The Mississippi Business Journal articles from July 2004

The Mississippi Business Journal archives from July 2004

Yikes! Hikes! Business leaders consider College Board's decision to increase fees.(Education)
July 5, 2004... For the most part, the state's business leaders understand the necessity of last month's College Board vote to increase tuition, room and boarding costs at Mississippi's universities. The move, prompted by budget cuts, should generate nearly...

Long-time development leader leaving Coast: Michael Olivier takes job in Louisiana.(Department of Economic Development)(Harrison County Development Commission )
July 5, 2004... GULFPORT -- Michael Olivier, long-time executive director of the Harrison County Development Commission (HCDC), has left South Mississippi to become secretary of the Louisiana Department of Economic Development. Last Wednesday was his last day...

Texas-based firm offers analysis, ranking--for a price: questions arise over value of such programs, but information can be beneficial for communities.(Johnson & Associates)
July 5, 2004... Johnson & Associates, an Austin, Texas-based economic development consulting firm, has been circulating letters to Mississippi mayors offering to survey their communities, make evaluations and then announce the top 10 communities in a number of...

Fundamental freedoms rest on solid public education.(As I See it)
July 5, 2004... With the coming and going of another Independence Day--with the ice cream, watermelon, Sousa marches and fireworks pleasant memories--it's back to work. In our history as a nation, few dates are more important than July 4th. So, I beg your...

High-tech Father's Day gift opens new possibilities.(From the Ground Up)
July 5, 2004... Every once in a while something comes along that compels me to comment on something other than the usual real estate and economic development topics. This is one of those rimes, and the compelling item is a little technological marvel that is...

Bradley Arant Rose & White, LLP.(People to Watch)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... The American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) has name David Clark among its "Legal Reform Champions." Clark, a partner in the Jackson office of Bradley Arant Rose & White, LLP, has over 29 years of experience representing Primarily defendants....

The Peoples Bank & Trust.(People to Watch)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Kenneth Purvis of Southaven was elected community bank president of The Peoples Bank & Trust's Hernando office. Purvis, a native of Greenville, has served with banks in the region since 1996. He is a graduate of Delta State University,...

16 WAPT News.(People to Watch)(Jackson Association of Black Journalists)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Joyce Brewer has been elected president of the Jackson Association of Black Journalists. Brewer is co-anchor of 16 WAPT News in Jackson. She is also a big sister mentor in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program. She received her master's degree...

Viking Range Corporation.(People to Watch)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Liston P. Durden, senior vice president of marketing for Viking Range, has been elected chairman of the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers' (AHAM) board of directors. Durden has previously served as vice chairman of the AHAM board and...

HESM&A Inc.(People to Watch)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... HESM&A Inc. Consulting Engineers of Ridgeland named William C. Higbee and William P. Irby, PE., as principals. Higbee has been a plumbing designer with HESM&A since July 1989. Irby joined HESM&A in 1990 as a mechanical engineer.

Horne CPA Group.(People to Watch)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Horne CPA Group recently announced the addition of Lee D. Murphy, CPA, to its shareholder ranks. Murphy is a native of Grenada and graduate of Delta State University. She joined Horne CPA in 1991 and manages the firm's Grenada and Oxford...

Hollywood Casino-Tunica.(People to Watch)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Robert Moister of Hollywood Casino-Tunica has been appointed by Hratch G. Semerjian, acting director of the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST), to the 2004 Board of Examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award....

Hudson Capital, LLC.(People to Watch)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... A team of industry veterans have teamed up with retailer Hudsons Inc. to form Hudson Capital, LLC, headquartered in Jackson. The company named industry veteran Jim Schaye as its CEO, and Fulton Stokes and A.R. Williams to the posts of chief...

United Country--Gibson Realty.(People to Watch)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... United Country--Gibson Realty in McComb has recently been named as one of the top 75 offices nationwide, among all United Country offices coast to coast for the first quarter of 2004. The office captured the company's Founders Award for sales...

