LUY-Development

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  • Federal Court Issues Groundbreaking Decision Overturning Mississippi’s Lifetime Voting Ban

    Federal Court Issues Groundbreaking Decision Overturning Mississippi’s Lifetime Voting Ban

    JACKSON, Miss. — Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit held that Mississippi’s lifetime voting ban for people with disqualifying felony convictions who have completed their sentences is cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

    The decision overturns Section 241 of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890, which imposed a lifetime voting ban for citizens who have completed their sentences for certain felony convictions. The right to vote will be restored to tens of thousands of Mississippians following the decision.

    “By severing former offenders from the body politic forever, Section 241 [of Article XII of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890] ensures that they will never be fully rehabilitated, continues to punish them beyond the term their culpability requires, and serves no protective function to society. It is thus a cruel and unusual punishment,” the decision states.

    The Court said, “Mississippi stands as an outlier among its sister states, bucking a clear and consistent trend in our [n]ation against permanent disenfranchisement.”

    The lawsuit, filed in 2018 by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, LLP, claimed that Mississippi’s lifetime voting bans arbitrarily grant or deprive citizens who reside in Mississippi of the right to vote and was intended to discriminate on the basis of race.

    “The right to vote is the cornerstone of a functioning democracy,” said Jon Youngwood, who argued the appeal before the Fifth Circuit and is Co-Chair of Simpson Thacher’s Litigation Department. “This is a major victory for Mississippians who have completed their sentences and deserve to participate fully in our political process.”

    “Section 241 of the Mississippi Constitution lifetime disenfranchisement scheme disproportionately impacted Black Mississippians,” said Ahmed Soussi, staff attorney for the SPLC. “We applaud the court for reversing this cruel and harmful practice and restoring the right to vote to tens of thousands of people who have completed their sentences.”

    “This is a tremendous victory for the state of Mississippi,” said SPLC Mississippi State Office Director Waikinya Clanton. “People have paid their debt to society and have been oppressed from exercising their voting rights for far too long. This is a huge win in the fight to restore dignity and respect to the voice of the disenfranchised voter in Mississippi.”

    A copy of the decision is available here.

  • Dorothy Ames

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    Happy Birthday to Dorothy Ames!

    Birthday Cake winner 8/4/23

  • Saints Safety Tyrann Mathieu Works Preseason Shift, Hosts Fundraiser Event at Raising Cane’s

    Saints Safety Tyrann Mathieu Works Preseason Shift, Hosts Fundraiser Event at Raising Cane’s

    Metairie, LA (August 5, 2023) – Two Louisiana originals – Tyrann Mathieu and Raising Cane’s – teamed up today to serve fans Box Combos while raising money for the Tyrann Mathieu Foundation at the Raising Cane’s in Metairie, steps away from Saints training camp.

    Tyrann Mathieu working shift at Raising Cane’s

    The all-star safety greeted “Who Dat Nation,” who piled in the dining room and lined up in cars by the dozens for a chance to be served Cane’s craveable Chicken Finger meals by the “Honey Badger” himself. Tyrann worked the front counter and Drive Thru, trading interceptions for the intercom and ensuring the hot, fresh chicken was served safely.

    Tyrann Mathieu at Raising Cane’s

    Tyrann also FaceTimed Raising Cane’s founder Todd Graves, who, in addition to the funds raised by each mention of Tyrann’s fundraiser throughout the event, doubled down by surprising the star with a check donation on behalf of Raising Cane’s in the amount of twenty-five thousand dollars.

    Mathieu recieves check from Raising Cane’s founder Todd Graves

    “I’ve always wanted to partner with Raising Cane’s, and being back home in Louisiana, it felt like the perfect opportunity,” said Mathieu. “I appreciate the donation. It really means a lot!”

    “Proud to support a Louisiana-favorite and his foundation,” said Raising Cane’s founder Todd Graves. “It’s great to have Tyrann back home playing for the Saints and appreciate him giving back to the community through the Tyrann Mathieu Foundation and his football camp, Heart of a Badger.”

    ABOUT THE TYRANN MATHIEU FOUNDATION:

    Tyrann Mathieu Foundation, established by NFL player Tyrann Mathieu, is dedicated to providing resources and support to children and families in need. The foundation focuses on education, mentorship, and personal development programs to empower underserved communities and create opportunities for success. For more information about the Tyrann Mathieu Foundation and its initiatives, please visit www.tyrannmathieufoundation.org.

    ABOUT RAISING CANE’S®:

    Raising Cane’s is one of the fastest growing restaurant brands, with 750+ Restaurants in 35+ states, the Middle East and Guam and plans to open 100 new Restaurants across several new markets in 2023.  The company recently announced plans to be one of the top 10 Restaurant brands in the United States and is known for its ONE LOVE® – craveable Chicken Finger meals – which includes the iconic “Cane’s Sauce” – named the #1 most craveable sauce in the restaurant industry and most craveable chicken. For more information visit raisingcanes.com.

    *All photos courtesy of Bryce Ell*

  • Kyle Whatley

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    Happy Birthday to Kyle Whatley!

