The Mississippi Business Journal articles from December 2003

The Mississippi Business Journal archives from December 2003

Successful investigatory interviews hinge on sound, and legal, policies; questioning workers often a critical part of the job.(Focus Insurance & Employee Benefits)
December 1, 2003... Employers seeking successful and lawful investigator interviews should have an investigative routine that outlines the scope, confidentiality and policy for situations involving an employee's actions. "Demonstrated mastery of routine......

Rates low, activity high for builders: new home sales setting records around the state.
December 1, 2003... New home sales in the U.S. were the third-highest ever recorded in September, and sales of previously owned homes hit an all time high--the third month in a row that record high sales were recorded. The strong housing market is being...

WLBT's cameras still rolling half-century later.(WLBT-TV)
December 1, 2003... JACKSON -- In December 1953, a new NBC-affiliated television station, using the call letters WJDT, went on the air. Though it was only the third television station in Mississippi to begin broadcasting (the other two also began airing in 1953),...

$35-million tank range under construction at Camp Shelby.
December 1, 2003... FORREST COUNTY -- Since it was first activated 86 years ago, the sounds of soldiers training with rifles, machine guns and tanks that spread out across the tail pine forests and gently rolling grassland at Camp Shelby have often been mixed with...

Bright sun is finally shining on our economy.(As I See It)(Column)
December 1, 2003... Our economy is finally beginning to pick up steam. We have been plagued by false starts and set backs aplenty over the past couple of years but the sun is coming out now and things are getting better. The unprecedented boom of the 1990s got...

Big difference between big, small business.(Great Expectations)(Column)
December 1, 2003... Our field of reference--how we view the world and feel about things--is determined by our experiences, knowledge and, to some degree, our intellect. If we view the same situation as others and have different opinions, it is because we have a...

To-do list: plan your company's legislative agenda.(At Issue)
December 1, 2003... Now that the 2003 general election is over, there is one thing about which we can all agree: the 2004 legislative session, which convenes in January, promises to be challenging--perhaps one of the most challenging in recent history. ...

M&F Bank.(People to Watch)(Debbie Sigman and Charles R. "Randy" McCormack join staff )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Debbie Sigman has joined M&F Bank in Clinton as vice president of the cash management division. Sigman, a graduate of the University of Memphis, is a CPA Sigman with over 20 years of experience in the financial industry. Charles R. "Randy"...

Hazclean Environmental Consultants Inc.(People to Watch)(hired Michael P. Collins, PE as branch manager of the Ruston, Louisiana, office)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... HAZCLEAN is proud to announce the hiring of Michael P. Collins, PE. as branch manager of the Ruston, La., office. Collins is a professional engineer with a master's degree in chemical engineering. He has been in the environmental consulting...

Scott, Sullivan, Streetman & Fox, P.C.(People to Watch)(new name of Clark & Scott, P.C.)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... The Birmingham, Ala.-based law firm Clark & Scott, P.C., which has a Jackson office, recently changed its name to Scott, Sullivan, Streetman & Fox, P.C. The Jackson office operated as Clark, Scott & Streetman. Jackson shareholders in the firm...

Delta Southern Bank president and CEO George Purcell and bank vice president Robert Simpson present a $33,000 check to Steve Shurden, president of Drew Enterprises Inc., a non-profit development arm of the Drew Chamber of Commerce.(People to Watch)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Delta Southern Bank president and CEO George Purcell (r) and bank vice president Robert Simpson (l) present a $33,000 check to Steve Shurden, president of Drew Enterprises Inc., a non-profit development arm...

Forge Consulting, LLC.(People to Watch)(Ted Gibson joined staff)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Structured settlement firm Forge Consulting, LLC, announced Ted Gibson has joined the team to manage Forge's Jackson office. Prior to joining Forge, Gibson managed his own settlement consulting company. He has also held management positions at...

KPMG, LLP.(People to Watch)(Ashley E. Willson, CPA, of KPMG's Jackson, Mississippi, office has been made a partner )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Ashley E. Willson, CPA, of KPMG's Jackson office has been made a partner in the firm. Willson joined KPMG in 1991. She provides assurance services to healthcare clients in Mississippi, Tennessee and Alabama. She earned her bachelor of...

