.....Advertisement.....
.....Advertisement.....

Opinion

  • New code for building

     The New Albany Board of Aldermen has adopted the standardized 2006 Building Codes documents, a move that will have minimal cost for contractors, but will improve safety.

    A number of changes are going into effect Feb. 1 with the new code, although for all practical purposes any plans submitted now will need to meet the new requirements, according to Mike Armstrong, city building inspector.

  • Courtroom renovation

     Union County has received a state grant that will allow the county to proceed with needed improvements in the Chancery Court building.

    The state has awarded a State Municipal and Limited Population County Grant for $100,000 that will be matched with about $16,900 in county money from the general fund.

  • Hospitality industry

     The opening of the Hampton Inn in New Albany adds significantly to the city’s hospitality industry and the tax revenue it generates for our area.

    The 84-room hotel, owned by Ascent of Dalton, Ga., is a welcome addition to the cluster of hotels at the busy U.S. 78 interchange with Highway 30 West in New Albany. It joins the Holiday Inn Express, the Comfort Inn and the Economy Inn at that location.

  • Toyota and education

     The CREATE Foundation announcement that it will spend $278,000 of Toyota’s money on a curriculum audit of eight school districts in Lee, Pontotoc and Union counties is good news for two reasons.

  • Preserving downtown

     The city of New Albany is looking for a few good people with an interest in preservation efforts in the downtown area.

    The Board of Alderman is trying to resurrect the Certified Local Government program that the city adopted in 2007 but never got off the ground.

  • A challenge for 2010

     The campaign to raise money to purchase a bus for the New Haven Center for Special Needs Adults did better than organizers expected during 2009.

    Even though the campaign did not get underway until October, just over $34,000 was raised toward a goal of $80,000.

  • Exceeding the goal

     There is a theory among some fundraisers that giving increases during difficult economic times. Perhaps that explains the latest news from the United Way of Northeast Mississippi.

    The United Way campaign has exceeded its goal this year and the campaign is not yet complete. As of last Friday, the campaign had received $1,170,332.50 in pledges and donations. The goal was set at $2.1 million.

  • Virginia and Santa

     Below the Gazette reprints eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon’s letter to the editor of New York’s Sun newspaper and the newspaper’s response on Sept. 21, 1897:

     

    Dear Editor:

  • Vote ‘For’...

     New Albany voters face an important decision for the city’s future in the special election Tuesday, Dec. 12.

    On the surface it seems like a simple issue of whether beer and light wine should be permitted to be sold within the city limits of New Albany. 

  • Honoring NA schools

     Twelve school districts in Mississippi have been recognized for high student achievement and it should come as no surprise that the New Albany School District is one of them.

    The recognition came in the Mississippi School Boards Association Lighthouse School Leader Awards program. 

  • Discount drug cards

     Union County residents without adequate medical insurance may benefit from a program to be offered through the county government.

    The county has contracted to provide a prescription discount card for residents who either do not have medical insurance or are underinsured.

  • Christmas concert

     This Saturday night the musical group Paid in Full and the New Albany Rotary Club present their annual “Christmas in New Albany” program to benefit charity.

  • Register for election

     New Albany residents who are interested in voting on the issue of beer and light wine in the city face a tight deadline to make certain their voter registration is in order.

    Friday, Dec. 11, is the deadline to register to vote at the Union County Courthouse for city residents who want to cast a ballot in the Jan. 12 special election. Residents who live outside the city limits may not vote in this election.

  • Vision and hard work

     Vision and hard work are a combination that usually gets results. And those were the principal factors in the story behind the conversion of a dilapidated downtown theater into the Magnolia Civic Center and Cine Theatre.

  • ‘Sharing’...

     Only 16 days from now volunteers are slated to deliver food and toys to needy families in the 35th annual Sharing at Christmas program.

    What concerns us at this point is the level of giving. As of today the Gazette has received only $4,530 toward the fundraising goal of $20,000. We are hopeful that many of our readers have just not gotten around to making a donation yet.

  • Proud of Ole Miss

     It wasn’t much of a protest, but it kept the sports talk show hosts busy leading up to the Ole Miss football game in Oxford last Saturday. And that’s the unfortunate part of an otherwise proud day for the university and its efforts to dispel lingering perceptions about racism.

  • Dalton’s resignation

     The resignation of Bethany Dalton as tourism/community development specialist at the Union County Development Association is a loss to the community.

    Ms. Dalton was a positive influence on the activities and events she handled, a talented grant writer and a hard worker. The RiverFest festival expanded and blossomed under her tutelage.

  • Sportsplex expansion

     The artist’s rendering of the plan for expansion of the New Albany Sportsplex shows an impressive project that will significantly upgrade the city’s recreational facilities.

    Sam Creekmore of Creekmore Landscaping showed the plans and an accompanying video depiction of the project at the meeting of the Board of Aldermen last week.

  • Reducing flood zone

     The decision by the New Albany Board of Aldermen to have an engineering firm try to develop information to reduce the area designated as flood plain is a good one.

  • The South is rising

     Chancellor Dan Jones of the University of Mississippi didn’t have to get involved in controversy by banning the sports medley “From Dixie With Love” at university football games.

Copyright © 2013

The New Albany Gazette is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in New Albany and the surrounding area.