A rose to the Columbus Exchange Club, which helped bring attention to National Autism Day by adorning light poles in downtown Columbus Thursday with blue ribbons as part of the national “Believe in Blue” campaign. The campaign is an effort to reach families across the nation with positive parenting tips. Exchange Club believes parents have the power to make positive parenting choices in the lives of their children, and offers up-to-date materials and easy-to-use tips to help all parents and families. There was a time, not so long ago, when the diagnosis of autism was considered a crushing blow to the hopes and dreams of children.
Today, through the dedication of many who have taken up the cause of autism research and education, the prospects of children with autism is viewed with a much more hopeful attitude. Much work remains to be done, however, and events such as Thursday serve not only to provide hope but to encourage support for autism research and education.
A rose to the young journalists — and their young subjects — who produced an a week-long series of stories in The Dispatch that profiled some of our young people in Columbus. These eight students from the University of Mississippi represent Mississippi’s next generation of journalists. We are encouraged to see the commitment and talent of these young people who aspire to be journalists. The subjects of the stories, like the journalists themselves, have varied dreams. Some will choose to stay “home” while others will venture out to find their places in the world. In either event, we are impressed with their poise, talent and determination to succeed. It’s good to hear their stories, and it’s also good to hear them told by our young journalists.
A rose to the Baptist Memorial Hospital Golden Triangle trauma team, emergency room staff and paramedics, for providing a glimpse of their world in today’s Dispatch. These are the people who respond when we are at our most vulnerable; their work often means the difference between life and death. That work also requires them to regularly witness the most horrific situations, something that can take a heavy emotional toll. We respect their work, admire their skills and commend them their dedication in a field that is, both physically and emotionally draining.
A rose to all those who helped make the Lynn Lane project in Starkville a reality. Ground-breaking on the 1.7-mile, $1.2 million project was Tuesday. When completed in August, it will connect a Starkville Parks and Recreation hub — McKee Park and the Sportsplex — to Locksley Way. The corridor is expected to provide a south Starkville connection to Mississippi State University in the future, while current infrastructure connects residential areas and apartment complexes to Starkville High School, Starkville Academy and Starkville Christian School.
The Lynn Lane connection to the Sportsplex is expected to see a high volume of usage, as the park serves as a city-campus connecting stop in the Starkville-MSU Area Rapid Transit system. The best projects don’t merely meet the immediate needs, but anticipate future needs as the city grows. The Lynn Lane connector is one such project.
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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