Logan’s Roadhouse in Columbus Among Several Stores Closed Nationwide.

NUTS!” ???

Columbus,MS – Courtesy of Brewbound

According to several local reports and one former staff member, the mildly popular Logan’s Roadhouse eatery on 18th Avenue in Columbus has closed. The franchise location was well-known locally for its abundant free peanuts and lackluster customer service.

Several reports of other shuttered locations in recent days include: Gonzales,LA, Corpus Christi, TX, Chester, VA, Bowling Green,KY, Ocala,FL, Opelika,AL, Tridelphia,WV, Nashville,TN.

The restaurant was part of a redevelopment of the area in 2011 that included 3 new franchise hotels and a Renasant Bank branch. Although online reviews were far below average, the closure seems to be part of a recent restructuring after Roadhouse was acquired by Craftworks Holdings in November of 2019. Logan’s previously closes 18 stores as part of a bankruptcy agreement in 2016

Brewbound.com has reported Craftworks Holdings has shuttered a number of Gordon Biersch and Rock Bottom Brewery locations as well in recent weeks:

“On Sunday, the Nashville, Tennessee-headquartered operator and franchisor closed Gordon Biersch locations in Syracuse, New York; Virginia Beach, Virginia; Rockville and Baltimore, Maryland; and the Navy Yard neighborhood of Washington, D.C.

All of those locations have been scrubbed from the Gordon Biersch and Rock Bottom websites.

…

In a statement shared with Brewbound, Craftworks Holdings chief experience officer Josh Kern called the move “purely a business decision as we continue to focus on other Craftworks Holdings locations throughout the country.”

An “About Craftworks” boilerplate shared by Kern said Craftworks operates more than 390 restaurants and breweries in 40 states and Washington, D.C. In addition to Rock Bottom and Gordon Biersch, Craftworks’ operates the Logan’s Roadhouse and Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom chains, as well as speciality restaurants Chophouse, Big River Grill, AIA Ale Works, Ragtime Tavern & Seafood Grill, Seven Bridges Grill & Brewery and Sing-Sing.

…

Sunday’s closures are just a few in a string of recently shuttered Craftworks outposts, including Old Chicago locations Dallas and Cedar Hill, Texas, and Boise, Idaho; Gordon Biersch restaurants in Gilbert, Westgate and Phoenix, Arizona, Honolulu, Hawaii, and Buffalo, New York; and a Logan’s RoadHouse in Corpus Christi, Texas.”

For more from Brewbound:

https://www.brewbound.com/news/craftworks-holdings-closes-several-gordon-biersch-and-rock-bottom-locations

PRESS RELEASE = Historic Rex Theater to Be given New Life

STARKVILLE, MS – Courtesy of the Greater Starkville Development Partnership

OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Castle Properties, Masonic Lodge, and Glo to undergo 1.2 million dollar restoration & renovation for Historic Rex Theater in downtown Starkville.

Golden Triangle developer and owner of Castle Properties, Mark Castleberry, plans to redevelop the former theater into an office space for local business, Glo.

Kyle Jordan, a 6-year member of the Starkville Freemason’s Abert Lodge said, “When I became Master of the Lodge, I had high hopes of restoring our building so that we could shift our focus from maintaining our property, to philanthropic efforts, member outreach, and retention.”

Anna Barker of Glo said, “The redevelopment of the Rex Theater is an opportunity to honor the rich history of Starkville while celebrating the entrepreneurial ecosystem and tremendous economic growth in recent years.”

“We’re so excited to firmly place our roots in Starkville. What started in a 30 square foot closet as a student startup, Glo has transformed into a local business employing over 15 members of our community,” said Hagan Walker.

Walker adds, “I’m absolutely elated that we have found a place that allows us to stay in Starkville and a partnership with Mark [Castleberry] and The Masonic Lodge will help revitalize our downtown.”

Briar Jones of Thomas Shelton Jones and Associates will serve as the architect on the project and Byrum Construction, Inc. will oversee the construction of the development.

Original post: https://www.facebook.com/starkvillepartnership/posts/3111650115533886

Humble Taco to Take Over Former City Bagel Location

STARKVILLE, MS – Courtesy of the Starkville Daily News

Eat Local Starkville, a group that runs a number of Starkville restaurants, plans to introduce the Humble Taco concept to the city at the former City Bagel location on University Drive. The restaurant will place a focus upon locally-sourced ingredients wherever possible. Owner and Chef Ty Thames commented that he wants to present patrons with a blend of Mexican and Southern cuisine.

