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.
Between the Headlines: Columbus
Why Mississippi Should Split MLK Day from Robert E. Lee Day
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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 and the risk of draining public school budgets. We talk honestly about how school choice can touch property values and what the Starkville-Oktibbeha consolidation taught us about raising the floor without lowering the ceiling.
Representative Kabir Karim joins us to push for something that should be simple: splitting Martin Luther King Jr. Day from Robert E. Lee Day. He explains why the dual holiday is a contradiction, how it clashes with ongoing fights for voting rights, and where Lee commemorations could reasonably live.
Then we bring it downtown—literally—with a $209,000 pavilion behind the courthouse and the Fifth Street North rebuild. Historic district rules, sidewalk upgrades, traffic calming, bikes, pedestrians, cones everywhere: we break down costs, benefits, and why the finished product needs to earn everyday use, not just look good on a plan.
Cold Open, Sponsors, And Setup
SPEAKER_02I don't know what he has come up with today to talk about.
SPEAKER_06I'm not asking you to hide anything. Yeah. You know, put it out there. Let the people see it.
SPEAKER_05I've never not worked in a hospital working environment.
SPEAKER_02You can't argue with anybody when they're putting facts in your face. Zach, that's a hard question.
SPEAKER_01I have no answer for it. From the opinion page of the commercial dispatch. This is Between the Headlines.
SPEAKER_03Today on Between the Headlines, we have on the phone Mr. Kabir Karim, one of our local representatives. He is going to talk about a bill he's been working on for quite some time now. We'll also talk about some other bills for a good legislative update, see what's happening in Jackson. And what about the pavilion on 6th and 3rd? And also the orange cones on 5th Street North that imperil us all. When will that be done? Well, we've got some answers for you, hopefully, but first. Retirement looks different for everyone, so your plan should be built around you. For over 40 years, Financial Concepts has helped people create retirement strategies that fit their lives. Our team in Columbus takes the time to understand your goals and build a plan that works for you. Wherever you are in your journey, we're ready to help. We plan retirement. Financial Concepts is a registered investment advisor. Benton's Maintenance Mechanical makes easy work out of plumbing, electrical, heating, and air conditioner problems. You can book an appointment by phone or online, and rest assured they will show up at the appointed time. Call Bentons at 662-657-2583 or visit them online at Bentons Inc.com, that is BentonsINC.com. This episode of Between the Headlines is brought to you by Bank First, the locally owned bank that makes decisions right here at home by people who understand the needs of our community. That means local decisions, local support, and folks who care if your kid made the team. At Bankfirst, we're not just bankers, we're neighbors and friends. Whether you're buying a home or starting a business, or just need someone to explain what APR actually means, we're here right down the street. Stop by your BankFirst branch or visit bankfirstfs.com to learn more. BankFirst is a member of FBIC and Equal Housing Lender Bank N MLS 454063. You are listening to Between the Headlines with the managing editor of the Commercial Dispatch, Mr. Zach Player. My name's Dave Chisholm. So, Zach, are you ready for Ice Mageddon 2026?
SPEAKER_05Oh man, yeah, we're uh we're we're getting there. We're we're we're trying to figure it all out.
SPEAKER_03Um so are you a doomsdayer or you just kind of play it as it comes?
Ice Storm Memories And Local Color
SPEAKER_05Kind of play it as it comes. We have uh found ourselves in different times uh uh overly prepared. We found ourselves underprepared. I'll tell you a really funny story if you've got the time. I I was 10 when the big ice storm of 94 came through, and I was living in uh very close to the Arkansas southeastern Arkansas Delta at the time, and so it hit us pretty well as hard as it hit the Mississippi Delta, and uh we were without power for four days. It it was a time. And I remember waking up the first morning with the power out, no hope of it coming back on anytime soon. And uh uh my mom is just scrambling, like, what are we gonna do? She feeds us tuna fish out of a can um for breakfast. And uh so uh as the years went on, I just sort of codified that in my mind as ice storm cuisine, like that's what you do. So uh when an ice storm was coming, uh everybody went and uh emptied the milk and bread shelves. I went and I bought the tin fish like every time I would I would go clear out the tin fish. And uh very often the ice storm wouldn't actually come. And that happened in 2013 after our 2013-2014, after I moved to uh uh Startville, we were supposed to have this just hellacious ice storm that was going to shut everything down. Day before it came, I went and I probably bought, you know, an egregious amount of tinned fish, uh canned halibut, the tuna. So fast forward a few months later, the ice storm didn't come. I didn't eat the fish. It's still in my pantry at my apartment when uh I'm getting ready to move out to uh getting married to Amelia, about to move in with her at her house. And she comes in and she's helping me pack up and she looks in my pantry and she's like, you're a hand's down. Why do you have all of this tinned fish in your pantry? I'm like, that's what you're supposed to buy for ice storms.
