Author Archives: City of Biloxi

The Biloxi City Council this afternoon will consider a re-zoning case that would see the IP Casino Resort Spa increase its footprint along Back Bay by 14.2 acres, to 24 acres. The issue is among more than three dozen measures on the agenda for the council’s 1:30 meeting at City Hall. The IP case involves […]

The annual State of the City newsletter — a detailed report about projects, programs and initiatives being undertaken by the city and its partner agencies – is now online and printed copies should be arriving in mailboxes throughout the city next week. The 16-page report, a follow-up to Mayor A.J. Holloway’s annual State of the […]

The Biloxi City Council next week will consider a measure that will classify “Mississippi cottages” as modular construction, meaning that the once-temporary cottages could become a permanent part of neighborhoods. The resolution, introduced by Ward 2 Councilmember Bill Stallworth, is one of three dozen measures on the council’s 1:30 agenda Tuesday afternoon. The meeting will […]

Biloxi Main Street has announced that its Town Green presentation of the animated “Bee Movie” planned for Friday has been postponed to next Friday, April 18, because of forecasted inclement weather this week. The free presentation, part of Main Street’s hugely successful “drive-in movie” series on the Town Green, begins at 6 p.m., with door […]

All Mississippi Coast residents, businesses and visitors are being invited to take “A Walk in the Park” on May 17 to help raise awareness and funds for a botanical garden and horticultural center that will be created at Hiller Park in Biloxi. The Mississippi Renaissance Garden Foundation, which provides assistance to coastal residents and communities […]

Businesses, civic groups and individuals are being asked to sign up this week for a weeklong citywide clean-up that takes place next week throughout the city. The event, being held in conjunction with the Great American Cleanup and Earth Day, will culminate next weekend with a brown bag lunch and cookout on the Town Green […]

Biloxi Mayor A.J. Holloway this afternoon ratified the City Council’s vote for a zoning change that would allow a casino component of the proposed RW Development mixed-use project, known as Gold Coast, in west Biloxi. Developers would now ask the Mississippi Gaming Commission to declare the site a legal and suitable gaming location. Holloway said […]

NBC News plans to air a segment about the Katrina scupltures in Biloxi tonight during its “Nightly News.” The program is scheduled to air nationwide and on WDSU-TV 6 in New Orleans at 5:30 p.m. NBC News correspondent Mark Potter, who filed several national stories from Biloxi in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, was in […]

Smoking the Sound, the powerboat races that run along front beach from east of the Isle of Capri to west of the Biloxi Lighthouse, will dominate the waterfront this weekend in Biloxi, with races taking place throughout the day Saturday and Sunday. Viewing is available along the waterfront, with premium viewing atop the parking garages […]

The City of Biloxi Parks and Recreation Department begins its Challenger League Baseball season with the first game tonight at 7 at the Biloxi Sports Complex, 765 Wells Drive. The Challenger League is open to boys and girls of all ages with mental and physical disabilities. Games are played one night a week and participation […]

The City of Biloxi Parks and Recreation Department will re-open the Biloxi Farmers Market on Tuesday, April 1 at 8:30 a.m. under the I-110 bridge overpass on Howard Avenue. The public is invited to stroll row after row of booths where vendors will sell farm-fresh produce, plants, homemade baked goods and more. Biloxi Farmers Market […]

The Mississippi Department of Transportation, which planned to open all westbound lanes of Beach Boulevard in east Biloxi on Monday, announced this morning that those lanes as well as all westbound lanes on the Biloxi Bay Bridge will open today. “The weather has been cooperating, so we’ve been able to get the work done even […]

The Biloxi City Council on Tuesday will be asked to re-zone 17 acres of land on the former “West Biloxi strip” to allow a casino component as part of a mixed-use development. The proposal by RW Development is one of more than a dozen measures on the agenda for the meeting, which begins at 1:30 […]

NBC News plans to include a segment on the Katrina sculptures during its “Nightly News” this evening, after the story was bumped from a shortened newscast last weekend when coverage of a golf tournament ran long. Correspondent Mark Potter notified the mayor’s office today that the segment is scheduled to air this evening, provided NBC’s […]

Members of the Biloxi Police Department will hold a grand opening on Saturday, April 12 for a new satellite office at Edgewater Mall. The public is invited to attend the 10 a.m.-to-2 p.m. affair, which will be similar to the department’s annual Night Out Against Crime and will feature free hamburgers, hot dogs, soft drinks, […]

The Biloxi Main Street Association will host its first Brown Bag Lunch of the season Friday in Margaret Tremmel Peresich Park in downtown Biloxi. Chuck Lofton and Chuck Flowers will provide free entertainment during the 11:30 a.m.-to-1 p.m. gathering. “This is the first Brown Bag of the spring season,” said Downtown Services Manager Kay Miller. […]

The Biloxi City Council is scheduled to vote this afternoon on a measure that would allow a mixed-use development on 27.5 acres of land on Pass Road, immediately west of Keesler Federal Credit Union. The Bay Village proposal, which is on a site that was formerly part of Edgewater Bay Golf Course, would be constructed […]

A malfuctioning locking device on the Popp’s Ferry Bridge kept motorists from crossing the bridge for an hour late Tuesday afternoon. The problem occurred after a bridgetender raised the draw at 6:01 p.m. to allow a tug pushing eight barges to pass. When the bridgetender lowered the spans at 6:27 p.m., the locking device, which […]

City contractors next week will begin pumping smoke into sewer lines along Brasher Road to check for breaks or defects in sewer lines. The testing will take place March 24-28 on Brasher Road, from Highland Drive to Wetzel Drive and south to the Back Bay, then north along Vee Street and Camp Four Jacks Road. […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway, following up on a proposal that has been in the works for months, has called a special meeting of the City Council for Tuesday at 11 a.m. to learn about a proposal to provide free or low-cost health care for city employees and their families. Councilmembers will hear about the program at […]

Harrison County Judge Robin Midcalf this morning found property owner Hayes Bolton to be in contempt of previous court orders and ordered him to erect a fence on his beachfront property. The fence is to comply with the guidelines of the city’s Architectural and Historical Review Commission, including brick columns every six to eight feet. […]

The City of Biloxi Parks and Recreation Department will hold a Citywide Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 8 beginning at 10 a.m. on the grounds of the North Woolmarket School, 16237 Old Woolmarket Road. The Citywide Egg Hunt is for all children ages 5 to 12, and their parents. Admission is free and children will […]

Here is a list of candidates who by the 5 p.m. deadline today filed their intent to qualify for the upcoming Biloxi municipal elections is 5 p.m. today. Mayor Democrats: Jesse Herron Kennedy Jr. Republicans: A.J. Holloway, Michael Janus, Connie Rockco Councilmember, Ward 1 Democrats: George W. Lawrence Republicans: August H. Parker, Jr. Councilmember, Ward […]

More than 500 people were waiting in line this morning when Dillard’s, one of the mainstays of Edgewater Mall, held its formal re-opening, and the waiting line, says Edgewater Mall Manager Terry Powell, is indicative of the business that Dillard’s has done since opening its doors on Saturday morning. “Dillard’s had three soft openings besides […]

The boat ramp at the Biloxi Small Craft Harbor will be closed this week to allow contractors to continue overall harbor improvements. Port Division Manager Frankie Duggan said the ramp is expected to be open in time to accommodate weekend boaters. Meantime, boaters should use the ramp at the north end of Lee Street, since […]

Employees of the Biloxi Public School District saved more than $1.3 million in medical expenses last year, thanks to a program the school launched in October 2006. Biloxi was the first school district in the state to initiate such a program, and, as a result of its success, similar programs have been launched by Harrison […]

The city’s Parks and Recreation Department will host a free Aquafina Major League Baseball Pitch, Hit & Run Competition for area youth on Saturday, March 1 at 10 a.m. The competition will be held at the Biloxi Sports Complex located at 765 Wells Drive. Pitch, Hit & Run is open to children ages 7 to […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway on Tuesday will again ask members of the Biloxi City Council to authorize eminent domain proceedings to begin to help the city acquire property to be used for a Lighthouse Park. An earlier request for eminent domain died after a 3-3 vote by the council. Councilman Bill Stallworth was absent for that […]

Biloxi’s population is down an estimated 12 percent since Hurricane Katrina, but the number of residents is expected to surge by 20 percent over pre-Katrina levels during the next couple of years. The population estimates, the first formal post-Katrina ackowledgement by the city, are among the dozens of facts and figures found in the newly […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway this afternoon will be asking the City Council to approve the $576,000 purchase of beachfront property for the city’s proposed Visitors Center and Lighthouse Park project. The purchase — $572,000 in all, or $30 a square foot – would involve the land where a BP Station once stood, which is a site […]

The Biloxi Planning Commission, which usually meets in the auditorium of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Municipal Building, will meet at City Hall on Thursday to accommodate what is expected to be a larger-than-usual turnout. During the 2 p.m., planning commissioners are expected to hear details of a proposal for a mixed-use subdivision, Bay […]

Hundreds of people and dozens of groups donate countless hours and weekends to support community endeavors throughout the year in Biloxi, and the city is preparing to honor these efforts in the 25th annual Volunteer Recognition Ceremony, which takes place Thursday, April 30 at the Donal M. Snyder Sr. Community Center. The city is now […]

The Biloxi Parks and Recreation Department will hold registration for Biloxi Little League Baseball and Biloxi Girls Softball on Saturday, Feb. 9 and Saturday, Feb. 16 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Donal Snyder Community Center, 2520 Pass Road. The Biloxi Little League Baseball is open to boys ages 5 to 16 whose birthdate […]

The Biloxi City Council meets on Tuesday to discuss three holdover issues: a hearing to hear an appeal from beachfront property owner Hayes Bolton, the second reading of an ordinance to amend the city’s registry of historic properties, and a request to reduce a setback requirement for a proposed coffeehouse on Cedar Lake Road. The […]

Reminder: Two history-related events are unfolding in Biloxi this week, as the city marks the 309th anniversary of the landing of the explorer D’Iberville in Biloxi. —The Mississippi Coast Historical & Genealogical Society is sponsoring the 18th annual Mississippi Coast History Week through Thursday at the Biloxi Community Center. —And on Wednesday, coincidentally the actual […]

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for Biloxi and the surrounding area until 6 this evening. A watch means that conditions are favorable for tornadoes to form. Besides Harrison County, the watch area includes portions of southeast Louisiana. The weather service said scattered to numerous thunderstorms are expected to continue into the […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway outlined dozens of recovery and improvement projects either underway or in the works during his State of the City address today, and he also said the city is moving forward on major projects that were being talked about before the storm, particularly east-west and north-south traffic corridors.. “It’s been 29 months and […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway outlined dozens of recovery and improvement projects either underway or in the works during his State of the City address today, and he also said the city is moving forward on major projects that were being talked about before the storm, particularly east-west and north-south traffic corridors. “It’s been 29 months and […]

Property issues dominate the agenda for next week’s Biloxi City Council meeting. Councilmembers, who gather at 1:30 Tuesday at City Hall, face an agenda of 32 measures, including approvals for final plats for neighborhood subdivisions, curb cut variances and an appeal of a decision regarding beachfront property. Hayes Bolton, whose front beach property has been […]

Coast Transit Authority will christen nine new demand-response buses Friday at 10 a.m. during a ceremony at the downtown Biloxi Transit Center. Mayor A.J. Holloway will join CTA leaders and other elected officials to help christen the buses in the ceremony, which is open to the public. The Biloxi Transit Center is on Reynoir Street, […]

Biloxi police officers will begin implementing their Mardi Gras traffic plan this morning around 10:30, closing I-110 to southbound traffic at Division Street and reducing parts of U.S. 90 to two-lane traffic on its southernmost lanes. Each Mardi Gras, police limit travel on downtown streets as tens of thousands of paradegoers gather for the annual […]

Tens of thousands of paradegoers are expected to gather in downtown Biloxi on Fat Tuesday for the annual Gulf Coast Carnival Association parade. The 100-unit procession will begin at 1 p.m. and wind its way through the streets from Main Street on the east and Porter Avenue on the west. To see the parade route, […]

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch until 7 this evening for Biloxi and Harrison County. A tornado watch means that the National Weather Service believes conditions are favorable for the development of tornadoes in and close to the watch area. Earlier today, Biloxi Emergency Management coordinator Linda Atterberry reported that a low […]

The Biloxi City Council, in a special meeting on Wednesday afternoon, will discuss the proposed addition of 88 units at the Arbor Place Apartments off Popp’s Ferry Road. The meeting will begin at 2:30 p.m. at Biloxi City Hall. Three other zoning measures also are on the agenda. The Arbor Place proposal requires a zoning […]

The Mississippi Coast Historical & Genealogical Society will sponsor the 18th annual Mississippi Coast History Week Feb. 10-16. It will be co-sponsored by the City of Biloxi. February 13 will mark the 309th anniversary of the landing of the explorer D’Iberville in present-day Biloxi. To commemorate the occasion, the Most Rev. Thomas J. Rodi, Bishop […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway says he takes exception to insensitive comments made by New Urbanist Andres Duany in a one-source story that appears in today’s Sun Herald. Duany, who spent two weeks in Biloxi during the governor’s post-Katrina charettes, is quoted as having said the community has “basically committed suicide” with big, bland and boxy buildings. […]

Biloxi Bay Chamber of Commerce leaders report that only a couple hundred seats remain for Mayor A.J. Holloway’s Feb. 11 State of the City address. The chamber-sponsored luncheon will be held at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino. “We’re expecting it to be another sold-out audience,” Chamber Director Tina Ross-Seamans said, “so we encouraging anyone […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway announced today that the city is working to have Keesler be named as headquarters for a new war-fighting tool of the Air Force, Cyberspace Command. The new command, which will be tasked with protecting both military and civilian areas of the Internet, will involve a three-star general, a two-star general, several one-star […]

Members of the Biloxi Police Department will hold a grand opening on Saturday for a new satellite office at Edgewater Mall. The public is invited to attend the 10 a.m.-to-2 p.m. affair, which will be similar to the department’s annual Night Out Against Crime and will feature free hamburgers, hot dogs, soft drinks, activities for […]

Biloxi’s casino industry reported its largest ever annual gross gaming revenue in 2007, more than a billion dollars, according to figures compiled by the city today. The city’s eight casinos reported total gross gaming revenue of $1.007 billion for 2007, a year in which nine months saw revenue of more than $80 million, including an […]

The Mississippi Development Authority will end its three-day visit to east Biloxi on Saturday with a session from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the East Biloxi Coordination Relief and Redevelopment Agency. MDA staffers will accept applications and provide grant status updates for homeowners who experienced flood-surge damage as a result of Hurricane Katrina. The […]

