The Mississippi Business Journal articles from March 2003

The Mississippi Business Journal archives from March 2003

Hollywood Casino takes top honor in quality awards: Musgrove handing out awards March 21 at Excellence in Mississippi Conference.
March 3, 2003... Tunica County's Hollywood Casino takes its place this month among an elite group -- companies that have earned the top honor in the Mississippi Quality Awards. Only eight other organizations have achieved the highest level, the Governor's...

MDA pleased with budget progress in Legislature: level funding would keep programs, services intact.(budget for economic development)
March 3, 2003... JACKSON -- So far, so good. That's what MDA comptroller Lynda Dutton reported the day after the Senate passed SB 2940, which will give the state's economic development arm a $25.3-million budget for the new fiscal year. "Considering the...

Mardi Gras pumps $10m-plus into Coast.(Mississippi Gulf Coast benefits economically from Mardi Gras)
March 3, 2003... ALONG THE COAST -- Behind the balls, parties, parades and the purple/gold/green masks of Mardi Gras lurks a healthy economic impact. There is an estimated $10-million contribution from visitors on the Mississippi Gulf Coast for the final week...

Jeter digs deep to tell the stunning story of WorldCom: 'Disconnected' first book to explore what went right, what went so wrong.(Lynne W. Jeter discusses her new book)(Interview)
March 3, 2003... Lynne W. Jeter has written the first in-depth look at what went right and what went wrong at Clinton-based WorldCom. Copies of "Disconnected: Deceit and Betrayal at WorldCom" hit bookstore shelves in late February, and Jeter has been busy...

Jumping on the tax-cut train? Not so fast? (As I See It).(Column)
March 3, 2003... I'm usually wildly enthusiastic about any proposed tax cut. I think government is too big, and the only way to reduce the size of government is to cut its allowance. Tax cuts are designed to help the poor, stimulate the economy or...

Balancing threats with life a challenge. (Great Expectations).(reactions to Homeland Security efforts in the United States )
March 3, 2003... Many Americans have mixed emotions about the federal government's homeland security efforts. In the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks, we began asking hard questions about how safe any of us really are. For years, I have...

JBHM. (People to Watch).(Michael Grey Jones and Michael J. Walker promoted at firm)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... JBHM announces the promotion of Michael Grey Jones, ALA, NCARB, Associate, and Michael J. Walker, AlA, to principals. Jones joined JBHM in 1996. He received his master of architecture degree in 1989 from Texas A&M University. He also holds a...

RMT Inc. (People to Watch).(Alec D. Van Ryan, new senior consultant)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... RMT Inc. has hired Alec D. Van Ryan as a senior consultant. Van Ryan has over 30 years of work experience dealing with litigation support, strategic planning, management, implementation and follow-through of environmental community involvement,...

National Republican Congressional Committee. (People to Watch).(Brian C. Alford has been appointed )(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Brian C. Alford has been appointed by the National Republican Congressional Committee to serve on the Business Advisory Council (BAC). Alford is expected to play a crucial role in the Republican Party's effort to involve top business people in...

Horne CPA Group. (People to Watch).(Marsha Harris Dieckman relocates to Jackson, Mississippi)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Marsha Harris Dieckman, CPA, has relocated from Home CPA Group's Nashville office back to her hometown of Jackson. With over nine years experience, Dieckman is a tax senior manager for the firm. After graduating with honors from the University...

Mitchell, McNutt & Sams, P.A. (People to Watch).(William C. Spencer Jr. has been named a shareholder in the law firm of Mitchell, McNutt & Sams)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... William C. Spencer Jr. has been named a shareholder in the law firm of Mitchell, McNutt & Sams, P.A. A Holly Springs native, Spencer received his bachelor of public administration degree from the University of Mississippi in 1993 and his J.D....

U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC). (People to Watch).(Barbara Jean Cuevas awarded the Army's Superior Civilian Service Award)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Barbara Jean Cuevas, a computer scientist at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg, Miss., was recently awarded the Army's Superior Civilian Service Award. Cuevas began her career at the ERDC in 1982 as a...

Kyzar and Company, P.A. (People to Watch).(Michelle Fuller appointed to the BlueCross BlueShield of Mississippi Agent Advisory Council)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Michelle Fuller, senior account manager with Kyzar and Company, P.A., was recently appointed to the BlueCross BlueShield of Mississippi Agent Advisory Council. Fuller is a member of the National Association of Health Underwriters, the Hub...

