$22 million awarded to repair flood-damaged Mississippi highways
Over $22.7 million in federal funding will assist with the repair and restoration of highways in Mississippi that were damaged by recent flooding. Announced by Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, the funding from the Federal Highway Administration is linked to federal and state emergency disaster declarations issued for Mississippi following heavy rains and flooding in 2019 and 2020, including the February 2020 storms that caused the Pearl River to reach its third-highest crest on record. One award is linked to severe weather and flooding in April 2020. $8 million will be put toward the repair of road damages at Vicksburg National Military Park and Natchez Trace National Parkway. “The severe storms and flooding Mississippi experienced earlier this year claimed lives and caused significant damage to federal properties throughout the state. Damage to the Vicksburg National Military Park, a historic and economic asset to Warren County, was particularly startling,” Hyde-Smith said. “I’m pleased the U.S. Transportation Department has approved this emergency relief funding to address the costs of making necessary repairs to ensure public safety and commerce.” The FHWA awards include: $12,952,530 – Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) for February 2020 heavy rain and severe flooding damage repairs $8,000,000 – National Park Service for January 11 and February 14, 2020, heavy rain and flood damage repairs $1,044,692 – MDOT for February 2019 flood damage repairs $749,010 – MDOT for April 12, 2020, storms and flooding repairs $41,963 – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for February 2019 flood damage repairs The post $22 million awarded to repair flood-damaged Mississippi highways appeared first on News Mississippi.
Deadline for counties and municipalities to apply for COVID relief funding is approaching
House Bill 1799 and Senate Bill 3047 passed by the Mississippi legislature, allocated $70,000,000 of CARES Act money to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency to assist counties and municipalities with their COVID-19 expenses. Through FEMA’s COVID-19 Economic Disaster Declaration, counties and municipalities and specific nonprofits are eligible for public assistance. While FEMA reimburses 75% of those approved expenses, some entities struggle to meet the 25% match. Through the MEMA COVID-19 Emergency Relief Program, the burden is now lifted from the counties and municipalities to provide that match. Not all COVID-19 expenses are eligible for federal reimbursement through FEMA; therefore SB 3047 details what other expenses can be covered by the CARES Act funds. The allocation of funds from the Relief Program is based on the county or municipality’s population as listed in the 2010 U.S. Census. If a government entity’s costs are not entirely covered by FEMA’s reimbursement, MEMA will work with remaining CARES Act funds to help ensure a 100% reimbursement. To view the allocations of CARES Act funds based on the population as listed in the 2010 U.S. Census click the links below: Breakdown of funds to counties Breakdown of funds to municipalities Click here to apply. The deadline is October 15th. The post Deadline for counties and municipalities to apply for COVID relief funding is approaching appeared first on News Mississippi.
Coach Prime wastes no time recruiting his son, Shedeur
Ever since the rumor mill started churning with word that Deion Sanders was coming to Mississippi to become the next head football coach at Jackson State, many have speculated that his son, Shedeur, might follow suit. While that isn’t the case just quite yet, we’re a step closer to seeing the father-son combo on the gridiron in Jackson. Following the Monday introduction of “Coach Prime” as the new JSU football coach, the younger Sanders went to Twitter today to announce that he has received an official offer from his dad’s new program. Very Blessed to receive an offer from Jackson State University! #IBelieve @Coach_O pic.twitter.com/qsREdhXlv1 — Shedeur Sanders (@ShedeurSanders) September 24, 2020 Shedeur, who is a senior at Trinity Christian School (TX), accounted for over 3,650 total yards with 58 touchdowns as a junior. According to 247Sports, the four-star quarterback has almost 30 Division I offers, including Alabama and LSU. Currently, Shedeur is committed to play at Florida Atlantic University under new head coach Willie Taggart, however, it’s not abnormal to see a kid flip over the course of their senior year. Here’s where things get interesting. The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), of which Jackson State is a member, pushed back all fall sports to the spring due to concerns surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Say Shedeur decided to accept the offer to continue playing under his father and early enrolled at JSU, he technically could play for the Tigers during the spring 2021 season, which is set to begin on February 27th. It’s also worth nothing that Shedeur tagged JSU Offensive Line Coach Otis Riddley in his tweet, alluding to the fact that Coach Sanders plans to retain Riddley as part of his staff. Sanders has wasted no time hopping on the recruiting trail as he’s already secured a Power Five transfer in former Mississippi State cornerback Javorrius Selmon, plus he’s extended an offer to five-star defensive tackle Maason Smith. RELATED CONTENT: Deion Sanders offers insight into new-look JSU Tigers The post Coach Prime wastes no time recruiting his son, Shedeur appeared first on News Mississippi.
