Category Archives: Your City At Work | Page 5

Your City at Work

Paving well underway on Division, Lameuse

Paving on major thoroughfares in east Biloxi continues to make progress. Warren Paving Co. had two lanes of asphalt on Division Street from Lee to Caillavet by midday today, and paving on Lameuse Street south of Division was expected to be complete by the end of the day. The temporary paving is a continuation of […]

Easter egg drop, Hiller events moved to Sunday

The raindrops have won over the egg drop. The inaugural Easter Egg drop at MGM Park, planned for Saturday, has been moved to Sunday afternoon to avoid the forecasted inclement weather on Saturday. A Harrison County Sheriff’s Office helicopter will drop more than 12,000 prize-filled eggs onto the field at MGM Park on Sunday. The […]

Popp’s Ferry extension meeting is next week

The City of Biloxi takes another step in the process to see a new road connecting Popp’s Ferry and U.S. 90 next week when a hearing will be held to gather public reaction to two proposed routes for the new roadway. The public will have a chance to review and comment on the two proposed […]

Main, Division paving running ahead of schedule

It’s been months in the making, and longtime Main Street business owners were so excited to see asphalt going down on their street this morning that they couldn’t wait to have a ribbon-cutting ceremony. And Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich and Ward 2 Councilmember Felix O. Gines complied. Inez Thomas of Inez’s Cafe and Tyrone Burton […]

Gilich outlines paving plans for east Biloxi

Warren Paving Co. began grading Main Street today and expects to have paving underway on the roadway Friday or Monday, weather permitting. Announcement of the east Biloxi work was part of Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich’s presentation to the Biloxi Chamber’s Breakfast with the Mayor session this morning at IP Casino Resort Spa. The temporary paving […]

Biloxi, ACLU settle lawsuit over jailing of indigent people

The American Civil Liberties Union and the city of Biloxi have settled a federal lawsuit that alleged the jailing of people unable to pay court-ordered fines and fees in traffic and other misdemeanor cases. As part of the settlement, Biloxi has initiated policies that both parties agree are a model for courts in Mississippi and […]

Gilich to update issues Wednesday morning

Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich will discuss the pending temporary paving on roadways in east Biloxi and a host of the projects during the Biloxi Chamber’s “Breakfast with the Mayor” session on Wednesday at 8 a.m. at the IP Casino Resort Spa. The free program, which will be in the IP ballroom, is designed to give […]

Council to discuss slip fees in first of two meetings

The fees for slips at the Biloxi Small Craft Harbor and Point Cadet Marina, and how those fees are determined, will be discussed during a special meeting of the Biloxi City Council on Tuesday morning at 10:30 at City Hall. The morning meeting will preface an afternoon meeting where councilmembers face an agenda of nearly […]

Grillin’ postponed; Hibernia to roll as scheduled

Organizers of the annual Grillin’ on the Green, the barbecue and crafts fair planned for this weekend on the Town Green, have decided to postpone the event until April 16 because of the threat of inclement weather, but the Hibernia Marching Society says it’s still a green light for the St. Pat’s parade on Saturday. […]

Biloxi Cub Scouts have a Treasure of a movie

When Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich met with the members of Cub Scout Pack 213 Wednesday, he was also meeting with the stars of new short film “The Boonies:  Hidden Treasure of Biloxi.” That’s right. The kids from Pack 213 are the ensemble cast of the slickly produced short that gives hi-def screen time to such […]

A new Biloxi tradition: An Easter Egg drop

For years, Biloxi has become known for hosting a number of Easter Egg hunts and related events in the days and weeks leading up to Easter Sunday, but a new tradition will be launched this year: eggs falling from the sky. Yep, you read that right.  A helicopter will drop more than 12,000 treat-filled eggs […]

City seeks volunteer nominees

Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich and the Biloxi City Council are inviting residents to help recognize outstanding volunteers at the 33rd Annual Volunteer Recognition Ceremony. The ceremony will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 28 at the Biloxi Civic Center, 578 Howard Ave.  Invitations will be sent to all nominators and nominees. Awards will be […]

Get hoppy, a mad potter and more this weekend

Main Street ushers in the weekend and a new month this evening with its “Finally First Friday” gathering throughout downtown, you’ll find MGM Park’s inaugural high school baseball game this evening, and on Saturday the Rube Goldberg-like potter Steve Barney is back for daylong outdoor shows. Main Street’s Finally First Friday kicks off at 5:30 […]

MGM’s high school baseball debut pushed back a day

The inaugural high school baseball game in MGM Park is going to have to wait a day. The matchup between the Biloxi Indians and D’Iberville Warriors, billed as the Battle of Back Bay Tomahawk Cup, has been pushed back from this evening to Friday at 7 p.m. Tickets sold for this evening will be honored […]

Gilich lauds governor for Keesler gate funding request

Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich today praised Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant for urging the state Legislature to commit $15 million of BP Economic Damages payments to the Keesler Air Force Base Division Street gate project. “Three days after I took office, Gov. Bryant was kind enough to meet with me to discuss issues important to the […]

Gilich views diverting BP funds as ‘unfair to Gulf Coast’

Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich, who has rallied local leaders on the issue of securing at least 80 percent of the state’s BP money for the Gulf Coast, said he was disappointed with today’s measure passed by the state House that would see $50 million of BP money diverted for roads and bridges projects statewide. “This […]

Three nights of baseball kicks off this evening at MGM

Shuckers baseball is still a month away, but you’ll have a chance this week to whet your appetite with three days of baseball at MGM Park. This evening at 7:05, the downtown Biloxi ballpark hosts teams Jackson State vs. Southern. Then on Wednesday at 7:05, it’s Southern Miss vs. South Alabama, and on Thursday at 7 […]

City seeks comment on Popp’s Ferry extension routes

The City of Biloxi takes another step in the process to see a new road connecting Popp’s Ferry and U.S. 90 this month when a hearing will be held to gather public reaction to two proposed routes for the new roadway. The public will have a chance to review and comment on the two proposed […]

Police Department hosts accreditation team

A team of assessors from the Mississippi Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission will be in Biloxi Thursday and Friday conducting an on-site assessment to ensure that the Biloxi Police Department is complying with professional standards. The assessors, who checks the department’s compliance with 140 measured standards, will review agency policies and practices, interview personnel, and examine […]

Council to get first look at boat slip fees

The rates for those who rent slips for boats moored at the city’s public harbors and marinas will not be changing under an updated fee structure, but the manner in which those fees have been calculated will be revised in a measure that goes before the City Council on Tuesday. The council gets its first look at the […]

Work to cause closure of Division at Caillavet

Division Street at the Caillavet Street intersection will be closed to east and westbound traffic beginning Tuesday morning at 7 so city contractors can make emergency sewer repairs at the site. Lane Construction expects to keep Caillavet Street open to traffic during the work, but motorists traveling Division Street will detour at either Bohn or […]

Mayor, council to discuss infrastructure oversight today

Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich has called a special meeting of the Biloxi City Council for 4 p.m. today to discuss granting a two-month extension for the firm overseeing the city’s massive infrastructure work. Under the proposal, HNTB would continue overseeing the $355 million in infrastructure work until April 29. HNTB has agreed to continue the […]

Black history program to honor Moffett, public safety workers

Tommy Moffett says when he was named the city’s first black police chief in 1986, he viewed the promotion as more about doing a good job, and he brushed aside  the distinction of breaking a color barrier. “It was irrelevant to me at the time,” says Moffett, who held the rank of chief in the […]

National ‘Refresh’ program begins today in Biloxi

Main Street Biloxi District, one of seven national programs from across the country chosen as a site for a refreshed approach to comprehensive community revitalization and preservation-based economic development, will have its first series of visits today and Thursday. Kathy La Plante, senior program officer with the National Main Street Center, and Kennedy Smith, who […]

Storms lead to early school release, preparations

Biloxi Public Schools leaders have announced that students will be dismissed from class two hours early today, and city workers have been removing leaves and other debris from storm drains in low-lying areas, as residents and businesses are being encouraged to prepare for severe weather this afternoon. In fact, the National Weather Service has issued […]

Biloxi puts a fresh face on its history

Visitors to a number of high-profile landmarks in Biloxi are noticing new markers that tell the historical significance of those locations. The City of Biloxi used FEMA funding to replace 10 Katrina-destroyed stainless-steel markers that had dated back to the Blessey administration in the ’80s. The difference with the new 36-by-24-inch markers, says Biloxi Historical […]

‘The Piano Lesson,’ Leno and O’Jays on stage this weekend

Among the entertaining diversions this weekend in Biloxi: Center Stage offers its rendition of the Pulitzer and Tony award-winning show “The Piano Lesson,” Beauvoir welcomes the Southern Paranormal and Anomaly Research Society and you’ll find Jay Leno at the Beau Rivage,  and The O’Jays (“Love Train,” “I Love Music,” “Used Ta Be My Girl”) in […]

Hibernia St. Pat’s route has revisions this year

The Hibernia Marching Society St. Patrick’s parade, which takes place on Saturday, March 12, has a slightly different route this year, limiting its time on U.S. 90. The procession still begins at the Biloxi Yacht Club, but travels west toward downtown on Howard Avenue instead of U.S. 90. From Howard the parade turns south on […]

Gilich hails welcoming crowd at Biloxi Amtrak stop

“The people of Biloxi did a great job,” Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich says of this morning’s turnout of several hundred people to greet Amtrak at CTA’s Biloxi Transit Center. “Senator Wicker, the governor and the Amtrak folks were impressed with what they saw when the Amtrak train pulled into Biloxi.” Gilich, his wife, Serena, and […]

Boney named as Biloxi’s Outstanding Citizen

Biloxi Fire Chief Joe Boney was named today as Biloxi’s Outstanding Citizen for 2015 in a Lions Club luncheon. Boney was cited as someone who has “blended his love of his community and its colorful history with his passion for firefighting and making Biloxi a better place to live.” Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich read a […]

Amtrak stop: Be a part of the festive fun

Biloxi’s Amtrak visit on Thursday morning is becoming quite the pep rally, with the Biloxi High pep band, cheerleaders and dance troupe, Biloxi Second Liners Mardi Gras Club, the Old Biloxi Marching Club, food vendors, and, of course, the Amtrak inspection train, which is scheduled to pull into CTA’s Biloxi Transit Center at 11:21 a.m. […]

State of the City: Emotional, online and the future

Observations and follow-up news from Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich’s inaugural address on Tuesday: All ‘FoFo’ all the time: Beginning at 1 p.m. today Cable One in Biloxi began a 48-hour marathon replay of Mayor Gilich’s complete State of the City presentation. The 45-minute cablecast, which begins at the top of every hour, can be viewed […]

Gilich speaks of the roads to the future

Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich, speaking today to a standing-room audience in his first State of the City address, acknowledged the poor condition of roads under construction in east Biloxi and made two promises about the work: temporary paving is in the works for major thoroughfares, and residents and businesses would not see a repeat when […]

State of the City luncheon: sold out, but accessible

If you failed to buy one of the 700 tickets for Tuesday’s State of the City luncheon, you’ll still be able to see the mayor’s presentation. Doors to the sold-out Biloxi Bay Chamber luncheon at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino open at 11 a.m., with the program beginning at 11:30. Text and photos from […]

Baseball underway now at MGM Park

Community college baseball is underway at MGM Park right now, with the Gulf Coast Bulldogs hosting St. Louis Community College. The first game of the doubleheader began moments ago, at 4 p.m., and the second game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. The baseball contest, part of the Bulldogs’ 18-game slate this season at […]

Police thank public for smooth Mardi Gras

“The word’s getting out that we have a really nice family-oriented Mardi Gras,” Biloxi Police Chief John Miller says of the two Biloxi parades, which collectively attracted as many as 80,000 people with a record-low number of arrests. “On behalf of Mayor Gilich and the City Council, we want to thank the public for making […]

Extra! Extra! It’s here! Things to know for today’s parade

The Gulf Coast Carnival Association parade begins at 1 p.m. in downtown Biloxi, with dozens of units and marching groups, and Biloxi Police are reminding paradegoers that streets along the parade route will begin closing at noon. Theme of this year’s parade is “Extra! Extra!” with a nod to newspaper headlines from epic events through […]

Neptune to usher in Biloxi parades

More than 60 floats, including nearly a dozen bands, have been lined up for the Krewe of Neptune parade, which makes its way through downtown Biloxi on Saturday, beginning at 5:30 p.m. “We’re ready to kick off a great four days of Carnival fun,” Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich said, referring to a weekend of parades […]

‘New’ and old measures on City Council agenda

Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich on Tuesday evening will ask the City Council to move forward on several proposals that have been on the agenda for a couple of meetings now, and a multi-million BP-funded project that has been in the works for years, completion of a waterfront park at the Popp’s Ferry causeway. The City […]

Children’s Mardi Gras parade rolls Saturday

Dozens of youngsters will be on bikes, trikes, wagons and other contraptions Saturday morning in downtown Biloxi for the annual Children’s Walking Mardi Gras Parade. The procession, which begins at 10 a.m., is one of a half-dozen parades scheduled to roll on the Mississippi Gulf Coast this weekend. The children’s parade, open to those 12 […]

Gilich wants big splash for Amtrak stop in Biloxi

Amtrak and the Southern Rail Commission have announced a tour of the railway between New Orleans and Jacksonville, Fla., will take place next month, and Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich says he wants the Biloxi stop, on Feb. 18 at 11:21 a.m., to be a pep rally to promote a revival of passenger rail service on the […]

Museum hosts ‘Cup of Joe’ Thursday morning

Visitors to the Maritime and Seafood Industry on Thursday morning will be able to hear personal recollections of the life and times of Joe Moran when two of his daughters, Mary and Beverly, host “Cup of Joe,” part of the Point Cadet museum’s retrospective of the famed Biloxi artist. The session begins at 9 a.m. […]

Myriad issues on council agenda Tuesday

A number of lingering issues – regulation of taxicabs and other vehicles for hire, better oversight on tree permits, and adjusting the city’s water, sewer and garbage rates – may be resolved by the Biloxi City Council next week. Councilmembers, who meet Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 at Biloxi City Hall, face an agenda with measures […]

Judge rules in Biloxi’s favor in Golden Nugget rent dispute

A Harrison County Circuit judge has ruled in favor of the City of Biloxi and State of Mississippi in a rent dispute involving the Golden Nugget that could have meant millions of dollars in lost revenue over the long-term lease. In a ruling issued this week, Circuit Court Judge Roger T. Clark found that the […]

Second Liners to parade Saturday

The Biloxi Second Liners parade, which originated as a neighborhood parade of children and wagons and today boasts dozens of units, will roll Saturday at 1 p.m. The Second Liners parade is one of five parades this weekend on the Mississippi Gulf Coast as the march to Fat Tuesday, Feb. 9, continues. This year’s parade […]

Reminder: Fair Housing workshop is Thursday

The city’s Office of Federal Programs wants to make sure you know your rights and the law when it comes to fair housing. As part of the educational outreach efforts of the city’s Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice, a Fair Housing Act and Americans with Disabilities Act workshop will be conducted Thursday at […]

Mardi Gras safety tips: Before, during and after the parade

The City of Biloxi encourages you to have a spirited-yet-safe time at Mardi Gras. In order to make the occasion a safe one, the Biloxi Police Department asks that you follow these suggestions, which are more than suggestions in many cases: Before the parade — Carpool and anticipate traffic delays. Appoint a designated driver. Obey […]

Gilich proposes tree committee, more oversight

Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich is proposing changing the city’s tree ordinance to create a seven-member advisory committee and provide more oversight over the process. The new ordinance, set to be voted on during the council meeting on Jan. 26, is the result of pleadings by dozens of residents more than two years ago for more input […]

MLK to have an MGM flavor this year

The streets in downtown Biloxi on Monday will be filled with marching bands in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and this year’s event will culminate with the Battle of the Bands in MGM Park. The MLK “Marade” and Battle of the Bands will begin at 11 with a parade that will travel west […]

City Council rejects Renda bid, discusses water rates

The Biloxi City Council this morning approved Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich’s recommendation to reject the bid of Oscar Renda Contracting  for infrastructure work south of the CSX railway, and authorized the mayor to work with contactor Hemphill Construction for a price closer to Renda’s $82.9 million proposal. Councilmembers voted to reject the Renda bid because […]

