By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

After cutting state funding for Marion County road projects, the Legislature has restored that money, according to County Engineer Jeff Dungan.

Earlier this year, the state cut $76,000 in state-aid road funds from Marion County, but this month the Legislature allocated $20 million statewide to put road funding back in place. Of that $20 million, Marion County received $262,000, and now the county has a total of approximately $1.3 million in its state-aid road budget.

Dungan said the $1.3 million will be used on three projects, the biggest one being patching, restriping and putting new signs on 60 miles of roads throughout the county. That project is estimated to cost $807,000, and the county will advertise for bids in June or July and hopefully be finished with the project by the end of the year.

The other projects include culvert repair on Pickwick Road and replacing two bridges on Water Valley Road.

Dungan made his monthly report to the Marion County Board of Supervisors this morning and said there is also a project scheduled to replace four bridges located on Pounds Road, Robert Johnson Drive, Allen Road and Stringer Loop.

In other matters, Dungan said the Marion County Airport receives a $150,000 federal grant each year to make improvements. This year projects will include installing additional security fencing, building a new taxiway to access additional hangar sites, and preparing bid documents for a precision approach path indicator and an automated weather observation station.

Separately, Dungan said the county will receive a $10,900 grant from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality to clean up illegal dump sites on Tynes Road, New Hope Road, Mays Creek, Ward Road and Blue Springs Road.

Marion County Inventory Clerk Susan Bridges points to old taxpayer funded computers, radios and printers that are said to no longer be of good use.

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

Stacks of computers fill a room at the old Marion County Jail.

The taxpayer-funded equipment is apparently no longer of any good use to the county and just sits locked in the room. The computers are considered “surplus” property, said Marion County Inventory Clerk Susan Bridges, who refers to the old equipment as the “bone yard.”

Out-of-date fax machines, paper shredders and printers are also being stored as surplus property, Bridges said, adding that technology advances so quickly that the old stuff is useless now. For instance, when emergency officials upgrade to more high-tech radios, the old equipment has limited use. Some of the older radios can be used in garbage trucks for basic functions, she said.

In one case, Bridges said an old computer in surplus was moved over to a jail office. However, it turned out that the computer was not even good enough to perform simple tasks, she said.

So what is done with this worthless equipment? Is it just stored forever?

Bridges recently met with the Marion County Board of Supervisors to address the question of what to do with old county inventory.

Stacks of old computers fill a room at the old Marion County Jail.

The county cannot just give the equipment away to individuals, because the state may look down on that practice, according to Bridges. The county would not want to get into a situation where it looked like it was playing favoritism by giving taxpayer funded equipment to select individuals, she said.

The county could advertise the old computers and other surplus property to the public and take bids, she said.

As for the surplus computers being stored in the old jail, Bridges said she plans to haul the stuff to the Mississippi Office of Surplus Property in Jackson.

The director of that agency, Jim Marler, said once he receives the inventory, he tries to give the equipment to other government agencies. The goal, he said, is to save taxpayer money by putting the old stuff to use. Click to continue »

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

Marion County can save money by using chemicals to control weed and grass growth along roadsides instead of mowing, a salesman told the Board of Supervisors this morning.

Chemicals can kill the weeds and slow grass growth, decreasing the amount of mowing required along county roads, according to the salesman, Lance Cline with the Alabaster, Ala. company NaturChem.

With less mowing the county would not spend as much on fuel, blades and general upkeep of the machines. The supervisors took no action on using chemicals but said they would consider the method. Keeping the roadsides clear of vegetation helps make the roads safer.

The company would spray the chemicals 20 feet on each side of the road for $50 a mile. The chemicals would not harm the environment, Cline added. The supervisors also said they would consider using the chemicals to control vegetation growth at the airport.

The Marion County Board of Supervisors opens bids for the new solid waste transfer station.

The Marion County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday took under advisement bids to build the new solid waste transfer station.

