Category: Regional News

A little over a year ago, Natchez greatly improved our Animal Control Ordinance. In doing so, we outlawed inhumane tethering, leaving animals unsheltered, and selling of animals by unlicensed breeders. We also strengthened our laws against other inhumane treatment of animals, such as breeding dogs for fighting, leaving animals unattended in vehicles, and limiting the number of dogs and cats individuals can own in the city. We also provided specific penalties for individuals who allow their animals to be an endangerment to others or allow their dogs to disturb the peace of their surroundings. A major change also included a requirement that pet owners spay and neuter their pets.

All of this is good. The city received many accolades for passing such robust reforms. It would be nice if the good news ended here, and we could say that everything is great. But enforcement has been another story – and while our goals have been admirable, the city has fallen short.

I am encouraged when people remind me that “Rome wasn’t built in a day”. But it saddens me when animals continue to suffer in our city, and residents continue to deal with neighbors who are far from neighborly in the way they treat their animals and other homeowners who live around them. And every day that passes without our doing our very best is not a good day for those that are most vulnerable around us. Our four-legged citizens deserve more, as do the rest of us.

Over the past few months, we have been working with various community partners to develop a better strategy for enforcing our animal control ordinance. Certain issues keep being raised, primarily the lack of space for animals that must be removed from improper environments, the lack of people standing in line to adopt homeless animals, and the continued prevalence of animals that have not been spayed and neutered.

I have good news: the city’s primary animal control partner, the Natchez-Adams County Humane Society, has helped us to find a solution. They have purchased a large building adjacent to their current facility, and the city is working now on a plan to lease it from the NACHS and retrofit it to accommodate the many pets that need rescuing in Natchez. To make this happen, we are now pricing a punch list of needed improvements, and we will soon have a proposal ready for implementation.

In addition, we are now advertising for a second animal control officer – two are needed to keep up with the calls, to include after-hours. We also need this additional officer to help care for animals that will be kept in the new facility, and we have assigned a ranking police officer to oversee animal control and to help guide our implementation of other strategies: better enforcement of spay and neuter regulations, and transport of unadopted animals to other areas of the country where new homes might be found.

During this process, we continue to ask for patience. And we continue to express our gratitude for volunteers who sacrifice so much to keep our Humane Society going. It has been a pleasure working with them! And we are so grateful for this weekend’s “Poocha-Palooza” on the Natchez Bluff, raising money to help with the purchase of their new building!

We also don’t know what we would do without other community service organizations like Hoofbeats & Pawprints Rescue and Natchez Spay Neuter. Kathy and Jay Fitch and their team have helped relocate and rescue thousands of Natchez pets over the years, and Gina Holyoak and her small army of volunteers have seen to the spaying and neutering of countless dogs and cats. These are truly the best preventive measures for the long run. And they need and deserve our support!

I ask everyone to support us in these important steps forward, not just for our furry friends, but Because Natchez Deserves More.

Author’s note: To donate to any of these worthy organizations, click on these links:

Natchez Adams Humane Society, https://nachs.org/donations
Hoofbeats & Pawprints Rescue, https://hoofbeatsandpawprintsrescue.org/
Natchez Spay Neuter, https://givebutter.com/msspan#

Dan M. Gibson, Mayor of Natchez

Natchez Trace Parkway, a scenic roadway that spans three states in the southern US, has been named the winner of the 2023 Byway Organization Award for Communication by the National Scenic Byway Foundation. The foundation gives out eight national awards annually.

The Natchez Trace Compact (NTC), which represents the Parkway across three states, was responsible for implementing the 2021-2022 Marketing Plan with an aggressive advertising, marketing, and public relations program. One of the goals was to communicate the message – “Explore the Trace, Discover America” to attract visitors to the byway and adjacent communities.

The NTC is composed of three state tourism offices and 18 community Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) that work together to encourage travelers to experience the “Unique Journey from Natchez to Nashville.” After the pandemic hit, the NTC realized that they needed to approach post-pandemic travelers differently than before. As part of their strategy, they reinforced the message that the Parkway and local communities were open and safe for exploration.

