A rose to those who have worn the uniform of our military during this Veterans Day weekend. According to the Veterans Administration, veterans represent 7 percent of the U.S. population (19.5 million), so if you haven’t thanked a veteran for his/her service this weekend, it’s not for the lack of proximity. Although Veterans Day (first known as Armistice Day to acknowledge those who fought in World War I) has been a federal holiday since 1926, in truth military service is one of our nation’s oldest traditions, beginning when ordinary citizens took up arms to establish our nation during the Revolutionary War. If you are a veteran, we thank you for your service to our nation. If you are not a veteran, we urge you to seek out a veteran this weekend and express your gratitude for their sacrifice and service.
A rose to the Mississippi State soccer team on its landmark victory Friday in the NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament. The Bulldogs defeated New Mexico State, 2-1, in an opening round match in Starkville, the program’s first-ever tournament victory. MSU is a relative newcomer to the national tournament, having qualified for the event just twice (the Bulldogs bowed out in the first round of the 2018 tournament). Considering that both goals and assists in Friday’s win came from underclassmen, the future appears bright. Up next, the Bulldogs (12-5-4) face the winner of Saturday’s Memphis-St. Louis match on Friday at a site to be announced. We congratulate the coaches, players and support staff on this important achievement. Hail State!
A thorn to Oktibbeha County supervisors Bricklee Miller, Marvel Howard, Orlando Trainer and Joe Williams, who violated the state’s Open Meeting Act on February 3 by holding two separate meetings with the same engineers representing Mississippi Engineering Group, according to a ruling by the Mississippi Ethic Commission. In those meetings, the supervisors discussed improvements to the county lake dam, a matter over which the supervisors have authority, without providing public access, notice of the meeting or recording minutes. The Ethics Commission ruled that these meetings were illegal after a complaint was filed by The Dispatch. Beyond that, the meetings violate a most basic tenet that the citizens’ business should be conducted openly.
A rose to Sandra Williams and Northside Missionary Baptist Church Missionary Society, whose acts of kindness toward dialysis patients may seem small, but are nevertheless important. Because dialysis patients’ red blood cell counts are low at the time of their dialysis treatments, patients are often cold during their hours-long sessions. Williams, the president of the group whose late father suffered from kidney disease, and her group has responded by providing 100 blankets for dialysis patients at Fresenius Kidney Care Golden Triangle in Columbus to use during treatment. In doing so, the group adheres to the spirit of the Scriptures, where Christ said: “And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.” More blankets are needed, so if you are moved to help, get in touch with Williams at (662) 327-9208.
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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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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