January
The Marion County Board of Supervisors opened its 2018 session Jan. 2 by electing District 1 Supervisor Randy Dyess as its president.
FCC documents showed a pending sale of radio stations WJDR and WCJU from longtime owner Tommy McDaniel to Tim Lee.
Former Marion County Chief Deputy Jeff Broom turned himself in Jan. 4 after a grand jury indicted him on four drug charges related to allegedly taking prescription drugs from the Marion County Narcotics Task Force in 2016. He pleaded guilty on Aug. 16 to one felony charge of obtaining a prescription by larceny and received five years probation as part of a plea deal.
Della Faye Smith, 52, of Baxterville was shot twice in the neck while working as a clerk at the Family Dollar Store on South High School Avenue Jan. 15.
Shawn Williams, the last of four former Columbia Police Department officers to be sentenced in a sex-with-inmates scandal from 2014, received a five-year suspended sentence Jan. 16 after pleading guilty.
A blast of arctic air and precipitation that quickly turned to ice in single-digit temperatures closed schools Jan. 16 and Jan. 17 and caused multiple wrecks throughout the county as cars slid off the road. Columbia officially received 1.4 inches of snow.
The annual MLK Day Celebration drew hundreds for a parade downtown and program at St. John the Baptist Missionary Church.
The city began a $174,000 project in late January to patch streets throughout town.
A rare “super blue blood moon” shone brightly over Columbia Jan. 31. The lunar trifecta won’t happen again until 2037.
February
Titewire USA LLC, a new manufacturer making a tool for installing barbed wire fencing, signed a lease beginning Feb. 1 to occupy one of the buildings at the Marion County BusinessPlex.
On Feb. 6, aldermen heard the results of phase 1 of an annexation study, which showed Columbia’s population would grow from about 6,300 to 8,000 under a proposed annexation area. The board eventually voted in favor of a slightly reduced annexation area on Dec. 18. A survey of the proposed area is the next step followed by a vote on an ordinance officially adopting the area.
A Feb. 8 fire destroyed Hurricane Creek Mobile Homes & Supplies in southern Marion County.
Nettie Lewis, 26, of Columbia, and Lori Michelle Jones, 27, of Foxworth pleaded guilty on Feb. 9 to killing Tarah Daniels of Columbia 2015 and setting two fires to cover it up. Lewis was sentenced to serve 40 years and Jones 30 years.
The Marion County Historical Society Museum and Archives added to its collection a newly discovered letter from a Union general in 1864 that is the only known original Civil War document from Marion County.
Local state Rep. Ken Morgan’s speech against the “One Lake” proposal helped kill off a funding bill Feb. 20 for the proposed lake on the Pearl River in Jackson. Debate continues in 2019 about the project, which many in Marion County oppose out of fear it will disrupt the Pearl’s flow here. Backers say it’s needed for flood control and economic development in the capital city.
Columbia came together for Gentry Day on Feb. 24 in honor of Gentry Terrell, a 5-year-old whose battle with an inoperable brain tumor inspired many.
The fifth annual Ford’s Encampment drew hundreds to Sandy Hook Feb. 24 for demonstrations of 19th-century life.
March
The Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department’s Station 6 on Airport Road opened, which helps them respond quicker to some areas and could save insurance money for more than 500 homeowners and businesses.
Duff Capital Investors was recognized as the 2018 Business of the Year during the Marion County Development Partnership’s 112th annual banquet March 6.
Columbia Police Chief Mike Cooper resigned March 12, citing a growing towing business and frustrations with a lack of resources as reasons. Within hours the Board of Aldermen hired former Seminary Police Chief Michael Kelly, who had been working as the city’s code enforcement officer, to replace him. The police department saw many changes under Kelly, bringing many different officers on board, revamping the animal shelter, holding neighborhood meetings and drug sweeps and implementing a DARE program in conjunction with the city schools.
First responders in Marion County received state training on March 15 for carrying Narcan, a nasal spray used to revive victims of opioid overdoses.
