A rose to East Mississippi Community College, which continues to see an increase in enrollment. While enrollment at the state’s two-year colleges is up across the board, EMCC’s increase of 6.9% compared to last year exceeds the statewide increase of 5.3%. It’s the ninth consecutive semester of enrollment increases. EMCC’s preliminary head count this year is 4,145 students, up from 3,877 students during the same time last year. It marks the first time since 2018 that the college’s fall enrollment topped 4,000 students. Enrollment was up equally at both the college’s Scooba and Golden Triangle campuses. EMCC students are taking more classes, too, to 48,963 credit hours, an increase of about 5,000 credit hours over last year. This growth confirms that community colleges provide quality education for a fraction of the cost of a four-year university. It’s clear that in addition to being a great value, EMCC has expanded its offerings to reach a large pool of students, especially in the workforce development field.

A rose to Main Street Starkville as the voting nears an end for Pet Mayor, which has proven to be a fun way to raise money for the organization and the local humane society. The election raises money through sponsorships, nomination fees and donations throughout the cycle, including a $5 fee per vote cast. Voting has been open since Sept. 4 and is available at starkville.org/the-partnership/programs-events/pet-mayor/ until 7 p.m. Monday. The winning pet will be collared as the new Pet Mayor at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Hub Plaza with the runners-up from the five-dog slate serving as the Chief of Pawlice and Board of Pawldermen. The new Pet Mayor will make an appearance in the Christmas Parade, along with receiving invitations to ribbon cuttings and other Partnership events. Starkville elected its first Pet Mayor in 2023, with Buster Camp claiming the collar and serving in the role until he passed away in office in February. Organizers hope to eclipse the $3,000 the 2023 election raised. We urge everyone to support this fundraiser by casting online ballots.

The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.