Home » News » Giant ‘sea dragon’ fossil found in creek near Starkville STARKVILLE — James Starnes was walking along a creek last month field-checking a geological map of an area between the city and the Sam D Hamilton Noxubee Wildlife Refuge and looking for fossilized seashells when he saw a bone sticking out of the ground the director of the surface geology division for the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality almost immediately assumed it was from some kind of large animal But it wasn’t until his colleague Jonathan Leard uncovered the fossil that they realized they had found part of a giant marine lizard or “sea dragon,” from the late Cretaceous period “But I didn’t know it was a mosasaur until he pulled it out.” When the Cretaceous period ended about 66 million years ago which was full of creatures that are now extinct dinosaurs like the tyrannosaurus rex and triceratops dominated on land “The oceans were also full of predators as well and these mosasaurs were the apex predator,” he said Mosasaurs had a snakelike body with limbs modified into paddles and a long They hunted with large jaws and cone-shaped teeth Their skulls were structured similarly to modern monitor lizards and their backbones consisted of more than 100 vertebrae mosasaurs did not reach a “determinate size,” instead continuing to grow until they died is theorized to have grown up to 50 feet long and likely weighed more than 20,000 pounds The bone Starnes found was a lumbar vertebra which he said is “diagnostic,” because it would have been one of the largest in the animal’s spine With it being about seven inches wide at its largest Starnes said the creature he found was likely more than 30 feet long “This hands down was the biggest mosasaur vertebra I’ve ever seen in my life,” Starnes said Starnes sent the fossil to the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science said finding a mosasaur vertebra in the Golden Triangle is fairly common since the creatures had many vertebrae in their bodies and they were abundant in the sea But the size of the vertebra Starnes discovered makes Phillips believe the creature was a mosasaurus hoffmanni “This one is a particularly large one,” Phillips said “This one is suggestive of … the maximum size for these individuals.” The vertebra represents one of the largest mosasaurus hoffmanni ever recorded in the state Starnes previously discovered another mosasaur specimen in the Golden Triangle a similar incident in 2022 though it was a much smaller and older fossil existed nearer to the “horizon” line that geologically indicates the worldwide extinction of the dinosaurs caused by a large meteorite hitting the earth “This animal lived literally during the last days of the dinosaurs because at the top of this geological formation that we’re mapping that is the end of the Cretaceous,” Starnes said For the sake of his work geologically surveying areas throughout the state since they are the most abundant and can help geologists date how far back in time they are looking at different depths running into the bones of big animals is always exciting but sometimes we run across things that are a little more curious,” Starnes said Those are things that don’t preserve all that commonly And those things are important to us as well because they tell us the story of other things that were living in the ocean at the time.” Starnes said he hopes the vertebra can be used by mosasaur researchers in the future and a part of future publications on the species Phillips said though Starnes’ discovery may not necessarily be displayed at the museum The repository acts as a library for vouchers – specimens stored with all their associated data – which become an official record Members of the scientific community can then request to use those vouchers when conducting research that eventually may be included in publications “Just because we don’t put it out on display with neon lights overhead doesn’t mean it’s not important,” Phillips said Phillips said the repository makes specimens available for researchers throughout the country and worldwide and it does not just leave fossils sitting in drawers 15-20% of the collection is being worked on in some way he also said the Golden Triangle is a particularly rich region for fossil hunting With a growing interest in fossil hunting on the rise he encouraged others to get out and look for pieces of history themselves “If people are interested in fossil collecting there is not a place in the Starkville area that you can’t pick up a rock and throw it “There are fossils everywhere in the Starkville area.” If a citizen discovers a fossil of particular interest, Starnes said, they can reach out through MDEQ’s Ask a Geologist website for help identifying it. For more information visit mdeq.ms.gov/geology/ask-a-geologist (662) 328-2424 cdispatch.com © 2025 – The Commerical Dispatch in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle but we need your help to continue our efforts Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community Kentucky and Mississippi State will clash in Starkville for the first time since 2021 this weekend Things however look much different for both programs since then as Mississippi State would go on to win the College World Series that season and Kentucky would make its first College World Series three seasons later By the time these teams would meet next at Dudy Noble head coach Chris Lemonis would also no longer be the head coach of the Bulldogs every SEC series is like gold to a team looking to make the NCAA Tournament Kentucky would earn its third consecutive conference series victory It’s been a hectic week for the Mississippi State program as head coach Chris Lemonis was relieved of his coaching duties on Monday was selected to be the interim coach for the remaining 10 games plus postseason play The Bulldogs are 1-0 in the (short-lived) Justin Parker era as they run-ruled Memphis 18-5 in Starkville on Tuesday The decision to move on from Lemonis was not a surprising one as the Bulldogs had posted a 118-98 (42-69) overall record since winning the Men’s College World Series in 2021 Firing Lemonis with 10 games left in the season however was a puzzling decision especially given that he delivered the lone National Championship in program history just four seasons ago and there is proven to be no advantage to “getting a head start” on hiring a new coach However, the Bulldogs remain on the bubble of the NCAA Tournament. According to On3’s latest Field of 64 Projections, Mississippi State is the First Team OUT of the field. Because of that, a series victory over Kentucky this weekend would be massive for that program. Offensively, State is hitting for a .305 team batting average (43rd in NCAA) with a 4.53 team ERA (38th in NCAA). At the