A rose to the Golden Triangle Homeless Coalition, Inc., which is well into putting together organizational plans to provide and operate a homeless shelter in Columbus, something that will fill a desperate need. There is currently only one homeless shelter — in Tupelo — within a 100-mile radius of the Golden Triangle. The group, which includes both church and secular support, is fashioning its bylaws and laying the groundwork for its plans. Although just in the initial stages of development, GTHC hopes to have a shelter up and operating by the end of the year. We encourage everyone to do their part to ensure the success of this worthwhile endeavor.
A rose to the Mississippi State women’s basketball team, which continued its unbeaten season with an impressive win over Georgia on Friday in Starkville. The Bulldogs, ranked 17th, are sure to climb higher in the polls after beating traditional power and 19th-ranked Georgia, 64-56, in a game MSU controlled throughout the contest. State now holds a school-record 16-0 mark as it continues play in the rugged Southeastern Conference.
A rose to the city of Columbus for arranging for the city’s first Christmas Tree Bonfire, which will be held Thursday at 6 p.m. on the Island across from Riverside Park. Citizens are encouraged to drop off their trees as the city’s public works facility at Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Bell Avenue between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
In the future, we hope the city will incorporate curb-side pick-up for Christmas trees, which will make for a bigger, better bonfire in 2016. Until then, we encourage everyone to come out and bring along canned goods as donations to Helping Hands.
A rose to Lowndes County Circuit Clerk Haley Salazar, who said she will not seek a seventh term, but will retire at the end of the year. He retirement will mark the end of 31 years of service in the circuit clerk’s office, the last 24 as circuit clerk.
Along with her role in modernizing the office and making her department more efficient, Salazar has been accessible and accommodating. In that regard, she has set a standard that all public servants should try to emulate.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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