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Posted May 16, 2024, 9:21 PM
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Join Date: May 2023
Location: JXN Mississippi
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Jackson celebrates Economic Development Week: A glimpse into the future of the Capital City
Christopher G. Pike, executive director, JRA and Yolanda R. Owens, FUSE Executive Fellow pose for photo after the bus tour at Union Station. PHOTO BY EDELIA CARTHAN PhD
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The City of Jackson, along with local businesses and educational leaders, hosted its annual Economic Development Week from May 6 to May 10, 2024. A series of events across the week, including educational workshops, networking opportunities and insightful tours, offered participants a deep dive into the economic potential of downtown Jackson.
The week kicked off with an official proclamation and a Kick-off Breakfast at the Hinds County Economic Development Authority office Monday, celebrating regional community growth efforts. The festivities continued with a “lunch and learn” session at the Capitol Club Tuesday, where professionals, students and local business owners gathered to learn about the fundamentals of economic development.
A networking mixer was held at Cathead Distillery Wednesday evening, providing a lively ambiance for professionals to share ideas and inspiration. However, the highlight of the week was the bus tour Thursday, which began at 9 a.m. from Union Station. Christopher G. Pike, executive director of the JRA, initiated the tour, which included stops at significant landmarks and proposed development sites in downtown Jackson.
The tour’s route included significant landmarks and development sites, such as a drive-by of the Atmos Building. Attendees learned about the property’s history and acquisition, with insights provided by the JRA team. The tour also stopped at Jackson State University to discuss proposed developments on campus, followed by a look at the plans for the Convention Center and Planetarium.
A special part of the tour was dedicated to the Farish Street Historic District. Participants disembarked at 202 N. Farish Street, walked the 200 block, where Dominika Parry discussed the green space initiative, supported by insights from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) and historical insights from local experts.
The tour concluded at Union Station around 11:45 p.m., where participants were treated to a boxed lunch and a mini charette hosted by Woolpert to discuss the day’s findings and future developmental prospects. Citizens actively participated and provided their feedback on the city’s developments.
The week concluded Friday with an open house at Visit Jackson, where residents explored behind-the-scenes efforts to boost tourism and attract visitors to the community.
Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba remarked, “We remain committed to ensuring our residents and business owners are not only prepared to succeed in the modern economic climate but are also given the opportunities they deserve. Since their success is our success, we are excited about this year’s Economic Development Week and I commend the organizers and partner agencies for making this happen.”
Pike emphasized the inclusive nature of these efforts.
“We just want to encourage the citizens to be plugged in…what the future of Jackson could be. This is a community-driven process.”
This sentiment highlighted the week’s overarching goal: to engage the community in shaping the vibrant future of Jackson through a collective vision and diverse initiatives.
As Economic Development Week in Jackson drew to a close, the energy and optimism were palpable among all who attended. The variety of events, from the transformative bus tour to engaging workshops and networking sessions, not only showcased the city’s potential but also fostered a spirit of collaboration and community input. As Jackson looks to the future, the insights and feedback gathered throughout the week will undoubtedly play a crucial role in shaping a vibrant and prosperous city. With the community’s continued involvement and the dedication of local leaders, Jackson is set on a path of dynamic growth and exciting opportunities.
https://themississippilink.com/news/...-capital-city/
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Reeves again blocks funds for LeFleur’s Bluff project in Jackson
The Mississippi Science Fest is a day-long celebration hosted by the LeFleur Museum District in Jackson Credit: Mississippi Science Fest
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For the third consecutive year legislative efforts to direct state money to renovate LeFleur’s Bluff in Jackson have been stymied, thanks in large part to Gov. Tate Reeves.
Earlier this week, the Republican governor vetoed a portion of a bill that directed $14 million to the office of Secretary of State Michael Watson for work on developing and improving a nature trail connecting parks and museums and making other tourism-related improvements in the LeFleur’s Bluff area.
It is not clear whether the Legislature could take up the veto during the 2025 session, which begins in January, though, that’s not likely. The Legislature had the option to return to Jackson Tuesday to take up any veto, but chose not to do so.