The Columbia school board hired North Panola High School Principal Braxton Stowe, 31, on March 20 as the next principal at Columbia High School, succeeding the retiring Sheila Burbridge. The board also accepted the retirement of longtime Jefferson Middle School Principal Raymond Powell effective June 30 and later hired Levi Robinson to lead the middle school.
Kaitlyn Bradford, a junior at West Marion High School, was chosen as Marion County’s Distinguished Young Woman on March 24.
The local chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans announced it received its charter as the Marion Men’s Chapter. A women’s chapter, the Order of the Confederate Rose, was also chartered.
The Vine, a Methodist Church located in a former Columbia skating rink on Mississippi 13 North, hosted its official grand opening March 24 after three years of planning led by Ryan Freeman, the former pastor at Kokomo United Methodist Church.
Sandy Hook Promise, a foundation formed after the 2012 deadly shooting of students at a Connecticut school, awarded a national honor March 28 to members of the Columbia High School SAVE Club and Paw Print newspaper staff for their anti-bullying video entitled, “Say Something.”
April
The south bridge on Williamsburg Road closed April 2, causing lengthy detours for some north Marion County residents. The wood-pile bridge was the most heavily trafficked of several in the county closed by federal inspectors. The path reopened in September after county crews built a temporary crossing to bypass it while the county awaits federal funding to replace the span.
The Columbia-Marion County Animal Shelter moved out its dogs the first week of April in part to eliminate a rodent problem as part of broad reorganization by new Police Chief Michael Kelly. The dogs eventually returned, and other changes included a new director and a visit by city officials to a Hammond, La., shelter to learn more about operations.
Isaac Lee Brown, a 62-year-old Columbia pastor, pleaded guilty April 9 in Sevier County, Tenn., to sexual battery and received two years supervised probation.
Kenneth Gray, 40, of Mt. Olive was killed April 14 when his car hydroplaned on Mississippi 35 North near Shivers Road, left the roadway and landed vertically in some trees. It was part of a strong line of storms that also damaged homes and caused flooding in Marion County and throughout Mississippi.
Federal regulations about shooting near airports and lead in the environment delayed plans to build a firing range for the Marion County Sheriff's Office.
Aquilla Sanders of Columbia and her husband, Carl, were heading to the hospital in Hattiesburg on April 8 when she delivered 6-pound-6-ounce daughter, Lorin, in their car along U.S. 98.
Express Car Wash received clearance to be built on U.S. 98 near Griner Drilling Service after receiving a variance for an extra 5 feet from the Columbia Board of Aldermen.
On April 27, Columbia became the first Mississippi community to host the new “Relay on the Road” concept for the American Cancer Society.
Marion Jordan, 6, a kindergartener at Columbia Primary School and the daughter of Will and Melissa Jordan of Columbia, was crowned in front of her classmates April 20 as Marion County’s inaugural Little Miss Hospitality.
Fire destroyed the home of Ora Mae Pittman at 835 Shiloh Firetower Road in Foxworth during the early hours of April 22.
Murder suspect Ace Joe Mallard of Columbia was arrested April 28 along I-10 in Florida. The 46-year-old allegedly killed 37-year-old Columbia native Tracey Brown at her home in Lamar County earlier that morning. Brown was a mother of three and longtime Walmart employee well-liked throughout the community.
Carmen Reid, 31, a photographer from Ellisville, tumbled an estimated 175 feet at Red Bluff April 29 while trying to get an angle on a shot. She was able to walk away but was later diagnosed with a broken vertebra at a hospital.
May
A new welcome sign on Mississippi 13 North across from the Watts Animal Clinic was dedicated May 1. The 2017 Leadership Marion County class spearheaded the project.
Resident Mark Retcho asked the Board of Aldermen May 1 to consider allowing Sunday beer and wine sales. After several months of consideration, aldermen voted 3-2 on Dec. 4 to allow it. Several people spoke passionately for and against the ordinance.