plate, the Bulldogs are led by senior third baseman Gehrig Frei (.371 AVG, 10 2B), sophomore third baseman Ace Reese (.349 AVG, 16 HR) and senior DH Noah Sullivan (.344 AVG, 12 2B). Frei’s .371 average ranks fifth in the SEC, while Reese’s 16 home runs are tied for third most in the conference. On the mound, Mississippi State will start senior left-hander Pico Kohn on Friday, junior right-hander Evan Siary on Saturday and senior right-hander Karson Ligon on Sunday. As a trio, the Bulldog starting rotation boasts a combined 4.84 ERA in 134 innings. Kohn’s 3.82 ERA ranks 12th among SEC arms. Top 101Shane BeamerPuts NCAA on blast Hot3Trump By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms and use of my personal information described therein Kentucky had won six of its last eight games before having its momentum stopped just a bit in its midweek loss to Western Kentucky on Tuesday 2 seed in On3’s latest Field of 64 Projections and could further solidify their tournament resume with a series win over Mississippi State this weekend who pinch-hit just twice over the entirety of the South Carolina series and the Western Kentucky game should be back in the starting lineup this weekend after dealing with a groin injury Bell’s .321 average ranks 6th in the SEC among freshmen as he boasts a 3.66 ERA in four SEC starts 21 overall team in D1Baseball’s Field of 64 Projections A series victory this weekend along with some help around the country could get Nick Mingione’s team one step closer to a third potential Lexington Regional ALL-TIME SERIES: Mississippi State leads 63-43 We have some exciting news to announce from our good friend Andy Luedecke from MyPerfectFranchise.net He is a big baseball fan and from his line of work he has seen first hand the fantastic traits that baseball players bring to the franchise world Andy is offering up a donation of $500 – $1000 to the school’s Baseball NIL collective if anyone from our site purchases a franchise We think this is a cool opportunity to help the baseball program! Now is the perfect time to contact Andy to learn more. Remember his services are 100% free and he’s here to help if you have any questions about business ownership! Head to MyPerfectFranchise.net to learn more or you can text or call Andy at 404.973.9901 Note: NIL donations will vary based on the size of the deal Join the conversation and talk about this article and all things Kentucky Sports in the new KSR Message Board. "It's not personal, it's personnel." Applying Freddie Maggard's favorite turn of phrase to the 2025 Kentucky football team means you're going to see... Hello, friends. I don't know about you, but I'm still hurting. No hair of the dog can cure my post-Kentucky Derby Depression. Two weeks of excitement... Kentucky's frontcourt in 2025-26 is loaded with talent and positional versatility. Could it be the best group of forwards in the entire country?... Lamont Butler will showcase his skills in front of NBA scouts later this week. Butler was listed as one of 45 prospects who received invitations to... Kentucky took a tremendous leap under Kenny Brooks last season, and obviously, that's because of the talent he brought in. Georgia Amoore and Dazia... Now that the offseason is officially upon us, we're rolling out some new content on the KSR YouTube Channel. What better way to wrap up Monday than... Just like Otega Oweh, Kentucky guard Jaland Lowe continues to go through the NBA Draft process. But in the middle of his preparation, Lowe made... A Lexington native is coming back to the Bluegrass State. On Monday, 7-foot-1 Miami (OH) transfer center Reece Potter committed to the Kentucky... Hot3Trump, Saban blastedNIL order ripped On3 is a registered trademark of On3 Media There is an unknown connection issue between Cloudflare and the origin web server There is an issue between Cloudflare's cache and your origin web server. Cloudflare monitors for these errors and automatically investigates the cause. To help support the investigation, you can pull the corresponding error log from your web server and submit it our support team. Please include the Ray ID (which is at the bottom of this error page). Additional troubleshooting resources STARKVILLE — Mississippi State baseball swept its first series under interim coach Justin Parker The Bulldogs (29-19 10-14 SEC) clinched the sweep with a 6-1 win against Kentucky (25-20 then broke it open with three runs in the sixth inning Catcher Joe Powell delivered another big hit a single with the bases loaded that drove in two runs Watch Mississippi State vs Kentucky live on ESPN+ (subscribe today) Karson Ligon threw three innings with one run allowed as the starting pitcher Dane Burns and Luke Dotson combined to shutout Kentucky with Michael O'Brien robbing a solo home run in the ninth inning MSU run-ruled the Wildcats 14-4 in Game 1 and then won 6-5 in the 11th inning in Game 2 with a walk-off single by Powell Mississippi State vs Kentucky score updatesMississippi State baseball game vs Kentucky begins after weather delayThe start to the series did not start on time due to thunderstorms in the area Mississippi State vs Kentucky will stream on SEC Network+ on May 3. The series finale on May 4 will air on SEC Network. Streaming is available via ESPN+ MORE: What to know about Mississippi State baseball interim coach Justin Parker, replacing Chris Lemonis Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_ (WCBI) – With us being a day removed from the Starkville Derby the well-known Oscar Mayer Weiner Mobile remains in Starkville The vehicle partnered with Starkville Strong to bring in free food This is the annual stop the Oscar Mayer Weiner Mobile makes in the town after traveling around the world each month said they always enjoy their time in Starkville it’s an amazing opportunity to be able to see the country,” Matthew Bailey said we are going from cities with millions of people to tiny communities with maybe 5,000 and we’ve done events and everything in between it’s the same mission: spark a smile and spread joy.” “They partnered with Second Servings to help bring meals to people who don’t always have access to them and it’s a really great organization so we thought we would come by with the Weiner Mobile and have it here,” Maddie Meyers said “Try to spark some joy and give out some fun stickers As well as we are going to help with some mail deliveries later today.” it’s just something everybody can gather around We’ve been around for 89 years.” You can visit the Oscar Mayer Weiner Mobile to track their next location where they will stop For 24/7 news and updates, follow us on Facebook and X © 2025 Home – WCBI TV | Telling Your Story STARKVILLE — Jimmy Bell Jr. was at the movie theater with his girlfriend on April 26 It was the final day of the 2025 NFL Draft There