Articles by Dispatch Editorial Board
Our View: Why The Dispatch still prints: You
At the turn of the century, if you were told that only one of these daily newspapers would still print in 25 years – The New Orleans Times-Picayune, The Mobile Press-Register, The Birmingham News, The Newark Star-Ledger, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, The Commercial Dispatch – which would you have picked?
Our View: Higgins’ stunning departure sets stage for new era for the LINK
The news that Joe Max Higgins has been fired as CEO of the Golden Triangle Development LINK came out of nowhere. Outside of the nine-member LINK Executive Committee, which made the decision, and a handful of others, the brewing ouster was kept very quiet.
Roses and Thorns: 8-23-25
A rose to Dennis Dupree, who will run unopposed in the special election for a seat on the Columbus Municipal School District Board of Trustees
Our View: Hospital deal is reason to celebrate, but supes should be cautious in how the money is used
There is an old country adage that says if you cut your own firewood, it will warm you twice: once when you cut it, the second time when you burn it.
Our View: Eeyore no more
The official motto of Columbus is “The Friendly City,” but for some time now, a better characterization of the city could be pulled from the Pogo comic strip: “We have met the enemy and he is us.”
Our View: Possumtown Book Fest confirms Columbus’ literary leadership
In the immediate aftermath of the first Possumtown Book Fest in 2024, one question was left unanswered: Would the book festival return for a second year?
Roses and Thorns: 8-16-25
A rose to Jim Davis, who is closing Jim’s Clothing, the Columbus clothing store he opened in 1971. Although he still had the support and
Our View: The barn still stands. So does the effort to erase its story.
On Saturday, Wright Thompson will deliver the keynote address for the Possumtown Book Fest at the Rosenzweig Arts Center’s Omnova Theatre, and the timing could
Our View: Starkville Police increasingly keep public in the dark
When readers are asked to identify the type of news they value most, crime news is typically at the top of the list. It easily outranks topics such as sports, entertainment, government reporting and food/cooking.
Our View: Hoping for many more risings of the Blue Moon
When Chris Curtis’ dad opened a drive-in theater in Guin, Alabama, in 1996, he decided to name it the Blue Moon. The name foreshadowed what was to become the ultimate fate of a cultural icon of post-World War II America.
Roses and thorns: 8-9-25
A rose to Columbus Ward 4 councilperson Lavonne Harris for her part in tabling a proposal to hire a part-time public information officer at a
Our View: In defense of ‘allegedly’
In Wednesday’s edition, The Dispatch reported the arrest of a teenager, who allegedly threatened and hit another minor with a gun while recording a video that quickly went viral.
Our View: Automotive program needs instructor, and community can drive the solution
The year was 2018. The Lowndes County School District’s $11 million Career Tech Center was set to open when students returned to classes in August while work on East Mississippi Community College’s $38 million Communiversity was well on its way to completion.
Roses and Thorns: 8-2-25
A rose to Steel Dynamics, which began its aluminum production at Aluminum Dynamics in July, further establishing SDI as a major economic driver in the
Our View: Two stories, one crash: why independent investigations matter
Law enforcement is an inherently stressful job. Officers are sometimes thrust into high-pressure situations where critical decisions – sometimes the difference between life and death – must be made in an instant.
Our View: Bring back the driving test!
Imagine being allowed to get a pilot’s license without ever having piloted a plane in the presence of a certified instructor.
Roses and Thorns: 7-26-25
A rose to public school students throughout the Golden Triangle as they begin the new school year. All area public schools began classes this week.
Our View: Cargo on school buses too precious to pass illegally
Every year, an estimated 20 million children ride school buses each day, and while riding a school bus is one of the safest modes of transportation for kids, it is not immune from the dangers of the road.
Our View: CMSD should approach Chapman’s dress rehearsal in good faith
The Columbus Municipal School District Board of Trustees called off its superintendent search during a special-call meeting Monday. Apart from the $10,000 paid to the Mississippi School Board Association to conduct the search, halting the process was a reasonable move, especially when one of the two finalists selected from the MSBA’s pool of applicants left the field.
Between the Headlines Podcast: Politics gets personal as Karriem, Beard face off
If you haven’t listened to last week’s Between the Headlines podcast, do yourself a favor. The latest episode, dropped Thursday, is already one of the show’s most-streamed – and for good reason. Hosts Zack Plair and David Chism didn’t expect fireworks, but that’s exactly what incumbent Rep. Kabir Karriem and challenger Pierre Beard delivered.