Marion Countians gathered on the front lawn of the courthouse May 3 to observe the National Day of Prayer, and a new 5:30 p.m. time helped draw a large turnout.
A Facebook post by Jefferson Middle School teacher and coach D'Leasha Abram Arnold about state testing beginning included a joke warning boys not to grab her breasts if she passed out while monitoring. The post stirred considerable controversy, and Arnold resigned on June 27 before the new school year began.
The Cleveland J. Duckworth Park Revitalization Committee formed with a goal of helping the city save the building there and expand the park. Aldermen approved allowing the committee to pursue grants to do the work.
The state designated three census tracts in the county as federal "Opportunity Zones," which are part of the Republican tax cut package. The zones are designed to spur growth in struggling areas by allowing companies to avoid paying taxes on their capital gains by investing into those regions.
A partnership between the Columbia Police Department and Columbia School District added an additional school resource officer, Sgt. Jason Cook, based out of Jefferson Middle School.
CHS dedicated a pair of memorials on May 18, a new Wildcat statue in honor of Purity Mae Beard Martise (class of 1952) and a courtyard fountain in honor of Amelia Magee Rogers (class of 2002).
Marion County Chancery Court hosted a “Celebration of Families” May 21 to recognize adoptions and reforms within the county’s foster care system.
Law Enforcement Memorial Day was observed May 25 on the courthouse lawn.
Bunker Hill Baptist Church dedicated a memorial May 27 to church members who had been in the military, some going as far back as the Civil War.
June
Members of the Marion County Bar Association hosted a free legal clinic on June 1 for low-income citizens.
Landon Scott Williamson, 25, of Kokomo was killed June 1 in a crash on Mississippi 27 south of Monticello.
The June 5 federal primary drew a low turnout as most of the incumbents, including U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker and U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo, won easily. State Rep. David Baria won a Democratic runoff on June 26 over Howard Sherman, husband of actress Sela Ward, for the right to face Wicker in the general election.
Marion General Hospital unveiled a new telemedicine system called Telestroke that allows doctors at the Columbia facility to communicate with neurologists at Ochsner's hospital in New Orleans when a patient exhibiting signs of a stroke is brought into the ER.
Dr. Mark Stevens, 66, died June 13 after battling ALS, and colleagues at the Columbia Family Clinic warmly recalled the longtime physician’s medical skills, sense of humor and dedication.
Sheila Burbridge said she was proud of what Columbia High School had been able to accomplish in academics, arts and sports during her 16-year tenure as principal as she prepared to retire as of June 30. She had become the CHS vice principal in 1998 and was named the school’s first African-American principal in 2002.
Jefferson Middle School Principal Raymond Powell also retired after 22 years leading the school and reflected back on his long career in education in Marion County.
Businessmen Thomas and Jim Duff made a $1 million gift to the University of Mississippi’s new Flagship Constellations initiative to pay tribute to their late father, longtime Columbia attorney Ernest Duff.
A 1,394-page study about creating another lake on the Pearl River in Jackson was released for public comment June 20 by the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District. It recommended moving forward with the "One Lake" project, although critics said it was slanted to reach that result.
Chase Robbins, a 2009 West Marion High School graduate, was hired as principal at East Marion Elementary, replacing longtime Principal Portia Hull who retired.
Advantage Pharmacy co-owner Doyle Beach, 45, formerly of Columbia, pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court in Hattiesburg June 25 to 16 felony charges related to a compounding pharmacy fraud investigation.
City School Board Member David McCance resigned, citing a busy work and travel schedule. Columbia aldermen selected Eric Lucas on July 31 to take his place. The 39-year-old Columbia High School graduate works for Jones Companies.
City Clerk Donna McKenzie was honored during a retirement reception June 28 after 28 years of public service, including 11 as city clerk. Deputy Clerk Maria Temples was appointed to take over the role.
