LUY-Development

Category: Local News

  • Monterey High School closes today and Friday over health concerns

    Monterey High School closes today and Friday over health concerns

    MONTEREY — Monterey High School officials said the school will be closed today and Friday due to health concerns with some 120 students out and reporting flu-like symptoms, school officials said.

    “Twenty-three (students) have checked out today with fever,” said Whest Shirley, superintendent of Concordia Parish Schools. “We’re at 26% out today. The office will be opened tomorrow; staff will disinfect their rooms.”

    Shirley said the school district sent notes home Wednesday and called parents at 6 p.m. Wednesday to inform them.

    Information from: The Natchez Democrat

    By Scott Hawkins

  • Private donations, volunteer efforts bring new trees to Commerce Street

    Private donations, volunteer efforts bring new trees to Commerce Street

    NATCHEZ — Eight new trees line the sidewalks around the 100 block of North Commerce Street thanks to donations and Saturday planting efforts of local Natchezians.

    FOR Natchez Executive Director Chesney Doyle said the beautification of the central part of downtown is a detail outlined in the Downtown Master Plan — a recipe book for revitalizing Downtown Natchez that the city adopted last year.

    Doyle said local business owner Kevin Miers spearheaded an effort to see part of that plan through by soliciting donations for operation “Clean Up Natchez” — which consisted of cleaning streets and planting new vegetation downtown.

    “We did some looking around came up with the idea to plant eight new trees, because the 100 block of North Commerce Street had very few trees—only four. We asked the city to cut 8 new tree wells and told them that we’d take care of getting the trees and getting them planted.”

    The Natchez Public Works department cut out the tree wells in the sidewalk while approximately 25 volunteers got their hands dirty. The group completed what was originally thought to be a two-day project in a single Saturday, Miers said.

    Nellie Stevens holly, Japanese maple, crabapple, Japanese blueberry and cherry blossom trees as well as several flower plants were all purchased with $1,600 raised in donations through social media and by word of mouth, Miers said.

    FOR Natchez facilitated the collection of donations so they’d be tax-deductible, he said.

    “It was amazing that all of that came out of private donations from business owners and individual residents,” Miers said. “I was all volunteers who came out yesterday for Project Clean Up Natchez and brought trucks and shovels. … The center of the city at 100 North Commerce is a future art and design district and we want to get as many improvements going as possible, fill up the vacancies and get the block moving in the right direction.”

    Miers said the project would also add beauty to the tree lighting ceremony that would take place Nov. 29 after Thanksgiving.

    “A lot of people think of our downtown streets as parking lots but they’re not. They’re more like front yards for businesses,” Miers said. “When people realize it is their front yard, they want to make the best impression for shoppers, tourists and people who just enjoy downtown. This has been a huge pride-building project for all of the people involved. They now have their own little section downtown that they used to just drive through every day and have a sense of ownership of it.”

    Information from: The Natchez Democrat

    By Sabrina Robertson

    Published 12:05 am Tuesday, November 19, 2019

  • Adams County Courthouse leaks prompts judge to move out

    Adams County Courthouse leaks prompts judge to move out

    NATCHEZ, Miss. – The Adams County Courthouse’s leaky roof prompted a judge to order county supervisors to pay the costs of moving her judicial office elsewhere.

    Adams County Circuit Judge Debra Blackwell last month ordered them to pay the $400-a-month rent for space at a lawyer’s office across the street from the courthouse, said county board attorney Scott Slover. Maintenance workers have been doing piecemeal roof repairs to curb the rain dribble, but it continues unabated into the courthouse.

    They “are trying to do something to fix it….It’s not being ignored,” said county Supervisor David Carter.

     

    Adams County supervisors have questioned the propriety of Blackwell’s October court order making them pay the office rent expenses, but they’re not challenging her decision.

     

    They are seeking funds to reroof the 19th century-built courthouse. A grant is being sought from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, which administers the state Community Heritage Preservation Grant program. It’s funded by the state Legislature to help preserve or restore local courthouses, schools and other official Mississippi landmarks.