Mississippi State Hospital (MSH).(People to Watch)(named Raymond Johnson the October 2003 Employee of the Month in licensed clinical services)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Raymond Johnson of Jackson has been named the October 2003 Employee of the Month in licensed clinical services at MSH. Johnson is a psychologist who has been employed with Johnson the hospital for 23 years. He earned his bachelor's and master's...

Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz.(People to Watch)(David Maron, Jon Seawright)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz received 18 national appointments in the American Bar Association's Young Lawyers Division (YLD). Two of the appointments were Jackson attorneys David Maron and Jon Seawright. Maron is the chair of...

U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Cantor (ERDC).(People to Watch)(Dr. James Houston)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Dr. James Houston, director of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg, has been named the recipient of the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association's (ASBPA) 2003 Morrough P. O'Brien Award. Houston...

Union Planters Bank.(People to Watch)(Carolyn (C. J.) Tennant)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Carolyn (C.J.) Tennant, vice president and trade finance specialist with Union Planters in Gulfport, has been appointed by the United States Secretary of Commerce to serve on the Mississippi District Export Council (DEC). Tennant works the...

Tunica RiverPark.(People to Watch)(Margaret McNutt)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Margaret McNutt, who has worked as a museum professional for 18 years, has joined the new Tunica RiverPark on the Mississippi River as museum curator. McNutt was previously assistant curator for Wonders: The Memphis International Cultural...

U.S. NetworX.(People to Watch)(Jack Graugnard)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Jack Graugnard recently joined the U.S. NetworX sales team as an account executive. Graugnard graduated from Louisiana State University with a Graugnard bachelor's degree in history and is currently earning an MBA at Mississippi College.

Study finds Mississippians most unhealthy in nation.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... The United Health Foundation, together with the American Public Health Association (APHA) and the Partnership fox" Prevention, has released America's Health: State Health Rankings 2003 Edition. Mississippi ranks last in the nation. In this...

Isle of Capri makes project proposals.(Strictly Business)(Isle of Capri Casinos Inc.,)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... BILOXI -- Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISLE) officials have responded to requests for proposals issued by St. Louis, Mo., and St. Louis County. The two proposals total $434 million. The proposal for the City of St. Louis totals...

GST to de-register stock.(Strictly Business)(Global Seafood Technologies Inc.)
December 1, 2003... BILOXI -- The seafood processing company Global Seafood Technologies Inc. (OTCBB: GSFT) has filed Form 15 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to de-register its common stock and suspend its reporting obligations. The company said...

Hamlin breaks ground.(Strictly Business)(Hamlin Sheet Metal Company Inc.)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... GREENWOOD -- A groundbreaking ceremony for Hamlin Sheet Metal Company Inc. was held recently in this Delta city. The company's newest facility will be located in the Greenwood-Leflore Industrial Park and is expected to open in March 2004. ...

Packaging Dynamics buying plant in Iuka.(Strictly Business)(Iuka Lamination Division)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... IUKA -- Packaging Dynamics Corporation (NASDAQ: PKDY) has executed a definitive agreement to acquire the Iuka Lamination Division of Ormet Corporation. The transaction, which is subject to certain closing conditions, will be an all-cash deal...

MSU hosting insurance institute.(Strictly Business)(Mississippi State University)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... STARKVILLE -- Mississippi State University's (MSU's) College of Business and Industry is offering the university's first Insurance Education Summer Institute, to be held on campus next year. "The course is designed for educators who teach...

Genesis buys CO2 from Denbury.(Strictly Business)(Genesis Energy L.P.,)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Genesis Energy, L.P., has completed the previously announced acquisition of an interest in 167.5 Bcf of carbon dioxide (CO2) under a volumetric production payment, plus certain marketing rights, from Denbury Resources Inc. This acquisition...

BancorpSouth gift card.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... TUPELO -- BancorpSouth Inc. is now offering the BancorpSouth prepaid MasterCard Gift Card. This is among the first bank-issued stored-value gift cards in BancorpSouth's six-state regional market to carry no card fee for loading money, or added...

AT&T Wireless gets fast.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... AT&T Wireless is now offering what it says is the fastest national mobile wireless data service in North America, called EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for Global Evolution). EDGE service is now available nationally to customers located in...

Shaw signs contract.(Strictly Business)(Shaw Group Inc.)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... BATON ROUGE, LA. -- The Shaw Group Inc. (NYSE:SGR) has received approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts in the Southern District of New York and in Jackson for the settlement of claims related to the cancellation of the LSP-Pike Energy, LLC...