Gilich encouraged by talk of new passenger rail service

Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich says he is encouraged by a new report by Amtrak that shows a number of scenarios where daily passenger service could return to the Gulf Coast. “The most important thing about this Amtrak study is that is it an acknowledgement that daily passenger rail service for the Gulf Coast is viable,” […]

City to host Fair Housing workshop

As part of the city’s educational outreach efforts to comply with the goals set forth in Biloxi’s Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice, a Fair Housing Act and Americans with Disabilities Act workshop is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 21, at 5:30 p.m. in the Community Development Department’s Auditorium. The meeting is free and open to the […]

Section of Popp’s Ferry Road to close Saturday

Popp’s Ferry Road east of Cedar Lake Road will be closed Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to allow contactors to install underground utilities as part of the widening of Popp’s Ferry Road. The work will be taking place between Motsie Road and Ellington Drive; motorists are advised to use Brodie Road as an […]

City to consider south contract, temporary paving

Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich on Friday will be asking the Biloxi City Council to move forward with infrastructure work south of the CSX railway and to spend city money to temporarily pave major thoroughfares in the current construction zone north of the railway. Gilich has called a special meeting of the council for Friday at […]

City considering across-the-board water rate increase

Water and sewer rates for all Biloxi homes and businesses would increase anywhere from 4 to 7 percent under a new rate scenario being considered by the City Council. The council will have a workshop for Friday at 10:30 a.m. to discuss the issue. The meeting will be held at City Hall and is open […]

Seafood museum to unveil Joe Moran exhibition

A new exhibit about renowned Biloxi artist Joe Moran at the Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum promises to offer unique insight into the master boatbuilder who later became a celebrated Biloxi artist. The “Joe Moran Retrospective” opens Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and runs through March 15 at the Point Cadet museum, and visitors will be […]

Bus celebrating ADA milestone to visit Biloxi

The Road To Freedom Bus, a traveling showcase designed to raise awareness of the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, will be in Biloxi Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., south of the Biloxi Lighthouse. The bus, which will be open for tours, features displays on The ADA Legacy Project and its […]

Lions Club seeks nominees for Biloxi’s Outstanding Citizen

The Biloxi Lions Club is now accepting nominations for Biloxi’s Outstanding Citizen of the Year, who will be recognized during a luncheon at the Biloxi Yacht Club on Wednesday, Feb. 17. Nominations are due at Biloxi City Hall by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3. Forms can be obtained at the Biloxi Visitors Center or online […]

Mayor names Billy Ray Allen as acting Public Works director

Billy Ray Allen, who has worked in the city’s Public Works Department for more than 40 years, has been named acting director of the department. Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich made the announcement today. Dan Gaillet submitted his resignation last week to spend more time with a son who is recovering from a catastrophic automobile accident. Allen, […]

City continuing to review water rate proposals

Members of the Biloxi City Council have asked Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich for alternative proposals for increasing water and sewer rates, which could mean increases for all Biloxi residents and businesses, instead of only the high-end users under the administration’s proposal. “It’s still early in the process,” Chief Administrative Officer David Nichols said, “and we […]

Biloxi firefighters seek donations for relief trip

A group of six to 10 volunteers from the Biloxi Fire Department will be making a return relief trip to Three Forks next week to help four volunteer firefighters who lost their homes in a devastating tornado that struck days before Christmas. Some of the Biloxi firefighters will be making the six-hour drive to the […]

City Desk: Latest on infrastructure, water rates and more

The City Desk podcast returns from a two-week holiday break today with updates on a host of major city initiatives. Among the progress reports in the program that was recorded this morning: the status of ongoing infrastructure work and how the program will change as it moves south of the CSX railway, the proposed increases […]

State of the City luncheon seats now available

Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich will deliver his inaugural State of the City address on Tuesday, Feb. 16 in a Biloxi Bay Chamber of Commerce-sponsored luncheon at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino. Gilich, who will have been in office nine months when he makes his presentation, will discuss the city’s ongoing program of work since […]

Register your child for Children’s Mardi Gras parade

Applications are now available for the annual Biloxi Children’s Mardi Gras Walking Parade, which is open to those ages 12 and under. Participants can walk, bike, skate or be pushed in strollers or wagons in this parade, which takes place Saturday, Jan. 30.  Applications are being distributed this week through Biloxi schools and can also be […]

Local culinary delights on tap for Twelfth Night

Gumbo and bread pudding from Mary Mahoney’s Old French House Restaurant, pasta from the Half Shell Oyster House and king cakes from Le Bakery will be on the menu for this evening’s Twelfth Night celebration, which kicks off at 5 at the Visitors Center before moving to the Mardi Gras Museum. The Visitors Center portion […]

Council to consider water rates, tax abatements and short-term rentals

The Biloxi City Council ushers in the New Year with two meetings on Tuesday, a 4 p.m. workshop to discuss water and sewer rates and ongoing infrastructure work, followed by a 6 p.m. meeting where council members will vote on whether to amend the city’s tax abatement program. Both meetings will be at City Hall, […]

Twelfth Night gathering to signal arrival of Carnival season

The Gulf Coast will officially change from the holiday season to Carnival season on Tuesday with the celebration of Twelfth Night beginning with a 5 p.m. gathering at the Biloxi Visitors Center, followed by a parade to the Mardi Gras Museum. “The Biloxi Visitors Center is where we began the holiday season, with the lighting […]

Lorraine Road bridge to close Monday

The Lorraine Road bridge, which connects Biloxi and Gulfport and spans the Biloxi River, will be closed to traffic for as long as six months beginning Monday, as contractors continue making progress on having a wider, more efficient bridge in place for June. Beginning Jan. 4, those traveling the Lorraine Road area will have to use […]

City eyes new water, sewer rates for high-end users

Biloxi is looking to raise its water and sewer rates for the first time since 2009, and nearly 90 percent of the city’s customers will not be affected. And those who do get the new rates will still be paying among the lowest on the Gulf Coast The Biloxi City Council on Tuesday will consider […]

Mayors recognized for work with homeless veterans

Julian Castro, the U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, called Mayors Andrew “FoFo” Gilich of Biloxi and Billy Hewes of Gulfport this afternoon to congratulate the two city leaders on their efforts to help end homelessness among veterans. In fact, Castro told the mayors and other local housing advocates, the U.S. Department of Housing […]

East Biloxi infrastructure work: A third complete

Infrastructure work at the eastern tip of the Biloxi peninsula, that area bordering Oak Street north of the CSK railway, is 85 percent complete, according to the latest report from the city’s Public Works Department. The report, which provides a snapshot of work completed through Nov. 25, shows that 33 percent of the overall work […]

Mayor Gilich’s New Year’s message

“As 2015 draws to an end, I take this opportunity to thank the hundreds of City of Biloxi employees for all their hard work and dedicated service to our citizens. “Since becoming Mayor in May, I’ve gained an even greater appreciation of the job performed by our staff because of their professional response to the […]

Mayor Gilich’s Christmas message

“During this holiday season, my wife Serena and I wanted to take this opportunity to thank the great people of Biloxi and the Mississippi Coast for the tremendous support and sincere good wishes they have blessed upon us this year. “I was humbled when my hometown elected me to serve as its Mayor. It’s the […]

Gaillet to leave Biloxi Public Works post

Biloxi Public Works Director Dan Gaillet, whose son has continued to undergo physical therapy since suffering catastrophic injuries in a car accident shortly after Gaillet joined the city two years ago, has announced that he is stepping down from his city position effective Jan. 4. Gaillet (pronounced “guy-yaa”), who was hired by Mayor A.J. Holloway […]

Visitors Center open house highlights weekend

Dozens of artists and craftsmen will be showing and selling their wares Saturday for the Biloxi Visitors Center Holiday Open House. The 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. affair, which is free and open to the public, offers Christmas shoppers a last-minute opportunity to find locally created arts and crafts. Vendors will be set up throughout […]

Council OKs plans for subdivisions, bowling alley

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in Community Development, the City Council approved the preliminary plats for two new single family subdivision developments. The two new developments, to be located in the Woolmarket area, will provide 217 new, market rate, single family lots. Also this week, the Development Review Committee, reviewed site plans for a new […]

City unveils plans for Tidelands, Restore Act applications

The City of Biloxi is applying for $14.75 million in Tidelands funds for waterfront improvements along Back Bay and west beach, and at the same time is applying for more than $112 million in funds through the state’s Restore Act. The proposals include improvements and expansions of city marinas and harbors for recreational and charter […]

Lorraine Road bridge to close for six months

The Lorraine Road bridge, which connects Biloxi and Gulfport and spans the Biloxi River, will be closed to traffic for as long as six months beginning Jan. 4, as contractors continue making progress on having a wider, more efficient bridge in place for June. Beginning Jan. 4, those traveling the Lorraine Road area will have to […]

Hiller Park welcomes holidays this weekend

Hiller Park ushers in the holidays Saturday with a daylong “Spirit of Christmas at Hiller Park” celebration at the Barbara Ferrill Softball Fields. This first-year event, organized by the Friends of Hiller Park Committee, will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will include a children’s area filled with games, arts and crafts area, […]

Council to consider infrastructure, financial oversight

Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich will ask the City Council on Tuesday to consider action on a number of big-ticket issues: improving oversight of the ongoing federally funded infrastructure projects, better monitoring of city finances and speeding up the process of paying contractors working on infrastructure work. The mayor has called a workshop for 10:30 Tuesday […]

DRC reviews plans for retail center, Natatorium expansion

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in Community Development, the Development Review Committee approved (with minor modifications) the site plan for the 12,000 sq. ft. professional and retail center to be located at the northwest corner of Lorraine and Woolmarket Roads. Also this week, we completed the plans review for the addition to the Biloxi […]

City Desk: New hotel, Woolmarket plans and Scarlet Pearl

Did you know the city has sold a beachfront parcel of land to make way for a new hotel? You can hear about that, along with a status report on other hotel projects, plans for Woolmarket and the city’s reaction to the opening of the Scarlet Pearl in D’Iberville in this week’s City Desk podcast. […]

Section of Bayview Avenue now open to traffic

The stretch of Bayview Avenue from Caillavet to past Boomtown Casino now has its initial coat of asphalt, meaning all lanes of the roadway are open to traffic. Oscar Renda Contracting opened the roadway Thursday evening at 7, four days ahead of its Dec. 15 target date. For months, motorists using the section of Bayview […]

Popp’s Ferry widening remains on track

The project to widen the final mile-long stretch of Popp’s Ferry Road between Cedar Lake and the D’Iberville city limits remains on schedule for a summertime opening. Contactors last week activated new traffic signals at Cedar Lake and Popp’s Ferry roads, and drainage is 80 percent complete on the project. All sewer has been installed […]

Gilich applauds first installment for broadband initiative

Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich said he was pleased to see Gov. Phil Bryant include $5 million of his pledged $15 million for broadband expansion among the monies designated for recovery projects from the BP oil spill. The governor announced Wednesday at a news conference that $54 million in projects had been selected for funding from […]

Forum to help identify historic buildings in Division, Main area

Local and community leaders are asking for the public’s help in identifying historic structures in the Division and Main streets. A community forum will be held Tuesday, Dec. 15 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Our Mother of Sorrows School, 800 Division St. “This is an area that has been considered historic for a long […]

Gilich congratulates D’Iberville on Scarlet Pearl opening

With promises of support and words of encouragement, Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich this morning congratulated the City of D’Iberville on the opening of the Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort. “Our friends in D’Iberville have worked so hard for so long for this day, and we share in their excitement about the potential of Scarlet Pearl not […]

City to create master plan for Woolmarket utilities

The City of Biloxi this week begins advertising for engineers to design drainage plans for a section of East Woolmarket Road, but, more importantly says, Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich, the city is also advertising for qualified engineers to work on a master plan for utilities and infrastructure in the Woolmarket and Eagle Point areas. Proposals […]

Now is the time to help Santa Wears a Badge program

The Biloxi Police Department’s Santa Wears a Badge program, which provides Christmastime toys for children and treats for seniors, is entering its final week, and, as usual, demand is outpacing supply. For years, the Biloxi Police have organized a toy drive providing for children up to age 11, and in recent years the program has […]

Christmas parades by land and sea, plus much more

Biloxi will have land and water Christmas parades this weekend, along with the lighting of the Town Green and a downtown arts and crafts fair. The Children’s Christmas Walking Parade this evening at 6 kicks off the weekend. A fire truck carrying Santa and Mrs. Claus will be the main attraction of the parade, which […]

Detailed updates available on road work

The city’s Public Works Department is now publishing detailed monthly reports on the infrastructure work in east Biloxi, providing residents an easy-to-read status report on work in their particular neighborhood. The reports, in map form, are based on the monthly pay requests from contractor Oscar Renda Contracting, which means they will show progress for the […]

Council OKs property sale for Hilton Garden Inn

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in Community Development , the Biloxi City Council approved the sale of surplus property on Beach Boulevard to hotel developers for the construction of a Hilton Garden Inn. The hotel development will be located on the former specialty hospital property, east of the old Santa Maria Del Mar. The […]

Get this: Katrina story is helping fight homelessness

A new holiday project by the Open Doors Homeless Coalition is using Hurricane Katrina to help fight homelessness on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Through an arrangement with the City of Biloxi and Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, the Open Doors Homeless Coalition, an advocacy group dedicated to ending homelessness, is offering to ship two Katrina books […]

Lighthouse dons its Christmas best Thursday night

It all began with a 50-year-old photo of a Christmas-garbed Biloxi Lighthouse, and Thursday night revelers can take part in a new Biloxi tradition: the Christmas lighting of the Biloxi Lighthouse. The ceremony, where Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich will flip a switch to energize red and silver garlands draped from the top of the 64-foot […]

Biloxi one of seven in U.S. to receive Main Street ‘Refresh’

Main Street Biloxi District was one of seven programs selected from across the United States to serve as demonstration sites for a refreshed approach to comprehensive community revitalization and preservation-based economic development, it was announced Wednesday. Biloxi, Philadelphia (Penn.), Milledgeville (Ga.), Detroit (Mich.), Gary (Ind.), Lexington (Ky.) and Miami (Fla.) were named by the National […]

Lighthouse dons its Christmas best Thursday night

It all began with a 50-year-old photo of a Christmas-garbed Biloxi Lighthouse, and Thursday night revelers can take part in a new Biloxi tradition: the Christmas lighting of the Biloxi Lighthouse. The ceremony, where Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich will flip a switch to energize red and silver garlands draped from the top of the 64-foot […]

New signals go in service this evening at Cedar-Popp’s

The new cantilevered traffic signals at the Cedar-Popp’s intersection, part of the project of widen Popp’s Ferry Road, will be installed tonight beginning at 10 o’clock. Motorists are advised to use caution in the area, as flagmen and electrical workers will be working in and near the roadway. The work, incidentally, is being done late […]

Library to unveil exhibit on WWII veteran Louis Hengen

The Local History and Genealogy Department at the Biloxi Public Library will host a salute to World War II veteran and Biloxi native Louis Hengen during a program on Saturday at 3 p.m. The exhibit, which is free and open to the public, covers five years of the life of Hengen who served before and during […]

City Council meets twice on Tuesday

The Biloxi City Council has called a special meeting for Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. to discuss issues involving infrastructure work in east Biloxi, and the council will have its regularly scheduled meeting at 6 p.m. Both meetings will be at City Hall and are open to the public. The 4:30 meeting will be in an […]

City releases list of Christmas events

The City of Biloxi, just like Santa, is making a list, but this one is not who’s naughty or nice; it’s a compendium of city-sponsored holiday events. You’ll find the city’s traditional fare, such as the Christmas lighting of the Biloxi Lighthouse and Town Green and Christmas on the Water, but you’ll also find a […]

Old Highway 67 work begins Monday after Thanksgiving

Good news, Woolmarket motorists: The Woolmarket Plantation sewer installation work that’s going to close parts of Old Highway 67 for a month has been pushed back until after the Thanksgiving holiday. The section of Old Highway 67 in Woolmarket will be closed to traffic for a month beginning Monday at 9 a.m. so city contractors […]

Christmas in Biloxi: Your guide to holiday events

Thursday, Dec. 3: Lighting of the Biloxi Lighthouse The city ushers in the Christmas season with the lighting of the Biloxi Lighthouse from 5:30 to 7 p.m., south of the Biloxi Visitors Center, 1050 Beach Blvd.  Santa Clause will be on site with cookies and hot chocolate!  For more information, call the Biloxi Visitors Center at 228-374-3105.   […]

