You might not have known Bill Hetrick, but I can guarantee this — if you had met him, you’d have loved him. And he would be your friend. He was Mississippi’s own George Bailey. He made this a better place just by being in this place. Bill died right before Christmas and while he wasn’t a President or nobility, his life was truly worthy of remembering and honoring. Bill, thank you for being you. Your passing is a huge loss to our community.

P.S. I’m off this week but will return after the first of the year. Happy New Year.

Marshall Ramsey, a nationally recognized editorial cartoonist, shares his cartoons and travels the state as Mississippi Today’s Editor-At-Large. He’s also host of a weekly statewide radio program and a television program on Mississippi Public Broadcasting and is the author of several books. Marshall is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and a 2019 recipient of the University of Tennessee Alumni Professional Achievement Award.