Memorial Hospital - Gulfport. (People to Watch).(honors members of Memorial Hospital Auxiliary)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Memorial Hospital in Gulfport recently honored 67 members of the Memorial Hospital Auxiliary. Memorial Hospital Auxiliary volunteers reaching the highest number of service hours in 2002 were Lillian Anderson with 17,500 hours, and Thelma Van...

Southern Bone and Joint Specialists, P.A. (People to Watch).(Buddy Moore receives certification as physician assistant )(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Buddy Moore of Southern Bone and Joint Specialists, P.A., in Hattiesburg has recently been certified as a physician assistant. He assists orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Michael Stonnington. Both are part of the Forrest General Orthopaedic Trauma...

Eubank & Betts, PLLC. (People to Watch).(CPA Associates International announces new key committee members )(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Eubank & Betts, PLLC, announced that its members were recently named to key committees for this year by CPA Associates International (CPAAI). J. Frank Betts, CPA, was appointed as chairman of the member recruitment committee and as a member of...

Hattiesburg Clinic. (People to Watch).(Steven E. Ferrell finishes recertification requirements)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Steven E. Farrell, M.D., an internal medicine physician with Hattiesburg Clinic's Hospital Care Service, has successfully completed the requirements for recertification as a Diplomate in Internal Medicine from the American Board of Internal...

Guild Hardy Architects, P.A. (People to Watch).(promotes Mark A. Lishen and Joseph B. Cram)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Mark A. Lishen, AIA, and Joseph B. Cram, ALA, have been promoted to senior associates at Guild Hardy Architects, P.A. in Gulfport. Lishen received his architectural degree from Mississippi State University (MSU) and has been practicing...

Will law of averages give farmers a better deal in 2003? (Focus Agribusiness).
March 3, 2003... Recent years haven't been kind to farmers in Mississippi. Low commodity prices combined with an unusual number of weather-related problems have made it challenging times for Mississippi agriculture. Will 2003 be any better? Farm leaders are...

Alcorn agribusiness programs help minority entrepreneurs. (Focus Agribusiness).
March 3, 2003... LORMAN -- When a consumer goes to the grocery store, that consumer is usually only paying attention to the cost of a sack of sweet potatoes or how thick their steaks are cut. But from the farm gate to the consumer, it's a much different story....

Row crop, poultry have best outlooks for 2003. (Focus Agribusiness).
March 3, 2003... Three of the biggest cash crops in Mississippi are poultry, cotton and catfish, and there's no mistaking that the past few years have been tough ones for just about all those farmers. Chance Carter, bureau manager of agribusiness for the...

Catfish growers win anti-dumping ruling, but profitability elusive. (Focus Agribusiness).
March 3, 2003... INDIANOLA -- Catfish growers won a victory recently when the Commerce Department made a preliminary ruling in favor of U.S. catfish growers regarding dumping of Vietnamese fish in U.S. markets at unfairly low prices. But profitability for...

Forestry consultants.(Directory)
March 3, 2003... Forestry Consultants Company Name/Year Founded Address Forest Systems, 1998 P.O. Box 261, Decatur, MS 39327-0261 John G. Guthrie and Sons Inc., 1954 ...

Hancock Bank completes Dryades acquisition in Louisiana. (Strictly Business).(acquires Dryades Savings Bank)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... GULFPORT -- Hancock Bank has completed its acquisition of two Dryades Savings Bank branches located in Metairie and Kenner, La. Terms were not disclosed. Hancock and Dryades management signed documents consummating Hancock's purchase of...

White lands Wilmington project. (Strictly Business).(White Construction Co. secures deal in Wilmington, North Carolina )(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... RIDGELAND -- The City of Wilmington, N.C., has selected White Construction Company to build the new $8-million Market Street Parking Complex. This project will encompass a seven-story, 206,000-square-foot facility to include street-level retail...

Dale issues notices on insurers. (Strictly Business).(George Dale issues cease and desist notices against insurance sellers)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... JACKSON -- Commissioner of Insurance George Dale has issued cease and desist notices against one individual and three companies that are allegedly attempting to sell medical malpractice insurance to Mississippi physicians. Earlier the...

DRA closes on projects. (Strictly Business).(Delta Regional Authority )(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... CLARKSDALE -- The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) has succeeded in grant closings in Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana, the organization reported. The DRA "Closing Team" met with grantees and project-administering agencies to finalize legal...

GTRA gets $1.25m for tower. (Strictly Business).(Golden Triangle Regional Airport )(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... LOWNDES COUNTY -- Funding to construct an air traffic control tower at Golden Triangle Regional Airport (GTRA) was included in an appropriations bill approved by Congress, federal lawmakers said. U.S. Rep. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and U.S....

