A rose to the Starkville Strong Youth Coalition for its efforts to help make Christmas happier for those in need. On Monday, the teens will stage the group’s inaugural Holiday Stocking Stuffer Drive, where those in need can take home bags filled with toys, food and essential items. The drive is the coalition’s semester service project, which is designed to give students a firsthand look at the issues affecting people in the city, Starkville Strong Executive Director Brandi Herrington said. The coalition will collect donations of food, drinks, hygiene products, blankets, clothing, toys, stockings and gift bags up until the event Monday. Donations can be dropped off in the designated boxes at Episcopal Church of the Resurrection on North Montgomery Street, Bridgeway Church on North Jackson Street and Dunkington on Lafayette Street. This event not only benefits those in need, but also introduces young people to the importance of community service and how they can help. The kids are alright.
A thorn to Columbus Mayor Keith Gaskin for making a public spectacle out of what should have been a private conversation with Lowndes County Board of Supervisors President Trip Hairston. Gaskin spent almost 15 minutes of his Wednesday press conference chiding Hairston for a comment attributed to Hairston during his appearance before the Rotary Club about a proposed cell tower to be located on county-owned land inside the city limits. The mayor said the alleged comment creates a perception that the county and city cannot work together. Even if that perception exists, Gaskin was committing the very offence he was criticizing. Reached later, Hairston said he did not remember making a disparaging comment about the city, but if he did it was an offhand comment not intended to be taken seriously.
A rose to Stark Aerospace which announced this week it will expand its operations at their Lowndes County facility after securing a $61 million contract to manufacture missile canisters for the U.S. Navy. The expansion will create 96 new jobs and push the company’s value to $312 million. The company plans to add a new building to accommodate the contract. Stark Aerospace was started in 2006 at Mississippi State University’s Raspet Flight Lab. It began operations at its Lowndes County facility in 2007. Like so many of the industries who have established themselves in Lowndes County over the years, Stark Aerospace continues to thrive and grow as evidenced by this expansion. Success stories like this only serve to emphasize what our region has to offer. We congratulate Stark Aerospace on this important achievement.
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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