Legislative Overview: Education Choice Bill
SPEAKER_03When you grow up in hard times, I tell you. Well, look, um Kroger and Walmart were out of gas yesterday. I bet that's right. Hopefully they're back online. Y'all stay safe out there. What I want to start with today is a legislative overview, just kind of go through some of these bills. So, to the legislature, um, first and foremost, the Big Kahuna House Bill No. Oh, yeah. Freedom of Education Act, as some are calling it, the the boondoggle, as others I suppose are calling it, passed the House marginally 61 to 59 on January the 15th, and uh it's going to the Senate and it's been referred to the Senate Education Committee as of uh yesterday, I do believe. And our delegation was unanimously against that. Uh let's see. Dana McLean was was opposed. She said that the bill was too broad and would only benefit a select few. That is 12,500 students uh out of the half million students that are a part of our public education program. Um Mr. Kabir, we'll have on the program later and we'll ask him his opinion about it. Um Mr. Boyd down there in New Hope, he said that the bill is 500 pages long, which he's right about that. Um I'm not a favor of omnibus type stuff, and uh$162 million price tag. And he was also worried about property values. Um what do you think about that notion there? The property values, that is to say, if if we have educational choice in Mississippi, uh is that gonna drag down property values and why?
SPEAKER_05I do think it affects property values, but maybe not in the negative way that uh Andy Boyd is is making the claim of. Uh live in Startville. I was there when the uh uh Startville and Octaball uh county school districts merged. Uh Octaball County School District was failing terribly. You know, the Startville School District was so you could get good land on the edge of the state. Oh, buddy, let me tell you, I um I when I first moved to Startville, uh I was living in an apartment, but you know, kind of looking around on the uh real estate websites, I was noticing that these really nice houses on some acreage in some cases at the time are like selling for like auction prices. It was it was bizarre. And then a two-bedroom house in Startville was selling for a hundred, hundred and fifty thousand dollars more than that. And uh it was crazy. And so I just start asking around, well, it's it's because it's in the county. It's because it's in the county. If it's in the county school district, you can't give that away. They're not gonna be able to sell it for that.
SPEAKER_03So if you take that out from underneath what we've got in Lowndes County, right, what what do you think that does for around here?
SPEAKER_05Well, let me tell you what it did in in Startville. I don't know if you've looked at Startville property values. I have. And I closed the book. I said, I'm not buying. You can't buy there. But but if you are uh but the startville, the in-city property values that were already high, they haven't been stunted. And the county property values have come up to meet it. So I think that maybe uh I think that there are a lot of good arguments against House Bill 2, particularly the uh uh voucher part of it. But uh the part that would potentially cause consolidations into fewer, stronger districts. I think that the property values that are going to follow is they're they're going to do more to raise the property values in places where they're low now than they're going to do to lower property values in places where they're high, at least using Startville and Octaviha as an example.
SPEAKER_03Well, there's no shortage of content to talk about regarding that bill.
SPEAKER_05And I know we'll revisit that one.
SPEAKER_03We will revisit that one because it's so many different rabbit trails we could chase. Um House Bill 524 uh introduced January 12th, been referred to committee. That is the Fair Minimum Wage Act uh to start minimum wage at$15 an hour with um improvements or raises, shall I say, in the future. So that one's there. I don't think it stands a chance um uh based on where that one's coming from, but that one is in there nonetheless. This one's interesting. House Bill 91, the Compulsory School Attendance Expansion Act, and that is to say, unless you make a 21 on your ACT, you may not drop out of school until you are 18 years of age. So that's an interesting one. Here's a big one, House Bill No. Three, certificate of need revisions. Now, that sounds kind of nebulous if you've not been paying attention to that topic, but hospitals are required to apply for and have a certificate of need, and it determines how many beds they can have. And it it's a hot topic among those who are paying attention to it. In my view, the certificate of need is an antiquated way of having the government control the market. You look at it, we complain about our rural hospitals. This this the CON, the con. Um it kind of hurts the rural hospitals. Do you know anything about this?
SPEAKER_05I'm I'm I'm not very well educated on this particular bill.