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for Biloxi and four south Mississippi counties through 7 o’clock this evening. A warning means that conditions are favorable for the creation of a tornado or strong winds. The warning, which also includes 13 parishes in south Louisiana, was issued as a strong upper level disturbance […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway gave members of the Biloxi Rotary Club an update on myriad city projects – and a scare of sorts during his luncheon speech today. “I intended to give you a progress report today,” Holloway said, “but I feel compelled to make an announcement. I’ve been mayor for a number of years now, […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway, no stranger to college football dynasties and national championships, said he expects LSU to use its talent and dome-field advantage to defeat Ohio State in the national championship game this evening at the Louisiana Superdome. “Now if you were to ask me who I wanted to win that might be a different […]

The Mississippi Development Authority will have staff members in east Biloxi next week to accept applications and provide grant status updates for homeowners who experienced flood-surge damage as a result of Hurricane Katrina. The three-day visit, which was arranged after a request by Ward 1 Councilmember George Lawrence, will be at the East Biloxi Coordination […]

The Biloxi City Council, in its first meeting of the New Year, will consider three zoning issues and measures involving a host of ongoing city projects. During a 1:30 meeting this afternoon at City Hall, council members will consider variances involving property issues on Water Street, Bayview Avenue and in Biloxi Commerce Park. Also on […]

Here is Mayor A.J. Holloway’s year-end message, which appeared in the Dec. 27 issue of The Biloxi-D’Iberville Press. By Mayor A.J. Holloway As we bring down the curtain on another year of significant milestones and accomplishment, the progress we’ve made and the economic indicators promise an even greater year in 2008. Consider some of the […]

Here are notes and notes about a trio of municipal issues: More artwork: Marlin Miller, the Fort Walton Beach wood sculptor who’s volunteering his time and talent to create sculptures from dead tree trunks on Beach Boulevard in Biloxi, will be back in town this weekend to create more works of art. To see photos […]

The December numbers won’t be in until mid-January, but the Biloxi casino industry has already shattered all annual gaming records, grossing more than $929 million in the 11 months of 2007. The previous high for gross gaming revenue in a year was 2004, when Biloxi casinos reported a total gross gaming revenue of $911.4 million. […]

The Biloxi City Council on Tuesday will consider asking the Mississippi Development Authority to delay allocating funds for the restoration of the State Port at Gulfport until post-Katrina housing issues are resolved. The resolution, which will be introduced by Councilman Bill Stallworth, also asks that any unspent state homeowners grant funds be used for new […]

Tree sculptor Marlin Miller will be creating more sculptures from standing dead trees in the median of U.S. 90 this weekend, while a group of volunteers will be installing landscaping at the existing Katrina sculpture garden just west of the Biloxi Lighthouse. The two efforts are part of the city’s on-going initiative to create works […]

The City of Biloxi has now issued more than a billion dollars in permits for commercial and residential construction since Hurricane Katrina. Since Sept 1, 2005, the city has issued a total of $1.086 billion in permits overall. Of that number, 50 percent — $542 million — was for non-casino and non-condo construction. In terms […]

FEMA, MEMA and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality will host an open house on Wednesday from noon to 8 p.m. at the Coast Coliseum, where property owners can learn more about the new preliminary flood maps, known as the Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps, or DFIRMs. The gathering, along with a similar meeting in […]

Marlin Miller, an award-winning wood sculptor from Fort Walton Beach, will be in Biloxi Saturday and Sunday, creating more works of art from the standing dead tree trunks along Beach Boulevard. Miller’s work is a follow-up to the city project in which Mississippi artist Dayton Scoggins crafted several marine-related objects – including dolphins, egrets, a […]

When the Biloxi Natatorium closes at the end of the day Saturday, Dec. 22, it won’t re-open until five months later, giving city contractors time to give the facility a $1.23 million overhaul. The work, which is being funded mostly by FEMA, will include installing a new retractable roof, a new bottom for the Olympic-sized […]

The City of Biloxi announced today that the Biloxi Community Center — in the final phases of a nine-month restoration — is now taking bookings for events scheduled for January and thereafter. Mayor A.J. Holloway made the announcement after touring the facility, which essentially has been closed since Hurricane Katrina, when it sustained as much […]

Christmas in the City takes over parts of downtown Saturday and Christmas on the Water will dominate the channel between the Biloxi Lighthouse and Point Cadet on Saturday evening, as the two events usher in the holiday season. The city’s celebration actually begins this evening at 6, with the Children’s Christmas walking parade in and […]

Traffic on the Biloxi Bay Bridge is more than 60 percent of its pre-Katrina levels despite the bridge offering only two lanes, according to traffic counts taken since the bridge opened less than a month ago. An average of 21,000 vehicles a day has crossed the bridge since it opened Nov. 1, according to MDOT […]

Biloxi ushers in the Christmas schedule of events this weekend with the annual Christmas on the Water celebration, followed by a month of special events. Christmas on the Water is highlighted by a Saturday evening parade of brightly lit boats, which move in an offshore line from the Biloxi Lighthouse to the tip of Point […]

Here are Mayor A.J. Holloway’s comments on Trent Lott’s announcement that he would resign his U.S. Senate seat by the end of this year: Trent Lott and I have a history that goes back nearly 50 years, to our days at Ole Miss. I played on the national championship in 1960, and Trent was one […]

The Biloxi City Council on Tuesday will be asked to approve the purchase of nearly a million dollars in radios and vehicles for the Police Department, and will consider measures that would allow short-term and long-term stays at Beau View, a west beach condominium. The council’s meeting will begin at 1:30 p.m. at City Hall. […]

Biloxi Police Chief Bruce Dunagan says motorists should expect the usual holiday delays at the usual locations Friday and throughout the weekend, the traditional kickoff of the holiday shopping season. “We’re certainly going to have more traffic officers on the roads this weekend,” Dunagan says, “and we’ll be paying particularly close attention to the areas […]

The City of Biloxi this morning will be pursuing contempt-of-court charges against a property owner whose beachfront property is in the shadow of the Biloxi Lighthouse. Hayes Bolton, whose property is on U.S. 90 at Porter Avenue, told Harrison County Court Judge Robin Midcalf in March that if the city agreed to reduce charges and […]

Community Development Director Jerry Creel and attorneys for the city are scheduled on Wednesday to submit to Harrison County Judge Robin Midcalf an itemized report and more photographs detailing code violations at Hayes Bolton’s beachfront property at U.S. 90 and Porter Avenue. Midcalf, in a city-requested contempt of court hearing, today gave Bolton another 30 […]

The Christmas on the Water Committee in Biloxi is inviting children ages12 and under to participate in the annual children’s Christmas parade, which takes place Friday, Nov. 30 in downtown Biloxi. The committee is also offering those in Grades 1-3 the chance to ride on hay-filled wagons in the parade. Applications to participate in the […]

The Biloxi City Council, in a rare Monday meeting, will face an agenda of 39 measures, including a third re-visiting of the issue on whether to expand the city’s northern boundaries by 12.2-square miles. The council is meeting on Monday at 1:30 because several council members will be out of town Tuesday, their regular meeting […]

Biloxi City Council meetings are now being recorded and replayed each Thursday night on Cable One’s Channel 3 in Biloxi. The council’s Nov. 6 meeting will air this evening at 7. The meetings also will be replayed each Saturday at 10 a.m.

The City of Biloxi will sponsor the 24th Annual Mayor’s Cup 5K Run on Saturday, Nov. 17. The 5K will begin at 9 a.m. and the one-mile will begin at 9:45 a.m. in front of the City Hall on Lameuse Street. Registration for the race will begin at 8 a.m. in front of the former […]

The Biloxi Police Department is now accepting donations of new and unopened toys to be given to needy children as part of the department’s annual “Santa Wears a Badge” campaign. Those interested can drop off toys at the Biloxi Police Department front desk, in the Lopez-Quave Public Safety Center, 170 Porter Ave., two blocks north […]

Harrison County Sheriff George Payne has announced that the Harrison County Volunteers to Feed the Needy, a group of law enforcement personnel and volunteers who deliver Thanksgiving Day meals to those less fortunate, have begun efforts for their 2007 drive. Names of anyone in need of a meal on Thanksgiving are currently being accepted, and […]

The Biloxi Public School District will receive two national awards next week, one naming Biloxi High School as a national blue ribbon winner and the second naming Principal Pamela Manners as one of the Top 6 principals in the country. Biloxi High is being recognized for dramatic gains in state proficiency assessments despite having over […]

The Replant Biloxi Committee, a group whose goal is to help replace thousands of trees lost in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, will have its first public meeting Nov. 14 at 5:30 p.m. at the Donal M. Snyder Community Center. Biloxi residents will learn more about the program, see sample trees, learn about the care […]

Motorists on U.S. 90 in east Biloxi are reminded to use caution as MDOT crews continue on the first phases of a $92 million project that will see new asphalt, traffic signals, curbing and sidewalks installed from Biloxi Bay to St. Louis Bay. In east Biloxi, intermittent lane closures are required between Myrtle and Main […]

The post-Katrina resurgence of the Biloxi casino industry and the city’s efforts to strike a comfortable quality-of-life balance are the focus of a story in today’s USA Today. The 660-word report, headlined “Casinos bounce back in Biloxi’s construction boom/Officials concerned about growth going unchecked,” appears on Page 2A and features a photograph of Mayor A.J. […]

The City Council on Tuesday will be asked to approve measures involving storm repairs to the East End Fire Station, Biloxi Lighthouse, Old Brick House, Biloxi Community Center and restoration of decorative street lighting throughout the Vieux Marche. Also on the agenda are 10 land-use and zoning measures, including two involving condominium projects: final approval […]

Trickster Holloway: Thanks for the patience Mayor A.J. Holloway – who threw a curve ball of sorts to Transportation Commissioner Wayne Brown during the Biloxi Bay Bridge dedication ceremony Thursday afternoon – said he’s pleased that motorists remained patient during the daylong ceremony, parade and fireworks prefacing the nighttime opening of the 1.6-mile bridge. “I’ve […]

Visitors to the Biloxi Bay Bridge ceremonies Thursday will have a chance to take a free ride on one of Coast Transit’s post-Katrina success stories, the Casino Hopper. Coast Transit will offer free shuttle service throughout the day between Point Cadet, east Biloxi casinos and its Downtown Transit Center. Last month, the Casino Hopper service […]

Biloxi will soon pass the billion-dollar mark in post-Katrina construction permits, Mayor A.J. Holloway has announced. The city issued more than $977 million in construction permits in the 26 months after Hurricane Katrina, with more than half of those permits issued for non-casino and non-condo construction. “The number is expected to continue to increase, and […]

Halloween is Wednesday night, and Biloxi public safety leaders are advising those families who are not participating in organized gatherings to make safety a priority when trick-or-treating in city neighborhoods. The city offers these tips: When trick-or-treating: — A parent or responsible adult should always accompany young children on their neighborhood rounds. — Use a […]

With the holiday season approaching, the Biloxi City Council on Tuesday set its meeting dates and times for the next three months. Here’s the schedule for the meetings, which will be at City Hall at 1:30 p.m. and are open to the public: November: 6, 19 and 27. (The Nov. 19 meeting is a Monday.) […]

Volunteers Rock, a concert featuring the group Drivin’ N Cryin’ and honoring Katrina volunteers, will be staged at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on Nov. 3, a day that Mississppi Gov. Haley Barbour and Mayor A.J. Holloway have declared “Volunteer Day.” More than 500 tickets will be donated to local volunteers and organizations, and […]

Reminder: The city is sponsoring two Halloween events for youngsters today: Halloween on the Green this morning, and Halloween at Hiller Park this afternoon. Halloween on the Green, which takes place on the Town Green, is open for infants to children five years of age. Space walks will be set up on the fields. Carnival […]

Motorists are being advised that traffic and parking will be limited on Point Cadet in the hours leading up to the dedication of the Biloxi Bay Bridge on Nov. 1. MDOT says the bridge is scheduled to open sometime in the early evening, after a day of activities, a parade and 7 p.m. fireworks show. […]

The Biloxi City Council, after hearing a status report on city services in Woolmarket and plans for more than $160 million in water and sewer improvements, withdrew plans to re-consider an August vote to expand the city’s northeastern boundaries by 12.2 square miles. In fact, the council voted to allow attorneys to apply to the […]

Permanent repairs to a drainage line on Oaklawn Road are scheduled to begin Tuesday morning, and Public Works Director Richard Sullivan hopes the road could be re-opened to traffic as early as Wednesday morning. City crews were forced to close a section of Oaklawn Drive, the primary access road into Eagle Point, on Friday evening […]

Annexation will be the central issue Tuesday for three Biloxi City Council meetings. On Tuesday afternoon, members of the City Council plan to re-consider their 4-3 vote two months ago to pursue growing the city’s northeastern boundary by 12 square miles, but only after Mayor A.J. Holloway and city staffers make a morning presentation outlining […]

City crews this evening were forced to close a section of Oaklawn Drive, the primary access road into Eagle Point, as a result of a collapsed drainage line between a city fire station and Shorecrest Drive. Public Works Director Richard Sullivan said replacing the drainage line, which is 3 feet in diamater, could take several […]

The Biloxi City Council will hold a public hearing during its Tuesday afternoon meeting to discuss whether to allow a service station to rebuild on land south of U.S. 90 at Veterans Avenue in west Biloxi. The issue is one of more than two-dozen measures that is on the council agenda for its 1:30 meeting […]

Thousands of Cruisin’ the Coast participants are expected to motor along spectator-filled Beach Boulevard through the weekend as “America’s largest block party” wraps up its seven-day run this weekend. Treasure Bay will be the site of a classic car auction Saturday morning, and a “cruise-in” will be held Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m. at […]

The re-dedication ceremony Thursday at the Biloxi City Cemetery looks to be a picture from the past, according to organizer Grace Johansen of the Biloxi Bay Chamber of Commerce. A 15-minute ceremony featuring Bishop Thomas J. Rodi and Mayor A.J. Holloway will begin at 6 p.m. at the beachfront section of the cemetery, but the […]

Young pro football fans will have the opportunity to exhibit their football skills when the Parks and Recreation Department hosts an NFL Pepsi Punt, Pass & Kick competition on Saturday, October 13 at beginning at 9 a.m. on the North Woolmarket Football Fields. The competition is free and open to boys and girls ages 8 […]

Cruisin’ the Coast takes over the downtown area Wednesday morning with the annual Downtown Biloxi Block Party, featuring three stages of live entertainment, and, of course, hundreds and hundreds of automobiles on display throughout several city blocks. The affair will run from 8 a.m. to noon, and is free. Among those scheduled to entertain: the […]

Members of the City Council will have two special-called meetings Tuesday morning before their regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday afternoon, where four dozen measures will be on the agenda. The first meeting will be Tuesday morning at 10:30, where councilmembers will hear details on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ buyout program. Then at 11 a.m., […]

The Mississippi Department of Transportation has announced that its plan for the reconstruction of U.S. 90 will include driveways only at properties with existing residences or businesses, or ones that have approved rebuilding plans filed with the city. “What this means,” said city Community Development Director Jerry Creel, “is that if you have plans to […]

