LUY-Development

Category: Local News

  • Adams County Tornado Sirens Expected Back Online Next Week

    Adams County’s tornado-warning sirens are expected to all be working by next week after repairs are completed on several that have been silent in recent months, said Emergency Management Director Brad Bradford. 

    Seven of the county’s 18 towered sirens have been out of order, but Adams County “should be good on all sirens” next week, he said.

    However, an effective tornado-warning option for Adams County residents is a subscription to Hyper-Reach, which automatically phones them when bad weather approaches. Since this free service directly notifies people of any weather threats, it’s more reliable than the tornado sirens located throughout Natchez and Adams County. They’re mainly audible outdoors and not indoors.

      

    To subscribe to Hyper-Reach, visit https://luylink.com/hyperreach.

  • New Rules at Adams County Parks Include 10 P.M. Curfew and ATV Ban

    The Adams County Board of Supervisors has imposed time restrictions for being at county parks and also banned ATV vehicles from the recreational venues at the behest of Sheriff Travis Patten.

    Meeting Monday with county supervisors, Patten expressed concerns about late-night pleasure seekers racing their all-terrain vehicles at Providence Park and tearing up the grounds.

     

    The board voted to impose a 10 p.m.-to-sunrise curfew at county parks that include Providence, Lagrange and Kingston. Park hours could be extended for special events. ATVs will be prohibited at all times.

  • Cyberattack Leaves Adams County Residents Unable to Renew Vehicle Tags

    NATCHEZ, Miss. – Adams County supervisors closed the public out of discussions Monday about the ongoing investigation into the criminal cyberattack that crippled county government’s IT system last month.

    They can’t provide details to the public because of the sensitive nature of the ransom-motivated attack on the county’s information technology structure, said Scott Slover, the supervisors’ attorney.

    County administrators did say earlier this month that most of county government’s IT system is back online. However, the Adams County tax collector’s office still can’t process payments for vehicle taxes to renew car tags or issue license plates for newly purchased vehicles. The cyberattack disabled Adams County’s link to the Mississippi Department of Revenue, which processes the tax payments and registrations required for getting car tags, according to Adams County Tax Collector Terrence Bailey.

     

    County Supervisor Ricky Gray noted that he’s gotten many phone calls from constituents about this and wanted to discuss the IT crash during the Board of Supervisors’ open portion of Monday’s meeting. However, the board closed the public out of their discussions using a state law that allows government boards to meet in secret to confer about a wide array of issues — including investigations about “allegations of misconduct or violation of law.”

    It’s uncertain how long the county’s car-tag operations will be down. Slover did say county officials might consider ways to waive penalties or fines for delinquent vehicle owners with recently expired car tags or without license plates for newly purchased vehicles.

     
    Adams County supervisors earlier this month did agree to purchase insurance at a cost of $10,000 to cover the expenses of future cyberattacks. The most recent crash also came with a cost of more than $200,000 in county funds to buy new computer equipment and install security controls.

  • City officials advance plans for demolishing Natchez Fry building

    NATCHEZ, Miss. – City officials are seeking demolition contractors to tear down the Fry building as plans continue for making the downtown Natchez site a parking lot for the yet-to-be-renovated Eola hotel next door.
    Delays have bedeviled refurbishing the vacant hotel and razing the city-owned building – a project Mayor Dan Gibson noted has had “a lot of moving parts.”

    The Natchez Board of Aldermen on Tuesday agreed to solicit proposals from contractors on the costs of knocking down the Fry building. This is “very important for the Eola project,” Gibson said.

    The former office building – which has been ridden with asbestos – is being demolished with the help of more than $1 million in state and federal cleanup funds for transforming the site into a parking lot. Plans for tearing down the 1950s-era building have been ongoing since 2021, when it was donated to the city.

    Renovating the century-old Eola hotel – a Natchez landmark now an eyesore – is also tied to plans to accommodate riverboat passengers of American Cruise Lines. It’s building a $5.5 million dock to make Natchez a home port for passengers to board or unboard and stay here overnight.