was little to no chance he was getting drafted he’s never played a snap of college football But his agents told him to keep his phone ringer on, just in case. He received a call just as he sat down in his seat to watch “Sinners.” The Los Angeles Chargers were inviting him to rookie minicamp Bell and his girlfriend quickly left the theater and he accepted the invitation Bell, who was a forward and center for Mississippi State basketball in the 2023-24 season hasn’t played in a live football game since his sophomore year of high school he’ll get a shot in the NFL when he reports to rookie minicamp as an offensive lineman on May 8 “It's still kind of surreal for me to get an opportunity like this because there's still guys that played four or five years of college football that still didn't get an opportunity,” Bell told the Clarion Ledger who hasn't played a down in football in college Jimmy Bell Jr.’s path from football to basketball and back to footballBell played football and basketball at Arthur Hill High School in Saginaw He was named to the MaxPreps 2014 Freshman All-American Second Team with the likes of current NFL players Jahan Dotson with offers from Akron and Eastern Michigan It also logged unofficial visits to Michigan and Michigan State to the point where playing football became difficult to stick with football and kind of fell in love with basketball a little bit more just because I was so tall,” Bell said I kept getting hit in my knees and getting chop blocked He moved to Bella Vista College Prep School in Scottsdale 2017 also cites the firing of longtime Saginaw basketball coach Greg McMath as a reason for him moving A college basketball career with four different teams followed one at Moberly Area Community College in Missouri and another one at West Virginia before transferring to Mississippi State He played in all 35 games for the Bulldogs with 16 starts 4.9 rebounds and 0.6 blocks per game as MSU reached a second straight NCAA tournament under coach Chris Jans He practiced with the Bulldogs and played in the spring game Bell did the same thing the year prior at West Virginia after a Kansas City Chiefs scout suggested it to then-coach Bob Huggins “He's a giant," MSU football coach Jeff Lebby said in April 2024 Big people have tended to have success in this game Why are NFL teams interested in Jimmy Bell Jr.?Bell entered the transfer portal at the conclusion of spring practices He thought he had one more year of eligibility to play football Bell stayed in Starkville and trained for football He participated in Mississippi State’s pro day in March Chicago Bears and New York Jets spoke with him “We were sitting with a coach who played in the NFL on a recruitment trip when we thought we had eligibility and he walked in and he looked at him and said “‘Your feet because of your basketball skills there's not a lot of humans his size on the earth that move.’”  MORE: Inside Mississippi State pitcher Stone Simmons' 3-year recovery from injury, crazy warmup routine How common is Jimmy Bell Jr.'s NFL opportunity?There have been numerous two-sport college athletes but there aren't many players that have made it in the NFL without playing college football is also from Michigan and was signed by the Chargers out of college Gates turned into a five-time All-Pro tight end Other players who've done it include Preston Pearson Current Indianapolis Colts tight end Mo Alie-Cox only played basketball at VCU The Denver Broncos drafted basketball player Caleb Lohner of Utah in the seventh round of this year's draft "We don't know where Jimmy is going to go because he's a moldable piece a left tackle or right tackle," Hammack said "A defensive coordinator could fall in love with him and say Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger 14vs4Kentucky Photo by: Mississippi State AthleticsState Claims Series With Doubleheader Sweep May 03 MS (WCBI)- Mississippi State clinched the series win against Kentucky after defeating the Wildcats 14-4 in game one and walking them off 6-5 in game two We recognise you are attempting to access this website from a country belonging to the European Economic Area (EEA) including the EU which enforces the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and therefore cannot grant you access at this time e-mail us at editor@starkvilledailynews.com or call us at 662-323-1642 MS (WCBI)- The Starkville Derby once again proved why it was voted Mississippi’s best large festival of the year the 2025 edition brought in an estimated 80,000 attendees to the Cotton District Saturday morning The festival aims to bring the community together to benefit the Oktibbeha County Humane Society featuring QR codes and constant reminders of the true purpose behind the large event “I know it’s been a wiener-ful weekend and a great time for everybody,” Thornhill said “It just shows you when you have a fun collective kind of event that’s different people will come out and support it.” The event has grown in size each year it has been put on not only benefitting the Oktibbeha County Humane Society but the local businesses around the area as well While thousands gathered to watch our four legged friends run across a 100 ft Thornhill notes that everybody wins in a festival like this “It was truly the most wiener-ful weekend of all time.” This story was updated to add new information STARKVILLE — Mississippi State baseball’s SEC series opener against Kentucky on May 3 did not start on time due to inclement weather The new start time for the Bulldogs (26-19 Thunderstorms were in the area of Dudy Noble Field since the early afternoon The series was supposed to begin on May 2, but that game was postponed due to weather MSU and Kentucky are playing a doubleheader on May 3 with Game 2 beginning 40 minutes after Game 1 It’s the first SEC series for interim coach Justin Parker who replaced Chris Lemonis when he was fired on April 28 Parker has been the MSU pitching coach since last season MORE: Can Justin Parker lead Mississippi State baseball to NCAA tournament? What latest projections say Home » News » Voter registration deadline is Monday for city elections With municipal elections approaching June 3 voters in Starkville and Columbus must register to vote by 5 p.m voter registration forms are available at City Hall on 110 W Columbus voters can register at City Hall on 523 Main St Registration forms are also available on the Secretary of State’s website Mail-in registration forms must be postmarked by May 5 to be accepted Absentee voting is already underway ahead of the general election interim registrar Brenda Williams said 39 voters have already cast their absentee ballots Voters may cast an absentee ballot in person if they are unable to vote on election day due to work Those temporarily living outside the