Adranos locating rocket motor research & development in Stone, creating 20 jobs
Adranos Incorporated has become the latest company in Mississippi to announce an expansion. The solid rocket fuel innovator announced Thursday that it will locate its rocket motor research and development operations in McHenry in Stone County. The $525,000 corporate investment will create 20 new jobs. “Mississippi continues to make strides in our efforts to send astronauts once again to the moon and beyond. The newest company to join the ranks of others in this mission, Adranos, will further bolster our position as a leader in space exploration,” Governor Tate Reeves said. “The company’s environmentally friendly, next-generation rocket fuel will be advanced by Mississippians in Stone County, and we are proud to partner with them and with Adranos as we continue to make history on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and for our nation.” Adranos specified that the site, where they will build a rocket motor test stand, will be close to Stennis Space Center. Once the stand is built, the company plans to perform a series of tests of its next-generation rocket fuel, the first of which will occur during the summer of 2021. The Mississippi Development Authority is providing assistance for the construction of the test stand. “South Mississippi’s workforce is second-to-none and plays a critical role in the region’s efforts to explore the depths of outer space, and now 20 more of the area’s residents will have the opportunity to be an active part of this important mission,” MDA Interim Director John Rounsaville said. “We are grateful to the Stone County Economic Development Partnership and Cooperative Energy for their support of this company. As a result of their teamwork, new jobs and investment are being realized in Stone County and beyond as Adranos prepares to ramp up production of its state-of-the-art rocket fuel.” During Thursday’s press briefing, Governor Reeves praised the recent decisions made by companies to locate and expand in Mississippi. “These businesses know which states will shut them down on a whim and they know which states will respect the rights of their workers to earn a living. Mississippi is never going back to the national shut down days of the spring. We will fight the virus. We recognize it is real, but we will also make sure that your life goes on,” he said. Adranos plans to fill the 20 jobs by the end of 2023. The post Adranos locating rocket motor research & development in Stone, creating 20 jobs appeared first on News Mississippi.
Sun-n-Sand Motor Hotel named one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has named the Sun-n-Sand Motor Hotel as one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places for 2020. In a release, the Mississippi Heritage Trust provided some background on the historic location in Jackson: Constructed in 1960 in the heart of Mississippi’s Capital City, the Sun-n-Sand exemplifies mid-century design with its metal screens, large expanses of glass and colorful Googie sign. During its 40 years of operation, the Sun-n-Sand was the home away from home for Mississippi legislators. The Sun-n-Sand is where a young State Representative, John Grisham, wrote A Time To Kill and where the courageous women of the interracial, interfaith movement “Wednesdays in Mississippi” met to further the cause of Civil Rights. The Sun-n-Sand closed its doors in 2002 and was named to the Mississippi Heritage Trust’s list of the 10 Most Endangered Historic Places in Mississippi in 2005. Over the years, the Mississippi Heritage Trust has fielded numerous calls from developers interested in the property, but the owner, who was receiving a reported $78,000 a year from the State of Mississippi to lease the hotel’s parking lot, was unwilling to sell. In 2019, the State of Mississippi purchased the Sun-n-Sand for a reported $1.1 million dollars and stated its intention to demolish the building to construct a parking lot. Since that time, community leaders have been advocating for the State of Mississippi to consider proposals from interested developers to convert this Mississippi Landmark into apartments, live-work units, or a hotel rather than demolish it. The threat to this modernist building that speaks to Mississippi’s political, architectural, literary, and Civil Rights is imminent, as the State of Mississippi has already received bids for demolition. According to the Mississippi Heritage Trust, to demolish the Sun-n-Sand and build a 260-spot surface parking lot, it will cost the state an estimated $2,095,000. “The Sun-n-Sand Motor Hotel has a history that is as vibrant and distinctive as its architecture, and the National Trust believes it can have an even brighter future,” stated Katherine Malone-France, Chief Preservation Officer for National Trust for Historic Preservation. “Reusing and revitalizing the Sun-n-Sand would help the State of Mississippi celebrate its rich history—including the story of ongoing racial reconciliation represented by ‘Wednesdays in Mississippi’—while putting the building back into use in a way that could create jobs and stimulate economic growth.” The post Sun-n-Sand Motor Hotel named one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places appeared first on News Mississippi.
