A rose to the collaborative effort among utility interests to help many of our citizens improve their energy efficiency of their homes. The Extreme Energy Makeover program, funded by a $1.6 million grant from TVA and supported by Columbus Light & Water and CLEAResult energy firm was introduced to citizens at a Thursday meeting at Sim Scott Park. Qualifying home-owners can get financial assistance for making their homes more energy efficient. The group will return to Sim Scott Park Wednesday to answer questions and take applications from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. For many residents, especially those on a fixed or limited income, heating and cooling bills represent an enormous part of their budget. Efforts to decrease that burden through making their homes more energy-efficient is a wonderful idea. We encourage residents to take part in this program.
A rose to the city of Starkville, which led the state in 2015 for volunteering. According to data collected from volunteer centers throughout the state, Starkville had 25,000 recorded “volunteer engagements,” most in the state. Columbus, meanwhile, came in fourth with 5,000 volunteer acts.
Often, the only difference between an average town or city and a truly exceptional community is the degree to which regular citizens volunteer their time, skills and other resources. Often, the work volunteers do would otherwise go undone. We commend all those unsung heroes in our community who, through acts big and small, volunteer and we hope that even more citizens will be inspired to join those efforts. We all benefit from the presence of a robust volunteering community.
A thorn to Gary Chism and Jeff Smith, the two state representatives who are entrusted to represent the interests and wishes of those who sent them to Jackson. This week, both legislators appear to have pledged their allegiance to other interests. Chism, co-sponsored a bill that would allow firearms to be carried throughout on courthouse grounds that aren’t courtrooms themselves, a move condemned by Lowndes County supervisors, who say the law produces no benefits and will be costly to the county (not to mention potentially dangerous in what is often the highly-charged atmosphere of courthouses). Chism’s blind allegiance to gun-lobby extremism indicates a preference for ideology over common sense.
Likewise, Jeff Smith’s decision to kill a bill that would have allowed craft breweries to sell their product on site is a blow to the small-business community. Mississippi is the only state that doesn’t allow this. Smith said he killed the bill to make good on a promise to someone he steadfastly refuses to identify. But what about the promise Smith made to his constituents that he would act in their interests? We are waiting for that explanation.
A rose to Sam Lafoon, for his generous donation to the Columbus Lowndes Public Library of more than 15,000 photo negatives/prints taken by Columbus photographer Carl Brown. Brown’s images, captured from the 1950s and into the 1980s, tell the story of our community from the perspective of “every-day people.” It is a glimpse into their lives and helps tell the story of our community in a way that history does not always record. Library archivist Mona Vance-Ali said, “Brown’s lens captured milestones in people’s lives over multiple decades. His collection is significant because it represents a snapshot of mid to late 20th century life in Columbus and the surrounding area.” Laffoon, owner of The Grapevine in Columbus, donated the collection in memory of his late wife, Kittie C. Laffoon.
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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