A rose to the Mississippi State University baseball team, which is either headed to the College World Series or needs just one more win to achieve that prize. MSU entered the late-night game at Vanderbilt Saturday needing one more win to secure their tenth trip to the CWS after a 10-8 win Friday.
That MSU is in this position is phenomenal given how the season started. It’s coach was forced to resign three games into the season and construction at Dudy Noble Field forced the team to open the season with 13 straight road games. MSU struggled to a 2-7 start in the SEC and on April 1 had a losing record. The Bulldogs have caught fire since, going 10-1 against teams ranked in the top five, coming out of the loser’s bracket to win in Tallahassee, Florida, in dramatic fashion and are now poised for their first trip back to the CWS since 2013. Their success is a testament to resiliency, hard work and perseverance. Hail State!
A rose to Main Street Columbus and the Columbus-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce for another successful start to the annual Sounds of Summer Concert series at the Columbus Riverwalk. The first of four Thursday evening concerts was held this week, featuring the local band, “Style.” Now in its eleventh year, the concert series continues to grow. Folks begin arriving with their lawn chairs a full hour before the music starts. It’s become a great venue for socializing and relaxing on a summer’s evening. Events such as Sounds of Summer give us a chance to know each other a bit better, which makes for a better community.
A thorn to the voters — we should say non-voters — for their embarrassing apathy in Tuesday’s primary elections. The turnout was nothing short of pathetic — just 10 percent in Lowndes and Noxubee County, 13.5 percent in Clay County and 15 percent in Oktibbeha County.
Spare us the excuses that the ballot was short, there were no really competitive races or that it was just a primary. None of that flies. Voting is a right that has been hard-fought and well-earned by generations of Americans who believed in government of the people, for the people and by the people. That so many would not spare even a few minutes to honor that idea by casting a ballot is shameful. Outside of some extraordinary circumstance, if you didn’t vote Tuesday you let your country down. It’s as simple as that.
A rose to the Starkville Board of Aldermen as they continue to work on a new parking ordinance. Given the rapid growth of the city, particularly student housing near the MSU campus, parking has become an issue that needs to be addressed. As the aldermen work toward that goal, we like the approach they are taking. After crafting a framework for the ordinance, the board is holding public meetings, the first of which came Tuesday. The feedback they received at that meeting and in the next meeting should help the alderman develop a parking ordinance that addresses the issue in a fair and effective way. When leaders invite residents to participate in policymaking, the result is almost always positive. We’re certain that will happen in this case as well.
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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