Music and more on tap this weekend

The Charlie Daniels Band, Daughtry, Creedence Clearwater Revisited are among the entertainers in town this weekend, and you’ll find “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast” on stage at Biloxi Little Theater. Meantime, the Mississippi Coast Coliseum is also hosting public ice skating each weekend through Jan. 10. See the entire weekend lineup   City Desk: Refugee […]

Council OKs vacation of Camille Street

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in community development, the city council voted unanimously to approve the vacation of Camille Street, between Reynoir and Croesus Streets, and to accept the dedication of a portion of Croesus Street at Beach Boulevard for the purpose of making access improvements to the traffic intersection. This approval also included a […]

Police Explorers selling pusharatas — and they deliver

The Biloxi Police Explorers has a tasty fundraising drive underway. The group will be making the Coratian treat pusharatas and delivering them to Biloxians for $7 a dozen. The Pusharatas will be delivered between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 25. Orders are being taken through Nov. 23. Contact 228-385-3033 or bwescovich@biloxi.ms.us. Learn more […]

Part of Old Highway 67 to close for month for final leg of sewer work

A section of Old Highway 67 in Woolmarket will be closed to traffic for a month beginning Monday so city contractors can install the final sewer lines in a year-long $4.8 million project. The last phase of construction, which covers three-quarters of a mile, will be taking place on Old Highway 67 from near the […]

Gilich presents ambitious vision to council

“You can’t get anything done without a plan and without a vision,” Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich says, and this morning the mayor presented a list of more than two-dozen big-ticket items for the Biloxi City Council to consider as the beginnings of a seven-year plan. The list totaled more than $700 million that could be […]

Workshop will have more of an informal flavor

Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich and members of the Biloxi City Council will be seated at the same table this morning in a workshop setting that the mayor hopes will encourage thoughtful consideration and discussion of policy issues. The session begins at 11 a.m. at City Hall and is open to the public. Among the issues Gilich […]

Gilich: Avoid speculation on refugee issue

Speculation about Syrian refugees being relocated to Biloxi is misinformed and creating unnecessary anxiety, Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich said today. Gilich said his administration has spoken with Catholic Social Services, which some Internet stories have identified as the agency being the conduit for refugees to relocate. Catholic Social Services has been in contact with immigration […]

Seafood museum design lauded by state architects

Biloxi’s Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum, the gleaming “boat in a bottle” museum on the eastern tip of the Biloxi peninsula, has been given the highest architectural design award by the state chapter of the American Institute of Architects. The state AIA’s Design Awards Celebration “seeks to applaud architecture and design by bringing attention to […]

Police: Residents should use free online property service

The Biloxi Police Department is recommending that residents take advantage of a free, secure online service to record serial numbers and upload images for phones, electronics, and other valuables to help recover items that may be stolen or lost. LeadsOnline, a service the police have used for years, has developed a new service, ReportIt, that allows […]

Weekend preview: Running, walking and flagging

A trio of outdoor events are planned in east Biloxi this weekend: The 32nd annual Mayor’s Cup 5K run at 9 a.m. at City Hall, the Walk to End Alzheimers at 9 a.m. on the Town Green, and the Second Annual West End Hose Co. No. 3 Fire Museum Flag Football Tournament at 9 a.m. at […]

Gilich calls special meeting for Tuesday

Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich has called a special meeting of the Biloxi City Council for Tuesday at 11 a.m. to discuss a number of long-range and big-ticket items. The meeting, which will be held at City Hall, is open to the public. Among the issues Gilich plans to discuss are strategic planning for capital improvement […]

Police warn of scam involving power bill

Some Mississippi Power customers have reported receiving suspicious calls from persons representing themselves as power company collections employees, Biloxi Police say. During the calls, customers were told they will encounter a service interruption unless payment was received immediately. In order to facilitate payment, customers were instructed to go to various points of sale and transfer […]

Permit issued for demolition work at Santa Maria

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in community development, the department issued the demolition permit for the former Santa Maria Del Mar Structure located on Beach Boulevard. The demolition will include removing everything except the superstructure frame. The sale of the property to Barrington Development LLC, was completed last week, and will allow the developers to proceed […]

Mickey Bradley dinner tonight at Gruich Center

Hundreds of Biloxians will be on hand this evening at the Dr. Frank G. Gruich Sr. Community Center to honor Mickey Bradley during the Biloxi Bay Chamber’s “Biloxian Made Good” honoree. The sold-out affairs begins at 6 p.m. at the Howard Avenue center. (A Bmail earlier today mistakenly said the dinner would be at the […]

Mayor’s Cup spills into downtown Saturday

Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich will be firing the starting gun to launch his first Mayor’s Cup Run on Saturday, an event that is expected to attract about 300 runners to downtown Biloxi for its 32nd annual presentation. “It’s one of our larger races,” says longtime Gulf Coast Running Club director Leonard Vergunst, who oversees more […]

Kress Live to offer free concert for veterans, military

Kress Live is hosting a free concert for veterans and the military this evening to mark Veterans Day and honor those in the armed forces. The concert will be headlined by Saliva, with guests Whiskey Kiss and My Hero the Villain. General admission is $20 at the door for non-military guests. Bacchus Biloxi will prepare free […]

Visitors Center to host Alex North book signing

The Biloxi Visitors Center will host a book signing with well-known Coast photographer Alex North unveiling his new book, “Mississippi Coast Blessings,”  on Tuesday, Nov. 17 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The book is a collection of images that convey North’s joy and passion through the lens of his camera.  It is, he says, a […]

Gilich wants east Biloxi roads better maintained

Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich has placed contractors on notice that roadways disrupted by the ongoing infrastructure project must be better maintained for the safety of motorists and the welfare of citizens. Gilich sent a letter to Project Manager HNTB late Monday, directing it to enforce roadway maintenance requirements placed on contractors involved in the $355 […]

Merit Health to host Breakfast with the Mayor

Merit Health Biloxi, the downtown Biloxi medical center formerly known as Biloxi Regional, will be showing off $3 million in improvements and state-of-the-art technology Tuesday morning when the facility hosts Breakfast With the Mayor. The breakfast, which begins at 8 a.m., will be held in the Merit’s recently renovated lobby, where the medical center invested […]

Flo Rida tour stops at MGM Park tonight

Pop and hip hop music icon Flo Rida’s 2015 GDFR (“Goin’ Down For Real”) World Tour rolls into MGM Park tonight. Gates to the park open at 8 p.m., according to promoter Tim Bennett. Tickets for the show, which is sponsored by Overtime Sports and Driven Entertainment, begin at $25, and are still available. The […]

BPD cites officers in awards ceremony

Leaders of the Biloxi Police Department commended several officers, civilian workers and residents during the department’s quarterly awards ceremony this morning. Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich and Police Chief John Miller presented awards during the ceremony, which was hosted by the VFW Post 2434. Supervisors of the Quarter were Michael Brennan and Darren Lea; Vickie Lee […]

Main Street to host an open house at Slay House

Attention business owners!  Biloxi Main Street is presenting a new opportunity for a local business to become part of the downtown shopping district by leasing the historic Slay House. An open house will be held this eventing from 5 to 8 at the house, which is at 128 Rue Magnolia. Main Street will be accepting […]

Planning OKs Camille Street application, short-term rentals

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in Community Development, the Biloxi Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve an application from Pegasus Development Group LLC, for the vacation of Camille Street between Reynoir and Croesus. The commission also approved the dedication of land, from the same developer, at the south end of Croesus, for the purpose of […]

VFW to host BPD quarterly awards ceremony

The Biloxi Police Department’s quarterly awards ceremony will be conducted Friday at 10 a.m. at the Veterans of Foreign Wars post on Veterans Avenue. It’s the first time the ceremony is being presented outside the Lopez-Quave Public Safety Center. It’s open to the public and light refreshments will be served. VFW Post 2434 is on […]

Gulf Regional issues RFP for Keesler study

Gulf Regional Planning Commission is now seeking proposals for qualified planners to facilitate the Joint Land Use Study to review issues related to potential effects of future growth for Biloxi, Keesler and the surrounding area. The agency, which was tasked by the City of Biloxi to oversee the 24-month process, has set Nov. 30 at 5 […]

Section of Popp’s Ferry Road to close this weekend

Popp’s Ferry Road between Cedar Lake and Lamey Street will be closed from Saturday at 8 a.m. until Sunday at 5 p.m. so workers can install new drainage lines as part of the widening of that stretch of Popp’s Ferry Road. Motorists should use either Cedar Lake Road or Lamey Street as an alternate route. The […]

DRC reviews proposed 78-room La Quinta

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in community development, the Development Review Committee was presented with the preliminary site plan for the proposed La Quinta Hotel to be located at the northwest corner of Beach Boulevard and Hopkins. The new hotel will be four stories in height and will have 78 rooms. Also at DRC, […]

Hiller Park, Edgewater Mall expect huge crowds

The heavy rainfall forecast for Halloween night is expected to actually attract more trick or treaters to two Halloween events, organizers say. Tonight’s Halloween in Hiller is actually expanding to two softball fields at Hiller Park instead of one to accommodate the expected 3,000 people and to help the flow of visitors.  On Saturday night, […]

Forecast is for rain on Halloween

There’s a 70 percent chance of rain on Saturday, Halloween night, and parents and trick or treaters should keep that thought in mind when making preparations. Among the Halloween events planned in Biloxi are Halloween in Hiller on Friday night and indoor trick or treating at Edgewater Mall on Saturday. (A Bmail on Wednesday listed […]

Lyons to present free exhibition games at MGM Thursday

Baseball fans have a chance to see some of the Coast’s best high school players in a couple of free exhibition games Thursday at MGM Park. The Barry Lyons Fall Wooden Bat League, which recently completed a six-week season at the A.J. Holloway Sports Complex, will have two showcase games Thursday at MGM Park in […]

Halloween safety tips to remember

Halloween is Saturday 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 […]

Edgewater Mall to host indoor trick or treating

The merchants of Edgewater Mall wiIl be handing out candy to family trick or treaters on Saturday, Halloween, from 5:30 until 7:30 p.m. In fact, trick or treaters can even pick up a treat bag from any of the mall’s tour entrances, and two photo booths will be set up for a complimentary photo to take home. […]

Halloween in Hiller is Friday evening; mall trick or treating is Saturday

Nearly 50 businesses will be handing out Halloween treats Friday evening from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Hiller Park for the third annual Halloween in Hiller. The affair, sponsored by the city and Friends of Hiller Park Committee, will take place in the Barbara Ferrill Softball Fields, and kick off with a costume contest for […]

Council meets twice this afternoon

The Biloxi City Council will meet twice this afternoon, at 1:30 to consider an agenda of more than two dozen items before convening a special meeting to hear a report from the Coast Transit Authority on its services and potential services in Biloxi. Both meetings will be at City Hall and are open to the […]

C-SPAN campaign bus plans stop in Biloxi

C-SPAN’s award-winning, 45-foot customized Campaign 2016 bus will visit Biloxi next month as part of a cross-country tour to promote C-SPAN’s “Road to the White House” series and introduce a customized 2016 campaign app. The bus will be available for tours at Biloxi High School on Nov. 6 from 12:45 to 2:15 p.m. Students and […]

Current road closures, conditions

Biloxi Police report the following road closures and conditions this morning: — Barricades put on the north end and south end of Cedar Lake Bridge — Howard Avenue at Cadet Street — Bayview Avenue west of Holly Street flooded. — Walmart Lane at U.S. 90,  sand on the ground — Popp’s Ferry causeway flooded — […]

Halloween events dominate the weekend

Biloxi ushers in the Halloween spirit this evening and on Saturday with two events. The Parks and Recreation’s free annual Special Needs Halloween Costume Ball will be this evening from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Donal Snyder Community Center, and on Saturday there’s an afternoon of costume contests, trick or treating and an outdoor movie […]

Work continues on ongoing projects

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in Community Development, commercial construction continues on the Hyatt Place Hotel, Casino Magic, St. Michael’s New Life Parish Center, Walmart Neighborhood Market, First Pentecostal Church, Memorial Hospital Medical Office, Dr. Diaz Surgical Center, and Butler Homes Sales and Construction Office. Final touches are being put on the MGM Park […]

Heads up: Halloween events in the offing

A quick preview of a number of city-sponsored Halloween events coming up: Halloween, Part 1: The Parks and Recreation’s free annual Special Needs Halloween Costume Ball will be Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Donal Snyder Community Center.  Individuals with physical and mental disabilities can don Halloween garb and enjoy tasty treats. Details: 228-388-7170. To see […]

Cochran announces funding for joint land-use study

Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich applauded U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran today for his leadership in obtaining a quarter-million dollars in funds that will allow the city to analyze land use issues affecting Keesler Air Force Base. Cochran, chairman of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, today announced the award of $214,000 in Department of Defense funds and […]

Parents, caution children about homecoming mischief

    Biloxi has its homecoming football game against George County Friday, but school and city leaders are asking parents to caution their children about the penalties of the mischief often associated with homecoming.     “It’s moved beyond the point of play,” Biloxi Public Schools Superintendent Arthur McMillan said, alluding to incidents that have […]

Council to hear comments on taxicab, limo regulations

The Biloxi City Council on Tuesday morning will hear comments from taxicab drivers and others about proposed regulations that would be administered by a new authority involving the cities of Biloxi, Gulfport and D’Iberville. The public hearing, which begins at 10:30 a.m. at Biloxi City Hall, is the first of two meetings the council has scheduled for […]

DRC approves plans for St. Mary’s sanctuary

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in community development, the Development Review Committee approved site plans for a new sanctuary for St. Mary’s Catholic Church on Woolmarket Road, and an addition to the Biloxi Natatorium on Father Ryan Avenue. The new church sanctuary will be 10,280 square feet and will seat approximately 300 […]

Paving expected on Bayview by Dec. 15, on Oak by mid-January

The initial coat of pavement should be applied on Bayview Avenue from Caillavet to past Boomtown Casino by Dec. 15, and all of Oak Street north of the CSX Railway should be paved by mid-January, according to the construction company working on Biloxi’s infrastructure repair and replacement program. And while trenches as deep as 18 […]

Motorists should treat bike lanes as regular lanes

The growing number of designated bike lanes on major thoroughfares in Biloxi may have some motorists wondering the rules of the road, but Biloxi Police say the answer is an easy one: “Motorists should think of a designated bike lane just as it were a lane for another vehicle. Those bike lanes are for bikes […]

Hearing set for new taxicab regulations

The cities of Biloxi, Gulfport and D’Iberville, after hearing months of complaints and comments from taxicab drivers about regulation and regulatory fees, are a step closer to moving forward with a revamped Motor Vehicle for Hire Authority. The City of Biloxi will conduct a public hearing Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 10:30 a.m. at Biloxi City […]

Library program to focus on Biloxi builder

Those anticipating the annual cemetery tour scheduled for later this month can whet their appetite Thursday when the Biloxi Public Library hosts a presentation titled “Carl Matthes: Designer of Biloxi.” The free program, sponsored by the library’s Local History and Genealogy Department, begins at 5:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. The library is at […]

Swetman wins Best of Show at Madisonville show

The Biloxi schooner Glenn L. Swetman was named the best of show and first place in its size during the 26th Annual Wooden Boat Festival in Madisonville, La., an event that attracts 30,000 people each year. The 72-foot, 49-passenger schooner, a two-masted gaff-rigged oyster schooner, with the Mike Sekul, is one of two Biloxi schooners […]

‘Turn your attention to fire prevention’ this month

Firefighters from the city’s nine fire stations will be canvassing neighborhoods this month in an effort to make sure Biloxi homes have working smoke detectors. The Fire Prevention Month effort, called “Turn Your Attention to Fire Prevention,” is a project of the Biloxi Fire Department, the American Red Cross, Firehouse Subs and volunteers being trained […]

Beach Boys to name best cruiser Saturday

Beach Boys Mike Love and Bruce Johnston will join local and state leaders at MGM Park Saturday to name the American Star Vodka Best Cruiser on the Coast. Gates to the park open at 1 p.m., and fans will be allowed on the field to view the cars, up close and personal. Judging by the […]