     

    A Mississippi landmark, the Adams County Courthouse was built around 1820 and extensively remodeled in the 1920s, according to MDAH.

     

    The state Archives and History board will decide in December how the historic preservation funds will be divvied out throughout the state.

     

    Natchez’ City Hall is also suffering roof leaks for which the city Board of Aldermen is seeking funds from MDAH. Located next to the county courthouse, City Hall was built in 1924 and is also a state-designated Mississippi landmark.

     

    Counties, cities and other applicants throughout Mississippi had a September deadline to submit requests for the historic preservation funds. A local cash match of at least 20 percent is required.

     

    The Adams County Board of Supervisors discussed the courthouse’s leaky-roof problems at their Monday meeting.

     

    The board on Monday also joined Natchez-Adams County Recreation Commission leaders in formally accepting a $5,000 donation from Planet Fitness, which recently opened an exercise center in Natchez.

     

    The Recreation Commission operates the public swimming pool, ballfields and parks in Natchez and Adams County. Planet Fitness’ donation comes as the city-county recreation program’s finances and management are in disarray. Questions have arisen about how money the commission gets from the county and city is being handled.

     

    The Board of Supervisors decided earlier this month to hire accountants to audit the commission’s finances.

     

    The nine-seat Recreation Commission – appointed by city aldermen and county supervisors – has struggled in recent months to function, according to supervisors. The commission – with at least three vacancies from recent resignations – has failed on some occasions to have enough members to officially meet and has not adequately accounted for funds received from Natchez and Adams County.

     

    The $5,000 Planet Fitness donation is from United PF Partners, the franchise group that has Planet Fitness clubs in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Arizona, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas and West Virginia.

     

    The YMCA was managing Natchez-Adams County’s recreation programs, but the contract with the suburban Jackson-based organization expired in March in a cloud of uncertainty.

  • Man rescued from river after he jumps off Mississippi River bridge Monday

    Man rescued from river after he jumps off Mississippi River bridge Monday

    NATCHEZ — A Natchez man jumped from the eastbound Mississippi River bridge between Natchez and Vidalia Monday morning and was rescued within an hour, law officials said.

    Vidalia police officer Craig Godbold said he responded to a call about a man — whose name has not been released — jumping from the bridge at approximately 7 a.m. Monday and found a car parked on the bridge.

    Godbold said officers were able to see the man swimming in the river from the bridge and contacted the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office, the United States Coast Guard and Two J Ranch in Vidalia that owned a tugboat close by on the river.

    “The tugboat operators were able to contact another boat that was on a collision course with the man in the water, and they were able to launch a rescue boat and pull the man to safety,” Godbold said.

    Godbold said the man was in the water approximately 30 minutes from the time officers arrived until he was rescued.

    The man was treated at Riverland Medical Center in Ferriday and transferred to another medical facility for a mental evaluation, officials said.

    “We’d like to thank everyone involved with this rescue,” Vidalia Police Chief Joey Merrill said. “Continue to keep this man and his family in your prayers.”

    Information from: The Natchez Democrat

    By Sabrina Robertson

  • CDC warning: Deer with tuberculosis can pass it on to people

    CDC warning: Deer with tuberculosis can pass it on to people

    SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is warning hunters that deer carrying tuberculosis can transmit the disease to humans.

    According to the CDC, the report stems from a 2017 Michigan case where a 77-year-old regular hunter who had no exposure to people or countries with tuberculosis was diagnosed with the disease.

    The report states the man, who had been a hunter for 20 years, was exposed to Mycobacterium bovis – a bacteria found in deer, cattle, bison and elk – which can spread to humans and cause tuberculosis.

    Doctors believe the bacteria was inhaled during the removal of diseased portions of the deer when field-dressing deer carcasses.

    The CDC said those in Michigan who submit deer heads that test positive for the bacteria could be at a higher risk for infection.

    They also advise screening for tuberculosis.

    Hunters are advised to wear protective gear while field dressing.

  • Louisiana November Election Results 2019 – LIVE

    Louisiana November Election Results 2019 – LIVE

    Louisiana Live election results. Polls close at 8pm. Results will start populating shortly after.