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Natchez News
by Peter Rinaldi
While the national economy appears
headed toward recession and higher unemployment, the Miss-Lou’s jobless
rates have declined slightly from last year. Adams County’s jobless rate
stands at 6.1%, Franklin County 6.4%, Wilkinson County 7.5%, and
Jefferson County 11.9%. Concordia Parish reports 6.4% unemployed,
Catahoula Parish 6.1%, and Tensas Parish 7.9%.
Natchez voters go to the polls for a Democratic Primary Election May 6.
Contested races include: Mayor – Jake Middleton and Phillip West; Ward 1
Alderman – Paul Johnson, Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis, Sonya Anderson Mars and
Jim Sanders; Ward 2 Alderman – Rickey Gray, Johnny Franklin and Larry
Hooper, Jr.; Ward 4 Alderman – Tony Fields, Donnell Newsome and “Bubber”
West; Ward 5 Alderman – Frances Bailey, Mark Fortenbery and Tim
Sessions; Ward 6 Alderman – Dan Dillard and Forrest Foster. The runoff
date is May 20.
For Ward 3 Alderman, Democrat Gwen Ball is unopposed. She will meet
Republican Bob Pollard in the June 3 General Election. Charles Zuccaro
is running as a Republican for Ward 5 Alderman. He will meet the winner
of that ward’s Democratic race in the General. The winner of the mayoral
Democratic Primary battles independent candidate Chick Graning on June
3.
Polling places are: Ward 1 – City Hall Council Chambers; Ward 2
– Frazier Elementary; Ward 3 – Elks Lodge, Ward 4 – Old Union Hall: Ward
5 – National Guard Armory and Ward 6 – Duncan Park Canteen. If you are
not sure where you should vote, call the Adams County Election
Commission at 601-445-7905.
The Mississippi River may take two weeks to fall below flood
stage. Significant lowland flooding has occurred in Adams and Wilkinson
Counties and Concordia Parish. Flooding at Natchez-Under-the-Hill forced
the Isle of Capri Casino to close temporarily.
Three of the six persons indicted by a Concordia Parish grand jury pled
innocent to all charges before Judge Kathy Johnson. The trials of Police
Officer Ricky Hollins, 51, of Vidalia, former officer Willie Robinson,
46 of Clayton, and police department employee Arthur Johnson, 39, of
Ferriday will probably occur late this fall. Also indicted are Officer
John Hawkins, 40, of Ferriday, former Police Chief Rock Davis, 52, of
Ferriday, and former officer Juanita January, 26. The officers have been
charged with a variety of crimes including false imprisonment,
malfeasance, and/or unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. January is
charged with felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile. Police Chief Richard
Madison said that all his officers and former employees are innocent and
will be proved so. Outgoing Mayor Gene Allen said the indictments were
politically motivated.
Rentech wants Adams County Supervisors to submit a grant application to
rebuild the train trestle over St. Catherine Creek between the IP mill
site and the Adams County Port. The price tag on the project might be as
much as $4 million and require a $400,000 match from the county.
Supervisors and IP have also agreed to pay some of the costs to release
mineral rights on the mill property. Rentech said it will purchase the
mill acreage, but wants those mineral rights for itself. The county and
IP will pick up 2/3 of the cost.
Gary Carlton has been chosen to be Jonesville’s new police chief.
Carlton has been serving as assistant chief for several months. The town
council also voted to lift its moratorium on the placement of mobile
homes within the city limits.
Adams County Supervisors voted to raise the monthly garbage
collection fee to $13.00 and expand collection to twice weekly.
Supervisors accepted the low bid from Preferred Transport of Natchez to
improve the service. Some residents complained to supervisors about the
increase. Both Preferred Transport and Waste Management submitted bids
that reflected large increases because of high fuel costs. The county
still has trouble collecting the monthly fees from residents and
subsidizes the operation from the general fund. State law prohibits that
practice, but supervisors have been unable to to collect the fees owed.
Traffic came to a halt as many as 200 deer crossed in packs on
Highway 84 near Ridgecrest. Some of the deer ran into chain link fences,
breaking their necks and had to be shot by wildlife agents. The agents
said high water has prompted thousands of deer to move to dry and higher
ground.
The Southwest Mississippi Planning District will take over the
administration of the HOME program for Bude. The state program provides
funds for repair of homes of the elderly and low income persons. The
town had chosen a contractor, but no work had been done and the local
program came to halt. The district hopes to perform the repairs for
residents in the new few months.
When Natchez voters go to the polls June 3 for the General Election,
they’ll also consider whether to adopt a $2 room per night tax on all
hotels to finance advertising for the Natchez Convention and Visitor’s
Bureau. Aldermen passed a resolution in support of the tax despite
opposition from hotel owners who questioned whether the money would be
spent wisely. CVB officials said the tax would raise as much as $400,000
a year, but offered no concrete plan as to how the money would be spent.
The city already has a 1.5% sales tax on meals and a 3% sales tax on
hotel rooms to fund the CVB. In addition, aldermen allocate monies from
the general and bond funds to support the agency.
Special Judge Jim Persons and retired Judges Robert Gibbs and Barry Ford
met to discuss the upcoming Wilkinson County Primary Election set for
June 24. Persons appointed Gibbs and Ford as masters to supervise the
election in hopes of preventing a reoccurrence the election fraud that
plagued the August 2007 primary. Gibbs and Ford will also oversee the
July 22 General Election. At issue is who will be elected sheriff,
circuit clerk and supervisor of Dist. 2.
Ferriday teenager Connor Wood received a life sentence for the 2007
murder of his parents and a neighborhood friend. His three second degree
murder convictions carry life sentences without benefit of probation or
parole.
Franklin County Supervisors will follow through on their vote last year
to provide sewer service to 72 homes near Okhissa Lake. Supervisors
originally voted to spend $20,000 a year for that service. The county
engineer said a Modad system would work, saving the county money.
A new state law could cost Natchez School Supt. Dr. Anthony Morris his
job. School systems that maintain a Level-2 or Level-1 status for two
years would be required to replace their superintendents after two
years. In Morris’ case, he has two years from July 1 to bring the
majority of Natchez’s schools up to a Level-3 or be automatically
terminated.
John Hogue, Jr., 78, of Newellton was killed when his Lexus was hit by a
gravel truck on Hwy. 65 near Clayton. Clayton Police Chief Clarence
Skipper said Hogue may have run the stop sign or simply proceeded onto
the highway, not seeing the oncoming gravel truck.
The Natchez Festival of Music begins May 3 with an Evening of Musical
Cabaret. The festival features opera, Broadway and jazz performances and
plantation recitals throughout the month. Artistic Director Dr. David
Blackburn brings in talented young performers from around the country
for the month long celebration. To help kick off the festival, local
residents sponsor a Symphony of Gardens Tour May 2-3, with a tour of
Natchez’s best gardens, music at The Towers and The Cedars and dinner at
Monmouth. For information and tickets for all events, call Natchez
Pilgrimage Tours at 800-647-6742.
The Miss-Lou Relay for Life has been postponed from May 2 to June 13
because of river water flooding part of the Vidalia Riverfront. |
