A rose to Col. Justin Grieve, Commander of the 14th Flying Training Wing at Columbus Air Force Base, for his plans to provide greater access to the base and its airmen through an increase in open-to-the-public meetings and tours of the base. Grieve revealed his intentions during a Wednesday luncheon of the Base Community Council, saying he wants to hold eight such meetings over the next 12 months as well as provide more tours of CAFB, which he said will allow citizens to get to know the airmen on a more personal basis and learn about CAFB’s facilities, operations and mission. Providing public access to military facilities is, obviously, a sensitive topic. It would be easy enough to restrict public access to a minimum. Instead, Grieve is determined to provide as much access as possible without compromising the base’s security. In doing so, Grieve’s plans will further strengthen the relationship between CAFB and our community. We are proud of the important work our airmen and staff are doing at CAFB and are naturally fascinated by it. Thanks, Commander Grieve, for allowing the community more access that allows us to better understand and appreciate the important work CAFB is performing for our nation.
A rose to the anonymous donor who funded the installation of a new weather station, which is located at the Starkville Academy football stadium. The private school joins Mississippi State University as one of two homes in the state to a station by WeatherSTEM, a weather company based in Florida. WeatherSTEM has stations across the world and is used by professional sports teams like the New York Yankees to monitor weather conditions for the safety of those in the stadium. The station is equipped with a thermometer, solar radiation sensor, wind vane, barometer, camera and more, and schools can use it for both athletics and academic curriculum. The station is enhanced by a program that provides presentations based on the data, followed by quizzes. The presentations are followed by quizzes, and it is completely free with no login required at weatherstem.com/learn. Although located at Starkville Academy, the public has access to all the real-time data collected by the weather station, as well as the MSU weather station, by visiting oktibbeha.weatherstem.com.
A rose to Kaleb and Kendall Henry, who have achieved something no Columbus High band members have done in 20 years. The twins, who are seniors at CHS, were selected to the prestigious Mississippi Lions All-State Band, which annually selects the top band players from across the state to represent Mississippi in the national competitions among the other 49 states as well as an international competition. The Henrys had to make it through two rounds of competition held on consecutive Saturdays to earn their place in the all-state band. Kaleb (trumpet) and Kendall (trombone) had not participated in the competition until this year. It’s a feather in the cap for the CHS band program. We know Kaleb and Kendall will represent our school and community in a great manner. Congratulations!
A rose to the Starkville Rotary Classic Rodeo, which kicked off its 19th annual event Friday at the Mississippi Horse Park. The two-day event continues to be one of the biggest events in Starkville, this year drawing 333 participants from 23 states and Canada, drawing large, enthusiastic crowds. Entertainment aside, the rodeo also serves the community in an important way. Funds from the event go to a variety of Starkville Rotary programs and sponsorships, including Starkville Habitat for Humanity and Oktibbeha Young Leaders, among others. Last year’s rodeo produced $24,000 in funds for the Rotary. When the accounting is done, we expect the sum may equal, if not surpass, that figure. Thanks to the rodeo officials, the Horse Park administration and staff, Rotary volunteers and who turned out for this event. Great job, everyone!
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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