A rose to New Hope High School for a successful Career Day held Friday. More than 50 professionals and companies sent representatives to the event, the second year in a row the school has set aside a day to expose their students to various occupations. While the entire staff and administration chipped in, the main organizers of the event were teachers Kali Harris and Susie Oglesby. Often, students sometimes fail to see how school work is relevant to the working world. By taking a day to consider career options, students are better able to draw the link between school and work.
A rose to the West Lowndes boys and New Hope girls basketball teams, both of whom have qualified for the four-team finals of the state championship tournament, which will be held in Jackson later this week. West Lowndes played for the Class 1A South State championship against Hinds County AHS Saturday, but win or lose, the Panthers will earn the coveted trip to the Mississippi Coliseum. It’s a remarkable achievement under any circumstances, but when you consider West Lowndes started the season with seven straight losses, the arrival to the Final Four is even more amazing. The New Hope girls, meanwhile, also punched their ticket to the girls Final Four in Class 5A. The Lady Trojans played Canton for the 5A North State title Saturday night.
A rose to LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins, who picked up both a national and regional award last week. Higgins was honored in Denver, Colo., Wednesday for the organization’s efforts to bring Yokohama Tire Company among other major companies to the area. The Site Selectors Guild, an association of the world’s top professional site selection consultants, presented Higgins with the award at its annual conference. A day later, The Tennessee Valley Authority presented Higgins with a rare “Mega Developer Award,” during the TVA Economic Developers’ Forum held in Nashville. It’s the first time TVA has presented this award, and it comes as TVA celebrates its international award-winning and job-attracting Megasites program.
A rose to the Starkville Police Department, which celebrated the opening of what it plans to be the first of four police substations Friday. The substation at 151 Alfred Perkins St., officially opened at 2 p.m. Friday at a facility donated by the Starkville Housing Authority. It will serve as a home for the department’s Community Oriented Policing division and be available as the city’s first precinct where residents can file reports without traveling to SPD headquarters on Lampkin Street. A plan to open the facility came together at the beginning of the year, SPD Chief Frank Nichols said. During his interview for police chief, Nichols told aldermen he hopes to establish four total precinct substations in Starkville. A location near Academy Crossing could open in the next two months, he said. SPD will staff its new substation from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., he said, but officers will have access to the facility at all times.
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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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