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  • Natchez board moves forward on Canal Street bridge project

    By John Mott Coffey
    NATCHEZ, Miss. — Work will begin soon to upgrade the bridge on the much-traveled Canal Street near the Natchez Visitor Reception Center.
    The Natchez Board of Aldermen on Tuesday voted to contract a Madison-based company to do the $312,000 bridge-rehabilitation project. Most of the work will be paid for by the Mississippi Department of Transportation. The board agreed to fulfill the shortfall with funds it’ll borrow. About $12,000 is budgeted for this.
    The extra amount needed for the bridgework will be included in a $450,000 loan the board agreed Tuesday to take for completing a long-running multimillion-dollar project to alleviate drainage problems in north Natchez. That extensive infrastructure project has been funded largely by federal funds but needs more for add-ons approved by the board.
    Among other actions at Tuesday’s meeting, the Board of Aldermen voted to allow Ronald Fry to establish another bed-and-breakfast inn next to his current one on North Union Street. This reverses a previous Natchez Planning Commission decision denying him the permit to operate another lodging business in a residential neighborhood.
    Aldermen apparently were swayed by arguments that Fry is enhancing the 709 North Union Street house that’s been in disrepair and fulfilling a demand for bed-and-breakfast inns in Natchez. Opponents of Fry’s plan expressed concerns about more commercialization and parking congestion in the neighborhood.

  • Abraham starts putting own cash into Louisiana governor race

    BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Republican Ralph Abraham has started pumping his own money into his campaign to be Louisiana governor, struggling to keep up with the spending pace of his competitors in his bid to unseat Democrat John Bel Edwards.

    Latest finance reports in the race show the third-term congressman from rural northeast Louisiana has loaned his campaign $350,000 in the final stretch leading to the Oct. 12 election.

    Abraham, a farmer and doctor who announced his campaign less than a year ago, has been unable to match the fundraising prowess of an incumbent governor who has been seeking donations across his four-year tenure.

    Meanwhile, Abraham’s fellow GOP competitor, wealthy businessman Eddie Rispone, is largely self-financing his election bid, pouring more than $11 million into his campaign account. And some recent polls suggest Rispone has leap-frogged Abraham into second-place.

    Reports filed Wednesday night with Louisiana’s ethics administration office show Abraham reporting less than $319,000 on hand as the campaign reaches its final week before the primary.

    By comparison, Rispone reported $2.7 million in the bank. And Edwards was sitting on $3.2 million in the reports covering a 20-day fundraising and spending period through Sept. 22.

    While Rispone and Edwards each shelled out more than $3 million to blanket the airwaves, websites and mailboxes with ads, Abraham spent less than $1 million during the same time. He hasn’t matched his opponents’ advertising reach, instead trying to fill the gaps with in-person appearances around the state, media interviews and endorsement events with local elected officials.

    In addition, Abraham moved $30,000 from his congressional campaign fund to a super PAC supporting his candidacy, called Securing Louisiana’s Future.

    Early voting continues through Saturday.

    Polls show Edwards well ahead of his competitors, with Abraham and Rispone trying to keep him from an outright primary victory. In Louisiana, all contenders run on the same ballot regardless of party. If Edwards doesn’t top 50% of the vote on Oct. 12, he’ll face a head-to-head Nov. 16 matchup against the second-place finisher.

  • Judge OKs settlement of racial profiling suit in Mississippi

    JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A federal judge has approved the settlement in a racial profiling lawsuit that African American residents filed against a Mississippi sheriff’s department.

    Under the agreement, the Madison County sheriff must establish an “unbiased policing policy” and set new rules about traffic checkpoints and encounters with pedestrians.

    The American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi filed the lawsuit in 2017, saying officers in the majority-white Jackson suburb have unconstitutionally targeted black drivers and pedestrians in majority-black neighborhoods and have disproportionately subjected them to searches and seizures.

    U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves on Thursday approved the agreement that was filed Sept. 23. It says the sheriff’s department does not admit to any “unconstitutional, illegal or otherwise improper conduct.”

    Officers will be required to have training about cultural diversity, bias and police-citizen interaction.

