Top Stories

First ‘Hurdle’ Cleared In Chambers Murder  By John Howell The Panolian BATESVILLE – Describing the capital murder indictment last week of Quinton Verdell Tellis for the December 6, 2014 burning death of Jessica Chambers, as “hurdle number one” in a relay race, District Attorney John Champion on Wednesday ruled out drugs or gang violence  as…

Brewpub Bill Could Be Major  Boost For Main Street Business By David Howell Editor WATER VALLEY – A bill in the state’s House of Representatives could be a big boost for the state’s craft breweries including Yalobusha Brewing Company in Water Valley – if it passes.  House Bill 846 proposes for Mississippi’s craft breweries to…

Base Camp Hires First Teacher WATER VALLEY – C Spire is expanding its partnership with the Base Camp Coding Academy by assuming a key leadership role on the board of directors as the organization accelerates its efforts to begin training Mississippi’s next generation of software developers by hiring a technical director. Carla Lewis, senior vice…

Melonvine Will Host Art Council’s Costume Party By Ramona Bernard Special To The Herald Water Valley has a new venue for special events, Melonvine Marketplace, 817 S. Main Street. Formerly the old Jeff Davis School-house, and most recently the site of the Other-Other Place (just past Borg Warner), Melonvine Marketplace is opening its doors to the…

Sheriff: Leads Are  Scarce In Weekend Shooting By David Howell Editor OAKLAND – Two people were injured in a Saturday night brawl south of Oakland but deputies have had little luck finding a suspect or even a witness. Sheriff Lance Humphreys reported one victim was shot in the jaw and the second victim was struck…

School Board Not Silent On Bill That Could Silence Them By David Howell Editor WATER VALLEY – As a lengthy Water Valley school board meeting wound down Monday night, multiple trustees voiced disgust with several pending house bills, including HB 49, which could restrict school board members and superintendents from contacting legislators at any time…

Dede White: A Familiar  Name With A New Flavor Dede White is a name people know in Water Valley. After all, he has lived here for the past 53 years. He is also not new to the business scene here in town, as patrons of D&D BBQ or “Dede’s This and That” are well aware.…

Foster Has Book Signing Saturday In Oxford By David Howell OXFORD – Davidson Elementary Assistant Principal Brianna J. Foster will have a book signing for her first book, Will You Be A Rebel Baby?, Saturday at Square Books Junior in Oxford at 10 a.m. Foster reported Mascot Books agreed to publish the children’s book after…

County, Hospital Officials Meet With Attorneys To Discuss Decades Old Site; Early Testing Indicates Low Levels Of Toxicity By David Howell Editor WATER VALLEY – County supervisors and top officials from Yalobusha Health Services met with Grenada attorney Reid Stanford and attorneys with a Texas law firm in executive session Tuesday morning to discuss the…

MDEQ Checks Old Site After EPA Regs Change By David Howell Editor  WATER VALLEY – A decades old contamination in Water Valley from the former Colt Industries /Holley Carburetor facility in Water Valley has attracted renewed scrutiny from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). The scrutiny stems from guidance issued last summer from the…