The Mississippi Business Journal articles from January 2004

The Mississippi Business Journal archives from January 2004

BancorpSouth heads to the Music City: lucrative middle Tennessee market targeted for growth.
January 5, 2004... TUPELO -- BancorpSouth Bank has entered the crowded Nashville banking market. In November, the $10.5-billion Tupelo-based bank opened a commercial loan production office and residential mortgage center in Brentwood, Tenn., a tony suburb...

Low-power FM stations take to state's airwaves.
January 5, 2004... Edward St. Pe of Brandon wanted to bring big band music back to Jackson. Brice Phillips of Bay St. Louis wanted to ensure that Hancock County would always have access to emergency broadcast services. Different goals, but both are taking...

Four-laning project expected to boost economic opportunities.(El Camino Trail)
January 5, 2004... Long ago, a trade route stretched from southern Texas into Louisiana. It came to be known as El Camino Trail. Now, a five-state consortium hopes to reestablish and extend the trail from El Paso, Texas, on the Mexican border, to Brunswick, Ga.,...

Under the dome again.(Perspective)(legislative session)
January 5, 2004... The 2004 legislative session convenes this week at the Capitol in Jackson. As the new year and new session get underway, there are an interesting number of changes awaiting members of the State House and Senate. * Mike Moore has left the...

CPAs know how to have a good time ... really.(As I See It)(certified public accountants)(Column)
January 5, 2004... This week, the Mississippi Business Journal turns its editorial focus to professionals: attorneys and CPAs. I have a soft spot in my heart for the CPA profession and a ton of respect for the men and women who represent the public in matters...

Getting away for 24 hours to find yourself.(From the Ground Up)
January 5, 2004... I have learned this at least by my experiment: if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined. he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. Henry David Thoreau ...

U.S. Army Engineer research and development center.(People to Watch)(Sandra K. Knight appointed)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Dr, Sandra K. Knight of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg has been selected for a temporary appointment as acting deputy director for research and development for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in...

Bud Milner & Company.(People to Watch)(Vickie Allbritton Miles appointed)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Vickie Allbritton Miles has joined Bud Milner & Company as a sales and marketing representative for Division 9 Contracting. She has 21 years of experience in the construction industry as a specifications consultant in the architectural and...

Insurance Women of Southwest Mississippi.(People to Watch)(National Association of Insurance Women meeting)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... The Insurance Women of Southwest Mississippi recently hosted the group's 16th annual state meeting of the Mississippi Council of the National Association of Insurance Women. Jamie Niemeyer of Jackson was sworn in as state director elect, Gail...

Mississippi FFA Association.(People to Watch)(Future Farmers of America elects Christy Windham)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Christy Windham of Laurel is the newly-elected national Future Farmers of America (FFA) Southern Region vice president. Windham is the daughter of James and Robin Windham. She has served as president and vice president for the Mississippi FFA...

Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB).(People to Watch)(Samantha Hosemann appointed)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Samantha Hosemann joined the Vicksburg CVB as marketing and special projects manager. Hosemann graduated in 2002 from the University of Southern Mississippi with a degree in public relations. She interned at the Lake Terrace Convention Center...

Trustmark National Bank.(People to Watch)(Greg Bennett appointed)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Greg Bennett has been named president at Trustmark in Greenwood. Bennett, a native of Corinth, has over 18 years of experience in the financial industry. He earned a degree from Mississippi State University and has since graduated from several...

Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Mississippi.(People to Watch)(Marilyn Blackledge completes leadership program)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Marilyn Blackledge, vice president of resource development and marketing for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Mississippi, is one of the 49 women who recently completed the Executive Women International Academy of Leadership program. The...

AmSouth Bank.(People to Watch)(appointments)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... AmSouth Bank has promoted John Leech to branch manager of the bank's Booneville branch. Leech joined AmSouth one year ago as an assistant branch manager at the bank's Tupelo main office. David Cayson was promoted to group sales manager for...

Stennis Space Center.(People to Watch)(John C. Stennis Space Center appointments)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Thomas Q. Donaldson V has been named the director at John C. Stennis Space Center. Donaldson was the commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (NMOC), one of the 30 agencies onsite as part of the "federal...

