A rose for all of our readers as Christmas Day approaches. We hope this Christmas will be remembered as one of your best yet, that the spirit of Christmas will comfort you wherever and however you choose to spend it. We also take a moment to thank all who have helped brighten the Christmas of others, whether it is through established programs such as the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree or Toy Drives, those opportunities provided by civic, church and employer campaigns or personal acts of kindness and charity. We also send Christmas wishes and thanks to all those whose work requires them to be away from home and family during the holiday — first responders, hospital staff and others whose work is essential on all days, including holidays. Merry Christmas!

A rose to the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office and the Community Benefit Committee for their collaboration in throwing a Christmas party for trustee inmates at the county jail on Tuesday evening. It’s the third year of the party, which is held for the nonviolent inmates whose good conduct have allowed them to earn trustee status where they help maintain the jail and perform other community services. There is nothing more lonely than being incarcerated and unable to be with family and loved ones during Christmas, so it’s hard to describe how meaningful this Christmas party must be. The party not only allows inmates to enjoy time with their families, it also includes a visit from Santa, who provides gifts for inmates’ children. We believe the kindness shown here is consistent with the larger meaning of Christmas. We thank everyone who has helped make this party possible.

A rose to Tennessee Valley Authority and the Carl Ripken Sr. Foundation for providing a combined $1.1 million to provide state of the art  curriculum and tools for education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) for Boys and Girls Club members in Starkville. The two groups share a common goal — creating a brighter future for our children by capturing their interest with STEM activities, introducing them to new careers and fostering critical thinking skills that improve test performance, self-esteem and school attendance.The Ripken Foundation, in partnership with TVA, is opening 27 centers in TVA’s seven-state region and each is equipped with six Chromebooks, a Tech Tub to safely store computers, a 3D printer, educational STEM products, a custom-designed curriculum tied to Next Generation Science Standards, a mobile workbench, seven elemental clover tables and 28 stackable chairs. Students will also have an opportunity to participate in the annual STEM Challenge, a national competition hosted by the Ripken Foundation. We thank these groups for their support of our Boys and Girls Club kids.

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