CD: Officials: Avoid fires, check smoke detectors

TIM PRATT

Fire officials in Starkville are urging residents to check their smoke detectors this winter following two blazes in area homes over the past week.

The most recent incident was reported to Oktibbeha County E-911 around 9 a.m. Tuesday from Azalea Lane, where an electrical fire began behind a wall and the elderly resident’s smoke detector had dead batteries.

“Luckily she happened to be home at the time of the fire and smelled the smoke before the fire got big and she was able to call 911,” Fire Marshal Mark McCurdy said. He did not release the woman’s address on Azalea Lane.

The fire started inside a living room wall due to a faulty wire connected to an electrical outlet, McCurdy said. Firefighters had to cut out a roughly 3-by-3-foot section of wall to gain access to the blaze.

Read complete article at Commercial Dispatch.

PLANS UNDERWAY FOR SECOND ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF TREES

Plans are underway for the second annual Festival of Trees, benefitting United Way of North Central Mississippi. Last year over $20,000 was raised during this mulit-event spectacular, and this year, a new venue, more events, and increased participation promise for an even better year.

Festival of Trees, co-chaired by MSU Athletic Director Greg Byrne and wife Regina Byrne, will take place from Thursday, November 12 – Saturday, November 21 at the Griffis Room in the Palmeiro Center on Mississippi State University’s campus, and will feature a display of beautifully decorated Christmas trees, wreaths, hand painted platters, a gingerbread village, and other one-of-a kind items that will be available to purchase through live and silent auction during the festival’s opening event, the Holiday Party and Auction on November 12 at 7:00 p.m.

Other events include Ladies Night on Tuesday, November 17 at 7:00 p.m., which will feature food by Chef Ty Thames of Restaurant Tyler, wine pairings and tastings by the Savvy Grape, wreath-making display by Occasions, and Christmas table setting advise and demonstrations by Rubye Guest and Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, November 21 from 8:30 – 10:00 a.m., a special event in which children can visit with Santa, have Christmas photos made, make a craft they can take-home, and enjoy breakfast provided by local restaurants.

To purchase tickets or for more information, please visit www.festivaloftreesstarkville.org or call Regina Byrne at (662) 617-1711. Schedule for Festival of Trees is as follows:

Holiday Party & Auction – Thursday, November 12
7:00 p.m.
Tickets are $40 each
Features: entertainment by Keith and Margie, live and silent auction, food by Eat With Us Group, and more

Ladies Night – Tuesday, November 17
7:00 p.m.
Tickets are $25 each
Features: food by Chef Ty Thames of Restaurant Tyler, wine pairings and tastings by Savvy Grape, wreath-making display by Occasions, Christmas table setting advise and demonstration by Rubye Guest, and hostess and teacher gift suggestions

Breakfast with Santa – Saturday, November 21
8:30 – 10:00 a.m.
Tickets are $5 in advance, $8 at door
Features: visit and take Christmas photos with Santa, crafts, breakfast

Open viewing for the public –
Sunday, November 15 – 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Friday, November 20 – 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Suggested donation is $5

Starkville Young Professionals November Social

The SYP November 10th Social will be held at Mugshots will benefit the MSU
Visiting Poets and Fiction Writers Series and will feature the Creative Writing Staff sharing their recent work, some of which will be published in an anthology titled The Surreal South due out this month. We will tell you more about this as the date approaches, but first I just wanted to send out a notice about the next visiting writer in the series.

Gerry LaFemina
Thursday, Oct. 29 7:30 pm
McCool 100, MSU

This is event is FREE, open to the public, and a great way to take advantage ofthe arts and culture available to us here in Starkville.

Gerry LaFemina is a former punk rocker whose most recent collection of poetry, Figures from The Big Time Circus Book/ The Book of Clown Baby, includes a pop-up circus in the middle!

