Between the Headlines: Columbus
Between the Headlines dives deep into the stories shaping Columbus and Lowndes County, Mississippi. Hosted by The Commercial Dispatch managing editor Zack Plair and local businessman and commentator David Chism, this show goes beyond the front page to bring you the real conversations behind local politics, policies and people. Zack’s journalistic expertise and David’s insight deliver in-depth analysis, spirited debate, and behind-the-scenes context you won’t get anywhere else. It's honest discussion on what matters.
Episodes
84 episodes
Giving Teeth to Preserving Historic Homes
A neglected historic house isn’t just a private problem, especially in a place like Columbus where the town’s identity is tied to its older homes, downtown buildings, and landmark properties. We talk through the newly passed historic preservati...
Ambushes and Drug Dealers
We break down the latest domino chain in Columbus and Lowndes County politics, starting with shifting ambitions up the ballot and landing on a big local question: What does a city council member owe the voters before running for a different off...
A Leadership Pipeline Takes Form PLUS Will MSU's Season Lead to an Economic Boom?
A single announcement can redraw the whole local map, and that’s exactly where we start. Senator Chuck Younger is eyeing the Northern District Transportation Commissioner seat, and we unpack what it means for area politics when an elected seat ...
Small Town Progress, Clearly Seen, With James Fallows
We’re joined in Catfish Alley Studio by James Fallows, longtime Atlantic journalist, former White House speechwriter, and co-author of “Our Towns,” to talk about why he and Deb kept returning to the Golden Triangle and what they saw that most o...
Should Councilmen Host Bingo at the Trotter? Plus, Mario Zorovic's 9/11 Story
Free use of a public building sounds like a feel-good headline until you ask the hard questions: Who decides, what’s the policy, and who quietly pays the bill when “free” becomes routine? We dig into the discussion over waiving fees at the Trot...
When Calling Your Boss An Idiot Backfires
One blunt quote can end a long run, even when the résumé looks untouchable. We talk through the stunning shift at East Mississippi Community College as Buddy Stevens, the larger-than-life junior college football coach made famous by Netflix’s “...
Are New Policies Needed to Fix Holes Mickens Exposed?
We walk through what’s known about the city COO's suspension, what a short unpaid suspension usually signals, and why closed-door executive sessions can leave the public trying to separate facts from the loudest rumor.Next we dig into t...
MUW Is Ready for a President. Is IHL?
MUW is not just picking a new president. MUW is fighting for its existence. We walk through the two names driving local conversation and why they represent two different toolkits. The bigger question may be about the IHL's search for a new pres...
Mickens Indicted for Kickbacks PLUS Columbus Through A Tokyo Lens
A corruption headline hits differently when it’s your own town, your own tax base, and the same City Hall you drive past every week. We break down the newly filed grand jury indictment involving a former Columbus city councilman, focusing on wh...
A Mall in Limbo and an Owl on the Rise
A redeveloped mall can look like progress and still leave everyone asking the same blunt question: where are the tenants? We dig into the latest around Columbus Place, formerly Leigh Mall, including the incentive agreement that went sideways.
An Officer, THC Gummies, and a Termination PLUS We Interview the New Police Chief
A $58,000 electric golf cart with air conditioning rolls into a city work session and suddenly Columbus has to answer a surprisingly big question: what’s the right way to spend public money when the need is real but the “Cadillac” option feels ...
Live Nation Enters The Amphitheater Conversation
This week on Between the Headlines, Zack and David dig into what’s next for the Columbus Amphitheater, including Live Nation’s advisory role, the professionals being brought in to book and market the venue and whether the long-delayed ...
New Chief And New Questions
A police chief leaves town, council members learn about it on social media, and suddenly Columbus has a new permanent leader at the Columbus Police Department. We talk through what Chief Daughtry's fast exit to Yazoo City signals, why the detai...
Flights, Fights and the Future of the LINK
This week on Between the Headlines, Zack and David return to Catfish Alley Studio with a full slate of City Hall drama, airport questions and regional economic development talk.The episode opens with the latest from Columbus Cit...
What Body Cam Footage Reveals After A Fatal Traffic Stop
A split-second decision during a traffic stop can change a family forever, and that reality hangs over our conversation today. We talk through the case of a 16-year-old, charged with felony murder after a June 16 crash on Alabama Street in Colu...
Starkville Gives Notice to the LINK PLUS We Talk Downtown Development
Oktibbeha County has given a two year notice to the Golden Triangle Development LINK. The guys discuss what that means for the region’s economic development recruiter and the strengths of being able to market the entire region.After that...
You Don’t Take the Ball Away from Michael Jordan
Zack and David have breaking news with this episode as the city's grant-writer Susan Wilder has submitted her letter of resignation. Wilder, who has spearheaded the city's fossil park, the Alva Temple Museum and other projects, cited a toxic wo...
Contracts, Crime and Critters
A contract gets signed, a check gets cut, the city council approves the check without questioning it. There's enough embarrassment to go around with this one. We walk through the story in which a grant-funded documentary tied to the planned air...
No More Naked Interviews PLUS We Talk With BankFirst's CEO
Brand-new Mississippi State sports reporter Jake McMahon moves to Starkville, checks a score while unloading a U-Haul, and suddenly ends up on a midnight roadtrip to Oklahoma City to cover the Women’s College World Series. That’s where we start...
Chief Daughtry on Youth Violence and the Woody's Waiting Game
A $100,000 offer, a building that’s been closed for 17 years, and a buyer who suddenly goes quiet. We start with the latest snag in the Woody’s on the Water saga and ask the uncomfortable questions. We also talk about the tradeoff nobody wants ...
Reps. Rob Roberson & Andy Boyd Discuss Future of MSMS, MUW
We bring two sitting Mississippi legislators into the studio for a candid discussion about what’s really happening with the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science: why a top-tier STEM residential school can post big academic wins while ...
LINK CEO Shakeup Rattles Confidence in Starkville PLUS Stafford Shurden
A CEO comes in from out of state, lasts about two months, and suddenly he’s gone. We dig into the leadership shakeup at the Golden Triangle Development LINK, why “mutual parting of ways” can land like a dodge, and what people mean when they say...
Jail Bills, Concert Dreams and a Renaissance Fair
A single unpaid bill can turn into a full-blown test of how local government works, and that’s exactly what’s happening between the City of Columbus and Lowndes County. We walk through the jail fee standoff step by step: the original per-inmate...
Potholes, Plot Holes and Zombie Books
A brand new road gets paved, then a jackhammer shows up and the patch looks worse than what was there before. That frustration kicks off a wide-ranging conversation about Columbus considering a new ordinance that could require permits for utili...
Aldi Buzz In Columbus PLUS Crime Lab Hire and Market Street Festival
A new grocery store can change the daily rhythm of a town, and the Aldi chatter around Columbus Place is getting too loud to ignore. We talk through what we’re hearing, why official confirmation is so hard to pin down, and the real issue undern...