Delta State university.(People to Watch)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Virginia Foley, administrative assistant to the vice president for student affairs at Delta State, has been chosen as the May staff employee of the month. Foley began working at Delta State in January 1988 as secretary to the dean of nursing...

Keesler Federal Credit Union (KFCU) employees and volunteers joined together in coordinating fundraisers including bake sales, yard sales, raffles, car washes and more to raise money for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life.(People to Watch)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Keesler Federal Credit Union (KFCU) employees and volunteers joined together in coordinating fundraisers including bake sales, yard sales, raffles, car washes and more to raise money for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. Pictured...

Memorial Hospital.(People to Watch)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Dr. Douglas C. Lanier, a nephrologist on staff at Memorial Hospital at Gulfport, has received the designation of Fellow of the American Society of Nephrology (FASN). Lanier is also a fellow of the American College of Physicians and is board...

Imperial Palace.(People to Watch)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Imperial Palace named Roderick McGill of Picayune supervisor of the month for May. He has been employed with the Imperial Palace since August 2002. Janet Lepoma of Biloxi won front of the house employee of the month. She has been employed with...

BancorpSouth.(People to Watch)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Chris McCutchen has been promoted at BancorpSouth to assistant vice president of information services-quality assurance in Tupelo. A native of Booneville, McCutchen graduated from Mississippi State University with a bachelor's degree in banking...

Armstrong Allen, PLLC.(People to Watch)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Armstrong Allen, PLLC, has hired Melissa P. Selman as an associate attorney in the firm's Jackson office. Selman will focus her new practice in construction law. Most recently, she was an associate with Leitner Williams Dooley & Napolitan in...

Keesler Federal Credit Union.(People to Watch)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Don McCormick, chairman of the Keesler Federal Credit Union volunteer board of directors, was recently inducted into the Mississippi Credit Union Hall of Fame. McCormick has served Keesler Federal for over 40 years, either as management or as a...

MDOT director faces tall task with far fewer dollars: covering the shortfall a challenge for agency.(Q&A)(Mississippi Department of Transportation)(Interview)
July 5, 2004... Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) executive director Larry L. "Butch" Brown Sr. has a tall task ahead: finding new ways to fund $1.3 billion in outstanding highway contracts and securing money for new projects despite having more...

Blue skies: Mississippi airports report increased activity.(Transportation)(Mississippi Department of Transportation)
July 5, 2004... Despite budget cuts for the new fiscal year, the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) is investing $5 million in non-highway modes of transportation, with the aeronautics division reaping $1.7 million to fund projects that will...

Rail service vital, but safety, security issues part of mix.(Transportation)
July 5, 2004... Mississippi has 2,600 miles of railroad tracks moving freight and passengers through the state. Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) rails engineer Steven Edwards says use of these tracks may increase as fuel prices continue to...

Good times roll, but fuel prices take toll on industry.(Transportation)
July 5, 2004... Even though diesel fuel prices have leveled off after an unprecedented surge past the $1.76 per-gallon mark, many trucking companies and package carriers are having difficulty making ends meet, even with fuel surcharges. "Fuel cost spikes...

Mississippi trucking companies.(Directory)(Illustration)
July 5, 2004... Mississippi Trucking Companies Name Address KLLM Inc. P.O. Box 6098, Jackson, MS 39288-6098 Miller Transporters Inc. 5500 U.S. 80 W., Jackson, MS 39209 Total...

Smaller airports serve their communities in variety of ways.(Transportation)
July 5, 2004... Airports usually rail into three categories--commercial, military and general aviation. The last category makes up the majority of airports around the country and has grown in importance to communities as more and more corporate jets fill the...

I read it in an e-mail; it must be true! (Yeah, right).(One Writer's Perspective)(Automotive fuels)
July 5, 2004... There's no such thing as a free ride, or se the saying goes. But with gas prices fluctuating et near two bucks per gallon, people who put a lot of miles on their vehicles are looking for ways to stem the output of cash et the gas pump. I...