Union Planters Bank.(People to Watch)(appointments)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Karen Eddins has returned to Union Planters (UP) mortgage originator at the Philadelphia office. She previously worked with Citizens Bank Mortgage and UP Mortgage. Marvin Freeman has been hired as vice president and branch sales manager of UP's...

Citizens National Bank.(People to Watch)(Ben Simpson, Wade Ward appointed)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Citizens National Bank headquartered in Meridian has named Ben Simpson as president in Flowood. and Wade Ward as president of the new Madison branch. Simpson is a 1979 graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, and an April 2002...

Brown-Buchanan-Sessoms, P.A.(People to Watch)(American College of Trial Lawyers elects Raymond Brown)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... The American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL), an elite professional organization of less than l% of the practicing bar, has elected Raymond Brown to the prestigious ACTL Board of Regents. Brown is senior partner of Brown-Buchanan-Sessoms, P.A.,...

Phelps Dunbar, LLP.(People to Watch)(appointments)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Phelps Dunbar, LLP, is pleased to announce that the Jackson and Tupelo offices have recently hired 11 associates. Saundra G. Brown is an associate in the labor practice group in the Jackson office. She received her law degree from Mississippi...

WAPT-TV.(People to Watch)(Kevin Robinson receives award)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Kevin Robinson. early morning meteorologist for WAPT-TV in Jackson. has received the "Seal of Approval" from the American Meteorological Society in recognition of the quality of his television weather broadcasts. Robinson is a 2001 graduate of...

McGlinchey Stafford, PLLC.(People to Watch)(H. Hunter Twiford III appointed)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... H. Hunter Twiford III joined McGlinchey Stafford's commercial litigation section as a member in the Jackson office. Prior to joining the firm, Hunter practiced law in Clarksdale for 30 years. In addition to his regular practice, he served as...

Meridian Community College.(People to Watch)(College and Universities Personnel Association of Mississippi re-elects Shellye Espey)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Meridian Community College's (MCC) human resources coordinator Shellye Espey has been re-elected as secretary/treasurer for the College and Universities Personnel Association of Mississippi (CUPAM) for 2004. Espey has been employed with MCC for...

Starkville-based NBC Capital buying Memphis bank.(Strictly Business)(Enterprise Bancshares Inc. acquisition)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... STARKVILLE -- NBC Capital Corporation (AMEX: NBY) has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Enterprise Bancshares Inc., the holding company for Enterprise National Bank, a $290-million commercial bank operating three financial centers in...

Isle of Capri opens casino in Bahamas.(Strictly Business)(Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. )(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... BILOXI -- Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. (NASDAQ: ISLE) has opened its casino at the Westin and Sheraton at Our Lucaya Beach and Golf Resort at Freeport, Grand Bahamas. The approximately 19,000-square-foot resort-style casino offers 400 slot...

New, expanded facilities top $3b.(Strictly Business)(job creation)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... New and expanded facilities announced through November 2003 have created more than 9,500 jobs and an estimated capital investment of approximately $3.09 billion, according to the Mississippi Development Authority's "Summary of New and Expanded...

SBA ranks banks.(Strictly Business)(Small Business Administration)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... According to a new report issued by the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA's) Office of Advocacy, Mississippi's top five small business-friendly banks are Pike County National Bank, Bank of Holly Springs, OmniBank, Merchants & Marine...

UP downgrades earnings expectation.(Strictly Business)(Union Planters Corp.)
January 5, 2004... MEMPHIS, TENN: -- Due to a reduction in mortgage loan volumes and increased competitive pressure: on pricing, revenue of Union Planters Corporation's (NYSE: UPC) mortgage banking segment will be significantly lower in the fourth quarter...

Chille Pepper recognizes Fat Mama's.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... NATCHEZ -- Fat Mama's Tamales was among the winners of the 2004 Fiery Food Challenge. The annual competition is a program of Chile Pepper magazine, a Fort Worth, Texas-based publication focused on zesty cuisine. This year's competition saw...

Clark names presidential candidates.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... JACKSON -- Mississippi Secretary of State Eric Clark has determined the candidates for president who will appear on the ballot in Mississippi's primary election March 9, 2004. There are nine Democratic candidates--Carol Moseley Braun,...