July
Two men — Damian Swarptue, 26, of Hattiesburg and Lacurtis Floyd, 22, of McComb — died July 3 after the car they were passengers in fled Columbia police on U.S. 98 at high speeds and flew off the road into a dense thicket between Foxworth and Kokomo. A sheriff’s deputy was also injured after crashing during the pursuit. Driver Kevin M. Allen, 40, of Columbia was charged with two counts of manslaughter.
Freedom Fest July 7 drew large crowds to downtown Columbia but ended in disappointment as a sudden rain storm wiped out the fireworks and caused flash flooding. City officials later checked downtown drainage, which has been an issue for decades, but did not discover major blockages.
A security guard shot and killed Branen Carter, 21, of Kokomo after he attacked his mother, Lee Anna Turnage, and grandmother, Ann Carter, at the McComb Social Security office July 9.
Columbia police dedicated a Humvee on July 11 donated by Looks Great Services, which challenges other businesses to donate to outfit the military utility vehicle. Several, including First Southern Bank and Citizens Bank, did just that. Also, the Church on Main later donated bullet-proof vests and tourniquets for each officer.
Marion County Miss Hospitality Meredith Bass, a senior at Mississippi State University from Columbia, competed July 15 in the state competition at the Saenger Theater in Hattiesburg.
Amber Fairburn, 25, of Columbia, was arrested by Columbia police July 16 after her four children were found in her car while she shopped at Walmart. The children were not hurt.
A $140,000 Mississippi Department of Education grant became official July 19 that is funding four new pre-K classes at Columbia Primary School. The program was planned to served 70 4-year-olds, officials said.
Platinum Equity, a California private equity firm, bought a 50.1 percent interest in Yak Access, which makes hardwood mats used for temporary roads to reach pipelines and has seen phenomenal growth, from Jones Companies and Beasley Forest Products. Yak Access remains in Jones’ former headquarters on 98 east of Columbia, while the Jones Companies moved to Hattiesburg.
August
CHS opened a new piano lab, equipped with 12 electric pianos, that is only the third of its kind in Mississippi.
Marion County election commissioners got approval to move to new offices at the BusinessPlex, the former Columbia Training School, after voicing a need for more space to the Board of Supervisors.
Newly released census data showed Columbia’s population dropped 8 percent between 2010 and 2017 and Marion County’s 7 percent. Officials expressed concern, saying more things are needed to draw people here.
Hunter Nelson of Lumberton received a 15-year sentence Aug. 14 — one year for each immediate family member of Judy Hilburn, a 59-year-old Walmart cashier from Foxworth, whom he crashed into while driving drunk.
Fast Pace Urgent Care began construction on a building on U.S. 98 soon after city an easement approved by the city board. The clinic is nearing completion now.
The Pine Needle Garden Club led collaborative efforts to designate Columbia as a “Wildflower City” and to plant wildflowers near the city retention pond.
The Mississippi Bluegrass Jamboree, pushed by Mayor Justin McKenzie as a way to attract residents to the city, ran Sept. 27 to Sept. 29 at the Columbia Expo Center. It was the first such bluegrass event here since 2011 and drew large crowds, many of whom stayed in campers at the Expo Center.
For the first time, Marion County conducted its property tax sale online on Aug. 27.
U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., said Aug. 24 during a campaign stop in Columbia that she was thankful for President Trump's support, a day after he gave her his endorsement. She eventually won in a runoff over Democrat Mike Espy in a race that drew national attention.
Greg Prine, owner of Beacon Supply Co., was named the Hearts of Hope Citizen of the Year, and Junior Auxiliary of Columbia was honored with the Caring Heart Award during an awards ceremony Aug. 25 at the Columbia Country Club.
A teen police said was responsible for a rash of auto burglaries in the Ridgewood subdivision, Joseph Leo Lefebvre, turned himself in Aug. 28.
The Legislature appropriated $500,000 for Marion County Businessplex repairs and $250,000 to the Columbia-Marion County Airport out of funds from a BP oil spill settlement. Lawmakers also passed a plan to send a portion of internet sales taxes back to cities and counties for infrastructure projects, with the county expected to get roughly $583,000 and the city $290,000 by the time the program is fully implemented in 2022. The Legislature also approved a lottery during the special session.
