A rose to multiple people seen stopping to offer assistance to a man at the intersection of Highway 50 and Highway 82, near Love’s Truck Stop on Friday. The man was beside a bicycle and held a sign asking for help. In a 10-minute window, multiple people were seen engaging the man in conversation and offering food and other assistance. It’s easy to dismiss those asking for help on the street and to apply stereotypes. While we don’t know this man’s situation, we want to commend those who didn’t overlook someone seeking assistance.
A rose to Rep. Jeff Smith, who has been honored by the Mississippi Municipal League for his support of city-friendly legislation in his role in the Legislature, which includes his role as the chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee. Smith was one of six legislators to earn the MML award. While Smith’s work has always focused more on the inner workings of the legislative process rather than policy, local officials know they always have an advocate when they approach Smith for help. His expertise in guiding legislation through the legislative bureaucracy has had direct benefits for Lowndes County. We send legislators to Jackson each year to represent the interest of their constituents. While there are many who use their positions to bolster their political aspirations, Smith is not counted among that number. His dedication to “the folks back home” is well-known and should be appreciated.
A thorn to the four Starkville aldermen who voted to choose the Integrity Group as the city’s insurance agent of record Tuesday, a move that will cost $149,000 more than the lowest submitted bid and is expected to drive up monthly out-of-pocket rates for employees. Ben Carver, Lisa Wynn, Roy A. Perkins and Henry Vaughn voted to select Integrity, which offered the highest bid among the four applicants. The low bid is not always the best, but in the absence of any compelling evidence to suggest that the highest bidder was the best choice, we find the aldermen’s actions indefensible. Mayor Parker Wiseman says he will veto the move and the board is unlikely to override the veto. In the meantime, the process for securing the best, most cost effective insurance plan for its members is needlessly delayed.
A rose to the Mississippi University for Women students who spent Tuesday working on service projects through out the city of Columbus. More than 150 students each volunteered at a local charity as part of Project HOOT, Helping Out Our Town. “The W is very happy to have strong partnerships with Columbus agencies and values community service,” said Kimone Holtzman, coordinator of student engagement. “The purpose of incorporating the Helping Out Our Town (HOOT) service day into Blues Week 2015 is to have our students learn about the community, its needs, and how to contribute to its betterment.” We can think of no better way for MUW students to kick off the school year than through this kind of project.
A rose to the Columbus City Council for taking no action on a proposed amendment to the city’s open container ordinance during Tuesday’s meeting. Councilmen were considering an amendment that would forbid open or previously-opened containers of alcohol in vehicles on public right of way, which would include parking lots. The ordinance carried a penalty of up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. We feel the benefits of the amendment would have achieved little in the cause of public safety while creating a situation that could weaken citizens’ Fourth Amendment rights that guard against unreasonable search and seizure. While we support strong measures to combat DUI offenses, we believe the amendment adds nothing of real value to that effort.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“I know how much MSMS means to the state because I know how much it has meant to me. It was everything for me.” — Chad Edmonson (MSMS Class of 1999) on his decision to donate more than $60,000 to MSMS, the largest single donor contribution in the school’s history.
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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