Council supports new roadway

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This Week in community development, the city council voted unanimously to support the construction of the Back Bay Boulevard extension. This approval will allow the owner of the Biloxi Boardwalk Marina to move forward with the development of Biloxi Pointe. The proposed  $260 Million Dollar development project will include a casino, hotel, […]

Biloxi Public Schools STEM programs to receive $1 million grant

The Biloxi Public School District has announced a five-year, $1 million  partnership with the Department of Defense Education Activity to enhance Biloxi’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics programs, also known as STEM, and provide more transitional support for military-connected students and families. The grant, known as Operation IMPACT (Improving Mathematical Practices and Access to Counseling […]

Council OKs internet, road measures, sees new resort

Biloxi swept a doubleheader this evening, Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich said after the City Council approved measures to move forward with two roadways of the future. The council voted to support an agreement that would see a $22 million boulevard at Pine Street to connect Point Cadet to Back Bay Boulevard, with more than half  […]

Flo Rida tour headed to MGM Park

Pop and hip hop music icon Flo Rida’s 2015 GDFR (“Goin’ Down For Real”) World Tour plays MGM Park on Friday, Nov. 6 and tickets for the show go on sale Wednesday at the MGM Park box office and through Ticketmaster. To charge by phone: 800-745-3000. Tickets for the show, which is sponsored by Overtime […]

Visitors Center to host Lighthouse Arts & Crafts Fair

More than 30 artists and craftsmen will be showing everything from jewelry to Marlin Miller’s wood sculptures during the Third Annual Lighthouse Arts and Crafts Fair, on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Biloxi Visitors Center. Admission to the event is free and refreshments will be available for purchase.   Visitors are encouraged to bring […]

Biloxi, Gulfport to consider agency to foster high-speed internet

Mayors Andrew “FoFo” Gilich of Biloxi and Billy Hewes of Gulfport will ask their respective City Councils on Tuesday to approve a measure to set up the Gulf Coast Broadband Commission, an agency that would plan and oversee the delivery of ultra-high-speed internet and broadband to their cities. Gilich, who took office four months ago […]

Planning OKs plats for two new subdivisions

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in community development, the Biloxi Planning Commission voted to recommend approval for preliminary plat applications for two new single family residential developments, and an expansion to an existing subdivision. The first application includes 96 acres located on the west side Hudson-Krohn Road and will provide 131 new market rate homes. […]

Meet your Police and Fire departments Saturday

Those attending the Community Festival Against Crime Saturday on the Town Green could get a whiff of that new car smell. That’s because the Biloxi Police Department will be showing off its array of new cruisers and Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and the Biloxi Fire Department will be displaying its new million-dollar ladder truck, which will be […]

Website now back in operation

Every element of the City of Biloxi’s website has been cleaned and scrubbed, and has been certified as virus-free by Google. The re-certification occurs after a piece of malicious software, also known as malware, found its way into the coding that powers the city website. We apologize for the inconvenience.          

Gilich seeks agreement on east Biloxi roadway, funding

The city is willing to move forward with completing an east Biloxi traffic loop with a wider Pine Street to link Back Bay Boulevard with Point Cadet, but only after half the expected $22 million price tag is in place. Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich on Tuesday will ask the City Council for approval to enter […]

Cedar Lake signal work set for after midnight

The Cedar Lake-Popp’s Ferry intersection will turn into a four-way stop for a couple of hours after midnight tonight while contractors re-locate the control box for the traffic signals at the intersection. Temporary Stop signs will be placed at the site shortly before work begins, and the traffic signals will be inoperative while work is […]

City seeks funding requests from agencies

Though city funding may not be available, Biloxi municipal leaders want to be aware of the funding needs of social-service agencies and other organizations that serve Biloxi residents. Representatives of groups and organizations have until Oct. 9 to submit a completed form in order to have a chance of being included in the FY 2016 budget. […]

Stretch of Popp’s Ferry to close Saturday

Popp’s Ferry Road between Cedar Lake Road and Lamey Street will be closed Saturday at 7 a.m. and remain closed until Sunday at 8 p.m. so workers can install drainage systems as part of the widening of that stretch of Popp’s Ferry Road. Motorists should use either Cedar Lake Road or Lamey Street as an […]

Council to reconsider Fayard-Bayview realignment

The Biloxi City Council will have a special meeting Wednesday at 11 a.m. to reconsider the measure to realign Fayard Street at Bayview Avenue. Councilmembers had approved the resolution at their meeting last week. Read the agenda and amended resolution   Stretch of Popp’s Ferry to close Saturday Popp’s Ferry Road between Cedar Lake and Motsie […]

Clay creations, concerts, theater on tap this weekend

Children and adults are invited to play in the clay studio and make cool, sculptural clay piggy banks Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art’s Center for Ceramics. The session, open to ages 10 and up, is $25 per person and feature Ohr arts staffers helping visitors – no […]

Permit issued for Walmart gas station

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in community development, the building division issued a building permit for the Walmart Gas Station to be located on Popp’s Ferry Road in front of the proposed Walmart Neighborhood Market, which was permitted last week. The new Market and Gas Station are scheduled to be completed in March 2016. Also […]

Dignitaries to spend week on Gulf Coast

A five-member delegation of local leaders from the republic of Georgia will be arriving on the Mississippi Gulf Coast next week to spend seven days learning about the area, its economy and its forms of government.  Four of the dignitaries will be making their first visit to the United States. The Steps Coalition, a non-profit […]

Downtown to host two Cruisin’ events

Cruisin’ the Coast events in downtown Biloxi are expanding to two days this year and involving a new location, MGM Park, for a salute to veterans. Crusin’, the Coastwide auto show that is expected to attract a record 7,500 participants to south Mississippi, takes place Oct. 4 through 11, and will focus on downtown Biloxi […]

City employees to receive raises from 3 to 5 percent

Biloxi municipal employees, who have not received a pay increase since 2008, will see salaries boosted anywhere from $1,000 to 5 percent in a measure passed today by the City Council. Under the plan, which will cost the city about a million dollars, all employees with at least a year of service will receive at […]

City crews back on U.S. 90 for touch-up work

Biloxi Parks & Recreation and Public Works crews are back on U.S. 90 this week, trimming medians and scraping up sand from the eight-mile stretch of highway along Biloxi’s waterfront. About 20 workers will be working daily beginning at 7 each morning, with Parks and Recreation workers using weed eaters to trim medians and Public […]

Rediscover ‘Lost Biloxi’ at the Biloxi Visitors Center

Biloxi’s beaches and casinos make the city a haven for Gulf Coast tourists. And since it’s one of America’s oldest communities, local residents have seen many iconic treasures come and go. Before Hurricane Katrina, more than 150 historical structures dotted the area. Of those, 60 were lost to the devastating storm, including the Father Ryan […]

Fireman’s Ball kicks off big weekend this evening

It’s Fireman’s Day weekend, kicking off with the revival of the Fireman’s Ball this evening from 7 to 10 at the Biloxi Civic Center, a Fireman’s Day parade Saturday morning through downtown Biloxi and a drawdown for the firefighter’s relief fund Saturday night at the Biloxi Civic Center. The Fireman’s Ball, open to the public […]

Planning recommends short-term rental regulations

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in Community Development, the planning commission wrapped up their workshop on Short-Term Rental, and directed the planning staff to prepare “draft” language for the proposed text amendment. The recommendation is for the “use map” in the Land Development Ordinance, to remain the same as it relates to STR, but […]

Biloxi First group to roast ‘Shorty’ Sneed

Well-known Coast insurance executive and longtime community theater actor John B. “Shorty” Sneed will be the roastee for the 13th annual Biloxi First Roast, which will take place Thursday, Oct. 8, at the IP Casino Resort Spa. The event is the major annual fundraiser for Biloxi First, a non-profit organization that has provided more than […]

Got drugs? The police can take them off your hands

The Biloxi Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration are offering the public a chance to safely dispose of unused, unwanted or expired prescription drugs, which often become sources of abuse. The two agencies will offer another free drug take-back sessions, at the Lopez-Quave Public Safety Center, on Porter Avenue two blocks north of the […]

Short-term rental issue still in play

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director The past two weeks in Community Development, the city council voted to approve a conditional use application for the first Short-Term Rental property to be located in a single family structure. The structure located at 156 Briarfield Avenue, was eligible for short term rental because it is located in a district zoned […]

Benefit luncheon now underway at Fire Museum

Don’t have lunch plans yet? The West End Hose Co. No. 3, the city’s fire museum has you covered. From now until 1 p.m., the museum, on Howard Avenue, is selling plate lunches to help defray medical costs for fire mechanic Allen Brindley. The $7 plates – pulled pork sandwich, potato salad and baked beans […]

Seafood Festival: One huge po-boy of a good time

No doubt about it, fresh Gulf seafood and tasty seafood dishes are the main attraction at the Biloxi Chamber’s annual Biloxi Seafood Festival, and this weekend’s two-day affair at Point Cadet Plaza stands to be bigger than ever. “We’re going to be building a 200-foot shrimp po-boy,” says Biloxi Chamber Director Rachael Seymour, Why? “Why […]

Pass Road drainage work set to begin

Motorists on Pass Road west of Eisenhower Drive have seen the barricades in place for a week now, and in the next day or so construction workers will be on the scene to begin a 60-day, $300,000 project to replace drainage boxes in the stretch of Pass Road between Eisenhower and Westview drives. The barricades […]

First Lady, Excel by 5 help create ‘Super Savers’

You’re never too young to learn about saving money, and Biloxi Excel by 5 and First Lady Deborah Bryant will help youngsters get in the spirit on Thursday morning with a program called “I am a Super Saver.” The free program, which is open to children up to age 5, will begin at 10 a.m. […]

Buford Jordan is ‘After 5’ headliner this evening

Buford Jordan, the storied New Orleans Buccaneers and Saints player, will be making the rounds in downtown Biloxi this evening for Biloxi Main Street’s Downtown After 5. The event, held quarterly, runs from 4 to 8 p.m. and includes uniquely themed events at downtown restaurants and shops, especially throughout Rue Magnolia and the Biloxi Art […]

Seafood Museum drawdown is Sept. 19

The Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum holds its 30th Annual $10,000 Drawdown on Saturday, Sept. 19. The affair, the museum’s major fundraiser of the year, will be at the museum, 115 First St., and begins with cocktails and entertainment by Hank Berumen at 6 p.m. The buffet opens at 7 p.m. with a host of […]

Fireman’s Ball to kick off milestone Fireman’s Day festivities

Fireman’s Day in Biloxi marks 125 years this month, and to commemorate the occasion the West End Hose Co. No. 3, the city’s fire museum, is turning it into a weekend-long celebration, complete with a Fireman’s Ball and Fireman’s Day Parade. Dozens of fire trucks are expected to roll through the streets of downtown Biloxi […]

City creates perpetual fund from BP money

The Biloxi City Council on Tuesday created a new economic development fund that could help pay for facility improvements, create new businesses or expand existing businesses, without cost to the taxpayers. The fund would use the $4.1 million BP settlement to create a perpetual account that would have a variety of uses and is expected […]

Visitors Center to host ‘Biloxi’ photography exhibit

The Biloxi Visitor Center next week will host an opening reception for a month-long exhibition of works by photographer Robert Brooks. Brooks, a New Orleans native who has been a professional freelance and art photographer for more than 40 years, settled in Biloxi in 1987. In 1994 he volunteered to hang an exhibition of black-and-white photographs […]

Council, mayor continue budget discussions

The Biloxi City Council and Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich will have a special meeting Tuesday morning at 10:30 to continue discussing the Fiscal Year 2016 Biloxi Municipal Budget. The morning meeting is a precursor the council’s regularly scheduled 6 o’clock meeting Tuesday night. Both meetings will be at City Hall and are open to the […]

Last call: ‘Katrina +10’ blowing, going through Labor Day

Visitors to Biloxi and the Mississippi Gulf Coast will have from today through the end of Labor Day to see “Katrina +10,” the hugely popular multi-media exhibition at the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art. The six-month exhibition, which launched March 20 at the east Biloxi museum, is scheduled to wrap up its campus-wide run at the […]

Work winding down on trio of projects

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in community development construction continues to wind down on the MGM Stadium, The Boomtown RV Park, and Saint Michael’s New Life Parish Center. Construction is also continuing on the Casino Magic Hotel, The Hyatt Place Hotel, Baja Beach Biloxi Restaurant, The Lugger  Restaurant (formerly the Hook-Up), and Jimmy John’s Restaurant. […]

Katrina opens and closes the day Saturday at MGM Park

Former Gov. Haley Barbour, who marshaled state and federal aid for the Coast’s sustained recovery from Katrina, will headline the city’s 10th annual Katrina Memorial Observance on Saturday morning at 9 at MGM Park in downtown Biloxi. The hour-long event is one of several Katrina commemorations taking place in Biloxi. The weekend activities actually kicked […]

Americorps to have huge role this weekend

When visitors to the Katrina memorial observance began arrving at MGM Park for the 9 a.m. program Saturday morning, they will be greeted by 22 ushers volunteering from Americorps, and another 50 Americorps workers will be among those in the audience. Says Vicksburg-based Rachel J. Turner, unit Leader, acting assistant program director, of the group’s […]

Highwater marker to be unveiled at Visitors Center

The City of Biloxi will host a brief ceremony Friday at 10:30 a.m. at the Biloxi Visitors Center to unveil one of 17 Katrina and Camille highwater markers that are being placed between Waveland to Ocean Springs. The markers, which are being presented on the 10th anniversary of Katrina, are designed to bring awareness to […]

Planning OKs realignment of Fayard at Bayview

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in community development, the Biloxi Planning Commission voted to approve an application from IP Casino for the vacation and realignment of the north end of Fayard Street at Bayview Avenue. The project as proposed will remove the offset intersection that currently exists, and realign this area of Fayard Street to […]

Gilich seeks reorganization of city departments

Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich will ask the Biloxi City Council on Tuesday for the first realignment of Biloxi municipal government in more than two decades, creating a new city department from existing staff to better address the existing and new challenges Biloxi will be facing in economic development, management of cultural resources and improving the […]

Biloxi High pep rally is this evening on Town Green

Indian Nation, it’s time to get fired up! A pep rally for the varsity football team, your chance to meet the players and coaches, will be this evening beginning at 6 on the Town Green. It’s also your first look at this year’s edition of the marching band, cheerleaders and Biloxi Belles. Additionally, the Touchdown […]

Former housing czar Blessey to examine Katrina recovery

Gerald Blessey, the man whom Gov. Haley Barbour appointed as his post-Katrina housing czar, plans to take a critical look at the recovery from Hurricane Katrina during his Hancock Bank Katrina CafĂ© presentation on Friday at lunchtime. The session begins at noon at the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art. Tickets for the luncheon are $10, which […]

Free children’s health fair is Saturday at mall

The annual “Ready, Set, Go!” Children’s Health and Safety Fair, focusing on ages up to age 5, takes place Saturday, Aug. 22 from  9 a.m. to noon at Edgewater Mall The free event will feature screenings for vision, hearing, physical growth and speech/language development. Also available will be safety information for homes, on the water, […]

Biloxi Library to host ‘Katrina’ book signing, talk

The Biloxi Library is hosting a book talk and signing with local author Dr. James Patterson Smith on Tuesday, Aug.  25, at 4:30 p.m. Dr. Smith’s book “Hurricane Katrina:  the Mississippi Story” is rooted in a wealth of oral histories, and tells the dramatic but under-reported story of a people who confronted unprecedented devastation.  In often […]

Katrina books, DVDs now at bargain price

The City of Biloxi has cracked open the vault and the original award-winning “Biloxi & Katrina” photo album and DVD can be yours for $5 now, when you purchase the updated “Katrina +10” photo album and DVD for $20. “Biloxi & Katrina” is a photo album and DVD package produced by the city a year […]

Boomtown wrapping up RV park

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in community development, Boomtown Casino is putting the finishing touches on their new recreational vehicle park located at the corner of Bay View Avenue and Main Street, This new park will have 50 RV sites complete with full utility hookups. A certificate of occupancy should be issued early next week. […]

Football jamboree, Meet the Indians tonight

OK, sports fans, it’s your chance to get a sneak peek at the 2015 Indians football squad and to meet a host of other Indians athletes. Biloxi will be hosting its annual football jamboree this evening, beginning at 6 o’clock, with a scrimmage against Poplarville, at the stadium on the Biloxi High School campus. The […]