September
The purchase and renovation of several buildings helped spur feelings of a downtown Renaissance.
Schools cancelled and the governor issued a state of emergency before Tropical Storm Gordon made landfall Sept. 4, but it ended up completely missing Columbia with not a drop of rain falling after moving further east than anticipated.
Courthouse employees discovered a break-in when arriving for work Sept. 3. Cash was stolen from several offices.
The Marion County Board of Supervisors made plans to borrow $5 million to fix roads and bridges and repay the money with newly allocated internet sales tax revenue.
The Columbia Academy family mourning the loss of former teacher and girls basketball coach Tommy Sumrall, 54, who died Sept. 9 after a lengthy battle with brain cancer.
Mississippi Power announced it would be closing its Broad Street office in October.
Columbia sent aid to its sister city of Columbia, S.C., after Hurricane Florence caused heavy damage in the Carolinas.
Former District Attorney Richard L. Douglass drew big crowds as he returned Sept. 27 to talk about his book about an infamous 1985 murder, “The Three Minute Man: The Story of a Small Town Sociopath."
Tent America 2018 brought 50 consecutive hours of prayer and praise to the courthouse lawn on Sept. 27 to Sept. 29.
October
Starting Oct. 1, Police Detective Candace Stuart moved to an office at the Primary School, bringing the total of school resource officers to three.
Representatives from the Tri-Community Fire Protection District and South Marion Fire Protection District announced a plan to shift fire district lines, with a goal of lowering insurance rates for residents.
The 53rd annual Heritage Festival brought thousands of visitors to City Park Saturday Oct. 6 for historical demonstrations, food and fun.
Police began wearing demo body cams with plans to expand the program.
Starkville police used DNA evidence to charge Michael Wayne Devaughn, 52, of Rienzi on Oct. 6 with capital murder in the Labor Day 1990 killing of former Columbia resident Betty Thrower Jones, 65, at her Starkville home.
City and county officials flew to Washington to accept $10.2 million for a runway expansion at the airport. The project is ongoing.
Word came out that the Marion County Sheriff's Office is examining records from the Mt. Gilead-Improve Water Association during its annual meeting Oct. 11 after accounting issues were identified with a substantial amount of money.
Marion County Sheriff's Office deputies put 17 people behind bars during “Operation Dealers Choice,” a weekend roundup serving arrest warrants on alleged drug dealers.
A single-vehicle motorcycle accident in Lamar County Oct. 18 claimed the life of Barry Burge, 48, of Columbia.
The Mississippi Department of Public Safety recognized Columbia Police Chief Michael Kelly Oct. 20 as its Crime Stoppers Law Enforcement Coordinator of the Year.
Faith of Deliverance Ministries hosted its first services Oct. 28 at the former Double D Bar on Mississippi 13 North after making renovations.
The American Correctional Association gave the Marion County Regional Correctional Facility top marks during its accreditation visit.
The CHS band won its seventh state title, taking first place in 3A in the state competition Oct. 27 at Northwest Rankin High School. West Marion finished eighth.
November
A Nov. 3 duck race at the Pearl River Interpretive Plaza sponsored by Zellco raised $2,750 to help purchase airbags for the Columbia Fire Department.
The Nov. 6 general election saw Chris Wallace unseat the incumbent, Dr. Ronald Luethje, in the city outside school board race. In Marion County, incumbent school board members Jessie Graham of District 3 and Wendy Hammonds of District 4 won re-election. Turnout was high at 55 percent as a result of the special U.S. Senate race between Cindy Hyde-Smith, Chris McDaniel and Mike Espy.
Numbers released Nov. 8 showed the Columbia School District's average ACT score increased from 18.2 in 2017 to 18.6 in 2018, and the Marion County School District jumped from 16.6 to 17.4.
Goss Baptist Church’s annual Blessing of the Hunt Nov. 8 at the Columbia Expo Center brought outdoors TV host Brodie Swisher’s faith-based message to several thousand people.
