Art of Portuguese baking
Every morning the day’s menu at Lusa’s Pastry Cafe is baked fresh. Preparing the sweet pastries is the first thing Carla Rego tackles before moving on to the meat pastries. When those are finished, she helps the head chef, Vincent Sims, with soups and other items on the menu. (May 14, 2010, Page 1B)
Hotel project moves forward
Despite ongoing dissent from many who live in the Jefferson Avenue neighborhood and other city residents, both downtown historic commissions approved a request for a new hotel and parking lot near the Square. The Historic Preservation Commission voted 5-4 on favor of the new hotel. The Courthouse Square Historic Preservation Commission voted 4-1 in favor of the parking lot across the street. (May 13, 2010, Page 1A, 5A)
Buses’ routes scaled back
Ridership for the Oxford University Transit bus system in April was up with 16,255 riders, an increase of 1,466 passengers from March. Despite the increased ridership this spring, with the onset of summer, expectations of ridership numbers are lower. (May 13, 2010, Page 1A)
Free prescription discount cards to be available Friday
A free prescription discount card will be available beginning Friday at Oxford City Hall and other properties to any resident of the city. The National League of Cities has partnered with CVS Pharmacies to provide a 20 percent discount on any drugs not covered by insurance. (May 13, 2010, Page 8A)
Tupelo Film Festival kicks off tonight
The seventh annual Tupelo Film Festival kicks off tonight with a special concert by Jimbo Mathus and the Tri-State Coalition and a free outside screeing of “God’s Architects,” a feature documentary by Zach Godshall about divinely inspired architects including footage from Vicksburg. The concert and film also includes a fish fry on the Lee County courthouse lawn. (May 13, 2010, Page 11)
Students celebrate school’s end
Oxford High School’s 200 seniors spent the day in the sun enjoying games and a cookout as a celebration of their senior year the day before final exams begin for many. School officials say the event was to do something fun for seniors, but also help cut down on school pranks. (May 12, 2010, Page 1)
2 hotels near Square?
Two new boutique hotels were approved by the Oxford Planning Commission on Monday – despite concerns about both proposed projects. Developers of the new University Hotel want to build their project next door to Sneed’s Ace Hardware on University Avenue. A second hotel was approved for Jefferson Avenue but the parking lot for the hotel was postponed until more information can be obtained.
- UPDATE: The Jefferson Avenue hotel project received approval for the certificate of appropriateness through the Oxford Historic Commission on Tuesday despite continued complaints from residents of the neighborhood. (May 11, 2010, Page 1)
Parents play role in student testing
From Tuesday through Thursday, students in the third through eighth grades at Oxford and Lafayette public schools will be taking the Mississippi Curriculum Test Second Edition or MCT2. School principals and the Office of Healthy Schools in the Mississippi Department of Education share ideas to help students prepare. (May 10, 2010, Page 1A)
Layoffs at Lafayette
Several positions from each school in the Lafayette County School District are being cut due to ongoing funding shortfalls. While some school employees have already been informed their position was being cut, others were still being notified this week, Superintendent Mike Foster said. (May 7, 2010, Page 1A, 9A)
Sunday alcohol sales law drafted
A request for alcohol sales on Sundays is underway with a proposed new ordinance being developed by a local restaurant owner. The request will be presented to the Oxford Board of Aldermen at its May 18 meeting, Mayor Pat Patterson said. (May 7, 2010, Page 1A, 9A)