Biloxi Police Chief Bruce Dunagan is reminding motorists that they’ll be seeing an increase in traffic – and drivers who may be unfamiliar with Coast roadways – with thousands expected in town this week for Cruisin’ the Coast. Dunagan is asking motorists to be patient, and prepare for heavy traffic and slowdowns in some areas […]

Biloxi Mayor A.J. Holloway, saying that the sand beach has been and should continue to be a defining factor regarding where casinos should be located, today vetoed a measure that would have opened the door to gaming on a 30-acre tract of beachfront land in east Biloxi. Holloway’s veto, which was delivered to City Council […]

Biloxi next week will re-dedicate one of the oldest landmarks in the city, the Biloxi City Cemetery, with a ceremony that will feature actors portraying legendary figures interred in the cemetery, guided tours, refreshments and a blessing of the site. The ceremony will be Thursday, Oct. 4 at 6 p.m. at the cemetery’s beachfront section, […]

The City of Biloxi, which saw nearly half of its landmark properties lost to Hurricane Katrina, is in the process of identifying more historically significant properties. The Biloxi Architectural and Historical Review Commission is now accepting applications from owners of historic structures and sites for Biloxi Landmark designation. The Biloxi Landmark program recognizes the city’s […]

Property owners who haul trash or debris to the curb are reminded that limbs can be no larger than 5 feet long and no more than 6 inches in diameter in order for city crews to be able to remove the debris. Otherwise, the property owner is responsible for hauling the debris to an approved […]

The Town Green, fresh from hosting the Biloxi Chamber’s hugely popular seafood festival, will be the site this weekend of the 14th annual George Ohr Fall Festival of Arts. Among the attractions Saturday and Sunday will be more than 65 art booths, local food and drink, souvenir lemonade mugs, and a new commemorative festival poster […]

With a tropical storm warning now posted along the Gulf Coast, Biloxi Mayor A.J. Holloway is giving residents the same advice he’s giving city department directors today: Fuel up your vehicles, review your storm plan, and continue to monitor weather reports. The National Hurricane Center this morning issued a tropical storm warning for parts of […]

Residents of FEMA trailers, mobile homes or other similar structures should leave the immediate areas of the Mississippi Gulf Coast and seek shelter in a sturdy structure, emergency management officials announced today, and residents in low-lying areas should be prepared to move to higher ground, if weather threatens. Latest forecast: Higher tides, 2-4 inches of […]

Boaters who have not done so already should begin preparations for moving or otherwise securing their vessels. Drawbridges will be unable to open for marine traffic once winds reach a sustained speed of 35 mph. The coastal area is expected to begin experiencing tropical storm force winds – more than 39 mph — about 7 […]

The National Hurricane Center has canceled the tropical storm warning for the Gulf Coast, as Tropical Storm 10, which never strenghtened past 35 mph winds, came ashore near Fort Walton Beach. At 7 p.m., the center of TD 10 was near latitude 30.4 north, longitude 86.7 west, moving toward the northwest near 9 mph with […]

Biloxi Emergency Management Director Linda Atterberry is advising residents to continue to keep a close eye on weather reports over the next several days, as the National Weather Service continues to monitor a low pressure system moving across central Florida and headed for the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Although the system in disorganized, the weather […]

The Biloxi Planning Commission will conduct a public hearing Thursday at 2 p.m. to consider comments regarding the possibility of establishing an East Biloxi Hospitality District. The meeting, which is open to the public, will be in the auditorium of the Community Development Department, on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in downtown Biloxi. The […]

The Biloxi City Council, after listening to three hours of citizens comments during a four-hour meeting this afternoon, voted 4-to-3 to rezone nearly 30 acres of beachfront property at the former site of the Tivoli hotel to allow casino gaming. Voting for the re-zoning were Councilmembers Mike Fitzpatrick, Charles T. Harrison Jr., William “Bill” Stallworth […]

Biloxi’s eight casinos reported gross gaming revenue of $83.4 million in August, the largest August on record. The latest figure means that the casino industry in Biloxi has set records in one fashion or another 10 of the past 12 months. The trend began a year ago when Biloxi casinos posted $95.7 million in gross […]

The Biloxi City Council is expected to decide on Tuesday whether to move forward with a proposal to re-zone nearly 30 acres of land at the former site of Tivoli Hotel to allow casino gaming. The council’s meeting begins at 1:30 p.m. at Biloxi City Hall. The possible re-zoning of the beachfront land in east […]

The Mississippi Department of Transportation is advising U.S. 90 motorists that the far right westbound lane between Main and Caillavet streets is now used for either through traffic or right turns. MDOT announced Tuesday that directional arrows have been painted in the lane and “right turn only” signs have been removed. The change involves westbound […]

A flood watch is in effect for Biloxi and Harrison County through Friday morning because of rain associated with Tropical Depression Humberto. A flood watch means there is a potential for flooding based on current weather reports. The National Weather Service reports this afternoon that two to four inches of rain is possible within a […]

The Biloxi Seafood Festival — two days of entertainment, food, arts and crafts — takes place Saturday and Sunday on the Town Green. A number of Biloxi businesses will serve an array of fresh seafood dishes, and local chefs will compete in the Sun Herald’s annual Gulf Coast Gumbo Championship. The annual festival is organized […]

Coast Transit Authority is celebrating “Try Transit Week” this week with free rides all day Wednesday and an Open House on Thursday. CTA is hoping that residents and visitors will use the chance to get acquainted with the convenience of public transit, which today is surpassing its pre-Katrina passenger numbers “The keys to our success […]

The City of Biloxi on Sept. 17 will begin a 180-day, $6.5-million project that will see the dredging and re-construction of slips in the Biloxi Small Craft Harbor, which has been closed to boaters since Hurricane Katrina. The FEMA-funded work will be performed by L&A Contracting of Hattiesburg, the firm that originally constructed the harbor […]

The City of Biloxi, armed with a $50,000 Preserve America grant, is in the process of updating its walking and driving tours and related brochures, and installing all-weather kiosks and signage for the downtown walking tour. The overall project is scheduled to be completed in May 2008 and is expected to cost $100,000. Bill Raymond, […]

The Mississippi Department of Transportation wants local artists to have a lasting impression on the new Biloxi Bay Bridge. MDOT is seeking artist renderings that will be transferred to bronze plaques that will line the decorative railing on the south side of the pedestrian lane along with one-tenth mile markers. The plaques will be produced […]

The Mississippi Department of Transportation is at Biloxi City Hall today through 3 p.m. seeking pre- and post-Katrina photographs to help celebrate the November opening of the new Biloxi Bay Bridge. Selected photos will be used as part of a slide show launching the bridge-opening ceremony. Images also may be used in print pieces, including […]

Advanced Disposal, the firm that on Oct. 1 will be responsible for residential garbage and trash collection, today began replacing residential trash carts throughout Harrison County. Collection and recycling pickup days will not change under the new contract. The only action that residential customers are asked to take at this point is once their new […]

The Biloxi City Council, in one of the final stages of drafting a municipal budget for Fiscal Year 2008, is expected to set a tax rate for Biloxi property owners during its meeting at City Hall on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. The city’s property tax rate has remained the same or been lowered for each […]

The city’s FEMA-supported storm debris removal program is now officially over, and property owners are reminded that they are now responsible for the removal and hauling of storm debris to approved landfills. The city’s two-year program, which ended Aug. 29, saw the removal and hauling of nearly three million cubic yards of debris, as well […]

“Motorcycles will be the first to cross the new Biloxi Bay Bridge as part of the Nov. 1 opening ceremony,” announced Southern District Transportation Commissioner Wayne Brown. “The Mississippi Department of Transportation invites all interested motorcyclists to join in celebrating this much anticipated event.” The 2 p.m. ceremony followed by the ribbon tying at the […]

About 200 people gathered on the Biloxi Town Green this morning to mark the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina in a ceremony that Mayor A.J. Holloway said was a display of thanks. “This morning,” Holloway said in his brief remarks, “we’re going to give thanks, thanks for what we’ve been through, thanks for where we […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway had a question for White House political strategist Karl Rove when he greeted President Bush and his entourage during a stop in Gulfport this afternoon. “I pulled Karl Rove aside and I said, ‘I think there’s a cover-up in Washington that you need to know about,’” Holloway declared to Rove, who broke […]

The city’s Katrina memorial observance, planned for Wednesday at 8 a.m. on the Town Green, will feature a half-dozen local clergy members, high school students and the choir of Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church. In the event of rain, the 30-minute program will be presented in the Saenger Theater in downtown Biloxi. Parking at […]

The Mississippi Department of Transportation this week will begin collecting pre- and post-Katrina photographs for possible use in the ceremony and materials marking the November opening of the new Biloxi Bay Bridge. “The people of Biloxi, Ocean Springs and the surrounding areas have tremendous stories of courage and hope in their journey to rebuild their […]

The Biloxi City Council, which meets Tuesday morning and afternoon, will consider the re-zoning of 4½ acres of land at the northeast end of Lee Street from heavy industry to a waterfront designation, which would allow casino gaming on the site. The proposed re-zoning, which is being requested by owners Anita Gutierrez, Frank Gutierrez and […]

Media inquiries about Biloxi’s progress at the two-year point post-Katrina have increased in recent weeks. The mayor’s office has been interviewed by reporters or producers for the Today Show, NBC News, ABC News, CNN.com, Good Morning America, USA Today, the Las Vegas Review Journal, and the trade publications Condo Owner, Jackpot! and the Mississippi Business […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway will ask the Biloxi City Council this afternoon to add four requests to their 1:30 meeting agenda: to purchase of property directly north of the Biloxi Lighthouse, to hire an architect for the Lighthouse Park and downtown Civic Center projects, and to award a contract for dredging and reconstruction of the Biloxi […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway next week will be asking the City Council to hire an engineering firm to begin plans for two key city rebuilding projects, the Biloxi Lighthouse Park and Visitors Center, and a downtown civic center, which will be housed in the former location of the Biloxi Public Library. The proposals are two of […]

The city’s Community Development Department has announced that Biloxi has issued more than $700 million in permits for construction in the 23½ months since Hurricane Katrina, and nearly three-quarters of the work has been non-casino and non-condominium work. “You hear a lot of talk about all of the casino and condo plans in Biloxi,” Holloway […]

Biloxi’s casino industry reported all-time record business last month, with casinos generating $97.3 million in gross gaming revenue. In all, nine of the past 11 months have set records in one fashion or another in Biloxi. “This is certainly great news,” Mayor A.J. Holloway said, “but at the same time it’s a double-edged sword. We […]

With a tropical storm system threatening the Texas coast and another tropical storm could be in the Gulf within a week, Mayor A.J. Holloway says this is the time for residents to be reviewing their personal and business storm plans. The fifth depression of the Atlantic hurricane season formed late Tuesday and was expected to […]

Ward 5 Councilman Tom Wall, who underwent 4½ hours of surgery Tuesday to remove a tumor from his liver, had one question when he came out of the operating room at Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans: What was going on back in Biloxi? “He wanted to know what happened at the Planning Commission meeting on […]

Biloxi homeowners who have not yet obtained a permit for repairing or rebuilding their homes lost to Hurricane Katrina have until Aug. 31 to get free storm-repair permits from the city. Beginning Sept. 1, the city will resume assessing fees for permits for those repairing or rebuilding their primary residences. In the 24 months since […]

Council to discuss budget Tuesday morning The Biloxi City Council will meet at 10 a.m. on Tuesday to continue discussion of Mayor A.J. Holloway’s proposed $210 million municipal budget. The meeting will be held at City Hall and is open to the public. Another budget meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 21 at 10 a.m. […]

The Biloxi Planning Commission, following through on a charge from the Biloxi City Council, will conduct a hearing on Monday to receive public input on re-zoning a 30-acre tract of beachfront land near the former site of the Tivoli Hotel to allow casino gaming and other uses. The hearing will begin at 6 p.m. at […]

Biloxi has invested millions each year providing municipal-level services to the residents of Woolmarket and others who became part of the city in 1999. Some examples, based on reports from individual departments: —Biloxi Police Department: Averages 160 calls a day for service in the Woolmarket community, with a response time of under five minutes in […]

Casino resorts and condominium development are usually multi-million dollar propositions that generate big headlines, but Biloxi Community Development Director Jerry Creel says they are only part of the story in Biloxi these days. “If you go to just about any major intersection in this town, you’ll see something under construction, under repair or under review,” […]

The Biloxi City Council will hold a budget hearing this afternoon at 3 and another during a 6 o’clock meeting later today. Both meetings will be at City Hall and are open to the public. The 6 p.m. meeting will include nearly two dozen issues, including requests for approvals of subdivisions totaling 82 single-family lots […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway was resting at home this afternoon, after doctors this morning said he was dehydrated. The mayor, who spent the weekend working in his yard, appeared ashen during a weekly department directors meeting this morning, and, after the meeting, was diagnosed as being dehydrated by doctors at nearby Biloxi Regional Medical Center. “It […]

The Biloxi Lighthouse, the city’s signature landmark, will be featured on Mississippi license plates issued beginning Oct. 1. The design, which by law changes every five years, was chosen by the License Tag Commission, which consists of the governor, state treasurer, attorney general and state tax commissioner. Said Joe Blount, state commissioner of revenue: “This […]

The Biloxi Police Department will hold its annual Annual Night Out Against Crime on Tuesday from 5:30 o 8 p.m. on the grounds of Nativity Elementary School, just south of the Lopez-Quave Public Safety Building on Porter Avenue. National Night Out against Crime is an annual event held in more than 10,000 communities nationwide and […]

The Biloxi City Council, in one of its rare post-Katrina nighttime meetings on Tuesday, will be asked to approve Mayor A.J. Holloway’s request to expand the city’s northeastern boundaries by 12-square miles and approve the platting of 82 new single-family lots in a proposed subdivision off Atkinson Road in west Biloxi. The council is meeting […]

The city now has design and engineering work underway on three city buildings, and design contracts in the works on six others. Architects have been hired for repairs to the storm-damaged Old Brick House (Albert & Associates of Hattiesburg), East End Fire Station (Williams & Associates of Biloxi) and Back Bay Fire Station (Walter T. […]

Some numbers as Biloxi enters the 24th month after Hurricane Katrina: —The city’s Community Development Department has issued nearly 20,000 permits of one type of other in the past 23 monthys, but a few of the key figures: A total of 303 new single-family home building permits have been issued in the past 23 months, […]

The city’s Downtown Services office has resumed publication of its Community Calendar, a monthly compilation of community events taking place throughout the city. The calendar is mailed to more than 500 Biloxians each month and is also posted on the city web site, accessible by clicking on the Special Events button at the bottom right […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway today unveiled a $209.9 million proposed municipal budget, an 18.4 percent increase over last year and the largest budget in the history of the city. Holloway’s budget proposal, which council members began reviewing in a budget hearing this morning at City Hall, includes $92 million in capital projects budgets, divided between a […]

