Christi Mitchell will kickoff the Open Mic Night with a performance of her one-woman show "The Optimistic Adventures of Urnine Geraldine."

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

If you want to showcase your talent or simply sit back and enjoy the antics of local residents, attend Open Mic Night at Second Street Bean coffee shop in Columbia this Friday from 6:30-9 p.m.

Two performers are already lined up for the evening; Christi Mitchell of Columbia will act out her humorous and inspiring one-woman show the “Optimistic Adventures of Urnine Geraldine” and Eric Toomer will play songs on acoustic guitar.

Mitchell, who will kick off the Open Mic Night, has written and performed several one-woman shows and pursued an acting career in Los Angeles. She has acted in about 50 plays, taught theatre classes and earned her master’s degree in theatre from Wayne State University in Detroit. She is married to Marion County Informer Publisher Josh Mitchell.

The plot of the “Optimistic Adventures of Urnine Geraldine” deals with an awkward outcast attending a makeup party where she shocks the refined women with her unusual behavior. Mitchell describes Urnine as “an underdog with a heart of gold.”  In the show, Mitchell goes back and forth between playing Urnine and the president of Dazzle Dish Makeup Products.

Second Street Bean

Second Street Bean owner Paris Schepemaker said she plans on having open mic nights the first Friday of every month to give local residents an outlet to express their talents. Anyone who wants to perform is invited to do so this Friday or during any of the other open mic nights.

Performances can include theatrical displays, poetry readings, musical sets and anything else people may way want show off.

Schepemaker said if the open mic nights become a big success she will start doing them every Friday. “A lot of people in Columbia have asked me about doing an open mic night,” said Schepemaker. “I’m really excited and hope we have a good turnout. I hope people enjoy it and use it as an outlet to show off their talent.”

Second Street Bean is located at 321 Second St. in Columbia and can be reached at 444-9299. Your Voice, a radio show on Saturday mornings at 9 on WCJU 104.9, is also sponsoring the Open Mic Night.

Some of the FEMA trailers stored on the land on Highway 43 South in Marion County.

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

The federal government has paid two Mississippi companies a total of $804,645 for use of land on Highway 43 South in Marion County to store FEMA trailers, according to the General Services Administration.

A company called 23467 Mississippi LLC of Hattiesburg was paid $480,645 by FEMA for use of the approximately 300 acres of land located at 1817 Highway 43 South, Columbia. The company leased the land to FEMA from April 9, 2007 to April 9, 2009.

The land then went under the ownership of Marion Clay & Gravel LLC, which has leased the property to FEMA since April 10, 2009, according to the GSA. To date, FEMA has paid Marion Clay & Gravel LLC $324,000 to store the trailers at the site.

In total, FEMA has paid $804,645 since it started leasing the land, according to the GSA.

It is unclear who owns Marion Clay & Gravel LLC. The Columbia phonebook lists a business address for Marion Clay and Gravel at 1917 Highway 43, Columbia, but a message left at the number was not returned. Likewise, it is unclear who owns 23467 Mississippi LLC.

The Mississippi Secretary of State Office does not require that the owners of LLCs be listed. According to the Secretary of State Web site, Marion Clay & Gravel LLC was created Feb. 23, 2009 and is currently listed in “good standing.”

The Mississippi Secretary of State Web site states that 23467 Mississippi LLC was created Aug. 21, 2006 and is also currently in “good standing.”

Over 9,000 trailers were stored at the Marion County site, but all of the units were purchased by Lubbock, Texas businessman Lance Inderman for $9.1 million in February. Inderman could not be reached for comment to determine what he plans on doing with the trailers.

The trailers were used as temporary housing after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita five years ago. A few months ago, a GSA spokesman told the Informer that the trailers had to be removed from the Marion County site by September.

The government issued over 100,000 FEMA trailers after the hurricanes, and many of the units had significant levels of formaldehyde. As a result of the formaldehyde issue, Inderman had to sign a waiver stating that the trailers he purchased would not be used for housing. Formaldehyde was used to make the wood products in the trailers and is a carcinogen.