Fitch rates 'Nissan' bonds.(Strictly Business)
December 1, 2003... Fitch Ratings has assigned a rating of "AA/F1+" to the $240-million State of Mississippi's taxable variable-rate general obligation bonds (Nissan North America, Inc. Project) consisting of $140-million series 2003A and $140-million series...

Boyd gets StealthWatch.(Strictly Business)(StealthWatch Management Console to provide network and security operations)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... ROBINSONVILLE -- Boyd Gaming Corporation has selected Lancope Inc.'s StealthWatch and the StealthWatch Management Console to provide network and security operations for Boyd's network, which supports nearly 1,000 hosts and more than 14,000...

Southern LINC offering 'Recharge'.(Strictly Business)(Recharge is the first prepaid wireless service)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... ATLANTA -- Southern LINC, the wireless communications service of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), has launched Recharge. According to Southern LINC, Recharge is the first prepaid wireless service designed specifically for business users, and the...

State ranks high on small business index.(Strictly Business)
December 1, 2003... Mississippi ranks in the top 10 of the friendliest business atmospheres for small businesses, according to the "Small Business Survival Index 2003." The ranking is published by the Small Business Survival Committee (SBSC), a Washington-based...

Australian Court Works signs contract for Texas.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... BRANDON -- BP International Inc. (BPI) has signed new contracts for its privacy and windscreen products. The combined value of these contracts is approximately $30,000, according to Larry Ball, BPI CEO. Australian Court Works of Mississippi...

Baptist installs HotSpots.(Baptist Medical Center)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... JACKSON -- Baptist Medical Center has established HotSpots in the lobby of the hospital and on the labor and delivery floor. Patients, visitors and vendors can connect to the Internet using the wireless networking interface on their own...

Hibernia launches new service for health care.(Strictly Business)(E-Healthcare Solutions)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... NEW ORLEANS -- Hibernia National Bank has kicked off a new service called e Healthcare Solutions designed to help streamline the processing of health care receivables. E-Healthcare Solutions is a suite of solutions that allows hospitals,...

S&P rates St. Paul.(Strictly Business)(Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, St. Paul Travelers Cos.)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... JACKSON -- Standard & Poor's Ratings Services (S&P) has placed it "BBB+" counterparty credit and debt ratings on the St. Paul Companies Inc., which includes USF&G Insurance Company of Mississippi, and its "A+" counterparty credit and financial...

Accreditation granted.(The American College of Radiology (ACR) has awarded Wesley Place, a service of Wesley Medical Center, a three-year term of accreditation in mammography)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... HATTIESBURG -- The American College of Radiology (ACR) has awarded Wesley Place, a service of Wesley Medical Center, a three-year term of accreditation in mammography as a result of a recent survey. The ACR, headquartered in Reston, Va.,...

Nissan seeking grantees.(Strictly Business)(Nissan Foundation)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... CANTON -- The Nissan Foundation, a charitable giving arm of Nissan North America Inc., is currently seeking grantees for its 2004 grant year. Non-profit organizations in Central Mississippi, South California, North Central Texas and Central...

Value Line ready to ramp up production in Leakesville: number of jobs expected to climb in early 2004.(Value Line Company)
December 1, 2003... LEAKESVILLE -- When Peavey Electronics closed its manufacturing plant here earlier this year, it was a big blow to a small town located in a rural South Mississippi county with a high unemployment rate. But it turned out that the building,...

Huff Industries in Corinth comes off smelling like a rose.(Huff Industries)
December 1, 2003... CORINTH -- Huff Industries must be the best smelling manufacturer in the state. "We just make scents!" is the trademark of Huff Industries, which manufactures air freshener products such as Vacuum Magic. The family-owned business...

Reform remains big issue in malpractice insurance market: Mississippi doctors propose solutions to improve situation.(Focus Insurance & Employee Benefits)
December 1, 2003... Mississippi doctors, staunch supporters of additional tort reform, have a proposal for state lawmakers they believe will help alleviate the current medical malpractice insurance situation. The Medical Liability Reform Proposal, drafted by...

George Dale ready for four more years--once again.(A Mississippi Business Journal Q&A)(Interview)
December 1, 2003... On November 4, state insurance commissioner George Dale, the longest-serving state insurance commissioner in the nation, was re-elected to an eighth consecutive term. With 31 new state insurance commissioners taking office since January 1, Dale...

