Starkville looks to add juvenile curfew to the city
With the increased juvenile crime rate, Starkville leaders consider adding a curfew for children under 18 years of age.
Posted: May 4, 2021 7:50 PM
Posted By: Rhea Thornton
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WTVA) - The Starkville Board of Aldermen held its first meeting of the month on Tuesday. One of the big topics of discussion was whether the city should add a curfew for children under the age of 18.
A sergeant at the Starkville Police Department, Brandon Lovelady said the city saw an increase in juvenile crime this past year with most of the action taking place late at night.
Oktibbeha supes to hold public hearing on potential juvenile curfew
The Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing to discuss the possibility of enacting a juvenile curfew within the county.
Brett Watson
Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Department Capt. Brett Watson presented a potential curfew plan to the board Monday. He gained inspiration for the ordinance after examining multiple juvenile curfews across the state and said he believes the plan will help diminish some of the juvenile misconduct in the area.
“We at the sheriff’s department are looking at this as a way to encounter these folks that are out walking late at night when they shouldn’t be,” Watson said. “It’ll give us an opportunity to encounter them in a legal way.”
Aldermen consider master plan to make parks, open spaces more accessible
STARKVILLE Aldermen received a bike- and pedestrian-friendly master plan at their work session Friday and will be looking at future ways to make the city more accessible.
Representatives with Memphis-based planning and design company Kimley-Horn presented an extensive master plan with recommendations for improving residents’ access to parks, bike lanes and open space. A National Recreation and Park Association grant paid for the plan.
Mike Hammond
“One way to increase quality of life in a city is to provide residents walkable access to parks, open space and other open roads,” said Mike Hammond, a landscape architect with Kimley Horn.
Courtesy of Origis
Starkville Utilities has agreed to purchase 30 megawatts of solar energy, which is equivalent to 15% of Starkville’s annual electricity consumption. In addition to providing a local, clean and cost-effective renewable energy option for customers, the utility’s participation in Green Invest will help maintain the city’s Valley Sustainable Communities gold status.
“Green Invest is part of Starkville Utilities’ Future FOCUS initiative to ensure our customers have safe, reliable, affordable electricity that includes renewable options,” said Terry Kemp, general manager of Starkville Utilities. “This announcement represents a positive step forward in our partnership with TVA that will help us build a more diverse energy portfolio to power Starkville’s growth well into the future utilizing renewable energy.”
MSU continuing mask requirement in classrooms
Beginning May 6, masks will be optional within some indoor locations on campus, including offices and public spaces such as hallways and restrooms. But they will still be required inside classrooms, laboratories and studios. Capacity limitations for indoor facilities on campus will increase to 75 percent, which includes auditoriums, meeting rooms and classrooms.
MSU Chief Communications Officer Sid Salter said the university came to this conclusion after input and expertise from leadership, including President Mark Keenum, Vice President of Student Affairs Regina Hyatt, Provost and Executive Vice President David Shaw and other individuals and groups on campus.