  • Natchez board blocks plans for old Elks Club becoming a psychiatric facility

    By John Mott Coffey
    NATCHEZ, Miss. – The Board of Aldermen voted Tuesday to ban a proposed mental health facility in the old Elks Club that neighbors don’t want near their homes in the Lower Woodville Road area.
    Natchez aldermen acknowledged the community needs such a center to treat people with mental illnesses, but they followed residents’ urging not to rezone the property to allow mentally ill patients institutionalized near them. “We simply don’t want it in our neighborhood,” Joe Stedman told the board.
    Aldermen turned down pleas from mental health-care professionals and advocates, who said the proposed crisis stabilization unit could provide much-needed intensive psychiatric care for eventually up to 15 people at a time.
    “These people are in our neighborhoods and they need help,” one advocate told the city board Tuesday.
    Converting the now-closed Natchez Elks Club building into a psychiatric facility is being advocated by Southwest Mississippi Behavioral Health, a nonprofit, public service agency. It receives government and private funds to extend a variety of services for people with mental illnesses.
    Federal law actually mandates the city to allow the unit’s location, said attorney Scott Slover, speaking on behalf of the mental health agency at the Board of Aldermen meeting. “Legally, this is required,” he said, pointing to the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA federal law prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities and requires various accommodations for them.
    It’s uncertain if the Board of Aldermen’s action against the crisis stabilization unit’s location will be challenged in court. This comes a month after a federal judge ruled that Mississippi provides inadequate community-based services for people with mental illnesses. This has resulted in many emotionally disturbed people to be warehoused in psychiatric hospitals or unnecessarily jailed due to lack of space elsewhere for them to be treated.
    In voting Tuesday 6-0 to deny the psychiatric unit being located at the Lower Woodville Road site, the board affirmed a Natchez Planning Commission decision made last month. Aldermen cited concerns about emotionally unstable people being held in a building without security in a residential area. Concerns were also expressed about it bringing more traffic to Lower Woodville Road.
    Aldermen did acknowledge such a facility is needed in Natchez and agreed to discuss alternative sites for it at a meeting Thursday with the Adams County Board of Supervisors.
    The formerly named Southwest Mississippi Mental Health Complex is now officially A Clear Path of Southwest Mississippi Behavioral Health, a public-private agency that relies on government grants, Medicaid and private dollars. The Adams County Board of Supervisors does annually give the agency about $77,000.

  • 22 hurt in parachute training at Mississippi military base

    HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) — At least 22 soldiers were injured as hundreds parachuted onto a Mississippi military base during a night training exercise.

    U.S. Army spokesman John Pennell told WDAM-TV that the paratroopers were among 650 soldiers jumping from C-130 planes Wednesday night. Some were blown off course from their intended landing zone and into a stand of pine trees. Several became entangled in the branches and had to be rescued.

    “Paratroopers from across the brigade and Camp Shelby are assisting in getting others out of the trees,” Lt. Col Matt Myer, commander of 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, wrote on the battalion’s Facebook page early Thursday. “All of the accounted for jumpers are being afforded access to phones to call their loved ones.”

    Pennell said at least 15 of the people hurt at Camp Shelby were treated by medics, and another seven were hospitalized. Staff Sgt. John Healy said none of the injuries are considered to be life-threatening.

    Camp Shelby Cmdr. Col. Bobby Ginn says the troopers belong to the 4th Brigade of the 25th Infantry Division stationed at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska.

    Mississippi National Guard spokeswoman Lt. Col. Deidre Smith said soldiers continued to jump into the drop zone after the injuries, with units trying to account for their members.

    “Once all soldiers have been accounted for, our goal is ultimately to continue training,” Smith said in a statement. “Despite the challenges that we currently face, soldiers always place the mission first.”

    Smith said the base works to reduce risks associated with airborne operations, with a nearby hospital in Hattiesburg on alert and emergency vehicles on standby at Camp Shelby.

    About 3,000 troops from the Alaska base are participating in a monthlong training called “Operation Arctic Anvil.” The Mississippi base is devoted to large-scale training, with convoys of military trucks a common sight on nearby highways and military aircraft frequently seen overhead.

    Pennell promised more information once a safety investigation is complete.

