As we prepare to ring in a new year, we wanted to take a moment to look back on the year 2023 in Sturgis, MS.
In 2023 Sturgis received a new weather siren, a new police car, an electrical upgrade to the water system, began offering an online payment option for the water billing, and we were thrilled to get access to fiber internet offered by FASTnet by 4-County. We also began the architectural review to determine the feasibility of restoration of the Presbyterian Church on Church Street.
New events hosted in 2023 were the Fifth Sunday Night Singings which were hosted by various churches during the year and a Spring Cleaning Day with members of the community volunteering their time and effort to clean up around town including sprucing up the Welcome to Sturgis signs along the highway. We also saw the return of several events including the Sturgis Cruise-in Nights and the Sturgis Community Market. Both of which were held downtown along Main Street/Highway 12. Ending the year we also enjoyed a Community Thanksgiving and Christmas parade.
The Sturgis Public Library also hosted several fun events with special speakers and guests, summer reading programs, a Halloween Haunted House, teen movie events, and gave out free protective glasses to safely view the solar eclipse in October.
Diane Jackson Memorial Park also hosted many events this year including the return of Music in the Park in the spring, the Little Sturgis Motorcycle Rally the third weekend in August, and Trunk or Treat in October. The park hosted a political rally in July and the Sturgis School Reunion in October. Ending the year, the park is also hosting a youth baseball clinic which will be led by two former MSU baseball players, and current professional ball players, Tanner Allen and Brad Cumbest. Our online booking website for the RV park at Diane Jackson Memorial Park has also proven to be a success in 2023 with over 75 customers, some of which booked return stays during the year. In 2023, the park brought in over $30,000 in revenue via online RV reservations.
West Elementary also had a great year with several community events, several students winning the state poetry contest in April, and earning a B rating from the MS Department of Education. The West Garden Project also began this year which aims to connect students and teachers at West with students and professors at MSU to create a space where the elementary students can learn about nature, sustainability and growing their own food and the college students can learn and practice teaching these concepts.
Sturgis continues to strive to improve quality of living and services to our community and we are excited to see what 2024 holds!
