Our view: Spears’ financial skills make him the obvious choice for CMSD Board
Columbus Municipal School District has its challenges, some of which have stubbornly persisted over a long period of time. But there is one area that CMSD has proven to be an unqualified success over the past 10 years, a period that coincides with Jason Spears’ membership on the CMSD Board of Trustees: finances.
Our View: Spirit of cooperation benefits both county and city
There was a day, not that long ago, when what George Irby proposed at the Monday Lowndes County Board of Supervisors’ meeting would have been an exercise in futility.
Our View: Mayor, put out the fire, assign blame later
When firefighters respond to the scene of a burning house, they don’t first huddle together to determine what caused the fire or who is responsible. No, the first order of business is to put out the fire. There will be time enough to address the whys and whos later.
Our View: A locally-based way to help Ukraine
In times of tragedy, there is a natural instinct to help.
Our View: CMSD town halls offer opportunity to engage with school leaders
Communication is key to any healthy relationship.
Our View: Cut taxes lead to cut services
On Monday, the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing where they will discuss asking the state legislature to sell the 6,000-acre Black Prairie Wildlife Management Area off Fire Tower Road near Crawford.
Our View: A temptation the city should avoid
The city of Columbus has been awarded a $1 million MDOT grant to improve pedestrian access along Fifth Street North, roughly between the Magnolia Bowl and Highway 82. One hitch: The city must complete its overdue 2020 audit before it can accept the funds.
Our View: Loaves and fishes or birds and bushes?
In December, the city of Columbus hired Waggoner Engineering to help develop plans for spending its $5.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds.
Our View: On medical marijuana, TVA isn’t ‘pulling the plug on anyone’
When Gov. Tate Reeves signed Senate Bill 2095 into law, making Mississippi the 37th state to sanction medical cannabis, entrepreneurs both large and small throughout the state began implementing plans that, in some cases, they have been developing for years.
Our View: A trash idea
Most cities have 99 problems, but garbage bags ain’t one of them.
Our View: Citizen apathy may be the biggest Propst Park challenge
Monday evening, the city of Columbus held a public meeting at Trotter Convention Center to discuss survey results for Propst Park and provide a draft plan for the park based on those results.
Our View: Hiring with urgency but not out of desperation
It’s been six months or more since the departure of the Chief Operation Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Information Technology Director for the city of Columbus and two months since the application deadline for those positions.
Our View: Town marshal idea is just the latest result of a mayor who doesn’t listen
Bad ideas come and go, generally with no harm done.
Our View: Matching ARPA funds from state could be extremely impactful if used properly by local governments
From the start, Mississippi Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann has been clear on what the priorities should be for the combined $2 billion in American Rescue
Our View: We are witnessing an monumental evolution in travel
When we think of infrastructure we most often focus on the familiar — highways, bridges and rail transportation and, more recently, broadband internet access.
Our View: Looking out for each other
By the calendar, winter in the northern hemisphere lasts 89 days and began this year on Dec. 21, based on the winter solstice, which is the shortest day of the year (by daylight hours).
Our View: Two examples of eyewitness tips leading to arrests; we need more
When law enforcement officers respond to a call, one of the first things they do after securing the crime scene is look for witnesses. All too often, it’s an effort that is made difficult because witnesses “don’t want to get involved,” fearing reprisal in some cases or harboring a distrust of law enforcement.
Our View: While Omicron isn’t as dangerous, the need to vaccinate persists
It’s been almost three years since the first American died of COVID-19. The death toll, as of Thursday, stands at 832,392, a figure which includes 10,4511 Mississippians. On Wednesday alone, 7,079 cases and eight more deaths were reported in our state.
Our View: Approving raises now would be grossly irresponsible
Since the city’s 2022 budget meeting in August, city employee pay raises have been discussed by the Columbus City Council.
Our View: Finalist interviews for city positions should be held in public
Until now, the identities of the approximately 100 total applicants for three open positions in Columbus city government have been a secret, which we believe to be reasonable policy.