Property Values, Consolidation, And Schools
SPEAKER_03Well, it's it's an interesting thing that there's actually two bills. Number five is also related to it. Um stage renal facilities are looking to be exempt from having to have it. And I guess the big thing with this one, uh, what may resonate if you recall in 2020, there were a lot of people that were worried that the hospitals were gonna be overflowed, you know, with with COVID patients. And so I hate to sound all doomsday, but I tell you what, if we get bombed or something crazy happens around here, every politician down in Jackson is gonna wish that this didn't even exist. So that's House Bills three and five related to certificates of needs. Umzark contract extensions. That's House Bill 1112. That one exempts the Office of State Aid Road Construction Personnel Service from having to have the contracts looked at by the public procurement review board. And you know, boards, of course, being, you know, one more bureaucratic thing to have to work through the goal. If they don't have to go through that, we can build roads faster. But at the same time, this is a big chunk of money, you know, going into these highway and road projects.
SPEAKER_05So a lot of that stuff is quality control and um bookkeeping control, and I'm I'm I'm for that bureaucracy most of the time.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I mean it's complicated, but I tell you what, just the the sheer dollar amount that's that's tied to bridges and roads and resurfacing, even dead gum signage, you know. So not sure how I feel about that one. Um there's actually a Senate bill that is a Glacier Ice Act, which uh yeah, to increase the ice agents in Mississippi. I think that's a baloney bill. I hope it just goes away. Um lastly, PERS. Uh PERS, as as you may have read, is needing to be propped up at this point. The math ain't mathing. Right. And so if you're a public employee, uh you don't want to think that it's gonna be there down the road. You want to know that your uh retirement money is gonna be down there. So they're gonna have to shore it up ahead of time, that way they don't have to make ugly decisions post facto. Right. So that's in the works, and it was unanimously passed by the Senate. I think that one's gonna go. All right. Last uh look before I move on from that one, uh the the PERS bill is controversial. And and the downside to this bill is is if you're a firefighter, I think police, maybe to a lesser extent, teachers haven't dug deep into the language, but you may have to wait longer to retire if you're a young employee just getting into the system. And when you're doing that the back breaking work of you know rescuing people out of buildings, you don't want to hear the government tell you, well, need five more years, need eight more years. Yeah. Before the uh system will let you get a check. So uh we'll be paying attention to that one. Um you got some for us?
SPEAKER_05Yeah, I got a couple that I saw. One of them was uh kind of a funny one. Uh and I'll start there, and then there was another one that uh I thought about a little more seriously. But um I actually came across this bill. Um uh Andy Gibson uh's office shared it and and and shared his major opposition to it. And among other things, it's uh let's see, it's 828, uh, an act. It's the Fair Chase Act.
SPEAKER_03Um my gosh, the the Dog Hunters Act.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, yeah, yeah. So you can't hunt, trap, or according to the bill, if it were to pass as written, uh, it would make it unlawful to hunt, trap, or take, or attempt to hunt, trap, or take uh any game, fur or fur-bearing animal that is damaging crops or personal property without a uh without a permit, and it uh provides that hunting with dogs is authorized only on private property that is at least 2,000 contiguous acres.
SPEAKER_03Umtiguous acres. Yeah. All right.
SPEAKER_05Uh now I would tell you, as somebody who has uh hunted on land that was adjacent to people who were hunting with dogs, that's annoying.
SPEAKER_03Well, yeah, they'll get off the trail and they'll run through the playground. Oh, yeah. Oh yeah. Uh and they're loud. Well, I I still think that bill's a joke. I think it's a intentional distraction from House Bill 2. I think uh there's no way that's gonna pass.
Wage, Attendance, And Hospital CON Debates
SPEAKER_05Surely not. Um uh by the the funniest part was in Andy Gibson's post about it, he's he he he called it something that is gonna cripple Mississippi's war on the wild hog. And uh I just like that wording. Uh thought the wording was fun. But um, I mean he's right though. I mean, there's if if I'm living out in the rural place and there's something eating my tomatoes, I'm not asking the government if I can shoot it.
SPEAKER_03No, I don't expect that I would either. Um, and maybe Andy Gibson will come up with a song about this one.
SPEAKER_05Yeah. Wear the hat. You got any more? I got one more, and it was interesting to me, and I actually read this in a uh another uh another state publication. It's um it's House Bill 1292, and what it would do is it would require all school boards across the state to be entirely composed of elected members. How's that hit you, David?
SPEAKER_03Well, that's interesting because we uh in recent years, if I do recall, said that all of our superintendents shall be appointed rather than elected. So that's kind of a change in stance there. Uh let me ask you this is the um is the big one the uh Mississippi Department of Education, is that board gonna be elected now?
