JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI | City With Soul - Page 27 (2024)

Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees echoed a similar cadence throughout the Hardy-Hughes athletic complex about JPSD wanting to give back to its student-athletes.

On Friday, the Jackson Public School District held a ribbon-cutting ceremony and officially opened up its new baseball and softball fields.

In 2018, Jackson residents voted for a $65 million bond referendum to improve schools and athletic facilities, of which $5.7 million was put into the development of the new complex.

The $5.7 million dollars spent on the construction saw a project built from the ground up, including natural grass, an irrigation system, batting cages, bullpens, spectator seating, fenced dugouts, scoreboards and field lighting at both fields.

“The addition of these facilities not only elevates the athletic programs within the district but also serves as a focal point for community pride and involvement,” JPS Superintendent Errick Greene said.

The fields support all JPS high school baseball and softball teams year-round, and the 2024 season saw its debut for baseball and softball seasons. The high schools include Callaway, Forest Hill, Jim Hill, Lanier, Murrah, Provine and Wingfield.

Attendees sing "Take Me out to the Ballpark" at the end of the grand opening of new baseball and softball fields at the Hardy-Hughes Athletic Complex in Jackson, Miss., on Friday, April 26, 2024.

"It's been a great opportunity," Kaycelyn Jones said. Jones played on the softball team at Jim Hill and described the team's old facilities as like playing on concrete. "I know we're out here about every day utilizing the cages and the field. It's just a great opportunity."

It's the second milestone that the JPS board has for the Hardy-Hughes athletic complex, which has other goals, such as adding more facilities for indoor sports.

The two fields add to a complex that began with a renovation of the Hardy-Hughes football stadium and track and field completed in 2023, which was a part of the 2018 bond. It added a new paved parking lot, ticket booth, concession stand and restrooms.

"On behalf of baseball and softball players, we are very thankful for this field," said Kenderrius Carter, who plays baseball at Forest Hill. "We are very thankful for practices and playing the games we have in the city. On behalf of us all, we are very thankful and want to say thank you to the people who helped develop and build this field."

Hardy-Hughes Field is playing host one first-round playoff game on Saturday as Jim Hill baseball faces George County in its three-game series in the MHSAA Class 6A state playoffs, which started on Friday.

A found interest in Jackson with baseball and softball
In 2018, JPS' bond referendum focused heavily on upgrading athletic facilities, one of which was a newly constructed baseball and softball field.

Greene has seen interest in these two sports grow over time among schools, teams and athletes. So, Greene thought, why not expand the complex and add facilities to help improve play and attention?

"There's an interest," Greene said. "We've got lots of scholars who are involved in are interested in baseball and softball. We've got teams that have been competitive, but we want to help them to be more competitive, locally and across the state and perhaps even beyond."

Kenderrius Carter, Forest Hill Patriots baseball player, and Kacelyn Jones, Jim Hill Tigers softball player, speak during the grand opening of new baseball and softball fields at the Hardy-Hughes Athletic Complex in Jackson, Miss., on Friday, April 26, 2024.

Executive Director of Athletics at JPS Daryl Jones knows baseball and softball are not the first sports many kids choose to play, but he sees the community starting to find an interest and is happy to see the facilities getting used every night.

"Baseball and softball is really not a sport that's been, I guess glorified in our communities," Jones said. "So what we want to do is bring it back to our communities and make sure that we expose our scholar-athletes to baseball and softball with good coaching and good fundamentals of the game so they can kind of grow and hopefully grow their scholarship potential."
https://www.clarionledger.com/story/...x/73458190007/

Work to preserve an underpass of a bridge on I-55 that crosses U.S. 51 and the railroad is under way.

The project began in March that will replace bridge bearings, repair splintered areas with epoxy mortar, put a hybrid polymer concrete overlay in place, re-seal bridge joints and install fencing, said Michael Flood, a spokesperson for the Mississippi Department of Transportation.

Key LLC received a $2.4 million contract to do the work, which is expected to be completed this fall, he said.

Crews are currently working on the bearing replacement, he said.

The biggest component of the job from a traffic standpoint will be the hybrid polymer concrete overlay, Flood said, because it will require lane closures over a couple weekends in the near future. The timing for that depends upon the weather and is to be determined.
The public can stay informed about the timeframe for the upcoming work that will require lane closures by following @MississippiDOT on social media and signing up for traffic alerts at MDOTtraffic.com.

Flood said work like that on the underpass often takes place across the state. “One that comes to mind was on State Route 43 over the Reservoir in Madison County a year or two ago,” he said.