municipality disabled or dependents of hospitalized individuals more than 50 miles away may vote absentee by mail A full list of qualifications and instructions is available on the Secretary of State’s website Absentee ballot applications are required and can be filled out at City Hall in both Starkville and Columbus or requested from the city clerk or registrar Mail-in absentee ballots must be postmarked by June 3 and received by June 10 to be counted voters will choose between incumbent Democratic Mayor Lynn Spruill and Republican challenger Roger Basset Ward 3 voters will decide between Republican James Kyle Skinner and Democrat Laurel Lynn Rowse Other aldermen running unopposed on the ballot are Kim Moreland (Ward 1) Columbus voters will cast their mayoral votes for independents Darren Leach Bill Strauss or Democratic candidate Stephen Jones Ward 1 voters will choose between independent Keith Gaskin and Democrat Ethel Taylor Stewart Ward 4 candidates are independent Pierre Beard Democrat Lavonne Harris and Republican Robert Johnson Ward 5 voters will decide between Democrat Gregory “Gary” Jefferson and Republican Mary Beth Jeter the race is between independent Donald Pope and Republican Jason Spears Smith won the runoff election for Ward 2 and is unopposed in the general election Ward 3 Councilman Rusty Greene is unopposed (WCBI) – One person was taken to the hospital and a home was left severely damaged after a fire in Starkville Oktibbeha County Emergency Management received a call of a structure fire at 2709 Plum Road they found heavy smoke and flames coming from the home Starkville Fire Department reported that one person was inside the home at the time of the fire and escaped without injury They were later taken to the hospital for evaluation Crews worked through the night to douse the blaze The cause of the fire remains under investigation For 24/7 news and updates, follow us on Facebook and X. © 2025 Home – WCBI TV | Telling Your Story. SearchSearchThursday, May 1Starkville, MS11 a.m.UAB Gabby WashingtonPhoto by: Jacob OrrBlazers Head to Starkville for Maroon and White Tune Up4/30/2025 11:45:00 AM | Women's Track & Field BIRMINGHAM - UAB Track & Field travels to Starkville Mississippi on Thursday to compete in the Maroon and White Tune Up hosted by Mississippi State The two-day event will take place at the Carl Maddox Track & Field Complex Birthe Franck-Petersen competed in the Shot Put and progressed with each throw Noelle Hambrick and Victoria Freeland represented the Green and Gold in the Pole Vault Hambrick tied her Outdoor PR with a mark of 3.70 Sangie Lincoln-Velez clocked her PR in the 1500m for the second consecutive week Hope Foster marked her Outdoor season-best in the High Jump finishing at 1.66m Jasmine Dereje placed 8th out of 48 runners in the 400m Hurdles The sophomore finished with a time of 59.54 Home » News » Starkville could be among most park-convenient cities STARKVILLE – The service areas of city parks already cover much more of the population than officials expected Adding three more parks over the next 10 years could place its coverage percentage in the company of some of the most recreation-friendly cities in the country City Planner Daniel Havelin presented GIS mapping data Friday at a board of aldermen work session showing 47.01% of Starkville’s population already live in the service area of an existing city-owned park Taking into account the parks at Sudduth Elementary Overstreet Elementary and Armstrong Middle School – for which the city has an agreement with Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District to allow use as public parks after school and on weekends – the coverage percentage rises to 54.19% “The national average is 39.2%,” Havelin said during the work session adding three parks in strategic areas as part of the city’s new 10-year parks plan – which is being developed – would mean as much as 62.72% of residents would live within a park’s coverage area he suggested placing parks near Garrard and North Montgomery behind the Greenbriar subdivision along South Montgomery and near the Pleasant Acres subdivision “The most underserved area is actually South Montgomery,” Havelin said “There are just really no parks down there … (A park near Pleasant Acres) is going to pick up a completely not served area that is mainly multi-family And people who live in apartments have a higher need for green space because they don’t have a frontyard or a backyard Any park that is close by is really going to get used.” Census Bureau and 2023 American Community Survey data to track populations and age demographics throughout the city The city can use that amenities at existing parks to better capture the demographics they serve the school parks included in the city partnership have equipment that match well with the student populations at those campuses but not necessarily neighborhood demographics but the neighborhood demographics are almost 61% 18-to-34-year-olds “That tells you that you need something like a walking trail Havelin recommended the city use this data to inform amenity updates park-system wide a private contractor hired by the city to manage its parks is helping put together a parks plan Mayor Lynn Spruill said could be finished and ready for public presentation by fall While Havelin’s GIS project was more of an “internal analysis,” she expects the data will inform the final draft of the overall plan I’m also excited about our current status because I had thought we would have been much less (percentage) in service,” Spruill said during the work session Zack Plair is the managing editor for The Dispatch Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community. Photo by: Will Porada/MSU AthleticsState Set For Super Bulldog Weekend Showdown May 01 STARKVILLE – Mississippi State's annual spring homecoming will be headlined by an SEC baseball series between the Diamond Dawgs and Kentucky The three-game series gets underway on Friday at 6 p.m followed by a Saturday first pitch at 2 p.m Sunday's finale is slated to begin at noon The first two games of the series will be streamed on SEC Network+ and the final contest is airing on SEC Network MSU will send its ace Pico Kohn to the mound to begin the series on Friday The junior left-hander is 4-2 with a 3.82 earned run average 89 strikeouts and only 15 walks in 61 1/3 innings this season Kohn ranks fifth in the conference in punchouts while holding opposing hitters to a .219 batting average The Wildcats will counter on Friday with freshman right-hander Nate Harris who will be making his 10th start of the season 31 strikeouts and 15 walks in 41 2/3 innings UK plans to pitch senior righty Nic McCay (4-0 31 BB) in Game 2 and go with sophomore southpaw Ben Cleaver (5-2 State enters the weekend at 26-19 overall and 7-14 