Marion County’s sixth annual Veterans Picnic at the Columbia Water Park Nov. 10 again raised funds for wounded servicemen.
On Veterans Day, a small French village honored Sam Bond Dale Jr. of Columbia, a pilot who died in a crash there in 1944.
Bernadine Irvin, a nursing home aide, perished in a blaze Nov. 11 in her trailer at 138 Lampton Hilltop Road.
Area veterans were honored Nov. 12 in Veterans Day ceremonies at the Columbia Water Park that included special acknowledgment of nearly two dozen surviving World War II servicemen.
The Marion County Historical Society presented a Fordsville Antebellum Christmas on Nov. 24 with candlelight tours at the John Ford Home in Sandy Hook.
The Nov. 27 runoff saw Cindy Hyde-Smith retain her U.S. Senate seat over Mike Espy. The Republican received nearly 64 percent of the Marion County vote. Other winners included Chad Smith, a Lamar County attorney, for chancellor and David McCarty, a Jackson attorney, for Mississippi Court of Appeals.
December
The Kiwanis Christmas Parade drew massive crowds on Dec. 1 for floats, bands and a special lighting and fireworks show afterward. Longtime Columbia residents remarked that it was the largest crowd they’d ever seen in the city.
A shootout between two men and an on-duty Sonic employee took place Dec. 1 just after the Christmas parade, leaving all three of them injured. Corey Husband, 30, was charged with aggravated assault, and police planned to charge Jeffrey Pace, 21, once released from the hospital. John Redd, 39, was also injured.
Marion County took back over its garbage service from contractor Waste Pro on Dec. 3 after buying new trucks. The change prompted Waste Pro to change Columbia’s collection schedule from one day per week to four days, to the consternation of aldermen, who are considering making their own return to the city picking up its own garbage.
Candlelight, Carols and Claus again drew a big turnout downtown on Dec. 7 for shopping and Christmas fun.
A quickly spreading fire destroyed the Johnson family’s home at 2001 Columbia-Purvis Road on Dec. 8. The community rallied to help them before Christmas.
Mack Grubbs Motors of Columbia was honored Dec. 11 for 25 years with Chrysler.
A problem with the credit/debit card machine at Wendy’s caused charges to be incurred weeks after diners ate there, leading Columbia police to investigate and the owners to apologize to effected customers.
Two Columbia girls, Myers Foxworth and Cooper Smith, shared the lead role of Clara in “The Nutcracker” by the South Mississippi Ballet Theatre.
The City Bar & Grill on South High School Avenue, Columbia’s only bar, opened for good Dec. 12 after correcting several minor code violations.
The Church and House at Chapel Lane hosted a grand opening on Dec. 15 after extension renovations of the former Catholic church on Church Street turned it and an adjacent home into a wedding and event venue.
Board of Supervisors Attorney Joe Shepard, who had been on the job since 1982, worked his final meeting on Dec. 17 before retiring. His law partner, Drew Foxworth, will be taking over the duties.
The Columbia Board of Aldermen unanimously voted on Dec. 18 to move forward with annexation. The board set a boundary line that cuts out a large portion north of the existing city limits from the original proposal but is otherwise mostly the same.
The Marion County School District announced a collaborative effort grant of about $1.1 million over the next three years for early childhood learning centers in schools and daycares. It will fund three new pre-K classrooms and enhance existing ones.
The Columbia Gearheads, along with more than 100 other volunteers, served more than 400 meals to the needy and first responders Dec. 22 at the Expo Center.
The county’s unemployment rate continued to fall in 2018, dipping all the way down to 4.4 percent in November.
Rains exceeding 10 inches in some places in the county caused widespread flooding on Dec. 27 and Dec. 28, forcing many residents out of their homes and flooding several downtown businesses.
Pictured Above: Columbia Police Chief Michael Kelly has brought a host of new ideas to the department after taking over in March. That includes community meetings, department reorganization, drug sweeps and additional school resource officers.
