A rose to the men and women of the Columbus Air Force Base who serve our nation and community so well, and to those in the community who take the time and effort to make sure their many contributions are not neglected.
Saturday, CAFB held a reception to thank citizens for that support, with wing commander Doug Gosney addressing the audience. We applaud the CAFB for reaching out to the community in such a way.
We also recognize that we, as citizens, derive far more benefits from this wonderful and important relationship. We look forward to a continued cordial relationship between the CAFB and our community for years to come.
A rose to everyone who “stepped up” to help during the recent prolonged spell of severely cold weather.
All across the Golden Triangle, law enforcement was on the spot, helping stranded motorists and responding to the inevitable fender-benders common to these weather conditions.
Likewise, utility workers stood at full alert to respond to any possible power outages. Although outages were few, the crews worked under trying conditions to restore power as quickly as possible.
What we may never know, of course, are the acts of neighbors, even strangers, who saw a need and quietly helped. That’s the mark of a great community. We are proud of all those who responded when the need arose.
A rose to the Columbus Municipal School District, for its selection of Mississippi School Boards Association to lead the search for a new superintendent of schools for the district.
The MSBA has a long history of helping school districts with such searches. The firm’s familiarity with the unique needs, requirements and specifications that face superintendents in the state is an asset as well. We also applaud the board of trustees’ commitment to making this search process as open as possible by affording stakeholders multiple opportunities to hear and get to know the finalists upon their selection.
A rose to the city of Columbus for its continuing efforts to preserve the 2-percent restaurant tax.
This week, the city announced a plan that would continue the tax, with all proceeds going through the Columbus-Lowndes Convention & Visitors Bureau through a inter-local agreement between the city and the CVB.
Under the plan, the CVB would manage the proceeds, allocating $250,000 to the Golden Triangle Development LINK and $350,000 to the city for its parks and recreation programs. The CVB will vote on that agreement during Monday’s meeting. We urge them to sign off on the plan. The survival of the tax, as well as the CVB, may rely on it.
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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