Articles by Dispatch Editorial Board
Our View: City wise to wait on COO hire
During Tuesday’s meeting, the Columbus City Council, on the recommendation of Ward 2 councilman Joseph Mickens, voted unanimously to delay hiring a new Chief Operations Officer until July at the earliest.
Our View: Local violent crime surge reflects nationwide uptick
Thursday morning, Columbus officials scheduled a press conference to discuss the recent crime and shooting incidents in the city. Representatives of the Columbus Police Department, the mayor’s office, the Police Oversight Committee and the Citizen Task Force on Crime to discuss the issue and, presumably, what steps are being taken in an effort to address the problem.
Our View: There’s no gas shortage, unless you create one
Tuesday was a rare day, one in which an emerging issue has yet to be given the poison pill of partisan politics.
Roses and thorns: 5-9-21
A rose to all those who contributed to yet another inspiring Eighth of May celebration. Saturday marked the 15th year of the event that celebrates
Our View: Local government should be transparent in hiring processes
Next month, we will go to the polls to choose who will represent us in our city governments. This form of direct representation is important
Our View: Census shows state is slowly growing more diverse
Every year since the country’s founding, Americans get a snapshot of who we are. It’s called the U.S. Census and the data found in the
Roses and thorns: 4/25/21
A rose to community leaders in Columbus and Starkville for efforts to engage citizens as they consider options in the wake of recent shootings that
Our View: Tackling tough problems takes communities working together
When communities are suddenly gripped with intense or emotional issues, especially if it’s an outbreak of violent crime, the natural response often is for citizens and community leaders to gather for some type of town hall meeting as a first step toward tackling the problem.
Our View: Welcome back, Mayor Smith
Tuesday’s Columbus City Council featured the return of a familiar face.
Our View: As events resume, let’s respect others’ caution
This weekend we’ll see something we haven’t seen in more than a year: Big crowds gathered for an event.
Our View: HBO’s ‘Our Towns’ focuses on some of Columbus’ positives
More than a few Columbus residents may not be inclined to watch the new documentary “Our Towns” on HBO Max, which features Columbus among eight small cities across the country.
Our View: More transparency in church sex scandals would likely build faith
“It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you look good doing it.” A fruitless Bible challenge would be to scour the gospels and
Roses and thorns: 4/11/21
A rose to all the candidates in Tuesday’s municipal primary elections. Five of 11 contested primary elections in Columbus, Starkville and West Point have been
Our View: Is Ward 6 vote margin a referendum on direction of city?
Tuesday’s primary elections in Columbus provided one piece of the puzzle. Will city government remain largely status quo? Or will the June 8 general elections
Our View: Today’s vote is consequential; make your voice heard
Today, Golden Triangle voters have the opportunity to participate in our nation’s most intimate form of self-government. Although municipal elections rarely generate the interest and
Our View: Tonight’s forum gives voters chance to learn about candidates
Tonight at 6:30 p.m., The Commercial Dispatch and WCBI will host a candidate forum for Columbus municipal candidates in contested races at the Lyceum at
Roses and thorns: 3/28/21
A rose to all of you who have offered your feedback to our new website, which launched last week. As is often the case with new things, we recognize that adjusting to the new website and its features may require some time and patience.
Our View: Public can help police respond to crime
The effectiveness of criticism often relies on how it is received. On Tuesday, Columbus Police Chief Fred Shelton revealed the city’s plan to curb crime
Starkville-based education platform company receives $100K to expand marketing
Four years after Starkville-based education platform CampusKnot launched, the company formed by three Mississippi State students has received a $100,000 grant to expand its online marketing.
New COVID cases continue to decline in Golden Triangle
Even though the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing, cases are steadily declining across Mississippi and the Golden Triangle area. This week alone, only 44 cases were reported in Clay, Lowndes, Oktibbeha and Noxubee counties.
