players and cheerleaders pay attention to the flag before Friday night’s football game against Marshall Academy. The Volunteers won their season opener 42-17 at J.E. Logan Field. For more on the game,...
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A BRIGHT SPOT
Any fan who has followed sports in Starkville over the past five to 10 years has probably at some point watched an event that involved Ethan Pulliam. During his days at Starkville High School, Pulliam was heavily involved in athletics from football to...
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Little Sturgis Bike Rally gets underway
Motorcycle engines can be heard loud and proud throughout the area as the Little Sturgis Mississippi Bike Rally takes place this weekend. The rally will cover today, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Diane Jackson Memorial Park off Highway 12 in...
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Roll up your sleeves and save a life
The Oktibbeha Starkville Emergency Response Volunteer Services (OSERVS) third annual First Responders Blood Drive is happening in the nick of time to address statewide crisis. According to a recent Mississippi Public Broadcasting report,...
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Ribbon Cutting welcomes new gaming store to town
The Greater Starkville Development Partnership and local officials celebrated the upcoming opening of a new gaming store with an official ribbon cutting Thursday. Mockingbird Hobby and Games, located at 114 Willow Road in Starkville, is a retail store...
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Brittany Johnson: Built on faith, fueled by service
For Brittany Johnson, helping people isn't just part of the job. It's a calling that has been part of her life since childhood. Born and raised in West Point, Johnson developed a passion for helping others early, possibly because that's what she saw...
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Former MSU men’s basketball player, head coach Davis dies
Mississippi State University mourns loss of former Bulldog basketball player and head coach Kermit Davis Sr. A native of Walnut, Davis was the first recruit signed at Mississippi State by legendary head coach Babe Mccarthy. During his playing career,...
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UP AND AWAY!
Mississippi State cornerback Jett Jefferson (20) leaps into the air to bat away a pass from wide receiver Sanfrisco Mcgee during Saturday’s preseason football practice inside the Palmeiro Center. The Bulldogs were chased inside due to a thunderstorm...
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Junior Garden Club makes big impact
Starkville Town and Country Garden Club's junior garden club, the Garden of Goodness and Glory or the “Triple G,” raises and sells produce and flowers from their garden in Brooksville Garden Apartments every Saturday at the Starkville Community Market,...
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WELCOME TO PRACTICE
Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor (1) is greeted at the first day of preseason football practice on Thursday morning. For more on the Bulldogs, see sports page 6. (Photo by Danny P. Smith, SDN)
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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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County celebrates opening of new District 5 fire station
A major public safety upgrade is now complete in Oktibbeha County. The District 5 Volunteer Fire Department has officially opened its brand-new fire station, built on land donated by Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church. The new facility is...
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Golden Triangle celebrates blues through hometown legends
As music fans around the world celebrate International Blues Music Day, the Golden Triangle has plenty of reasons to join the chorus. Long before the blues became one of America's most influential musical genres, two men with roots in the region...
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INFRASTRUCTURE
Construction has officially begun on the Brush Arbor Cemetery entrance on University Drive. (Courtesy photo)
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Fulgham brings local goods, community connections to Main Street
Twenty years after moving to Starkville, Tabitha Fulgham is investing in the community that welcomed her by creating a marketplace dedicated to local products, local farmers and local connections. Fulgham moved to Starkville from Fairhope, Alabama and...
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LIFE & STYLE
Tim Schauwecker, professor in Mississippi State University’s Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Design (right), and Bob Brzuszek, professor emeritus in the department, survey the thriving native wildflower meadow at Cornerstone...
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EDUCATION
The Starkville Oktibbeha Early Learning Collaborative, housed at the SOSD Discovery Center, will celebrate its 10th anniversary this fall. The collaborative has provided prekindergarten education to Oktibbeha County children for a decade, helping...
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BACK TO SCHOOL
As a new school year gets underway, members of the district’s Transportation team help keep students moving safely to and from school each day. Bus drivers have spent the first week updating routes, welcoming new riders and navigating construction to...
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Dancing to make a difference
For Kayla Marie Gilmore, dance has always been more than learning steps or performing on stage. It has been a way to inspire others, build confidence and bring people together. Gilmore, owner of KMG Creations Dance, Fitness, has spent years using...
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17th annual Dancing in the Park brings community together
KMG Creations Dance, Fitness & Productions and The Center of Creative Arts proudly celebrated the 17th annual Dancing in the Park on Saturday, July 18, 2026, in partnership with the Starkville Community Market at Fire Station Park. The combined event...
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Starkville schools begin year with optimism, new high school project on horizon
As students returned to classrooms for the first day of school, Starkville-oktibbeha Consolidated School District Superintendent Tony Mcgee said the district is entering the new year with optimism. Mcgee spoke to the Starkville Rotary Club about the...
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Give Something Away Day: From groceries to couches, every donation helps
Whether it's a bag of groceries, an old couch or even an hour spent volunteering, local organizations say even the smallest acts of generosity can make a lasting difference. National Give Something Away Day, observed each year on July 15, serves as a...