Find more info, and a link to Gerry’s homepage at:
http://starkvilleeats.com/today/details/335-gerry-lafemina-poetryfiction-reading.html

Downtown Pumpkinpalooza to take place October 23

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GREATER STARKVILLE DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP
DATE: September 14, 2009
CONTACT: 662-323-3322; jglaze@starkville.org

Downtown Pumpkinpalooza to take place October 23

Plans are underway for Downtown Pumpkinpalooza, a new event sponsored by the Greater Starkville Development Partnership, Starkville Community Market, and Starkville Downtown Business Association, to take place on Starkville’s Main Street on Friday, October 23, from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. the night before Mississippi State’s football battle against the University of Florida.

Main Street will be closed from 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. from Jackson Street to Washington Street, offering a street fair atmosphere for children, families, MSU football fans, and Starkville residents of all ages. Downtown merchants will extend their hours so children can trick-or-treat to each store, Starkville Area Arts Council will sponsor a pumpkin painting contest for children, and a pumpkin patch with locally grown pumpkins will provide the center of activities on Main Street.

Starkville Community Market vendors will set-up Friday evening selling their fall produce, breads, pies, and other treats, street musicians will perform along Main Street, and an inflatable jumper will be on-hand for children. Restaurants on Main Street will offer dinner specials for children wearing costumes, and Main Street merchants will participate in a window decorating contest.

Cre8ive Warehouse is sponsoring a scarecrow contest in which visitors are encouraged to create and dress-up scarecrows using creative themes and bring their creations to Main Street for judging. Festivities will kick-off at 6:00 p.m. with a pep-rally to cheer on the Bulldogs featuring Mississippi State cheerleaders, pom-squad, and Bully. Downtown Pumpkinpalooza t-shirts will be available for purchase, and pumpkins may be purchased from the pumpkin patch. Bring your camera for pictures in the pumpkin patch!

For more information on Downtown Pumpkinpalooza, please contact Jennifer Glaze, vice president for tourism development at (662) 323-3322 or jglaze@starkville.org.

CD: Tap water may be discolored temporarily, but safe to drink

SEPTEMBER 2, 2009 10:56:00 AM

DISPATCH STAFF REPORT

Starkville residents might experience some discoloration in their tap water in coming months, but city and state officials say it won’t be harmful to citizens’ health.

The Mississippi Department of Health is now requiring potable water suppliers in the state to phase in the new Ground Water Rule, published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Safe Drinking Water Act in November of 2006.

The new rule requires higher levels of chlorine in the system to protect consumers from potential contamination of the underground aquifers due to agricultural activities, septic tanks and leaking sewer lines. All of the water produced by the city of Starkville is pumped from underground aquifers.

According to Scott Thomas, chief drinking water operator for the city of Starkville, the higher levels of chlorine in the system may further oxidize existing deposits on the interior pipe walls and result in the water turning a brown color. This condition does not render the water unsafe to drink, but it may stain clothes that are washed with the discolored water.

Read complete article at Commercial Dispatch.

We interupt the P&Z debate for a little something different

If you like Boston and have tried Guitar Band Rock Hero, then you need to watch this:

CD: Counterfeit money returns to Starkville

JULY 17, 2009

JORDAN NOVET

STARKVILLE — It made its grand appearance last Friday night.

As Lt. Bill Lott of the Starkville Police Department tells the story, “somebody was eating outside one of the restaurants (in the Cotton District) and was approached by two black males who sat down and started talking with the victim” between 10 and 10:20 p.m. on Friday, July 10.

Lott identified the restaurant as Shaherazad’s.

Then, Lott, said, “One of the guys asked the guy, the victim, if he could make him change” for a $100 bill. “And apparently he did, and after a little while, he realized the bill was fake. And he approached them somewhere on University Drive, in that area of the restaurants, and told them it was fake and he wanted to meet somewhere … later and settle up. And of course the guy didn’t.”

The passing of counterfeit bills is not a first for Starkville. The most recent case took place in the city in December, and in 2002, Nick Turner, then a first-year running back for the Mississippi State University football team, was caught using counterfeit $100 bills.