Clerk of Council Lucy Brashier has announced the City Council scheduled meetings for July, August and September. All meetings will be at City Hall and are open to the public. All meetings are on Tuesdays. The schedule: Tuesday, July 31, 10 a.m. – budget hearing Tuesday, Aug. 7, 3 p.m. – budget hearing Tuesday, Aug. […]

More than 90 percent of the submerged debris has been removed from Biloxi’s waterfront harbors and marina, and construction on a new Biloxi Small Craft Harbor could begin by the end of August and could be completed in as early as nine months. The debris removal efforts were first necessary before contractors could begin dredging […]

More than 90 percent of the debris has been removed from the Biloxi Small Craft Harbor, the adjoining Commercial Harbor and from Point Cadet Marina, and initial improvements and dredging are underway at Point Cadet, while dredging and construction are expected to begin at the small craft harbor within a month. “This has been a […]

Five more intersections in Biloxi – four on Back Bay Boulevard and one on Main Street – will have fully operational traffic signals Thursday, the city’s Public Works Department has announced. Signals on Back Bay Boulevard at Lee, Holley, Crawford and Oak streets are now in the flashing mode and will be fully operational Thursday. […]

The City of Biloxi has begun the process of enlarging its boundaries to extend municipal-level services to an area of about 12-square miles on the city’s current northeastern edge. The City Council on Tuesday heard the first reading of an ordinance that would annex an area that runs several miles to the north of the […]

Land-use and zoning issues will dominate the agenda Tuesday afternoon at 1:30, when City Council members gather for their regularly scheduled meeting at City Hall. Among the issues council members are scheduled to decide is a measure calling for the creation of a Convention Center Overlay District from Veterans Avenue to DeBuys Road. The proposal, […]

The City of Biloxi Parks and Recreation Department will co-host a drive-in movie on Friday and host a family pool party next week to celebrate National Recreation and Parks Month. The drive-in movie, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, will be shown on the Town Green at dust with fun and games beginning at 5 p.m. […]

The City of Biloxi and the National Recreation and Park Association proclaim July as Recreation and Parks Month. Since 1985, the NRPA has designed the month of July as a way to celebrate each city’s summer programming as well as a time to pull their communities together to volunteer, and get involved in great outdoor […]

The New York Times, in a front-page story today, took note of the record revenue being posted by Gulf Coast casinos over the past several months. In a story datelined Biloxi and headlined “Casinos boom in Katrina’s wake as cash pours in,” writer Gary Rivlin noted that the area has 40 percent fewer hotel rooms […]

The city’s project to light the 8.4-mile stretch of Beach Boulevard in Biloxi reached a milestone this week, with the energizing of newly erected street lights between White and St. George avenues The section of roadway, which is just under a mile and was once lined by a collection of beachfront homes, had only minimal, […]

The Biloxi City Council on Tuesday will consider four land-use requests — one involving construction of a convenience store across from Beau Rivage and another for a 24-unit townhome apartment complex on Cedar Lake Road. The measures are included among more than two-dozen issues on the agenda for the council’s 1:30 p.m. meeting at City […]

The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art will host a daylong celebration marking the 150th anniversary of the birth of potter George E. Ohr today through 4 p.m. at its transitional home off Beach Boulevard in west Biloxi. Visitors to the museum can see George Ohr pottery and the current Mississippi Clay Invitational exhibition, browse the Ohr […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway says a letter this week from the Mississippi Gaming Commission makes it clear that the commission will be the final authority on whether a site is approved for gaming, even though it may receive local zoning. Gaming Commission Chairman Jerry St. Pe and Director Larry Gregory in a July 11 letter said […]

Public Works sign division staffers have applied K-lines to more than a dozen utility poles in the city as part of a project to display more than 70 Katrina highwater marks throughout the city. The city’s Community Development Department, using contour and high-water marks provided by FEMA, created a list of Katrina water marks at […]

Tops in Blue, the Air Force’s premier expeditionary entertainment team, is scheduled to give a free public performance on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. Doors open to the public at 6:30 p.m. There is no charge for parking. Tops In Blue serves as an expeditionary entertainment team, using active-duty Air Force […]

July is traditionally the busiest month of the year for the casino resort industry, and Mayor A.J. Holloway believes this July could be particularly robust, even though the Fourth fell in the middle of a workweek. “There’s been a good buzz about Biloxi leading up to July and carrying into this first week of the […]

Biloxians will see two fireworks shows this week, one on Wednesday, the Fourth of July, and a Beau Rivage fireworks show on Thursday, July 5. The city-sponsored show takes place Wednesday at 9 p.m. from the west end of Deer Island; the Beau Rivage show takes place Thursday at 9:30 p.m. Staging the city show […]

Police warn of traffic slowdown near Hard Rock Thousands of visitors are expected at the Hard Rock’s opening ceremonies Saturday and throughout the weekend, and police are warning motorists to expect plenty of pedestrians and slow-moving traffic. “Motorists on Highway 90 in east Biloxi should expect a lot of delays Saturday morning,” Police Chief Bruce […]

The city is now offering its award-winning “Katrina & Biloxi” DVD/photo album at a reduced price at municipal facilities. The 50-minute documentary and 52-page album of dozens of images from before, during and after the storm is available for $20. Bonus footage — including aerial footage and a City Hall interview with Mayor A.J. Holloway […]

Annual testing of the city’s water systems shows that municipal water customers in Biloxi are receiving water that “meets or exceeds all federal and state requirements.” The annual report is being mailed to the city’s 11,000 water customers this week and will be published Friday in The Bay Press. A copy of the report – […]

The city’s Parks and Recreation Department will mark Juneteenth on Saturday and Sunday with a celebration beginning at 4 p.m. both days at John Henry Beck Park, 671 Division St. The Juneteenth Celebration, which is open to all ages, features speech contests and poster contests about the meaning of Juneteenth, a parade, picnics, games, and […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway said this week that he is confident that Biloxi will continue progress on installing water and sewer service to serve Woolmarket residents and help meet the demands of future growth. Holloway met with leaders from Environmental Protection Agency in Atlanta last week to receive federal authority to use $1 million in grant […]

Three repeat issues – re-zoning of property near Veterans Avenue and Boomtown Casino and a request from the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum – will be on the City Council’s agenda Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. In the re-zoning cases, Boomtown Casino is asking the council to re-zone 11.25 acres of land on Back Bay – […]

The City of Biloxi plans to activate four restored traffic signals – three on Division Street and one on Howard Avenue – in the next several days. City Engineer Damon Torricelli said traffic signals on Division Street at Lameuse, Main and Reynoir streets will be in the flashing mode in the next couple of days […]

Two new temporary libraries will formally open Thursday, one at the corner of Bellman Street and Howard Avenue in east Biloxi and the other near the Woolmarket fire station on Woolmarket Road. Ribbon-cutting ceremonies are planned for 10 a.m. at the east Biloxi library and at 2:30 p.m. at the Woolmarket facility. Both events are […]

Members of the Biloxi City Council on Tuesday are expected to discuss a request by operators of the Maritime and Seafood Industry for more than $10 million in city assets, including waterfront property at the Tullis-Toledano site, and FEMA and insurance proceeds. A measure introduced by Ward 1 Councilmember George Lawrence proposes to enter into […]

The Weather Channel, which broadcast stories from Biloxi this morning, will continue its kickoff of “Hurricane Week” tonight with a prime-time offering of stories from the city. Mayor A.J. Holloway will be featured in a live interview at 7 p.m., CT; followed by a story on homeowner Frank Pellegrino, the first Biloxian to obtain a […]

Representatives of Boomtown Casino will be asking the Biloxi City Council on Tuesday to re-zone 11.25 acres of land on Back Bay – 39 parcels in all – from single family residential and general business to waterfront, which would allow casino gaming. The meeting, which takes place at City Hall, begins at 1:30 p.m. Since […]

The city’s Community Development Department, using contour and high-water marks provided by FEMA, has created a list of Katrina water marks at various locations throughout the city. “People often hear how high the water was above sea level, but that doesn’t really mean anything to residents who don’t live near the waterfront,” Mayor A.J. Holloway […]

Senior citizens can get a host of free health screenings and find tips on leading a healthy lifestyle this week during the fourth annual Seniors Health Fair. The event, which is sponsored by the city and Biloxi Regional and Gulf Coast medical centers, will be Thursday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Donal […]

The Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum will be offering individuals the chance to ride aboard the Biloxi schooner “Glenn L. Swetman” on Sunday for Blessing of the Fleet. The tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased at the museum office trailer at Point Cadet. The schooner will sail at 11 a.m. from the […]

The city’s annual Storm & Flood Preparedness guide, which contains 12 pages of information to help you prepare for the hurricane season, is now online and due in the mail by June 5, earlier than ever published. Mayor A.J. Holloway bumped up release of the publication earlier this week, coinciding with the National Hurricane Center’s […]

The City of Biloxi, facing the end of state and federal reimbursement for debris removal, has announced two key deadlines are approaching, signaling the end of storm debris-removal efforts in the city. May 31 is the deadline for residents to submit tree removal right-of-entry forms and June 5 is the deadline for residents in the […]

Mississippi Blood Services will be hosting a special blood drive for Cortlan Gates on Tuesday, May 29th from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Lopes-Quave Public Safety Center on Porter Avenue. The drive is to benefit the 14-month-old son of Biloxi firefighter Derrick Gates. In April, Cortlan developed a severe staph infection in his […]

The Biloxi City Council, which meets Tuesday at 1:30 p.m., will hear four cases involving variances for residential and commercial property owners as part of an agenda that includes nearly 20 measures. Also on the agenda: a proposal to increase starting pay for entry level officers in the Biloxi Police Department, an issue that Police […]

The City of Biloxi Parks and Recreation Department will hold its annual End of the School Pool Party on Friday, May 25 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Biloxi Natatorium, 1384 Father Ryan Ave. The event is open to children ages 6 to 12 and their parents. It will be held at the […]

The Biloxi Planning Commission will conduct a hearing this afternoon at 2 to hear public comments on the possibility of creating a Convention Center Overlay District that would allow more commercial development in the area on Beach Boulevard between Veterans Avenue and Debuys Road. The hearing will be in the auditorium of the Dr. Martin […]

Biloxi’s seven casino resorts generated $84.6 million in gross gaming revenue in April, the largest April in the history of gaming in Biloxi. The figure represents a 42 percent increase over April 2006 and a 10 percent increase over April 2005, when nine casino resorts were operating in pre-Katrina Biloxi. April’s figures also mean that […]

All sections of the new four-lane Caillavet Street were re-opened to traffic this morning, nearly six months ahead of schedule, after contactors notified the city that the roadwork was substantially complete. Project manager J.W. Ford of Yates Construction said that workers will still be in the area over the next week or so, “finishing up […]

Harrah’s Entertainment and world-renowned singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett joined Mayor A.J. Holloway and Gov. Haley Barbour this morning to unveil plans for Margaritaville Casino & Resort, a $700-million-plus investment that will be on Casino Row in Biloxi and represents the single largest investment in Mississippi since Hurricane Katrina. The company expects this to be the first […]

Video from this morning’s press conference where Harrah’s and Jimmy Buffett announced plans for a $700 million Margaritaville Casino & Resort in Biloxi is now online. Included in the 30-minute presentation are comments by Harrah’s President and CEO Gary Loveman, Mayor A.J. Holloway and Gov. Haley Barbour, and remarks and a two-song set by Buffett. […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway will join singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett and executives from Harrah’s Entertainment Co. Tuesday morning for a major announcement concerning Harrah’s plans for its Casino Row property. Details will be available online Tuesday by noon, meantime, whet your Jimmy Buffett appetite by clicking here. News and notes Street milestone: The new four-lane Caillavet Street […]

The Biloxi City Council, which did not meet this week, will face an agenda of nearly three dozen measures when councilmembers gather at City Hall Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. Among the items on the agenda: a measure introduced by Councilman George Lawrence requesting Mayor A.J. Holloway to begin negotiations to acquire property for a Division […]

Casino resorts in Biloxi have acquired more than 125 acres in Biloxi in the 20 months since Hurricane Katrina, Mayor A.J. Holloway told a Southern Gaming Summit audience this morning, and the city will continue to see extraordinary growth without compromising quality of life. Holloway, who was invited to speak as part of a panel […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway, aware that Biloxi residents are growing anxious about the June 1 start of hurricane season, has a familiar message: Don’t be scared, be prepared. Holloway, who met with key department heads last week to review the city’s storm-preparation plans, is advising residents to begin updating their personal storm plans. “Now is the […]

The Biloxi Planning Commission will conduct a public hearing next week to hear public comments on the possibility of creating a Convention Center Overlay District that would allow more commercial development in the area on Beach Boulevard between Veterans Avenue and Debuys Road. The hearing will be Thursday, May 17, at 2 p.m. in the […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway will participate in a panel discussion titled “Resort Development Update” during the Southern Gaming Summit this week in Biloxi. The summit, billed as the largest gaming trade show held outside of Las Vegas, takes place Wednesday and Thursday at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center. The event is expected to attract […]

Mississippi Power Co. contractors are expected to begin work Tuesday or Wednesday in the next phase of the city’s lighting of U.S. 90, between White Avenue and St. George Street. No lane closures are expected, but Beach Boulevard motorists are advised to use caution when traveling the work area. The lighting project – which will […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway’s annual State of the City report to the citizens of Biloxi, expected to begin arriving in mailboxes throughout the city next week, is now available on the city’s web site. The new compendium – titled “State of the City: 2007, Katrina +2” – is a 16-page overview of the city’s recovery efforts […]

More than a dozen local clergymen will gather Thursday at noon on the steps of Biloxi City Hall for the 56th annual National Day of Prayer. Among those participating in this year’s program, which is themed “America, Unite in Prayer,” will be Bishop Thomas J. Rodi of the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi, Mayor A.J. Holloway, […]

The Biloxi Natatorium has begun setting up long-course swim time for adults on Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Biloxi Natatorium, located at 1384 Father Ryan Ave., began changing the lap lanes on Wednesday, April 25 from its usual short course of 25 yards to the long course, which is 50 […]

One of city’s most cherished traditions, the Biloxi Shrimp Festival and Blessing of the Fleet, takes place June 2-3 off the Biloxi peninsula. The weekend-long celebration, which dates back to the Old Country, will feature the Sunday afternoon blessing of a brightly decorated shrimping fleet to ask for God’s blessing for a safe and bountiful […]

Lloyd Seymour, who just before Hurricane Katrina retired from the Biloxi School District after 28 years of service, has been recognized as Biloxi’s Distinguished Volunteer for his work with various volunteer efforts. Seymour was among the dozens of volunteers recognized during the city’s 24th annual Volunteer Recognition Ceremony on April 19 at the Donal M. […]