‘Concert for the Coast’ tickets now on sale

Tickets for the “Concert for the Coast” in MGM Park on Saturday, Aug. 29, featuring headliners Dr. John and Trombone Shorty, are now on sale at the MGM Park box office at Ticketmaster outlets. Tickets for limited VIP seating on the infield are $45 plus fees. Reserved chair back seating is $35 plus fees and General […]

City’s million-dollar ladder truck arrives

A new piece of firefighting equipment joined the Biloxi Fire Department fleet today: a million-dollar ladder truck that will help firefighters deal with highrise fires and rescues. The new truck,  which will be stationed at the Lee-Chinn Fire Station on Veterans Avenue,  replaces a 22-year-old ladder truck, and it will be one of five ladder […]

With anniversary nearing, K10 interest growing

The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art’s huge “Katrina +10” is approaching the home stretch of its six-month run, and some of its most popular programs are just around the corner. “This is the biggest thing we’ve done in the 17-year history of the museum, and the attendance continues to grow exponentially as we approach the Aug. […]

Take a historic cruise along the Biloxi waterfront

The Cultural & Heritage Committee of the Biloxi Bay Chamber of Commerce has announced that the next Biloxi History Cruise will be Friday, Sept. 11. This will be a two-hour sunset cruise aboard the historic Pan American Clipper, with boarding at 5 p.m., and departure at 5:30 from Biloxi’s Point Cadet Marina.  The $50 ticket […]

New agreement nets city $200,000 from BP settlement

An agreement worked out by Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich and approved this afternoon by the Biloxi City Council will result in a $200,000 net increase for the city from the BP oil spill settlement. Gilich negotiated a deal over the weekend with the law firm Page, Mannino, Peresich & McDermott that will increase the city’s […]

Planning Commission eyes short-term rental issue

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in community development, the Biloxi Planning Commission conducted a workshop to discuss possible options concerning Short Term Rentals. Among the options discussed, was the possibility of removing Short Term Rental from all property currently zoned residential. Under the current Land Development Ordinance, Short Term Rental is prohibited in districts zoned […]

Weekend preview: Shuckers, bull riding and more

The Biloxi Shuckers host their in-state rival, the Mississippi Braves, this evening at MGM Park, kicking off a weekend of entertainment. The Shuckers-Braves series runs nightly through Tuesday. Meantime, the Commodores will be in concert this weekend at the IP, Beauvoir hosts a Ladies Tea and Civil War Ball, and on the community theater scene “Fiddler […]

Gilich seeks compromise on BP legal fees

Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich has called a special meeting of the Biloxi City Council for Thursday at 4 p.m. to ask the City Council to rescind a 2012 contract that would pay 20 percent in legal fees from a $5.9 million BP claim the city and Biloxi Public School District expect to receive. In his […]

MGM Park to host ‘Concert for the Coast’

Celebrating 10 years of recovery from Hurricane Katrina, the City of Biloxi will present the “Concert for the Coast” in MGM Park on Saturday, Aug. 29, the actual 10th anniversary of the storm. Headlining the first concert in the new stadium are two signature New Orleans acts spanning generations: Rock and Roll Hall of Famer […]

Section of Popp’s Ferry Road to close this weekend

Popp’s Ferry Road between Cedar Lake and Lamey Street will be closed as early as Friday at midnight and remain closed until Sunday at 8 p.m. so workers can install drainage systems as part of the widening of that stretch of Popp’s Ferry Road. Motorists should use either Cedar Lake Road or Lamey Street as […]

Biloxi Sports Hall of Fame to add 15

The owner of the revered semi-pro baseball team the Biloxi Dodgers, the most outstanding athlete of Notre Dame High School’s penultimate year and a state representative headline the 2015 selections of the Biloxi Sports Hall of Fame. Rosell Horne operated a popular barber shop on Main Street for many years, but it was his decades-long […]

Hats (and jackets) off to Jim Cantore

Jim Cantore, the storm-chasing meteorologist from the Weather Channel, was in town the other day, but have no fear. No storms on the horizon (knock on wood), but Cantore did leave articles of clothing in his wake. The Ohr-O’Keefe’s “Katrina +10” exhibition is now showcasing the black “Storm Chaser” baseball cap and L.L. Bean Weather […]

Bravo! It’s a full weekend of entertainment

Big doin’s this weekend on the entertainment scene and on all fronts: community theater, concerts, minor league baseball and even a fishing rodeo. You’ll find the Bravo Awards at Biloxi Little Theater Saturday night, “Fiddler on the Roof,” featuring the irrepressible Karen Abernathy of WLOX continuing its run at Center Stage, and a fishing tournament, […]

Seafood hall of fame to grow Saturday

The Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum’s second annual Heritage Hall of Fame 2015 will be Saturday, Aug. 1 at 2 p.m. on the first floor of the Museum.  This will be the one- year anniversary of the new museum as well. Mayor Gilich will present the certificates and Kim Ross Bush will be emcee the […]

Gilich proposes sweeping changes to city’s legal representation

Continuing his push to stem rising legal expenses, Biloxi Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich will ask the City Council Tuesday to approve eight contracts for specialized legal work. The agreements will establish fee schedules for outside counsel when, and if needed. Authorizing standby legal assistance will enable Biloxi to protect its interest and help reduce rising […]

Apartment complex, beach bar nearing completion

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in Community Development, two of our development projects are nearing completion, and should receive final certificates of occupancy early next week. Arbor Landing Apartments, a $23 million dollar, 218 unit complex on Popp’s Ferry Road is striping the parking area and finalizing their landscaping in order to obtain final approval. […]

Parents, take a moment to complete registration for your child

OK, so you’ve filled out the convenient online registration info for Biloxi Public Schools, and you clicked the submit button. All done, rigtht? Now you’re ready to get the kids to class on Aug. 6, right? Wrong. Right now, of the 4,888 students who have been registered online and submitted the online forms, in slightly […]

Rupert Lacy to speak at K10 luncheon Friday

Rupert Lacy, Harrison County’s emergency manager, will be the featured luncheon speaker Friday at “Katrina +10,” as south Mississippi heads into August, typically the most active month of hurricane season. “We’re going to look at preparedness 10 years ago,” Lacy said, “and as we say we’re bigger and better today, we’re going to look at […]

Gilich, Holloway to headline free K10 program Sunday

The Ohr-O’Keefe’s “Katrina +10” exhibition will offer a free, bonus double feature this Sunday, Aug. 2, at 2 p.m, starring Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich and former Mayor A.J. Holloway. The presentation will feature two 12-minute programs, “The Centennial of the Croatian-American Cultural Society” and “The Greatest Speech Ever Given by A.J. Holloway.” Gilich and Holloway […]

K10 welcomes 20,000th visitors

A Washington, D.C. couple visiting their daughter in New Orleans drove over to the “Katrina +10” exhibit this afternoon and became the 20,000th visitors to the museum. Scott Rose and Mary Liz Austin, who live in the nation’s capital, wanted to find out about the Katrina recovery while visiting their daughter, Aubrey Rose and had […]

Mayors gather to break bread, discuss issues

Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich brought together mayors of several Mississippi Gulf Coast cities today to discuss several issues of mutual importance and suggest a united front when pursuing state or federal support. “I’ve been on the job slightly more than two months now,” Gilich said, “but one thing I’ve known for much longer than that […]

Council OKs vacation of Anglada

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in community development, the city council voted to approve the vacation of the northern 500’ of Anglada Street. This approval will allow the IP Casino Resort to move forward with their plans for a new and improved parking lot. The proposed parking lot will be fully landscaped and will […]

Breakfast with Mayor is Thursday morning

Mayor Andrew ‘FoFo” Gilich will update a Biloxi Chamber audience on the progress in Biloxi during “Breakfast with the Mayor” Thursday beginning at 8 a.m. at Hard Rock Live inside the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. The session is open to the public and provides an informal setting for the mayor to discuss issues and […]

Cedar Lake south of Popp’s Ferry to close

A 200-foot section of Cedar Lake Road immediately south of the Popp’s Ferry Road intersection will be closed to traffic Wednesday through Friday as part of the upcoming widening work on Popp’s Ferry Road. Contractors will close the section of Cedar Lake Wednesday morning beginning at 8 and hope to re-open the road Friday at […]

Schools open this week for registration assistance

Nearly 3,000 students have been registered through the convenient online school registration Biloxi Public Schools is offering this year, and this week there’s the issue of proof of residency. All Biloxi public schools are open each weekday this week, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., so parents can drop by to show two proofs of residency. You’ll […]

Barry Ball Day planned for Tuesday

Barry Lyons, the homegrown major leaguer who had the idea two decades ago to bring minor league baseball to Biloxi, will be honored Tuesday during the Biloxi City Council meeting. The council is also expected to approve up to $5,000 for a marker that will help dedicate a site in his name at MGM Park. […]

Baseball, music and other performing arts

Lots to do this weekend. The Biloxi Shuckers host the Chatanooga Lookouts at MGM Park; Lady Antebellum plays the Coast Coliseum; Frankie Avalon, Fabian and Bobby Rydell play the IP; “Yaye” continues its run at the Beau Rivage, and, of course “Katrina +10” is at the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art. See the entire lineup   […]

IP looks at Fayard; DRC looks at downtown

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in community development, the Development Review Committee met with representatives of the IP Casino resort to review plans to re-align the north end of Fayard Street at Bayview. This new alignment would reduce traffic confusion created by the offset of the existing intersection, with the access drive to IP. The […]

Gilich touts initiatives to Congressional delegation

Biloxi Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich led a four-man contingent of city leaders on a whirlwind tour of Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Wednesday. Gilich was joined by City Council President Felix Gines, City Attorney Gerald Blessey and Biloxi’s chief development officer, F. Cliff Kirkland. The group, along with Gulfport Mayor Billy Hewes and several local […]

Police warn of scams, how to avoid becoming a victim

The Biloxi Police Department is warning residents about recent scams that involve missed jury duty, overpayment for services performed or winning lottery tickets. The department is also warning residents that a number of recently solved automobile and home burglaries were crimes of opportunity, where home or car doors or windows were left unlocked, with valuables […]

BPD non-emergency lines knocked out

Construction workers have accidentally rendered the Police Department’s non-emergency distaptch phone lines inoperative. The emergency 911 number is working, but the department’s 392-0641 is inoperative until further notice. Instead, non-emergency callers to BPD dispatch can use (228) 348-8229 or (228) 860-4312 until further notice.   ‘Baby mayors’ to headline Katrina session Imagine this. You take […]

‘Baby mayors’ to headline Katrina session

Imagine this. You take office one day, and Katrina decimates your community the next. That’s the scenario a number of newly elected and appointed south Mississippi leaders faced 10 years ago. You’ll hear the stories Wednesday night when the Ohr-O’Keefe “Katrina +10” series presents the free roundtable discussion “Baptism by Katrina.”  The free program begins […]

‘Lego Movie’ plays on Town Green this evening

Biloxi Main Street continues its successful “Drive-in Movie” series on the Biloxi Town Green this evening with presentation of “The Lego Movie.” Grab a lawn chair or blanket and be a part of the fun, beginning at 6 p.m. with door prizes, contests and plenty of family fun, including a giant water slide. The movie […]

Two major downtown projects back in play

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in community development, applications were submitted to the Development Review Committee for 2 major economic development projects in the downtown district. The first is an application for the conversion and redevelopment of the former Santa Maria Del Mar Apartment building into a 160 unit luxury hotel, with a swimming […]

Biloxi aims to take the hassle out of registration

It’s a foregone conclusion for many: Another year of registration. Another year of stress. Long, slow-moving lines, plenty of forms to fill out, power bills and driver’s licenses to prove residency, and did we say long, slow-moving lines? And the guy in front of us usually can’t find all of his paperwork. Biloxi Public Schools […]

Biloxi accepts $4.9 million BP settlement

As part of a group settlement of local government claims for economic losses caused by the 2010 BP Oil Spill, Biloxi Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich announced today the City Council has authorized the Mayor to accept an offer of nearly $5 million to settle Biloxi’s claim. The City was also informed a separate offer was […]

Saenger to host ‘Sunset Boulevard’

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Broadway production of “Sunset Boulevard” is coming to the Saenger Theater this week, with an all-star local cast. The show opens with a VIP, red-carpet benefit for the Saenger on Thursday evening, with follow-up performances on Friday and Saturday evenings and a Sunday afternoon matinee. Tickets for Thursday’s event begin at $50 […]

Weekend preview: MGM Park, Point Cadet and fireworks

MGM Park, which will see the Shuckers face the Mississippi Braves this evening, hosts its inaugural Fourth of July Festival Saturday from 2 to 10 p.m., with a field of inflatables, food from The Shed, live music, and other entertainment. The day that will wrap up with viewing of the city fireworks, which will begin […]

Planning to examine issue of short-term rentals

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in community development , the Biloxi Planning Commission voted unanimously to set a work shop to discuss issues and possible options concerning “Short-Term Rental”. Under the Land Development Ordinance, Short-Term Rental (less than 30 days) is allowed as a conditional use in the Downtown and Multi-Family zoned […]

Biloxi seeks specialized legal representation

The City of Biloxi is seeking proposals from qualified attorneys and law firms to possibly provide the city outside legal counsel on an as-needed basis. The city today began advertising for qualified representation to cover a potential field of nearly three dozen public policy areas that range, alphabetically, from annexation to workers compensation. The move […]

Tanglewood Park sees Powerful improvements

By Charlie Benton Public Affairs Intern Tanglewood Park in west Biloxi is looking better these days because of the work of a group of Mississippi Power workers. The workers, who gathered at the park Wednesday morning, painted a free-throw line on the basketball court, painted the basketball goal red, pressure washed and painted playground equipment […]

Gilich launches cleaner-Biloxi campaign

“Biloxi is a tourist town and we ought to look like one,” Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich has said often since his election just over a month ago, and now, on the cusp of a busy Fourth of July weekend, the mayor is launching a campaign with WXXV to help raise awareness of the issue. This […]

Biloxi fireworks: See the show, hear the music

Biloxi’s annual Fourth of July fireworks show has gained a reputation over the years as being one of the biggest in the Southeast, organizers say, but  the annual production is also a musical affair. Admirers of fireworks displays and patriotic music can get both on Saturday night, beginning at 9, when the city’s annual fireworks […]

Gilich seeks to upgrade Biloxi development, key corridors

Biloxi Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich on Tuesday will ask the City Council to hire a well-known local architect to help developers present more attractive proposals to the city, and to help spur new development and a more inviting appearance in key areas of the city. Gilich is asking the council for approval to hire architect […]

City releases 2015 water quality report

Biloxi residents have known for years that they have some of the lowest water, sewer and garbage rates of any community in the state, and a new report confirms that the city’s drinking water meets or exceeds federal and state requirements. The city’s Annual Report on the Quality of Drinking Water, a scorecard mandated by […]

‘Katrina +10’ sees numbers increasing

The 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina is just over two months away – 64 days, in fact – and this weekend the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art’s “Katrina +10 exhibit” is expected to begin its steady increase in visitors through Aug. 29, says Kevin O’Brien, manager of the east Biloxi museum. The exhibition saw its 10,000th […]

Commission OKs hotel design at Magic site

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, The Architectural/Historical Review Commission voted unanimously to approve the design for the exterior improvements to the former Casino Magic Structure. AHRC approval was necessary since the property is located in the Point Cadet Historic District. Phase 1 of the development will have 373 hotel […]

Biloxi’s Katrina sculptures to get new life

The Ohr-O’Keefe’s “Katrina +10” exhibition announced today what may be one of its most high-profile undertakings, the restoration of the Katrina sculpture trail in Biloxi. The east Biloxi art museum, along with corporate underwriters and volunteers, is hosting a five-day visit by Marlin Miller, the Fort Walton Beach, Fla., sculptor who created most of the […]

Scrapin’ by: Traffic volume, delays growing on U.S. 90

Heavy, slow-moving Scrapin’ the Coast traffic on U.S. 90 is adding as much as 45 minutes to an hour to travel times, according to Police Chief John Miller, and traffic should be getting even heavier later today. “It’s picked up considerably in the last couple of hours, especially between White Avenue and the Coliseum,” Miller […]