However, last week’s incident does stand out: “Usually it’s businesses, not individuals who’ve been approached,” Lott said.

Read complete article at Commercial Dispatch.

CD: Making a stand: Greg’s Produce Barn, owned by Greg Bollinger, offers fresh produce to Oktibbeha residents year-round

JULY 13, 2009

TIM PRATT

STARKVILLE — Greg’s Produce Barn is a colorful little place on Highway 12, just west of Starkville in the Longview community.

The tomatoes are big and red; the plums are a deep purple, and countless other fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables line the tables.

Watching over the produce is owner Greg Bollinger, who looks proudly at his selection of everything from apples, oranges and cantaloupes to cayenne peppers, sweet potatoes and cucumbers. He also has zucchini, watermelon, peas and bell peppers, among other things. And a steady stream of customers pick through his wares every Thursday, Friday and Saturday — the only days the business is open, though he keeps an “honor box” out on days the stand is closed.

“During the week I’ll have a few tomatoes out here and a few watermelons. People can put their money in the milk jug if I’m not around. … I can’t put everything out there, but I put a little bit of stuff out for them.”

Bolliger’s produce stand is open year-round, and when he’s not planting or preparing to plant something, he often can be found fishing or hunting.

Read complete article at Commercial Dispatch.

Stuff To Do: SYP events

From SYP president Grady Dixon

Greetings SYPers

I hope you all had a great 4th of July.  Those of us that spent time at the State Theatre on Saturday certainly enjoyed ourselves…especially seeing the completion of the 482-lb BBQ sandwich.  Photos of this thing have spread rapidly across the country…I even have been contacted by colleagues in other states that saw my photo linked in an email or website.  So, I will post a link to the best image I have seen of the actual sandwich…with Jeremiah Dumas for scale.

Vegetarians be warned of graphic material:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogersmith/3688345768/
Just for fun, here is the link to photos of the old record.  It looks like they cheated by using large chunks of meat that would not be feasible to eat in sandwich format…amateurs!
http://www.ulikafoodblog.com/2008/05/bar-b-curios-worlds-largest-barbecue.html

A quick reminder that our Forum scholarship is due THIS Friday…the sooner the better so we can have a decision by Monday morning.  Read more here:
http://starkvilleyoungprofessionals.wordpress.com/2009/06/08/leadership-forum-scholarship/

The Starkville Daily News is hosting an informal poll regarding the sale of alcohol on Sunday:
http://www.starkvilledailynews.com/content/view/156378/60/

To make it even easier to participate, John Genin, of BetterStarkville.com, has created a quick and easy web form that will automatically submit your vote:
http://www.betterstarkville.com/sdn/
Please note that the form will only submit YES votes.

Tuesday, July 14th…SYP July Social at Bulldog Lanes.  $10 gets you 2 hours of bowling with the highest score of the night earning a cash prize.  As usual, the beer cart will be available and Bulldog Lanes has agreed to put out some appetizers for everyone.

Saturday, July 25th…Downtown Starkville Christmas in July, hosted by the Downtown Business Association.  At this event, we will have a tent set up to advertise The Festival of Trees, which was a huge success last year (raised over $20,000 for charity).  We are looking for some people to volunteer their time to help run the tent.  Please contact Jennifer Prather (JPrather@saffairs.msstate.edu) or Robyn Cain (rcain@starkville.org).

Grits ain’t Groceries: A guide to BBQ

Popmatters.com launches into a multimedia explanation of BBQ (and food) at blues festivals.

Written by G.E.Light a “native Southerner, doyenne of the Starkville “slow jam” food scene, long time host of “One Bourbon, One Sotch, One Beer” on WMSV’s The Juke Sunday blues programming, and general know-it-all wiseacre,” it adds in a ton of Youtube videos from blues legends to support the flavor of the article.

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