Commercial and residential contractors with questions about building in flood-prone areas of the city will have a chance to get answers in a meeting Thursday with representatives of FEMA, MEMA and the National Flood Insurance Program. The 5:30 p.m. meeting will be hosted by the City of Biloxi and conducted in the auditorium of the […]

The Biloxi City Council will meet this morning at 11:30 to hear a proposal from representatives of the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum regarding $25,000 in matching funds for the Schooner Pier Complex and to unveil a proposal to rebuild the seafood museum. A report in the Sun Herald Saturday said the museum would seek […]

The City of Biloxi has received 11 statewide awards for its efforts in keeping the public informed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The awards were presented during the Public Relations Association of Mississippi state conference Friday in Meridian. PRAM is a 475-member statewide association of public relations professionals. Biloxi received six Awards of Excellence […]

Eastbound motorists on Popp’s Ferry Road will find an easier-to-navigate intersection at Cedar Lake Road, thanks to new striping installed last week. The two center lanes for eastbound traffic have been converted to left turn lanes while the right hand lane is now for vehicles either traveling through the intersection or for right turns. About […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway this morning told a Biloxi Chamber of Commerce audience that the city has resumed work on a host of traffic-improvement projects that were in the works before Hurricane Katrina. Holloway, speaking to a chamber “Breakfast with the Mayor” gathering at the IP Casino Resort Spa, said work on Caillavet Street is expected […]

Homeowners will be able to get the latest information on combating Formosan termites during a meeting on Monday, April 23 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Donal Snyder Sr. Community Center on Pass Road in west Biloxi. The free meeting, sponsored by the Enclave Homeowners Association and Councilman Tom Wall, will feature guest speaker […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway will update residents on a half-dozen streets and drainage projects – some in the works before Hurricane Katrina – during the Biloxi Chamber’s “Breakfast with the Mayor” Tuesday morning at 8 at IP Casino Resort Spa in Biloxi. The breakfast – free to chamber members and guests – will be in Thirty-two, […]

The City of Biloxi Aquatics Division will extend its recreational swimming hours to coincide with the spring break for Biloxi Public Schools. From Monday, April 9 and through Friday, April 13 recreational swimming hours will be 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Biloxi Natatorium on Father Ryan Avenue, and 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. […]

Residents with questions about building in flood-prone areas of the city will have a chance to get answers Thursday in a meeting that will feature representatives of FEMA, MEMA, the National Flood Insurance Program and the Mississippi Development Authority. The meeting, which begins at 5:30 p.m., will be hosted by the City of Biloxi and […]

Biloxi Main Street will host a day of free activities Saturday on the Biloxi Town Green, including the inaugural Grillin’ on the Green, where backyard barbecue enthusiasts will have a chance to show off their culinary skills. The day will kick off at 10 a.m. with the city’s annual Bunny Day and Easter Egg hunt. […]

The City of Biloxi next week is sending property owners a postcard reminding them of the benefits of having flood insurance and that the time to purchase flood insurance is now, more than a month before June 1, when hurricane season begins. Mayor A.J. Holloway acknowledged that some residents may question why the city is […]

IP Mississippi Charities – the philanthropic arm of IP Casino Resort Spa in Biloxi – donated a half-million dollars to the city of Biloxi this afternoon to help purchase emergency vehicles destroyed in Hurricane Katrina. W. Owen Nitz and Jeff Cooper of IP Mississippi Charities made the $500,000 presentation to Mayor A.J. Holloway and members […]

The City of Biloxi Parks and Recreation Department will re-open the Biloxi Farmers Market on Tuesday, April 3 at 8 a.m. under the I-110 overpass on Howard Avenue. Vendors will sell farm-fresh produce, plants, homemade baked goods, and more. The public is invited to stroll the booths and acquire an array of fresh items. The […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway will host mayors from across south Mississippi on Thursday, March 29 for a City Hall breakfast to proclaim April as Child Abuse Prevention Month. The Proclamation Breakfast, which is co-sponsored by the Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Wal-mart, is designed to bring attention to the issue of preventing child […]

The racers and their racing machines from this weekend’s Smokin’ the Sound will be making the rounds with parties and time trails throughout the weekend as the Offshore Super Series Powerboat Racing Association unveils its first race of the season off the east Biloxi shoreline. For more information about how you can meet the racers […]

Residents and contractors with questions about building in flood-prone areas of the city will have a chance to get answers in upcoming meetings featuring representatives of FEMA, MEMA, the National Flood Insurance Program and the Mississippi Development Authority. The meetings will be hosted by the City of Biloxi and conducted in the auditorium of the […]

The Biloxi City Council in a 6-0-1 vote this afternoon rescinded its pending adoption of FEMA’s advisory flood elevations, meaning that the city is once again operating under a flood-zone map that was created nearly a quarter-century ago. The approved measure, proposed at the outset of the meeting by Councilman Mike Fitzpatrick and amended by […]

Biloxi’s casinos reported $86.2 million in gross gaming revenue in February, the largest February in gaming history, according to figures released today by the mayor’s office. “This means that five of the last six months have broken records in some form or another,” Mayor A.J. Holloway said, “and these figures overall show the strength and […]

The City of Biloxi, which this week received a final OK from FEMA to restore the storm-ravaged beachfront section of the Biloxi City Cemetery, expects to begin construction on the project in the next couple of weeks. The $300,000 project will see repairs made to more than 200 headstones and 10 tombs in the beachfront […]

Drainage pipes as large at six feet in diameter will be installed over the next 180 days in a $800,000 project designed to improve drainage in the area between Debuys Road and Eisenhower Drive and as far north as Pass Road. “These are among the largest drainage pipes that we use anywhere in the city,” […]

St. Paddy’s run, parade to take over downtown St. Patrick’s runners, walkers and paraders will be on the streets of downtown Biloxi on Saturday. At 9 a.m., the annual St. Patrick’s Day 5K run follows a downtown course that begins at City Hall. Then at 2 p.m., the Hibernia Marching Society of Mississippi holds its […]

News about upcoming city-sponsored events from the city’s Parks and Recreation Department: City to hold St. Patrick’s Dance The City of Biloxi Parks and Recreation Department will hold a St. Patrick’s Dance on Friday, March 16, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Donal Snyder Community Center, 2520 Pass Road. The St. Patrick’s Dance […]

Biloxi residents should remember to get the proper permits before beginning any construction on their property, especially if they plan to fill in low-lying areas of their property. Last week, the city halted work in Eagle Point where fill material was being added to three properties in waterfront areas known as a “velocity zone” or […]

FEMA has approved a City of Biloxi request for $5.2 million to rebuild the old Biloxi-Ocean Springs fishing bridge on Point Cadet. The funding, announced today, represents the estimated cost of restoring the 4,800-foot long bridge, which will be able to support light vehicles of the type used for the handicapped and for emergencies. The […]

The Parks and Recreation Department has 20 openings for a free program designed to help prepare youngsters to particpate in organized sports. Registration for the Start Smart program will be weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Recreation Office, 380 Hiller Drive. The program is open to children ages 3 to 5, with […]

The Biloxi City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a request by Mayor A.J. Holloway that the city send $10,000 to Enterprise, Ala., where a tornado last week killed eight students and inured more than 50 people. Holloway, who in the wake of Hurricane Katrina fielded dozens of calls and e-mails from colleagues across the country […]

Chainsaw artist Dayton Scoggins, commissioned by Mayor A.J. Holloway to sculpt marine-related figure from standing dead trees in the median of U.S. 90, ends his four days of work this afternoon. To see before-and-after photos, video and background on the project, click here. Temporary libraries in works at two Biloxi locations Biloxi will soon have […]

Nickelodeon, the popular children’s cable TV network, will bring its “Slime Across America” tour to Biloxi Friday afternoon for a free interactive performance on the Town Green. The Biloxi show, part of a 50-city nationwide tour, will begin at 4 p.m. and is open to the public. The “Slime Across America” experience and the 18-wheel […]

MDOT working on I-110 southbound lane tonight The Mississippi Department of Transportation has announced that southbound, right lane on the I-110 highrise will be closed to traffic Wednesday evening from 9:30 to 2 a.m. while workers make repairs to the grate on the bridge’s draw. Keesler traffic advised to detour Wednesday morning Motorists entering or […]

The City of Biloxi has set May 31 as the deadline for property owners to file right-of-entry forms in order to have standing dead trees considered for removal from their property. For several months, the city has asked property owners to file tree ROEs to allow the city to remove standing dead trees that pose […]

The city’s Aquatic Division will hold a Lifeguard Training Class beginning today from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Biloxi Natatorium, 1384 Father Ryan Ave. The class will begin with a pretest held on, Monday, March 5 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday, March 6 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Participants […]

The City of Biloxi is seeking nominees for the 24th annual Volunteer Recognition Ceremony, which takes place Wednesday, April 18 at the Donal Snyder Center in west Biloxi. The city will once again recognize individual, organizations and businesses who contribute time and energy to helping others and improving the quality of life in Biloxi. Invitations […]

Four zoning cases – three in west Biloxi and one in east Biloxi – and the purchase of more than $200,000 in equipment and vehicles are among the issues on the agenda for the City Council meeting Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. And only weeks after Mardi Gras, Mayor A.J. Holloway will present a proclamation to […]

The Parks & Recreation Department is asking prospective softball tournament hosts to attend a mandatory tournament draw meeting on Tuesday, March 6 at 6:30 p.m. in the second-floor meeting room at the Donal Snyder Community Center on Pass Road. The tournament draw meeting is open to anyone interested in requesting dates for tournaments to be […]

President Bush conducted a 45-minute meeting at Biloxi City Hall today, hearing status reports from Gov. Haley Barbour, Mayor A.J. Holloway and others before an audience of nearly 60 elected and community leaders.   During the session, the president reminded Holloway of joining the Biloxi mayor four days after the storm, “walking through the streets […]

Biloxi Police Chief Bruce Dunagan is advising residents to limit travel on local roadways Thursday in order to avoid any delays prompted by a planned visit by President Bush. “It’s been announced that the President will be visiting the Mississippi Gulf Coast Thursday, and he’s expected to be in Biloxi,” Dunagan said this afternoon. “Traffic […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway on Tuesday will be asking the City Council to revisit one of the fundamental issues of the city’s on-going storm recovery – adopting FEMA’s proposed flood map to govern new construction. Enacting the measure would increase the size of the flood zone in Biloxi and raise construction levels from 3 to 25 […]

City crews this evening were forced to close a section of Oaklawn Drive, the primary access road into Eagle Point, as a result of a collapsing drainage line near River Estates Circle. Public Works Director Richard Sullivan said replacing the drainage line, which is 6 feet in diamater, could take as long as a week. […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway said he expects as many as 75,000 paradegoers to attend Biloxi’s Mardi Gras parade, which features more than 100 units and will roll through downtown Biloxi beginning at 1 p.m. “Prior to Katrina, we saw as many as 100,000 people in downtown Biloxi for our three parades,” Holloway said. “Last year, the […]

A throng of about 75,000 turned out Tuesday for Biloxi’s Mardi Gras parade, which featured more than 130 entries. To see more than 200 photos from the Gulf Coast Carnival Association parade, which also featured a host of independent entries and floats from the Krewe of Neptune, click here. News and notes Updated images: A […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway will be asking the City Council to address two key rebuilding issues when councilmembers gather Monday at 1:30 p.m.: to adopt FEMA’s proposed flood elevations, and authorize a public outreach effort that will gauge opinions on land-use and height regulations. The council moved its meeting schedule up a day to avoid Fat […]

The City of Biloxi Parks and Recreation Department along with Hands on the Gulf Coast will hold A Day in the Park on Saturday, Feb. 17 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at John Henry Beck Park, 671 Division Street, Biloxi. The Parks and Recreation Department, Hands on the Gulf Coast and many Biloxi residents […]

Reminder: Two special-called meetings of the Biloxi City Council are scheduled for later today. In the first, at 5:30 p.m., Mayor A.J. Holloway will ask councilmembers to approve up to $2.5 million in matching funds to help attract a grant from the Mississippi Development Authority for a park and visitors center near the Biloxi Lighthouse. […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway’s State of the City address will be cablecast this evening at 8 and 10 on Cable 13 in Biloxi. Cable One is airing the 32-minute speech as a public service to its Biloxi subscribers. The cable company also aired the Monday speech this morning at 8 and 10. Video of the State […]

The Revival of the Renaissance is underway in Biloxi, Mayor A.J. Holloway told a State of the City audience today, and it’s coming to a street corner near you. Holloway, speaking to a capacity audience of more than 650 at a Biloxi Bay Chamber-sponsored luncheon at the Beau Rivage, outlined the largest program of public […]

FEMA has notified the City of Biloxi to comply with the agency’s advisory flood elevations, which enlarge the flood zone and increase elevation requirements as much as 25 feet above sea level, or risk losing tens of millions of dollars in FEMA recovery funding. The City Council in April 2006 passed a water-down version of […]

The City of Biloxi Parks and Recreation Department will hold the annual Sweethearts Ball and Dance on Wednesday, February 14, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Donal Snyder Community Center, 2520 Pass Road. The Sweethearts Ball and Dance is open to children ages 6 to 12, with and without disabilities, and their parents. […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway will be delivering his annual State of the City address to a capacity audience Monday during a luncheon at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino. The Biloxi Bay Chamber of Commerce announced this morning that more than 650 seats have been sold for the affair. Doors to the luncheon will open at […]

The City of Biloxi recognized a host of employees for longevity during a January meeting of the City Council. Those recognized were: 35 years of service: Samuel Elliott and Andrew Wagner, Fire Department. 25 years of service: Jody Ault, Finance Division; and Randy Jenkins, Parks & Recreation Department. 20 years of service: Sheri Hokamp, Fire […]

The Mississippi Department of Transportation has announced that the southbound left lane of the I-110 high rise will be closed to traffic until 3 p.m. today while workers repair the grating on the draw. For real-time traffic info from MDOT, click here. click here.