IP workers awarded emergency grant.(Strictly Business)(international paper)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... NATCHEZ -- The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded an National Emergency Grant to the Mississippi Development Authority. The approximately $1.15 million grant targets 320 workers who lost their jobs due to the closure of the International...

Sanderson OK with new estimate.(Strictly Business)(Sanderson Farms Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... LAUREL -- An analyst recently increased Sanderson Farms Inc.'s (NAS-DAQ/NM: SAFM) earnings by 50 cents per diluted share over their original estimate. But Sanderson Farms says it is comfortable with the increased earnings outlook. At its...

Peer reviews MWCC.(Strictly Business)(Mississippi Workers' Compensation Commission)(Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation)(Pete Frierson Mississippi 4-H Museum)
January 5, 2004... JACKSON -- The PEER Committee has concluded its review of the Mississippi Workers' Compensation Commission (MWCC). The review was conducted per a legislative request and focused on MWCC's commissioners. PEER reached the following...

Terror insurance an issue for wide range of municipalities.
January 5, 2004... Over the years, property and casualty insurance for cities in Mississippi and across the country was just another routine part of municipal business. Then, Sept. 11, 2001, happened and the insurance business suffered such devastating financial...

Small business climate in Mississippi ranked one of the best: Mississippi hits mark for third year in a row.
January 5, 2004... Is you want to start a small business, the political climate in Mississippi is among the best in the nation. Mississippi was ranked 10th best in the country in 2003 by the Small Business Survival Committee (SBSC) (www.sbsc.org). This is...

Management accountants steer businesses to financial success.(Focus professionals: law & accounting)
January 5, 2004... Management accountants do much more than just crunch numbers. Also called industrial, corporate or private accountants, management accountants play a key role in guiding the financial health and profitability of the companies they work for. ...

Bar's CAP helps people resolve problems with attorneys.(Focus professionals: law & accounting)(Consumer Assistance Program)
January 5, 2004... Got a problem with your lawyer? A solution might be easier than you think. The Mississippi Bar Association's Consumer Assistance Program (CAP)--the first of its type in the U.S.--has helped literally thousands of people work out problems with...

CPAs about to get busy; legislative items in mind: changes in tax law prompted year-end flurry of activity.(Focus professionals: law & accounting)(Certified public accountants)
January 5, 2004... Paul Breazeale has a ritual. During the first two weeks of the year, he takes his family on vacation, usually on a cruise. He calls it "the calm before the storm." "I generally work very hard right up until the end of the year, but then...

Mississippi attorneys anticipate a busy year in 2004: funding mechanisms, justice on justices sought.(Focus professionals: law & accounting)(judicial nominating committee )
January 5, 2004... Creating a judicial nominating committee tops The Mississippi Bar's priority wish list for the new year. "We would like to see the governor set up by executive order a judicial nominating committee," said Jimmie Reynolds III, director of...

Chief Justice addresses judicial needs for 2004: thumbs up: judicial election reform, judicial nominating advisory committee.(A Mississippi Business Journal Q&A)
January 5, 2004... Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice Edwin Lloyd Pittman would like to see a few changes made. Heading into his 13th year as head of the state's highest court, Pittman's legislative agenda includes seeing the two Supreme Court seats...

CPA firms.(Certified public accountants)(Directory)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... CPA Firms Name, Telephone Number Number of Total Staff Number of CPAs Address Fax Year Founded Horne CPA Group, 295 95 (601)...

At 50, Butler Snow continues growth in Mississippi.(Focus professionals: law & accounting)(Interview)
January 5, 2004... When Butler Snow was formed in 1954 through the merger of two longstanding Mississippi institutions--Butler, Snow & O'Mara and Stevens & Cannada--the resulting seven-person law firm represented one of Jackson's largest. This year, Butler...

Government accountants safeguarding public funds.(Focus professionals: law & accounting)
January 5, 2004... The public has a right to know that tax funds are being properly accounted for. But in many small cities and counties, it can be difficult to hire government accountants with the experience and expertise needed to do the job. According to...

Business on the Rez getting bigger: Harbor Walk will complement Lost Rabbit; other big projects sought.
January 12, 2004... If plans for a proposed development along the Ross Barnett Reservoir in Madison County pan out, Main Harbor Marina could be the South's newest hot spot. Harbor Walk, a proposed multimillion, mixed-use development. gained approval from...