Drivers are urged to watch out for workers, slow down and drive distraction-free and give the roadside workers the space they need to safely complete the job, he said.
https://www.northsidesun.com/work-pr...&e_sort_order=

After rainy conditions recently put a hamper on the re-opening of the East Hardy Street bridge that connects Petal and Hattiesburg over the Leaf River, officials are now looking forward to the completion of that project early next week.

Terri Bell, who serves as president of the Forrest County Board of Supervisors, said the bridge was expected to re-open in mid-April, but inclement weather caused the work to be pushed back a bit. Despite that setback, workers have recently been able to make progress on several measures, including but not limited to:

Grading the roadway to prepare for asphalt;
Forming and pouring sections of sidewalk on the Hattiesburg side of the bridge;
Forming and pouring tops and gutters of curb inlets on the Petal side of the bridge;
Removing the bridge deck overhang forms;
Forming and pouring curb and gutter tie-in on the Petal side of the bridge;
Installing limestone base and grading the roadway on the Petal side of the bridge; and
Installing topsoil and preparing for landscaping of the curb islands on the Hattiesburg side of the bridge.
The bridge has been closed to traffic since January 22, when it was shut down to allow drainage work and other measures.

“We’re almost there,” Bell said. “We’re really excited that we’re going to be able to open the bridge to traffic, so people that normally commute that way can continue that path.

“We’re excited to get it back open for everyone.”

However, some upcoming drainage work just south of Carterville Road in Petal will necessitate a closure of a small portion of South Main Street once work on the bridge is complete. That closure, which will take place along South Main from the red light at Carterville Road to Dawson Cutoff, is expected to last approximately a month.

Bell said that work could be completed while the bridge project progresses, but that measure would have made it more difficult for the businesses in that area, including the MJ Discount convenience store and Cochran’s Muffler and Auto Shop.

“We wanted to keep these businesses as accessible to traffic as we could,” Bell said. “We feel like this way, people can get to them, because we’ve poured driveways to them, so people can get to them while we’re in this last phase of the drainage on the Petal side.”

Officials are currently working to complete a new bridge adjacent to the current bridge, which will replace the structure that has connected Hattiesburg and Petal for more than 70 years.

Officials had originally considered demolishing the current bridge, but after learning that endeavor would cost approximately $1 million, the decision was made to leave the structure and transform it into a pedestrian bridge. The funds for that project will come from the Leaf and Bouie Redevelopment District, which was recently established to take the taxes from each side of the Leaf and Bouie rivers and reinvest them back into those areas of Hattiesburg, Petal and Forrest County.

“We have that district set up down there, and that’s bringing in some revenue for the second or third year,” said David Hogan, former president of the Forrest County Board of Supervisors, in a previous story. “So we’ll have some money built up to do some stuff to the old bridge once it’s not in use anymore.

“It’s going to be a destination point. There will be a walking path and some lighting, and we’ll probably paint it during events.”

With the help of matching grants from the United States Department of Transportation, officials from Petal, Forrest County and Hattiesburg are working to put forward matching grants to make a walking path possible on the bridge. The funds would come from the department of transportation’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity discretionary grant program for 2024, which is designed to help communities around the country carry out projects with significant local or regional impact.

“I’m extremely excited about taking this step forward for the city to partner with Forrest County and the City of Petal to make the old East Hardy bridge an asset to our entire community,” Hattiesburg City Council president Jeffrey George said in a previous story. “I think the potential addition of this pedestrian path will help us continue to expand outdoor recreation opportunities and will further our mission to realize the Leaf River as an asset to our city.”
https://www.hubcityspokes.com/local-...&e_sort_order=

After several months of contentious meetings of the Petal Board of Aldermen and residents of the City of Petal regarding a dilapidated property on Stevens Street, board members have voted to approve a permit to allow the owner of that building to rebuild the facility rather than demolish it.

The condition of the structure, which is owned by Bach Stabile – owner of Trusted Homes, LLC – has been addressed at several recent board meetings by Ward 1 Alderman Gerald Steele and his wife Jamie Steele, who live adjacent to the property. The Steeles have contended that the building – which was last occupied in or around 2017 by the Deep South Cycles business – is not up to code and presents a safety risk to the family, particularly in the instance of a possible fire.

“The property next to my house is a fire hazard,” Jamie told aldermen during a recent board meeting. “Aside from the necessary buffer zone of 20 feet (required by city code) that should be provided, the current fence that stands between my house and the structure at 106 Stevens Street is dilapidated and falling over.

“The property owner (of that building) should be made to provide adequate fencing as well as an adequate buffer zone upon building at this location, which is clearly outlined in our city’s ordinances.”