MSDH confirms 737 new COVID-19 cases, 4 additional deaths
The Mississippi State Department of Health is reporting 737 new cases of COVID-19. Today’s report — the highest number of new cases since last Thursday — brings the state’s total up to 95,310. With the confirmation of *4 additional deaths, 2,874 Mississippians have now passed away from the virus. *MSDH Note: 1 COVID-19 related death occurred on August 14, identified from a Tennessee death certificate report. In the latest data from the MSDH (Wednesday’s report), overall hospitalizations showed a slight uptick. As of Monday, the MSDH is able to estimate that 85,327 Mississippians have recovered from COVID-19. The post MSDH confirms 737 new COVID-19 cases, 4 additional deaths appeared first on News Mississippi.
USM offering free public course on COVID-19 & pandemic history
Southern Miss is now offering a free public course aimed at helping everyone to better understand the COVID-19 pandemic. Titled “Understanding the Pandemic: A COVID-19 Public Service Short Course”, the online course will be taught by various USM faculty members through a series of videos. According to the university, Dr. Douglas Masterson, Senior Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness and Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, came up with the idea after realizing the amount of “misinformation and misunderstanding among the public—not only about the novel coronavirus’ immediate impact but about the history of pandemics in general.” Designed to be easily understood and accessible to all, the online course can be completed at your own pace and takes about three hours total. Dr. Masterson explained that the course is a tool for you to become equipped with facts about the ongoing pandemic “in order to minimize one’s risk, both to self and others.” “You’re not going to take this course and become a COVID-19 expert, but when you take this course you will have a better foundation for what this pandemic may mean for you. It’s going to help you navigate the things you’re hearing on the news,” Dr. Masterson said. The following faculty, staff, and community medical professionals participated in the creation of the COVID-19 course: Dr. Fengwei Bai, Associate Professor of Cell and Molecular Biology Dr. Karen S. Coats, Dean of Graduate School, Professor of Cell and Molecular Biology Susan Dobson, Lecturer of Public Health in the School of Health Professions Dr. Janet Donaldson, Professor of Cell and Molecular Biology Dr. Mohamed Elasri, Director of USM’s Center for Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, Professor of Cell and Molecular Biology Steven Farrell, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Forrest General Hospital John Fitzpatrick, MD, President, Hattiesburg Clinic Stacie Frey, Instructor in the School of Child and Family Sciences Dr. Tom Hutchinson, Director of USM’s Office of Online Learning Dr. Jennifer Lemacks, Associate Professor of Nutrition and Food Systems Dr. Stephanie M. McCoy, Assistant Professor of Kinesiology Dr. Kristy McRaney, Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychology Dr. Stephanie K. Parks, Assistant Professor of Leadership and Advanced Nursing Practice Dr. Scotty Piland, Professor of Kinesiology Dr. Edward Sayre, Professor of Economics and International Development Dr. Douglas Masterson, Senior Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness and Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry “Education will play an important role in mitigating this pandemic. That’s what this course is all about,” Dean Coats said. “It brings together a group of faculty with diverse areas of expertise to inform the public about pandemics throughout history, the biology, epidemiology, and control of the coronavirus, and the impact of COVID-19 on personal and societal health and well-being. Each module is valuable as a stand-alone, but it is our hope that the complete course will provide a level of understanding of COVID-19 that equips us to discern fact from fiction. Ultimately, it will prepare us to make better decisions about protecting ourselves and others from infection.” The public service course can be taken by following this link. The post USM offering free public course on COVID-19 & pandemic history appeared first on News Mississippi.
Municipal Court Clerk in Macon has been arrested for embezzlement
State Auditor Shad White announced Special Agents from his office have arrested City of Macon Municipal Court Clerk, Yolanda Atkins, after she was indicted for embezzlement. A $4,450.79 demand letter was issued to Atkins at the time of her arrest. Investigative costs and interest are included in the demand amount. Part of Atkins’s job duties as municipal court clerk includes both collecting and depositing fines paid to the court. Performing both of those duties allowed Atkins to allegedly embezzle over $2,000 from January 2018 to July 2019. The investigation began when a private CPA firm submitted a tip to the Auditor’s office after discovering accounting discrepancies during a routine annual audit. “I want to thank the investigators and private sector CPAs who worked together to uncover this fraud,” said Auditor White. “We will pursue justice for the taxpayers in this case, and I expect the case to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” Atkins surrendered to Special Agents at the Noxubee County Jail where she will remain until her arraignment on Thursday. If convicted, Atkins faces up to 5 years in prison and $5,000 in fines. All persons arrested by the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. District Attorney Scott Colom’s office will prosecute the case. A $50,000 surety bond covers Atkins’s time as Municipal Court Clerk for the City of Macon. A surety bond is similar to insurance designed to protect taxpayers in the event of misspending or embezzlement. Atkins will remain personally liable for the full amount of the demand in addition to criminal proceedings. The post Municipal Court Clerk in Macon has been arrested for embezzlement appeared first on News Mississippi.