The Evaporative Roof Cooling System in action at a Columbia residence.

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

In the dog days of the Mississippi summer heat wouldn’t it be nice to keep your house cool without having to pay an expensive electric bill?

Jerry Pirkle and Michael Brown, both of Columbia, have invented the Evaporative Roof Cooling System to keep air conditioning costs to a minimum. Currently the system can save almost 20 percent on cooling costs, but they hope to increase the amount of savings as they continue to improve the product.

“My goal is to save people money,” said Pirkle. “If I can save them 20 percent on their cooling costs, I’m happy and I know I can do better than that.”

They have high hopes that their invention will spread across the United States. “Who knows where this will take us?” said Brown.

Pirkle turned his parents’ Columbia house into a laboratory as the testing ground for the system. A hose runs across the ridge of the roof, and a computer system controls how much water is released based on the temperature. Pirkle has been precise in his research by taking temperature readings on shingles to determine the best way to cool the roof with the least amount of water.

Columbia residents Jerry Pirkle, left, and Michael Brown created the Evaporative Roof Cooling System.

The system involves more than just running cold water over the roof. Evaporation is what causes the cooling, as heat is absorbed when water turns from a liquid into a gas. Brown and Pirkle said the cost of the water involved does not eat up the electric bill savings.

On the hottest days, the system uses about 30 gallons of water. “Water is much cheaper than electricity,” said Brown.

The system currently uses sprinkler heads, but Pirkle said he plans on switching to a new nozzle that will cut the water consumption down by 50 percent. Moreover, Brown and Pirkle have considered collecting rainwater to use in the system.

Brown noted that the system is a “green technology” which are becoming more popular these days. “The population is getting larger, and there are going to be demands on the grid. We have to go green,” said Brown.

To make the invention more “green” they have considered making the system solar powered. Since it is a green technology, Pirkle and Brown may be eligible for government subsidies for research and development.

They can begin installing systems today, and anyone interested in purchasing one should e-mail Brown at mike@nitroexchange.net. The cost is $650, and Pirkle says the system will pay for itself in electric bill savings in two to three years.

“We can do this today,” said Brown. “It’s all proven technology. I think every house and business in Columbia needs one.”

MCDP President Jerry Frazier

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

The president of the Marion County Development Partnership has been asked to divulge his salary amount to the public.

MCDP President Jerry Frazier was presented today with a formal public records request from the Marion County Informer asking that he release his salary.

Frazier refused to speak with the Marion County Informer this morning.

The records request asks Frazier to release any earnings he receives from the MCDP and the Marion County Economic Development District, which he is the executive director of.

Frazier told the Informer on Monday that the MCDP received $100,000 in county funding last year. The city of Columbia also provides the MCDP with $40,000 a year, said City Clerk Donna McKenzie. The only other funding the MCDP receives is from its 250-260 members, which include local businesses, Frazier said.

According to the MCEDD preliminary budget for the upcoming 2010-2011 fiscal year, the county is being asked again to commit $100,000 for MCDP “operating expense” and $96,000 for MCEDD “operating expense.”

According to Frazier, the county actually funds the MCEDD, which then passes the $100,000 through to the MCDP. The MCEDD contracts with the MCDP for economic development services, Frazier said.

Frazier has said that the MCDP is a private non-profit organization that works to attract jobs and industry to Marion County. Since the MCDP and MCEDD both receive taxpayer funds, the Marion County Informer believes that Frazier’s salary amount should be released to the public.

Tim Magee, who serves on the MCDP and MCEDD Board of Directors, said he does not think it would be “fair” to release Frazier’s salary. Magee added that it is up to Frazier if he wants to release his salary.

MCDP board member Rene Dungan declined comment, and member Donald Hales referred the Informer to Board Attorney Andrew Foxworth, who could not be reached for comment.

Other MCDP Board members, Jonathan Jones, Jay Carney, Todd Pittman, Robin Sanderson and J. Todd Watts, were not immediately available for comment.