The website’s enhanced interactive map and itinerary builder have gained traffic, so the NTC highlighted it more over the past year on social media and in digital advertising to assist travelers in their planning. Community information was updated to double-check hours and what venues were open. Social media posts featured these venues as travel inspiration, and scenic photography was greatly enhanced due to their partnership with digital influencers and the local DMOs.

The Natchez Trace Parkway was designated an All-American Road in 1996, part of the America’s Byways collection. Visitors can find out more about the parkway by visiting www.scenictrace.com or www.travelbyways.com.

The National Scenic Byway Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening Byways through education, training, and shared expertise. It is the vision of the National Scenic Byway Foundation that our nation’s designated Byways will be recognized and valued worldwide for their distinctive experiences, stories, and treasured places. For more information, visit www.travelbyways.com or www.nsbfoundation.com or email info@nsbfoundation.com.

NATCHEZ, Miss. (WLBT) – Two persons of interest are in custody after a body was discovered in the trunk of a car in the City of Natchez.

According to police, family members of Christopher Lee Sanders, 45, reported him missing to the Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office in Vidalia, Louisiana, on April 4.

One of the investigators at the Adams County Sheriff’s Office received a call in reference to where Sanders’ car could possibly be and went to corroborate the tip Wednesday morning at Cindy Lane in Natchez.

When he arrived at the home, the investigator could smell “an odor emanating from the vehicle,” stated a press release from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office.

The press release went on to say that because of his training and experience, the investigator knew that something (or someone) was dead inside the vehicle, so he called for additional assistance.

Once additional units arrived, investigators discovered the body of Christopher Lee Sanders in the trunk of his own vehicle.

His body was not bound or restrained, nor did it have any wounds that were immediately noticeable.

Adams County Coroner James Lee said the body was in an “advanced” state of decomposition, meaning Sanders was dead for at least a week before being discovered. It is unclear what his cause of death was.

The car his body was discovered in has since been impounded by a joint search and rescue team and is being sent for processing. Two persons of interest are also in custody in connection to the case.

The body will be going to The State Crime Lab for an autopsy.

wlbt.com/2023/04/12/2-custody-after-mans-body-discovered-trunk-car-natchez/

NATCHEZ, Miss. – Aldermen agreed Tuesday to allocate another $100,000 to the city budget for building two tennis courts at Duncan Park after contractors’ bids showed construction will be more than originally projected.

With a $407,600 bid, Stubbs NK Contractors of Natchez was the lowest of the companies seeking to build the tennis courts in the initial bidding process.

While the board rejected the overbudgeted proposals, it boosted the tennis courts’ construction budget and voted to seek new bids to fit within the increased amount of funds set aside.

Adding two courts to the city’s eight-court tennis facility is part of the $2 million recreation project the board and mayor initiated in 2021 by borrowing money through bonds to enhance Natchez parks and sports venues.

The additional $101,000 the board approved for building the tennis courts will be from extra money Natchez has in its general fund, according to city officials.

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Aldermen also agreed to get contractors to submit prices for renovating the old Duncan Park canteen building. The scope of the work will be mostly reroofing and new exterior paint. Plans are underway to lease the city-owned building to the Natchez Veterans of Foreign Wars post for its use. The building will continue as a city voting precinct when the VFW occupies it.

The old canteen – once a popular spot for Natchez youth to socialize – is on the grounds of Auburn, the city-owned mansion built in 1812 at Duncan Park. The canteen is attached to Auburn’s brick dairy, which was built in the late 1830s, according to historical accounts.

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Sparks flew Tuesday as Mayor Dan Gibson argued with aldermen Felicia Irving and Billie Joe Frazier over the work of the mayor’s executive assistant. As Irving asked what funding grants Richard Burke has helped the city get, Gibson rebuked the alderman and said the board meeting can’t be used as “an opportunity for an attack on Mr. Burke.”

The mayor alleged Irving went “against the grain” of state law by trying to discuss the performance of a government employee with “disparaging comments” in a public meeting. State law allows boards to ban the public from hearing discussions about personnel matters, but it does not require such meetings be closed.

Frazier said Irving was merely asking questions. He told Gibson it’s “not a reason to get hostile” as the visibly angry, gavel-pounding mayor admonished Irving for questioning the work done by the mayor’s assistant.

