Ellington

Today at 2 p.m., the Mississippi State Port Authority at Gulfport will hold a ground-"making" ceremony, kicking off a $570 million expansion project. Gov. Haley Barbour, who diverted the funds for the project from money originally targeted to rebuild housing on the state's Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina ripped across the area, will be on hand for the ceremony.

Four years after the devastating storm, housing—especially for low and middle-income families—continues to lag behind the need for it, with some people still living in temporary housing provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Recently, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank, D-Mass., and Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., sent Barbour a letter asking him to hold off on the diversion, but Barbour was not convinced.

See also: HUD, Barbour Under Fire for Diverting Money from Poor