A rose to the Columbus High girls basketball team, which defeated Brookhaven Friday in Oxford to claim the Mississippi Class 5-A championship. To say it was a memorial feat is an understatement. The win marks the Falcons’ first girls state championship. The Falcons have come close before, but there was no denying them this year as they picked up a tough 55-51 win in the championship game. Saturday evening in Oxford, Starkville met Jackson Murrah in a bid to claim back-to-back Mississippi Class 6-A boys championships. Regardless of that outcome, the Yellow Jackets are to be commended for their continued presence among the elite of the state’s boys basketball programs.
A rose (make that a “rosa”) for organizers of Thursday’s “Taco Hop” event in downtown Starkville. A variety of restaurants and food trucks set up shop on Main Street to sell tacos for $2 each, and customers could enjoy unlimited craft beer tastings as well, accompanied by live music. These kinds of causal weekday events create a friendly vibe in the community and serve as opportunities for citizens to relax and enjoy each other in a way that builds bonds in the community. It’s a great idea and another great example of The Partnership’s ability to consistently promote the city’s downtown businesses with fun events.
A rose to Melodie Cunningham for her appointment to the Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors by the Columbus City Council on Tuesday. Cunningham, a business owner, replaces Nadia Colom, whose term expired on March 1. Cunningham steps into the role at a key moment in the CVB’s history as the tax-payer funded tourism and economic development organization re-calibrates after a one-year loss of revenue caused by the expiration of the county’s 2-percent restaurant tax, which resumed last year. The CVB also finds itself in a critical position as the city’s annual spring tour of homes transitions from the CVB/Columbus Cultural Heritage Foundation to the home-owner group, Preservation Society of Columbus in 2021. Until now, the talks between the two groups have been contentious. Let’s hope Cunningham’s arrival will help change the tone of those negotiations for the best interest of the community.
A rose to road crews in the city of Columbus and Lowndes County for their hard work in repairing damage to city streets and county roads in the wake of the torrential rainfall of February. Although the two departments took different approaches – the county filled potholes with “cold mix” as soon as possible after they were reported while the city relied on the more durable “hot-mix” that required dryer conditions. Both worked diligently, often in difficult circumstances, to make our streets and roads safe. Thanks for the hard work!
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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