A rose to the West-Point Clay County Animal shelter for coming up with a clever way to keep the dogs in their care safe during dangerously hot weather, and to all those who aided in that effort. With heat indexes breaking the 100-degree mark last week, the shelter put out a call for donations of….Gatorade bottles? Yep. The shelter fills the donated bottles with water, then puts them in the freezer. When frozen, the bottles are inserted into the dogs’ water bowls to keep the water cool and drinkable. The thickness of the Gatorade bottle makes it a perfect container and since the shelter put out the call, about a third of the 150 bottles it requested have arrived. It’s a cheap, simple way to care for these dogs. Keep those bottles coming, folks!
A rose to East Mississippi Community College for its Gateway Program, a combination of job-training, internships and job placement programs that are provided in several locations throughout the school’s district, including a program that starts Aug. 15 at the J.L. King Center in Starkville. The program is free and targeted to people ages 16 to 24 who lack the skills needed to secure meaningful employment. Whether it be helping the students with soft skills they’ll need at interviews and in the workplace, obtaining a GED, Work Keys training or more specific help (such as obtaining a CDL license), this program meets the students’ individual needs. It’s a great program for those who may have slipped through the cracks.
A rose to the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District, which is considering an incentive program to retain math teachers in its district. Superintendent Eddie Peasant floated the idea to the school board this week, noting that the district has had a difficult time keeping math teachers, many of whom are leaving for signing bonuses in other districts. The Columbus Municipal School District began a program that provides a $3,000 bonus to incoming math and science teachers. Peasant favors making the incentive a regular part of the teachers’ pay check. Although no specific plan was offered and no vote was held, we are encouraged that the district is looking for solutions to this problem.
A rose to Lori Feng of Starkville, who was named first runner-up at the 2019 Distinguished Young Woman of America National Finals in Mobile, Alabama, and was presented a cash scholarship of $20,000. Feng, the daughter of Li Wang and Gary Feng, amassed a total of $32,750 in cash scholarships through her participation in the DYW program at the local, state and national levels. She was one of 50 state representatives who competed in Mobile. The 2019 graduate of the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science in Columbus will attend the University of Pennsylvania in the fall. In her capacity as 2018 Starkville Distinguished Young Woman, Feng appeared at public events and promoted the DYW national outreach message of “Be Your Best Self.” It’s designed to encourage self-esteem and excellence in all young people through five principles: Be Healthy, Be Involved, Be Studious, Be Ambitious and Be Responsible. Great job, Lori!
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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