in Southeastern Conference play The Diamond Dawgs are coming off an 18-5 win over Memphis in seven innings at home on Tuesday It was their eighth run-rule victory of the year Mississippi State is collectively hitting .305 with 76 home runs and scoring 7.7 runs per game The Bulldogs sport a .972 fielding percentage and have stolen 40 bases in 47 attempts this spring Senior first baseman Hunter Hines has hit 64 career home runs which ranks second among active players in Division I Hines is also three homers shy of matching Rafael Palmeiro (1983-85) for the most in school history His 204 career RBIs ranks sixth in State's annals and is two away from tying Jon Knott (1998-2001) and Connor Powers (2007-10) for fifth all-time in that category State's hurlers hold a 4.53 ERA as a staff with 493 strikeouts and 145 walks through 375 2/3 innings Opposing teams are batting just .231 against them and they rank third nationally in both strikeouts per nine innings (11.8) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.40) Kentucky comes to town with a 25-17 overall record and a 10-11 mark in the SEC The Wildcats took a home series against South Carolina last weekend but lost 6-4 at Western Kentucky on Tuesday Kentucky's staff certainly knows its way around Starkville Head coach Nick Mingione was an assistant coach for the Bulldogs from 2009-16 before being hired by the Wildcats Former MSU pitcher and director of operations Trevor Fitts serves as UK's director of player development while assistant coach Austin Cousino worked as a graduate assistant for the Diamond Dawgs from 2017-18 The Wildcats are hitting .274 as a team with 41 homers and average 7.2 runs per game Kentucky has also been dangerous on the base paths with 106 steals in 130 attempts and maintain a .979 fielding percentage Cole Hage has been the Wildcats' biggest offensive threat hitting .331 with 10 long balls while also being tied for the team lead with 11 steals with Patrick Herrera Tyler Bell had driven in 40 runs to lead UK in that aspect The Wildcats' pitchers have a staff ERA of 4.24 with 387 strikeouts and 168 walks in 371 1/3 innings of work Their opposition is batting .236 against them with 37 home runs on the year Cleaver tops Kentucky in strikeouts while Hayden Smith and Logan Grubb have flawless ERAs James McCoy has two of the team's five saves this season Mississippi State leads the all-time series against the Wildcats 65-44 and swept Kentucky during its last visit to Dudy Noble Field in 2021 Visit www.HailState.com for the latest news and information on the baseball program. Fans can also follow the program on social media by searching 'HailStateBB' on X, Facebook and Instagram. Photo by: Auburn SageTigers Hit the Road for Starkville for Matchup vs Home » News » Starkville nonprofits ‘devastated’ by DOGE cuts to VISTA program STARKVILLE — Cornelius Edmond logged into his email Monday afternoon intending to accept an offer for a third year with AmeriCorps VISTA he found an email from AmeriCorps informing him that his position with the Starkville Area Arts Council as the arts programming assistant had been terminated Did I do something wrong?’” Edmond recalled I noticed that the whole entire project had been terminated and that’s when I realized this is something bigger than just me.” Edmond is one of thousands of AmeriCorps VISTA employees placed on sudden administrative leave after the Department of Government Efficiency ordered the agency to cut nearly $400 million in funding last week VISTA employees were told by email they would be placed on paid leave through May 19 during which time they should seek reassignment offers participants a poverty-wage salary of about $24,000 annually along with health benefits and a $7,500 education stipend at the end of their term Edmond has worked with AmeriCorps through Mississippi State University’s Maroon Volunteer Center since July 2023 The center served as a site for AmeriCorps employees to be connected with area nonprofits – receiving $202,733 in annual federal grants for the program – until funding was cut Monday morning “The AmeriCorps VISTA position at MSU will be among the 30,000 AmeriCorps VISTA members being forced to exit their programs prematurely,” said Sid Salter MSU vice president for strategic communications and director of public affairs Although the Maroon Volunteer Center will continue its operations through Service Dawgs a campus volunteer program separate from AmeriCorps the cuts have left Starkville nonprofits uncertain about the future interim executive director for Starkville Area Arts Council expressed concern that the termination of VISTA positions will force nonprofits to pay significantly more for the same staffing levels have to hire these people outright … it’s going to cost us thousands of dollars that we did not have to account for last week,” Reid said “It’s going to cost nonprofits so much more money in a time where donations are thin Edmond’s role at the arts council included managing social media writing newsletters and assisting Reid with grant writing all of which are tasks that Reid describes as “essential,” especially as the organization searches for a new executive director “It’s very disheartening that they consider it to be government waste operations coordinator for Starkville Strong Carruth handles coordinating interns and volunteers daily What I do at Starkville Strong and what the other VISTAs do here is invaluable It’s been very difficult to know that this job that I love so much the work that I’m doing that I’m so passionate about … to wake up and be told that actually who evaluates client cases and provides housing and bill assistance to clients said she hasn’t had time to process the news due to the demands of her role Christy plans to continue volunteering with Starkville Strong and I just can’t take the time to feel bad because this is happening,” Christy said said she planned to hire two additional VISTA employees through the United Way of the Golden Triangle Region though she expects United Way’s program will be cut soon as well “There is a concern because all of our colleagues around us have closed and shut down,” Bradley said “… We can’t get anyone on the phone to give us any specific information regarding our specific project waiting for whatever news they’re going to tell us.” Herrington said if United Way’s AmeriCorps program is terminated losing both her operations coordinator and case manager will significantly impact the organization’s scale of aid “We will have to go back to those earlier years where all we did was address a couple of things and not the wide net of things that we’ve since picked up,” Herrington said “When I say nobody else is addressing homelessness like we are you’re going to start to see more homeless on the streets You’re going