Please click here for the original article: https://www.starkvilledailynews.com/restaurant-group-hopes-to-open-humble-taco-concept-in-may/article_c31eb6c0-570e-11ea-acc7-c775ea2dc56a.html

Courtesy photo: A rendering of the new Humble Taco concept that is expected to open on University Drive in May

Comfort Food to Get a New Source in Starkville

STARKVILLE, MS – Courtesy of the Dispatch

Georgia Blue will be holding its grand opening for its 5th restaurant location on March 2nd in Starkville at 207 S. Jackson Street. The Mississippi-based eatery will serve up home cookin’ day and night. The small chain has been around since 2010.

On the downside, local favorite bakery The Biscuit Shop will be closing its doors as of the end of the month, in preparation for a move to Northport, Alabama. Owner Krista Olley posted about the move on FaceBook: “We will have distributors in Starkville with our biscuits,” the post reads. “We thank you for your business from the bottom of our hearts.” She says to keep an eye on their FB page for upcoming info on where to find their products on store shelves in Starkville after the move.

Local contemporary women’s boutique Dsquared has completed its move to their new location at 807 University Drive. They will be holding a grand opening celebration Friday at 4PM.

Please click here for the original article: https://cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=79483

4-County’s Foundation Has Donated Over $1 Million To Date

GOLDEN TRIANGLE, MS – Courtesy of the Dispatch

4-County Electric Power Association Foundation recently announced that they have donated more than $1 Million in grants to schools, charitable organizations, and others over the years. The primary source of that funding is an optional program whereby their customers can round their power bills up to the next dollar – and an impressive 93% of their customers have chosen to do just that.

4-County CEO Brian Clark called the awards a “monumental achievement. . . It’s hard to truly measure the impact the 4-County Foundation has had for organizations involved in our service area,” he went on to say. “Thanks to 4-County members, the Foundation board, the 4-County board and its employees, we’ve been able to enhance the quality of life for our members. … One million dollars given away is special.”

Please click here for the full article:
https://cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=79434

BankFirst Expanding; Shops New and Old in the News

GOLDEN TRIANGLE REGION, MS – Courtesy of the Dispatch

COLUMBUS

BankFirst President and CEO Moak Griffin recently announced their acquisition of Traders and Farmers, an Alabama bank with nine branches, Griffin said the GTR will benefit Columbus in a big way: “With our headquarters being (in Columbus), it’s a big difference,” Griffin said. “We will definitely be adding more jobs to Columbus, but I would hate to put a number on it,” he continued. “We will be hiring people in Starkville, Columbus, and Macon to help us with this acquisition…As we buy banks in other parts of Mississippi and Alabama, it is just going to benefit Columbus because we continue to hire people as we grow.”

Brunini Grantham Grower Hewes Law Firm will be moving from Main St to Brickerton at the beginning of March. Gordon Flowers, attorney with Brunini Law, said that “We just have excess space and have had for quite some time,” Flowers said. “We are just relocating to (Brickerton). …We will continue to operate as a firm and to our Columbus clients, just as we always have.”

The Columbus Palmer Home Thrift Store on S. Main St. is being temporarily shut down for maintenance. They expect to reopen in 4~6 weeks. Their Starkville location at 422 Hwy 12 will remain open.

WEST POINT

Consignment shop Secret Hidden Treasures, has opened for busines at 26046 W. Main St. For the time being, on days when they are open, you can shop from 10 a.m.-8 p.m., or you can shop by appointment by giving Gibbs a call at 662-524-0804. “We don’t have very many consignment shops here,” owner Christiann Gibbs said. “I think it’s a very nice place for people to get great deals and it’s a good thing for the community.” The West Point Main Street Growth Alliance will hold a ribbon cutting Friday at 11 a.m.

STARKVILLE

We previously mentioned sub shop Jersey Mike’s; they are now serving up sammiches at 831 Hwy. 12 W. Suite D. Jersey Mike’s is open every day from 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

Please click here for the original article: https://cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=79330

Lowndes Solar Energy Plant Approved by TVA

LOWNDES COUNTY, MS – Courtesy of the Dispatch

We recently reported on a proposal before the TVA to obtain funding to allow Origis Energy to construct and operate a 350MW solar energy plant in the county; a smaller proposal, for a 200MW facility, was approved, though indications are that something more ambitious might be possible at some point in the future. The accepted version of the project will also be able to store 50MW worth of backup power in order to account for issues such as inclement weather.

Johan Vanhee, chief commercial and procurement officer for the renewable energy company Origis Energy, “I don’t think they were comfortable with going with the 350MW at this point, but we’re optimistic that we may be able to pursue that at some point in the future,” Vanhee said.

According to Origis, the 200MW facility will include 650,000 solar panels, and will be capable of providing power to 45,920 homes.

