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A split-second decision during a traffic stop can change a family forever, and that reality hangs over our conversation today. We talk through the case of a 16-year-old, charged with felony murder after a June 16 crash on Alabama Street in Columbus that killed a passenger. We break down what we know from the timeline, what police allege happened after the stop, and why the legal label “felony murder” can be used even when there may be no intent to kill.

We also get specific about transparency and trust. After public skepticism and rumors, we share what we learned from viewing body camera footage in Chief Daughtry’s office.

Then we turn to the growing tension inside the Columbus Police Department, including an anonymous letter that alleges a damaging workplace culture, retaliation fears, and concerns about promotions and morale. We argue through the ethics of anonymous sourcing, why whistleblowers may need protection, and why leadership cannot afford to dismiss hard feedback out of hand. To lighten the mood, we pivot to the pickleball explosion, the local push for new courts, and our semi-serious plea to stop the war on tennis.

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Oktibbeha County has given a two year notice to the Golden Triangle Development LINK. The guys discuss what that means for the region’s economic development recruiter and the strengths of being able to market the entire region.

After that the guys briefly discuss a viral video with local ties. When you have a child of the opposite sex, what bathroom do you take them in? We discuss the video, the fallout and the laws around that decision-making.

Finally, the developer and contractor behind the former First Baptist Church join us in the studio to discuss the apartments that are nearing completion in that building. Chris Chain discusses downtown development and why Columbus is the envy of every other city in the state.

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Zack and David have breaking news with this episode as the city's grant-writer Susan Wilder has submitted her letter of resignation. Wilder, who has spearheaded the city's fossil park, the Alva Temple Museum and other projects, cited a toxic work environment in her letter. The guys discuss how the city can expect to hire top notch talent if it hamstrings its top players.

After that, the guys preview a Friday meeting between the city and county. Each likely owes the other money, but they have been at a stalemate in terms of collecting. Who's right and who's wrong?

Then the discussion turns to whether it's appropriate for the city to be sponsoring religious events on city property.

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A contract gets signed, a check gets cut, the city council approves the check without questioning it. There's enough embarrassment to go around with this one. We walk through the story in which a grant-funded documentary tied to the planned airport museum honoring Tuskegee Airman Alva Temple suddenly becomes a case study in municipal oversight, public funds and who is responsible when procedures break down.

From there, we change gears to two issues people feel every day. On violent crime, we talk about why community policing cannot be a one-way street, why fear keeps witnesses quiet, and why programs only help if families actually use them. On animal control, we explain the city-county-Humane Society interlocal setup, what is changing, and what residents should know about roaming dogs, liability, and emergency calls for aggressive animals.

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Brand-new Mississippi State sports reporter Jake McMahon moves to Starkville, checks a score while unloading a U-Haul, and suddenly ends up on a midnight roadtrip to Oklahoma City to cover the Women’s College World Series. That’s where we start, because it says a lot about college athletics right now: chaos, speed, and the kind of joy that still breaks through when a team catches fire.

Zack is on vacation this week so Dispatch columnist Slim Smith joins David and Jake to discuss how sports journalism has changed as access gets tighter and why the best work still comes from writers who avoid the herd, show up early, and paint a scene. 

David and Slim then turn to a local headline that surprised us: a Bitcoin mining operation in Columbus, running thousands of machines and drawing megawatts of power, raising real questions about the grid, rates, and what crypto “value” even means.

We close with Moak Griffin, CEO of BankFirst, on what community banking looks like after 138 years, why their Columbus headquarters and training campus matter, and how to protect yourself from fraud.

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A $100,000 offer, a building that’s been closed for 17 years, and a buyer who suddenly goes quiet. We start with the latest snag in the Woody’s on the Water saga and ask the uncomfortable questions. We also talk about the tradeoff nobody wants to ignore, because development on the lake can bring jobs and activity, but it can also change wetlands and shoreline land for good.