Housekeeping items, more tort reform expected in session. insurance leaders discuss 2004 legislative agenda.(Focus Insurance & Employee Benefits)
December 1, 2003... Some housekeeping items with little major significance and additional tort reform top the insurance industry's legislative agenda in 2004. But not much can be discussed with legislators until Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck, who was re-elected in November,...

Decision upholds Mississippi's employment-at-will status: but the Legislature could pass laws providing employees statutory protection.(Focus Insurance & Employee Benefits)
December 1, 2003... Even though numerous attempts have been made to overturn Kelly v. Mississippi Gas Company--the 1981 landmark Supreme Court decision, which held that an employee who claimed he was terminated because he filed a workers' compensation claim failed...

Self-funded plans gain ground as care costs continue climb.(Focus Insurance & Employee Benefits)
December 1, 2003... PASCAGOULA -- There is one big reason why Lockard & Williams Insurance Services, P.A., has grown to cover more than 25,000 lives in 10 states in the Southeast since the company was founded in 1990. Companies who have had to consider dropping...

Third-party administrators.(Directory)
December 1, 2003... Third-Party Administrators Company Name/Year Founded Address Specialty Areas/Services Offered Web site AmFed Companies, LLC/1993 P.O. Box 1380, Ridgeland. MS 39158-1380...

Privatization plan could be boon for Coast home building, rentals.
December 1, 2003... BILOXI -- Home building and rental activity on the Coast could get a major shot in the arm with plans announced by Keesler Air Force Base (AFB) to privatize on-base housing while also closing about 933 housing units by 2010. Brig. Gen....

Hart-Hall wins Silver Medal in annual Retailer Excellence Awards.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... MERIDIAN -- The gift shop Hart-Hall, Ltd., owned by Sara Emma Hall, Was one of the four stores in the nation recognized for merchandise display in the Annual Retailer Excellence Awards sponsored by Gifts & Decorative Accessories, a gift...

One of plastic surgery's best has deep Mississippi roots: 'Extreme Makeover' doc grew up in Laurel, an Ole Miss grad.(Fisher, Garth)
December 1, 2003... Mississippian Garth Fisher isn't a professional athlete, but he's attained major-league status in his chosen field. Fisher, a Beverly Hills, Calif.-based physician, has earned distinction as one of the top plastic surgeons in the United...

Business, education partnering in state: range of projects aimed at improving skills and opportunities for students.
December 15, 2003... Across the South, the educational community is working closely with business to get the word out about the need to prepare for college and get a degree. In Mississippi, businesses are getting morn involved in promoting education through...

Development brings retail back to town of Goodman.
December 15, 2003... GOODMAN--Imagine a small town with no retail outlets to generate sales tax income to provide government services. A town with no grocery store. No gas station. That would have described the Delta town of Goodman, population 1,285, located...

Creating jobs one of Haley Barbour's top priorities.
December 15, 2003... In less than a month before he will be inaugurated Mississippi's 52nd governor, Republican Haley Barbour is hosting a Job Creation Summit December 15-16. The invitation-only event, which begins the 15th with a reception at Union Station and...

Time again to shop local, buy Mississippi.(Perspective)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... Communities around the Magnolia State go to great lengths this time of year to encourage folks to do their holiday shopping locally. For instance, on U.S. 49 at the outskirts of Jackson, the city of Clinton has a billboard reminding drivers...

Smart tax planning starts now, if not sooner.(As I See It)(Column)
December 15, 2003... It has been my privilege to serve as a tax adviser for the last three decades. Though I am pretty much retired from the tax consulting business, this time of year always reminds me of the hustle and bustle of trying to make clients' tax...

Sleigh bells, cash registers, that holiday jazz.(Musings)(Column)
December 15, 2003... I try hard not to go to Wal-Mart. The crowds. The long lines. Regardless, I sometimes venture in, always through the garden section, sneaking in, hoping I can make a quick trip of it. I'm always wrong. Before Thanksgiving, my husband...

For travelers only.(People to Watch)(Vickie Greenlee)(American Society of Travel Agents' Chapter Presidents Council )(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... Vickie Greenlee, CTC, ACC, owner of For Travelers Only in Jackson, was elected chair of the American Society of Travel Agents' (ASTA) Chapter Presidents Council (CPC), which is made up of the 32 chapter presidents from around the U.S. Greenlee...