Of the project, Watson said, “Our office was approached late in the session about helping with a project to revitalize LeFleur’s Bluff. As Mississippi’s state land commissioner, I was more than happy to help lead this effort not just because it’s a natural fit for our office, but also because I believe Mississippi needs a thriving capital city to retain our best and brightest. Investing state funds in state property on a project to enhance the quality of life in Jackson makes good sense.
“Unfortunately, some only support it when it equates to campaign contributions. Sadly, through the line-item veto of the appropriation, Mississippians will once again wait another year for the opportunity to benefit from state investments for the greater public good.”
Various groups, such as representatives of the Mississippi Children’s Museum and many other community leaders have been working on the project for years. The area already is the home of the Children’s Museum, Museum of Natural History, Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, state Agriculture Museum and a state park.
The issues with LeFleur’s Bluff first arose in 2022 when Reeves vetoed a $14 million appropriation that in part was designed to redesign and create a new golf course in the area. Previously, there had been a nine-hole, state-owned golf course operated by the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks at LeFleur’s Bluff State Park.
In 2022, the LeFleur’s Bluff project was one of literally hundreds of projects funded by the Legislature – many of which was tourism projects like LeFleur’s Bluff. The governor only vetoed a handful of those projects.
When issuing the LeFleur’s Bluff veto, Reeves said the state should not be involved in funding golf courses.
Then last year $13 million was directed to the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks to spend on the LeFleur’s Bluff project. But legislative leaders said state money would not go toward a golf course.
Lawmakers opted to transfer the project to the Secretary of State’s office late in the 2024 session, apparently in part because they felt the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks had not made enough of an effort to begin the project.
Lynn Posey, executive director of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, said that before moving forward with the project, “We felt like we needed to do engineering work and see what the situation was. We never got a chance to move forward” because the Legislature redirected the money.
Posey said an engineer’s report was needed because “it is a unique piece of land.” He said much of the land is prone to flooding.
He said before that work could begin the Legislature switched the authority to the Secretary of State’s office. Posey was appointed to his current position by Reeves, whose office had no comment on the veto.
Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said after the governor’s veto, “Projects like the LeFleur’s Bluff development are critical to the Capital City, the wider metropolitan area, and our state. Public parks add to the quality of life for our citizens. I am hopeful the individuals involved in this project, including those at the Mississippi Children’s Museum, will continue their work to improve this state asset.”
While the Constitution instructs the governor to provide to the Legislature a reason for any veto, Reeves did not do so this year when vetoing the money going to the Secretary of State’s office.
On Monday, the governor also vetoed a portion of another bill dealing with appropriations for specific projects. But in this case, the veto was more of a technicality. The bill was making corrections to language passed in previous sessions. In that language were five projects the governor vetoed in 2022.
The language, as it was written, would not have revived those previously vetoed projects, the governor said. But Reeves said he vetoed the five projects out of caution. He did the same in 2023 when those five projects, which included money appropriated in 2022 for the Russell C. Davis Planetarium in Jackson, were carried forward in a bill also making corrections to previously passed legislation.
https://mississippitoday.org/2024/05...-state-watson/
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Is the state trying to take control of Smith-Wills Stadium? City says not so fast
• Video Link
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JACKSON, Miss. —
A fight could be brewing between the city of Jackson and the state of Mississippi over control of Smith-Wills Stadium.
The mayor’s office said despite some reports, the state has not repossessed the stadium. But some believe Republicans in the state legislature are trying another power grab in Jackson.
“I don’t understand the significance, or the interest in the state trying to pull this other than them trying to take the land for something else,” State Rep. Chris Bell said.
Bell believes the Republican-dominated legislature has an ulterior motive for legislation that gives the state control of the land on which Smith-Wills stands. The 5,200-seat baseball facility opened in the 1970s. Bell said the land under the stadium was donated to the city years ago with the stipulation that it be used for recreational and sporting events.
“Which has never ceased,” said Bell, a Democrat from Hinds County. “You have colleges that play their baseball games here and other junior colleges have played baseball here.”
“Jackson Public Schools has, I think six high schools now, and literally, I think there’s only one other facility other than ours for them to play on safely,” said Tim Bennett, CEO of the Hank Aaron Sports Academy.