Cluster initiative gaining ground.
January 12, 2004... A story, dear readers: A group of marine repair and retrofitting companies in Cairns, Australia, which had traditionally served the fishing fleet, were in jeopardy of closing in the late 1990s after the Great Barrier Reef area was declared...

Gaming insiders expect a good year of business: NASCAR track project in Tunica, Hard Rock Casino in Biloxi could enhance opportunities.
January 12, 2004... A $100-million NASCAR racetrack development proposed for the Tunica area and progress on construction of a Hard Rock Casino in Biloxi are expected highlights of gaming in 2004. The Tunica County Board of Supervisors is currently considering...

Rollercoaster ride for employment in Clarke County: retraining, computer classes and counseling for laid-off workers critical to turnaround.
January 12, 2004... From December 2000 to the spring of 2002, Clarke County suffered an economic plunge that took it from a healthy economy with a strong manufacturing base to the closing of three plants, the loss of 1,800 manufacturing jobs and an unemployment...

Counting down to one big show: Mississippi Business & Techology Expo[TM] 2004: Mississippi's premier marketing opportunity.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... The state's premier business-to-business trade show, the Mississippi Business and Technology EXPO, celebrates it's 21st year later this month. This year's event, a Mississippi Business Journal special production, will be held Wednesday, January...

Resolutions? Save time, forget about 'em now.(As I See It)
January 12, 2004... It's a brand new year, and writers around the world are digging into that old bag of cliches--you know, the one stuffed full of clean slates, lofty goals and pie-in-the-sky resolutions. Nothing wrong with a little introspection and making a...

Auto show an exciting event for car lovers.(Great Expectations)
January 12, 2004... I have spent about five decades savoring the new model cars that the "Big Three" U.S. automakers roll out every year. Times, of course, have changed. The intense secrecy--and mystery--surrounding the new models rolling out of Detroit...

Mississippi Business Journal 21st Annual Expo 2004: schedule of events.(Brief Article)(Calendar)
January 12, 2004... SCHEDULE OF EVENTS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21 ST 7:30 AM Trustmark National Bank, MS Band of Choctaw Indians, Super Talk Mississippi WFMN 97.3 present: SALUTE TO BUSINESS & INDUSTRY KICK-OFF BREAKFAST 9:00 AM Ribbon Cutting &...

Dean and Dean Associates/Architects, P.A.(People to Watch)(appointments)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... Dean and Dean Associates/Architects, P.A (DD/A) has announced the following staff additions: Robin Brown and Brad Heath join the firm as architects-in-training. Brown, a Starkville native who graduated cum laude from the Mississippi State...

Mississippi power.(People to Watch)(appointments)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... Bobby Kerley has been named as Mississippi Power's vice president of customer services and marketing, replacing longtime company leader Ed Blakeslee. Kerley, 50, comes to Mississippi from Alabama Power, where he has been vice president of that...

Leadership DeSoto.(People to Watch)(DeSoto Council)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... The DeSoto Council has selected members for the Leadership DeSoto Class of 2004. Class members include the following: Amanda Bailey, DeSoto Civic Center; Avis Buford-Darling, FedEx Express; George Carnall, SBEC; Scotty Cliburn, Entergy; Paul...

MEA Medical Clinics.(People to Watch)(appointments)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... MEA Medical Clinics is pleased to welcome Laura Duke, CFNP. Duke is the first nurse practitioner to join MEA in the clinic system. A native of Jackson, Duke has extensive experience in ER with area hospitals. She holds an MSN and BSN degree...

BancorpSouth.(People to Watch)(appointments, Cathy Freeman )(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... BancorpSouth announces the appointment of Davis W. Dickson as president in Vicksburg. Dickson has served as executive vice president with BancorpSouth since joining the company in 2002. A native of Crystal Springs, Dickson earned has bachelor's...

AGJ Systems & Networks Inc.(People to Watch)(has hired Tony Beschinski as the technical coordinator for support services)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... AGJ Systems & Networks Inc. has hired Tony Beschinski as the technical coordinator for support services. Beschinski was previously employed with the U.S. Navy as a chief petty officer. He brings 22 years of managerial experience and will...