Butler, Snow, O'Mara, Stevens & Cannada, PLLC.(People to Watch)(appointments)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... Alison L. Tasma has joined Butler Snow as a member of the firm's employment group. Tasma received her B.A. in English, with high honors, from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1999. She attended the University of Mississippi School of...

Downtown Oxford Inn & Suites under new management.(People to Watch)(Flowood, MS)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... OXFORD -- As of Nov. 1, Downtown Oxford Inn & Suites is under new management. Rodney Chamblee, CEO of Stone Creek Assets in Flowood, announced that MMI Hotel Group of Jackson has taken over operations and management of the property. To gain...

The Women's Clinic of Hattiesburg.(People to Watch)(appointments)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... The Women's Clinic of Hattiesburg recently appointed Felicia L. Warren, MBA, CMPE as administrator. Warren brings more than nine years of medical management experience to the clinic. She most recently worked for The Greenville Clinic in...

Synergetics.(People to Watch)(Stephen Doyle of Synergetics DCS Inc., has received the CompTIA A+ Certification)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... Stephen Doyle, a Synergetics PC technician in Cleveland, has received the CompTIA A+ Certification. CompTIA is a testing program that certifies competency computer service technicians. The A+ exam contains situational and identification types...

Hattiesburg Clinic.(People to Watch)(appointments)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... Leslie V. Rush III, D.O., has joined Brent D. Bevard, D.O., A.T.C,. in the practice of physical medicine and rehabilitation. Rush received his medical degree from the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg, W. Va., and...

Management Incorporated (MMI).(People to Watch)(appointments)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... Fred Ruder, vice president-marketing for Mississippi Management Inc. (MMI), has been elected to a three-year term on the board of the Southeast Tourism Society (STS). Ruder, who has been at MMI for 22 years, will serve through 2006. STS, which...

Poplarville -- Toyota of Hattiesburg recently donated a Toyota Corolla to Pearl River Community College (PRCC).(People to Watch)
December 15, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Poplarville -- Toyota of Hattiesburg recently donated a Toyota Corolla to Pearl River Community College (PRCC). The vehicle will be used for campus security on PRCC's Poplarville campus. On hand for the...

USA International Ballet Competition.(People to Watch)(Nicole Bradshaw has joined the USA International Ballet Competition )(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... Nicole Bradshaw has joined the USA International Ballet Competition as director of public relations and marketing. A graduate of Millsaps College, Bradshaw is currently pursuing a master's degree in communications from Mississippi College. She...

Mississippi Development Authority.(People to Watch)(appointments)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... John Helms, director of the Mississippi Development Authority's (MDA) Business Development and Trade Research Bureau, was named to the board of directors of ACCRA, the national non-profit organization promoting excellence in research for...

Mississippi College.(Debbie Pierce, chair of the department of foreign languages at Mississippi College, has been recognized by International Education in Higher Education for her contributions in international education in higher education in the State of Mississippi)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... Debbie Pierce, chair of the department of foreign languages at Mississippi College, has been recognized by International Education in Higher Education for her contributions in international education in higher education in the State of...

WeatherVision.(Edward St. Pe of Brandon recently received the Jim Park Business Award)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... Edward St. Pe of Brandon recently received the Jim Park Business Award at Belhaven College. St. Pe is a 1999 Belhaven graduate. He founded his company, WeatherVision, in 1991. In 1980, St. Pe attended Jackson State University after having...

SouthTrust Bank.(Greg Cronin, the new CEO for its Mississippi Gulf Coast)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... SouthTrust Bank has named Greg Cronin as the new CEO for its Mississippi Gulf Coast. A Moss Point native, Cronin returns to Mississippi from his position with SouthTrust as senior lender in Huntsville, Ala. He worked in Biloxi as senior lender...

Parkway Properties buys Charlotte facility for $42.5 million.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... JACKSON -- Parkway Properties Inc. (NYSE: PKY) has purchased Carmel Crossing, an office campus in the 51 Perimeter sub-market of Charlotte, N.C. The property was acquired for $41 million plus $1.5 million in closing costs and anticipated...

