A rose to the Lowndes County School Board for its efforts to add a vocational-technical school. Although even under the best of circumstances, the school would not be up and running for a couple of years, the added emphasis on training young people for jobs that require specific skills is a worthy pursuit. The school will go a long way in providing a trained workforce for the growing industrial development sector in the Golden Triangle. A Vo-Tech school will fill the skill gap in our workforce.
A rose to the East Lowndes Water Association, which announced that it will extend county water to a group of 32 residents along Christian Circle, Frisco Road and East Railroad Drive. With matching funds of $120,000 from the Mississippi Development Authority, the water association should have the taps running at those homes sometime this summer. For the residents who have seen their wells run dry, being added to the county water system is a godsend. It would be easy to ignore such a small group of residents who have little resources and scant political influence. That the water association heard their pleas says something very nice about the people in charge.
A rose to the Columbus High School slow-pitch softball team, whose run through the state playoffs ended Tuesday with a pair of losses to Grenada. Although it marked a disappointing end to the season, the Falcons can point to their first district title in 12 years and a 15-7 record as an achievement of note and a promising sign of future success under second-year coach Jaime Ellis-Melton.
A rose to the organizers of this year’s Caledonia Day festivities, held Friday and Saturday. Although no official count was available, it seems likely that the event met the goal of 10,000 attendees. Friday’s music and fireworks kicked off the celebration. On Saturday, a picture-perfect fall day greeted throngs of visitors who enjoyed a range of activities — everything from lawn-mower races to a pet parade. It’s clear Caledonians love their town. This weekend’s event allowed the town to put its best foot forward. 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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