Seven companies submitted bids to construct the facility, and the lowest bid was from Dewitt Faler Contractors Inc. of Collins for $325,000, and the highest was from Hemphill Construction Company of Florence for $583,066.

Board of Supervisors President Calvin Newsom said a new transfer station is needed because of EPA regulations that require the facility to be enclosed.

The transfer station, located about three miles from Foxworth on Highway 586, is the facility where garbage is dumped before it is picked up and taken to a landfill. Enviro of Laurel carries the trash to the landfill, and that company’s contract is up for renewal. Newsom said before approving one of the bids for the construction of the transfer station, the supervisors want to get proposals from different companies to haul the waste. The bids on the transfer station expire in two months.

From one of the viewing platforms at the Columbia Water Park, a boat is spotted travelling down the Pearl River.

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

 The state agency that created the Columbia Water Park more than 40 years ago may soon dissolve and transfer ownership of the facility to Marion County.

This morning, Pearl River Basin Development District Executive Director Mike Davis told the Marion County Board of Supervisors that his agency could shut down as early as 2011. If that happens, it will mean Marion County will no longer reap the benefits of the organization, which helps fund projects at the Water Park.

“We would hate to see them go away because they have been so beneficial to Marion County,” said Board of Supervisors President Calvin Newsom.

The District is currently working on putting up a new fence at the Water Park and looking at replacing some bathrooms, grills and picnic tables. If the district dissolves, the county would have to fund projects such as those on its own.

The pavilion at the Water Park is used by many different groups for functions.

The county could take over ownership of the park if the District ceases to exist. If the county does not want to take over ownership, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks could become the new owner.

County Supervisor Randy Dyess said he would like the county to take over ownership to maintain control.

The park, situated along the Pearl River, features walking trails, a pavilion for public use, ball fields and playground equipment.

Other than developing the Water Park, which began in 1969, the Development District has also contributed to Marion County in other ways such as funding studies for flood control and water quality.

The sign at the entrance to the Water Park greets visitors.

The Pearl River Basin Development District was formed in 1964 and originally consisted of 16 counties, but five counties have dropped out since 2001, including the largest contributors, Hinds and Rankin. Davis said Hinds and Rankin dropped out because they were not utilizing the financial benefits of the District.

With large contributing counties dropping out, the District likely cannot continue without asking for the remaining counties to give more money, which probably is not feasible.

“I hope the situation turns around, and we don’t have to shut down,” said Davis, adding that the agency only has three employees.

Each county in the District makes an annual contribution to the agency, and for Marion County that is one-fourth of a mill, which comes to around $35,000 a year.

Canopies, bridges and trails are prevalent in the Water Park.

Some years, the counties in the District get back more than they put in, while other years they get back less. Since the District’s formation, Marion County has received $1.6 million from the District for various projects.

The District has also helped with the development of Duckworth Park in Columbia. Supervisor Lloyd Fortenberry said the Board of Supervisors has routinely given Duckworth Park $4,000 in District money to make improvements such as purchase bleachers.

Other counties in the District are Hancock, Leake, Lincoln, Neshoba, Pearl River, Pike, Rankin, Scott, Simpson and Walthall.

Civil Defense Director Charlie Conerly, left, speaks with Hugh White of the Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department at the search scene.

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

The Marion County Search and Rescue team assembled this morning in Goss to look for a female in her 80s who has not been seen since Wednesday afternoon.

Marion/Jefferson Davis County Civil Defense Director Charlie Conerly said he could not release the name of the woman without authorization from the Sheriff’s Office.

Several members of the Search team arrived at the Goss fire station after being called out around 10:30 a.m. A search dog team from Lamar County arrived at 11:20 a.m. to assist with the search.

The woman is in good health, Conerly said, adding there is no evidence to suggest foul play. She lived alone, and her car was still at the residence.

Conerly said there are few leads to go on. “It’s a bad situation when you don’t have any clues to work with,” Conerly said.