“You can’t stand criticism,” Frazier said to Gibson.

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The mayor and aldermen honored long-time Natchez Stewpot employee Johnnie B. Davis for her 35 years working at the diner that provides free meals to indigent people. Davis’ dedication had her working there early morning till afternoon most days of the week helping cook and serve a total of 2 million meals since 1988, according to Mayor Dan Gibson, who read a framed proclamation presented to Davis.

NATCHEZ, Miss. – Aldermen have set a May 5 filing deadline for candidates wanting to run in the May 25 election to fill the seat formerly held by Alderman Dan Dillard, who died two weeks ago.

Candidates must be residents of Ward 6, the south-central Natchez area Dillard represented since 2008. They can file with the city clerk their required petitions with at least 50 signatures of qualified Ward 6 voters.

Meeting Tuesday, the Natchez Board of Aldermen and mayor paid tribute to Dillard, whose board chair and desk was graced with a black wreath and bow.

Dillard, 67, was a “true public servant,” but he didn’t seek public praise, said Ward 1 Alderman Valencia Hall. “He was not here for the accolades.”

He died unexpectedly March 29, just hours after attending his final Board of Aldermen meeting.

The city has been in a formal period of mourning, with flags at half-staff, that now officially ends. However, “the sadness will remain,” said Mayor Dan Gibson, who noted “we will always be grateful” for Dillard’s dedication to Natchez and keen attention to city finances in his nearly 15 years in office. He was the longest-serving alderman on the six-member board.

As a candidate seeking his second term in the 2012 election, Dillard said he strove “to see problems from a different perspective” with “the determination to dig in and understand the issues.”

He defeated challengers Dianne Brown and Forrest Foster in that election, fended off opponents Agnes Holloway and Burnley Cook in 2016 and ran unopposed in the 2020 election.

The winner of next month’s special Ward 6 election will serve the remaining year left in the current term. The city’s regular elections for mayor and aldermen take place in spring 2024.

Ward 6’s neighborhoods include those along and around Duncan Park, Winchester Road, Melrose Avenue, Roselawn Drive, Melrose-Montebello Parkway as well as Homochitto Street extending into Orleans and South Commerce streets downtown. The voting precinct for the Thursday, May 25, election will be the old Duncan Park canteen building, as it’s been in past years.

A map of the existing Ward 6 area can be viewed at: www.natchez.ms.us/DocumentCenter/View/321/Natchez-Ward-Map?bidId=

The Board of Aldermen in December approved new ward lines for the 2024 elections, but they must be reviewed by the Mississippi governor and attorney general before they take effect.

The board on Tuesday tapped Ward 3 Alderman Sarah Carter Smith to be Natchez mayor pro tempore, the position Dillard held as the alderman presiding over board meetings and performing other duties when the mayor is away. Smith is now the city’s longest-serving alderman, having been on the board since 2012.

Natchez, Mississippi – The City of Natchez is mourning the passing of Alderman Ward 6 and Mayor Pro Tem, the Honorable Dan G. Dillard. Mayor Dan Gibson announced the news of Alderman Dillard’s passing in a press release on Wednesday, March 29th 2023, expressing the community’s sadness at the loss of a dedicated public servant.

The full statement from Mayor Dan Gibson reads as follows:

“It is with great sadness that we report the passing of our dear friend, Alderman Ward 6 and Mayor Pro Tem, the Honorable Dan G. Dillard. Alderman Dillard served the citizens of Natchez for over 14 years and worked every day to make Natchez a better place. He will be deeply missed by all. We ask everyone to keep his family, friends, and our city in your thoughts and prayers. Until further notice, I ask that all flags in the City of Natchez be lowered to half-staff in honor of our beloved friend, leader and colleague.”

Alderman Dillard was known for his tireless work and commitment to the city, and his passing has left a void in the community. In honor of his service, Mayor Gibson has requested that all flags in the City of Natchez be lowered to half-mast until further notice.

Alderman Dillard’s passing is a reminder of the important work that public servants do to make their communities better places to live. The City of Natchez will honor his legacy and continue to work towards the betterment of the community.