    ACL’s long-planned wharf on the Mississippi River in the historic Natchez Under-the-Hill district has been approved by the Mississippi Department of Archives & History and Natchez Preservation Commission. The NPC reviewed plans Wednesday evening to ensure the riverside structure’s architectural design suits the historic Silver Street area.

    Construction of ACL’s Natchez dock could begin later this year, Gibson said, as the cruise company makes Natchez one of its three main mooring facilities on the lower Mississippi River along with New Orleans and Memphis. The Connecticut-based company is building another riverboat that’s expected to be christened here in 2028, according to the mayor.

    Using the city’s Silver Street boat ramp, ACL has been bringing riverboats with tourists to Natchez since 2012. Its fleet of Mississippi River ships include American Melody, American Serenade, American Symphony, American Splendor and American Heritage. The company pays Natchez a per-passenger fee each time it docks in the city.

    As the Eola hotel approaches its 100th anniversary being built in 1927, Gibson expressed hopes its private developers can restore and reopen it in time for the anticipated influx of ACL passengers staying overnight. While delayed by financial hurdles, plans have been made for the Eola to become a Marriot-affiliated hotel.

    The adjacent Fry building and land have been contaminated with hazardous asbestos and other pollutants. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded Natchez a $1 million grant for clean-up costs, and the state Department of Environmental Quality has provided the city a $500,000 loan. Gibson said these state and federal funds are expected to cover the demolition costs.

  • After 80 Years, Passenger Trains May Return to Natchez

    After 80 Years, Passenger Trains May Return to Natchez

    NATCHEZ, Miss. – City aldermen agreed Tuesday to join two other neighboring towns to establish a Natchez-to-Brookhaven passenger train service that’s dependent on getting federal funds.

    Such a plan is still iffy as discussions for this have been ongoing for several years with much more work ahead to make it a reality, said Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson.

    “This won’t happen tomorrow. A lot depends on the (federal) grants that will be awarded later this year,” Gibson told the Natchez Board of Aldermen.

    The board agreed to join with Meadville and Brookhaven to advance plans for passenger train service. It’s in collaboration with Natchez Railway, the company that uses the 65-mile railroad track to haul freight to and from Brookhaven.

    Also involved is the Scenic Rivers Development Alliance, which has partnered with Hyatt to build a resort on Lake Okhissa about 40 miles from Natchez and near Meadville.

    Planning for the passenger rail service has been under the radar but extensive. “We have not talked about it, but we have worked hard on it,” said Gibson, who became Natchez mayor in 2020.

    He noted engineering work has been done for a site in Natchez where passengers could board the train.

    This comes as Natchez-Adams County prepares to have commercial passenger planes returning in July for the first time since the 1990s.

    Passenger trains stopped coming to Natchez in 1945, when Illinois Central ceased the service at the Broadway Street depot, according to historical accounts. Brookhaven, which is a stop for Amtrak, is the closest place to catch a passenger train.

    Gibson acknowledged passenger rail service’s return to Natchez is not a certainty.

    “It’s way premature to be celebrating anything right now…. We’re going to be leaning on federal grant dollars and Natchez Rail’s matching dollars for this project,” he said.

    Gibson noted Mississippi’s U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith is striving to get federal funds for this. She did get congressional allocations last year for improving transportation access to Lake Okhissa, where Hyatt’s 200-room lodge and 1,000-person conference center is to be located. It’s scheduled to open in 2028, according to DLR Group, the design firm for the resort.

    The nearby Natchez-to-Brookhaven railroad in recent years has received millions of federal dollars for improvements. Natchez’ only rail line was threatened with abandonment because its substandard bridges could not accommodate heavy train cars. However, rehabilitation work was completed with   $10 million in federal funds received by Natchez in 2016 along with $3.3 million from Natchez Railway.

    Commodities hauled on the Natchez-to-Brookhaven railroad include forestry products, crude oil and empty train cars for a repair facility at Bude, according to Natchez Railway. Genesis Energy in Natchez has been a heavy user of the west-to-east rail line, which links to the larger north-to-south rail route going through Brookhaven.