to have a lot more people who don’t have the mentorship and the guidance they need to get out of the crisis they’re in.” “I truly don’t know what I’m going to do,” Brown said Two days he’s been gone … and I am about to lose my mind around here.” Herrington and Brown all agreed community members could help the organizations by donating monetarily on the organizations’ websites or by donating their time through volunteer work 12 Mississippi State Set To Host Privateers in NCAA First Round May 01 Home » News » Mary Means Business: Taco Amigo Starkville location opening soon Taco Amigo’s Starkville expansion is moving in the right direction I reported that the Taco Amigo food truck in Columbus was planning to open a restaurant in Starkvegas Owner Isabel Vanegas opened the Taco Amigo food truck about five years ago Her patrons continually asked for a Starkville location and she announced she would open a restaurant near Clayton Village Taco Amigo’s sign is up at the former Jean Cafe at 12072 Hwy Vanegas said the restaurant should open in the next two weeks burritos and even breakfast staples like huevos la mexicana has expanded its operations to include a full-scale restaurant confirmed everything is complete and ready for patrons except one small part Everything else is in the restaurant and ready.” La Tienda Familia Hispana opened more than six years ago originally as a Mexican grocery store selling food dishes from a food truck stationed out front folks can enjoy that same authentic Mexican food inside we have a realtor veteran taking the reins of a local real estate office a Coldwell Banker Realtor for nearly 20 years Coldwell Banker Frady and Associates is the new official name of the business located at 2500 Military Road “We’re building on a proud heritage – reimagined,” Frady said “Don West led Coldwell Banker West for more than 40 years with dedication and integrity I’m honored to carry forward that tradition while bringing new energy fresh ideas and a renewed vision to the company Coldwell Banker has been a trusted name since 1906–and we’re just getting started.” Main Street Columbus is hosting its annual Market Street Festival on Saturday with more than 150 arts and crafts vendors we also have the Starkville Derby on Saturday This is the world’s largest charity wiener dog race’s third year with Grand Marshalls and former MSU football stars Jeffrey Simmons and JT Gray Head out toward the Cotton District and check out the event benefiting the Oktibbeha County Humane Society the Starkville Derby hosted more than 50,000 visitors and was named Best Large Festival of the Year by the Mississippi Tourism Association Former Dispatch reporter Mary Pollitz writes weekly about interesting business news. Have a tip? Send it to [email protected] Home » News » Democratic mayoral primary too close to call in Starkville Register with us (no credit card required) to read 3 articles per month at no charge Two of Mississippi’s college towns have once again earned recognition from USA Today Starkville, home of Mississippi State University, was voted “Best Small Town in the South” for the second consecutive year as part of the publication’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards Commonly referred to as “StarkVegas,” Starkville topped small-town destinations such as Lewisburg “Though it’s home to Mississippi State University Starkville is much more than just a college town,” USA Today editors wrote a treasure trove of artifacts and correspondence Mayor Lynn Spruill called the honor well-earned especially considering she already believed Starkville to be the best small town in the South “The USA Today results are incredibly exciting,” Spruill said “I have always believed that Starkville deserves to be recognized as a great place to live It is especially rewarding to see that so many others believe it to be as well.” 100 miles northeast, Oxford is also celebrating being part of USA Today’s annual awards. Home to the University of Mississippi, or Ole Miss, Oxford notched the runner-up position for “Best Small College Town in the U.S.” but it should be!” USA Today editors wrote the charming live oak-laden home to…the University of Mississippi holds a classic town square where you’ll find the iconic two-story Square Books anchoring a corner with its wide veranda Dining options include James Beard chef-helmed eateries The college campus is a mere stroll away from downtown.” Visit Oxford MS executive director Kinney Ferris said she and others who work to attract visitors to Oxford were thrilled to see the town recognized for its charm “What an honor for Oxford to be recognized as one of the best small college towns by USA Today 10Best,” Ferris said “We are always thrilled to receive national recognition of Oxford’s unique charm and welcome the spirit that Ole Miss students bring to enhance our thriving community.” Oxford took home the title of “Best Small College Town in the U.S.” but was ousted this year by Florence The publication referenced the town’s live music scene which reflects a long history of artists performing in the area that Florence Alabama Music Enterprises (FAME) and Muscle Shoals recording studios call home The full list for the 2025 USA Today Readers’ Choice Awards can be found here Copyright 2025 SuperTalk Mississippi Media Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly SuperTalk Mississippi Media is Mississippi’s leader in news SuperTalk Mississippi Media covers every inch of the state Two men were shot and killed on Thursday at the Quality Inn in Starkville according to the Starkville Police Department the public information officer for Starkville Police Department said officers responded to multiple 911 calls of shots fired around 11:04 a.m were transported to OCH Regional Medical Center and pronounced dead the police said in a news conference Thursday evening The shooting occurred behind the Quality Inn when those two Williams and Mayfield exited the vehicle and then exchanged shots at each other after an argument and physical altercation Williams was found by first responders at the Quality Inn while Mayfield was at the nearby State Urgent Care Williams was wanted by the Columbus Police Department for kidnapping and aggravated assault in relation to his girlfriend "There's no ongoing threat to the community," Lovelady said Lack of crime data submissions in MS: Nearly 60% of MS law enforcement agencies are not submitting crime data. See who is not Lovelady said the investigation remains open and investigators are unsure why the three of them were in Starkville Anyone who has any information relating to shooting can contact the Starkville Police Department at (662) 323-4131 a software developer specializing in artificial intelligence and machine learning The project is a $2.5 million