A rose to the Columbus-Lowndes Recreation Authority and the Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau for its successful bid in securing the 2015 President’s Cup soccer tournament, the second time the state-wide event will have been held at the Columbus Soccer Complex. Last year, the President’s Cup generated a $1.2 million economic impact, filling area hotels and restaurants, according to CVB director Nancy Carpenter.
The CVB annually budgets $40,000 to help attract soccer tournaments to its top-tier soccer complex. It’s money well-spent, given the amount of revenue tournaments such as The President’s Cup generates. We congratulate CLRA director Greg Lewis and the CVB for landing this excellent event.
A thorn to the Columbus Police Department for failing to notify the public of case of mistaken identity in connection with the arrest of a murder suspect in January. The CPD arrested a man they identified as Billy Kennedy for a murder that occurred at Club Heidi Ho on New Year’s Day. Almost as soon as the announcement was made, residents began calling the CPD to alert the department the man in custody was not Billy Kennedy, but his brother, Arthur. It wasn’t until last week, when the real Billy Kennedy was arrested as a suspect in a different murder, that the CPD acknowledged its earlier mistake. We recognize that mistakes happen — we are certainly not immune to such — but it is important for the CPD to inform the public promptly when those mistakes are made. In this case, the CPD seems to have much preferred to avoid the embarrassment of admitting the error than making sure the public is accurately informed.
A rose to the volunteer readers who helped local children celebrate the 111th birthday of Theodor Seuss Geise, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss. Volunteers at the Boys and Girls Club read to children on Monday and the Columbus Lowndes Public Library celebrated on Saturday the birthday of the man responsible such timeless children’s classics as “Green Eggs and Ham,” The Cat in the Hat” and “Oh, the Places You’ll Go.” We encourage readers to follow the doctor’s advice throughout the year: “You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child.”
A rose to the Starkville Board of Aldermen, who chose not to proceed with plans to buy the Cadence Bank Building. The aldermen ended months of speculation surrounding the potential purchase of the Main Street property, which would have been used as the new home of the Starkville Police Department. After a cost analysis from an architectural consulting firm, the aldermen voted Tuesday not to proceed with the purchase plan, which would have cost the city $2.55 million plus the costs of retrofitting. Instead, the city will turn over the existing city hall (now shared between city offices and the SPD) to the police department when city offices move into a new venue at the site of the former Starkville Electric Department at the west end Main Street. While the current city hall also will need the be retrofitted, it is a more fiscally responsible choice. City Hall is not a perfect fit for the SPD, but it is the better option, all things considered.
A rose to the Caledonia Volunteer Fire Department, which has had its rating lowered by the state of Mississippi. Unlikely other ratings, the lower the rating, the better. Caledonia’s fire department improved from an 8 to a 7. According to Caledonia Mayor Bill Lawrence, volunteer fire departments rarely achieve a 7 rating. So congratulations to the administration and its volunteer firefighters for a job well done.
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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