But House Bill 1983, which the governor signed this week, calls for the state attorney general “to take necessary actions to determine compliance with the conditions of use of a land conveyance related to certain public lands within the city of Jackson. And to enforce the terms of the instrument of conveyance upon determination of a violation of the original specified purposes.”
Melissa Faith Payne, a spokesperson for the mayor, said the bill is not transparent. In fact, it never refers to Smith-Wills Stadium by name.
“Instead, it spells out the legal description of a parcel of land. The stadium itself is utilized by numerous schools and sporting teams from all over the metro and beyond. This deceptive maneuver is now common for the state when it comes to city of Jackson assets. The city of Jackson welcomes the challenge of repossession, especially when businesses sanctioned by the state have operated on that property for more than a decade,” Payne said in a statement.
The Hank Aaron Sports Academy is housed at Smith-Wills. CEO Bennett said he’s not taking sides between the city and state.
“I want to keep our relationship happy,” Bennett said. “I’ve been very happy working with the mayor of Jackson, Mayor (Chokwe Antar) Lumumba, who is giving us this opportunity. So, again, my job is to stay out of the middle and again, just do the job that I came here to do, which is baseball.”
Bell suggested there could be legal action if the state moves forward to try to take the land.
https://www.wapt.com/article/mississ...0the%20stadium.
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Department of Public Safety and other state agencies moving to Pearl
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JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - The capital city is losing another major government facility with the legislature’s approval for relocation. The Department of Public Safety and other state agencies are moving their operations to Rankin County.
“Take good pictures of this building because I intend to tear it down,” said Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann.
He told people gathered at Mississippi Highway Patrol Headquarters for the Fallen Officers Memorial that he plans to have the 48-year-old building leveled as soon as possible.
Construction is currently underway in Pearl for a new headquarters for MHP and the Department of Public Safety.
The 150,000-square-foot facility is next to the MS State Crime Lab. Officials plan to relocate several state agencies dealing with investigations of cyber crimes and security to the site.
“We’ll have more synergy for you to work together, and it will be the optimum and what it really reflects to me is the fact that we’re changing. We’re changing, evolving,” said Hosemann.
“It’s gonna bring all the divisions underneath the Department of Public Safety underneath one building which is something that’s never happened before,” said Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell. “Highway Patrol’s always had its own headquarters. MBN’s always had its own headquarters, and now all our divisions will be under one roof working together to make a safer Mississippi.”
Completion is expected sometime in 2025. The Driver’s License office next to MHP Headquarters will remain at its location.
There is no word yet on the future use of the current Woodrow Wilson site.
https://www.wlbt.com/2024/05/15/depa...outputType=amp
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Dinosaur exhibit coming to Mississippi Museum of Natural Science
Photo courtesy of the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science
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The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science in Jackson is looking to transport visitors to eras long past through its upcoming exhibit, Dinosaurs Around the World: The Great Outdoors.
The outdoor and indoor exhibit, which will run from June 8, 2024, through January 5, 2025, will feature 11 animatronic dinosaurs, showcase cutting-edge research, and provide a tour of what Earth looked like during the Mesozoic Era.
“Come face to face with the giants of the past. This exhibit is your chance to experience a prehistoric Earth and walk alongside the dinosaurs – it’s a thrilling adventure for all ages!” MMNS Director Charles Knight said.
Visitors of Dinosaurs Around the World: The Great Outdoors will explore time before the continents as we know them existed. For example, during the age of dinosaurs 252 to 66 million years ago, Brazil was covered with deserts and polar darkness was the norm in Australia.
Animatronics will include the mighty T. rex of North America, the bi-pedal predator Herrerasaurus, one of the first dinosaurs to appear on Earth, and the bizarre, bony-crested Oviraptor from Mongolia.
The exhibit is produced by Imagine Exhibitions and sponsored by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science Foundation, Nissan, Entergy, Trustmark Bank, Regions Bank, H.F. McCarty, Jr. Family Foundation, and others.
“‘Dinosaurs Around the World’ will transport visitors back in time to the unrecognizable landscape of Pangea in a playful and educational way,” Imagine Exhibitions President and CEO Tom Zaller said.