Travel + Leisure puts Beau Rivage in top 500. (Strictly Business).(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... BILOXI -- Travel + Leisure magazine has named Beau Rivage Resort and Casino to its "T+L 500." Published for the first time in the magazine's January 2003 issue, the T+L 500 used reader responses to rank the leading 500 hotel properties...

Walgreens to open in Westland Plaza. (Strictly Business).(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... JACKSON -- Walgreen Company is planning to open a drug store in Westland Plaza, with a grand opening slated for late this summer. Located at the intersection of Ellis Avenue and Robinson Road, Walgreen Company said the City of Jackson and Mayor...

WorldCom finds FCC ruling 'regrettable'. (Strictly Business).(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... CLINTON -- The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has adopted rules concerning incumbent local exchange carriers' obligations to make elements of their networks available on an unbundled basis to new entrants. The new framework provides...

Mississippi Chemical loses $14.2m duping quarter. (Strictly Business).(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... YAZOO CITY -- Mississippi Chemical Corporation (OTCBB: MSPI.OB), including a non-cash charge of $12.4 million, incurred a net loss of $14.2 million, or 54Cents per diluted share, during the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2002. This compares to a net...

Abner's opens eatery in metro Memphis. (Strictly Business).(Abner's Famous Chicken Tenders )(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... OXFORD -- Abner's Famous Chicken Tenders has opened its newest restaurant, located on the North Germantown Parkway in Cordova, Tenn., part of the metropolitan Memphis area. The company celebrated its grand opening with a VIP party and ribbon...

ECCC to participate in RCCI. (Strictly Business).(East Central Community College takes part in Rural Community College Initiative demonstration project)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... DECATUR -- East Central Community College (ECCC) has been selected to be part of a national Rural Community College Initiative (RCCI) demonstration project funded by the Ford Foundation. The two-year program is being jointly administered by the...

D&PL offering online calculator. (Strictly Business).(Delta and Pine Land )(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... SCOTT -- Delta and Pine Land (D&PL) has added a cost-per-acre calculator to its Web site -- www.deltaandpine.com -- allowing users to calculate the cost of planting different cotton varieties. "This tool offers farmers an easy way to look...

Gateway donates computers. (Strictly Business).(donates computers and servers to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Mississippi )(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... JACKSON -- The Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Mississippi has received some of the Gateway computers and servers used during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. In total, 3,000 Gateway PCs and servers have been distributed to Boys & Girls Clubs...

Integrity Online offering new 'spam' filter. (Strictly Business).(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... JACKSON -- Integrity Online has launched a new spam-free e-mail service. Having implemented the proprietary new technology with existing customers across the U.S., the company said it is now including this feature as part of its standard...

Wesley, Unitedhealthcare sign agreement. (Strictly Business).(Wesley Medical Center reaches deal)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... HATTIESBURG -- Wesley Medical Center and Unitedhealthcare have reached an agreement for contracted services. Under terms of the agreement, which is expected to become effective March 1, 2003, Wesley would be a participating provider of acute...

McMillin roast to benefit MARL. (Strictly Business).(Hinds County Sheriff Malcolm McMillin, Mississippi Animal Rescue League)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... JACKSON -- A roast of Hinds County Sheriff Malcolm McMillin, in recognition for his work on behalf of the Mississippi Animal Rescue League (MARL), will be held March 20, 2003, in Sparkman Hall of the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum....

MSU licenses software. (Strictly Business).(thermal imaging system developed at Mississippi State University is being licensed to Eclipse/Combustion Tec )(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... STARKVILLE -- A thermal imaging system developed at Mississippi State University (MSU) is being licensed to Eclipse/Combustion Tec of Rockford, Ill. The software program will be commercially available through Eclipse/Combustion, a supplier of...

Biodiesel plant slated to begin operations next summer.
March 3, 2003... NETTLETON -- You will get few arguments that development of alternative fuels such as biodiesel would be a good thing for the environment, people's health, the farm economy and the U.S. trade deficit. Biodiesel, which can be made from natural...

Weyerhaeuser's forests meet SFI. (Strictly Business).(fulfills Sustainable Forestry Initiative standard)
March 3, 2003... ACROSS MISSISSIPPI -- An independent auditor has certified that Weyerhaeuser Company's (NYSE: WY) entire U.S. forest holdings meet the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) standard. More than seven million acres of forest have now satisfied...

