NATCHEZ — The Adams County hurricane super shelter is on its final step of approval. The Natchez Democrat reports the Natchez Planning Commission has approved the site plan for the $3.25-million FEMA 361 shelter that will be located near the Steckler Multi-purpose Building at Natchez High School. The plans will now be sent for approval [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: January 8,2013
Tags: damage, destruction, disaster recovery, federal government, flood, flooding, hurricane, legislative, natural disaster, qweather, rain, relief, storm surge, tropical, wind
WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said yesterday he misspoke when he suggested in a Senate speech that damage from Superstorm Sandy was worse than that inflicted by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In a short statement released by his office, the Nevada Democrat said he “simply misspoke” in comments Friday criticizing House Republicans for [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: December 27,2012
Tags: boat, boater, boatimng, build, city, community development, construction, contractor, damage, destruction, fishing, harbor, municipal, municipality, outdoors, pier, rain, recreation, repair, ski, skiing, storm, storm surge, tourism, tourist, tropical, vacation, visitor, water, Weather, wind
PASS CHRISTIAN —The city of Pass Christian has awarded a $13.8 million contract for the final phase of its harbor expansion project. The Sea Coast Echo reports the board of aldermen awarded the contract to Silverton Construction of Jackson. Mayor Chipper McDermott says work on the 10-month contract is expected to begin immediately since Silverton [...] [...]
by MBJ Staff Published: December 20,2012
Tags: acauiaitiopn, bill, buy, electric, electricity, energy, fuel, generation, hurricane, mmerger, natural gas, outage, power, purchase, rate, sale, sell, storm, transmission, tropical, utility, Weather
JACKSON — Entergy Mississippi customers will see a rate increase of about 5 percent in early 2013, according to the utility. The typical residential customer using 1,000 kWh will pay $95.63 in January and $99.71 in February. For comparison, in February 2012, the typical customer paid $95.08 per 1,000 kWh of electricity. “Electricity rates are [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: December 18,2012
Tags: agency, cleanup, damage, deadline, debris, destruction, disaster recovery, federal, flood, flooding, fund, funding, government, grant, hail, hurricane, natural disaster, rain, state, storm, tropical, wind
VICKSBURG — Warren County and Vicksburg want to decide before the end of 2012 on how to spend a remaining $1.75 million in Hurricane Katrina recovery money. The Vicksburg Post reports the money runs out in 2013. The county got $3.8 million in 2008 to clean drainage ditches inside Vicksburg. Warren County was among 49 [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: December 14,2012
Tags: contract, county, court, debris, decision, disaster, disaster recovery, flood, flooding, government, hurricane, judge, judicial, judiciary, justice, kickback, natural disastyer, rain, ruling, sentence, storm, storm surge, tropical, Weather, wind
BAY ST. LOUIS — A former Hancock County road department manager and his wife and brothers have been sentenced to prison in a Hurricane Katrina kickback case. The Sea Coast Echo reports U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden in Gulfport sentenced Roger Ladner, the former road manager, to five years during a hearing yesterday. Ladner also [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: December 13,2012
Tags: bench, clleanup, conflict of interest, contract, court, crime, criminal, debris, disaster, disaster recovery, hurricane, judge, judicial, judiciary, justice, kickback, natural disaster, storm, tropical
BAY ST. LOUIS — A former Hancock County road department manager and his wife and brothers are scheduled for sentencing today in the Hurricane Katrina kickback case. Prosecutors say Roger Ladner was given the authority to award millions of dollars in ditch-cleaning contracts after Katrina. Some allegedly went to his relatives with a portion of [...] [...]
by MBJ Staff Published: December 10,2012
Tags: disaster, disaster assistance, disaster preparedness, emergency, executive, federal, government, hurricane, law, lawmaker, legislation, legislative, natural disaster, severe weather, storm, tropical, Weather
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) is asking Obama administration officials to support changing federal disaster laws that draw out recovery work following major disasters. Cochran serves on the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee that conducted a hearing on Hurricane Sandy response and recovery issues. The hearing occurred as congressional appropriations panels await [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: December 6,2012
Tags: bench, city, cleanup, contract, contractor, court, debris, disaster, disaster recovery, flood, flooding, government, hurricane, judicial, judiciary, justice, law, lawsuit, legal, natural disaster, rain, severe, storm, storm surge, tropical, Weather, wind
WAVELAND — A lawsuit against Waveland filed by a contractor who claimed the city owes it $1.36 million for post-Hurricane Katrina cleanup work has been dismissed. The Sea Coast Echo reports according to paperwork filed in Hancock County Circuit Court, T.C.B. Construction of Poplarville and city agreed to dismiss the suit. T.C.B. sued the city [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: December 5,2012
Tags: auditor, build, building, construction, disaster, disaster recovery, federal, flood, flooding, government, higher education, hurricane, natural disaster, rain, storm, storm surge, tropical, university, Weather, wind
LONG BEACH — A federal auditor says FEMA should demand the return of $5.3 million of Hurricane Katrina reconstruction money from the University of Southern Mississippi. The Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General says it reviewed $12.2 million of the $41.1 million that USM received to rebuild its Gulf Park campus in Long Beach following [...] [...]