A rose to Steens native and MUW graduate Dr. Doris Taylor, whose pioneering work in the field of heart bioengineering may soon result in a miracle for those with heart disease. Heart disease has been the leading cause of death in the U.S. for more than a century, with 683,000 Americans dying in 2024 alone. Taylor, CEO and chair of Organamet Bio, said building a functional heart in the lab is about two years away from human trials. Taylor shared her findings at The W’s Nissan Auditorium last week, starting with a blood sample that is converted to stem cells and reproduced millions of times before being incorporated into a universal heart structure that would be a match for the person whose blood is used. The heart structure was discovered through working with pig hearts. The implications of this cannot be overstated. Many Nobel Prize winners in medicine have not achieved what Taylor is on the cusp of achieving.

A rose to Charles Yarbrough as he begins his tenure as fire chief for Columbus Fire and Rescue after a divided city council tapped him for the job over Alan Lewis, the department’s training officer. When someone is chosen for a position over an in-house candidate, that person must work to earn the support of his new employees. Yarbrough can lean on his 30 years with the Starkville Fire Department, where he served as fire chief from 2015 to 2025. We encouraged the mayor, city council, fire department members and the community to support Yarbrough as he takes the reins as fire chief. His success will be our success.

A rose to the city of Starkville and Oktibbeha County for joining forces in their “Fight Dirty” campaign to raise awareness and promote events to aid local anti-littering efforts. The subject of litter was brought up by District 4 Supervisors Pattie Little at a regular meeting. Mayor Lynn Spruill saw her comments and reached out to Little about a joint effort. In addition to a social media awareness campaign, Spruill and Little have discussed other efforts the initiative could focus on for a more hands-on impact year-round. Some of those efforts, from the city side, could include organizing community cleanup days with groups like the Starkville Rotary Club, along with Mississippi State University fraternities and sororities. We applaud Mayor Spruill and Supervisor Little for putting the campaign in motion.

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