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GETTING EXERCISE IN
Starkville Fire Department firefighters conduct a simulated vehicle fire training exercise Monday morning inside a multi-level parking garage, practicing standpipe operations and high-rise hose deployment through stairwells and parking levels to...
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CAMP
Ladies day out: Former Mississippi State defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons of the Tennessee Titans instructs some of the girls who attended his football camp on Friday at the Starkville Sportsplex. For more about the camp, see sports page 9. (Photo by...
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Simmons football campers get jump on the weekend with shopping spree
There were 20 very happy local youth striding up and down the aisles of Academy Sports + Outdoors in Starkville with their shopping carts on Thursday. Before attending the Jeffery Simmons Football Camp the next two days at the Starkville Sportsplex,...
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More than memories
For Susan Seal, the stories mothers leave behind aren't measured in jewelry, money or family heirlooms. They're found in resilience passed from one generation to the next, familiar phrases that slip into conversations years later and lessons that...
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PLANNED POWER OUTAGE
Crews with Starkville Utilities Electric Division and B&B will conduct a planned power outage from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 11, to replace electric conductors as part of ongoing infrastructure improvements for the Highway 182 Project. The...
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MSDH: Guidelines to have a (safe) blast this July 4
As you plan to celebrate a long July 4 weekend, the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) wants you to do it safely. Protect your loved ones from potential dangers from fireworks, impaired driving, water accidents, food poisoning and extreme...
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EMCC’S Dr. Coranette ‘Chris’ Calhoun completes fellows’ program, named to ‘Who’s Who’
Dr. Coranette “Chris” Calhoun, East Mississippi Community College’s dean of elearning, is a graduate of the 2025-26 Mississippi Community College Policy Fellows Program and has been recognized for inclusion in Marquis Who’s Who in America. (Courtesy...
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TREE UPDATE
Members of the Starkville chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution have once again refreshed the year-round tree at the Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum. This time, they gave it a patriotic makeover in anticipation of the nation’s 250th...
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COCO summer camp wraps up month of educational activities
The Council of Community Organizations (COCO) of Oktibbeha County's Academic Booster Club Summer Camp concluded Monday, June 29 with an awards program after a month of educational activities for students in kindergarten through 11th...
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Summer swing.
Summer is in full swing as adult softball returns to Starkville, with teams sporting custom jerseys, swinging for the fences and chasing a championship. (Courtesy photos)
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Growing curiosity, one seed at a time
It may be summer, but the learning hasn't slowed down at the Starkville Public Library. More than 30 kids had fun and learned something new Thursday thanks to the Starkville Master Gardeners and their lesson on plants. The kids learned how plants...
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‘Our experiences have value’
For many veterans, the toughest battles begin after they leave the military. Dr. Sammie Young wants to make sure those struggles do not go unnoticed. Young served in the U.S. Navy for four decades, retiring as a chief petty officer. Before that,...
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Three weeks, countless ideas, one original musical Summer Scholars ready to face the music
Almost 60 students are preparing for the culmination of three weeks' worth of work, set to premiere this weekend in Starkville. Students participating in the MSU Summer Scholars camp are almost ready to debut their original three-act musical comedy...
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From mules to modern life
The average life expectancy in the United States is 79, but a Starkville resident has surpassed that by 20 years. Mary Baugh was born in Neshoba County, Mississippi, on June 20, 1927, as the fifth of nine children. She grew up during the Great...
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‘The best is yet to come’: City earns Main St. honors
Starkville has added even more accolades to its growing list of achievements after receiving multiple honors from the Mississippi Main Street Association this week. The city competed against fellow Main Street communities from across the state and...
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Leaving it better than he found it
Starkville has undergone quite a few changes over the last 13 years, many of which are thanks to City Engineer Cody Burnett. Burnett began his career with the city in 2013 when he joined the engineering department after graduating from Mississippi...
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State champions:
The Starkville Maroon 9-10 Dizzy Dean All-stars won the state tournament in Louisville over the weekend. The members of the Starkville Maroon are Parker Bell, Price Cannon, Lucas Cobb, Asher Dolan, Myles Ewing, Bennett Gorman, Gene Fedric, Teddy Krutz,...
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LEMONADE DAY
Young entrepreneurs were out in full force Saturday as part of the Golden Triangle Lemonade Day. Kids got the opportunity to market and sell lemonade to learn the basic ins and outs of running a business. Money earned will be used to donate to a cause...
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Driver Service Bureau closed while relocating
PEARL – The Starkville Driver Service Bureau will be closed June 15–21 to allow for relocation and office setup. Starkville DSB will reopen at its new location on June 22 at 8 a.m. at the new address of 11355 MS 25, Starkville, MS 39759. The Bureau...
