DISPATCH EDITORIALS

Our view: Unity comes first

Posted 2/25/2014 in Dispatch Editorials

On Sunday, we applauded the trip made to Chattanooga by a group of community and city officials in an effort to gather ideas for redevelopment of the city of Columbus, most specifically The Island. Making the trip at their own expense suggests this was more than a junket, but an earnest effort to learn from Chattanooga, whose transformation over the past 30 years has been nothing short of remarkable.

Our view: J5/Broaddus is flunking its first test

Posted 2/21/2014 in Dispatch Editorials

Last July, the Columbus city council voted to create the new position of project manager to oversee city projects. That position went to Jabari Edwards and his J5/Broaddus firm. It did not escape anyone's attention that Edwards has close ties to mayor Robert Smith: Edwards served as the mayor's campaign manager.

Our view: School board appointment holds promise for continued improvement

Posted 2/20/2014 in Dispatch Editorials

On Tuesday, the Columbus city council appointed a new member to the Columbus Municipal School District Board of Trustees.

Our view: Wynn's shameful conduct demands apologies

Posted 2/19/2014 in Dispatch Editorials

On Tuesday, the Starkville Board of Aldermen appointed Juliette Weaver-Reese to the Starkville School District Board of Trustees, a move that ended the 10-year tenure of current school board president Eddie Myles.

Our view: Ole Miss should back words with action

Posted 2/18/2014 in Dispatch Editorials

Here we go again. Early Sunday morning, two men placed a hangman's noose over the head of a statue of James Meredith on the University of Mississippi campus and draped the statue with an old Georgia state flag, which like Mississippi's current flag, contains a replica of what is commonly known as the Confederate Battle Flag.

Our view: Council to residents: It's none of your business

Posted 2/14/2014 in Dispatch Editorials

On Tuesday, the Columbus City Council will make board appointments to the Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau and Columbus Municipal School District. Not that it's any of your business, of course.

Our view: School superintendents should be appointed

Posted 2/13/2014 in Dispatch Editorials

This week, efforts to make uniform how Mississippi selects its school superintendents continue in the Legislature.

Our view: 'Hear no evil' is bad school policy

Posted 2/11/2014 in Dispatch Editorials

Tuesday evening, we learned what happened to Shawn Gregory, but the public may never know why it happened.

Our view: Elected leaders do residents a disservice in choosing board members

Posted 2/6/2014 in Dispatch Editorials

Monday, the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors chose retired businessman Lester King to represent the county on the Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Trustees.

Our view: For some, cold weather is far more than an inconvenience

Posted 1/29/2014 in Dispatch Editorials

There are some things we can all agree on and one of them is the weather over the past few days: It's been cold, very cold by Mississippi standards.

Our view: Catfish in the Alley

Posted 1/28/2014 in Dispatch Editorials

It is a celebration that has never really established itself. It wasn't even held last year on account of bad weather, something that had plagued the event for more than one of its six previous years. The recent celebrations weren't even held at the venue it intended to commemorate.

Our view: Link, city spat could have been avoided

Posted 1/24/2014 in Dispatch Editorials

Like the drunk who picks fights with his wife as a pretense for storming out and heading for the corner bar, the Golden Triangle Development Link left Columbus in a huff Thursday.

Our view: A prudent strategy

Posted 1/23/2014 in Dispatch Editorials

Sometimes the best step forward requires taking a step back. On Tuesday, the Columbus City Council appeared to be set to enter a three-year contract with a commercial consulting firm at the urging of Councilman Charlie Box.

Our view: What we can learn from dolphins

Posted 1/22/2014 in Dispatch Editorials

In studies of bottlenose dolphins, marine biologists have discovered something interesting about their behavior toward sick or injured pod mates.

Our view: A step we all must take

Posted 1/21/2014 in Dispatch Editorials

In America, we set aside special days to commemorate, reflect and renew our resolve about a subject. These national holidays come and go, but often the fervor the holiday ignites is gone as quickly as the holiday itself.

Our view: Time for railroad to do the right thing

Posted 1/17/2014 in Dispatch Editorials

Back in August officials from the Mississippi Department of Transportation, Kansas City Southern Railway and the Columbus City Council held a public hearing to discuss a proposal to close six Southside railroad crossing while adding safety upgrades to other crossings.