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
62 episodes
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...
A Name Emerges for MUW President PLUS We Interview the New Fire Chief
A leadership decision can look “done” before it officially begins, and that’s where we start. We break down the Mississippi University for Women president search, including what we heard from the public listening sessions and why the insider ve...
Here's What We're Getting in the $54M State Funding Package
Zack and David break down recent headlines, including Senate Bill 2114, which places additional demands on local sheriff’s offices when it comes to ICE cooperation. We walk through what the bill actually changes, what many counties say they’ve ...
Burns Bottom Trees Are Coming Down & How Are GTRA TSA Agents Doing?
Progress has a sound, and sometimes it’s a chainsaw. We start in Burns Bottom, where a few dozen older trees are slated to come down as a new housing development prepares for infrastructure and dirt work. We talk through what’s actually happeni...
The New LINK CEO Talks Moneyball Economic Development
We talk to Iain Vasey, the newly hired CEO of the Golden Triangle Development LINK, to talk plainly about how the Golden Triangle can win industrial recruitment with limited resources and a lot at stake. We get into Iain’s “Moneyba...
Retiring Fire Chief Weighs in on New Chief, Department
A fire department is more than sirens and turnout gear. It’s a workplace culture, a retention problem, a medical response machine, and a public promise that has to hold up at 2 a.m. We sit down with Columbus, Mississippi Fire Chief Duane Hughes...
Is Lux Creek Park Set For a Revival?
The primary election results are in, and the numbers out of Lowndes County don’t just tell you who won. They hint at who stayed home, who crossed over, and which political “sure things” might be getting shaky.We walk through the Mississ...
We Talk to the Man Bringing 'Salt, Smoke and Soul' to Former Woody's on the Water
Wood smoke, river breeze, and a promise to slow dinner down. We sit with developer DJ Mantooth to unpack how the former Woody’s on the Water is being reborn as a destination steak and seafood restaurant designed around over-flame grilling, Gulf...
Bassmaster Elite Comes To Columbus
A national spotlight is about to hit the Tenn-Tom Waterway, and we’re ready. Tourism director Frances Glenn joins us to share how Bassmaster Elite is setting up at the Columbus Marina with 101 pros, live cameras, and a weekend atmosphere that t...
The City's Petty Policy PLUS Birney Imes Asks: What is Columbus' Mother Tree?
Power doesn’t just show up in big scandals; it hides in procurement rules, town halls, and the shade over a park bench. We start with Columbus’ new requirement that newspapers secure audits or expert affidavits to qualify for city legal ads. On...
Dangerous Hwy 45 Intersection May Finally Get Addressed PLUS George Irby
A dangerous intersection, a doubled construction bill, and a voice that carries decades of experience - George Irby. We start with Highway 45 and Mike Parra Road, where 29 crashes since 2020 and the death of a young man have galvanized a petiti...
Covered, Smothered and Only $130,000
Councilman Rusty Greene brings a bold idea to the table: three elevated, 750-square-foot cottages tucked behind a Waffle House, built for folks who want ownership without the bloat. We talk through the real economics of building small along wit...
Matt Laubhan Discusses the Ice Storm PLUS MSMS Bills in Jackson
The guys discuss Columbus' hopes of building out a regional crime center, even though Starkville has already made strides in that direction. They also tackle two bills in Jackson that could pave the way to MSMS opening its doors to high school ...
Why Mississippi Should Split MLK Day from Robert E. Lee Day
The bills are flying in Jackson, and the stakes feel close to home. We kick off with a clear-eyed look at the “Freedom of Education” proposal: what it really does, what it costs, and why bipartisan opposition formed around accountability gaps a...
The LINK's Meryl Fisackerly PLUS MUW post-Nora Miller & Police Chief Looks to Leave
We sit down with Golden Triangle Development Link COO Meryl Fisackerly to unpack how the CINCO Megasite moves from dirt to deal, why “whale” projects require patience, and what it takes to keep a regional brand like the LINK sharp during a CEO ...
A Pro‑Business Brain Trust For Growth PLUS CMSD's Superintendent Craig Chapman
In our last episode of the year, we kick off with Councilman Jason Spears discussing a bold plan to turn Columbus' raw economic activity into real economic development: an action‑first advisory group made up of people who build, hire, lease, he...
How A Local Advisory Group Could Shape Retail, Housing, And Healthcare
We dig into Columbus’ push to form an economic advisory committee—what a true “brain trust” could bring to retail recruitment, healthcare talent, and housing strategy, and how to keep conflicts from tilting the playing field. From identifying m...
Main Street Changes, Amphitheater Moves Forward PLUS City Building Official Discusses Violations
Big moves finally meet clear plans. We break down how Columbus locked in $3 million to finish the amphitheater—$1M from the CVB, $1M from the city, and $1M from the state—so gates, concessions, bathrooms, and seats move from wish list to constr...
LINK Lawsuit Reveals Details Around Higgins' Firing
This week we pull apart two intertwined storylines shaping Columbus: a federal lawsuit that lays bare internal strife at the LINK and a City Hall showdown where a fired lobbying firm chose to resign instead. We explain how an insurance dispute ...
A Fired Lobbyist & a $47K Speaker System PLUS We Talk Deer and Conservation With Brent Lochala
Nonprofits deliver value but need predictability, not ad hoc walk-up funding that puts the city council on the spot. We talk candidly about impromptu funding requests, why full-context answers from city staff matter, and how a straightforward a...
Blue Flu Brewing at CPD? PLUS On Site at a Food Pantry
The tension is real when frontline officers say their “day off” is anything but. We dig into Columbus PD’s on-call policy, why rank-and-file feel boxed in without pay, and how leadership’s response lands with a department already worried about ...
State Auditor Investigates Columbus, Joe Higgins’ New Venture and Local Ghost Stories
The State Auditor’s office sent Columbus a detailed request for contracts, receipts, and proof of services across multiple departments, and we unpack what that means. We break down why specific vendors were named, how procurement rules and sick...
Ristorante Italiano in Columbus PLUS Franklin Academy, Trotter, and Haunted Houses
A downtown culinary glow-up, a historic gut check, and a community scare that does real good—this week packs it all. We open with the long-awaited news: an authentic Italian restaurant is moving into the old Main Street Thai spot, directly acro...