Horne CPA Group.(People to Watch)(named Jeff Lincoln as its first principal)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... Home CPA Group recently named Jeff Lincoln as its first principal. With 16 years of experience, Lincoln currently serves as director of Home Technology Group, an affiliate of Horne CPA Group. and has been responsible for developing Horne's...

Ross & Yerger Insurance Inc.(People to Watch)(Dudley Wooley has been promoted to president and COO )(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... Dudley Wooley has been promoted to president and COO of Ross & Yerger. In the move Wooley will assume the day-to-day operations of the firms, while Eason Leake, company CEO, will focus on strategic acquisitions and long-term goals of the...

Wesley Medical Center.(People to Watch)(Jeff Meigs appointed)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... Jeff Meigs of Claremore Okla., recently joined Wesley Medical Center as the new chief financial officer. Meigs received his undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama and his MBA from Texas A&M. He has 20 years of experience in the...

Gulfport High School Academy of Travel & Tourism (AOTT).(People to Watch)(Pam Ladner Jones appointments)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... The Gulfport High School Academy of Travel & Tourism (AOTT), which is part of the National Academy Foundation, a nationwide non-profit school-to-work program, has appointed Pam Ladner Jones as advisory board chairperson for the 2003-2004 year....

Harrison County Development Commission.(People to Watch)(Honorary Life Member Award)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... Michael J. Olivier, executive director of the Harrison County Development Commission, was honored by regional industry peers with the Honorary Life Member Award at the annual Southern Economic Development Council conference in November. Olivier...

Hancock Bank.(People to Watch)(promotions)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... Hancock Bank recently announced vice president promotions approved by Hancock Bank's board of directors. New Hancock Bank vice presidents include: Jeffrey A. Andrew, deposits team leader for the company's information technology programming...

Jones County Junior College hosting biz symposium.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... ELLISVILLE -- The Economic and Technology Symposium will be held January 20, 2004, beginning at 8:30 a.m., in the M.P. Bush Fine Arts Auditorium on the campus of Jones County Junior College (JCJC). Presented by the Jones County Junior College...

Phelps Dunbar adds former AG to team.(Strictly Business)(Mike Moore )(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... JACKSON -- Mississippi Attorney General Mike Moore has joined the law firm Phelps Dunbar, LLP. Moore will practice in the firm's Jackson office in a counsel position effective Jan. 8, 2004. Moore, who will serve in Phelps Dunbar's...

Trex building plant in DeSoto County.(Strictly Business)(Trex Company Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... OLIVE BRANCH -- Trex Company Inc. has selected a 100-acre parcel of land in Northwest Mississippi for its third manufacturing plant. The manufacturing facility is expected to become the company's largest, and current plans call for operations...

CMC acquires The Lofland Company.(Strictly Business)(Commercial Metals Co., Lofland Acquisition Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... LUMBERTON -- Commercial Metals Company (CMC), headquartered in Irving, Texas, has acquired Lofland Acquisition Inc. Lofland is the sole stockholder of The Lofland Company and subsidiaries, which operate steel reinforcing bar fabrication and...

Northwest adds Memphis flight.(Strictly Business)(Northwest Airlines Corp.)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... GREENVILLE -- Northwest Airlines is adding a third daily flight between Greenville and Memphis, Tenn., effective Feb. 12, 2004. "Northwest Airlines is delighted to reinstate an additional daily flight to Greenville from our hub in Memphis,"...

Economic development lagging, IHL says.(Strictly Business)(Institutions of Higher Learning)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... JACKSON -- According to the December issue of the Mississippi Economic Review and Outlook. Mississippi is not keeping pace with other states in the country. Economic development is the theme of this most recent edition of Review, which is...

MEC growth recognized.(Strictly Business)(Mississippi Economic Council)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... JACKSON -- The Mississippi Economic Council (MEC) received the Award of Merit for Highest Membership Growth in 2002 from the national Association of Membership and Marketing Executives (AMME). MEC saw membership growth of 18%, tying for the...

Final fall enrollment shows increase.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... Final fall 2003 enrollment numbers show that six of the eight state institutions of higher learning, as well as the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMC), showed an enrollment increase over the fall of 2002. Overall, enrollment was up...