The search will take place in the Goss area and could go into the woods.

Marion County Sheriff Berkley Hall

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

Marion County is no longer at risk of losing its free inmate labor force, for the time being.

Last month, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office received word from the state Department of Corrections that the Joint County-State Work Program may be discontinued because of budget cuts.

But earlier this month the state decided to restore $16 million in Department of Corrections funding to continue the inmate work program in counties across the state.

Under the program, state inmates work for counties performing a range of tasks from secretarial work to garbage collection. In Marion County, there are 79 female inmates in the program and six male inmates. Marion County Sheriff Berkley Hall said the free inmate labor is a great benefit to the county.

The state reimburses the counties $20 a day to house the inmates in the program. When the cuts were announced in February, the state said it could no longer afford to pay the counties for the program and the inmates would have to be moved to state facilities.

Sheriff Hall and other members of the state Sheriff’s Association traveled to Pearl in February to meet with Department of Corrections officials about keeping the program going.

MDOC Commissioner Chris Epps told the Clarion-Ledger that the program will remain intact for the rest of this fiscal year, which ends June 30. However, the program could be at risk again in the new fiscal year.

Closing the South Mississippi State Hospital in Purvis would mean mental patients from Marion County would have to wait longer to receive treatment.

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

Mental health patients from Marion County would have to wait longer to receive treatment if the South Mississippi State Hospital in Purvis is shut down.

 Gov. Haley Barbour has suggested closing the mental hospital because of budget cuts. If the facility closed, it would mean mental health patients from Marion County would have to wait  for beds to open at other hospitals in Jackson and Meridian.

Since the South Mississippi State Hospital opened 10 years ago, more than 200 people from Marion County have been treated there.

South Mississippi State Hospital Director Wynona Winfield said the good news is that state legislators are assuring her that the facility will not close. Winfield said there is a lot of support from legislators in Jackson who want to keep the facility open. Winfield addressed the Marion County Board of Supervisors this morning. Click to continue »

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

County Engineer Jeff Dungan addresses the Marion County Board of Supervisors this morning.

The Marion County Board of Supervisors this morning awarded the $95,022 bid from Dial Construction of Columbia to make repairs to Mt. Carmel Church Road.

The road has been in disrepair since around Christmas when heavy rains washed out a large culvert, partially closing the roadway. Dial Construction was the lowest of five bidders, and the project had an engineer’s estimate of $94,176.

County Engineer Jeff Dungan said work on fixing the road should begin soon, and the road will be completely closed for a few days during the project.

The money to fix the road will come from the State Aid Road fund. The county gets approximately $40,000 a month from the State Aid Road program to make repairs to roads and bridges. Click to continue »

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

The Marion/Walthall County Correctional Facility recently received an excellent review by an accreditation panel, according to Sheriff Berkley Hall. Hall and the Board of Supervisors are pictured holding the Accreditation certificate. From left, Supervisor Lloyd Fortenberry, Randy Dyess (in back), Calvin Newsom, Hall, Chancery Clerk Cass Barnes, Board of Supervisors Attorney Joe Shepard, and Supervisor Raymon Rowell.

It appears there will be enough money left over from the Marion County Jail expansion project to construct a new holding facility for mental health patients, Sheriff Berkley Hall told the Board of Supervisors this morning.

Hall said there is expected to be over $380,000 remaining after the 110-bed expansion to the Marion County Jail is completed this month.

The county took out approximately $3.2 million in bond money to construct the expansion, and the county can use whatever is remaining to build a new holding facility for mental patients.

Hall has been pushing for the construction of the new facility, saying it is badly needed. The current mental holding facility located behind the hospital is out of date, Hall has said. The new six-bed facility would be more conveniently located next to the jail.

Hall thinks the new holding facility can be built for $80,000 to $100,000 if inmate labor is used.

The county holds mental patients temporarily until they can be transported to a state facility in Meridian or Purvis. Click to continue »