  • High turnover rate produces Natchez’ fifth city clerk in three years

    By John Mott Coffey
    NATCHEZ, Miss. – A new city clerk will begin work Nov. 1 to replace Charles Crump, who abruptly quit last month. Servia Fortenberry was hired last week and will come to Natchez from McComb, where she’s been city clerk and chief financial officer, said Natchez Mayor Darryl Grennell.
    Crump resigned last month after only seven months on the job as the fourth city clerk Natchez has had since the mayor and aldermen began their current four-year term in 2016.
    Crump failed to fulfill his duties as the city’s chief financial officer, said Alderman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis. He “made no suggestions to the board on financial matters during his tenure in office,” she said in a statement read at Tuesday’s Board of Aldermen meeting.
    Arceneaux-Mathis,  Natchez’ mayor-pro tempore, said Grennell and the board hired Crump knowing he had no experience as a city clerk. However, they were assured he would get training in municipal finances and work with Wallace Collins, the certified public accountant already contracted to help clean up the city’s financial records long in disarray and backlogged. Crump failed to follow through, she said.
    “Once the Board of Aldermen attempted to correct this situation, we discovered that Mr. Crump did not want the city clerk staff to interact with (Collins),” said Arceneaux-Mathis, the board’s longest-serving alderman.
    With Crump lagging in preparing a budget, she said, the mayor and Board of Aldermen had to bring in Collins to supervise the city budgeting process for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1. Crump resigned his City Hall post in late September after the $37  million budget was adopted by the Board of Aldermen.
    In resigning, Crump reportedly said aldermen meddled too much in his office operations. Arceneaux-Mathis said they needed to. “Since the Board of Aldermen is ultimately responsible for all financial transactions of the city, adopts the budget and the audit, we have to be totally involved in the process,” she said.
    Fortenberry takes the job as Natchez’ fifth city clerk – not including at least two interim clerks — in the three years since aldermen converted the post to an appointed job rather than elected, as it had been the past century. The posted salary for the city clerk’s job had a range of $75,000 to $85,000 a year prior to Crump’s hiring in February.
    The mayor and Board of Aldermen on Tuesday closed the public out of discussions about personnel in the city clerk’s office.
    Among other actions taken Tuesday, aldermen increased the health insurance rate city employees pay for medical coverage. It goes from $8 a month to $32 for each employee. Employees pay more to cover their spouses and children. The city has about 190 employees. While this is four times higher than the old rate, it’s less than what the board originally considered.

  • Merit Health Natchez Offers a Community Health and Safety Fair

    NATCHEZ, Miss. –Oct. 21, 2019 –Merit Health Natchez is organizing a Community Health and Safety Fair at the Natchez Convention Center from 3 – 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24. The free event is designed for participants to gain useful tips and practices to be a healthier you. Hospital personnel will be on hand to offer blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, height and weight and BMI screenings. Health professionals will also assist participants with heart and stroke risk assessments, as well as depression screenings. One very exciting part of this event will be the display of the newest surgical robotic system technology available at Merit Health Natchez. Attendees will have a chance to view this equipment and technology up close and see demonstrations from healthcare professionals on how surgeons control the robot in the operating room. “This event is designed to encourage individuals to be proactive in their health. Numerous health professionals, including registered nurses, physical therapists, respiratory therapists, dietitians, social workers and imaging technician, will be available to provide valuable education and material on topics such as heart health, infection control, vaping, nutrition, pregnancy and so much more. We truly look forward to showcasing fitness, health and wellness information to the community we serve,” said Lance Boyd, CEO of Merit Health Natchez. In honor and recognition of October being National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Merit Health Natchez is promoting the third annual Paint Natchez Pink Day on Oct. 24. “Working with the Mayor, Board of Alderman, the Natchez Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Supervisors, we are proud to announce this day will be proclaimed Paint Natchez Pink Day,” said Boyd. Businesses are encouraged to decorate with pink and ask employees to wear pink on this day. Individuals can place pink ribbons on their mailboxes, and restaurants and stores are encouraged to go pink for the day with displays, lights, etc. Mayor Darryl Grennell will read the official proclamation on the bluff, across from the Natchez Convention Center and Grand Hotel, on Thursday evening at 6 p.m., and the public is invited to attend. There will be refreshments, music, an array of education and awareness displays, and photo opportunities in a giant pink chair! A beautiful release of pink luminaries will complete the event. “We want our community to see firsthand the commitment and support of not only our hospital, but also other local businesses and individuals for this unique and fun way to create awareness. Please join us in support and honor for those in our community valiantly fighting this disease and those who have conquered their fight. It will also be a time to remember those who have lost their battle,” concluded Boyd.