Vertex acquisition wraps up.(Strictly Business)(L-3 Communications buys Vertex Aerospace LLC)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... MADISON -- L-3 Communications (NYSE: LLL) has completed the acquisition of Vertex Aerospace, LLC, from Veritas Capital for $650 million in cash. The new business unit, now renamed L-3 Communications AeroTech, LLC (L-3 AeroTech), will...

Isle's U.K. activities advance.(Strictly Business)(Blue Chip Casinos PLC)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... BILOXI -- Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. (NASDAQ: ISLE) has completed the acquisition of two-thirds interest in Blue Chip Casinos, PLC, in the United Kingdom. Isle of Capri Casinos acquired the two-thirds interest in Blue Chip for $8 million....

MissChem selling operations.(Strictly Business)(Mississippi Chemical Corp.)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... YAZOO CITY -- Mississippi Chemical Corporation's (OTCBB: MSPIQ) wholly owned subsidiaries, Mississippi Potash Inc. and Eddy Potash Inc., have signed a definitive agreement to sell substantially all of their potash assets to two wholly owned...

CAVS officially opens.(Strictly Business)(Mississippi State University's Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... STARKVILLE -- Mississippi State University's (MSU's) Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems (CAVS) has officially opened. The $9-million, 45,000-square-foot facility was designed to draw on the university's high-performance computing...

Regency opens in FGH.(Strictly Business)(Forrest General Hospital)(Regency Hospital Co.)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... HATTIESBURG -- Regency Hospital Company has opened its newest hospital --Regency Hospital of Hattiesburg. Regency Hospital is a 33-bed hospital located within Forrest General Hospital (FGH). Regency is a long-term acute care hospital that...

County buying IP site.(Strictly Business)(International Paper Company)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... MOSS POINT -- After two years of negotiations. Jackson County and International Paper Company (IP) have finalized an agreement under which the county will purchase the former IP Mill site in Moss Point. The county will pay $3 million for the...

Intermodal council formed.(Strictly Business)(Mississippi Intermodal Council )(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... JACKSON -- The Mississippi Intermodal Council (MIC) was recently formed to promote intermodalism, intermodal planning and the coordination of multiple transportation modes for the movement of goods and people. It will also provide a medium for...

The CPI Group wins training contract.(Strictly Business)( CPI Group Inc signed a training contract with the City of Nashville and Davidson County)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... COLUMBUS -- The CPI Group Inc. has signed a training contract with the City of Nashville and Davidson County, Tenn. Terms were not disclosed. The contract calls for CPI to provide training to various groups within the metropolitan...

Trinity Apparel Group dressing its clients for success.(Trinity Apparel Group )
December 15, 2003... JACKSON -- Is it possible to produce custom-made men's clothing at or near off-the-rack prices, and if so, would wholesale and retail customers line up for the service? After months of research, market surveys and analysis, a globetrotting...

Acquisition completed.(Strictly Business)(Hunt Southland Company)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... JACKSON -- Hunt Southland Company has finalized the purchase of the refining-related assets of Southland Oil Company. Among the assets purchased are Jackson-based Southland Oil's refineries in Sandersville and Lumberton as well as its terminal...

Kerr-McGee awards contract.(Strictly Business)(Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. has received a master work agreement contract for Kerr-McGee Chemical L.L.C.,)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... HAMILTON -- Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. has received a master work agreement contract for Kerr-McGee Chemical, LLC's, titanium dioxide pigment facility in Hamilton. This contract includes the design, engineering, procurement and...

Peoples increases dividend.(Strictly Business)(Peoples Financial Corp.)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... BILOXI -- For the fifth time in six years, the board of directors of Peoples Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: PFBX), parent of The Peoples Bank, voted to increase the holding company's regular semiannual cash dividend. The board approved...

U.S. NetworX makes buy.(Strictly Business)(WebDCI, a Web site hosting provider )(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... JACKSON -- U.S. NetworX today has acquired WebDCI, a Web site hosting provider that specializes in databases and Windows-based Web sites. The assets acquired include WebDCI's hosting servers and customer base. The terms of the transaction were...

Insurance agency has deep roots in Laurel: firm, now part of SouthGroup, still anchored in hometown.
December 15, 2003... LAUREL -- Some Mississippi insurance agencies can trace their genesis almost to the founding of the city where they're located, from the horse-and-buggy days when the agency's principal equipment was a telephone and a manual typewriter, down to...