The Biloxi Housing Authority will brief Mayor A.J. Holloway and the City Council on its plans for affordable housing during a special council meeting Tuesday morning at the Bea Brown Community Center at the BHA administrative offices on Benachi Avenue. The meeting, which is open to the public, will begin at 10 a.m. Later Tuesday […]

The City of Biloxi Parks and Recreation Department will hold registration for youth baseball and youth softball on Saturday, Feb. 3 and Saturday, Feb. 10 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Biloxi Community Center, 591 Howard Ave. Youth baseball is open to children ages 5 to 14 and youth softball is open to […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway will present the annual State of the City address Monday, Feb. 12, during a Biloxi Bay Chamber of Commerce-sponsored luncheon at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino. The luncheon – with seats at $25 each or a reserved table of 10 for $300 – will begin at 11:30 a.m. For reservations, contact […]

Potential visitors can get an online glimpse of what there is to see and do in Biloxi and south Mississippi, thanks to two new videos now on the City of Biloxi web site. Host Erik Hastings of the firm Scripted Media Improv guides visitors on a humorous five-minute tour of south Mississippi in a video […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway this afternoon vetoed three measures that would have authorized construction of a 29-story condominium tower in west Biloxi. “We have benefited from a considerable amount of public discussion from citizens and developers alike regarding this proposal,” Holloway said in a brief, three-paragraph veto message regarding the proposed Tower and Townhomes at Edgewater. […]

The City of Biloxi, armed with an ordinance passed by the City Council several weeks ago, has begun heightened enforcement of for-sale vehicles in unauthorized locations. The city today towed several vehicles from a location off Cedar Lake Road, where they had been parked with for-sale signs attached. The effort is in response to complaints […]

The City of Biloxi Parks and Recreation Department will hold the annual Mardi Gras Ball & Dance for children on Wednesday, Jan. 31 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Donal Snyder Community Center, 2520 Pass Road. The event is open to all children ages 6 to 12, with and without disabilities, and their […]

The Mississippi Coast Historical & Genealogical Society will sponsor the 17th annual Mississippi Coast History Week Feb. 11-17, with a host of events at the Donal Synder Community Center in west Biloxi. The celebration, according to Mary Adkinson, one of its organizers, is especially important since it was not conducted last year in the wake […]

The Biloxi City Council this afternoon voted 4-3 to pass an amended version of an ordinance that would allow the construction of a 29-story condo tower as part of a development west of Edgewater Mall. Councilmembers Tom Wall, Mike Fitzpatrick, Charles T. Harrison Jr. and William F. “Bill” Stallworth supported the measure, while councilmembers George […]

The City of Biloxi will again provide special seating for disabled and frail, elderly residents to view Gulf Coast Carnival Association’s 1 p.m. parade on Feb. 20, Mardi Gras Day. The city is celebrating its 22nd year hosting the special protected seating area, which is on the east side of Lameuse Street, just north of […]

Biloxi will host one Mardi Gras Day parade again this year – down from three of pre-Katrina years – but organizers report that it will be a huge parade in two parts since the Krewe of Neptune is returning this year. Representatives of key city departments met last week with organizers from Gulf Carnival Association […]

The City of Biloxi is encouraging residents with standing dead trees on their property to file a tree removal right-of-entry form so a determination can be made if the tree poses a threat to safety, nearby utilities or access for emergency vehicles. At the state’s request, FEMA has approved the cutting of standing dead trees […]

The City of Biloxi in the next couple of weeks will award the fourth contract of a four-phase initiative that is seeing citywide repair and restoration of traffic signals, street lights, school crossings, asphalt, sidewalks, gutters and curbing. The $2.77 million project, parts of which began Sept. 25, will involve 680 streets throughout the city […]

The Biloxi City Council faces an agenda of 17 measures Tuesday afternoon, but the issue expected to attract the most attention, a proposal for a 33-story condo tower west of Edgewater Mall, is expected to be added to the agenda at the outset of the meeting. The proposal, which was originally tabled during the council’s […]

Those looking for used vehicles, construction and lawn equipment, auto parts, used bicycles and bargains in general will have a chance to bid on dozens of storm-damaged, surplus or seized items Saturday when the city stages a surplus auction at the public safety maintenance lot off Popp’s Ferry Road. The auction will include nearly a […]

The Biloxi casino resort industry has been doing record business in the past four months and Mayor A.J. Holloway says the vibrancy of the market is going to translate into the return of more restaurants, hotel rooms and other visitor amenities. In September, 13 months after Hurricane Katrina, Biloxi’s seven casinos grossed $95 million, the […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway on Tuesday will ask the City Council to spend nearly a million dollars to purchase more than three-dozen heavy-duty trucks, two tractors and other vehicles for the Public Works Department. The purchase, which would replace storm-destroyed equipment used mostly in the drainage division, is among the 44 measures on the agenda for […]

Marching bands from two of Mississippi’s three predominantly black universities – Mississippi Valley State and Alcorn State – return to Biloxi’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration on Monday, and Biloxi NAACP President James Crowell says there’s a strong chance that Jackson State’s Sonic Boom also may participate. For years, Biloxi has hosted one of […]

The City of Biloxi, the Mardi Gras Museum, and Gulf Coast Carnival Association invite children ages 12 and younger to participate in the annual children’s Mardi Gras walking parade, which will be Feb. 3. This is a non-motorized parade. Bikes, skates, skateboards, scooters and wagons are acceptable. Children are encouraged to be creative and dress […]

The City of Biloxi’s Aquatics Division will begin winter swim lessons on Jan. 29. Registration will begin Friday, Jan. 19, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. for Biloxi residents and on Saturday, Jan. 20, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. for Biloxi and non-Biloxi residents. Registration will be at the Biloxi Natatorium, 1384 Father Ryan […]

Mississippi Department of Transportation crews are scheduled to begin removing standing dead trees from the medians of U.S. 90 in Biloxi in the next couple of weeks, and Mayor A.J. Holloway has coordinated a plan in which the remaining trunks will be transformed into sculpted works of art. Dozens of live oaks have died in […]

The National Weather Service has placed Biloxi and the surrounding coastal areas under a flash flood watch from noon Thursday to noon Friday because of heavy rainfall expected Thursday afternoon and Friday morning. A flash flood watch means that conditions may develop that lead to flash flooding. The weather service reported that a potent storm […]

Brittany Snyder, 9, of Biloxi recently won second place in the regional 2006 NFL Pepsi Punt, Pass and Kick Team Championship held at the Louisiana Superdome before the Washington Redskins-New Orleans Saints game. Snyder’s second-place finish totaled 156.6 feet for all three events. The fourth-grader at Popp’s Ferry Elementary in Biloxi participates in city’s soccer, […]

The year 2007 will be a year of major accomplishment in Biloxi, with tens of million of dollars in major public improvements taking shape along the waterfront and throughout the city, Mayor A.J. Holloway says. Holloway, in a front-page article appearing in today’s year-end issue of The Bay Press newspaper, says improvements will be made […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway, in accordance with a proclamation issued today by President Bush, has ordered that U.S. flags at all Biloxi municipal facilities be lowered to half-staff to mark the death of former President Gerald R. Ford. Ford, the thirty-eighth President of the United States, died Tuesday. An excerpt from the proclamation issued by President […]

Work is expected to begin within 90 to 120 days on a city project that could see as much as $10 million in improvements at Point Cadet Marina and the Biloxi Small Craft Harbor. The city has obtained permits to dredge the marina and harbor to depths of 10 to 12 feet, and plans to […]

Biloxi and all of Harrison County are under a flash flood watch through Friday morning and local street flooding is possible, according the Biloxi Emergency Manasgement Coordinator Linda Atterberry. “Because of the systems that have moved through our county in the last few hours, we have local street flooding,” Atterberry said, in relaying information from […]

The City of Biloxi is aiming to kick off the New Year with a project that will restore the oldest and most storm-ravaged section of one the oldest landmarks in the city, the Biloxi City Cemetery. The $300,000 project will see repairs made to more than 200 headstones and 10 tombs in the beachfront cemetery. […]

The Biloxi City Council has called a special meeting for Tuesday afternoon to vote on an ordinance designed to streamline the variance process for homeowners hoping to re-build non-conforming structures that were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. The meeting will begin after the council’s 1:30 p.m. meeting, when the first reading of the proposed ordinance will […]

The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art is hosting a two-day open house at its transitional home, the Glenn L. Swetman House, today from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Swetman Home, which is owned by the city, is at 1596 Glenn L. Swetman St., off U.S. 90 north […]

More than $2 million in spending, including a $1.6 million tennis component at the Biloxi Sports Complex, and a measure designed to streamline the variance process for rebuilding homes are on the agenda for the Biloxi City Council on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. Also on the agenda for the council’s last scheduled meeting of 2006: […]

Biloxi residents can hear firsthand information about how to protect local waterways and minimize the risk of neighborhood flooding in a meeting this evening at 5:30 in the Dr. Gilbert R. Mason auditorium of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Municipal Building, on MLK Boulevard in downtown Biloxi. The meeting is part of the city’s […]

The City of Biloxi, which has moved enough storm debris to cover a football field with a pile standing more than 133 stories high, is focusing its efforts on removing standing dead trees in the storm-surge area. And residents whose homes were flooded by Hurricane Katrina can help by turning in a completed tree-removal right-of-entry […]

Christmas at Beck Park, a city-sponsored event that was scheduled for this evening, has been postponed until Wednesday because of inclement weather. The event — which will include decorating a Christmas tree, free hot chocolate and a visit by Santa — will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at John Henry Beck Park, 671 Division […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway today said that he agrees with Governor Haley Barbour’s request that FEMA extend the time frame for temporary trailers, but at the same time, residents need to realize that even if FEMA grants the extension to February 2008, the clock is ticking on how long the trailers will be in place. “The […]

The Biloxi City Council, during its meeting Tuesday at 1:30 p.m., will be asked to approve the purchase of new vehicles for the Police and Parks and Receration departments, as well as extend debris-removal contracts through Feb. 28, when FEMA reimbursement is scheduled to expire. Councilmembers, who face an agenda of 18 measures, will be […]

A collection of city-sponsored holiday events continues tonight and over the next week: — Christmas at Eagle Point — with decorating and lighting of the tree and free hot chocolate and snacks — takes place tonight from 6 to 7:30 at the fire station on Oaklawn Drive. The public is invited to the event. The […]

The city’s Parks and Recreation Department will Celebrate Christmas at Eagle Point on Thursday from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Eagle Point Fire Station, 9370 Oaklawn Road. The Dec. 7 celebration, which is free and open to the public, will include decorating a Christmas tree while enjoying hot chocolate and cookies. Santa Claus […]

Mark Dronet, deputy chief for fire prevention with the Biloxi Fire Department, reminds residents to review the department’s wintertime fire safety tips. To read the tips, click here.

The holiday spirit will be evident on land and sea this weekend, with a trio of events taking place in Biloxi. The Children’s Christmas Walking Parade rolls through downtown Biloxi Saturday beginning at 9 a.m., and about 200 craftspeople will line the walkways of the Vieux Marche throughout the day for Biloxi’s Christmas in the […]

“Katrina & Biloxi,” the city’s award-winning documentary, will be featured on tonight’s episode of “Beyond Katrina” on Mississippi Public Broadcasting. The hourlong program, which airs at 7 and 9 p.m. on WMAH locally, will be beamed to a potential audience of 2.5 million viewers on the statewide educational TV network. The program also will include […]

The Biloxi Police Department is now accepting donations of new and unopened toys to be given to needy children as part of the department’s annual “Santa Wears a Badge” campaign. Those interested can drop off toys at the Biloxi Police Department front desk, in the Lopez-Quave Public Safety Center, 170 Porter Ave., two blocks north […]

The City of Biloxi is making holiday gift-giving easier this year, with discounted prices on the award-winning “Katrina & Biloxi” documentary and photo album. Online and mail-order prices have been reduced as much as 40 percent for the package, which includes a 52-page photo album and hour-long DVD. “We’re happy with the success of this […]

The applicants requesting zoning changes at the Seashore Methodist property on U.S. 90 have withdrawn their appeal, meaning that the hearings scheduled for this afternoon’s City Council meeting have been canceled, according to Clerk of Council Lucy Brashier. The applicants — Mississippi Methodist Senior Services, Inc., the parent company of Seashore Personal Care Center, Inc.; […]

Santa Claus will be checking with Biloxi children in a few weeks to see if they’ve been naughty or nice, thanks to a program being organized by the Biloxi Parks & Recreation Department and other groups. On Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 13 and 14, registered pre-school, kindergarten, and first and second graders will speak directly […]

The issues of Biloxi’s ongoing recovery from Hurricane Katrina will receive national attention on Thanksgiving when Nancy Grace of CNN Headline News devotes her program to the rebuilding effort in Biloxi The hour-long program airs in primetime, locally at 7 p.m., with repeats at 9 p.m. and midnight. Grace was in Biloxi earlier this month, […]

The Biloxi and Biloxi Bay chambers of commerce and Main Street Biloxi will host a luncheon for City of Biloxi employees on Wednesday in appreciation of post-Katrina recovery efforts. The luncheon, which will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Donal M. Snyder Community Center on Pass Road, will feature barbecue, free T-shirts, […]

The City of Biloxi has been awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada. The award is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting, It presented to Biloxi as a result of the city’s Comprehensive Annual Financial […]

Biloxi property owners and residents this week will be receiving an update on the city’s ongoing recovery from Hurricane Katrina and tips on how to minimize neighborhood flooding and water pollution. The latest issue of “Storm Recovery News,” which is being printed now by Knight-Abbey Commercial Printers and Direct Mail, is expected to arrive in […]

The Biloxi Housing Authority this afternoon announced a goal of rebuilding or developing more than 1,500 affordable homes through a partnership that will include Enterprise Community Partners and Fannie Mae. In Mississippi, Fannie Mae is reveiwing an $18 million line of credit, which joins Enterprise’s half-million-dollar line of credit, with the two organizations giving a […]

City to hold children’s dance this evening The City of Biloxi’s Parks and Recreation Department will host a Thanksgiving Dance on Friday, November 17 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Donal Snyder Community Center, 2520 Pass Road. The Dance is open to children ages 6 to 12 years old. Admission is a canned […]

Biloxi Main Street is hosting the second annual Christmas in the City celebration in downtown Biloxi on Saturday, Dec. 2 from 9:30 to 4:30 p.m. “We are looking forward to having a Christmas festival down the Vieux Marche featuring vendors from all over, says Kay Miller, director of Main Street. “There will be great entertainment, […]

A flood warning continues for the Biloxi and Tchoutacabouffa rivers, according to the National Weather Service. For the Tchoutacabouffa River near D’Iberville: * Latest stage was 11.0 feet, Nov. 16 at 8 a.m. * Flood stage is 8.0 feet. * Forecast: crested and falling below flood stage around 6 p.m. today. * Property along Lamey […]

An early morning thunderstorm that dumped more than 4 inches of rain on parts of Biloxi has forced street flooding and caused roof and water damage at City Hall. Motorists, faced with a flooded U.S. 90, navigated Pass Road and Irish Hill Drive enroute to work this morning. At this hour, sections of U.S. 90 […]

The City of Biloxi will open the Donal M. Snyder Sr. Community Center at noon today for residents who feel threatened by the expected gale-force winds and thundershowers that are expected through the evening. The Snyder center is at 2520 Pass Road in Biloxi. The facility will be staffed by emergency personnel, and those seeking […]

The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for the Biloxi and Tchoutacabouffa rivers. Status of rivers this afternoon, according to the weather service: Biloxi River, near Lyman: * stage was 8.7 feet and rising at 1:38 pm. * flood stage is 12.0 feet. * forecast: rise above flood stage by 6 this evening, […]

The Biloxi City Council on Tuesday will consider an ordinance that would allow the construction of homes that do not meet the city’s established setback requirements. The ordinance, introduced by Ward 2 Councilmember Bill Stallworth, is designed to assist residents in the oldest and most storm-ravaged sections of the city, primarily in east Biloxi, where […]

