Wednesday’s trial in Adams County Justice Court hopefully ends a short, but ugly chapter in our community’s recent history.

The trial stemmed from a verbal altercation that occurred at a July meeting of the Natchez-Adams School Board.

We hope both sides in the matter realize that nothing was gained in the actions portrayed in that meeting.

The altercation occurred when a sitting school board member suggested all residents who opposed the district’s plans to borrow millions of dollars for a school building project were motivated by race reasons.

Such an assumption is a vast leap of prejudice, patently untrue and unprovable.

On the other side, for someone to suggest violence on a school board member in a public meeting is flat inexcusable.

Tempers flared and no one won. Wednesday’s judgment of $200 and court costs against the man who made the threat hopefully will be the end of this.

Now that this issue has been settled, can our community come together to discuss the real issues and concerns over the school district’s building proposals?

We believe if that if cooler heads will prevail, the community can find common ground and move forward, together.