  • Patten says better pay led deputies to join NPD

    Patten says better pay led deputies to join NPD

    NATCHEZ, Miss. – Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten said eight of his deputies have been lured to the Natchez Police Department since Lee Best became police chief a month ago.

    “There are no hard feelings,” said Patten, who noted higher pay is the reason some transferred to the NPD. Meeting Monday with Adams County supervisors, Patten noted his office will continue to collaborate well with the NPD. “The sheriff’s department is not going to miss a beat,” he said.

    Among the deputy sheriffs now a Natchez police officer is Shane Daugherty, who was Patten’s chief deputy. He’s now a NPD commander for Best, who was also with the Adams County Sheriff’s Office before joining the NPD in 2024. Patten said he has lost half of his command staff.

    Some deputies resigned for various reasons, but “the rest of them left for money. They get paid a lot more” working for the city, Patten said.

    That was not the case in past years when the Adams County board-approved budget provided higher salaries, but the Natchez Board of Aldermen has allocated more funds in recent years to increase the pay scales for Natchez police officers.

    Best, who became police chief April 1, noted recently that he’s hired nine certified law-enforcement officers as he works to improve the NPD’s patrol division by having five officers on duty per shift.

  • Cyberattack Continues to Cripple Adams County Car Tag Process

    Cyberattack Continues to Cripple Adams County Car Tag Process

    Natchez, Miss. – Adams County automobile owners won’t be able to get their renewed car tags or register their newly bought vehicles while county officials continue to recover from a cyberattack that crashed the county’s IT system in April.

    Adams County Tax Collector Terrence Bailey said the cyberattack caused his office to be locked out of the Mississippi Department of Revenue’s Information Technology network required for processing automobile registrations and paying car taxes.

    Efforts are underway to fix the software glitch, Bailey said. He noted Hinds County had a similar problem that took about three months to overcome.

    Adams County car owners whose annual vehicle taxes and fees are due this month can pay online, but they currently won’t be able to get the license plate decals showing law officers proof they’ve paid, Bailey said. Meeting today with the Adams County Board of Supervisors, Bailey noted car owners who pay their taxes could print out a receipt to have if stopped by police.

    Those who just bought a car are completely frozen out. They won’t be able to register their vehicles, pay the owed taxes or get their new license plates until the Adams County tax collector gets back online with the state IT system. Buyers normally have 30 business days to register their vehicles and get their car tags before penalties apply.

    Aside from the inability to process car tags, most of Adams County’s IT system is back online after being crippled two weeks ago, said Adams County Administrator Mitzi Conn.

    The Board of Supervisors closed the public out of today’s meeting to discuss the ongoing investigation into the cyberattack, said board attorney Scott Slover. The high-tech assault has been described as a form of “ransomware” but without a demand by cybercrooks to pay up.

    Supervisors today did agree to purchase insurance at a cost of $10,000 to cover the expenses of future cyberattacks. The most recent crash came with a cost of more than $200,000 to buy new computer equipment and install security controls.

  • Mingo Tingle Leaves Natchez Post for Promotion at Mississippi Archives & History

    Mingo Tingle Leaves Natchez Post for Promotion at Mississippi Archives & History

    NATCHEZ, Miss. –

    The city’s planning and zoning director is resigning after just one year on the job to take a post at the Mississippi Department of Archives & History.
    Mingo Tingle will wind down his work next month while city officials seek a replacement. Tingle began his Natchez job May 2025 as the city’s chief administrator of zoning and architectural regulations. He’s leaving to become MDAH’s deputy director of the Historic Preservation Division.

    Tingle is returning to a state agency – where he previously worked for nearly 21 years – for a position Mayor Dan Gibson said is considered a promotion. Tingle’s earlier duties at MDAH included overseeing the upkeep of state historic sites and helping private property owners plan preservation projects. His wife, Lauren Miller, also recently took a job as curator at the state Capitol for the Mississippi Legislature.