Bruno's introduces treated beef. (Strictly Business).(Bruno's Supermarkets Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... ACROSS MISSISSIPPI -- Bruno's Supermarkets Inc. is now offering SureBeam-processed fresh ground beef throughout the company's chain of supermarkets. According to Birmingham, Ala.-based Bruno's, it is the first retailer in its four-state...

Twist: 'go east, young man'; Lowe's, shopping center to go up east of I-55 in Batesville.
March 3, 2003... BATESVILLE -- Bobby Baker has seen a lot of things happen here over the course of his 71-year lifetime. The city's mayor since 1976, Baker is preparing to see even more following announcements by Southstar, LLC in Brentwood, Tenn., and by...

Coffee business perking up around the metro area.
March 3, 2003... JACKSON -- The gourmet coffee business is perking up in the metro area, with retail giant Starbucks slated to open a store in Ridgeland this month, and The Seattle Drip, a Madison-based chain of gourmet coffee drive-thru kiosks, embarking on an...

Interstate access, transportation infrastructure vital to areas. (Focus Transportation).
March 3, 2003... When President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, the Mississippi Interstate Highway System came to life. Forty-seven years later, the interstate system continues to be of extraordinary Importance to...

Crunching numbers: interstates shaping population growth. (From the Ground Up).
March 3, 2003... For the past 20 years, more than 80% of new manufacturing operations have located in communities served by interstate highways, according to an article by Ivan Baker in the January 2003 issue of Area Development magazine. Not surprisingly,...

Mississippi trucking companies.(Directory)
March 3, 2003... Mississippi Trucking Companies Name Address KLLM Inc. P.O. Box 6098, Jackson, MS 39288-6098 Miller Transporters Inc. 5500 U.S. 80 W., Jackson, ...

Bad bridges a business and economic development barrier. (Focus Transportation).
March 3, 2003... Shearwater Pottery owned and operated by the Anderson family is one of the oldest and best known businesses in Ocean Springs. But customers of the business have had to take detours in order to get to Shearwater Pottery since the Ocean Springs...

Transportation keeping Mississippi's economy moving: Mississippi only state in nation to have elected transportation commissioners. (Focus Transportation).
March 3, 2003... Dick Hall, the Central District transportation commissioner, says, "We're not just building a transportation system but an economy." U.S. Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) has been quoted as saying: "If they can't get here, they're not coming."...

Private once again, KLLM rolling along. (Focus Transportation).(interview with W.J. Liles III, CEO of firm)
March 3, 2003... A Mississippi Business Journal Q&A In July 2000, Richland-based KLLM became a private company again when CEO and president W. J. "Jack" Liles III led the effort to buy back company stock of one of the nation's leading refrigerated (truck...

Mixed-use development bright spot on State Street.(Jackson's Fondren neighborhood is the location)
March 3, 2003... JACKSON -- Last summer, Mike Peters of Peters Real Estate and Andrew Mattiace of Mattiace Properties partnered to bring new life to 2906 State Street in Jackson's Fondren neighborhood, which once housed the State Department of Wildlife and...

Kosciusko's Ivey Mechanical firm back in local hands; first order of business at Ivey Mechanical: rebuild, then grow.(Encompass Services Corp. is the seller)
March 3, 2003... KOSCIUSKO -- Ivey Mechanical is back in local hands after emerging from bankruptcy filed by its parent company, Encompass. The family that guided the company into one of the state's and nation's largest mechanical contractors and sold it to...

Business calendar.(Mississippi business events)(Calendar)
March 3, 2003... MARCH 4 Tuesday 9th Annual Conference on Volunteerism, March 4-6, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Jackson. Hosted by MS Commission for Volunteer Service. Call (601) 432-6779 or email margaret@mcvs.org. Jones County Junior College Job...

Job fair coming to Trademart. (Strictly Business).(Mississippi Employment Expo will be held at the Mississippi Trademart)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... JACKSON -- The Mississippi Employment Expo will be held March 18, 2003, at the Mississippi Trademart. More than 4,000 job applicants and 83 employers attended last year's job fair. The event is open to all job seekers, and there is no...

Quixotic quest. (Editorial).(John Arthur Eaves Jr. is running for governor)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
March 3, 2003... The anti-tort reform/anti-Musgrove television commercials marked the beginning of this strange odyssey. They were followed by the rumors and "What if...?" scenarios that form the foundation of many Happy Hour conversations around the Capital...