Then Columbus Police Chief Joseph Daughtery joins us in studio to explain what he’s seeing on the streets, why youth conflicts are escalating, and how social media turns petty disputes into real violence. He gets specific about how guns end up in the wrong hands, including thefts from unlocked cars, firearms left in plain view, and straw purchases that federal partners are increasingly tracking.

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We bring two sitting Mississippi legislators into the studio for a candid discussion about what’s really happening with the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science: why a top-tier STEM residential school can post big academic wins while students and staff deal with aging buildings, unreliable heating and air, and years of deferred maintenance. We keep the focus on facts, tradeoffs, and what “good stewardship” of Mississippi tax dollars should look like when the stakes are kids’ daily lives. 

From there, the conversation widens to the Mississippi University for Women and the political gravity around university consolidation. With a shrinking population and tight budgets, we ask what happens to smaller campuses and whether the state saves money by closing schools or just creates new problems when buildings and communities are left behind. We also dig into collaboration and program overlap, including how shared services and smarter specialization could reduce duplication without turning education into a winner-take-all fight between Columbus and Starkville. 

We finish by taking on K-12 consolidation and the emotional core of it: schools aren’t just buildings, they’re community identity. You’ll hear a blunt debate over incentives versus mandates, administrative bloat, trust in government, and why technology and online learning can’t replace a real teacher in a real room. If you care about Mississippi education funding, MSMS, MUW, and the future of public schools, hit subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave us a review with your take on what should happen next.

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A CEO comes in from out of state, lasts about two months, and suddenly he’s gone. We dig into the leadership shakeup at the Golden Triangle Development LINK, why “mutual parting of ways” can land like a dodge, and what people mean when they say an organization’s culture demands transparency. We also talk frankly about how the LINK's past still shapes the present, including the expectations left behind by Joe Max Higgins and the pressure that comes when a board is trying to prove it has learned its lesson.

From there, we look at the customer side of economic development. Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill doesn’t mince words about what she sees as premature decision-making, and we break down the real tension between personnel privacy and accountability to paying clients. We also spend time on what comes next for new CEO Meryl Fisackerly, why institutional knowledge matters, and why the region can’t afford a slow reset if competition for clients heats up.

Then the vibe turns fun and surprisingly meaningful when Stafford Shurden joins us. He’s a Mississippi entrepreneur and social media personality famous for reviewing convenience store food, and he explains how his brand grew from local politics, restaurant ownership, and a love for the country stores many of us grew up on. Along the way we hit customer experience, rural small business, and a big question for the next few years: when AI makes the internet easier to fake, who becomes the trusted source?

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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 agreement, the Mississippi Attorney General opinion that undercuts it, and the city’s claim that it “overpaid” and should be able to withhold new payments as credit. 

To lighten things up, we shift to the Columbus amphitheater, a new construction timeline that points toward a real opening next spring, and what hiring a professional promoter could mean for booking concerts and building a downtown Columbus live music destination. We also react to an alleged offering plate theft at a local church, using it as a springboard for church security basics and how to make a clearer 911 call under stress. 

Plus, special guest Wesley Stewart joins us to explain why Festival of the Fae is exploding in popularity and what to expect at the two-day Renaissance festival.

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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 utility repairs in the public right-of-way. 

From there, we head to Friendship Cemetery. When records are old, incomplete, or scattered across spreadsheets, books, and public deeds, even buying a cemetery plot can come with unsettling uncertainty. We weigh practical steps the city can take immediately, and the tradeoff of spending real money on ground-penetrating radar to reduce the risk of another painful surprise.

Then we step into politics, asking what fairness looks like when the Southern Poverty Law Center faces federal indictments and pressure lands on Senate candidate Scott Colom to disavow. We break down the difference between direct donations and independent PAC spending, and how narratives get built when campaign finance and national labels collide.

Finally, we bring in guests Max Brallier of The Last Kids on Earth and Emily Liner of Friendly City Books for a hopeful turn: school visits, Title I outreach, and why graphic novels can be a legit on-ramp to lifelong reading, especially for reluctant readers and some dyslexic kids. Subscribe for more local reporting and sharp conversation, share the show with a friend, and leave us a review with your take on what makes a city worth investing in.