Stabile will now be given 30 days to obtain the permit, six months to start work on the building and 18 months to complete the work. A cost estimate for the work is expected to be determined soon, including replacing the roof – which collapsed in recent weeks – along with repairing the fallen-in walls and other interior measures.

“Obviously it’s a tough situation, and there’s a lot of grey area in matters of this nature,” Mayor Tony Ducker said. “We want to do something … that is fair to all parties involved and that is legal to our best understanding of this. Hopefully, (the owner) will act in accordance with the will of the board, and that would mean that they would need to clean the place up.

“I think the board has acted in the best interest of the city, when it’s all said and done.”

Stabile began work in January 2022 to repair the structure, at which time an initial building permit was issued by the city for $20,000. However, city officials then sent a letter to Stabile stating that the property is located in an AE flood zone as determined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, meaning the site presents a 1 percent annual chance of flooding and a 26 percent chance of flooding over the life of a 30-year mortgage.

Under that classification, if the value of improvements is more than 50 percent of the actual cash value of the property, the building on the property must be up to code. On February 2, 2022, a Stop Work Order was posted on the building, stating that Stabile was completing work outside the scope of the permit.

According to a document submitted by Jamie, Stabile turned in an appraisal for the property dated December 20, 2021, which stated the property’s current “as is” value was essentially its purchase price of $35,000.

“’Market value of the subject, as of December 3, 2021, is $155,000, subject to satisfactory completion of renovation,’” the document states. “The owner, after submitting a permit request for $50,000 that was denied due to (city) ordinance, tried to say that he would only need a permit for $16,500, but this request was denied due to labor and supplies not being itemized as required.”

Jamie said the 106 Stevens Street property is current zoned C-2 (commercial) and abuts her R-1 (residential) property, which houses her, Gerald and their three children. In July 2023 Jamie sent a formal complaint to the mayor, the city’s building department manager, and the board of aldermen regarding the building, which she said is not being built to code according to city standards.

Another appraisal was submitted by Stabile dated August 4, 2023, which stated the estimated value of the property at $80,000 in its as-is condition, which was considered to be 47 percent complete. At that point, the building department submitted a letter stating that the appraisal was not sufficient and that an appraisal prior to February 2, 2022 – when the Stop Work Order was submitted – be turned in, along with an itemized list of work/supply estimates.

During a January 16 public meeting, the Petal Board of Aldermen condemned the building via a unanimous vote. The main part of the structure collapsed in mid-February, at which point that incident was reported to the Petal Fire Department.

In a letter dated February 13, city officials sent a letter to Trusted Homes stating that the building was an “imminent danger to the residents surrounding it,” and required Stablie to obtain a demolition permit.

Seth Hunter, Stablie’s lawyer, provided another appraisal dated February 29 stating the estimated market value of the property as of January 7, 2022, was $85,000.

“It is clear that his board based its most recent decision to allow a building permit on a fraudulent appraisal,” Jamie said. “The appraiser states that the property went up in value by $50,000 in just a matter of weeks while absolutely no work was done.

“Work started on January 6, 2022. (The board) allowed – and I believe encouraged – the property owner … to continuously manipulate the numbers so an unsafe building could be rebuilt. The initial appraisal turned in, which stated the cash value was $35,000, compared to the building request permit request of $50,000, equated substantial improvement – the end. Why is it so difficult to enforce city ordinances?”
https://www.hubcityspokes.com/local-...&e_sort_order=

Mississippi business owner Christopher Robinson has one goal when it comes to selling — no customer should lose sleep when it comes to buying a mattress.

Friday was a special day for Robinson. His sleep mattress store idea, which opened in November, celebrated a ribbon cutting with a large crowd gathered together outside of Slumber by J. Allan’s in Brookhaven.

What people may not know is the furniture store’s namesake was James Allan Smith, Christopher’s father. Katie Nations, program director at the Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce, said she worked with Christopher in the furniture store nearly two decades ago.

Robinson had a business idea to open a store which specializes in sleep and the sale of mattresses because he knew the process for buying a mattress could be complicated. His plan was to make mattress shopping simple and has done so.

“James Allan Smith was a special part of our lives for so long,” Nations said. “I know he would be proud of you. I was proud to work for the business. I’m glad today it came full circle.”

Southwest Broadcasting, Brookhaven Animal Rescue League and Gel-U Italian Ice joined Slumber in the festivities. Robinson said it was good to have the community involved in the celebration.

“The response has been good. It has been good and hopefully we are helping people sleep better,” he said. “I’m glad to see it open and getting the kinks worked out. It has been good.”