SPEAKER_05Well, you know, the state doesn't have to abide by its own by its own laws, that's right, David. Uh honestly on its face, uh I don't know what the motive is behind this. I don't I don't really know the background of this bill, but just reading what I've read of it, I I like it. Um I have I didn't encounter uh appointed school boards until I moved to Mississippi. And honestly, uh comparing the first half of my journalism career where I, you know, worked in Arkansas, and this half of it where I've worked here, I I honestly cannot tell you uh where I've seen appointed school boards be consistently more valuable to their community than elected ones. In fact, I I would go so far as to say I support uh the totally elected school boards because I think you ought to have to do more than get four council members in your city or four aldermen in your city to like you to have that kind of position with that much with that much power. I think that you have if you have to get the majority of the citizenry or at least a majority of your district of the citizenry to consent to being a leader on the school board, uh you're more transparent, you care about the public more, there you and you feel like you answer to the public more.
SPEAKER_03I you know I think you're more likely to be a person of integrity. I th I think so too. I'll tell you this if you appoint someone it to anything, it needs to be a specialist position. That's what appointees are that you it's the planning commission, the tree board, not the school board. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_05But because what ends up happening is appointed school boards end up working for the superintendent, whether that's the way it's supposed to work or not, and they don't have a lot of accountability to the public as a result.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_05To the school district, the your rank and file school district pay.
SPEAKER_03That's right. And the tail starts wagging the dog.
SPEAKER_05Yes, it does, and I've seen it a lot of times, as I have also seen the school the appointed school boards start essentially also being the administration, where they're essentially asserting themselves in both branches of that uh operation, which is also improper. And if you don't have any recourse beyond calling your councilman and begging them not to reappoint their friend, that's no good. However, you and I have a shared experience that shows what can happen when the other goes wrong. Uh you and I were both attending a Lowndes County School Board meeting uh back during COVID.
SPEAKER_03Oh my gosh. Um I knew this would come up one day.
SPEAKER_05And uh it was uh that was the wildest school board meeting that I've ever attended. First of all, there were probably there were easily a hundred people there. The place was packed out. A lot of them were carrying signs like they were going to go on strike against the school district.
SPEAKER_03They were about to.
SPEAKER_05They were about to, and uh Poor Sam Allison was up there fighting for his life trying to explain the different policies that they had for protecting the kids against the virus and mitigation policies masks and distancing and vaccination policies. And you're watching that, and that's an elected school board. And you're watching that school board, and if I remember they ended up splitting the baby somehow or another, but you're watching that elected school board, and every one of them on their face, there is that that that uh combat going on between I have to make a decision that is the best for student safety, and I also have to get re-elected next time.
SPEAKER_03There were beads of sweat falling.
SPEAKER_05So um when when you end up prioritizing or throwing in that that sort of, all right, well, are you going to be re-elected? If that if that becomes your priority, then you might make a bad decision when it comes to something as critical as student safety from a pandemic. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_03And they were they were simply talking about testing the kids for temperature to make sure they weren't carrying a fever into the school.
SPEAKER_05Most of them were anti doing anything that that that was mitigation. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
Roads, Procurement, And Pension Pressures
SPEAKER_03The line of the day, if I recall, was a concerned mother who said, Y'all aren't sticking anything up my daughter's ass. And it's as soon as you said that, everybody looked over there at West Barrett. The proctologist if you don't know. Strange and wonderful times that I'm glad they're over with.
SPEAKER_05But but I mean, but but that's the but that's the downside to that. So and I think that that needs to be acknowledged, and that's going to be the counter-argument for elected school boards.
SPEAKER_03So we want to talk about House Bill 407 next. Get Mr. Kabir on here.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, let's get Representative Kabir Kareem on here.
SPEAKER_03Give him a call. Well, good morning. We are joined now on the Josh Gillis phone line by Mr. Kabir Kareem. That's right. I put a name to it, didn't I?
SPEAKER_05That's right.
SPEAKER_03And uh we're glad to have you, sir. Thanks for calling in. I want to talk to you today about House Bill 407, something I know that you have been working on for quite some time. Where are we with this thing and how far do you think it'll go?
SPEAKER_02Well, you know, in the legislature, well, first of all, thank you all for inviting me on the show. But um, in the legislature, what starts out as a beautiful Clydesdale can end up as a mule by the end of the session. So look, it's a uh it's uh it's it's it's work, it's just work uh in progress. We just have to, you know, just follow the legislation and uh and just see if we can get it out of uh the committee. It's been assigned to rules as it's been for uh ever since that I've been introducing this piece of legislation. And to me, it's a no-brainer. You know, it's not complicated, it just takes a little courage to uh, you know, to change some things. At least let's not be 50th on this one right here.
SPEAKER_05Okay. And and just explain for us a little bit um what this bill seeks to achieve.