Two events commemorating Veterans Day are scheduled to take place in Biloxi, a program at the Biloxi Small Craft Harbor on Friday at 11 a.m., and a parade through downtown on Saturday morning. The Friday program, which will be held near the Purple Heart memorial and USS Biloxi superstructure, will feature Brig. Gen. Paul F. […]

The storm-surge debris site near the Popp’s Ferry Road soccer complex will close Sunday at sunset. The FEMA-funded site had accepted debris from those areas inundated by the Hurricane Katrina storm surge. No-dumping signs and a fence will be erected at the site Monday morning. Residents whose property was inundated by the storm surge should […]

The City of Biloxi will observe the Veterans Day holiday on Monday, meaning all non-emergency city departments and divisions will be closed that day, but cases scheduled for Monday in Municipal Court will be heard. Municipal Court operations, which are housed in the Lopez-Quave Public Safety Center, will be staffed Monday from 8 a.m. to […]

The Biloxi City Council faces an agenda of 30 measures when councilmembers gather Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. at City Hall. Among the issues on the agenda: a request for variances for a 162-unit apartment complex, known as McDonnell Avenue Apartments; a request for a master-plan amendment for the operators of the Hard Rock Hotel & […]

The City of Biloxi will sponsor the 23rd Annual Mayor’s Cup 5K Run on Saturday, Nov. 11. The 5K will begin at 8 a.m. and the one-mile will begin at 8:45 a.m. in front of the Biloxi City Hall on Lameuse Street. The race is hosted by the Gulf Coast Running Club. Registration for the […]

The City of Biloxi is looking to fill 16 entry-level jobs in the Public Works Department, positions that offer nearly $19,000 in base salary, plus as much as $10,000 in benefits. Those hired would perform such duties as hauling neighborhood debris and tree limbs, cutting grass, cleaning catch basins and storm drains, utility maintenance, light […]

The City of Biloxi is reminding residents of oft-repeated advice in dealing with construction issues: Beware of transient contractors and other individuals who typically set up temporary shop in the aftermath of storms. Says Mayor A.J. Holloway: “Before you sign any contract or allow anyone to perform any repair work on your property, you should […]

Halloween is Tuesday night, and Biloxi public safety leaders are advising those families who are not participating in organized gatherings to make safety a priority when trick-or-treating in city neighborhoods. The city offers these tips for parents, courtesy of the Los Angeles Fire Department: When trick-or-treating: — A parent or responsible adult should always accompany […]

Tops In Blue, the Air Force’s premier expeditionary entertainment team, is scheduled to give a free public performance on Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi. Doors open to the public at 6:30 p.m., and there’s no charge for parking. This year’s theme is “What’s Love?” featuring the music […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway told a group of investors today that Biloxi has a promising future, as evidenced by the national attention on the Biloxi gaming industry. The casino resort industry, he said, generated $95 million in gross gaming revenue in September, the largest amount in the history of legalized gaming in Biloxi. And on the […]

Trick or treat booths and games will be set up around the Biloxi Town Green Saturday afternoon beginning at 5:30, with an outdoor airing of the novie “Ghostbusters” planned for dusk. Those attending are encouraged to bring a canned food item, which will be donated to the Salvation Army food pantry. For more informtaion on […]

“Memories of Point Cadet,” a collection of artwork and photographs depicting scenes from one of the oldest sections of Biloxi, will have its final showing this evening from 5:30 to 7 at City Hall. The free presentation, sponsored by the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, includes the work of more than a dozen local artists, with […]

The Biloxi Lions Club will formally dedicate the new all-access playground area at Lopez Park on Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. The park, which is on Benachi Avenue just south of Howard Avenue, features ramps and playground equipment designed to accommodate handicapped individuals. Members of the Lions Club will be on hand during the […]

A major section of a new, four-lane Caillavet Street — the section from Percy Street to the CSX railway — is on track to open by Thanksgiving, and the entire project could be completed in the first quarter of next year, as many as seven months ahead of schedule. Mayor A.J. Holloway made the announcement […]

“We ain’t afraid of no ghosts,” says Main Street Biloxi Director Kay Miller, referring to this weekend’s “drive-in” movie and Halloween carnival planned for the Town Green. Trick or treat booths and games will be set up around the Biloxi Town Green on Saturday afternoon beginning at 5:30, with an outdoor airing of the movie […]

Members of the Biloxi City Council will be asked this afternoon to formally accept the findings and recommendations of the Reviving the Renaissance initiative, a detailed report designed to help guide the city’s long-term recovery from Hurricane Katrina. The council meeting begins at 1:30 at City Hall. In crafting the report, more than 200 Biloxians […]

The Biloxi City Council is expected to set the millage levy – in short, no tax increase – and approve the FY ’07 municipal budget during a meeting on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. at City Hall. The agenda for the meeting and available resolutions will be posted on the city web site Friday. The city’s […]

A year after Hurricane Katrina, the Mississippi Hotel & Lodging Association reports, nearly 55 percent of pre-hurricane hotel rooms are now back online. In Biloxi, 64.6 percent of the casino-resort rooms – 4,066 of 6,292 – are back in operation, but only 23.5 percent of the non-casino rooms – 691 of 2,935 – are operating. […]

“Heroes Helping Heroes,” a salute to the hundreds of first responders traveling to Biloxi in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, takes place this afternoon at 2 in the Saenger Theater. The 30-minute program, which is open to the public, will feature remarks by Biloxi Police Chief Bruce Dunagan, Biloxi Fire Chief David Roberts and Atlanta […]

The city-commissioned photo album and DVD “Katrina & Biloxi” is now on sale in the gift shops at the Isle of Capri, Grand Biloxi and Palace, as well as Wal-mart stores in south Mississippi. The 52-page photo album and 80-minute DVD also is available online. For background, click here. Rome mayor, singer on WLOX this […]

Here is the updated schedule of events surrounding the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina (all are free and open to the public): Tuesday, Aug. 29 8 a.m. – “Biloxi & Katrina: One Year Later,” a city-organized memorial observance on the Town Green, U.S. 90 at Lameuse Street. (In the event of inclement weather, program will […]

President George W. Bush spent time in Biloxi earlier today, lunching at The Schooner restaurant in downtown Biloxi before walking an east Biloxi neighborhood that he had visited days after Hurricane Katrina. Bush was accompanied by his wife, Laura; Sen. Thad Cochran; Sen. Trent Lott and his wife, Tricia; and Gov. Haley Barbour and his […]

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, Mississippi Sens. Thad Cochran and Trent Lott, and Gov. Haley Barbour will share the program with Mayor A.J. Holloway, local clergy and others Tuesday morning in a Hurricane Katrina memorial observance on the Town Green. The hour-long program will begin at 8 a.m. and will kickoff a day of […]

The Biloxi City Council will have a special-called meeting this afternoon at 2:30 to discuss the municipal budget for Fiscal Year 2007. The meeting, which is open to the public, will be in the council room on the second floor of City Hall. For background on the city’s budget talks, click here.

MDOT has created two daytime-only observation areas to safely accommodate the streams of people who have visited the Point Cadet construction site where work is underway on a new U.S. 90 bridge between Biloxi and Ocean Springs. Motorists traveling along U.S. 90 toward the construction site will be directed to turn north at Myrtle Street […]

The City of Biloxi is putting the finishing touches on “Katrina & Biloxi: One Year Later,” a memorial observance scheduled for the Town Green at 8 a.m. on Aug. 29, the first anniversary of Katrina. The hour-long ceremony, which is open to the public, is the centerpiece of the city’s month of milestones to mark […]

The Biloxi City Council has called a special meeting for Tuesday at 10 a.m. at City Hall to discuss the municipal budget for Fiscal Year 2007. Councilmembers earlier this week discussed providing city funding to dozens of non-profit groups, museums, civic groups and special events, which Mayor A.J. Holloway had frozen in the wake of […]

Father Harold Roberts of the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer says this afternoon’s ceremony at the Camille Memorial in Biloxi will be a bit shorter than in previous years, but the occasion will be just as moving. The outdoor ceremony begins at 4 p.m. and is open to the public. Each year, the east beach […]

The City of Biloxi this afternoon unveiled an online version of “The State of the City: One Year Later,” a 16-page status report on the myriad issues of the city’s ongoing recovery from Hurricane Katrina. The U.S. Postal Service is scheduled to deliver hard copies of the report to all Biloxi residents, possibly as early […]

Biloxi’s month of milestones leading up to the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina will begin Thursday (Aug. 17) with events commemorating the original gold standard for storms, Hurricane Camille. The Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, on east front beach, will host its annual Camille memorial program Thursday at 4 p.m. in the shadow of the Camille […]

Gov. Haley Barbour raises the curtain on a three-day recovery expo Friday at 9 a.m. at the Coast Coliseum in Biloxi. The event – billed as THE event for families, businesses, builders, and government officials to come together and learn about the tools for rebuilding our future – takes place Friday and Saturday from 9 […]

To read Mayor A.J. Holloway’s comments to the Biloxi Chamber’s “Breakfast with the Mayor” Tuesday, Aug. 8, click here.

Biloxi residents will see a host of recovery-related events and milestones over the next several weeks and through Aug. 29, as the community marks the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Centerpiece of the month of milestones will be a Katrina memorial observance on Tuesday, Aug 29 at 8 a.m. on the Town Green, where seating […]

The chart showing gross gaming revenue figures in Biloxi by calendar year, which was one of 16 pre- and post-Katrina economic indicators released Friday, contained incorrect figures. You can find the updated and corrected chart and the 15 others by clicking here.

The City of Biloxi, facing an onslaught of media inquiries leading up to the Aug. 29 anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, has released a host of economic indicators, with charts showing 15-year and 15-month trends. An overall 16-page report, titled “The State of the City: One Year Later,” is also expected to be in the mail […]

On the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, The Home Depot, KaBOOM!, Playworld Systems and Hands On Network will mobilize thousands of volunteers to come together in Gulf Coast communities from New Orleans to Pascagoula to build 10 new playspaces in just four days, including two in Biloxi. Nearly a thousand volunteers are expected to participate in […]

The Wall Street Journal, the world’s pre-eminent business publication, focuses on the Biloxi recovery story in today’s edition of the paper. In a story headlined “Cashing in: Casinos emerge as winners in wake of Hurricane Katrina,” the story detailed the resurgence of the Biloxi economy and the city’s promising future in the storm recovery efforts […]

Owners of property outside Hurricane Katrina’s storm surge have until Aug. 15 to move their eligible storm-related debris to the public right-of-way, where city debris teams will be making a final pass Aug. 16-28, when FEMA’s 12-month debris program is scheduled to expire. Eligible debris is defined as storm-related vegetative and man-made debris in the […]

The Biloxi Police Department will sponsor its annual National Night Out Against Crime block party today from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Nativity BVM Elementary School, just south of the Lopez-Quave Public Safety Center on Porter Avenue. Several family-oriented games and activities, including a rock-climbing wall, will be part of the entertainment, and displays will […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway this morning presented the Biloxi City Council a budget that proposes to continue the 13-year trend of no increase in city property taxes and includes $41 million in capital improvement projects The budget projects that Biloxi’s revenue from casino gaming and sales taxes would reach 87 percent of its pre-Katrina level, but […]

The Biloxi City Council on Tuesday faces an agenda of two dozen issues, including five requests for residential setback requirements, a sign variance for a rebuilt Waffle House restaurant, 194 additional residential condominiums in west Biloxi, and a measure that would direct the Planning Commission to conduct public hearings about creating new gaming districts in […]

To see a PDF of the 100-page Reviving the Renaissance report, click here. To read an online copy of the Living Cities section of the report, which focuses on east Biloxi, click here.

Mayor A.J. Holloway has called a meeting of the City Council for Thursday at 1:30 p.m. to receive a preview of the Reviving the Renaissance report and a detailed presentation about rebuilding east Biloxi. Retired Air Force Gen. Clark Griffith, who Holloway appointed in February to head the city’s Reviving the Renaissance initiative, will provide […]

The Biloxi City Council will consider a measure today that is designed to ensure that temporary housing remains “temporary.” An amendment to the city’s temporary uses ordinance is among the issues on the agenda for this afternoon’s City Council meeting, which begins at 1:30 at City Hall. Ward 6 Councilmember Ed Gemmill is proposing a […]

Biloxi reaches two significant milestones in the city’s Hurricane Katrina recovery next week, a month-and-half shy of the first anniversary of the catastrophic storm. And Mayor A.J. Holloway says the two milestones – release of the formal report of the Reviving the Renaissance initiative and the arrival of the first checks in the state-administered Homeowners […]

Residents and business owners throughout Biloxi will soon be receiving an expanded version of the city’s annual Storm & Flood Preparedness guide, and an online version is available now. The 12-page compendium – up from the usual eight pages – includes a storm tracking map; information on evacuation routes and shelters; tips on how to […]

Ronald S. Cochran, who has served as director of the city’s Legal Department for 12½ years, is leaving his post to serve as a law clerk for Senior U.S. District Judge L.T. Senter Jr., a position he held before joining the city. Cochran submitted his resignation to Mayor A.J. Holloway last week; his last day […]

The Biloxi City Council voted this morning to buy fire insurance to cover city property for the next year, but Mayor A.J. Holloway said he’s unsure if the city’s insurance issues have been resolved. Meeting for a third time in three days, council members questioned aspects of a proposal that would have originally provided $102 […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway said he was pleased that City Council members approved portions of the city’s property insurance package this morning, and he hoped councilmembers will agree to renew the city’s fire insurance policy during a special-called meeting Friday morning. Councilmembers this morning voted to approve the city’s flood, automobile and equipment policies, and part […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway plans to call a special City Council meeting for Thursday morning at 11:30 since councilmembers failed to pass a measure this afternoon to renew the city’s property insurance, leaving the city with no property coverage at the moment. During this afternoon’s meeting, L. Wayne Tisdale of Stewart Sneed Hewes Bancorp South, the […]

Biloxi Police Chief Bruce Dunagan says he hopes that residents and visitors enjoy Fourth of July festivities Tuesday, and that they keep common-sense rules in mind during the celebration. Biloxi’s annual fireworks presentation is expected to begin at 9 p.m. Tuesday and will be presented from a barge off the beach near Deer Island. The […]

The Biloxi City Council, facing a July 4 holiday on Tuesday, will meet Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. at City Hall, where an agenda of 19 measures will face councilmembers. Zoning issues — residential variances, for the most part — dominate the policy agenda. Mayor A.J. Holloway also expects to update councilmembers on the city’s property […]

Those attending Biloxi’s Fourth of July fireworks display on Tuesday at 9 p.m. can expect to see an action-packed show that will light up the Casino Row sky for more than a quarter of an hour. “One of our reps travels to China every year for quality control and product, and last year, we found […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway is joining the Treasury Department and other agencies in encouraging residents to sign up for direct deposit to ensure uninterrupted access to Social Security payments or other funds, a service particularly useful in hurricane-prone areas. The Treasury and Federal Reserve Banks are promoting “Go Direct,” a campaign where recipients of federal aid […]