Vanhee went on to say that the EPA must first conduct an environmental study of the site, which is likely to take up to a year to complete. Construction is anticipated to begin in late 2021, with temporary jobs available for “hundreds of workers” (mostly unskilled), and permanent ones for a handful once the facility is up and running.

Please click here for the original article: https://cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=79319

Starkville’s Carry Out: 34 Years and Still Going Strong

STARKVILLE, MS – Courtesy of the Starkville Daily News

Billy Petty, owner of Carry Out since opening it in 1986, has been serving up good eats to locals and tourists alike for over three decades, and he hopes to keep doing so for many more.

“My wife used work at a place they called Mr.Cook on campus,” Petty said. “So, we lived in a trailer park, and I had saved up a little money and said, ‘We could do this ourselves so let’s just put our money in our own restaurant.’”

Supporting our local entrepreneurs helps to keep local business thriving and local people working, and THAT’S Good for Business!

Please click here for the original article: https://www.starkvilledailynews.com/petty-s-carry-out-continues-to-serve-starkville-after-years/article_6b3d7f74-4da7-11ea-bc84-4bf07f24a3d7.html

WorkKeys Exam Helping to Prepare Students for Good Jobs in Business

GOLDEN TRIANGLE REGION, MS – Courtesy of the Dispatch

Columbus High School Principal Craig Chapman recently spoke about the WorkKeys exam, which seeks to help determine students’ readiness for work in local industry, entrepreneurship, and more. It is issued by the same company that administers the ACT test, and is taken alongside it by high school seniors. He remarked that, “Now we have so many students who are eager to be a part of this, they’re speaking about it. … Talking about, ‘What can I do? How can I be a part of this?'”

CMSD Superintendent Cherie Labat said that recognizing workforce-ready skills in the modern day is just as important as assessing academic college readiness, especially in a heavily-industrialized area such as the GTR: “In a high school that doesn’t have the socio-economic background as our particular district, one in three students in America will go to college,” Labat said. “… In districts of poverty, that number may go from one in seven to one in 10. They don’t have that option and are not going to college, so what are we really preparing them for if they don’t have a trade, don’t have a skillset or an assessment that could open the door for an opportunity to higher wages and a better standard of living?”

“In the Golden Triangle area, we’re … blessed and inundated with a lot of industry,” said Lowndes County Career Tech Center Director Susan McClelland. “With that being said, I think it just helps children to be prepared to move right into the workplace …”

The WK exam is comprised of three sections: applied math (subjects such as geometry and the ability to calculate discounts); workplace documents (e.g. policies, letters and memos); and graphic literacy (reading of charts and interpreting data). The overall score is equivalent to whichever score on the three sections is lowest, thus encouraging students to re-take sections where they have fallen short. Intensive prep and practice sessions are provided to the students prior to the tests.

In the Starkville-Oktibbeha CSD, more and more students are expressing interest in the program, said Lenora Hogan, director of the district’s Millsaps Career and Technology Center: “In (the 2016-2017 school year), we had 68 students to take it,” Hogan said. “… This past year we had 153 to take it…Every year, after (students) leave, I’ll have them come back and say, ‘Man, Dr. Hogan, I wish I had taken the WorkKeys. Now I’m having to pay to take it because I want this job,'” she said.

Please click here for the original article:

https://cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=79123

Massive New Solar Farm May Bring the Light to Lowndes if all Goes Well

LOWNDES COUNTY, MS – Courtesy of the Dispatch

MS Solar 5, a branch of solar energy company Origis Development, is in talks to discuss a deal that could bring a $2 million solar power plant, and its attendant jobs and tax revenue, to Lowndes County. The idea still needs to get approved by the TVA before moving forward, but prospects look bright. “If Origis and TVA come to terms, then this project will happen,” GTR LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins said. He went on to say that, should the project get approved, construction could be underway as soon as this SPring, and the plant could be ready to provide power by Fall 2020.

The eventual plan for the solar farm is to get it to the point where it could generate 350MW of power annually – to put that in perspective, that’s enough to run Steel Dynamics’ facility all on its own; SD is the TVA’s biggest customer.

The solar farm, if built, would initially generate 200 megawatts each year, with the potential of further expansion to reach an annual rate of 350 megawatts in the future, Higgins said.

The site, planned to cover hundreds of acres, would be located west of Charleigh Ford Drive and go all the way south to the northern border of the Infinity Megasite, Higgins said.

“It’s gonna pay about $400,000 in taxes to Lowndes County (each of the first 10 years under the fee-in-lieu agreement),” Higgins said, “and it’s gonna pay more than that… probably close to $500,000 in county school taxes each year.”

Please click here for the original article:

https://cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=79090