  • Unfiled court documents creating ‘havoc,’ judge tells clerk

    GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) — An elected official in south Mississippi is telling judges that he failed to make sure court papers are filed on time.

    The Sun Herald reports that Stone County Circuit Clerk Jeffrey O’Neal spoke in a trembling voice Tuesday as he appeared before all four circuit judges who hear cases in the area.

    The judges are considering a contempt charge against O’Neal because his office did not file sentencing, probation and commitment orders in at least 36 criminal cases.

    Judge Lisa Dodson told O’Neal the lack of documents is “creating havoc all the way down the line.”

    The judges are giving the clerk’s office some time to catch up on filing papers. O’Neal must file a report on his progress by late November and appear before the judges Dec. 13.

  • Retired police chief to leave new city role after 3 weeks

    PASCAGOULA, Miss. (AP) — A retired Mississippi police chief appointed to act as the temporary city manager of Pascagoula has announced he’s leaving the role after less than a month.

    The Sun Herald reports Kenny Johnson announced his Oct. 31 retirement less than two weeks after city leaders appointed him to the role. The former Pascagoula police chief says he notified officials about his impending retirement Monday after meeting with the state public employee’s retirement system.

    Councilwoman-at-large Jennifer Colmer says the city planned to hire a new manager by Oct. 30, so Johnson’s announcement wasn’t surprising. Johnson was appointed after the city’s attorney and manager, Ryan Frederic, abruptly announced he was going on medical leave. Officials have since separated the roles, so Johnson would only serve as the attorney upon his return.

  • Mississippi governor candidates bicker over state taxes

    JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The two main candidates for Mississippi governor held dueling news conferences Wednesday to accuse each other of wanting state government to dig deeper into people’s wallets.

    Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood and Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves are competing in the Nov. 5 election, along with two candidates running low-budget campaigns.

    Appearing at a concrete business in Canton, Reeves said he stands by his own record of pushing lawmakers to phase out the franchise tax.

    Hood spoke at his own campaign office in Jackson and said the franchise tax cut helps out-of-state corporations but not working people.

     

    Reeves said Hood couches criticism of the franchise tax cut “in terms of ‘these big bad out of state corporations,’” while ignoring locally owned businesses.

    “Well, the reality is that ‘these big, bad out-of-state corporations’ … they employ literally tens of thousands and really hundreds of thousands of Mississippians,” Reeves said. “And so when he’s talking about raising axes, he’s probably talking about raising taxes on your employer.”

    Hood said he does not know if the Republican-led Legislature would be willing to repeal the franchise tax cut but he pointed out that some Republican lawmakers had already proposed slowing down the reduction to see how state tax collections are affected.

    “Tate’s tax giveaways have broken our economy,” Hood said.

    Reeves said Hood is proposing programs that would cost hundreds of millions of dollars and require tax increases. Hood responded that Reeves is a “desperate politician” who is making things up.

    “I’m the only one in this race who hasn’t ever raised taxes,” Hood said.

    Hood said rural hospitals are struggling because Reeves and other Republicans have rejected $1 billion a year Mississippi could receive if it expanded Medicaid to the working poor. Expansion is an option under the federal health overhaul that then-President Barack Obama signed into law in 2010. The federal government would pay 90% of the expansion cost, which is higher than the rate of about 75% it already pays for the existing Medicaid program in Mississippi, one of the poorest states in the nation.

    Mississippi is among the 14 states that have not expanded Medicaid.

    Hood said he supports a plan proposed by the Mississippi Hospital Association, to have hospitals pay for the state costs of Medicaid expansion. Hood said that would help keep rural hospitals alive.

     

    “He made some claims about expansion of health care,” Hood said of Reeves. “That won’t cost us anything. The hospitals will pay the match of what it costs the state, and he continues to ignore that, and that’s what’s been successful in other states.”

    Reeves repeated his own opposition to Medicaid expansion and said hospitals would pass along their costs.

    “The patients are going to pay for it because the hospitals, as you know, don’t have this $220 million in extra money lying around,” Reeves said.