Knowledge economy trumps 'buffalo hunt'.(MDC Inc. releases report detailing Southern economies; State of the South, Shadows in the Sunbelt Revisited)
March 10, 2003... The recession of the early 21st century has hastened the collapse of low-wage, low-skill manufacturing upon which so many Southern communities depended, concludes the report State of the South, Shadows in the Sunbelt Revisited. "The...

Line of work? Fighting international terrorism.(Mike Byrd is owner of Global Consulting Group)
March 10, 2003... DIAMONDHEAD -- Prior to the Sept. 11th terrorist attacks, Mike Byrd of Diamondhead was another one of the men in blue working hard, doing his duty. But now the former task force agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration owns one of the more...

Appropriateness questioned, but collaboration moves ahead.(Mississippi Development Authority and Mississippi Technology Alliance enter into a partnership)
March 10, 2003... JACKSON -- It's an odd marriage, but an expected one. Last month, the Mississippi Development Authority, the state's economic development arm, and the Mississippi Technology Alliance announced the two state entities had formed a new...

Slowing down or doubling up. (Editorial).(Brief Article)(Editorial)
March 10, 2003... At least one important bill remained alive in the Legislature last week: SB 2030 would double fines for speeding in a highway construction work zone. This piece of legislation is needed to slow down irresponsible drivers ignoring the...

Low, low, low rates won't last forever. (As I See It).(interest rates)(Column)
March 10, 2003... A record number of mortgages were refinanced in 2002. Americans enjoyed interest rates at their lowest levels in 40 years, and many of us took advantage of the low rates to refinance our debt. The cheap interest environment continues into...

Buying online doesn't have to be risky. (One Writer's Perspective).
March 10, 2003... The other day, a friend of mine -- I'll call him "John" for the sake of this story -- dropped a bombshell. "Man, I had a wild weekend. I bought a car off eBay," he said with a large grin. "The wife and I flew out to Dallas and picked it up...

Site selection confounds communities that don't listen. (Developing).
March 10, 2003... Several years ago, I was sitting in a car with a local power company manager and a substantial industrial prospect. We were parked next to the TVA and Entergy substations in Batesville explaining the reliability of the power grid in the area....

Thanks for the Clinton Park Elementary School coverage, but. (Letter to the Mississippi Business Journal).(Letter to the Editor)
March 10, 2003... Editor: Let me first thank you for picking up the Cellular South story and giving that company the credit it deserves for providing a valuable service to Clinton Park Elementary School ("Cellular South donation improves safety at...

Mississippi Self-Storage Owners Association. (People To Watch).(elected new directors and officers)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... At a recent meeting of the Mississippi Self-Storage Owners Association directors and officers were elected, including Charles H. Johnson, Sr., Diamondhead, president; David C. McNair, Jackson, vice president; John Ditto, Jackson, treasurer;...

River Oaks Health System. (People To Watch).(announced that Buck Randall is its Gold Oak Leaf Award recipient)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... River Oaks Health System recently named its Gold Oak Leaf Award recipient, Buck Randall, network supervisor. Gold Oak Leaf Awards are given to employees who have received 25 "Extra Miles." The Extra Miles program recognizes employees who have...

Keesler Federal Credit Union (KFCU). (People To Watch).(promoted Ruth Covey to assistant branch manager for the Pascagoula branch )(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... Ruth Covey has been promoted to assistant branch manager for the Pascagoula branch of KFCU. She joined the credit union in 1998 as a part-time teller and has since received several promotions. Pam Burley is the new assistant branch manager at...

Mississippi Home Corp. (MHC). (People To Watch).(hired Ursula Thompson as a housing tax credit specialist)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... Ursula Thompson has joined the Mississippi Home Corp. (MHC) as housing tax credit specialist. Thompson, a native of Edwards, previously worked as a financial analyst at WorldCom. She earned a bachelor's of business administration from Belhaven...

Bottrell Insurance Agency Inc. (People To Watch).(vice president R. David Byrd named to the 2003 Million Dollar Round Table)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... R. David Byrd has been named to the 2003 Million Dollar Round Table and the prestigious Court of the Table. Byrd is a vice president with the Bottrell Insurance Agency Inc., a subsidiary of Trustmark National Bank. He is the manager for the...

Commercial Real Estate Services Inc. (People To Watch).(owner Walter D. Becker Jr., CCIM has been chosen 2002 REALTOR of the Year)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... The Mississippi Commercial Association of REALTORS announced that Walter D. Becker Jr., CCIM, has been chosen as their 2002 REALTOR of the Year. Becker owns Commercial Real Estate Services Inc. in Jackson and has over $100 million of commercial...