SPEAKER_02Well, um, I've introduced this bill in in a couple of different um forms, but this particular year, uh, this bill will remove the dual holiday of celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King and General Robert E. Lee on the same day. Now, history, uh Mississippi already had the celebration of Robert E. Lee Day before Dr. King Day became a federal holiday back in 1983. Uh, but instead of having Dr. King's Day by itself, they merged it with uh Robert E. Lee Day. And from that day forth, we've been celebrating both holidays as you know, on the on that third Monday of January. So uh my legislation would do away with that, it would separate the holiday, and uh we will just fully recognize Dr. King as uh a federal holiday.
SPEAKER_05Well, you've been at this since you've been in the legislature, as you've noted. Um why why doesn't this get out of committee? Why doesn't this get passed? I mean, uh I'll be honest with you, it does seem like a pretty no-brainer to me. Like, why why is the legislature so reticent to separate these holidays?
Hunting With Dogs And Elected School Boards
SPEAKER_02Well, I I can't answer that. I mean, but you know, there have been conversations with leadership uh about this particular legislation. And uh at one point I thought it was going to get out of committee and pass the house off, but it didn't, it didn't materialize. Um it's low-hanging fruit, it's something that we can rally around all Mississippians. And look, I understand uh uh the nuances of this particular legislation. You have some folk, uh, you can't imagine the emails I get, bad and good, uh, about this particular legis legislation uh over the years. However, I think it's just the right thing to do. Um and it's just low-hanging fruit. I think it's something that we can um gather around and um and just stop with the contradictions. You can't push and pull at the same time. And these two men, even though they're historical individuals, uh they serve two different uh capacities in history.
SPEAKER_03Mr. Kabir, I know a lot of people um who are critical of this bill might say that it is uh it is symbolic in nature. And and I guess the argument goes that, well, why are we focusing on this when we should be focusing on health care, education, blah, blah, blah, as if to say we can't chew gum and walk at the same time. What do you say to the uh symbolic slash practical uh nature of this bill?
SPEAKER_02It's just to and look, it's a contradiction uh for what Dr. King stood for and what Robert E. Lee stood for. And to have to celebrate both of these historical individuals on the same day is being disingenuous. And Mississippi can do better. Now, look, we in April, there's a Confederate Memorial Day. They can easily move uh Robert E. Lee Day if they want to continue to celebrate it on that particular day. Uh, I think uh for historical significance, I'm not saying uh just do away uh with that particular day, but please just let's just honor Dr. King uh for the martyr and the work that he did while he was amongst us. And uh it shouldn't be it shouldn't be the same as uh for both of them to be celebrated, thank you, be celebrated on the same day.
SPEAKER_05As as you are an African-American, can you explain for yourself and for your family the significance of Dr. King's legacy to you, to your family, to the fact that you're in the legislature.
SPEAKER_02Well, look, and and thank you, Zach, for that. But but here's the deal. Um, not only because I'm black, uh, do I want to see this uh these holidays separated, but but just setting the record straight as far as the historical factor of Dr. King. Monday was Dr. King's work there where we everybody celebrated it nationally. Uh here at Jackson, we rolled out the um Robert G. Clark voting rights uh bill, where we're trying to get state voting rights because our our rights for representation is being challenged in the Supreme Court as we speak with Louisiana versus Callis. And that's right in line with everything that Dr. King fought for uh to make sure that uh we had voting rights and that uh people were represented. Um and that's being challenged even today. So, you know, the holidays are a contradiction. Um Dr. King died uh trying to make sure that not only uh people of color had dignity uh and the rights to vote and recognize as citizens, uh, whereas Lee uh fought, led the Civil War, and fought for human uh to keep human bondage. It's a contradiction. I just think it's low-hanging fruit, and I just hope that the state will uh consider this bill uh as it's still alive here in the legislature.
SPEAKER_05As it fails uh or as it has failed in years past, um I guess what message do you get from that? But also um how much more determined are you to find a way to get it through at some point?
SPEAKER_02Well, look, I'm I'm very determined. Uh that's why I keep offering it every year, because I think it's something that needs to be uh done, not only for us, but for generations to come, to make sure that the proper history is told. Uh, because you know, I haven't seen it of late. I think here in Madison County, someone put the sign in their door saying, I think the city of Madison did it, put the sign in their door in observance of Robert E. Lee Day, and didn't put Dr. King Day. And I've seen that in some banks in Columbus as well in past. Uh, it's only two states left that celebrate this, these dual holidays, and that's Alabama, of course, Mississippi. And I just don't want us to be 50th uh in getting rid of uh of the celebration of these dual holidays. But I'm gonna keep introducing it. Uh huh. We're gonna keep pushing it, and uh, we need folks who agree with what I'm saying as far as getting away with the dual legislation to contact their legislator and ask to support this piece of legislation uh so we can do it and garner support, not just in in uh Jackson, but throughout our communities, throughout the state.
