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Builder Guild Improves Gulf Coast Workforce Housing Standards

Gulf Coast Renaissance Corporation, a nonprofit organization that focuses on affordable housing in the Mississippi counties hardest hit by 2005's Hurricane Katrina, has revised and improved its standards for affordable housing redevelopment on the Gulf Coast. The organization, founded in 2006 by several south Mississippi business leaders, formed the Renaissance Builder & Development Guild in 2008 "as a means to cultivate the highest level of housing redevelopment during the Gulf Coast's rebuilding process," according to a release.

Auditorium Now Home to Films, and a Cooking Show

The Auditorium's Executive Chef Nathan Glenn is a busy man, and is only becoming busier and busier. On Aug. 25, Glenn will film a pilot for a cooking show that he hopes will get picked up by a network. Glenn will be preparing "cool southern food," such as the Redfish Jimmy, shrimp and Grits and Creole seafood pasta served at the restaurant and music venue, which opened earlier this year in the old Duling School in Fondren.

Think Local First

I'm currently reading the book "Big Box Swindle" by Stacy Mitchell, who wrote our cover story this week. The book argues that much of what we believe about big-box development—that it creates jobs, wealth, tax dollars—are myths.

Fondren's Cosmo Tots Expanding

Swanky children's apparel store Cosmo Tots will soon expand to include clothing and accessories for women. The boutique, which carries designer clothing and accessories for babies and children, opened in Fondren Corner in 2005, and current owners Missy Massey and Liz Spratlin took over the shop in April 2009 with the hope of one day selling women's clothing as well.

Plans for Tunica Hybrid Plant Move Forward

A start-up company that is seeking to build hybrid cars in Tunica County is moving forward after settling a lawsuit with a former business partner. According to court documents, Southaven-based Hybrid Automotive Corporation has made plans with the Mississippi Development Agency to invest $6.5 billion in a plant that would employ up to 25,000 people. The company plans to make hybrid automobiles, prototypes of which should arrive in Mississippi "in the near future," according to filings.

Minimum Wage Increase Affects Thousands in Mississippi

Last Friday, the federal minimum wage increased by 70 cents an hour, going from $6.55 to $7.25. The increase will affect thousands of workers in Mississippi, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics, which reports that approximately 6 percent of 2008 hourly employees in the Magnolia state worked for minimum wage or less.

Cultural Expressions Opens

The building that housed Seven*Studioz is reopening, under new ownership and a new name: Cultural Expressions. Dora Lowe confirmed that she has owned the building, formerly rented by Seven*Studioz manager Ezra Brown, since June. Brown has been living in New York for the past several months.

Ledger Spreads Bad Info About Columbus Daily

The Commercial Dispatch in Columbus was surprised to learn yesterday that it was changing format from a daily newspaper to a weekly "advertiser" format. Except that it wasn't true. Turns out The Clarion-Ledger was mailing subscribers in the town, spreading false information to try to increase its own subscriptions in the area.

Scurlock's Donuts To Open Downtown

Local breakfast hero Mark Scurlock is opening a second location for his donut shop, Scurlock's Donuts, in the heart of downtown Jackson. Beginning the last week of August, the un-sugared masses downtown will be able to get their fix on the ground floor of the Capitol Towers, at the corner of Congress and Pearl Streets.

Mississippi Casinos Feeling the Pinch

Casinos, which economists once thought were "recession proof," are feeling the slump along with the majority of other businesses across the country. The state Tax Commission reports that Mississippi casino earnings numbers for June across the state totaled $189.7 million, down from $237.3 million in June 2008. That's a drop of just over 20 percent.

Jackson Gets a Taste of the Caribbean

The hungry downtown crowd has spicy new option for lunch, thanks to husband and wife duo Richard and Chandra Higgins. The two opened up Taste of the Island Caribbean Take-Out June 22, and the restaurant has already developed a thriving customer base. Chandra, a native Jacksonian, spoke to the Jackson Free Press in between lunch rushes about opening a business downtown.

Council Anxious Over Farish Street Zoning

Ward 7 Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon is nervous about potential rezoning efforts connected to the Farish Street Entertainment District. Renovation of the Farish Street project has been ongoing for about a decade, stalled by strict guidelines for construction in a historically designated area, city/developer disagreements and a host of money issues. The massive endeavor changed hands last year from Memphis' Performa Chairman and CEO John Elkington to the Jackson developer of the King Edward and Standard Life projects, David Watkins, after Performa took a hit from the national economic downturn and was unable to secure reliable funding.

Viking to Open Ridgeland Cooking School

Viking Culinary Group, a division of Viking Range Corporation, is opening a cooking school in Ridgeland next month, kicking off with a class titled "Classic Steakhouse" on Friday, August 21. The group has named Chan Patterson as the school's manager, and the school has a full schedule of classes in the following days and weeks.

'Glories of Summer' Opens Downtown Tonight

An exhibition of artwork celebrating the season of heat and leisure opens tonight at the Gallery 119, formerly known as Highlands Fine Art Brokers.

The Dawn of a New ‘Daily'

This past week we flipped the switch on a new "product" that's been brewing in the JFP labs for the better part of six months: JFP Daily.

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