The Meridian Star is gearing up for our Profile 2016 sections that will publish Feb. 26 and March 4 and we need your help.

        We are seeking submissions for the Profile sections that are all about communities, people, organizations and businesses in and around Meridian.    

    Categories for Profile 2016 are: Citizen of the Year, Education, Medical, Military, Economy: Business/Industry; Culture: Arts and Entertainment; Government and Civic Groups; Religion and Neighbors.

    Send your articles and accompanying photos for Profile 2016 to The Meridian Star Lifestyle/Special Section Editor Ida Brown at ibrown@themeridianstar.com or City Editor Bill Graham at bgraham@themeridianstar.com, or mail your submissions to The Meridian Star, Attention Newsroom, 814 22nd Ave., Meridian, MS, 39301.

     Please include information about those pictured in any photos that you send and a telephone number where we can reach you if we have questions about your submission.

    The deadline to submit articles and photos for Profile 2016 is Feb. 12. We cannot guarantee your article will run in Profile 2016, but we will publish as many submissions as room allows.

    Pick the category in which you would like your article to appear and include the information in your submission. We only ask that the subject matter of the articles be local.

    Articles could be about your agency or organization’s plans for the upcoming year; about major accomplishments or long range goals; about your civic group’s mission; your church’s missionary work; or about interesting people in your neighborhood. Basically Profile 2016 is about you — our readers and fellow residents of Meridian and surrounding communities.

    We encourage officials with local city and county governments and schools in The Star’s delivery area to tell us what your plans are for the coming year and about any long term plans you have for the future.

    The Meridian Star is also accepting nominations for Unsung Heroes who will be featured in our Profile editions.

    An Unsung Hero could be a deserving neighbor, a kind stranger or someone who works selflessly to make his or her community a better place. It could be someone who has made a difference in your life or in the lives of others.

    Send us a typed letter or email nominating your Unsung Hero. It should be no more than a page long, double-spaced.

    Tell us about the person and why he or she is an Unsung Hero. Include your telephone number so we can call you if we have questions about your submission.

    The Citizen of the Year will also be featured in Profile 2016. The Citizen of the Year is a person who has gone above and beyond in contributing to the betterment of Meridian.

    If you know of someone whose accomplishments rise to the level of Citizen of the Year, send an email explaining why you think the person deserves the recognition to Ida Brown at ibrown@themeridianstar.com or Bill Graham at bgraham@themeridianstar.com, or mail your submissions to The Meridian Star, Attention Newsroom, 814 22nd Ave., Meridian, MS, 39301.