SPEAKER_03Right. Well, I tell you what, House Republicans need to pass this bill. I've said it on the record, I've said it off the record. It was the party of Lincoln that passed the 16th amendment, and I agree with you and smoke the 13th. Thank you, sir. Um it's low-hanging fruit, it needs to happen, and let's not be number 50 in this regard. So uh thank you for pushing for that one. Um, while we've got you on the phone, do you want to talk about House Bill Two? Uh, you were a nay, as was the rest of our delegation. Um, what is the general sentiment on that bill? Uh, because I hear the sentiment uh in the Senate is not too fond of it.
Rep. Kabir Karim On Splitting MLK And Lee Day
SPEAKER_02It was bipartisan opposition to this particular piece of legislation, and I think because we understand that uh things need to happen in our schools, but I don't think that this is the right vehicle uh to do it. Uh it's a lot of ambiguity when it comes to accountability, taking public dollars, putting it in private uh uh schools, uh the way the money is going to be managed, is uh the state treasury is gonna manage the money. I mean, it's a lot, but then more importantly, uh the devastation that can happen to our school districts. Uh each child is uh I think value is a$6,900 price tag, and that will follow the child wherever he or she goes. That can complete that can complete decimate a school district, and uh the school that is going to has an option to receive or deny the child, and um, you know, they might like you, um Zach, because you play football, and they might even waive your fees. Uh but David, they might put an extra$7,500 fee on him.
SPEAKER_03Uh look, I can play ball too.
SPEAKER_02Well, they might not know it yet, but you don't have to pay that fee. You're gonna have to pay that fee first on top of the$6,900 that already comes with you. So there are too much. I'm I'm the chairman of uh of the of the black caucus here in the state of Mississippi, and we had the uh um state superintendent speaking to us yesterday at our caucus meeting. And um I mean, in so many words, he's not with the legislation. He he was against the accountability language inside the bill. He understands the depletion of what it would devastation it would do to the school districts. And uh it was one more thing that he said that you know, but he said he's just uh in so many words, I'm an employee. I'm doing I'm working for the for the state, and and um I don't think he was consultant consultant with this piece of legislation, the good, the bad, or the ugly in it. So uh I I'm I feel good about my vote on that. I feel strong because I'm a strong supporter of public education, and I just wish that there were so uh real genuine conversations on how we can make our public schools better uh in the state. Um because a lot of it, a lot of the the the uh legislation that we introduce as members are not even considered most times if you got a D by your name up under this uh uh up under your party, uh uh David, uh, because of politics. But some of this stuff could make life better, not only for communities, but for school districts as well. And I'm I'm welcoming the the opportunity to have this uh robust conversation on how we can make um our school systems uh better, particularly here in the state of Mississippi. And I'll give you one example, just one simple uh example, just civics, having civics talk back in school to let folks understand how you know you know when I was when I was in school, another one was home egg, you know, some things we take for granted that we know how to do. Uh, but when I was in home egg, I knew how to bake cookies, even though I accidentally put salt in the cookies instead of sugar. But but I learned how to cook, I could sew a butt, I could sew up a hole, and those cultural things are not really being taught. And I know folks will argue that those are things that you should learn at home, uh, but we have to start meeting people where they are. Uh, and some things are just not being being taught at home, and that's where school kind of stepped in and filled those gaps up. So those are just two examples.
SPEAKER_03Anything else happening down there you want to update us with?
SPEAKER_02Uh, it's a Bill uh merging uh community colleges that's out right now. So stay tuned for the latest episode.
SPEAKER_05All right. Well, we really appreciate you joining us today uh by Zoom and good luck to you down there.
SPEAKER_02Well, I appreciate it. And if you're ever in Jackson while we're in session, please come see how the sausage is made. We'll do it.
SPEAKER_03All right, with sugar or with salt. I know, right? You've been listening to between the headlines. Our guest on the phone line has been the Honorable Kabir Karim. Thank you, sir. Thank you. After the break, we'll come back and talk about the pavilion that's to be built behind the courthouse. Also, some um some improvements that we've all been watching quite carefully for some time, and we'll talk about what needs to happen before that'll be done with.
SPEAKER_06But first, the Good for Business Podcast features interviews, tips, and tricks from owners, operators, and innovators. Here are the inspiring stories of growth and life lessons from guests in Mississippi and around the world. Hosted by entrepreneur, fundraiser, and real estate broker Colin Krieger. The podcast is based right here in the Golden Triangle community.
SPEAKER_03All right, Zach. So we've got two projects that are currently underwork in the downtown area. Uh the first is a pavilion that is to be built. Don't have it written down. Where's that thing going up?
