Mississippi Economic Development News – May 4, 2009

Big M/Diesel Express Trucking has completed the purchase of the Blue Mountain Trucking facility that was located on the Berkline/BenchCraft complex in Blue Mountain. … The Tippah County Development Foundation (TCDF) helped get the two parties together to satisfy a need by Big M/Diesel Express for expanded operations http://www.msbusiness.com/article.cfm?ID=8101

It is this kind of proactive thinking — in pursuit of new investment and retention of existing business — that is at the forefront of Mississippi’s strategy to stave off the effects of the recession. http://www.areadevelopment.com/stateResources/mississippi/mississippi-state-report-april-2009.shtml

A bold step by Boards of Supervisors in Tishomingo, Alcorn and Prentiss counties could become a strong factor early in the economic recovery that’s projected by many to begin late in 2009. The TAP alliance… http://tinyurl.com/dmswqu

Lucedale county and state leaders are being urged to create a regional rail authority to rebuild a rail link from Waynesboro to Lucedale that would serve as an economic engine for eastern Mississippi. http://www.gulflive.com/news/mississippipress/news.ssf?/base/news/1241345724196290.xml&coll=5

Gulfport is the third busiest container port in the Gulf, “and we plan to capitalize on that,” said Don Alee, executive director of the Mississippi State Port Authority. A “ground making” ceremony will launch construction of new port facilities in the next few weeks, and Alee said when the Panama Canal is enlarged from 106 feet to 180 feet in 2014, it will allow Asian ship captains to avoid the backlog at the Long Beach port in California and unload in Gulfport. http://www.sunherald.com/military/story/1317269.html

Wireless Internet access could be coming to the entire Delta if stimulus package funds come through. Mississippi Valley State University is partnering with Unserved Areas Broadband Development and Cisco Systems to seek $50 million to provide high-speed access. http://tinyurl.com/d3f56d

Evon Emerson made some Pensacola business history seven years ago when she became the first woman ever chosen as president and CEO of the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. Today the Mississippi native, who moved to Pensacola from Maine more than a decade ago, leads one of the largest single economic development entities in Northwest Florida. http://www.pnj.com/article/20090501/BUSINESSJOURNAL/905010312/1115

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour will call a special legislative session and ask the House and Senate to formally regulate the government’s use of eminent domain to take private property for economic development projects. http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20090428/NEWS/90428022/-1/frontpage

All four municipalities in Scott County saw growth in their sales tax revenue this year compared to this time last year according to most recent figures released late last month. http://www.sctonline.net/articles/2009/04/30/news/local/news71.txt

Thursday, May 7, will be a special day in Como. That’s when the town will become an official destination on the Mississippi Blues Trail. In an afternoon ceremony starting at 2, on the median of Como’s Main Street across from City Hall, a handsome blues marker honoring the late Mississippian Fred McDowell will be unveiled. http://www.desototimes.com/articles/2009/04/29/news/local/doc49f8f15c88e81417380400.txt

You can now listen to Mississippi music at Live Mississippi and watch Mississippi videos online during the day. http://www.visitmississippi.org/

In March, Montreal, Quebec-based Enerkem Inc. announced that it will enter the U.S. ethanol market when it chose Pontotoc, Miss., as the site for its proposed 75.7 MMly (20 MMgy) cellulosic ethanol plant. http://www.biomassmagazine.com/article.jsp?article_id=2614

Buildings for William Carey University’s new campus at the Tradition develoment re approaching completion. http://www.sunherald.com/local/story/1318523.html

Charlie Musselwhite said he couldn’t stop smiling…. Other officials speaking at the dedication were Kosciusko Mayor Jimmy Cockroft, Sen. Lydia Chassaniol, chair of the tourism committee, Alex Thomas with the Mississippi Development Authority’s Heritage Trails Program. http://www.starherald.net/local/local_story_119122941.html

You are cordially invited to participate as a delegate to the SEUS-CP (Southeast United States-Canadian Provinces Alliance) Second Annual Conference July 26-28, 2009, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Call MDA 601-359-3155. For more information see http://www.seuscp.org/

Carol Hardwick, Executive Director
Mississippi Economic Development Council, Inc. (MEDC)
601-352-1909 . carol@medc.ms . www.medc.ms
2009 Summer Conference . July 22-24 . Beau Rivage . Biloxi