According to the MCEDD letterhead, the MCEDD also has a Board of Directors that consists of William Pittman, Jay Carney, Donald Hales, Tim Magee, and Todd Watts.

The Mississippi Public Records Act requires that a response to the Informer’s records requests be issued within seven days.

On Tuesday, the Informer reported a story about how the MCDP receives taxpayer money. To read that article click here: http://bit.ly/bpZBBr

To see a copy of the records request for Frazier’s salary click here: Public Records Request

Marion County Development Partnership Office

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

The private non-profit Marion County Development Partnership received $100,000 in county funding last year, according to the organization’s president.

In addition to the county funds, the MCDP also receives $40,000 a year from the city of Columbia, said City Clerk Donna McKenzie.

The MCDP is the local economic development organization that works to attract industry and jobs to Marion County, said the organization’s president, Jerry Frazier. Other than the funding from the city and the county, the only other money the MCDP receives is from its 250-260 members, said Frazier. The MCDP “consists of members of the private and business sector of our community,” Frazier wrote in a letter to the Marion County Informer this month.

The county actually funds the Marion County Economic Development District, which then passes the $100,000 through to the MCDP, Frazier said. The MCEDD contracts with MCDP for economic development services, Frazier said. Frazier is also the executive director of the MCEDD.

Frazier said the $100,000 that the county provides to the MCDP is for operating expenses. It is unclear what the money provided by the city and county specifically pays for at the MCDP. The Marion County Informer has filed a public records request with Frazier to find out what the taxpayer money pays for at the non-profit MCDP.

MCDP President Jerry Frazier

The Marion County Informer about two weeks ago requested a copy of the MCEDD’s fiscal year 2010-2011 preliminary budget that was recently submitted to the Board of Supervisors. Board of Supervisors President Calvin Newsom refused to release the budget, saying it was just preliminary.

The preliminary budget was turned over by the county last week after the Marion County Informer filed a public records request for the document. Even though it is just a preliminary budget, the Informer still believed it was a public record because the MCEDD is funded with taxpayer money.

According to County Comptroller Mary McKenzie, the county funded MCEDD with $359,000 for fiscal year 2009-2010, which ends Sept. 30.

The preliminary budget for 2010-2011 proposes that the county fund MCEDD with $314,000 or $504,898. The proposed budget states that the county will need to fund the MCEDD with the $504,898 if payment on bonds for the former Wellstone Apparel building is passed through the MCEDD. If those bond payments are not passed through MCEDD, the budget request is only $314,000.

In previous years, MCEDD received money from rent payments on the former Wellstone building, but that revenue stream has been lost since facility was vacated last year. Frazier said the MCDP is working diligently to market the Wellstone building to find another tenant, and efforts include advertising in national magazines. The MCEDD owns the former Wellstone building.

It is unclear how much revenue the MCEDD was receiving from rent on the building, but a 2009 budget document states, “In the past the MCEDD has bundled the $314,000 from Marion County and the $176,400 received from rent to pay: MCEDD operating expenses; the $192,000 annual debt service on the building; and other designated debt services.”

Now that the MCEDD is no longer receiving rent payments, the county apparently has to make up for that lost revenue. The proposed 2010-2011 budget states that a bond payment of $190,498 will be owed on the former Wellstone building in 2011. According to a payment schedule on the building, a principal balance of $1.76 million is owed on the facility.

The 2011 MCEDD proposed budget also includes $29,580 for MCDP office building annual debt; $49,914 for CAP loan on building leased to Wellstone Apparel, LLC; $96,000 operating expenses for MCEDD (management, professional services, etc.); and $13,500 for utilities to secure Wellstone building.

It is unclear what the $96,000 that the county provides for operating expenses at the MCEDD specifically pays for. The Marion County Informer has filed a records request with Frazier to determine what the money goes toward.

From left, Tamme Bufkin, Ottis R. Bullock and Marion County Supervisor Raymon Rowell at the Board of Supervisors meeting this morning.