Hiller Park movie, Scrapin’ on tap; other news and notes

The Friends of Hiller Park and the city will present the outdoor movie “How to Train Your Dragon 2” this evening at Hiller Park, and you’ll find the weekend dominated by Scrapin’ the Coast and the 150th anniversary of Juneteenth. The Hiller Park movie, the first of this year, begins at dusk, or around 7:30 […]

Planning OKs vacation of portion of Anglada Street

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, the Biloxi Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve an application from IP Casino Resort to vacate the northern 507’ of Anglada Street, south of Bayview. The application was approved on the condition that IP would provide an 18 foot wide paved connector road from Fayard street  to […]

City to introduce new logo, branding

The City of Biloxi will be rolling out a fresh new logo over the next several weeks. The new logo uses the city’s signature landmark, the iconic Biloxi Lighthouse, stylized in a modern interpretation with a bold, readable font proclaiming “Biloxi,” with an underline that accentuates the city’s rich history, “established 1699.” Mayor Andrew “FoFo” […]

Biloxi seeks voice in power company rate request

The City of Biloxi has filed a request with the state Public Service Commission asking to have a say in Mississippi Power’s request for rate increases related to the Kemper County project. In the motion to intervene in the power company’s new case, Biloxi City Attorney Gerald Blessey pointed out that the city, its businesses […]

‘K10’ to focus on restoration of passenger rail service

The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art’s “Katrina +10” retrospective will bring together a group of passenger rail authorities Wednesday evening to discuss the possible return of passenger rail service to the Gulf Coast. The free event, titled “Y’all Aboard,” will begin at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, 386 Beach Blvd. “Y’all Aboard” […]

Summer fair heads into final weekend

The Mississippi Coast Coliseum Summer Fair rolls into its final weekend, with plenty of carnival rides, live shows, contests and headline entertainment. Gate admission is $5 on Friday and Saturday. Gates open at 5 p.m. today and 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Meantime, you’ll find the summer show Yaye at the Beau Rivage, the Happy […]

Walmart plans reviewed; other development news

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director The economic development report for this week will actually cover the past two week period. The building plans review for the New Walmart Neighborhood Market on Popp’s Ferry Road has been completed. The contractor is hoping to start the project before the end of this month, with a projected completion date of […]

Gilich committee focuses on new Keesler gate

Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich has announced the formation of an ad hoc committee to secure the necessary funding to create a new, secure Division Street gateway into Keesler Air Force Base. “This is No. 1 on my list of priorities,” Gilich said. “We must move the gate to Division Street to strengthen the base’s security […]

City officially dedicates downtown bike lanes

Downtown Biloxi officially picked up 200 new public parking spaces and two miles of bike lanes when Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich cut a ribbon this morning. The city’s Public Works Department, after considering years of studies, recommendations and the arrival of MGM Park, last week began re-striping Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Reynoir […]

Gilich: ‘Thank you for making it a great weekend’

“I thought everything went great,” Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich says of the Biloxi weekend that saw its share of huge events: the inaugural Shuckers home game at the brand-new MGM Park, the Blessing of the Fleet and Shrimp Festival, an outdoor concert at Harrah’s Great Lawn, and the summer fair at the Coast Coliseum. “I […]

Let the Shuck Dynasty begin

Everything’s a go for Saturday, with the Game Day Experience scheduled for the Vieux Marche throughout the afternoon and the first pitch later that evening in MGM Park,  the new home of the Biloxi Shuckers. The free Game Day Experience, featuring your chance to meet the Shuckers team and coaches, begins at 12:45 and runs […]

MGM Park will host American Star Field

When the Biloxi Shuckers take the field at MGM Park for the first time Saturday night, they’ll be playing on vodka: American Star vodka. Overtime Sports and the city announced today a field naming rights deal in which the field at MGM Park will be known as “American Star Field,” sponsored by American Star Vodka. […]

Meanwhile, down at Point Cadet: A Blessed event

Perhaps overlooked amid the hoopla over MGM Park and the arrival of the Biloxi Shuckers is one of the city’s and state’s most-cherished of traditions:  the Biloxi Blessing of the Fleet and Shrimp Festival. You’ll have a chance to whet your appetite with some of the best seafood dishes around in the Mississippi Department of […]

MGM Park: What you need will be there

So, to be sure, there’s a great deal of interest in the inaugural game at MGM Park, but how much of the park will be open since it’s hosting its first game two months ahead of schedule? Good news, says Tim Bennett: Just about every place the general public needs to go will be open. […]

Georgia visitors put ‘Katrina +10’ past 10,000 mark

Two special education school bus drivers from Georgia pushed the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art’s “Katrina +10” past the 10,000 mark this afternoon. Tracey Lewis of Grayson, Ga., and Amy Somers of Loganville, Ga., were visitors No. 10,000 and 10,001 and were presented with Ohr-O’Keefe tote bags, posters, and copies of “Katrina +10: The Commemorative Photo […]

Game Day announces musical headliners

Upbeat funk, heavy on brass, will rock Biloxi’s Game Day Experience Saturday afternoon. Two high energy funk bands will entertain an expected crowd of more than 6,000 during Game Day Experience, which is a Main Street Biloxi event presented by the Beau Rivage. Billed as the Ultimate Tailgate Party, the Game Day Experience will be […]

Gilich seeks Council OK for MGM Park deal

Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich on Tuesday will ask the City Council to add four items to its meeting agenda to follow up on the agreement to open MGM Park for its first game on Saturday. The mayor is also revising two existing agenda items involving MGM Park – an agreement outlining revenue and maintenance for […]

Family fun day on tap at Hiller

Visitors to Hiller Park on Saturday will find a day of family activities including water slides, bounce houses. It’s all part of Family Fun Day at Hiller Park, which takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. A $5 fee affords unlimited playtime for each child. Additionally, hamburgers, hot dogs, popcorn and other festival fare […]

Businesses, you can be a part of Game Day

Interested business sponsors and vendors who want to participate in Main Street Biloxi’s Game Day Experience on Saturday, June 6 in Downtown Biloxi have until 5 p.m. Monday, June 1 to reserve space. Business sponsorships are $100 and food vendor charges are $75. Sponsors and vendors will be allotted a 10-foot-by10-foot space to provide their […]

Get ready for the ultimate Game Day Experience

Main Street Biloxi announced today that it will celebrate the first home game of the Biloxi Shuckers on Saturday, June 6, by staging the Game Day Experience, presented by the Beau Rivage. Billed as the ultimate tailgate party for the thousands of fans expected to attend the first Shuckers game in MGM Park, the Game […]

Council approves Reunion Place subdivision

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, the city council voted to approve Reunion Place Subdivision-Phase 1. The new development is located on the north side of Brodie Road east of Cedar Lake, and when complete will have 38 single family homes and 46 townhomes. Phase 1 will include 8 single family houses […]

No shucking: Gilich says let’s ‘Play Ball’ June 6

Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich announced today it’s time to play ball on June 6. The mayor said an agreement is now in place to open MGM Park for the June 6 Biloxi Shuckers home game against the Mobile Bay Bears. “I’m pleased to announce that we’ve been able to reach an agreement with the Biloxi […]

Biloxi stadium: How we got where we are today

Here is a timeline of events involving construction of the downtown baseball stadium: 2012 – Gov. Bryant works with baseball ownership group to identify suitable site and potential financing for baseball stadium in Biloxi. May 30, 2013 – Gov. Bryant announces $15 million BP grant to the city for construction of a minor league stadium […]

No ‘play ball’ on June 6 for MGM Park

Presented with the prospect of paying at least $300,000 to have MGM Park ready for an early opening June 6 with no guarantee that the work could be done in time, Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich announced today that the City of Biloxi will instead work with Yates Construction toward an opening before Aug 4. “I […]

Council OKs Blessey as city attorney

The Biloxi City Council this afternoon voted 6-0 to approve Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich’s nomination of Gerald Blessey as city attorney. The vote was unanimous, save Councilmember Paul Tisdale, who was absent from the meeting. In his mayor’s report at the outset of the meeting, Gilich outlined his support for Blessey: “As I’ve discussed with […]

‘Katrina +10’ has huge week in offing

The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art’s “Katrina +10” exhibition, on the cusp of welcoming its 10,000th visitor to the east Biloxi museum, is heading into one of the busiest weeks of its six-month run. This week, the museum hosts presentations by Bay St. Louis native, author and former CNN journalist Kathleen Koch, former Bay St. Louis […]

Gilich, wife welcome governor

Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich and his wife Serena welcomed a special visitor to their home Friday. Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant dropped by to meet with the mayor and discuss matters of importance to both Biloxi and the state. Bryant congratulated Mayor Gilich on his impressive victory in the recent special election, and the two spent […]

Holiday weekend fare: Family fun, music and more

West End Hose Co. No. 3 has a weekend of family fun on the Town Green, with a “Jump Into Summer” festival. You’ll find bounce houses, food, carnival games, and, of course, big red fire trucks and real-live firefighters. It all happens Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Meantime, music fills the […]

Gilich nominates Blessey as city attorney

Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich next week will ask the Biloxi City Council to approve the appointment of former Mayor Gerald Blessey as city attorney. Blessey has practiced law in Biloxi for 49 years, with several intervals for public service, and received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Mississippi Law School and Master of […]

Gilich gives blueprint for future of Biloxi

Andrew “FoFo” Gilich this evening received four standing ovations from an inauguration ceremony audience of nearly 700, including three former mayors. And then he delivered his speech, which prompted a fifth ovation. Gilich, who succeeds Biloxi’s longest-serving Mayor A.J. Holloway, gave his enthusiastic audience a blueprint of his vision for Biloxi: economic development initiatives, focusing […]

Gilich makes first speech, with capital R

Biloxi Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich was labeled today in his first speaking engagement  since taking office Monday morning  – and like his childhood nickname, the label stuck. As he was approaching the  podium to speak to Harrison County Republican Club luncheon at the Great Southern Club in Gulfport, advertising executive Ted Riemann, who helmed Gilich’s […]

Biloxi’s new mayor already on the job

His inauguration is not until Wednesday afternoon, but Mayor-elect Andrew “FoFo” Gilich wanted to begin the workweek early, so this morning he became Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich. Clare Sekul Hornsby, a longtime Biloxi attorney and the mayor-elect’s 93-year-old aunt, administered the oath of office to Mayor Gilich this morning shortly after 8, as family, friends […]

City Council meeting: New mayor, new location

Plenty of change will be evident come City Council meeting time Tuesday: Mayor-elect Andrew “FoFo” Gilich will be attending his first meetings as mayor, and the meetings will be conducted at the Biloxi Civic Center while the elevator is repaired at City Hall. The council will have two meetings on Tuesday: a special-called 11 a.m. […]

Hidden Springs gets DEQ approval

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, Hidden Springs received DEQ approval, and obtained the site preparation permit for the proposed 411 lot single family phased subdivision to be located in north Biloxi off Woodland Hills Drive. Infrastructure plans are being finalized and should be submitted to our engineering department sometime next week. Also […]

Seafood museum to host wooden boat show

Nearly 60 wooden vessels, boats of all shapes and sizes, will be on display this weekend for the annual Billy Creel Memorial Wooden & Classic Boat Show. The affair takes place Saturday and Sunday at the Schooner Pier Complex, which is on U.S. 90 in east Biloxi, south of Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art. Hours are […]

History program to visit Lodge, French Club

This week’s “Thursdays in May” offering will focus on two Point Cadet cultural institutions: the Slavic Benevolent Association of St. Nikoli and the Fleur de Lis Society, or, as locals know them, the Slavonian Lodge and the French Club. Thursday’s free affair, which is scheduled to run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., will be a […]

Gilich appoints Kirkland to oversee transition

Mayor-elect Andrew “FoFo” Gilich has named F. Cliff Kirkland as head of his transition team. Kirkland is a former newspaperman, Biloxi city administrator and casino executive. He is a consultant specializing in government affairs, development and marketing/public relations. Kirkland also is the current president of Main Street Biloxi and is under contract with the city […]

Gilich wins mayor’s election with 60 percent of vote

“FoFo” Gilich captured 60 percent of the 7,253 votes counted in today’s special election to succeed A.J. Holloway, Biloxi’s longest-serving mayor. Gilich won nine of the city’s 10 voting precincts, losing only Woolmarket by two votes to W.S. “Windy” Swetman III. The numbers – without affidavit ballots included – were 4,319 votes (59.54 percent) for […]

Shuckers may have been premature in June 6 date

Biloxi Acting Mayor Robert L. Deming III believes that the Biloxi Shuckers may have jumped the gun in announcing a June 6 start date for baseball games at MGM Park. Deming this afernoon said he was surprised by the announcement, and that there are no guarantees of having the stadium play-ready for June 6 without […]

Final preparations underway for election

Municipal Clerk Stacy Thacker today has been checking and re-checking voting supplies that will be used at the city’s 10 polling places in the mayoral election on Tuesday. Voting precincts will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the election where “FoFo” Gilich faces W.S. “Windy” Swetman III in a runoff to succeed […]

Katrina Conversation: The state of gaming

The Gulf Coast gaming industry has witnessed its share of expansions and contractions before and since Katrina, and the changes are continuing to occur. Find out where we were, what happened and where we’re headed in a special Katrina conversation, “All bets are …,” on Wednesday, May 13 at 7 p.m.  at the IP Casino […]

Last round of absentee voting is Saturday

City Hall will be open Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon for the final round of absentee voting for the runoff election for mayor on Tuesday, and any absentee ballots that are being mailed to City Hall must be received by 5 p.m. Monday. Biloxi voters, electing a new mayor for the first time in […]

Council OKs Boomtown RV park

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, the City Council voted unanimously to approve the expansion of the Boomtown Casino RV park. The 49 proposed  RV sites in the expanded park were designed around the existing trees and will have extensive landscaping. Each site will have individual utility hookups for electricity, water and […]

Weekly history series kicks off Thursday

Biloxi launches a month-long trip down memory lane on Thursday  with the kickoff of the eighth annual Thursdays in May program. This event, held annually in observance of National Preservation Month, takes place each of the five Thursdays in May, and kicks off with a scavenger hunt in downtown Biloxi. You’ll also find events on […]

Biloxi casinos pass $2 billion mark in taxes paid

Biloxi’s casino gaming industry, which marked its 20th anniversary in 2012, achieved a milestone without much fanfare last month: The industry crossed the $2 billion-dollar mark in taxes paid to state and local governments. Gaming figures compiled by the city, based on state collection of $16.6 billion in revenue from Biloxi casinos, show the casino […]

Council adds Magic site to tax abatement zone

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development the Biloxi City Council voted unanimously to add the former Casino Magic property and structure to the tax abatement district. This action will allow the developers of the property to apply for a tax abatement on any improvements made to the existing structure that will increase the […]

City Hall open Saturday for absentee balloting

City Hall will be open Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon for absentee voting to be conducted for the May 12 runoff election for mayor, according to Municipal Clerk Stacy Thacker. Absentee votes also may be cast Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at City Hall, which is at 140 Lameuse St., […]

911 tapes to help tell the Katrina story Friday

Biloxi Police Chief John Miller will use actual 911 tapes from the height of Hurricane Katrina during his Katrina CafĂ© presentation Friday at lunchtime, but, more importantly, Miller will tell audience members what the department learned from those experiences and how it is better prepared today. The luncheon, part of the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art’s […]

Fire Academy for Kids now accepting registrants

The Biloxi Fire Department’s Fire Academy for Kids is coming up in June, and the department is now seeking registrants for the program, which is open to children ages 7 through 12. The free program is designed to increase children’s fire safety and first-aid knowledge, and to provide them with a better appreciation of firefighters […]

Affidavit ballots slighly increase vote totals

The number of ballots cast in the special election for mayor on Tuesday nudged up by less than a percent last night after the Biloxi Municipal Election Commission validated 65 votes cast by affidavit. With the new numbers, leader “FoFo” Gilich, who faces W.S. “Windy” Swetman III in a runoff on May 12, picked up […]

Gilich, Swetman headed for runoff

The field of 10 candidates for mayor of Biloxi was narrowed to two this evening, with top vote-getter “FoFo” Gilich scheduled to face runner-up W.S. “Windy” Swetman III in a runoff election on Tuesday, May 12. A total of 7,605 votes were cast in the special election to replace A.J. Holloway, with Gilich capturing 2,207 […]

