A rose to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks for renovating and improving facilities at Lake Lowndes State Park. Over the next few months, the park will be constructing a new bathhouse facility and renovating four of the site’s six cabins with a fresh exterior coat of paint, stainless steel appliances and new carpet. The projects will cost at least $110,000. Any list of things Mississippi does well has to include its 25 state parks. If you ranked these state parks on the criteria of upkeep, facilities, trails, camping, outdoor/sports amenities and fishing/boating/jet skiing, Lake Lowndes would have to rate very close to the top, if not the top itself. Since becoming a state park in 1971, the park, built around a 150-acre man-made lake, has served as something of a city park for nearby New Hope. We are happy to see the park get the TLC it deserves.

A rose to Mark Pritchett, who was announced as the new executive director of the Frank P. Phillips YMCA on Wednesday. Pritchett replaces Jimmy Woodruff, who announced his retirement in December after six years in the position. Pritchett, a native of Greensboro, North Carolina, joins the Y following three years as the CEO and president of the Cleveland County Family YMCA in Shelby, North Carolina, and another seven years before that as the executive director of the Goldsboro Family YMCA in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Pritchett’s hiring is a departure for the Columbus YMCA, whose directors have been local residents since at least 1983 (Roger Short (1983–96), Charlie Box (1996–2009), Andy Boyd (2009–19) and Woodruff). Board members believe Pritchett’s qualifications more than make up for his unfamiliarity with the area. Outside of his YMCA work history, Pritchett brings 15 years of experience as a school administrator and also served in the U.S. Army as an air traffic controller, obtaining the rank of sergeant. We congratulate the Y and Pritchett and are eager to benefit from the new perspective and fresh ideas he brings to the position.

A rose to Nora Miller, who announced she will retire as president of Mississippi University for Women in June after seven years in the position and 25 years at her alma mater. Miller lists among her proudest moments the establishment of the Women’s College, The W earning NCAA Division III athletic status and being accepted to the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. There have also been serious challenges, including a controversial and unsuccessful campaign to change the university’s name, potential consolidation or closure by the state and, most recently, what appears to be a successful effort to keep the Mississippi School for Math and Science on the MUW campus. This fall, MUW enrollment grew by more than 8% since fall 2024, the largest increase in nearly a decade for the university and the highest increase among the state’s eight public universities.

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