Moody's rates Hancock fund.(Strictly Business)(Hancock Holding Company)(Hancock Horizon Treasury Securities Money Market Fund)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... GULFPORT -- According to George A. Schloegel, CEO of Hancock Holding Company (NASDAQ: HBHC), Moody's Investor Services has assigned a rating of "Aaa" to the Hancock Horizon Treasury Securities Money Market Fund. The rating reflects "the...

Wesley Home Health ranks first.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... HATTIESBURG -- A new government program that helps consumers evaluate home health care services in their area rates Wesley Medical Center Home Health with the highest quality percentage in its market. In statewide figures, Wesley also ranks in...

NMMC, Baptist funding nursing faculty.(Strictly Business)(North Mississippi Medical Center, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Booneville and Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union County)(Itawamba Community College and Northeast Mississippi Community College.)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... North Mississippi Medical Center (NMMC), Baptist Memorial Hospital-Booneville and Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union County have agreed to jointly fund nursing faculty positions at Itawamba Community College and Northeast Mississippi Community...

US unwired selling towers.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... LAKE CHARLES, LA. -- US Unwired Inc. (OTCBB: UNWR) has reached an agreement to sell up to 97 communications towers to AAT Communications Corporation. The towers to be sold are located in Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and...

Flu: earlier-than-usual start takes toll; health care providers see cases widespread across the state.
January 12, 2004... Flu season started early this year in Mississippi, and cases of it were widespread throughout the state during the holiday season. "It's everywhere," said Dr. Mary Currier, state epidemiologist for the Mississippi State Department of Health...

Personal investment: folks getting back into shape.(Health Care Mississippi)(Baptist Healthplex)
January 12, 2004... Like clockwork every January, fitness-conscious consumers head to Indian Cycle Fitness & Outdoor in Ridgeland and The Bike Rack in Flowood, looking for a mode of exercise to help them keep their new year's resolutions to lose weight and get...

'Haley's Plan' to address Mississippi's major healthcare issues: governor-elect handling transition in non-traditional manner.(Health Care Mississippi)(Haley Barbour)
January 12, 2004... Haley Barbour, who will be sworn into office as governor January 13 in Jackson, has aggressively pursued plans to address the state's critical healthcare issues before taking office. During the fall's gubernatorial campaign, Barbour...

Medical liability insurance reform tops MSMA's agenda.(Health Care Mississippi)(Mississippi State Medical Association)(Patient Compensation Fund)
January 12, 2004... Even though the Mississippi State Medical Association (MSMA) plans to support national tort reform legislation and incoming governor Haley Barbour's proposal to create an independent review board to stop abuse in medical liability cases,...

Drug-testing programs, facilities growing across the state.(Health Care Mississippi)
January 12, 2004... Renee Cotton, director of corporate health for Baptist Health Systems in Jackson, said that customer vigilance and a company's ongoing drug-testing program averted a possible tragedy when four calls came in to the company's "How's My Driving?"...

When it comes to tobacco, it's always a good time to quit.(Health Care Mississippi)
January 12, 2004... Smoking may be a personal choice, but it is also an economic issue. Estimates indicate that Mississippi loses $1.3 billion per year in productivity as a result of smoking. "There have been studies about how it affects employees'...

Legislation addresses indoor smoking issue, cigarette tax hike.(Health Care Mississippi)
January 12, 2004... Jack and Meg Rogers of Vancleave are among the 80% of Mississippians who don't smoke. When they go out to eat in a restaurant, the couple doesn't want to be exposed to second-hand smoke. "Smoking is pollution, and we are tired of second-hand...

Fitness centers.(Directory)
January 12, 2004... Fitness Centers Fitness Center Address Phone/Fax Baldwyn Wellness 920 N. 4th St., Ste. A, (662) 365-7883/ Center Baldwyn MS 38824 365-7817 Indoor track, Cybex...

From Japan and beyond, Top 40 class follows path to Mississippi: one perspective: 'home is where your heart is hung.'.
January 19, 2004... Every year, the newest members of the Mississippi Business Journal Top 40 Under 40 continue to amaze us, with their drive for excellence, passion for people and dedication to details. They hail from varied backgrounds and educational levels,...

Barbour's selection of MDA chief stuns, pleases developers.(Mississippi Development Authority)
January 19, 2004... After weeks of intense speculation that former state economic development chief Jimmy Heidel would be a shoo-in for the top spot in the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) under Gov. Haley Barbour, a new rumor that real estate magnate...