During a press conference just before the end of the year, Mayor George Flaggs Jr. laid out his priorities for 2021, a year we all hope is far more normal than the roller coaster we all endured in 2020.

And, it was nice to be discussing an agenda of items that did not include COVID-19. While the virus is still very real, rampant and deadly, Flaggs and others have not moved other important items to the back burner.

In his comments, Flaggs said reducing crime, through taking steps to improve training and retention of current police personnel and engage the community to be more involved is among his top priorities.

Coming off a year where Vicksburg saw a significant increase in the number of homicides, the structure and effectiveness of our police department should be a priority and we are pleased to hear the mayor taking that on.

Flaggs also listed a number of projects that are related to economic development, such as the continued research for a new or expanded Port of Vicksburg. We know this project has been in the works for nearly a year and Flaggs said findings from recent studies would be made public and discussed in the near future.

Even the topic of street paving, as mundane a topic as that usually is, was refreshing to hear.

This year — 2021 — has something that COVID-19 ripped away from us in 2020; it has potential. And, as the vaccine is increasingly being administered, it is nice to hear our elected leaders making plans for our community to reach that full potential.