SPEAKER_05It's right behind the courthouse, right across uh Third Avenue from uh Franklin Academy. You can see the it hasn't started work yet. They still hadn't signed the contract, but uh they're working, they've approved the contract. And you can if you drive by in front of Franklin Academy, you can look out there behind the courthouse and see the stakes, the wooden stakes where they're gonna put this thing.
SPEAKER_03Four stakes in the ground with white tape on them. And what is the purpose of this facility?
SPEAKER_05But it's it's just gonna be an open area with an open pavilion for people to come eat lunch. It's gonna be open to the public. I'm sure it'll be it'll be a place where uh, you know, in the spring and the fall in particular, people might go out to a restaurant, get their food, and go eat there. The the courthouse employees may go and you know eat their lunch out there, and they're gonna have some county events out there. I think it it is going to be nice, but it damn well better be. It's gonna cost$209,000.
Symbolism, Voting Rights, And History
SPEAKER_03I think you and me have the uh the same bone to pick with it, and and that is the price. Um but let me state the positive, okay. We'll get into the money aspect, but the positive is it's in a really good spot when you think about uh the the Parkview project down the hill. Um when you think about just the fact that it's right there next to the downtown dot. Okay, if you're gonna spend money on this type of project, I think that's a good location. And it's it's not so much about Cindy Good coming out of the courthouse and eating lunch out there as it is having a place for the community to develop around. You've got First Baptist Church used to be really neat things happening there on one side of it. You got Franklin Academy, it's gonna increase the value from a buyer's standpoint on whatever they decide to do to that facility. And then you got the new stuff happening down the hill. So it's a good location. I think it'll be highly used. Um, but yeah, there are some people that are are caught up in the money aspect of this. I I can't say that I blame them for it, but um there are worse things. You know, at least the county didn't buy Franklin Academy. You know. What say you?
SPEAKER_05Well uh I I say several things. I'll start with the good. Um you know, the I I agree um with you that that is a great spot for green space that the public can use. Um uh the Lipscomb House used to be there. County bought that light, tore the house down, much to the chagrin of uh Rufus Ward and others. Um the plan at the time was to add court space there. Um talking to Tripp uh Harston, the uh Lowndes County Board of Supervisors president, uh there's just not enough room to add the parking and the building that you need to really do that right in that location. Also, kind of going at explaining the price tag, uh there were two things. One, it's it's quote, not just the pavilion, um, it's the sidewalk upgrades around that concrete.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that concrete's ugly.
SPEAKER_05Concrete is ugly, they're gonna make it prettier, and evidently it's gonna be quite expensive, and they're gonna do connecting sidewalks from the pavilion to the main sidewalk. The other reason that they gave was a requirement for the uh uh aesthetics in the historic district. Yeah. Uh ran the price tag up on the pavilion.
SPEAKER_03More of that. And it's like well, you don't want to build uh just a uh a blue-awning metal garage right there in it. But I I tell you that historical requirement has always driven price up.
SPEAKER_05To$209,000. Okay, all right, look, they were expecting, first of all, for this to cost$250,000, which knocked my socks off. Uh my parents built a whole house for that. That's weatherized, plumbed, and everything, uh just a couple of years ago. So I don't know whether this is this is your trumpflation or or what, but this is still extreme for concrete and an open pavilion with you know brick-wrapped columns. I just yeah and and I'm gonna say another thing, and I don't and I know I run the risk of sounding like every city official that's ever been when I do this, but if Columbus City Council was building this pavilion on city property at this price tag, people would be losing their minds.
SPEAKER_03Well, they're gonna do that regardless. I I'll tell you this. If I recall, there were eight bidders. There were, which is a high number. There were. And when you have that.
SPEAKER_05And that gives credibility to the bid.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. It I mean, you can't just say, you know, thanks, but no thanks, screw all of y'all. Um, I know you put hours and hours putting together these estimates, but uh, we're just gonna pass. That right there is bad karma, so I could see why that would not really uh be a good option for the county. Um but again, I mean, just looking at it, it it's hard for me to opine about this because my utopia, my ridiculous idea of what makes a good city to live in, you're gonna have no taxes, no parks, no sidewalks, no fun. Okay? And and so I understand you can't do that. It's not ideal, it's not practical. Well, let's look instead to uh what's happening on Fifth Street. We've been looking at orange barrels for quite some time. Um Kevin Stafford says the primary purpose of this is to eliminate the quote fragering across Fifth Street. I love that word choice. Um what's the latest on the Fifth Street and all that chaos right there?
SPEAKER_05Still working on it. It's a uh$1.3 million project.
SPEAKER_03It's uh uh with a$585,000 max.
