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King Edward Re-opening Today

Long a downtown eyesore and unpleasant reminder of Jackson's troubled past, the King Edward Hotel is re-opening tomorrow with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. A joint project of Jackson developer David Watkins' group, Watkins Partners, and Historic Renovation Incorporated of New Orleans, the six-year, $84 million renovation of the 300,000 square-foot historic building is complete, marking the end of a long and bumpy return to glory.

Contractor, State Trade Blows

The State of Mississippi wants Hinds County Chancery Court Judge William Singletary to dismiss a suit launched against it by multi-national corporation Utility Management Corp.

Childers to Tour Crop Disaster Areas

Today, Rep. Travis Childers, representing Mississippi's first Congressional district, will lead a crop disaster tour throughout his district in the company of U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary Michael Scuse. The tour will provide the agency first-hand information about the severe crop loss suffered to Mississippi farmers in the wake of heavy rains earlier in the fall, according to a release.

Did State Mismanage Stimulus Funds?

A Jackson company is alleging in Hinds County Chancery Court that the state mismanaged $3.75 million in federal stimulus funds by passing over the lowest and best bidder for a contract to "green" public buildings.

Hinds Approves King Edward Financing Support

Hinds County Supervisors approved a tax increment financing plan to support the King Edward Hotel renovation at a meeting this morning. The plan requires the county to cover 85 percent of any increase in property taxes due to the development for the next 20 years or up to $2.8 million, whichever comes first. During that period, the King Edward developers, HRI Watkins, will pay only 15 percent of any increase in property taxes as the area rises in value.

Hood Calls Foul on Entergy Upgrade Plan

Entergy Mississippi Inc. announced last week that it would be investing $500 million in "upgrading and bolstering" Mississippi transmission facilities between 2006 and 2013.

Shaggy's

Imagine yourself back in the '70s, in a VW van with a disco ball, lying on the couch telling your buddy to pass the J. You're looking good in John Lennon glasses and your shag hairstyle with a pair of corduroy flare-out pants and a tie-dye T-shirt. You greet your friends with, "what's happenin" and "let's boogie."

This Black Friday, Shop Local First

Black Friday this, and Black Friday that. Do you really, truly want to get up with the chickens and wait outside some big-box retailer to save a few dollars on the same gift everyone else is buying? Truly?

The Battle to Sell "Green" Power to Utilities Comes to Jackson

Mississippians who generate their own electricity through green technologies should be able to sell any excess back to power companies, Julia O'Neal told a legislative panel this morning. O'Neal said the process of net metering allows individuals to sell excess electricity generated through the use of solar panels or windmill generators, back to power companies at market rates. Net metering is necessary to offset customers' investment in personal power generation, she said.

Crazy Cat Opens New Fondren Location

Fondren shoppers have another place to indulge their sweet tooth. On Monday, Nov. 9, Highland Village confectioner Jon Lansdale opened a second location of his Crazy Cat Bakers in the Fondren Corner building. Crazy Cat is selling grab-and-go lunches and drinks, along with its renowned cakes, brownies and cookies, in the small 16 foot by 16 foot space that used to house Cosmo Tots children's boutique.

John Dooley

John Dooley is turning his passion for scuba diving into a business. Two weeks ago, Dooley won a $10,000 grant from the Mississippi Technology Alliance to develop Diver's D\Lyte, a performance drink that Dooley invented for scuba divers.

Seeking the Authentic

Since I'm one of those folks who was "brought back" to Mississippi by a native, I sometimes feel like I have a unique vantage point. Mississippi reminds me enough of my boyhood Texas to be a second home to me, and yet it's weird enough to feel like "a whole'nother country."

Why Foreign Businesses Dig Mississippi

The state of Mississippi currently has 30,231 businesses that count as foreign-owned, or are owned by corporations, LLCs, unlimited liability partners or other business organizations. The list includes companies such as Calgon Carbon from New Zealand, Rolls-Royce and BP America Production from Britain, and MG Industries from Germany, among many others.

PSC Moving to Next Fight on $2.4B Coal Plant

The Public Service Commission announced a unanimous agreement to continue hearings into the need for a new $2.4 billion coal plant in Kemper County. "The Public Service Commission finds that Mississippi Power Company (MPCO) has demonstrated that public convenience and necessity requires or will require additional generating capacity and energy as early as 2014. Further, after a review of the entire record, the commission notes that the record contains no credible evidence to support a finding that MPCO has no need or that this commission should not proceed to Phase two of these proceedings," Commissioner Lynn Posey wrote in a release Monday.

Justin Vaughn

Justin Vaughn, a 26-year-old designer, is the founder of Jackson-area T-shirt screen-printing company, Unik Ink, pronounced "unique" ink. A lifelong resident of Madison, Vaughn graduated from the University of Mississippi in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in art, emphasizing graphic design. He learned his trade during college working as a designer for a screen-printing company.

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