The Commercial Dispatch

Parents, good Samaritans and law enforcement officers lined Highway 45 just before the Artesia Road intersection Tuesday after a Lowndes County School District bus and a vehicle collided, sending multiple students and both drivers to the hospital. Mississippi Highway Patrol responded to the scene at about 3:15 p.m., where a sedan traveling east on Artesia Road crossed into the intersection and then collided with the bus, which was traveling north on Highway 45, an MHP press release said.

Oakley Judson Lambert (Bud), 79, of Columbus, Mississippi, passed on September 14th at his home with his family close by. Visitation will be Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 1:00 P.M. to 2:00 P.M. at Mt. Vernon Church in Columbus, MS. The funeral service will be Saturday, September 19, 2026, at 2:00 P.M. at Mt. Vernon Church in Columbus, MS, with Bro. Brandon Allen officiating. Graveside will follow. Lowndes Funeral Home is entrusted with all arrangements.

WEST POINT — Stephanie Christina Smith, 42, died Sept. 7, 2026. Funeral services will be at 3 p.m. Saturday, at Calvary Baptist Church, with the Rev. Andy Parrish officiating. Burial will follow at Oddfellows Cemetery in Starkville. Visitation will be from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, at the church. Calvert Funeral Home of West Point is in charge of arrangements. Mrs. Smith was born Dec. 15, 1983, in West Point, to DeLynn and Lynn Nance.

COLUMBUS — Ronald Walter Dowodzenka, 90, died Sept. 13, 2026, at his residence. Lowndes Funeral Home and Crematory of Columbus is in charge of arrangements. Mr. Dowodzenka was born June 30, 1936, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to the late Pearl Dowodzenka and Peter Dowodzenka. He is survived by his wife, Carol Ann Dowodzenka; daughter, Linda Dowodzenka; sons, Michael Dowodzenka, Scott Dowodzenka and Jeffrey Dowodzenka; two grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Offenses didn’t need any time to shake off the rust. They lit up the scoreboard in one of the highest-scoring opening weeks in NFL history. The Bears beat Carolina 59-37, falling three points shy of tying Atlanta’s 53-year-old record for the most in Week 1. The game featured 1,030 total yards and the most combined points (96) ever in an opener. Josh Allen led the Bills to a stunning performance against Houston’s once-stingy defense in a 36-31 road win.

WASHINGTON — Former CIA Director John Brennan has been subpoenaed to testify next month before a Florida grand jury as part of a Justice Department investigation into whether former law enforcement and intelligence officials conspired against President Donald Trump, one of his lawyers said Monday. Ken Wainstein, an attorney for Brennan, disclosed in a court filing that prosecutors last Thursday presented him with a subpoena for Brennan to appear Oct. 15 before a grand jury in Fort Pierce, Florida.

Mississippi State soccer got off to a hot start in SEC play on Friday. The Bulldogs downed rival Ole Miss 4-1 in its conference opener. They scored three goals in the second half to seal the Magnolia Cup Victory. “Well, it was chippy early on, then it managed to stay chippy the entire length of the game,” head coach Kevin O’Brien said in a press release from MSU Athletics.

Skip to content Open eyes, open minds. Serving Columbus & Starkville, Mississippi Home » Galleries » Tennessee Williams Tribute 2026 Laura Beth Berry, portraying Miss Dorothy Simple, throws her hands into the air during a performance of Tennessee Williams’ “The Case of the Crushed Petunias” on Saturday at Ridge House during A Night in New Orleans, the third event for the Tennessee Williams Tribute.

A flash of harmless lightning, a mist or rainbow eyes. The burnished sunbeams brightening. From flower to flower he flies. John B. Tabb, The Hummingbirds flitting here and there around the humming bird feeder. John B. Tabb, The Hummingbird. John Bannister Tabb, American poet, Catholic priest (1845-1909) Standing at the kitchen window it’s easy to see six to eight hummingbirds flitting here and there around the humming bird feeder.

On behalf of United Way of the Golden Triangle Region, I would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the women of 100 Women Who Care Columbus for an incredible evening of generosity and community impact. It was an honor to stand alongside other deserving organizations and share the work United Way is doing throughout our region. To every woman who cast her vote for United Way, thank you for believing in our mission and trusting us to continue making a difference in the communities we serve.