SPEAKER_05Yeah. Uh M D O T grant uh supporting it. And it has been going on for a while. Uh at the at the end of the day, it's supposed to be very nice looking. It's supposed to slow down traffic in that corridor, which needs to happen. Uh even me, I need to slow down in that corridor. And it's gonna make it uh uh uh more pedestrian friendly and more bikeable. I think that that's uh I think that that's a a good thing.
SPEAKER_03Uh yeah, bikeable. Um you know the casket guy might have to remember him. I remember casket, yeah. Yeah. Did he sleep in that thing?
SPEAKER_05I'm not I don't remember that well. I don't think he did, but he he sure was hauling it around.
SPEAKER_03Well, he'll have his own lane nonetheless when this is.
SPEAKER_05That's right, that's right. Uh he'll just have to put a wide load sign on the back of that casket. Uh it's supposed to be done in the spring. A lot of people are talking about how long it's taken. Um I'm gonna focus on something else, though. I live very close to downtown Startville, and there is nowhere I can go. Nowhere I can go from my house that I'm not gonna run into road construction within two blocks of the concrete in the middle of the road. Right. And it has by on average, I've I've counted it up, it has extended my commute time to work on average in a given month by 16 minutes. It's nuts. Really? Yeah. Um it takes me longer to get out of Startville than it takes me to get from from Startville to to to work.
SPEAKER_03But when it's done, maybe it'll take 16 minutes away.
SPEAKER_05Maybe, maybe, doubtful because they're trying to slow down traffic too. But uh that work has been going on considerably longer than the stuff on on Fifth Street.
School Voucher Opposition And Accountability
SPEAKER_03Well, they're not just doing uh like an uh they're not just doing paint and overlaying, they're having to dig up utilities. They are, they're having to put down concrete, and the biggest thing that I learned from reading what y'all had written about it is it's 28 days between the slab inspection until they can put a lamp fixture on top of it. So that's a lot of red tape there.
SPEAKER_05The one thing that I like about the Fifth Street project, I know a lot of people don't like how it's going or how it's being done, but um I drive through that corridor fairly regularly, and I I get through it every time. They've done a pretty good job with uh with traffic flow through there.
SPEAKER_03You know, even with this makes you nervous because it's like, okay, you just yeah, your shoulders get real tight, and it's like I don't want to hit one of these orange barrels, but my goodness, there's a bunch of them to hit.
SPEAKER_05There are a bunch of them, but you can get through there, and you're not ever sitting there beating on your steering wheel, or I haven't been, honking your horn and and and you know, cursing God and hoping for death before you can get through the the bottleneck.
SPEAKER_03Anything else today, Mr. Player? I don't think we have anything other than the three things to know. All right, talk to me.
SPEAKER_05All right, number one, Columbus Air Force Base announced this week it would not host the Thunder Over Columbus Air Show this year, instead, opting to partner with the Columbus Lounge Convention and Visitors Bureau for a souped-up Fourth of July celebration in conjunction with the nation's two hundred and fiftieth birthday.
SPEAKER_04Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_05Airmen will also unearth a time capsule buried at the base in 1976 and replace it with a capsule meant to be opened in 2076. Fireworks at the amphitheater. Talk to Stephen Jones. All right, next number two, Center for Violence Prevention named Representative Dana McLean, a Republican from Columbus, as one of its three angels of the year on Wednesday. The honor comes as a result of her fight to expand sexual assault care through legislation making sure rape kits are available in emergency rooms across the state for victims of sexual assault.
SPEAKER_03Good, good work.
SPEAKER_05Number three, Vietnam hero Gene Smith passed away January 16th, a day short of his 91st birthday. The fighter pilot survived more than five years as a POW after being shot down over Hanoi, often retelling his story with candor and humility. He served as executive director for the Golden Triangle Regional Airport from 1978 to 1998.
SPEAKER_03That will do it today. Thank you so much for listening to us. Sponsorships are available. And find that one friend of yours that needs to know what's happening here locally so they can listen in, and together we can make our hometown an even better place. Reach out to us tips at cdispatch.com. You can also follow me, Facebook, or ex at D Chisholm. Double zero. Leave a public comment. Keeping it real, here in Catfish Alley Studio in historic downtown Columbus. Your host has been Zach Player. I'm Dave Chisholm. Y'all stay friendly. I'm just a simple old country boy, but um I think that makes sense.
SPEAKER_02I've stepped out and I've said what I had to say.
SPEAKER_03You've been listening to Between the Headlines with Zach and David. That's what old people do.
SPEAKER_04That is.
SPEAKER_00One of our hosts of Between the Headlines is the managing editor of our newsroom. Typically, we try to keep news and opinion separate, but reporters have a unique insight into the workings of local government, and their analysis can be helpful for readers and listeners. The Dispatch remains committed to journalistic integrity, and our reporting will always reflect that.