Robinson said since the opening things have been going good. Manager Liz Kerwin has stepped up and learned everything she could about mattresses to better serve customers over the last few months. Robinson said she has done a great job managing the store.

Crystal Stringer, a Sealy mattress sales representative, was present at the ribbon cutting. Don Chauvin, J. Allan’s Vice President of Operations, was in attendance for the special occasion. He is a Houma, Louisiana native.

“Slumber is a neat thing. We are able to bring a higher end bedding to the market,” Chauvin said. “It is a fresh feeling when you come in. We have been able to maximize the space. You look around you and see Sealy, Stearn and Foster and Tempurpedic. We believe in them and they believe in us. This is the only Slumber store. It was Christopher’s idea and it worked out well. It allows us a chance to offer mattresses to our furniture stores.”

He spends much of his time on the road going to different stores. J.Allan’s has furniture stores in Ridgeland, Brookhaven and Hattiesburg and their Textures, a J. Allan’s Warehouse, stores in New Orleans and Denham Springs.

“Textures is a warehouse sale concept. It is done once a month which gives us an opportunity to create a certain excitement about it,” Chauvin said. “We try to do exciting things with maybe a food truck or a DJ. We try to make it a fun experience and once a month event. We are always looking for opportunities to grow.”
https://www.newsbreak.com/news/34171...tress-shopping

BROOKHAVEN — Local sporting goods store 601 Sports completed a move down the sidewalk over the weekend. The store opened in a new location at 820 Brookway Boulevard Tuesday morning.

The space is considerably bigger than the former 601 Sports location. More inventory can be seen on the floor. The 601’s gun counter remains tucked away in the back as are the team sporting goods for all your baseball, softball, football and soccer needs.

601 Sports announced the first day of business on social media Tuesday morning and stated “Our signs may be temporary but we are here to stay.”

Tracey Smith, manager of 601 Sports Brookhaven, said the move to the space would allow them to carry more inventory and offer new products on April 9.

Rite Aid was the last tenant in the space before the company was bought out by Walgreens and closed.

Other business news

City of Brookhaven announced last summer that TJ Maxx and Five Below would come to Brookhaven and it was rumored they would take up the space at Rite Aid. TJ Maxx has since opened but Five Below has not stated when or where they plan to open. In the last two weeks, Five Below has not responded to requests for comment on their plans for Brookhaven.

Save-A-Lot posted signs it plans to close by April 27 although the corporate office has not responded to requests for comment. Save-A-Lot’s location is to the right of the former 601 Sports location.

ALDI confirmed on April 12 it plans to come to Brookhaven by this fall. The company did not comment on when or where exactly they planned to open.
https://www.newsbreak.com/brookhaven...pens-new-space

The City of Magee Announces New Smartphone App

The City of Magee is excited to announce the release of a new smartphone application. This app will serve as a new way for the city to connect with residents and visitors, providing information quickly and efficiently to anyone with a smartphone.

The City of Magee mobile app was developed by TheGovApp.com, a brand of OCV, LLC., which specializes in mobile app development for municipalities and public safety organizations across the country. The app offers quick access to items of public interest and is easy to use. In just a few clicks, users can access features such as:

Welcome to Magee
Website
Parks & Rec
Fire Department
Police Department
Pay Bills
Contact Us
Upcoming Events
More!

The City of Magee is available to download for free in the App Store and Google Play by searching “City of Magee, MS” or clicking here.

Sue Note: Ya’ll, the app is great! You can choose which departments you want updates from. Most likely, you will want to allow notifications. If you have problems, go by City Hall and see Penny! She’s a whiz!

MageeNews.com is the online news source for Simpson and surrounding counties as well as the State of Mississippi.
https://mageenews.com/the-city-of-ma...phone-app/amp/

Construction crews will begin work to finish resurfacing streets throughout Kosciusko this week.

Kosciusko Mayor Tim Kyle said crews will begin work today or Friday, weather permitting, on E Adams Street.

Additionally, the new road into the soccer fields at Hugh Ellard Park off of Hwy 43 S will be completely paved.

Other streets set to be paved include:

Washington Street
Madison Street
Pilsudsky Street
Love Street
Peachtree Street
E South Street
Highland Drive
Goodman Street

Audio: Mayor Tim Kyle discusses street paving during Minute with the Mayor
https://www.breezynews.com/local/cre...s-in-kosciusko

Work is continuing on a project that would turn downtown Kosciusko into an interactive history lesson.

The project includes creating a map of historic downtown Kosciusko that would be used as the basis for a walking audio tour.