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

Marion County needs to do a better job of capitalizing on its timber industry to create jobs, a representative from the local Forestry Association told the Board of Supervisors Monday morning.

The Marion County Forestry Association and forestry associations from surrounding counties are in the process of developing a plan to reap the economic benefits of the rich timber industry in South Mississippi.

Ottis R. Bullock, who heads up economic development for the Marion County Forestry Association, and Tamme Bufkin of Hattiesburg, who lobbies state government on behalf of the Association, spoke to the Board of Supervisors Monday morning about the plan.

The plan’s goal is to make Marion County and surrounding counties more attractive to timber industries so those jobs won’t be lost to neighboring states such as Alabama, which is beating Mississippi in terms of attracting mills, said Bufkin.

With 70 percent of Marion County’s land being timber, there is a great opportunity to improve the economy with those resources, said Bullock. There is the potential to grow three times the amount of timber here than is being grown now, Bullock noted.

Forestry is Mississippi’s No. 1 industry with a total economic impact of $14 billion to $17 billion, and more can be done to grow the business, according to Bufkin.

The Board of Supervisors can help in the development of the forestry plan by creating a list of potential sites that could accommodate timber mills. Such sites would need access to water, electricity and preferably a railroad spur.

The supervisors suggested that the 3,000-acre former Columbia Training School site would be a good location for timber industries to locate, but there is a problem in using the property because it is currently under the control of the state Department of Human Services.

Bullock and Bufkin said they would see if the Mississippi Forestry Association could leverage some influence in the state Legislature to get the Training School property turned back over to the county so the land could be used as potential timber industry sites.

Bufkin said the biggest question Mississippi’s timber industry faces is, “Where is it going?” She noted that the nation continues to turn toward the renewable energy resources of wood, solar and wind, and Mississippi has a great opportunity as being No. 3 in the United States for timber.

Some companies have decided not to establish mills in Mississippi because of a lack of tax incentives and poor infrastructure, namely roads, Bufkin said.

Other than establishing a list of potential mill sites, the plan the Forestry Association is trying to put together will include timber inventories, labor force estimates and a strategy to lure industries. Mill sites can range in size from 20 acres to 1,000 acres.

Board of Supervisors President Calvin Newsom said it is difficult to fix poor roads to attract timber companies because funding is decreasing. The state needs to establish another funding mechanism by which counties can get money to improve roads, Newsom added.

The supervisors agreed with Bufkin and Bullock that developing a plan to capitalize on the area’s timber resources is a good idea. Supervisors Lloyd Fortenberry suggested possibly using land near the new Pearl River bridge in Goss for mill sites, saying there is a rail line and electricity available.

Bullock said he will have similar meetings with neighboring counties to move the plan forward.

Fuel prices at most Columbia gas stations are in line or below the state average today.

The state average for a gallon of unleaded today is $2.51 and prices in Columbia are ranging between $2.49 and $2.53. Only one Columbia station, Exxon on Highway 98, was above the state average with the $2.53 price. The national average for unleaded is $2.71 per gallon.

Here is a list of prices from local stations:

Highway 13 North Shell: $2.51

Burkett’s Grocery on Highway 13 North: $2.49

Sunny’s on Broad Street: $2.49

High School Avenue Shell: $2.51

U.S. 98 Kangaroo: $2.49

Foxworth BP: $2.51

Highway 98 Shell: $2.51

Wal-Mart: $2.49

Highway 98 Exxon: $2.53

Highway 98 Texaco: $2.51

Surrounded by longtime Wal-Mart employees, Columbia store manager Ray Matthews cuts the ribbon on the newly remodeled store Friday morning.

