Our View: Historic places are chances to share a shared history
It seems self-evident today, but the most interesting aspect of the 181-year-old Friendship Cemetery is not the headstones and grave markers but what lies beneath them.
Our View: Is third time the charm for OCH sale?
Noted mathematicians and historian Morris Kline once observed that the most fertile source of insight is hindsight.
Our View: Verdict shows feds were reckless with J5 men’s reputations, livelihoods
On Friday, Columbus business partners Jabari Edwards and Antwann Richardson were acquitted on all federal charges connected to alleged misuse of federal pandemic funds.
Our View: Clear-cut Trotter rental policy is a good move
Like crabgrass in the spring, the issue of free use of the Trotter Center keeps popping up.
Our View: Thanks to the county, annexation will be a fair fight
On Monday, the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to provide up to $50,000 to secure an attorney to oppose annexation by the city of Columbus.
Our View: When is the right time to have a tornado plan? Now.
This week, Consumer Affairs released its annual report on tornadoes using data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) which has been tracking tornadoes in the United States since 1950.
Our View: Of the two school funding bills, INSPIRE Act may do it better
Each year, some of the most closely-watched legislation presented in the Mississippi Legislature involves funding for K-12 public education. For supporters of public schools, these
Our View: Now is not the time for apathy
The old phrase, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch,” is often used to describe a something-for-nothing attitude. But when applied to the health of a community, it is used as a reminder that the benefits we derive from being a part of a community carries with it obligations, and the quality of our community often relies on how well we meet those obligations.
Our View: CMSD facilities plan needed clearer vision, better sell job
It’s been 13 years since Del Phillips left his role as Columbus Municipal School District superintendent for a job in Tennessee. Time can sometimes be a harsh judge, and while some of the luster of Phillips’ tenure has faded — the location of the “new” middle school did not achieve what he predicted in growing attendance — there remains no question of his ability to form a plan and sell it.
Our View: Reckless lawmaking
Imagine sitting in your home one day, and there’s a knock at the door. You answer, and the person on your front steps shows you a legal contract stating you now own your neighbor’s house.
Our View: It’s time to modernize public notice rates in Mississippi
Mississippi’s newspapers have been trusted with publishing legally required government notices for decades — centuries, in fact. Of course we publish news about cities, counties, and schools in our communities, but newspaper media also provides a valuable service to government and the public by independently distributing required legal notices to audiences far and wide.
Our View: MUW needs stakeholders to rally
There are 172 members of the Mississippi Legislature, including 52 senators.
Our View: A monumental injustice
It would be hard to find a better example of why Black History Month still matters than the story of the World War I monument on the grounds of the Lowndes County Courthouse.
Our View: Good plans and good communication lead to taxes for schools
The Columbus Municipal School District will seek voter approval for a bond that would provide the district with roughly $30 million for repairs and renovations to its aging school infrastructure.
Our View: Request for proposals marks important milestone for Burns Bottom redevelopment
Wednesday marked another important step in the Columbus Redevelopment Authority’s Burns Bottom project, with the board approving plans to advertise the property to developers.
Our View: More carrot, less stick needed in Starkville camera issue
The safest communities are those in which everyone plays their part. By contrast, communities that are less safe are inclined to place all of the burden for safety on city government, particularly its police department.
Our View: Doing away with restaurant tips would solve a lot of problems
This weekend, The Dispatch reported how wait staff at restaurants often face sexual harassment. It’s hard to imagine any other work environment where that sort of treatment would be tolerated.
Our View: Fifth Street enhancements will be important link between Downtown, retail corridor
For years, the area between downtown Columbus and the city’s largest retail corridor has been a neglected, but important part of the city’s landscape. That portion of Fifth Street North, between 5th Avenue and the Highway 82 interchange or, if you prefer, between the Magnolia Bowl and the old Leigh Mall, has always seemed to be neither fish nor fowl. It lacks the historical context of Downtown and doesn’t feature the bustling aspects of retail north of Highway 82.
Our View: ‘Just right’ is needed for relationship between boards and leaders
On Wednesday, the Lowndes County Board of supervisors made two new appointments to the nine-member Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Our View: The W name change isn’t being rushed. It’s been 42 years.
On Thursday, the task force assigned to come up with a new name for Mississippi University for Women will submit its choice to the president Nora Miller. A renaming bill is expected to be submitted to the legislature by mid-February.