A bouquet of roses each to Derrick Beckom and Mickey Brislin. The two Lowndes County men worked to free another from a burning car, last week. Gregory Gabriel, 62, lost control of his car on Matson Road and hit a tree when his blood sugar dropped due to the heat. Brislin was on his way home from his nearby Military Road business, when he saw the flames. He and Beckom, a Mississippi Highway Patrolman, who was off duty at the time, got Gabriel out of the car and saved his life, Gabriel”s wife said. Gabriel is undergoing treatment in Jackson for burns to his legs and stomach and a broken hip and pelvis.
These gentleman deserve much praise for their heroic feat. Though Brislin used his vehicle”s OnStar system to call for the fire department, he and Beckom didn”t wait until help arrived to spring into action. Gregory Gabriel”s wife, Shirley, said though she hasn”t met the men in person, she has spoken to them over the phone and can”t thank them enough. Though her husband may have a long road to recovery, they are both thankful for the courage exhibited by these two good Samaritans
A rose to Sudduth Principal Lisa Thompson, who purchased a therapy dog, a Bichon Frise named BJ, to be used at the Starkville elementary school. “A therapy dog”s main purpose it to bring a smile to someone or brighten their day,” Thompson said in her letter requesting board permission to introduce this means of therapy to the K-2 school.
BJ will provide love and comfort to students, when recommended by a school counselor. The Bichon is one of two breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club for use in pet therapy.
Eventually, Thompson plans to purchase another therapy dog. It seems to be a creative way to offer students comfort.
A rose goes to the Columbus-Lowndes Recreation Authority and its staff members for their hard work in preparing the baseball and softball fields for the Dizzy Dean age-group tournaments at Propst Park.
On Thursday, heavy rain late in the afternoon soaked the fields just before the tournament was scheduled to start. CLRA staff members worked quickly to get the fields playable so that the start of action was delayed for less than two hours. The crew also worked hard Friday to help revive the softball fields, which also were soaked by the rain.
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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