Accompanying the museum’s newest exhibit will be weekly dinosaur-themed “Fun Fridays” from June 7 through July 12 from 10 a.m. to noon and a “Tea Party with a T-Rex” on Nov. 16 from 10 a.m. to noon.
Dinosaurs Around the World: The Great Outdoors follows a successful run of Attack of the Bloodsuckers! which ended this past Sunday after four months of teaching visitors about sanguinivores. Tickets can be purchased online or in person at the museum.
https://www.supertalk.fm/dinosaur-ex...tural-science/
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JPS announces RFP for surplus school sites
• Video Link
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JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Officials with the Jackson Public School District (JPS) announced the launch of a Request for Proposal (RFP) process and the new Repurposing Initiative Webpage to help promote the reuse and redevelopment of the district’s surplus school sites.
According to JPS officials, their goal is to revitalize the properties by transforming them into valuable assets for Jackson’s neighborhoods.
Superintendent, Dr. Errick L. Greene said the Jackson community and Board of Trustees have made it clear that they want a plan of action to repurpose our closed or soon-to-be-shuttered buildings.
“We’ve heard the call and established the Facilities Repurposing Advisory Committee to help us strategically develop a comprehensive plan,” Greene said during the announcement. “We’ve received an overwhelming amount of interest in the properties from various individuals and organizations and the RFP process and the new webpage will provide a direct avenue to submit competitive proposals for the Board of Trustees to review.”
In December 2023, the JPS Board of Trustees voted in favor of a plan to close the following schools during the 2024-2025 school year:
Dawson Elementary
Lake Elementary
Lester Elementary
Marshall Elementary
Raines Elementary
Sykes Elementary
Shirley Elementary
G.N. Smith Elementary
Chastain Middle
Whitten Middle
Wingfield High
The consolidation of Obama IB Elementary and Wells APAC Elementary with their respective middle schools—Northwest IB and Bailey APAC—will be postponed until 2025. JPS officials said this delay allows for the completion of renovations at Bailey APAC Middle School.
https://www.wjtv.com/news/education/...-school-sites/
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MDOT eyeing new idea to improve traffic at Madison Co. intersection
An aerial view of Mississippi 463 and Stribling Road.(Google Maps)
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MADISON COUNTY, Miss. (WLBT) - A design feature other states have used to help alleviate traffic concerns at busy intersections could soon be used in Madison County.
The feature is called a “Green T,” and engineers are drawing up plans to incorporate one at Mississippi 463 and Stribling Road.
Central District Transportation Commissioner Willie Simmons discussed plans at a recent Madison County Board of Supervisors meeting.
He said design work was underway but didn’t say when plans would be completed or how much the work would cost.
“Hopefully, we will be able to put that in place and it will give you some relief, but it’s not going to give you the relief that you need,” he said. “We just keep looking at ways to be able to enhance [463] but widening is not an option at this point.”
With a Green T, the intersection would be redesigned to better accommodate vehicles turning on and off Stribling Road, while also allowing a continuous flow of southbound traffic on 463.
“We looked at other states and they seem to help flow traffic in a situation like that. So, we’re going to try that in Madison,” he said. “That’s the first one we’re going to put in the state.”
Click here to see a video (https://www.in.gov/indot/traffic-eng...=&utm_content=) from the Indiana Department of Transportation showing how the intersections work.
463 is one of the busiest east-west corridors in Madison County, with about 4,700 vehicles traveling it each day near Stribling Road, according to the Mississippi Department of Transportation’s website.
A traffic study released by Kiser Traffic and Engineering in October 2023 showed both Stribling Road and Stribling Road Extension were over capacity, with the roads averaging 12,000 and 8,600 vehicles a day respectively.
State and county officials have been grappling with how to address traffic congestion in those areas for years.
Kiser’s report last year recommended widening Stribling to five lanes. Simmons believes the congestion will be alleviated once the Reunion Interchange is completed, giving residents another way to get to the interstate.
Simmons, meanwhile, says widening 463, a state highway, is off the table. “The closeness of homes and businesses that are located right next to the right-of-way, we don’t have any way of expanding it other than to buy up a lot of property and have folks move,” Simmons said. “That would not be a good play for us.”
https://www.wlbt.com/2024/05/16/mdot...-intersection/
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