That tour would follow the original Natchez Trace and would also highlight several other historic locations downtown.

The maps, which would be available at the Visitor’s Center, City Hall, and the Kosciusko-Attala Partnership, contain QR codes on the back that when scanned, would bring up an audio file or would give information about that site.

The entire project is the work of Bad Hoss Maps, a New Mexico based company that creates historical maps for books, museums, and for government agencies such as the National Park Service, U.S. Forestry Service, the Department of Indian Affairs.

Representatives from the company are due back in Kosciusko at the beginning of May to finish their work on mapping the downtown area.

Audio:

Kosciusko Mayor Tim Kyle discusses the mapping project during Minute with the Mayor.

https://www.breezynews.com/local/aud...t-walking-tour

NATCHEZ — The Highest Care, one of the first medical cannabis dispensaries to open in Natchez, has outgrown its Jeff Davis Boulevard location and moved to a new facility at 2 Seargent S. Prentiss Drive.

“We were outgrowing our location on Jeff Davis Boulevard,” said General Manager Christian Wroten. “We have been renting for a year and are getting busier and busier. Our new location is a perfect fit.”

The Highest Care opened its doors at its new location on Monday, April 15, and by Saturday, the store recorded its busiest day ever.

“Saturday was 4/20, which is essentially a national cannabis holiday. On that day we saw 99 patients, our busiest day,” Wroten said.

More and more doctors in Natchez are writing cannabis prescriptions and are inquiring about medical cannabis, which translates to more patients seeking relief for chronic pain and other medical issues, he said.

“The average age of our patients is 58 years old. Most of them come to us for chronic pain and relief from diabetic neuropathy. We have a number of hospice patients, as well,” Wroten said. “It’s not young people coming here to get pot, which is what some people think. Patients come here for relief from their medical conditions. A lot of doctors are beginning to come on board.”

He said cannabis is available in a variety of forms, but all require a medical marijuana card issued by the state.

“We sell everything from cannabis lotion to smokable cannabis flowers, edibles, cannabis chocolates, cannabis drops … we even have cannabis bath balms,” he said. “Some of our patients have been able to get off prescription pain medications and have narrowed down their prescription medications to just one or two now.”

Wroten’s mother is the owner of the business. She is also the owner broker at River Park Realty, which manages the offices at 131 and 151 Jeff Davis Blvd. for its owner, J.R. Real Property.

Because of the need for additional space for The Highest Care, she purchased the property at 2 Seargent S. Prentiss Drive when she learned it met all of the criteria necessary for a medical dispensary.
https://www.newsbreak.com/natchez-ms...-sales-on-4-20

CHOCTAW, MS (February 28, 2024) – The Choctaw Resort Development Enterprise (CRDE), owned by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, is thrilled to announce the official name of its upcoming travel plaza: “Crystal Sky.” The name draws inspiration from the nearby Tribal community in Winston County. Known as Crystal Ridge, this community shares part of its name with the travel plaza. This exciting development promises to be a beacon of hospitality, convenience, and cultural pride for travelers passing through the Louisville area.

“As we unveil the name of our Travel Plaza, I am filled with gratitude,” said Tribal Chief Cyrus Ben. “This endeavor isn’t just about bricks and mortar; it’s about weaving connections. Crystal Sky will not only serve travelers passing through but will also uplift the Louisville/Winston County area and honor the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.”

In April 2023, during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Travel Plaza, Tribal Chief Cyrus Ben unveiled an innovative contest. Tribal members were invited to submit their suggestions for the plaza’s name, reflecting the spirit of the community and the natural beauty of the surroundings. The response was overwhelming, with 258 entries pouring in. After extensive rounds of voting and thoughtful consideration, the winning name emerged: “Crystal Sky.” The final decision was made collaboratively by the Tribal Council and CRDE Board members.

We extend our congratulations to tribal member Dachelle E. of Louisville, MS, whose submission captured the essence and vision of the property. As a token of appreciation, Dachelle will receive a $500 cash prize in recognition of her creativity and contribution to the community.
https://www.breezynews.com/local/cho...66229248046875

TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) – Another chicken restaurant is coming to Tupelo, and it is called Waldo's Chicken & Beer.

Waldo's is an Alabama-based company that has locations primarily throughout the southeastern United States.

Waldo's will be located in the now-closed Abner's Restaurant located on North Gloster Street.

The company's website says that you can enjoy chicken on the bone, on the bun, in a basket or in a bowl.

And of course, as they name says, there will be beer.
https://www.wtva.com/news/waldo-s-ch...e50758121.html