The grand opening for the newly remodeled Columbia Wal-Mart was held this morning, and about 100 attended the ceremony, including city and county officials. Wal-Mart Manager Ray Matthews said the changes made to the store were necessary to move forward in the future. Matthews said about 150 people were hired for the remodel project that included rearranging departments to make the store more navigable for the customers, adding a new color scheme and widening aisles. The ceremony this morning included John DeLaFuente singing the National Anthem, Church on Main Pastor Brian Stewart delivering a prayer and longtime Wal-Mart employees were given the honor of standing behind the ribbon as Matthews cut it. In his remarks to the audience, Matthews emphasized Wal-Mart’s charitable giving to the community, saying the store has donated over $15,000 to local causes since February. He noted that in honor of the remodel, Wal-Mart mailed out 5,607 $5 gift cards locally.

About 100 attended the ceremony Friday morning.

Wanda Reeves, Bakery associate, and Betty Powell, Bakery manager, serve up the cake.

Columbia Wal-Mart Manager Ray Matthews addresses the audience.

Jean Spring paints the walls of the former AutoZone building.

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

A new thrift store that will benefit a domestic violence shelter is scheduled to open in the former AutoZone building in Downtown Columbia in the next couple of weeks.

Proceeds from the thrift store will go to the WINGS domestic violence shelter in McComb. WINGS, which stands for Women in Need of God’s Shelter, serves seven counties, including Marion.

The thrift store, located on Broad Street, is in the process of being painted, and when it opens will sell furniture, clothes, shoes and other items.

The thrift store will also have an office where counseling will be offered to women and children who are victims of domestic violence, according to Director Jean Spring, who hopes to educate the community more about spousal abuse.

“I intend to get out in the community and see who’s interested in domestic violence,” she said.

The former AutoZone building is being converted into a thrift store to benefit a domestic violence shelter.

Spring said some men use the Bible to justify domestic violence by pointing to a scripture that says a woman must be submissive to man. Therefore, Spring said she would like to engage local pastors more in domestic violence education.

The thrift store proceeds will also go toward helping elderly pay for their medications, and furniture and clothing will be donated to house fire victims, Spring said.

The thrift store will pick up items five days a week from those who wish to donate. To schedule a pickup call Spring at (601) 551-2330. She said the thrift store will only accept items that are “gently used.”

She is glad to be offering the services in Marion County, saying Mississippi ranks No. 2 in the nation for the domestic violence.

WINGS operates under the umbrella of Southwest Mississippi Christian Ministries, a non-profit organization founded by Spring. Spring said that the WINGS shelter in McComb currently has 18 beds, but she is in the process of trying to obtain a grant to add 82 more beds.

The shelter was started in 2009, and two psychiatrists and four licensed mental health social workers volunteer at the facility, said Spring. In the future, she hopes to have other volunteers including court advocates, housing authority officials and Department of Human Services employees.

Spring said she has introduced herself to Marion County law enforcement to let them know about the services she offers. A hotline is always available to victims of domestic violence by calling (601) 684-9111.

The other counties WINGS serves are Franklin, Amite, Walthall, Pike, Lincoln and Lawrence. Other than the thrift store in Marion County, the only other one in the seven-county region is in McComb, but Spring hopes to open one in each county.

The proceeds from the stores will provide much-needed funding, she said, adding that it costs a “fortune” to run a domestic violence shelter.

Columbia gas prices are 4 to 8 cents higher per gallon than the state average.

Each week the Marion County Informer will provide a breakdown of local gas prices compared to the state and national average.

The Marion County Informer conducted a survey of 10 local gas stations this afternoon and found that local prices are 4 to 8 cents higher per gallon than the state average.

According to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report, the average price per gallon in Mississippi today is $2.55 per gallon while prices in Columbia were ranging from $2.59 to $2.63 per gallon this afternoon.

Nationally, the average price per gallon today is $2.73.

Here is a list of some local gas stations and their prices:

Highway 13 North Shell: $2.61

Sunny’s on Broad Street: $2.59

High School Avenue Shell: $2.61

Highway 98 Kangaroo: $2.59

Foxworth BP: $2.61

Highway 98 Shell: $2.61

Highway 98 Texaco: $2.61

Highway 98 Exxon: $2.63

Wal-Mart: $2.59

Highway 98 Chevron:  $2.61