A rose to Capt. Thomas Johnson and the Columbus Salvation Army for an impressive Red Kettle fund-raising campaign. The campaign, which ended Dec. 23, far exceeded last year’s campaign, ultimately collecting $102,298. After the 2022 campaign brought in $60,000 (well short of its goal of $73,000), Johnson set the bar even higher at $100,000 and the community rose to the occasion. Johnson attributes the success of the campaign to the team of volunteer and paid bell ringers who manned 14 locations in the Columbus area, but we are confident Johnson’s role in organizing and administering the campaign was essential to its success as well. Of course, no goal could be reached without the generosity of all those who deposited their dimes and dollars into the familiar red kettles. The money collected will go a long way in supporting all of the services the Salvation Army provides to our community. Thank you and congratulations to all who helped make the campaign a resounding success.

A rose to Joe Dillon, who on Tuesday informed Columbus officials of his resignation after almost eight years as the city’s Public Information Officer. Originally, Dilllon was hired to issue press releases for the mayor, council and city departments, but that role seemed to expand whenever a need emerged. This included tasks such as assembling and deploying CPD’s surveillance cameras, helping with technology, running the live streams of city meetings and overseeing paperwork relating to disaster claims eligible for Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursement, not to mention continuing his PIO duties. Dillon took on most, if not all, of these assignments by being the first to raise his hand. There can be no doubt that the city has a major hole to fill with Dillon’s departure, especially due to his jack-of-all-trades versatility. It was obvious that Dillion was motivated by a love of the city and a desire to see it prosper. We wish him well and thank him for his service.

A rose to West Point High’s Kahnen Daniels, who has been named Mississippi’s Gatorade Football Player of the Year. Daniels was a key factor in helping the Green Wave win its record 12th state championship during the 2023 season, rushing for 2,737 yards and 29 touchdowns on 298 carries, a robust 9.2 yards per carry. It’s noteworthy that while a long procession of great players helped West Point amass those 12 state titles, Daniels, who will begin his college football career at the University of Florida in the spring, is the first Green Wave player to earn this recognition. We consider it not just a testament to Daniels’ play, but long-overdue recognition for what rightfully can be considered the best high school football program in state history. Congratulations to Kahnen and his teammates, coaches and supporters.

A rose to all citizens who may be contemplating running for the Starkville Board of Alderman Ward 1 seat, which opened when Ben Carver was elected to the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors. The special election to fill that vacancy will be held on Feb. 13. Candidates can qualify for the election through Jan. 22. As of Thursday, one candidate had qualified: Kim Moreland, who represented Ward 1 on the planning and zoning commission for about four years and is a former member of the city’s board of adjustments and appeals. We thank Moreland for stepping forward and encourage other civic-minded residents of Ward 1 to carefully consider running for this position. Serving as an alderman is one of the most important acts of public service a citizen can make. We look forward to a deep and talented pool of candidates in this nonpartisan race.

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