Jackson Mississippi News as its happening

Category — Jackson, Mississippi

Vance made partner at Burr & Forman

Burr & Forman, LLP, has named eight new partners from four of its Southeastern offices, including Bradley B. Vance in its Jackson law office.

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Waggoner grows its staff

Waggoner Engineering Inc. is pleased to announce additions to the firm. Samuel Holder has joined the firm as an environmental scientist.

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Betts named chairman, three join firm

J. Frank Betts, managing member of the Jackson-based firm of Eubank & Betts, PLLC, was elected chairman of the International Board of Directors of CPA Associates International Inc. at the annual meeting in Phoenix. He will serve a two-year term.

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German pipe manufacturer breaks ground

TUNICA — A German company broke ground on a $300-million pipe manufacturing plant today in Tunica County, kicking off a development that officials believe will have far-reaching economic benefits.

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A look at MDOT’s stimulus allocations

The federal government allocated more than $26 billion through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) for improvements to the nation’s transportation infrastructure.

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City wants to impose restaurant tax

D’IBERVILLE — A 2 percent tax could be added to the checks at D’Iberville restaurants. The council will vote today to ask the Legislature for permission to charge a tax at city restaurants and bars.

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Toyota reports sales exceed expectations

TOKYO — A high-ranking Toyota executive says the automaker’s North American sales spiked around 50 percent the first eight days of March as incentives helped lure customers after a series of embarrassing safety recalls.

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Howard Technology to market new products

ELLISVILLE — Microsoft Gold Certified partner, Howard Technology Solutions, will recommend and sell desktop computing solutions based on the new Windows MultiPoint Server 2010 (WMS) operating system and NComputing virtual desktops.

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Insurance Department releases ‘Medigap’ guide

JACKSON — The difference between what Medicare covers and actual medical bills can put an extra financial burden on the already strained budgets of Mississippi Medicare recipients. Many seniors turn to a Medicare supplemental insurance (Medigap) policy to ease that gap.

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State unemployment jumps to 12 percent

Mississippi’s unemployment rate for January 2010 was 12.0 percent. The Nation’s not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for January 2010 at 10.6 percent was up ninetenths of a percentage point over the month and was 2.1 percentage points higher than the year ago rate of 8.5 percent.

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Mesaba must continue service to airport

TUPELO — The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has directed Mesaba Airlines to continue air service in Tupelo through at least April 14, or until replacement service begins.

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Chevron to shed 2,000 workers

PASCAGOULA — Chevron Corp. says its refinery in Mississippi is safe and could possibly expand. Chevron said yesterday it will cut 2,000 jobs this year. It also will seek to sell some overseas entities.

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Toyota wants wrecked Prius; police refuse

HARRISON, N.Y. — A New York police official says Toyota wants a Prius that was involved in a crash — but his department is “not prepared to release it just yet.”

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TVA lawsuit deadline extended

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A federal magistrate handling dozens of lawsuits that seek damages from the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA’s) coal ash spill has extended deadlines for some court filings.

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Lawmakers vow to end corporate earmarks

WASHINGTON — House Democratic leaders announced today that they will ban the much-criticized practice of using annual spending bills to direct pet projects to for-profit companies that often return the favor with campaign contributions.

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House passes ‘innovative schools’ bill

JACKSON — Parents would get to restructure operations of a dozen Mississippi public schools that are failing or at risk of failing under a plan that passed the state House March 9.

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Senate passes tax break legislation

WASHINGTON — Legislation blending help for the jobless with popular tax breaks for businesses and individuals is slated to pass the Senate today over protests from conservatives who say it adds too much to the $12.5-trillion national debt.

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Shareholders approve Denbury-Encore merger

PLANO, Texas — Denbury Resources Inc. and Encore Acquisition Company have received the requisite stockholder approval to merge Encore with and into Denbury.

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LifeLock to pay $12M to settle claims

NEW YORK — LifeLock Inc., an identity theft protection company that backed its guarantees by putting its CEO’s social security number on the side of its trucks will pay $12 million to settle claims it misrepresented its services, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

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Charities reap benefits of Viking Classic

MADISON — Century Club Charities Inc. announced that the 2009 Viking Classic raised $567,641 for local charities, including the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children and the Birdies For Charity program’s 89 participating Mississippi charities.

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U.S. job openings rise at fast rate

There were 2.7 million job openings on the last business day of Jan. 2010, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported yesterday. The job openings rate rose over the month to 2.1 percent, the highest the rate has been since Feb. 2009.

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Continental may cancel flights due to fines

DALLAS — Continental Airlines plans to cancel flights rather than risk stiff fines under new federal rules designed to punish carriers for delaying passengers.

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Monsanto building corn breeding complex

FLORA — To better serve the needs of southern farmers, Monsanto has broken ground on a new corn breeding station in Flora. The 26,000-square-foot, $2.4-million corn breeding station, located in the Flora Industrial Park, will employ approximately 10 full-time and up to 50 seasonal workers.

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State ranks high in Census grants

Mississippi ranks 10th in the nation for federal spending per person from grants that are based on the Census count. That’s according to a new study, released yesterday, by the Brookings Institution in Washington.

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Callon reports improved numbers

NATCHEZ — Callon Petroleum Company reported fourth quarter net income of $53.9 million, or $2.27 per share, compared to a net loss of $457.5 million, or $21.19 per share, for the 2008 fourth quarter.

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Lawmakers pass PERS policy change

JACKSON — The Mississippi Senate passed a bill Tuesday that aims to prevent “double dipping” by state employees who retire and then return to work as part-time or contract workers for the government.

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Toyota lawsuits could cost automaker $3B

MIAMI — Toyota owners claiming that massive safety recalls are causing the value of their vehicles to plummet have filed at least 89 class-action lawsuits that could cost the Japanese auto giant $3 billion or more, according to an Associated Press review of cases, legal precedent and interviews with experts.

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TVA to hold meeting concerning ash handling

KINGSTON, Tenn. — The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) will hold an informational public meeting March 16 in Kingston, Tenn., to receive comments on changing the handling and storage of wet coal ash to a dry system at the Kingston Fossil Plant.

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Weather puts chill on crawfish harvest

Chris Jacobs is experiencing a little “sticker shock.” Owner of the Sportsman’s Lodge in Jackson, Jacobs is preparing for the first crawfish boil of the season, and cannot believe the asking price of “mudbugs.

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Leaders bemoan loss of tanker contract

GULF COAST — Mississippi officials expressed both disappointment and disgust with a Pentagon process that prompted Northrop Grumman Corp. to drop out of the competition for an Air Force refueling tanker contract.

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