Biloxi elections: The big races of late

Voting in the mayoral special election continues until 7 p.m., and while Municipal Clerk Stacy Thacker reports voter turnout is heavy, here are some numbers from past Biloxi mayoral races: There were three other recent instances where mayoral elections were hotly contested. 2001, general election: A total of 9,966 votes were cast in a race […]

Heavy turnout seen at Biloxi polling places

Municipal Clerk Stacy Thacker, who is responsible for overseeing municipal elections in Biloxi, says voter turnout has been heavy in Biloxi since the city’s 10 polling places opened this morning at 7. Voting will continue until 7 this evening. Biggest issue Thacker has seen, especially at the Donal M. Snyder Sr. Community Center, is voters […]

Election 2015: What you need to know

Biloxi’s 10 polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday for voters to cast their ballots for their choice of the 10 candidates for mayor. Voters are reminded vote at their municipal polling place and to bring a valid photo ID when them to the polls. Municipal Clerk Stacy Thacker reports […]

Indian Nation run headlines weekend

“We think the bad weather will be behind us, and we’re going to have a sea of red in downtown Biloxi Saturday morning,” Biloxi Public Schools chief Arthur McMillan says of the second annual Biloxi 5K Run and 1-mile trek. “We’re looking forward to a great event. We’re reminding people to mark their calendars and […]

Downtown to turn into a sea of red Saturday

“We think the bad weather will be behind us, and we’re going to have a sea of red in downtown Biloxi Saturday morning,” Biloxi Public Schools chief Arthur McMillan says of the second annual Biloxi 5K Run and 1-mile trek. “We’re looking forward to a great event. We’re reminding people to mark their calendars and […]

‘Katrina +10’ honors 5,000th visitor

Paul and Sylvia Ely, visitors from Norman, Okla., today became the 5,000th visitors to the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art’s “Katrina +10” exhibit. The Elys were visiting Biloxi and the Mississippi Gulf Coast and decided to stop by to see the multi-media exhibit, which opened 34 days ago at the east Biloxi museum. “This is so exciting! […]

Tulane moving to Edgewater Village

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development came the announcement that Tulane University will be relocating from Edgewater Mall to Edgewater Village, into the former Books-A-Million location. This relocation will add  a solid anchor to Edgewater Village, allowing Tulane to double in size, and will free up space at the mall for additional retail […]

Katrina documentary premieres Sunday

A new documentary about the inspirational recovery from Hurricane Katrina makes its debut Sunday afternoon at 2 at the Saenger Theater. The documentary, titled “Katrina +10,” features interviews with leaders of Coast cities, tourism and gaming analysts, volunteers and others who witnessed Hurricane Katrina and have been a part of the rebuilding and recovery in […]

Last call for city’s summer camp

The City of Biloxi Parks and Recreation Department is allowing late registrants as well as non-Biloxi residents to sign up through Friday, May 8 for its Summer Playground and Enrichment Program. Individuals may register children, ages 5-14, with and without disabilities, by visiting the Parks and Recreation office at the Hiller Park Armory, 377 Hiller […]

Newsletter shows municipal polling places

Residents of Biloxi will be receiving a reminder of municipal polling places in a Voter Information newsletter arriving in homes this week. The newsletter, which is being mailed to all homes and businesses in Biloxi, is designed to make sure Biloxians know where to vote in the special election for mayor on Tuesday, April 28. […]

City Desk: Infrastructure, mayors past and future, and more

This week’s “City Desk” webcast, a 20-minute presentation that is more than double its usual length, is chockfull of timely  information: Among the topics: –Infrastructure: How much time this week’s rainfall has taken from the ongoing infrastructure work, how contractors plan which streets they work on. Hear from Tony Morrow of Oscar Renda Construction Co. […]

Shaggy’s to expand beachside deck

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, the final building permit was issued to Shaggy’s Restaurant to  complete the new kitchen and deck addition.  Also issued this week was a building permit for renovations to the Golden Nugget Casino, to include the addition of new restrooms. Building plans were received for a new […]

Pass, Popp’s Ferry signals remain down

Traffic signals at Popp’s Ferry and Pass Roads, downed yesterday by a vehicle accident, are not expected to be fully operational until around noon today. The intersection has been converted to a four-way stop until repairs are completed. Police also may be at the intersection, helping to keep traffic moving safely and efficiently. Motorists should […]

Gines: April 28 meeting will go on as planned

Council President Felix O. Gines has said that the council meeting scheduled for April 28 will indeed take place, contrary to assertions by Acting Mayors Kenny Glavan and Robert L. Deming III that it would be postponed because of mayoral elections that day.    

Program to spotlight desegregation of Biloxi schools

A free public program to mark the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of Biloxi Public Schools will be presented Thursday, April 23 at the Biloxi Visitors Center. Seating will begin at 5 p.m. and the program will begin at 5:30 p.m. “Biloxi School Desegregation: A Historic First” will feature a panel of regionally known Civil […]

City seeks to get water-logged infrastructure work back on track

The city’s infrastructure work has been impacted significantly by this week’s rainfall, according to Acting Mayor Robert Deming, and the city’s Public Works Department has had to focus its attention on making sure ditches and catch basins were clear of debris and able to handle as much rainwater as possible. More than 9½ inches of […]

Holloways to be honored Sunday

The public will have a chance to celebrate the career of former Biloxi Mayor A.J. Holloway during a reception for Holloway and his wife on Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Biloxi Civic Center. The casual gathering will feature free food and refreshments and is being billed as “A Celebration of a Lifetime […]

City seeks nominations for Sports Hall of Fame

The Biloxi Parks and Recreation Department is now accepting applications for the 2015 class of the Biloxi Sports Hall of Fame, which will be inducted in August. The department is seeking nominees whose playing career is completed but may still be coaching or volunteering in Biloxi. The inductees will be selected on athletic achievements, advancement […]

Glavan names Deming as acting mayor

Acting Mayor Kernny Glavan announced this afternoon that he is appointing Ward 4 Councilmember Robert L. Deming III to serve as acting mayor while he campaigns to be elected mayor in the special election on April 28. Deming’s appointment by Glavan is effective today and runs through April 28. Glavan, who was appointed as acting […]

Blessey to lead east Biloxi, Point Cadet discussion

Former Biloxi Mayor Gerald Blessey, who in the 1980s led a move to draft a Point Cadet Waterfront Master Plan, will lead a “Katrina +10” discussion this week on the future of east Biloxi and Point Cadet. “The Future of East Biloxi and Point Cadet,” which is free and open to the public, will be […]

Expect busy roadways in Biloxi this weekend

John Miller has been in the Biloxi Police Department for 25 years, five years as chief, and he says this weekend has the potential to be one the busiest he’s ever seen. “We’ve checked with the hotel-motel association, and we’re at 96 percent occupancy across the Coast,” Miller said. “We’re expecting big spring break crowds […]

Glavan to toss first pitch at Shuckers debut

Kenny Glavan, Biloxi’s acting mayor, will throw out the first pitch in Pensacola this evening when the Biloxi Shuckers launch their 2015 Double A-baseball season. “I’m going to give it all I have,” Glavan said with a laugh. “This is going to be an historic moment for Biloxi, and I’m sure I can hit the […]

Glavan, Bull join race for mayor

Two more mayor hopefuls – Kenny Glavan and David Bull – filed their paperwork this afternoon to be candidates for mayor, bringing the candidate count to 10 for the April 28 special election. Potential candidates have until 5 p.m. today to file with the city their Qualifying Statements of Intent along with the signatures of […]

Mardi Gras Museum to host book signing

The public is invited to a book signing for a new book by Biloxi native Danny Holley at the Biloxi Mardi Gras Museum, at 119 Rue Magnolia (next to Mary Mahoney’s Old French House Restaurant) Thursday  from 5 to 7 p.m. The book, “‘Cappi’ — The Alabaster Boy,” was written by Holley to create an […]

Deadline nears for volunteer nominees

Those interested in nominating an individual, organization or business for the upcoming Volunteer Recognition Ceremony have until Friday to turn in forms. The city will recognize individuals and groups for  their volunteerism in the 32nd Annual Volunteer Recognition Ceremony on Wednesday, April 22 at 5:30 p.m. at the Biloxi Civic Center, 578 Howard Ave. See the nomination […]

Lott to discuss Katrina challenges, successes

Trent Lott, who as a U.S. Senator helped secure $24 billion in Katrina relief funds for Mississippi, will tell the inside story of those efforts duirng “An Evening With Trent Lott” this evening at 7 p.m. at the Biloxi Civic Center. The presentation marks the first appearance by a national figure for the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum […]

Biloxi Brigade, police funding on agenda today

The Biloxi City Council this afternoon will consider a measure by Acting Mayor Kenny Glavan that will create the “Biloxi Brigade,” a group of Keesler volunteers that will help revitalize parks in the city. The resolution is one of nearly two dozens meausres the City Council will review during a 1:30 meeting this afternoon at […]

City to conduct lifeguarding class

The city’s Parks and Recreation Department will conduct a lifeguarding class this afternoon and Thursday afternoon to certify individuals who want to work either this summer or throughout the year as a lifeguard. Interested individuals must be at least 15 years old and must complete a pre-test at the Natatorium either this afternoon or Thursday at […]

Mayoral hopefuls now up to eight

Another office seeker, Victor Ainsworth, has filed his paperwork to be a candidate for mayor, bringing the candidate count to eight for the upcoming April 28 special election. Potential candidates have until April 8 at 5 p.m. to file with the city their Qualifying Statements of Intent along with the signatures of 50 registered Biloxi […]

Farmers Market closed until April 7

The City of Biloxi’s Charles R. Hegwood Farmers Market, located at the I-110 overpass off Hopkins Boulevard and Howard Avenue, is closed until April 7. The Parks and Recreation Department is improving the site for the market’s annual grand opening ceremony on April 7. “We will be repainting the lines, cleaning up the trash cans […]

Council OKs revision to baseball agreement

The Biloxi City Council this morning approved an amendment to the MGM Park lease with Biloxi Baseball and Overtime Sports that would set forth terms of how the $925,000 being provided by the baseball partners would be spent and outlined how the city would repay the money. The agreement, which also was OK’d by site […]

Ohr-O’Keefe to launch K10 special events Thursday evening

The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum’s “Katrina +10” exhibit, which has been seen by nearly 2,000 people since opening 10 days ago, will kick off its array of special events Thursday evening with a fast-paced presentation on April 2 that will examine the way things have changed since Hurricane Katrina. On Thursday, from 6 to 8:30 p.m., the […]

Hiller Park to host Easter egg hunt Saturday

The city’s Easter Eggstravanza, including an Easter egg hunt and family-oriented activities, takes place Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. at Hiller Park. The actual Easter egg hunt begins at 3 p.m., but you’ll find a carnival, the Easter Bunny, and a refreshments booth, with proceeds to benefit the fund to revitalize Hiller Park. The […]

Caranna, Morris bring mayoral total to seven

Two more mayoral hopefuls – Cono Caranna and Pat Morris – have filed with the Municipal Clerk their intentions to be candidates for mayor of Biloxi in the upcoming April 28 special election, and the deadline for voter registration is Saturday at noon. Caranna and Morris today filed Qualifying Statements of Intent along with 50 signatures […]

Tisdale files paperwork; voter deadline approaches

A fifth candidate – Paul Tisdale – has filed with the Municipal Clerk his intentions to be a candidate for mayor of Biloxi in the upcoming April 28 special election, and the deadline for voter registration is Saturday at noon. Tisdale this afternoon filed his Qualifying Statement of Intent along with 50 signatures of registered Biloxi […]

160,000 expected for Keesler air show

Keesler Air Force Base expects to host 160,000 people or more this weekend for the  air show and open house headlined by the Air Force Thunderbirds. To help move visitors on and off the base, Keesler will offer free shuttle service beginning at 8:45 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Best place to park to catch the shuttle: […]

Newman files intent; voter registration deadline is Saturday

Another candidate – Dixie Newman – has filed with the Municipal Clerk her intentions to be a candidate for mayor of Biloxi in the upcoming April 28 special election, and the deadline for voter registration is Saturday at noon. Newman on Tuesday filed her Qualifying Statement of Intent along with 50 signatures of registered Biloxi voters, […]

Nichols to see more students, more classes next year

Biloxi Public Schools plans to double the number of students at Nichols beginning next school year by offering more pre-K classes, and moving kindergarten and first grade classes to Nichols from nearby Gorenflo Elementary. Gorenflo Elementary School will host Grades 2 through 5 next school year.  “We’re seeing increases in the numbers of students attending […]

Biloxi makes another vacation list

A new online travel report pegs Biloxi as the third best cheap summer vacation spot in the country, although Acting Mayor Kenny Glavan says he’d prefer “affordable” to “cheap.” U.S. News used “expert insight along with an assessment of affordability and traveler appeal”  to determine “the best summer vacations to take on the cheap.” Says […]

It’s official: Three now intend to run for mayor

Two more would-be candidates have filed with Municipal Clerk their intentions to be candidates for mayor of Biloxi in the upcoming April 28 special election: W.S. “Windy” Swetman III and Felix O. Gines. Swetman filed his Qualifying Statement of Intent and Candidate Petition on Monday afternoon, and Gines filed his paperwork this morning. The two […]

Popp’s Ferry widening work set to begin

The city will hold a ground-breaking ceremony this week for the last phase of widening Popp’s Ferry Road, from Cedar Lake Road to Lamey Street, the city limits with D’Iberville. The ceremony, to be conducted Thursday at 4 p.m. in front of the First Baptist Church of Biloxi, signals the $6.5 million construction of the […]

‘K10’ has ribbon cutting, free day Saturday

“Katrina +10,” the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art’s multi-media exhibition marking the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, has its ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday, with free admission from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jerry O’Keefe, the former Biloxi mayor who envisioned the beachfront museum, will cut the ribbon Saturday at 11 a.m., signaling the official opening of the […]

Planning OKs downtown property revision

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, the Biloxi Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve the subdivision of a lot in the downtown area for a “to be announced” commercial development. The approval recommendation will now go before the City Council for final consideration. Also this week, the Development Review Committee […]

Gilich becomes first to file mayoral paperwork

“FoFo” Gilich this afternoon became the first Biloxi resident to file paperwork with the Municipal Clerk declaring his intent to run for mayor in the special election scheduled for April 28. Under the state-required process for the special election, would-be candidates must file a Qualifying Statement of Intent, along with 50 signatures of registered Biloxi […]

‘Katrina +10’ opens to public Friday morning

The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art will launch “Katrina +10,” the largest Hurricane Katrina exhibit in the Southeast, on Friday morning at 10. “Katrina +10” will be a six-month retrospective about Hurricane Katrina and will feature the award-winning efforts of the Sun Herald, WLOX, Mississippi Department of Transportation, Hands On Mississippi and Mississippi Power, the company that brought […]

Green light for Grillin’, Hibernia on Saturday

It’s a wet windfest outside today, but organizers say there’s still a green light for Grillin’ on the Green Saturday on the Biloxi Town Green. The Hibernia Marching Society, as well, says its ready for roll its annual parade, too. More than 30 grill teams have signed up for the grilling competition, and 75 arts […]

Work continues on a number of projects, proposals

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, Our department issued permits for a new medical office for Dr. Michael Diaz to be located at 936 Tommy Munro Drive, and a renovation permit for Hard Rock Casino to accomodate a new Pie Five Pizza Restaurant. Also this week, we completed the plans review for […]

Holloway makes surprise appearance at State of City

A.J. Holloway hasn’t missed a State of the City presentation for more than 20 years now, and despite leaving office for health reasons earlier this month, he didn’t miss today’s either. The longest-serving mayor in the history of the city, who officially resigned Tuesday to spend more time with his family, walked from behind the […]

Glavan, in first act, honors Outstanding Citizen Blessey

Acting Mayor Kenny Glavan, in his first public function since being named Tuesday, honored Katherine Blessey as Biloxi’s Outstanding Citizen for 2014 during a Lions Club luncheon today. And during a sold-out Biloxi Bay Chamber of Commerce luncheon Thursday, Biloxi’s new leader, albeit temporary as mayor, will welcome those attending the annual State of the […]

Wheel of Biloxi government turning deliberately — and anxiously

Biloxi municipal government will be expected to turn on a dime this week, with the City Council choosing a new acting mayor from among themselves Tuesday morning, with several mayoral obligations already waiting for the new chief executive, and behind the scenes work underway on a special election that hasn’t even been called yet. “We’re […]