    The city planner’s duties include making recommendations to the Natchez Preservation Commission, which regulates the design, restoration and construction of buildings and fixtures in Natchez’ historic district to ensure they’re architecturally appropriate. The job also entails advising the Natchez Planning Commission, which regulates private land uses and where businesses and residences can be located to ensure they’re properly situated.

    Tingle is leaving Natchez as he and other city officials salute the 75th anniversary of the town’s historic preservation ordinance. The 1951 initiative is one of the earliest such measures enacted by a city. It established the Natchez historic district with regulations for the design, restoration and construction of buildings and fixtures to ensure they’re architecturally acceptable.

    “This forward-thinking action ensured that changes within the historic district would respect the architectural integrity of individual properties while preserving the character of the district for generations to come,” Tingle wrote earlier this month.

    Tingle last year replaced former city planning director Rico Giani, who served on a part-time basis after Frankie Legaux resigned in December 2024. Legaux had served about five years with the city in two separate stints regulating the appearance and locations of structures in Natchez.

  • Natchez aldermen reject plans for pickleball courts

    NATCHEZ, Miss. – The city board rejected the mayor’s behest to convert part of Duncan Park’s tennis venue into pickleball courts.

    Following the Board of Aldermen’s 4-2 vote, Natchez Parks & Recreation Director Ryan Porter indicated he might resign as arguments continued over the management of the Duncan Park courts.

    Mayor Dan Gibson on Tuesday urged the Board of Aldermen to approve Porter’s plan to convert three Duncan Park tennis courts into 10 pickleball courts. The proposal failed after they debated whether the growing popularity of pickleball outweighs the need to have so many tennis courts.

    Duncan Park pickleball players currently use tennis courts that are reconfigured as needed for their smaller playing space. Porter presented the plan for making three of the 10 tennis courts exclusively for pickleball at a cost of about $31,000 – with half funded by private dollars.

    Alderman Valencia Hall expressed concerns that having only seven tennis courts would be insufficient for high school tennis tournaments. However, Gibson maintained that such tournaments are rarely held while local pickleballers play year-round.

    Siding with Hall to reject building the pickleball courts: aldermen Billie Joe Frazier, Felicia Bridgewater Irving and Ben Davis. Aldermen Sarah Carter Smith and Curtis Moroney voted for the plan that Gibson said is needed to replace the “lousy courts” for pickleball that “are an embarrassment to Natchez.” 
     

    While the six-member board was divided along racial lines – four Black aldermen versus two Whites – in the pickleball dispute, Frazier said it’s “not about race.” He said the mayor and aldermen should get more feedback from tennis players about their concerns for having fewer tennis courts. “The public should’ve had input,” he said. 

    Gibson and Moroney said they did hear from tennis players and high school coaches along with pickleballers. The plan voted down Tuesday is “the best compromise,” said Moroney, who noted there would still be seven tennis courts at Duncan Park with the 10 smaller courts dedicated just for pickleball.

    Gibson expressed concerns Duncan Park will lose pickleball players who’ll be attracted to Vidalia’s new recreation facilities at Polk Park.

    After the board’s 4-2 vote against the pickleball court proposal, spectators walked out of the meeting complaining about the decision – prompting Natchez police Commander Shane Daugherty to usher out one critic taunting the board.

    In another testy exchange, Porter expressed frustrations as Irving sharply questioned his proposal to take over day-to-day management of the Duncan Park tennis center in place of tennis instructor Frankie Spence.

    “Consider this my two-week notice,” said the Parks & Rec director, clearly exasperated by Irving challenging him about who’ll actually staff the tennis facility.
     

    After the board did approve Porter’s management plan, he said: “I will stick around for the baseball season and additional 30 days to get this underway. I’m not going to leave the job undone, but I can’t promise after that.”

    In a statement he provided today, Porter said: “I’m not going anywhere just yet—the work isn’t finished. We have 273 kids playing baseball right now who deserve my full support, and I plan to be there for them. We are also sitting at 99% completion on the Duncan Park trails, and I’ve worked too hard alongside this community to not see that through. With the Dog Park Project gaining momentum and our new oversight of tennis operations beginning, my plate is full and my heart is in it. I’m focused on finishing what we started before I think about what comes next.”