    Birthday Cake winner 8/3/23

  • Partial Boil Advisory for Town of Ferriday

    Partial Boil Advisory for Town of Ferriday

    A boil advisory is in place for the northern part of Ferriday, due to a busted 6” water main.

    The affected area begins at Corbet St and continues north towards Clayton, at the end of the system.  Samples will be drawn this morning and sent off for testing.

    Matt Parker

    Operations Specialist

    JCP Management, Inc.

    ____________________________________________________________

    Town of Ferriday Water Dept.            Village of Ridgecrest Water Dept.

    1116 Second St.                                      116 Foster Dr.

    Ferriday, LA 71334                                 Ridgecrest, LA 71334

    Office:   318-757-8733                           Office: 318-657-8810

    Fax:       318-757-8731                           Fax:     318-757-8240

  • Brandy Hardy

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    Happy Birthday to Brandy Hardy!

    Birthday Cake winner 8/2/23

  • Rosanna Rials

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    Happy Birthday to Rosanna Rials!

    Birthday Cake winner 8/1/23

  • Highlights from the 2023 State of the City Address

    Highlights from the 2023 State of the City Address

    On Monday evening, it was my pleasure to present my third State of the City Address as your mayor, on the third anniversary of our inaugural gathering on that highest bluff of the mightiest river. At that event, I compared our time to the currents of that river, flowing quickly by. Now in the last year of this four-year term, we are poised to finish our race and finish strong – Natchez Strong!

    STRONG ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

    Monday night, we celebrated 1,000 new jobs in three years, a testament to our many new and growing employers! Sales tax is up $400,00 from two years ago. And 700 building permits totaling $70 million in projects, and a record over 1000 real estate sales, have triggered more ad valorem collections, up $300,000 from three years ago. Overall city revenue is up over $8 million, and this is all without raising taxes. Looking forward, Natchez, “America’s Most Affordable City” according to National Public Radio, is poised for even more growth. Downtown development is up, and new employers are slated for the IP, Johns Manville, and Titan Tire sites. Velocys, a $2.5 Billion bio-fuels industry, is slated to happen in 2025! Now is the time for MED Natchez. Medical Economic Development is critical to our future. An ambitious media campaign will launch soon, geared to make sure our newly created medical district takes off. I am excited about what’s happening at Trace Town, the Old Community Hospital, and Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, which has now invested over $1 million in their facility.

    STRONG EDUCATION.

    Our Natchez-Adams School District is now B rated, well ahead of the F rating from a few years ago. The ribbon will soon be cut at our brand-new Natchez High School! I am also proud of Natchez Early College, Cathedral, Adams Country Christian, and the new charter school opening on Hwy. 61 South, Instant Impact Global Prep. Monday night we recognized our teachers and students. They deserve our support! We also recognized efforts in Workforce Development. In just 18 months, our partnership with the county and schools has brought in over $1.1 million in grants. More programs are underway at the Fallon Center, Co-Lin, Alcorn and the WIN Jobs Center. And CDL is back: Coastal has graduated over 55 students since last April. Now is the time to go to the next level. Indeed.com shows over 800 available jobs in our area. We have a low unemployment rate, 4.1%. But our job participation rate is low, only 47% of work eligible citizens are working. It is time for vocational training at the Steckler Building!

    STRONG PUBLIC SAFETY.

    I am proud of Police Chief Cal Green and our officers. Morale is up, recruitment is up, and Crime Stoppers is back. We are also experiencing the best working relationship between our Police and Sheriff’s Departments in years. Thank you, Chief Green and Sheriff Travis Patten! Crime statistics are down. And a return to old-fashioned policing is working. We will soon upgrade to LED street lighting in many areas of Natchez, and we are planning for 50 new cameras by next year. Monday night, we also saluted our Fire Chief, Robert Arrington and his firefighters. They oversee the state’s oldest department and largest footprint, 462 sq. miles. They are doing a tremendous job! We also applauded Public Works, Code Enforcement, and Natchez Water Works, not to mention our medical first responders and 911 operators.

    STRONG TOURISM.

    Visit Natchez has “elevated tourism” (their new brand) to a whole new level. We continue to host more events than ever before. Thousands of cruise visitors are visiting almost every week! Conferences are up, and just two weeks ago, WIONEWS.Com rated Natchez as # 2 on their list of best southern cities to visit in America, second only to Charleston. We also are “telling our whole story”: Natchez is now on the U.S .Civil Rights Trail and American Freedom Trail, with the inclusion of the Dr. John Banks House. We also recently unveiled 27 Historic Markers, now posted all over town, the NAPAC Self-Guided African American History Tour. We continue to work with the Natchez National Historic Park on plans for development of Forks of the Road, and the parks service is about to invest over $1 million renovating the interior of the Visitors Center. Tourism means Big Bucks for our economy! 1500 jobs, $100 million spent last year, and $1.6 million in tax revenue. We look forward to the renovation of the Historic Depot as a downtown visitors center, design and permitting of the bridge- lighting project, continued development of the US Colored Troops Monument and Hiram Revels Plaza, Commerce Street Arts District, commercial air service, the raising of Silver Street, and the redevelopment of The Eola Hotel!

