A rose to the memory of all those who laid down their lives in the service of our country as we celebrate the Memorial Day weekend. The names of most have been forgotten as the years go by, but their sacrifices should never be forgotten or taken for granted. They will remain forever hallowed in the memory of a free people.
A rose to the New Hope baseball team. The Trojans on Saturday night had a chance to win the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 5A state championship in Pearl. Some of the best high school baseball is played right here in Lowndes County. Remember: The Trojans won it all last year. The team, under coach Lee Boyd, have spoiled us, in a way. But consistent success at this level should not be taken for granted. A winning culture is hard won. That’s why we tip our caps to the Trojans.
A rose to Tom Velek and Roger Short, the two men most responsible for bringing this week’s President’s Cup, and roughly 5,0000 visitors, to Columbus. Velek is the tournament director while Short is the head of the Columbus-Lowndes Recreation Authority. The two have worked for almost four years in securing the prestigious event for the city as a showcase for the Columbus Soccer Complex and the community that calls it home. That’s four years of lobbying for the building of the complex and months of preparations for this tournament. With every indication that the tournament will be a rousing success, we find it appropriate to acknowledge Short and Velek for their special contributions.
A rose to the writers in our community. By writers, we mean residents who have responded to our standing invitation for Letters to the Editor. In recent weeks, we’ve noticed an up-tick in submissions on a variety of subjects. We have long stated our desire that the Opinion pages of The Dispatch serve as a forum for readers to share their views because we believe the diversity of opinions offered by letter writers creates a real dialogue in our community and is one indicator of a healthy community.
A rose to the ambulance service at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle, which was one of three hospital ambulance services to receive the Lifeline EMS Silver Award, given by the American Heart Association’s Mission. The award is given for 75 percent compliance on response and treatment for heart attack victims. BMH-GT’s ambulance service successfully treated at least eight STEMI patients over the course of 12 consecutive months. STEMI is a type of heart attack caused by a complete blockage of blood flow to the heart. To prevent death, blood flow must be restored as quickly as possibly by opening the blocked vessel or by giving clot-busting medication, according to the hospital.
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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