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SOCSD'S Guntharp among 40 nationally to earn NAFEPA State Leadership Award
Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Assistant Superintendent Anna Guntharp has received the 2026 National Association of Federal Education Program Administrators State Leadership Award. She is one of five recipients from Mississippi and...
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‘You can be what you want to be’
Dr. Shecoya White is an associate professor at Mississippi State, but her subject of choice was not always what she had in mind. White has a deep appreciation and love for animals, which helped her find her career path, although it has changed over...
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FURRY NEW FRIENDS
spent time with a variety of exotic animals Saturday when Tickled Pink Petting Zoo stopped by the Starkville Public Library. Attendees petted and fed a ball python, an antelope, a camel, an owl, an anaconda, baby lambs, goats and more .(Photos by Wil...
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Battle of Bulldogs set with trip to Omaha on line
A breakthrough is needed this weekend by the Mississippi State Bulldogs. After four previous losses by three runs or less to Georgia in each outing this season, MSU believes it can compete well enough to defeat the nation's No. 3 seed in a threegame...
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4 County votes in new directors, gives away truck at annual meeting
4-County Electric elected two new directors Thursday at the power association's annual membership meeting. The meeting, held at East Mississippi Community College's Golden Triangle campus, drew more than 600 members to socialize, win prizes and vote...
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Town and Country Garden Club celebrates National Garden Week
Starkville Town and Country Garden Club kicked off National Garden Week with Starkville Mayor Spruill signing a proclamation designating June 7th through June 13th as National Garden Week in Starkville, Mississippi. “Gardening has such great benefits,...
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LEARNIN’ AT THE LIBRARY
Kids got to learn all about archaeology and anthropology at the Starkville Public Library on Monday. Kids who attended got to handle replica bones and make their own bones and hieroglyphics with the help of Dr. Molly Zuckerman and a crew from...
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Bulldogs claim Starkville Regional championship
Mississippi State head coach Brian O’connor, right, has a conversation with the umpire on Saturday night. The Bulldogs won the NCAA Starkville Regional Championship over the weekend. For more on how they did it, see sports page 5. (Photo by Craig...
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PARKER POWER.
hits a solo home run for Mississippi State during the sixth inning of Friday's 10-1 win over Lipscomb. For more on the Bulldogs, see sports page 9. (Photo by Craig Jackson, for Starkville Daily News)
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Dressing up.
Preparations were being made on Thursday for Dudy Noble Field to host the NCAA Starkville Regional for college baseball this weekend. The Bulldogs will open the event against the Lipscomb Bisons at 1 p.m. For more on the regional, see sports page 5....
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Garden Club helps Beehive Homes residents create spring arrangements
Starkville Town and Country Garden Club's Garden Therapy Committee recently helped residents of Beehive Homes of Starkville create spring flower arrangements. “As an occupational therapist, I always enjoy the projects where we coordinate with the...
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LANE CLOSURE
will be in place at the intersection of Greensboro Street and Louisville Street today, weather permitting, to allow for a utility pole replacement. Work will take place daily from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Traffic control personnel will be on site. Motorists...
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MSU softball super regional win one for the books, program advances to World Series for the first time
Many expected the Oklahoma Sooners to add to their rich tradition of winning softball games and advancing to the NCAA Women's College World Series not too far from their campus in Oklahoma City. The Mississippi State Bulldogs had other ideas. MSU...
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MEMORIAL DAY
Members of American Legion Post 13 and Post 240 worked together Friday to place American flags on the graves of deceased veterans in honor of Memorial Day weekend. The two posts, alongside the Starkville Military Affairs Committee, will host a Memorial...
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Gold standard: Marett earns award for service project
Public service is an integral part of any community, and sometimes the people most attuned to that idea are the youngest. Julianne Marett is a Girl Scout in Starkville's Troop 20320 and takes her responsibilities seriously. While some may do just...
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‘Just take the first step’
Life can and will take you a lot of places, and sometimes it brings you back to somewhere you've already been. That is exactly what happened to Cathy Austin. Austin is the director of collection management and strategy at Mississippi State University...
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STARKVILLE HIGH
AKINS, Tristen Charles ALSTON, OLIVIA Paige ANDERSON, OLIVIA Chase ARNOLD, JADAH Synae BAINE, Noa Grace BAKER, LANDON Wilson BANKS, Amaya Zikerria BANZHAF, DAVIS Frederick BARNES, ALEX Isaiah BARNES, Chelcee Alece BEAN, Jayden Dejaun BECKUM,...
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No hitter.
Mississippi State pitcher Alyssa Faircloth tossed her second career no-hitter and the first ever for the program in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday on the way to knocking off Oregon on its home field 4-0. MSU went on to win the Eugene Regional with a...
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Volunteers capture first baseball title for school
There is a first time for everything. On Friday night, the Starkville Academy Volunteers experienced that feeling and brought home the school's first baseball state championship. The Vols defeated the Brookhaven Academy Cougars 5-3 at home to claim...
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