    STRONG INFRASTRUCTURE.

    We are now enjoying restored playgrounds and bathrooms at our city parks. New tennis courts are under construction, ballfields are being renovated, and we will soon renovate the golf clubhouse. Next week, we will cut the ribbon on a newly-renovated North Natchez Youth Center! In addition, we will begin re-surfacing over 45 city streets in August, and the long-awaited Morgantown Project is not far behind. Renovations are also soon to be underway at the Convention Center, Civic Center and City Auditorium, along with other city buildings and more facilities for Animal Control.

    Our Natchez Renewal is truly happening, surpassing our expectations. And the best part of it all are the successes we are enjoying by working together. Over the past three years, the City of Natchez has been working as never before with the Adams County Board of Supervisors, and all our other community partners. This has resulted in a combined net gain in grants and state and federal appropriations to our community totaling almost $40 million, a true testament to teamwork and our Team Natchez Strong!

    ****

    Thank you to all for that “we can” spirit that has put positivity in motion! God has truly blessed our shining city on the highest hill, and I can’t wait to see what the future brings.

    Because Natchez Deserves More.

    Dan M. Gibson is the 44th Mayor of Natchez, elected in July 2020. For more information on Dan’s vision for Natchez, and the city, visit the city’s website, www.natchez.ms.us.

    This State of the City Address was given July 24, 2023.

  • Amy Campbell

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    Happy Birthday to Amy Campbell!

    Birthday Cake winner 7/31/23

  • A Park for All: The City of Natchez Celebrates the Reopening of the North Natchez Youth Center

    A Park for All: The City of Natchez Celebrates the Reopening of the North Natchez Youth Center

    Natchez, Mississippi – Get ready to pack your picnic baskets and grab your tennis rackets and basketballs! But first join us as we proudly announce the grand opening of the North Natchez Youth Center on Thursday, August 3, 2023, at 9 a.m. All are invited to come, 8 Triumph Lane in Natchez —directly behind Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church on North Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

    “After many years as a boarded up building, the North Natchez Youth Center is poised to be a beacon of hope and renewal for the citizens of Natchez,” says Mayor Dan Gibson. “Our aim is to provide a much-needed community center while empowering our youth to explore their talents and reach their full potential.” With a focus on fostering creativity, education, and a spirit of camaraderie, the center will offer an array of dynamic programs and activities led by the City’s Parks and Recreation Department.

    Alderwoman Valencia Hall, who chairs the city’s Parks and Recreation Committee, is ecstatic, as the ribbon-cutting holds particular importance to her. “I remember when I was a Girl Scout Brownie. Our little troop met at the Youth Center.” Recalls Hall. “Many memories of fun and friendship, like learning to play tennis with my sisters, happened here.”

    The park site was originally part of Anchorage Plantation then sold as a farm to Melchior Roch Beltzhoover. Over the years, by 1959, it became property of the Natchez Adams School Board. In 1974, the property was divided, giving the city control of the property and youth center building with the school board maintaining control over the school and baseball field. During segregation, the park served as a haven for the black community. The building dates back to 1917, and over time it fell into disrepair. Hall is passionate about bringing joy back to this park. “This project celebrates the essence of community – this is truly a park for us all.”

    Together, Hall, the Natchez Mayor and Board of Aldermen, and Carter Burns, Executive Director of the Historic Natchez Foundation, worked successfully with the Mississippi Department of Archives and History to place the Youth Center building on the Mississippi Historic Landmark list for pending approval.

    Burns commends Hall for her leadership. “Having served on the Historic Natchez Foundation Board of Directors, the Board of Trustees of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, and The Preservation Commission, there was no one more suited to mentor this project than Valencia,” says Burns. “Her attention to preservation detail was rigorous.”

    The renovation is a milestone in the almost $3 Million dollar overall renovation of the six Natchez city parks, part of the city’s “Natchez Renewal”. Park improvements include all new playground equipment, signage, renovated bathrooms, and grounds improvements. Youth Center renovation costs totaled $959,406, with $445,300 coming from a 2021 Recreation Bond and $514,106 from a Capital Improvement General Obligation Bond.

    Fittingly, Pastor Melvin White, Senior Pastor of Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, will offer the event invocation. Remarks and acknowledgments will follow by Mayor Dan Gibson and Alderwoman Valencia Hall. Participants in the ribbon cutting will also include the Natchez Board of Aldermen, Director of Community Development James Johnston, Interim Director of the Parks and Recreation Ryan Porter, Architect Johnny Waycaster, Contractor Chris Smith, and others. A tour of the facility will follow.

    The North Natchez Park amenities include a new playground, tennis and basketball courts, a large pavilion for gatherings and cook-outs, and a now beautifully and historically renovated Youth Center, which will house a kitchen, and offices, one of which will be the Department of Parks and Recreation office. The Youth Center is open with reservations only through the Natchez Parks and Recreation Department or by calling the Mayor’s Office.