A proposal for a mixed-use development that would include 220 residential condominiums and commercial uses on a three-acre site off Water Street in downtown Biloxi will be among the measures before the Biloxi City Council during its meeting on Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. The development, known as City Place, would involve the former Dees […]

If you’re wondering how Biloxi will recover from Hurricane Katrina, just check the city’s track record over the past decade or so, Mayor A.J. Holloway told two groups of financial analysts in New York City this week. Holloway was asked to update the city’s recovery efforts and future outlook for the two groups, whose members […]

A piece of Biloxi history has returned to a secure location, the lobby of City Hall, where it stood decades ago before being loaned to the Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum. The solid-brass ship’s bell from the USS Biloxi, a light-cruiser that distinguished itself in World War II, was moved to the City Hall lobby […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway will autograph copies of the city’s “Katrina & Biloxi” photo album and DVD this afternoon from 4 to 5:30 at the Biloxi Wal-mart. The 52-page photo album and 80-minute DVD sell for $39.88, plus tax, and proceeds from sales benefit the city’s Katrina Relief Fund, which will fund the city’s rebuilding effort. […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway said that remnants of the Golden Fisherman statue will have to be evaluated to determine the landmark’s future, once a criminal case involving its theft has run it course. Biloxi Police, who worked with the Mobile County Sheriff’s Department to recover the statue from a creek in rural Mobile County, returned the […]

The reward in the case of the missing Golden Fisherman passed the $15,000 mark this morning, when members of the Biloxi City Council approved the maximum amount allowed under state law — $2,500 – and Councilman Tom Wall pledged $500, before Mayor A.J. Holloway guaranteed the remaining $12,000. Meantime, a resident of Biloxi offered an […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway, who in the wake of Hurricane Katrina froze work on dozens of Biloxi’s major improvement projects, announced today that work will soon resume on the revitalization of Caillavet Street. The project, part of the city’s east Biloxi traffic improvement initiative, involves the construction of a new four-lane boulevard in place of Caillavet […]

Biloxi’s Golden Fisherman, a 16-foot statue that once stood on Point Cadet in tribute to the seafood industry, has apparently been stolen from the former site of the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum. The city-owned statue, which weighed more than a ton, was last seen mid-afternoon Saturday near the museum site, where city workers had […]

The North Charleston Police and Fire departments on Saturday presented a shadowbox featuring a photograph, patches and coins to commemorate their relief efforts in Biloxi for more than two weeks after Hurricane Katrina. “A contingent of 16 police officers and 15 firefighters from North Charleston arrived in Biloxi on Sept. 1, and the Biloxi police […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway told the Biloxi City Council this week that he’s opposed to any wholesale zoning changes that would create more casino resort districts in Biloxi. In fact, Holloway said, he thought that Biloxi has adequate casino-zoned land to handle the 15 to 20 casinos that could open in Biloxi over the next several […]

The city-commissioned “Katrina & Biloxi” photo album and DVD is now being sold in 12 south Mississippi Wal-marts, and the retail giant says it may increase its $210,000 order and expand sales, depending on consumer interest. The photo album/DVD package – which Wal-mart is now selling for $39.88, plus tax – is available in stores […]

The Biloxi City Council faces an agenda of 17 measures – a dozen of which deal with zoning and land-use issues – when councilmembers gather Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. at City Hall. To see the complete agenda and available resolutions, click here.

Biloxi’s recovery progress and the community’s preparation for the today’s first day of the hurricane season are scheduled to be included in an ABC News “Nightline” broadcast this evening at 10:35 CT. ”Nightline” correspondent Chris Bury and a news crew were in Biloxi Wednesday afternoon to witness what Mayor A.J. Holloway called a milestone in […]

The City of Biloxi this week will seek bids on a contract that includes the replacement of nearly 2,000 street signs and more than 2,000 poles on 630 streets, or about 85 percent of the city’s nearly 800 streets. The project also involves replacing 4,800 square yards of asphalt, 4,500 ssquare yards of sidewalks and […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway, who participated in two morning Memorial Day observances, says he’s encouraged by the positive signs he’s seeing on the nine-month mark after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast. Holloway made the observation after attending a morning Memorial Day observance at the U.S. National Cemetery in Biloxi, where a day before it took […]

Ten east Biloxi families will become the first of nearly two dozen families who will be officially welcomed into homes that were restored by hundreds of volunteers from Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia. A “Welcome Home to East Biloxi” celebration will be held Wednesday at 4 p.m. on Strangi Avenue near Division Street, near […]

Updated information from several fronts of the Biloxi recovery effort is now available on the city web site: The Renaissance: The Reviving the Renaissance preliminary report, as presented at the recent town hall meetings in wards throughout the city, is in the RTR section of the site. The current version includes comments from the meeting […]

Store No. 1088 on Pass Road in west Biloxi on Friday morning at 9 will become the first Wal-mart in the retailer’s chain to sell “Katrina & Biloxi,” the city’s award-winning photo album and DVD package. All proceeds from sales of the $40 package – which includes a 52-page book and an 80-minute DVD – […]

The Reviving the Renaiassance town hall meeting for residents of Wards 1 and 2 will be tonight at 6 at the Biloxi Community Center on Howard Avenue instead of at City Hall. The presentation is being moved to better accommodate a larger number of east Biloxi residents. The Biloxi Community Center is at 591 Howard […]

MSNBC’s “Scarborough Country” will broadcast an hour-long special from Biloxi tonight at 8 CT. THe program, hosted by former Florida Congressman Joe Scarborough, will be broadcast live from Point Cadet, on the eastern tip of the Biloxi peninsula. Mayor A.J. Holloway is expected to appear in a segment taped earlier today with Scarborough, who has […]

Grand Casino’s 12-story Island View Hotel on the east Biloxi waterfront was reduced to a mound of rubble this morning after Mayor A.J. Holloway pressed two buttons to trigger the implosion of the Casino Row structure. Several hundred onlookers who had gathered on the beach just west of Casino Row hollered and applauded after the […]

Add the Discovery Channel to the gaggle of national media types in town this weekend and into next week, with the Sunday morning implosion of the Grand Casino’s Island View Hotel and the approaching June 1 beginning of hurricane season. The Discovery Channel is taping a behind-the-scenes documentary on the mechanics of imploding a building. […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway will press two buttons simultaneously Sunday morning to bring down the Grand Casino Island View Hotel, south of U.S. 90 on Casino Row in Biloxi. Cherry Demolition, a firm hired by Harrah’s Entertainment, is imploding the 12-story structure, which housed 500 hotel rooms, banquet rooms, retail shops and a restaurant, to prepare […]

Hundreds of major newspaper articles and dozens of nationally televised news reports have chronicled the epic devastation and inspirational recovery efforts in Biloxi and its surrounding communities, and the onslaught of coverage is continuing. National correspondents from FOX, NBC and CBS have been in Biloxi over the past several days, working on stories covering such […]

This evening at 6:30, the Biloxi Bay Chamber of Commerce will hold a ceremony to re-light the Town Green’s BILOXI sign, which had been displaced from its two brick pillars and heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina. The chamber several years ago had moved the two pillars to the Town Green from a park that had […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway, armed with a State Ethics Commission opinion okaying Councilmember Ed Gemmill to vote on proposed new flood elevations, has called a special meeting of the City Council for Tuesday at 11:30 a.m., when the mayor hopes councilmembers will vote to approve the FEMA-recommended flood elevations. The council has declined to vote on […]

Hands On Gulf Coast will offer another free workshop to teach residents how to remove mold from their own homes. The session will be Saturday, May 13 at 2 p.m. at Main Street Baptist Church, 321 Main St., Biloxi. Hands On, an organization that has played a key role in the city’s recovery effort, has […]

  The City of Biloxi, which First Lady Laura Bush named as a Preserve America community several years ago, has been awarded a $50,000 grant to help preserve and market the city’s historic properties. Biloxi was one of 45 communities to receive such a grant, which Mrs. Bush presented to Bill Raymond, the city’s historical […]

The interfaith advisory committee of the Bush-Katrina Fund will hold an informational meeting for clergy and leaders of houses of worship on Saturday, May 20, at 9:30 a.m. at Biloxi High School. The high school is at 1845 Richard Drive, south of Popp’s Ferry Road in north Biloxi. The agenda includes counseling support for clergy, […]

Residents throughout Biloxi will get a firsthand look at the handiwork of 200 of their fellow Biloxians who have been meeting for weeks to consider options for Biloxi’s long-term recovery. Organizers of the city’s Reviving the Renaissance initiative have scheduled three town hall meetings to present their preliminary reports. The meetings are: Monday, May 22 […]

Biloxi Police are advising motorists to expect slow-moving traffic and delays throughout the day Thursday as President Bush will be in town to deliver the commencement address to Gulf Coast Community College graduates at the Coast Coliseum. Police are asking motorists to follow instructions of law enforcement officers they may encounter and to respect any […]

Mayor A.J. Holloway this morning told state gaming industry executives and others at the Southern Gaming Summit in Tunica that Biloxi’s effort to revive its pre-Katrina renaissance will be driven by private investment and that history shows that hotel rooms will continue to fuel Biloxi’s economy. “I’ve picked up a few things in that decade […]

A National Day of Prayer ceremony will be conducted today at noon on the Town Green in Biloxi, near the Hurricane Katrina memorial and shoo-fly. Carleen E. Hall organizes the annual multi-denominational observance in local communities. Reviving the Renaissance meetings on tap The east Biloxi component of the Reviving the Renaissance initiative is the focus […]

Biloxi has more than 2,000 trailers and campers temporarily housing residents and thousands of volunteers in town, so having a timely flow of storm and flood information will be vital this hurricane season, Mayor A.J. Holloway told city department directors and key personnel Wednesday afternoon during one of the city’s storm preparation meetings. “We told […]

Police officers are now playing a role in the enforcement of construction codes and land-use ordinances in Biloxi, where an increasing amount of residential and commercial construction is taking place. “We’ve worked for years educating the public on the need to obtain the proper permits, to make sure that contractors are city licensed, and, most […]

The Biloxi City Council on Tuesday will consider passing a watered-down version of the FEMA-recommended flood elevations designed to reduce the damage from storms and flooding. During a 1:30 meeting at City Hall, members of the council will propose that the city continue using a map that FEMA created 23 years ago to identify flood-prone […]

Clark Grffith, the retired Air Force lieutenant general who has answered Mayor A.J. Holloway’s call to duty and has served as the city’s point person on two major issues, was named the city’s Volunteer of the Year during the 23rd Annual Volunteer Recognition ceremony Thursday evening. An audience of nearly 400 people attended the gathering […]

Updated progress reports from several of the committees working on the city’s Reviving the Renaissance initiative are now on the Biloxi web site. To see the meeting notices and minutes from recent committee meetings, click here. Visitors to the Renaissance site also will find a video of Mayor A.J. Holloway’s remarks at the March 30 […]

Operators of Grand Casino are on track to become the first casino operators in Biloxi to request a zoning change to take advantage of post-Katrina laws allowing shore-based gaming. A request by the Grand and property owners Mavar Inc. and Mastar Inc. to change the zoning for 8.62 acres of land – north of U.S. […]

The City Council will meet Tuesday at 9 a.m. to discuss the proposed new flood elevations, which will have a dramatic impact on new construction in the city. The council may vote on the new measure at their 1:30 meeting Tuesday afternoon, The new elevations will mean that new homes would have to be elevated […]

Organizers of this year’s Blessing of the Fleet and Biloxi Shrimp Festival are accepting applications for 2006 Shrimp Queen contestants. Contestants must be ages 16-19 and must be affiliated with the shrimp industry. Those interested in competing should contact Emily Burke at (228) 435-6370 or via e-mail at eburke@biloxi.ms.us. This year’s blessing and shrimp festival, […]

Biloxi currently has nearly $160 million in funding requests pending with FEMA, Mayor A.J. Holloway announced today. Holloway, during remarks at a Biloxi Chamber of Commerce “Breakfast with the Mayor” gathering at IP Casino Resort this morning, said the city’s $159 million in requests is based on damage assessments at dozens of storm-damaged city-owned assets, […]

Biloxi Mayor A.J. Holloway today announced that the city has nearly $160 million in requests pending with FEMA, covering tens of millions of dollars in repairs to city facilities and reimbursement for storm-related expenses. To read more about the issue, click here. Mayor: More than 88 percent of eligible debris removed Mayor A.J. Holloway told […]

The Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum in Biloxi is now offering 2½-hour walk-on sails for individuals on the museums two 65’ wooden Biloxi schooners. Cost is $25 for adults or $10 for children, and major credit cards are accepted. Those interested may purchase tickets from the captain at the boat, about 15 minutes before sail […]

The deadline to submit nominations for the city’s upcoming Volunteer Recognition Awards has been extended to Friday, which should allow residents and groups adequate time to nominate worthy individuals, businesses or groups. “As of this afternoon, we’ve received only a handful of nominations,” said Emily Burke, who is organizing the 23rd annual ceremony, which is […]

Clark Griffith, chairman of the Reviving the Renaissance initiative, has been invited to cut the ribbon Friday for the grand opening of what developers promote as affordable residences. The so-called Steel Magnolia Cottages, being constructed by Master Steel Buildings Inc. will be one of the options for so-called “transitional housing” for residents to consider as […]

‘GMA’ to broadcast segments from Biloxi Biloxi and south Mississippi will be in the national spotlight again Wednesday morning when Robin Roberts of “Good Morning America”: hosts several segments from Biloxi. During the program, which airs locally from 7 to 9 a.m., Roberts and representatives of the Disney company, including Mickey Mouse, are scheduled to […]

A fish fry to benefit the Mississippi Special Olympics program will be held Friday, April 7 from 11 a.m. to noon at the Lopez-Quave Public Safety Center. For information on placing your order or to make arrangements to have it delivered, click here. Help recognize our community’s volunteers You can be a part of the […]

Hurricane Katrina had a tremendous impact on the historic character of Gulf Coast, destroying many beloved landmarks and damaging numerous historic homes, businesses and churches. Do you know someone who is working to save a historic structure damaged in Hurricane Katrina? Please share their story and help the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the […]

Visitors to the Vieux Marche or Town Green this Saturday will find a daylong “Hop to the Vieux” spring festival with arts and crafts booths, a farmers market, and Easter Egg Hunt. Biloxi Main Street along with the city and non-profit organizations are sponsoring the affair, which has a daylong schedule of events: 7 a.m. […]

Members of the Biloxi City Council will meet Tuesday morning at 11:30 and return that afternoon for their regular 1:30 meeting, which will include three measures involving a proposed 84-unit condo development near the site of the former Biloxi Hilton on west beach. The 11:30 meeting is actually a public hearing to hear comments regarding […]