    The debate over refashioning Duncan Park tennis courts for pickleball comes as surfaces on the older westside courts have severe cracks that need to be mended. Tennis courts at North Natchez Park also have cracks that Porter presented plans to repair for $10,000.

    Tuesday’s meeting of the Natchez Board of Aldermen and mayor can be viewed at:

     www.facebook.com/cityofnatchezms/videos/1331968105416730

  • Community Alliance Event Wednesday

    Community Alliance Event Wednesday

    From the Mayor’s Desk

    If you’ve been looking for a reason to get out, connect with neighbors, and hear what’s going on in Natchez, next Wednesday night provides a perfect opportunity! The Natchez-Adams County Community Alliance is hosting a stakeholder meeting and fundraiser on April 29 at the Natchez Brewing Co. beginning at 6 p.m. It’s a chance to get a firsthand update on projects that are moving from ideas to reality—and to play a role in helping them get there.

    A big part of the conversation will center on a new multi-use trail project almost complete at Duncan Park, including a two-mile recreational bike trail designed to welcome everyone from cyclists to those just needing a new place to walk outdoors in a beautiful setting. This project carries a total cost of $110,000, with about 80 percent funded by the City of Natchez through a grant we received from the Mississippi Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ Recreational Trails Program. The remaining 20 percent is coming from private donations, orchestrated by the Community Alliance, giving the community a direct stake in making it happen.

    This beautiful trail will wind along the western edge of our city’s largest park, adding another layer to a historic jewel of Natchez that already serves as one of our community’s most active recreational hubs.

    Under the majestic live oaks, a lot has been happening at Duncan Park. From golf and baseball to tennis, pickleball, and disc golf, the park has long been a place where people gather to have fun and stay active. With walking trails and new playgrounds already in place, in addition to new bathrooms, a renovated golf clubhouse and park pavilion, renovated ball fields, and tennis and pickleball courts (including two new ones), Duncan Park has been in a state of great renewal. The addition of this new trail is yet another way to help Duncan Park meet the needs of our citizens and visitors alike.

    The design is intentionally flexible. Yes, it will be a great ride for cyclists, but it will also be ideal for hikers, cross-country runners, bird watchers, and anyone looking for a peaceful way to spend time outside. Even more exciting, the trail is being built to standards set by the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA), which will position Natchez to host mountain biking competitions in the future!

    But the trails project is only part of the story.

    Also in the works is a new dog park within Duncan Park—another project the Community Alliance has taken the lead on. While the trail has secured significant grant funding, the dog park will rely much more heavily on local support, with funds raised by the C.A. The vision is simple: a safe, welcoming space where residents and visitors can bring their dogs to play, exercise, and socialize. It’s another way to make the park more inclusive and responsive to what our people want and need.

    The Natchez-Adams County Community Alliance, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has been instrumental in pushing both projects forward. Their role is to work alongside community members and organizations to identify needs and help turn good ideas into tangible improvements. Whether it’s trails, parks, or other quality-of-life projects, this all-volunteer organization has been, for many years, at the forefront of numerous Natchez projects. Community assets such as the Bridge of Sighs with its commanding views of the Mississippi River, our Natchez Trails throughout downtown, St. Catherine Street and along the bluff, and our renovated Historic Bandstand in Bluff Park wouldn’t exist without them.

    For those who want to be a part of this effort, providing your support is easy. Donations can be made online by visiting natchezcommunityalliance.org, clicking on the “Donate” section, and selecting “Duncan Park Trails Project” under the project menu. Contributions toward the dog park can also be made through the same platform.

    Please make plans to join us Wednesday night at the Natchez Brewing Co. It will be a great opportunity to enjoy time with friends as well as hear what’s coming, ask questions, and take part in shaping the future of Duncan Park. Progress like this doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when people show up, stay engaged, and invest in the place they call home. It takes all of us working together. Because Natchez Deserves More.