A rose to the Columbus Lowndes Chamber of Commerce for its role in raising funds for a new sign for Columbus Air Force Base on Highway 45. Chamber President Joey Bragg said his group is soliciting donations from the community to cover the cost of the $50,000 project, which will feature a 16-foot sign that has LED lighting. The sign is twice as tall as the aging sign it will replace. Bragg says half of the money has been raised. Appealing to the community to raise the funds sends a signal that residents understand just how important CAFB is to our community. We urge residents to support this effort by calling the Chamber at 328-4491 or emailing Bragg at [email protected].
A thorn to Starkville Aldermen Roy A. Perkins, Henry Vaughn, Lisa Wynn and Scott Maynard, all of whom voted against a proposal that would have allowed the public to rent meeting space in the new city hall complex on Main Street. The decision illustrates a serious misunderstanding about who owns the building. Hint: The people who own it are the people who paid for it, i.e., the taxpayers. Given that, the position of these aldermen is hard to defend. We can think of no reason why this facility should not be made available to the public for meetings as long as they meet reasonable conditions. City Hall is not the exclusive domain of city employees. It belongs to the people.
A rose to those who made bus service from Starkville to the Golden Triangle Regional Airport a reality. The list includes Mississippi State University President Dr. Mark Keenum, Northern District Transportation Commissioner of MDOT Mike Tagert, Golden Triangle Regional Airport Executive Director Mike Hainsey and MSU Director of Transit Services Jeremiah Dumas. Monday marked the first official day for the free shuttle service between Starkville and the airport. Passengers can board the free Starkville shuttle four times a day, six days a week with service from The Mill and Walmart to the airport. It is a great service for those who don’t drive, especially the many international students at MSU, most of whom do not own cars and use the airport to travel home during breaks from school.
A rose to the city of West Point, not only for its efforts to create a vision of its future to work toward but for making sure the citizens have a role in it. The city had a public hearing Tuesday to solicit ideas as it crafts a comprehensive plan for the city. About 40 residents turned out to share their thoughts. Mayor Robbie Robinson was pleased with the turnout. He said citizens addressed a variety of topics, from residential and commercial development to transportation and public safety.
“To be a viable community and have quality of life, we have to have a plan,” Robinson said. “If we fail to have a plan, we’re just going to have hodgepodge goals and that’s not good. We need to have controlled, directed growth.”
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.