investment that will create 15 jobs Camgian develops AI and machine learning solutions for government and commercial clients worldwide the company will enhance its infrastructure specifically upgrading its high-performance computing capacity to support large-scale AI model training and testing Camgian also will broaden its software development and testing capabilities to keep pace with the increasing market opportunities for its products and services Mississippi Development Authority is providing assistance through the Mississippi Flexible Tax Incentive The city of Starkville and Oktibbeha County are assisting with the project Camgian Corporation plans to complete the project and fill the new jobs within three years “AI and machine learning provide groundbreaking solutions for business Mississippi is investing in innovation and remains committed to fostering the safe and secure advancement of this technology Mississippi is rapidly becoming recognized worldwide as a leader in AI and machine learning and Camgian’s latest investment further strengthens our foothold in this high-tech field.” – Gov  “MDA is excited to support Camgian as the company advances its innovative AI solutions Mississippi is harnessing the technologies of the future and this exciting announcement serves as another reminder to the world that our state is a competitive place to build and grow a high-tech business We thank the Camgian team for once again leveraging the many competitive advantages offered by a Mississippi location and for bringing more than a dozen exciting job opportunities to Oktibbeha County.” – Mississippi Development Authority Executive Director Bill Cork  “Camgian continues to experience strong growth in Mississippi With the expansion of our Starkville headquarters we are excited to drive innovation and create new opportunities for the future.” – Camgian Corporation CEO Gary Butler  “Camgian’s expansion is a big win for Starkville and the Golden Triangle bringing more high-tech jobs and reinforcing our region’s role in AI innovation Their investment in advanced computing shows the strength of our local tech sector and we’re excited to support their continued growth.” – Golden Triangle Development LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze how you use this website and provide the content and advertisements that are relevant to you These cookies will only be stored in your browser with your prior consent You can choose to enable or disable some or all of these cookies but disabling some of them may affect your browsing experience Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns has been named the #1 Best Small Town in the South for 2025 by the USA marking its second consecutive year in the top spot the publication said Starkville is much more than just a college town It went on to say that with multiple historic districts For 24/7 news and updates, follow us on Facebook and X Starkville High School has its new football coach Former Clinton coach John Carr has been hired to take over the Yellow Jacket program, replacing state championship coach Chris Jones according to a Monday press release from the school who completed his first season at Clinton this fall helped the Arrows to a 4-6 record following its 1-9 record in 2023 Clinton's offense averaged 30 points and 345 yards per game Carr was hired at Clinton in March 2024 after being at Louisiana-Monroe where he served as wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator from 2022-23 Carr wasn't retained when former ULM coach Terry Bowden was fired in 2023 I recruited the entire state of Mississippi and you get to know programs and schools that stand above the rest," Carr said in a press release "The Starkville position is a head coaching job that really checked all the boxes for me –– an A district "It's an ideal place for me to come and help kids and get the best chance as a coach to experience the whole process and I can't wait to entrench myself in the community and get to know our players and our staff." He replaces Jones, who was recently hired as the Hinds College football coach in December Jones led Starkville to the 2022 MHSAA Class 6A state championship and had runner-up finishes in 2017 and 2023 Last week, Starkville hired its new athletic director, Jay Hopson a former Southern Miss and Alcorn football coach classy guy –– a high character guy," Hopson said in a release John Carr has an extreme amount of experience He was a highly successful high school coach in the state of Louisiana at Ouachita which was a premier power in Louisiana at that time He has a very gifted and brilliant offensive mind which means his teams tend to score a lot of points he produced one of the top-10 offenses in the nation who this past year had the number one offense in the NFL." Starkville ended the 2024 football season 7-5 and lost to eventual MHSAA Class 7A state champion Tupelo in the second round of the Class 7A playoffs 35-34 MORE: How John Carr turned Clinton football from a one-win season to beating state's best team Michael Chavez covers high school sports, among others, for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at mchavez@gannett.com or reach out to him on X, formerly Twitter @MikeSChavez Incumbent Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill won Tuesday’s Democratic Primary for the city’s top job Spruill can now focus on Republican Challenger Roger Bassett and the June General Election “Very excited that they believed that I could another term and be beneficial to the community cause that’s what it’s all about all of us want to do well for our community So I appreciate that everyone saw my vision and believed in it and that I had enough to get over the hump,” said Spruill Spruill said she hopes to continue city projects she’s started if she wins re-election to what would be her third term For 24/7 news and updates, follow us on Facebook and X Anna Wyatt Ford was crowned the 2025 Miss Yellow Jacket at the annual pageant last month Twenty-five contestants participated in the annual beauty review where judges also named four Alternates class Beauties and a slate of general award recipients Miss Yellow Jacket represents Starkville High for one year at various school and community events such as the Starkville Christmas and Homecoming Parades Anna Wyatt is the daughter of Bill and Susan Ford She currently serves as the Junior Class Representative on the SHS Student Council and is a 5-year member of the Varsity Tennis Team she was selected to participate in Oktibbeha Young Leaders and has been inducted into the National Honor Society She volunteers for Casserole Kitchen at the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection in Starkville She was elected to represent the church's youth group at the 2025 Annual Council Anna has a