Watkins Ludlam Winter & Stennis, P.A. (People To Watch).(Bryan E. Dye joins firm as an associate in the education, environmental and government law practice group)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... Watkins Ludlam Winter & Stennis, P.A. announces that Bryan E. Dye has joined the firm as an associate in the education, environmental and government law practice group. Dye graduated from Crichton College and received his J.D. from the...

Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. (People To Watch).(Thomas J. Carr appointed senior vice president of operations)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... Thomas J. Carr has been appointed senior vice president of operations for Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. in Biloxi. Carr most recently held the position of regional vice president for the company. He has more than 22 years gaming experience,...

Mississippi Association of REALTORS. (People To Watch).(recognized Rep. Warner McBride as Outstanding House Legislator for 2002)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... Rep. Warner McBride (D-Batesville) was recently recognized as the Mississippi Association of REALTORS (MAR) Outstanding House Legislator for 2002. McBride was honored for his shepherding of MAR's successful 2002 License Law bill through the...

Entergy Mississippi. (People To Watch).(president and CEO Carolyn Shanks honored as one of "50 Key Women in Energy")(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... Carolyn Shanks, president and CEO of Entergy Mississippi, was recently honored as one of "50 Key Women in Energy." The ceremony was held during the E-World of Energy & Water International Fair and Congress in Essen, Germany. Shanks has been...

Nextel Partners Inc. (People To Watch).(honored employees for achievements in sales and customer service)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... Two Jackson employees of Nextel Partners were honored for their 2002 achievements in sales and customer service. Dealer manager Deneen Graves was honored with Nextel Partner's Presidents Club Award recognizing outstanding sales performance....

Mississippi State University. (People To Watch).(Liam M. Leightley becomes head of the forest products department)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... Dr. Liam M. Leightley has been named the new head of Mississippi State University's (MSU) forest products department. Before accepting the position, Leightley spent a decade with Pennsylvania-based Rohm and Haas. He has also held positions as...

Small Town and Rural Communities Planning Associates Inc. (People To Watch).(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... Andrew Smith has opened Small Town and Rural Communities Planning Associates, Inc., a Jackson consulting business. Smith previously worked as director of city planning for the City of Pine Bluff, Ark., and with the City of Jackson's Department...

Hancock Fabrics sees record sales during shorter year. (Strictly Business).(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... TUPELO -- Hancock Fabrics Inc. (NYSE: HKF), for the 13 weeks ended Feb. 2, 2003, saw sales increase by 4% to $128.6 million from $123.7 million in the 14 weeks of the prior year. The company said the extra week in 2001's 14-week fourth...

Delta Connection expanding service. (Strictly Business).(Atlantic Southeast Airlines will operate new flights)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... LOWNDES COUNTY AND MERIDIAN -- Delta Connection is expanding its non-stop regional jet service between Atlanta and both Golden Triangle Regional Airport (GTRA) and Meridian Regional Airport effective May 4, 2003. The new flights, to be...

Lextron loses Delphi work. (Strictly Business).(Delphi Automotive Systems)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... JACKSON -- Delphi Automotive Systems has notified Lextron Corporation that it would immediately cease outsourcing the manufacture of wire harnesses and other components to Lextron, which had been producing parts for Delphi since 1996. According...

MissChem idles plant. (Strictly Business).(Mississippi Chemical Corporation )(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... YAZOO CITY -- Mississippi Chemical Corporation (OTCBB: MSPI.OB) has made further production changes at its Donaldsonville, La., nitrogen complex, which leaves more than 20 workers without a job. Mississippi Chemical said the Donaldsonville...

Howard wins Army work. (Strictly Business).(Howard Computers)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... LAUREL -- Howard Computers recently won a contract to provide Eisenhower Army Medical Center in Fort Gordon, Ga., with 1,500 computers and network services to install those computers. The contract, two years in the making, requires Howard...

Facilities near $600M mark. (Strictly Business).(Expansion projects account for the capital investment)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... The Existing Industry and Business Division of the Mississippi Development Authority has released its "Summary of New and Expanded Facilities Announced in Mississippi, January 2003 Thru February 2003." The report finds that there have been 38...

'State of the Coast Economy'. (Strictly Business).(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... GULFPORT -- More than 200 business and community leaders recently gathered at the Grand Casino Oasis Hotel in Gulfport as the Harrison County Development Commission (HCDC) hosted its annual breakfast documenting the state of the Coast economy...