Campuses across state hum with summer school activities: more students, more classes.(Education)
July 5, 2004... While summer school used to be primarily targeted to remedial work, these days more and more students are finding the summer months an ideal time to get ahead with studies. Donald Howie, director of summer school at the University of...

State's community colleges face familiar situation: less money.(Wayne Stonecypher: a Mississippi Business Journal Q&A)
July 5, 2004... "We have to get a fair share of state funding," said Wayne Stonecypher, Ph.D., head of the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges. "We have had the greatest growth in enrollment since fiscal year 2000; yet we have had the greatest amount...

Coast campuses anticipate increased enrollments for fall.(Education)(Universities and colleges)
July 5, 2004... Higher education is varied on the Coast and offers something for everyone. All four schools--Tulane University's Biloxi campus, William Carey College, the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community...

Outsourcing food services, bookstores a national trend: campuses home to range of retail options catering to students.(Education)
July 5, 2004... On July 1, the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) changed its bookstore and its food services operation by outsourcing them to Barnes & Noble and Aramark, respectively. Barnes & Noble is a New York-based bookstore company that opened...

Support groups rise to the occasion during lean times.(Education)
July 5, 2004... Tight budgets are a fact of life for most educators, who often struggle to fund basic programs yet alone the "extras" in areas such as the arts and technology. But several private-sector groups have taken a leadership role in funding...

Colleges & universities.(Directory)(Illustration)
July 5, 2004... Colleges & Universities Institution, Year Founded Phone Address Fax Number Financial Aid Alcorn State University, 1871 (601) 877-6100 1000 ASU Dr.,...

Coahoma CC president sees rapid growth in enrollment: increasing emphasis on workforce training for business and industry.(Education)(Coahoma Community College)
July 5, 2004... CLARKSDALE -- In the 12 years since Dr. Vivian Presley has been president of Coahoma Community College, one of her most gratifying accomplishments has been overseeing the rapid growth at the college, including an increasing emphasis on...

Communication critical factor for education success: is there a commitment to returning phone calls and e-mail? Is there a goal to respond within a certain period of time? What procedures are in place to communicate follow-through?(In Focus)
July 5, 2004... Out of necessity, much of the dialogue surrounding public education centers on issues such as per pupil expenditures, faculty recruitment/retention, facilities, technology and curriculum. Indeed, all of these are critical elements in building...

Natchez welcomes second casino, new businesses and attractions.
July 5, 2004... NATCHEZ -- It's currently a mixed bag businesswise for this historic city that majestically sits 200 feet above the Mississippi River on the highest promontory north of the Gulf of Mexico. Community leaders are optimistic and concerned at the...

Beau Rivage pledges $1m to Enterprise Corporation of the Delta.(Strictly Business)(Beau Rivage Resorts Inc)
July 5, 2004... BILOXI AND JACKSON -- Beau Rivage Resorts Inc. will invest $1 million in a fund to provide loan capital to small businesses and stimulate economic development in distressed regions of Mississippi and the Mid South. The fund was designed by the...

Whitfield plans 'rapid expansion'.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... BELMONT -- Whitfield Furniture will expand its upholstered furniture manufacturing facility in this Tishomingo County city by moving into the former Jacuzzi Building in the Belmont Industrial Park. The plan calls for a "rapid expansion" over...

Microtek makes 'FSB 100'.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... COLUMBUS -- Microtek Medical Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: MTMD), a manufacturer and distributor of specialty infection control products, has made FORTUNE Small Business magazine's fourth-annual ranking of the 100 fastest-growing small companies in...

SmartLogistics buys multi-tenant facility.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... GREENWOOD -- SmartLogistics of Jackson has purchased the former Farm[and Industries Inc. facility in the. Greenwood Leflore Industrial Park. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The facility encompasses 121,000 square feet, part of...

Russell 2000 adds Cal-Maine.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... JACKSON -- Cal-Maine Foods inc. (NASDAQ: CALM) was added to the Russell 2000 Index when the broad-market index was reconstituted June 25, 2004, according to Russell Investment Group (RIG). Annual reconstitution of the Russell indexes...

GCRL working on crab aquaculture.(Strictly Business)(Gulf Coast Research Laboratory )(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... OCEAN SPRINGS -- In a first for the Gulf of Mexico region, scientists at the University of Southern Mississippi's (USM's) Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL) have reared blue crabs in captivity from eggs to baby crabs. The successful...

NCHA to return.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... JACKSON -- The National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) will return to Jackson for another two years to host the NCHA Eastern National Championships. The events will be held March 8-19, 2005, and Match 7-18, 2006, at the Mississippi State...

SBA holding workshops.(Strictly Business)
July 5, 2004... JACKSON -- The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will conduct workshops on 8(a) Small Disadvantaged Business certification, HubZone and Pro-Net/procurement. The workshops are held on the second Wednesday of every month in the SBA...

Hattiesburg caterer provides home cooking at Camp Shelby.
July 5, 2004... HATTIESBURG -- Food at Camp Shelby is taking on a definite downhome flavor. With Hattiesburg-based M&B Catering feeding the thousands of troops flowing through the Forrest County military facility for training, there will probably be no...

Defense funding approved.(Strictly Business)
July 5, 2004... WASHINGTON -- The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee has approval funding for U.S. Department of Defense programs in the 2005 fiscal year that will directly benefit the State of Mississippi. The Defense panel approved: * $3.4 billion...

Nissan working on now engine.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... CANTON -- Technicians at Nissan North America's Powertrain Assembly Plant in Decherd, Tenn., are making final plans to launch later this summer the newest addition to Nissan's U.S. engine lineup, one that will be used in the first U.S.-built...

Callon closes stock offering.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... NATCHEZ -- Callon Petroleum Company (NYSE: CPE) (NYSE: CPE.PrA) has closed its public offering of common stock. Callon raised net proceeds of approximately $38.2 million, after expenses. Johnson Rice& Company, LLC, was the underwriter of...

Four Seasons buys first Envirolizer.(Strictly Business)(Victor Industries )(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... BAY ST. LOUIS -- Victor Industries of Missoula, Mont., has received its first commercial order from Four Seasons Nursery. The Four Seasons order is for its own use as well as for re-sale to its customers, which include nurseries in Mississippi,...

Fitch upgrades MPC's rating.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... GULFPORT -- Fitch Ratings has upgraded the ratings of Mississippi Power Company (MPC) and affirmed the ratings of the MPC's parent Southern Company (SO), its sister organizations Georgia Power Company and Alabama Power Company, and SOs...

OPC work accelerated.(Strictly Business)(Offshore Patrol Cutter)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... PASCAGOULA -- The U.S. Coast Guard and Integrated Coast Guard Systems (ICGS) have approved the immediate start of preliminary design and final requirements work on the new Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) program. The action accelerates the launch...

Stirling acquires AmSouth leases.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... JACKSON -- Stirling Properties of Covington, La., recently acquired the property management and leasing contract for the AmSouth buildings in Jackson, as well as the oversight asset management for the AmSouth buildings in Shreveport, La. Terms...

JCJC awarded poultry grant.(Jones County Junior College)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... ELLISVILLE -- Jones County Junior College's (JCJC's) Agriculture Science program was recently awarded one of the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association's (USPEA's) Poultry Science Education Funding Program's initial grants. The purpose of USPEA's...

Beaches are healthy, NHBC says.(National Healthy Beaches Campaign )(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST -- The National Healthy Beaches Campaign (NHBC) has released its 2004 Certified Healthy Beaches list. And Mississippi's beaches are included. Seventeen states and one U.S. territory are represented. They include...

SEDCO buys territory.(SEDCO Inc)(Magneto Power )(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Central Sales and Service distributors SEDCO Inc. and Magneto Power (formerly Wisconsin Magneto) have agreed to purchase the territory owned by former Central Sales distributor Grayson. SEDCO will assume responsibility for servicing accounts...

Belhaven recognizes Trustmark.(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... JACKSON -- Belhaven College's Aspire Accelerated Degree Program has presented Trustmark Corporation with the Aspire Business Elite Award. The award was presented for Trustmark's commitment to employee education. More than 30 employees of...

Delta State hires SunGard Collegis.(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... CLEVELAND -- Delta State University has selected SunGard Collegis of Maitland, Fla., to manage the university's information technology. The partnership became effective July 1,2004. "We recognize and appreciate the role technology plays in...

Wanted: dependable, hard workers: Hispanics filling niche in construction industry around the state, South.
July 12, 2004... In the middle to late 1990s, when casinos were on a building spree and the furniture market was booming in Mississippi, the construction industry faced a dire worker shortage. Since then, Hispanics have filled many vacant jobs, proving...

Annexation positions city for industrial, tech dev: Ellisville home to range of businesses.
July 12, 2004... ELLISVILLE -- In December 2003, this small city between Laurel and Hattiesburg annexed surrounding land that increased its size by 40% and brought into the city limits Howard Tech Park, Tech Park South, the part of Jones County Junior College...

Beverly Drive-In serving up a slice of Americana.
July 12, 2004... HATTIESBURG -- The Beverly Drive-In, the only known drive-in movie theater in the state that's operating, is not just showing movies. The Highway 49 icon is also introducing some of today's children and teenagers to a slice of Americana. ...

Getting into the campaign season.(Perspective)
July 12, 2004... Pundits, partisans and armchair politicos have been picking apart John Kerry's choice of a vice presidential running mate. In choosing North Carolina's John Edwards, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee gains a relentless...

Benefits likely to get tighter, premiums to climb higher.(As I See It)
July 12, 2004... In the post-World War II economic boom, U.S. employers searched for ways to bind employees to their jobs. If my recollection is accurate, the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 first allowed employers to furnish health insurance tax-free to...

Keeping an ear on the stormy skies. (One Writer's Perspective.
July 12, 2004... One of my most vivid childhood memories is the day in February 1971 when my family and I rode over to see the little Delta community of Inverness--or at least where it had been. Hit by a killer tornado, the town was swept away, practically...

Mississippi Court of Appeals.(People to Watch)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... Mississippi Court of Appeals Judge David A. Chandler was awarded a Master of Laws in the Judicial Process (LL.M.) during graduation ceremonies at the University of Virginia School of Law. Chandler completed the program along with 28 other state...

Cedar Lake Surgery Center.(People to Watch)(appointments)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... Cedar Lake Surgery Center in Biloxi announces the arrival of Matthew C. Wallack, M.D. He specializes in treating chronic headache and pain patients. Wallack received his M.D. degree from Hannemann School of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pa., and...

Corinth Area Tourism Promotion Council.(People to Watch)(Erwin A. Del Horton named executive director)
July 12, 2004... The Corinth Area Tourism Promotion Council has selected Erwin A. Del Horton Jr. as its new executive director. Horton is the council's former project manager and interim director. He replaced Emy Wilkinson, who resigned to accept a similar...

Mississippi State Department of Health.(People to Watch)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... Mississippi State Department of Health's Dr. Mary Armstrong, medical director of health promotion, was selected as one of the newest members of the American Medical Association's (AMA) Women Physicians Congress. Armstrong also serves as a...

Butler, Snow, O'Mara, Stevens & Cannada, PLLC.(People to Watch)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... Meade Mitchell of Butler, Snow, O'Mara, Stevens & Cannada, PLLC, has been named by the Mississippi Bar's Young Lawyers Division board of directors as the winner of the Outstanding Young Lawyer Award for 2003-2004. Mitchell has served the Young...

Ameristar Casinos Inc.(People to Watch)(William "Bill" Gormley)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... Ameristar Casinos recently named William "Bill" Gormley as its new corporate pastry chef. Gormley has worked as executive pastry chef at the world famous Russian Tea Room in New York and Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, Va., and as...

Quail Ridge Press.(People to Watch)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... Quail Ridge Press will publish two publications by Mississippi native Jack Criss. The first is a compilation of his best editorials and essays from the past 15 years, culled primarily from the pages of Metro Business Review, Delta Business...

Mississippi State University (MSU).(People to Watch)(Jeffrey J. Little appointed)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... Jeffrey J. Little of Bolton is the new assistant development director for the colleges of forest resources and veterinary medicine at MSU. He joins Keith Gaskin, who has led the colleges' development programs since 1997. Little is a 1995 MSU...

Mississippi Arts Commission.(People to Watch)(Chairmen elected)
July 12, 2004... The Mississippi Arts Commission board recently named Danny McKenzie of Tupelo as its new chairman. McKenzie has served on the commission since August 2000 and was recently elected by his fellow board members to replace outgoing board chairman...

Mississippi Republican Party.(People of Watch)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... Mississippi Republican Party chairman Jim Herring was unanimously elected to serve as chairman of the Republican National Committee's Southern Chairmen's Association. Herring's term will last four years. He is charged with coordinating 14...

Pinnacle Trust.(People to Watch)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... Jana Parrish has been promoted to executive vice president of operations and compliance at Pinnacle Trust. She will work towards streamlining the operations area to maximize efficiency. Annette Richardson has joined Pinnacle Trust's client...

Bally's Casino Tunica.(People to Watch)(Casino Tunica Appointments)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... Bally's Casino Tunica has named Charles Fowler director of marketing, advertising, promotions and special events. Fowler re-joined the Bally's Tunica family after a two-year absence on the Gulf Coast working with Caesars Mid-South regional...

River Oaks Health System.(People to Watch)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... Alton Lee of Brandon has been named assistant controller at River Oaks Health System. Prior to his employment at River Oaks, he served as director of finance at Rankin Medical Center. Previously, Lee served as controller at Central Mississippi...

The Mississippi Federation of Business and Professional Women (BPW) recently held its 80th State Conference at the Crowne Plaza in Jackson.(People to Watch)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... The Mississippi Federation of Business and Professional Women (BPW) recently held its 80th annual State Conference at the Crowne Plaza in Jackson. Pictured are newly installed officers (l-r): Cyndi Chrestman, corresponding secretary,...

Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau.(People To Watch)(Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau appointments)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... Neal McCoy has been hired as director of sports development for the Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau (TCVB). He replaced Gary Wheat who recently accepted the position of executive director with the Waterloo, Iowa, Convention and Visitors...

Union planters, regions complete big bank merger.(Strictly Business)
July 12, 2004... Regions Financial Corporation of Birmingham, Ala., and Memphis-based Union Planters Corporation have formally completed their merger. The transaction creates the new Regions Financial Corporation, which is traded under the ticker symbol "RF" on...

State's joblessness climbs one point.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... ACROSS MISSISSIPPI--Mississippi's unemployment rate rose a percentage point to 5.6% in May, according to the Mississippi Employment Security Commission (MESC). However, the rate was 1.2% below the rate of May 2003. The number of unemployed...

MBCI signs agreements. (Strictly Business.(Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... CHOCTAW--On July 1, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (MBCI) signed two strategic alliances expected to bring up to 500 high-paying, high-tech jobs to the reservation over the next two years. The first is an alliance that is the...

Parkway honored for good workplace.(Strictly Business)(rankings)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... JACKSON--Parkway Properties Inc. has been named among the top "50 Best Small & Medium Companies to Work for in America." The list was announced before 12,000 human resource professionals at the Society of Human Resource Management's (SHRM's)...

Coast ranked tops in South.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST -- In the latest issue of Southern Business & Development (SBD) magazine, the Biloxi-Gulfport-Pascagoula metropolitan statistical area (MSA) has been named the "Top Mid-Sized Market" in the Southern region of the United...