modeling contract with Ursula Weidmann Agency in Atlanta and enjoys drawing and traveling in her free time she plans to attend either Mississippi State University or the University of Mississippi to become a physician's assistant 2025 Miss Yellow Jacket Full Slate of Winners: GET OUR SPARK NEWSLETTER This site provides information using PDF, visit this link to download the Adobe Acrobat Reader DC software The mission of the Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District is to achieve excellence by facilitating the discovery and development of each student's passion purpose and potential. #ExpectExcellence © 2018 Starkville Oktibbeha School District Less than 24 hours after the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 59, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni was seen wearing a Mississippi high school jersey Sirianni spoke at a news conference on Monday morning and was wearing a black Starkville football jersey. It's the jersey of Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown Philadelphia demolished Kansas City 40-22 on Sunday at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans Brown caught three passes in the game for 43 yards and one touchdown The 27-year-old led the Eagles in receiving with 67 catches 1,063 yards and seven touchdowns in 13 regular-season games Brown was asked by a reporter what it means to represent Mississippi as a Super Bowl champion I'm happy that I'm from there because it taught me a lot." MORE: Why Eagles' AJ Brown changed routine before Super Bowl 59 and let his 'Inner Excellence' show Brown was a four-star wide receiver at Starkville and played three seasons at Ole Miss He was a second-round draft pick by the Tennessee Titans in 2019 but was traded to the Eagles before the 2022 season He was one of 12 Mississippi connections in the Super Bowl Home » News » Area » State Board of Education recommends MSMS move to Starkville McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch The Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District will host a School Attendance Community Forum on Thursday The Forum will bring together district administrators and representatives from law enforcement youth court and local churches to discuss the importance of school attendance for student learning and share facts about the impact of chronic absenteeism and the consequences of truancy attendees will hear selections from the Starkville High School Gospel Choir Members of the Mississippi State Football team will be in attendance to talk to students and parents and sign autographs "We are very appreciative of Mississippi State Athletics for their partnership on this event," said Haley Montgomery Director of Communications for the district "We talked to their staff about how we can help our students connect the dots between what they are doing in the classroom now and how the simple step of school attendance can make or break their ability to do what they want for the future MSU got on board to have men's and women's basketball players create a video to share their future plans off the court and how attendance before college is a necessary first step We are excited to showcase what they have to say." MSU Football player and Connerly Trophy nominee will attend the event to share a school attendance message and several other players including Starkville's own Braylon Burnside are expected to be on-hand to sign autographs "The involvement of MSU Athletics is just one piece of what we have planned for Thursday," said Karen Robinson "The goal of the forum is really to help parents and students hear from multiple sectors of the community about how school attendance and chronic absenteeism impacts not only students but entire families and our community as a whole." Robinson often has boots on the ground when it comes to responding to absenteeism in the Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District She acts as an advocate for parents and families as they navigate the impacts of absenteeism attending youth court proceedings to make sure parents understand the process and visiting schools and homes to make contact with students who are on the verge of truancy According to information provided by the Mississippi Department of Education missing just two days of school per month can add up to chronic absenteeism for a student negatively impact a child's success in the classroom Missing those two days of school each month is the equivalent of missing 10% of the school year making students more likely to fall behind academically and ultimately less likely to graduate.  "The district is committed to helping students take that all-important first step in mastering the skills needed to grow and achieve -- simply coming to school," said Dr "But it's a complex problem to solve That's why we are trying to be proactive in bringing other community members together to discuss the problem and share facts." SOCSD will host a panel discussion to answer questions like what constitutes truancy how does absenteeism impact other aspects of our community and more Panel members will include Judge Leigh Ann Turner representatives from Child Protective Services who will share about educational neglect SOCSD Jacket Police Liaison Chief Sammy Shumaker and a representative from the Starkville Police Department will join to discuss the risks to youth who are on the street rather than in the classroom Watress Harris will also participate in the panel to address the impact to student learning when students chronically arrive late or leave school early "We find from school advocacy organizations like Attendance Works that students who live in communities with high levels of poverty are four times more likely to be chronically absent than others," said Anna Guntharp SOCSD Assistant Superintendent for Federal programs "Those absences are often for reasons beyond their control unreliable transportation and a lack of access to health care So absenteeism can be a predictor of other family issues Our hope is that resources like those available through the district's Discovery Center can help address some of those concerns for our families." Representatives from the Discovery Center will have a table at the Community Forum to share information about what's available for homeless or displaced students as well as a variety of workshops designed to build parenting skills aid in financial issues and connect families to available resources The School Attendance Community Forum will be held on Thursday at Greensboro Auditorium and the public is invited Both parents and students are encouraged to attend For more information about the Community Forum SOCSD Director of Communications at hmontgomery@starkvillesd.com or 662.615.0021 FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM