LUY-Development

Category: Local News

  • Residents Asked to Report Electrical Weather Head Damage from January Ice Storm

    NATCHEZ — Adams County residents who experienced damage to their electrical weather heads during January’s ice storm are being urged to report it as part of an ongoing damage assessment.

    Officials are requesting that anyone whose weather head, the component that connects a home’s electrical service to the utility line, was damaged or torn down due to falling trees, contact the appropriate office as soon as possible.

    Residents are asked to provide their name, address, and photographs of the damage if available. Those who have already had their weather head repaired or replaced as a result of the storm are also encouraged to report that information.

    Officials say the information is needed immediately to complete assessment efforts tied to the January storm.

    Residents can call (601) 442-7021 or respond via social media to submit their information. Community members are also encouraged to share the notice to help reach others who may have been affected.

  • Additional Funds Approved for Silver Street Retaining Wall Project

    NATCHEZ, Miss. – The Natchez Board of Aldermen has approved additional funding to complete reinforcement work on the Silver Street retaining wall along the Mississippi River.

    Although the original scope of the project has been finished, engineers determined further reinforcement is necessary to ensure long-term stability of the heavily traveled roadway.

    The additional work is expected to cost approximately $39,000, with most of the funding coming from federal sources.

  • City to Seek Grant for Structural Repairs at Senior Citizens Center

    NATCHEZ, Miss. – The City of Natchez will apply for a state grant to help fund structural repairs at the Natchez Senior Citizens Center on Washington Street.

    The center operates out of the former Carpenter School, a historic building constructed in 1913. While the full cost of needed repairs has not yet been determined, the city would be responsible for a 50 percent funding match if the grant is awarded.

    The proposed grant application does not include repairs to the facility’s indoor pool, which was closed last year due to defects.

  • Planning Commission Vacancy Opens Following Resignation

    NATCHEZ, Miss. – The Natchez Board of Aldermen has begun seeking applicants to fill a vacancy on the city’s Planning Commission following the resignation of longtime member Butch Johnson.

    Johnson had served on the commission since 2010. The Planning Commission oversees private land use and determines appropriate locations for businesses and residences to ensure proper development within the city.

    City officials will now begin the process of reviewing applicants interested in serving on the commission.

  • Natchez to Mark 75 Years of Historic Preservation Ordinance

    NATCHEZ, Miss. – City officials are planning events and outreach efforts to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Natchez’s historic preservation ordinance.

    The ordinance, implemented in 1951, positioned Natchez as a leader in historic preservation both statewide and nationally, according to Planning & Zoning Director Mingo Tingle.

    The measure regulates design, restoration, and construction within the city’s historic district to ensure architectural appropriateness.

    As part of the anniversary year, city leaders plan to host educational sessions highlighting the ordinance’s significance. Aldermen also agreed to pursue a state grant to fund mailouts and publications informing property owners in the historic district about their responsibilities for maintaining their structures.

  • Natchez Board Approves $25,000 Donation to Boys & Girls Club

    NATCHEZ, Miss. – The Natchez Board of Aldermen voted Tuesday to donate $25,000 to the Boys & Girls Club, directing the funding toward its program at Morgantown Elementary School.

    The decision followed extended discussion and assurances from advocates that the organization provides meaningful support and opportunities for local youth.

    The measure passed with one dissenting vote. Alderman Valencia Hall opposed the allocation, stating she wanted further evaluation of the club’s operations before committing city funds.

    The donation is intended to support programming designed to benefit young people in the community.

  • Former Natchez City Clerk Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement, Sentenced to Probation and Fines

    State Auditor Shad White announced Monday that Rebekah Turner, former accounts receivables clerk for the City of Natchez, has pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement.
    Turner took cash from deposits made to her office by other city departments and converted that money to her own personal use. Turner was sentenced by the 6th District Circuit Court to 20 years with 19 suspended, 5 years of probation and ordered to pay $5,000 in fines plus court costs and fees.
     

    “The State Auditor’s Office has a zero-tolerance policy for theft of taxpayer dollars,” White said. “We will continue to work with prosecutors across the state to deliver results for taxpayers.”

  • Mayor Gibson Calls in State Investigators After Deadly North Natchez Shooting

    While much of the nation was focused on the Super Bowl Sunday night, tragedy struck a North Natchez neighborhood that has endured years of violence. Two young people were shot while sitting in a vehicle near the office of the Maryland Heights Apartments. A 29-year-old woman was killed, and the young man with her remains hospitalized, fighting for his life.

    Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson addressed the incident Monday morning, calling the shooting another chapter in what he described as nearly two decades of recurring violent crime affecting three apartment complexes in the area.

    “This should not be,” Gibson said. “And it is past time that this violence be put to an end.”

    In response, the mayor has again requested assistance from the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI) to aid the Natchez Police Department. That request was immediately accepted, with the MBI bringing in the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and additional agencies to assist in the investigation.

    Gibson pointed to a similar effort following a murder in Natchez on November 16 of last year. After the MBI was called in on November 17, a large-scale, multi-agency operation followed. That effort led not only to an arrest in the murder case but also to more than 30 felony arrests tied to broader criminal activity.

    “I am hopeful that this morning’s request will bring similar results and help make our city safer,” Gibson said.

    According to the mayor, state investigators have identified a common factor in violent crimes in the area: long-standing cycles of retaliation that have plagued these apartment complexes for decades. Those patterns, Gibson said, have led to repeated loss of life and ongoing fear among residents.

    “Lives have been lost and too many of our citizens have had to bury loved ones,” he said. “Today, a mother is grieving her daughter who just a few hours ago was beautiful and full of life. And another mother is praying her son will live.”

    Gibson offered prayers for the victims’ families, as well as for residents who feel unsafe in the wake of the shooting. He emphasized the need for continued pressure until the violence is addressed permanently.

    The mayor also expressed gratitude to local and state law enforcement officials, including Natchez Police Chief Cal Green, Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten, and their departments. He singled out Lt. Colonel Jimmy Herzog of the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, Lt. Colonel Philip Pope of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell for their ongoing support and involvement.

    “From the moment I called him for help last November, he has never failed to assist and follow through,” Gibson said of Commissioner Tindell.

    The investigation remains ongoing as state and local agencies work together to identify those responsible and address the broader patterns of violence in the area.

    Mayor Gibson closed his statement with a message of faith and resolve for the community: prayers for protection over Natchez and for justice to prevail.

  • From the Mayor’s Desk: Thank you, Natchez Public Works – Our First, First Responders

    From the Mayor’s Desk: Thank you, Natchez Public Works – Our First, First Responders

    Two Sundays ago, when everyone was safe inside watching what the winter weather was bringing to Natchez, an entire team of city workers had already been outside in freezing conditions for hours, preparing for the worst while we all prayed for the best. I call them our “First, First Responders” – the hardworking men who wear the uniform of Natchez Public Works. And it’s time they received their due.

     

    During my first seven months in office, as we dealt with two hurricanes in the fall of 2020 and a historic ice storm in February of 2021, I learned very quickly just how important these public servants are to our city. If a tree falls, it is a PW Crewmember who has to cut it up and clear the road before anyone else can pass. It doesn’t matter if it is fire or police, sheriff or ambulance – if Public Works isn’t on the job clearing the street, no one is getting past. And in a city as old and as beautiful as Natchez, that is one thing we have in abundance: trees. And oh, how they have fallen, multiple times and in multiple storms. In every situation, our PW Department, consisting of about 15 strong and dependable crew members, has exceeded all expectations. I am not sure that anyone can operate a chainsaw as quickly or as safely as them, and time after time they prove that they are more than up to the task. Over the past two weeks they have been working – six different crews with dump trucks and trailers in every neighborhood of our city to get Natchez clean. And with assistance from state prisoners and Meridan Waste, I anticipate Natchez will be back to normal in no time.

     

    Keeping a city going requires a lot of teamwork, and in Natchez – Adams County, we are blessed to have a fantastic “First Responder Team”. Our Police and Sheriff Departments work well together to keep us safe. Our Fire Department, working both in the city and with volunteers in the county over the years have saved multiple structures, and more importantly, multiple lives. AMR and Pafford are great team members, along with Natchez Water Works, Entergy, Southwest Electric, and all other emergency agencies and personnel, not the least of which is our Adams County Emergency Management agency. It serves as the glue that holds us all together in times of crisis.

     

    Without our dedicated crew members in Natchez Public Works, however, and also the Adams County Road Department, our First Responder Team would be like a truck missing a front wheel. During the early hours of every storm, they are out working to clear storm debris in all areas of the city and county. They truly are the “First” First Responders. And when it comes to daily maintenance, I honestly don’t know how they do it all. From grass cutting to street and road repairs, clearing ditches, gutters and drains, maintaining public property, maintaining all types of vehicles and equipment, keeping Natchez beautiful, and constantly battling the litter problems that seem to plague all communities these days, their plate is full every day. We are fortunate to have them also to have Justin Dollar, Director of Natchez Public Works and his father Robbie

    Dollar, who leads the County Road Department. I shared at a recent meeting of our emergency team members that we are blessed to have “two dollars for the price of one” – and while funny it happens to be the truth!

     

    In the days and weeks to come, I hope everyone affected by the recent winter storm will report damage, large and small, to our Adams County Emergency Management department by visiting www.adamscountyms.net/county-departments/emergency-management and clicking the “Report Damages” button. It could help qualify our area for much-needed state and federal funds.

     

    But in the meantime, take a moment to thank a Public Works Crewmember. Honk and give them a friendly wave when you see them. Buy them a coke. Drop off some donuts, a few pizzas or boxes of food for lunch. Their main office is located at 233 1/2 D’Evereux Drive. The county road department is located at 337 Liberty Road. We are grateful to have these public servants working so hard to keep our city clean and safe. Because Natchez Deserves More.

  • Former Natchez mayor to continue on school board after 10 years

    NATCHEZ, Miss. – Phillip West will continue serving on the Natchez-Adams school board. The former Natchez mayor has been on the board since 2016.

    The Adams County Board of Supervisors on Monday reappointed West to another term in a 4-1 vote. Supervisor Kevin Wilson was the lone dissenter.

    West and Wilson have tangled in past years over various issues, including the dispute between Wilson and the board over building the new Natchez High School that was partly financed with a property tax increase.
    The Adams County Board of Supervisors appoints two school board trustees while the Natchez Board of Aldermen has three appointees.
     The NASD Board of Education appoints the school superintendent, determines the local school tax levy and governs the operations of Natchez-Adams County’s seven public schools.
    The school system’s overall academic performance improved in the past year, according to the state Department of Education’s A-F accountability system that evaluates how students perform. The most recent report card has NASD earning a C in the 2024-2025 school year after having been graded a D in previous years.
    West was Natchez mayor from 2004 to 2008, but was defeated for re-election in 2008 and lost again in 2012 and 2020 when he tried comebacks. He previously served in the state Legislature and on the Adams County Board of Supervisors.

    He sits on the school board with Amos James, LLJuna Grennell Weir, Brenda Robinson and Dianne Bunch.