Gov. provides vaccine update following convo with COVID-19 Task Force
As the process to develop a COVID-19 vaccine continues at warp speed, Governor Tate Reeves provided Mississippians with an update on the efforts following a recent conversation with President Trump, Vice President Pence and the Coronavirus Task Force. On the same day that Johnson & Johnson began phase three of its vaccine trials, Governor Reeves relayed the Trump administration’s confidence in the progress that is being made and the safety protocols in place. After lamenting the role that politics may play in some choosing not to trust the rapid development of the vaccine, the governor stressed that the approval process will not be altered. “The process in terms of the approvals, while expedited, is no different than any other vaccine that is approved through the FDA. That’s one of the things we want to reiterate to the people of Mississippi, is that if a vaccine gets through the clinical trials, we can have confidence that it has been tested and is safe,” Governor Reeves said. Later in the briefing, the governor further explained that any company pursuing a vaccine must follow the same peer-review standards and regulations that have been in place prior to President Trump’s election in 2016. “For those individuals who are trying to argue that this particular vaccine, because we have a particular person that is president, should not be trusted, that doesn’t make any sense to me at all,” he said. Governor Reeves expressed that he plans on taking the vaccine when it becomes available. When that may be is still up in the air. State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said that while it all depends on the trials, he anticipates that a vaccine could be available on a gradual basis (at-risk populations, healthcare workers, etc.) in early 2021 before becoming widely available to the public. Additionally, both Dobbs and Reeves recommended that everyone get a flu shot to prevent added stress on the state’s healthcare system and to lessen the chance that you simultaneously catch the flu and COVID-19. “You could have both at the same time, and there’s evidence from China that if you have both of them, your illness may in fact be worse,” Dr. Dobbs said. Also during today’s briefing, MEMA Executive Director Colonel Greg Michel announced that the agency has purchased a 103,000 square foot warehouse that will house the state’s stockpile of PPE. “While this facility will be an immense asset to the state’s COVID-19 response, MEMA’s vision for the logistical operations center extends past the pandemic. In the future, the facility will serve as a permanent space to hold disaster response and relief supplies in addition to emergency management equipment. It will also be the permanent location for MEMA’s procurement and allocation branches. Overall, this new facility will help support MEMA’s future growth in all aspects of the agency’s operations,” Michel said. The warehouse was purchased using $2.36 million of Mississippi’s CARES Act funding. The post Gov. provides vaccine update following convo with COVID-19 Task Force appeared first on News Mississippi.
Four Special Elections: Unofficial results show all four possibly heading toward runoffs
According to unofficial reports, it appears there may be runoffs in all four special elections held Tuesday to fill open legislative seats. Related Story In House District 66, WLBT reports that De’Keither Stamps will face Robert C. “Bob” Lee Jr. in a runoff. Image courtesy of WLBT House District 66, in Hinds County, was held by Jarvis Dortch who resigned in early July. Dortch was later named as the Executive Director of the ACLU in Mississippi. In House District 37, according to The Commercial Dispatch, Lynn Wright and David Chism will face each other again in a runoff. House District 37, which covers Clay, Lowndes, and Oktibbeha counties, was previously held by Gary Chism of Columbus, who retired on June 30th. Chism had served in the legislature since 1999. WCBI reports, in Senate District 15, Bart Williams and Joyce Meek Yates will compete for that seat. Senate District 15, which includes portions of Oktibbeha, Choctaw, Webster, and Montgomery counties, was held by Gary Jackson of French Camp. Jackson, who left the Senate in late June citing health concerns, had served for 17 years. In Senate District 39, The Daily Leader shows Bill Sones and Jason Barrett possibly lining up for a runoff. Senate District 39, which encompasses Copiah, Lawrence, Lincoln, and Walthall counties, was held by Sally Doty of Brookhaven until she resigned in mid-July. Doty was then appointed by Governor Tate Reeves as Executive Director of the Mississippi Public Utilities Staff. Runoffs will be held on October 13, 2020. The post Four Special Elections: Unofficial results show all four possibly heading toward runoffs appeared first on News Mississippi.