A rose to Lowndes County Foundation, The CREATE Foundation and community leaders from all walks of life for their continued efforts to improve Lowndes County in five specific areas. On Wednesday, the five LCF task forces (crime/addiction, community involvement, education, leadership/vision and poverty) met to discuss how to distribute $25,000 in CREATE Foundation funds to organizations that address the needs in the five targeted areas. The discussions will continue into April, when LCF will announce how the funds will be dispersed. Task forces and committees tend to disappear quietly almost as quickly as they emerge, no matter how well-intentioned they may be. Not so with these task forces, which were created five years ago and are still going strong. That longevity speaks to the commitment of the volunteers. These community leaders, all experts in their fields, are to be commended for their continuing service in improving the lives of all who live in the county.
A thorn to Columbus Ward 3 City Councilman Rusty Greene for reneging on his decision to forgo a pay raise he voted against. In September, the council voted to give itself an $8,000 raise and bump Mayor Keith Gaskin’s salary by $10,000. The council amended city code – which previously only allowed approved elected official raises to be effective the following term – to do it immediately. Greene and Ward 6 Councilwoman Jacqueline DiCicco voted against the measure and said they would not accept the raise. The mayor also declined to accept the additional pay. This week, however, Greene informed CFO James Brigham he wanted to start receiving the additional pay. Greene defended his request by saying he had “made my point” and that we wanted to get his “share.” Greene, DiCicco and Gaskin were widely commended when they said they wouldn’t take the pay raise. Gaskin and DiCicco continue to keep that pledge. If Greene had intended to accept the raise after a certain period, he should have said so in September. Keeping your word should not have an expiration date.
A rose to the Mississippi State men’s and women’s basketball teams for reaching the NCAA tournament. The parallels between the programs are interesting. Both were led by first-year coaches (Chris Jans and Sam Purcell). Both made it into the 68-team field for the first time since 2019. It is the 12th appearance in the tournament for both teams. Both teams were 11 seeds in the tournament. The men’s team bowed out of the tournament in a hard-fought First Four game against Pittsburgh (60-59) on Tuesday, while a day later the women rolled to a First Four win over Illinois (70-56) advancing to Friday’s matchup with six-seeded Creighton. We congratulate both teams on their success under first-year coaches. The future certainly looks bright for both programs.
A rose to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle CEO/Administrator Paul Cade and his successor Robert Coleman. The moves, announced this week, are well-deserved promotions. Cade, who has served in the position in Columbus for 15 years, now moves to a position in Memphis, the headquarters of the Baptist Memorial Hospital system, while Coleman takes over in Columbus after five years in the same position at BMH-Yazoo and Attala. Cade helped guide the BMHGT during a period of growth and challenges, keeping the hospital in good standing financially and providing care for its patients While the COVID-19 pandemic was painful for all hospitals BMHGT has emerged strong and ready for what lies ahead. We thank Cade for the important work he has done in Columbus and wish him well in his new role in Memphis. We congratulate Coleman on his promotion and welcome him to Columbus.
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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