Council meets Tuesday to choose acting mayor

The Biloxi City Council has called a special meeting for Tuesday at 10 a.m., when  councilmembers are expected to accept the resignation of Mayor A.J. Holloway and choose an acting mayor. The acting mayor, who will be chosen from  among the councilmembers, would serve until a special election is conducted, which is expected to be […]

More than 500 seats sold for State of the City

City Councilmembers will decide Tuesday who will be delivering the welcoming remarks for next week’s State of the City luncheon, but one thing’s for sure: more than 500 seats have been sold for the event. Tina Ross-Seamans, director of the sponsoring Biloxi Bay Chamber of Commerce, reports that tickets have been selling at a steady […]

Veterans Avenue crematory plans under review

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, we received the building plans for the Marshall’s Crematory to be located on Veterans Drive. The crematory is phase 1 of a 2-phase project which will also include Marshall’s Funeral Home. Building plans were received this week for 2 new single family houses. Also this week, […]

Holloway to step down as Biloxi’s mayor

Biloxi Mayor A.J. Holloway, the city’s longest serving mayor, notified the City Council today that he is resigning his position as mayor. “Due to an accumulation of health issues, I must ask the people of the City of Biloxi to permit me to be with my family for the remainder of this municipal term,” Holloway […]

Weekend preview: Comedy, music and an Arbor Day Run

In town this weekend are comedian Ron White, singer Paul Anka, the group Lone Star and the Neil Diamond tribute group Super Diamond. Also, the City of Biloxi, along with the Gulf Coast Running Club and the Disability Connection organization, will stage the 27th Arbor Day 5K Run Saturday in downtown Biloxi. The event, with […]

Permits issued for Casino Magic, other projects

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, the department issued separate permits for the fire sprinkler system and the fire alarm system for Casino Magic. Building plans were received this week for an office building on Tommy Munro Drive for D. R. Horton Homebuilders. Plans were also received for a new commercial warehouse Structure […]

Council to consider temporary sign issue

The City Council on Tuesday will consider continuing to allow businesses in Biloxi to use pennants, banners, streamers and flags to advertise their businesses – practices ordinarily prohibited under the city’s Land Development Ordinance. The measure is one of more that two dozen issues included on the agenda for the council’s meeting on Tuesday at […]

Ohr-O’Keefe to launch ‘Katrina +10’ exhibition

This time next month – on March 20 – the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art will launch “Katrina +10,” a six-month retrospective about Hurricane Katrina and featuring the award-winning efforts of the Sun Herald, WLOX, Mississippi Department of Transportation, Hands On Mississippi and Mississippi Power Co., the company that brought in 12,000 workers from across the […]

Planning OKs Walmart market for Popp’s Ferry

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, the Biloxi Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve a preliminary subdivision plat for the proposed Walmart Neighborhood Market to be located on the former Ellzey property on Popp’s Ferry Road. The commission also voted unanimously to approve a conditional use application for a self-serve gas station […]

Double your pleasure this Mardi Gras

Remember, Biloxi parade-goers, you have two parades with two routes this Mardi Gras. Neptune, of course, kicks off the celebration with its nighttime parade on Saturday at 5:30 p.m., with guest grand marshal Joe Horn, the colorful former Saints wide receiver who will be filling in for snowbound Weather Channel storm chaser Jim Cantore. The […]

Mardi Gras safety tips: Before, during and after the parades

The City of Biloxi encourages you to have a spirited-yet-safe time at Mardi Gras. In order to make the occasion a safe one, the Biloxi Police Department asks that you follow these suggestions, which are more than suggestions in many cases: Before the parade — Carpool and anticipate traffic delays. Appoint a designated driver. Obey […]

Repair permits issued for Casino Magic site

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, the department issued a repair permit for the interior of the former Casino Magic structure. The valuation for the permit is $6.3 million dollars, and includes the existing building/structure only. A repair permit for exterior repairs was issued earlier this year with a valuation of $4 […]

See living history at the Biloxi Visitors Center

History Week is now underway at the Biloxi Visitors Center and you’re invited to drop by between now and Saturday. The Mississippi Coast Historical & Genealogical Society is sponsoring the 25th annual Mississippi Coast History Week, which features a number of exhibits celebrating the anniversary of the Feb. 13, 1699 landing of d’Iberville on the […]

Remember: Two parade routes this year

Biloxi Police are reminding paradegoers that two parade routes will be used for this year’s Mardi Gras parades – one for the Neptune night parade on Saturday, Feb. 14, and the traditional route, for Gulf Coast Carnival on Tuesday, Feb. 17. To see the two routes, click here.    

Neptune to offer plenty of firsts this weekend

The Krewe of Neptune, which over the years had been relegated to a handful of colorful floats tagged onto the end of the Gulf Coast Carnival parade on Mardi Gras Day, will be making history this year with its own nighttime parade, with weathercaster Jim Cantore as celebrity grand marshal, and with a new parade […]

Children, Second Liners parade in Biloxi Saturday

Two Mardi Gras parades roll in Biloxi this weekend – the annual children’s walking parade and the Biloxi Second Liners – highlighting a weekend of seven parades Coastwide. The annual Biloxi Mardi Gras Children’s Walking Parade will begin at 10 a.m. on Howard Avenue at I-110, travel east to Reynoir Street, and south to Camellia, […]

Demolition permit issued for Hutter Building remnants

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, a demolition permit was issued to remove the remaining façade of the Hutter Building in the Vieux Marche’. The fenced-in remnant of the structure has been an eyesore in the downtown area since the building burned in January of 2011. This demo was necessary to make way […]

Ohr plans second round of live oak plantings

The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, which next month launches a huge exhibit to mark the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, is seeking sponsors for the planting of seven of the 19 more Live oaks on its beachfront campus. The planting, which will be performed Feb. 20 by volunteers from Mississippi Power Co., is part of […]

City seeks to maximize use, benefits of MGM Park

“Breakfast with the Mayor” was presented as “Breakfast with the Acting Mayor” this morning, as Ward 2 Councilman Felix O. Gines, filling in for Mayor A.J. Holloway, spoke to a number of city issues before introducing a program about the opportunities the city faces with MGM Park. “I’m proud that the mayor has chosen me […]

This weekend: Community theater, music and parades

Coast community theater aficionados will find “The Odd Couple” on stage this weekend at the Biloxi Little Theater, and you’ll find performances by Merle Haggard at the Beau Rivage, Kathy Griffin at the IP, and Mardi Gras parades roll in Lizana, Orange Grove, Ocean Springs and Pass Christian. See the entire weekend lineup   MGM […]

Council hears sides of short-term rentals issue

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, the city council conducted a public hearing on “Short Term Rental”. Citizens were asked to offer their comments and recommendations concerning owners renting their single family houses for periods of less than 30 days. During the meeting, six (6) speakers offered comments in favor of short term […]

Holloway admits himself to alcohol treatment facility

Biloxi Mayor A.J. Holloway, the longest-serving mayor in the history of the city, this afternoon was admitted to an alcohol treatment facility in Hattiesburg. “Mayor Holloway and his family are certainly in our thoughts and prayers at this time,” said Chief Administrative Officer David Nichols. “This is a decision Mayor Holloway reached himself, with the […]

Council to discuss short-term rental issue

The Biloxi City Council on Tuesday will hear status reports on the city’s on-going infrastructure work and construction at MGM Park, and a public hearing will be held to discuss the growing interest in short-term rentals, or so-called Vacation Rentals by Owners. The issues are among the nearly two-dozen measures on the agenda for the […]

Beer fest, other events highlight weekend

The hops will be flowing Saturday at the Coast Coliseum for the Fifth Annual Hops Beer Festival, one of the events dotting the weekend entertainment lineup. Elsewhere, this weekend, you’ll find “Always Patsy Cline” at Center Stage; Captain Fantastic, an Elton John tribute at Hard Rock; Rick Springfield at the Beau Rivage; Break the Bar […]

Governor, First Lady to lead Exceptional parade in Biloxi

Gov. Phil Bryant, and Mississippi’s First Lady, Deborah Bryant, will join Helen Irlen of the Irlen Institute for the MS Council for Exceptional Children (MS-CEC) Mardi Gras Parade on Wednesday, Feb. 4 at 5 p.m. in Biloxi.  The parade is an opening activity for the MS-CEC statewide conference being held at the IP Casino and […]

Council OKs plan for subdivision off Miss. 67

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development the city council voted 5-2 to approve the preliminary plat for a new 88 lot single family residential subdivision to be located on Old Highway 67, north of Woolmarket Road. With this approval, the project engineer will begin designing the infrastructure plans for the project. Also this […]

Ohr-O’Keefe museum seeks ‘Katrina ambassadors’

The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art is seeking volunteers to help greet visitors to a huge Hurricane Katrina-related exhibition opening at the museum in March. During the exhibit, which will run from late March to Labor Day, the museum will be open seven days a week: Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and […]

Tree committee gets nod from Planning Commission

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, the Biloxi Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve a text change for the establishment of a city tree committee. The planning commission recommendation will now go before the city council for final consideration. If approved by the city council, the committee would be composed of seven […]

Children’s parade rolls on Feb. 7

The annual Biloxi Children’s Mardi Gras Walking Parade, a chance for youngsters to become acquainted with Carnival, is less than a month away, and now is the time to sign up. Children age 12 and under are invited to participate in the Saturday, Feb. 7 parade, either walking, or on bikes or skates, or being […]

Foreigner concert will have Biloxi flavor

The rock group Foreigner has a bevy of Top 10 songs to its credit – “Jukebox Hero,” “Hot Blooded,” “Feels Like the First Time,” “Waiting for a Girl Like You,” “Cold as Ice,” to name a few – but one song will have a special appeal to local audiences during the group’s show at the […]

Council upholds denial of front beach zoning change

By Jerry Creel Community Development Director This week in economic development, the city council voted to uphold the recommendation of the planning commission to deny a change in zoning for several parcels of property located on Beach Boulevard between Hopkins Boulevard and Porter Avenue. At a previous meeting, the city council voted to approve an application for […]

City to unveil Brownfields Assessment Program

The City of Biloxi will hold an information meeting on Tuesday to unveil a new program to help assess any properties that may affected by hazardous substances with a goal of seeing the properties become suitable for re-development or re-use. The project is being funded by a $400,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfields […]

See photos from Twelfth Night

See more than 80 photos from this evening’s Twelfth Night event by clicking here.

Twelfth Night gathering to signal arrival of Carnival season

The Gulf Coast will officially change from the holiday season to Carnival season on Monday, Jan. 5, with the celebration of Twelfth Night beginning at the Biloxi Visitors Center and parading to the Mardi Gras Museum. “The Biloxi Visitors Center is where we began the holiday season, with the lighting of the decorations at the […]

Visitors Center Open House is Saturday

Attention, last-minute shoppers: You’ll find more 50 vendors selling the best in local arts and crafts during the annual Biloxi Visitors Center Open House on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. In addition to two floors of wares, the extravaganza will feature door prizes throughout the day, and hamburgers and hot dogs grilled by […]

Lighthouse Park taking shape at Porter Avenue

Motorists passing the Biloxi Lighthouse are seeing the latest city park beginning to take shape. The 5.25-acre site, just west of Porter Avenue and a stone’s throw from the Biloxi Lighthouse, represents the completion of the Lighthouse Park and Visitors Center project. It is expected to be completed in April. The $5.2 million federally funded […]

Council OKs La Quinta zoning; Planning OKs subdivision

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, the city council voted unanimously to approved the zoning change for property located at 950 and 956 Beach Boulevard from Residential Multi-Family (RM-10), to Community Business (CB). This change was necessary in order to allow a proposed La Quinta Inn & Suites. The design […]

Santa visits Excel by 5 and Hiller Park this weekend

It’s another weekend of holiday fare in Biloxi, with toddlers having an educational encounter with Santa Claus at Excel by 5’s Come Learn With Santa, and the Hiller Park revitalization effort getting another boost with Christmas at Hiller. Both events are Saturday. The free, educational and hands-on party hosted by Excel by 5 takes place […]

New home construction continues to thrive

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, single family residential home construction continues to thrive. We received 19 sets of plans for new single family houses to be constructed in locations throughout the city. Construction sites include: (4) for Goose Pointe, (4) for Mill Creek, Taylor Oaks (3), Hengen Place (2), Rock Creek (2), […]

Line break reduces water pressure in east Biloxi

Residents and businesses in east Biloxi may experience diminished water pressure today as Biloxi Public Works crews and contractors work to repair a 16-inch water line that broke near Maple Street  and the CSX railway. The break occurred late Wednesday and crews have worked through the night to repair the line, which carries water at […]

Enjoy the local flavor of the holidays this weekend

It’s here: Biloxi’s annual Christmas on the Water weekend. This evening at 6, the annual Children’s Christmas Parade in downtown Biloxi begins rolling. Get a spot in front of City Hall and plan to see a small parade that will boast big numbers: nearly 300 children, a three-wheeled bicycle elf, singers, plenty of hay wagons and […]

Tree committee officially in the works

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, the city council voted to approve a charge to the community development staff to conduct a public hearing before the planning commission for the purpose of seeking public input on the establishment of a tree advisory committee. The recommended proposal would consider the establishment […]

Lighthouse lighting ceremony is today at 5:30

A visit from a holiday grinch aside, the city ushers in the Christmas season this afternoon with the lighting of the Biloxi Lighthouse with 1960s-era decorations.  The decorations — a dozen red-and-silver garlands streaming from the top to bottom of the lighthouse and two horizontal garlands keeping them all in place — were inspired by a […]

Children’s parade will have a few surprises

Expect to see a few new additions to this year’s annual Children’s Christmas Parade in downtown Biloxi, including a three-wheeled bicycle elf, singers, plenty of hay wagons and a selection of vintage fire trucks. And, of course, you’ll see 275 children on parade when the 11-unit procession begins rolling at 6 o’clock Friday evening. “We […]

Visitors Center sees another jump in guests

The number of people walking in the door at the Biloxi Visitors Center is up 22 percent over last year, with more than 137,000 guests using the beachfront facility, and at the same time, the center’s gift shop, a treasure trove of wares from local artists and craftsmen, has seen nearly a 40 percent increase […]

Shuckers: Biloxi team unveils name, logo

From the Biloxi Shuckers The new Biloxi professional baseball team revealed its identity Monday night as the Biloxi Shuckers took center stage during a ceremony inside Biloxi’s historic Saenger Theatre. The Shuckers will begin play in the Southern League next April as the new Double-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. “We are very excited to […]

Visitors Center to host North, introduce museum pass

The Biloxi Visitors Center, which is already showcasing the work of Katrina sculptures chainsaw artist Marlin Miller, will host a two-day exhibit by the work of local photographer Alex North this weekend, and on Sunday will introduce the Museum Pass, a new ticket that offers admission to a trio of museums and the Biloxi Lighthouse. […]

Ushering in the holiday season

The march to Christmas is underway, with the Nutcracker dancing across the stage this weekend at the Saenger, and a host of other holiday events dotting the calendar between now and Dec. 25. In Biloxi, of course, Christmas means Christmas on the Water, the children’s Christmas parade, the Christmas in the City arts and crafts […]

Five short-term rentals seek approval

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, the Biloxi Planning Commission conducted public hearings to hear five applications for “Short-Term Rental”. These particular cases involved five single family houses where the owners were requesting approval to rent or lease the properties for periods of less than 30 days.  Under the Land Development Ordinance, […]

Christmas on Water highlights holiday schedule

Biloxi’s signature holiday event, Christmas on the Water, will once again feature land and water parades, fireworks, arts and crafts, and, of course, Santa Claus. The event kicks off Friday, Dec. 5 with a children’s parade through the downtown and lighting of the Town Green, followed by a “Christmas in the City” arts and crafts […]

Loaves and Fishes to raffle autographed Saints Super Bowl football

Loaves and Fishes, the Biloxi soup kitchen that serves 6,000 meals a month on a shoestring budget, has come up with a super way to raise money to feed the hungry as its most challenging time of the year approaches, the holiday season. The non-profit is raffling a valuable piece of Saints football: a commemorative […]

MGM Park reaches a construction milestone

Mayor A.J. Holloway signed on the dotted line – or steel beam – this afternoon, signaling a milestone in the construction of MGM Park, the downtown baseball stadium and entertainment venue. Holloway signed his name to the last major steel beam being erected on the building, marking a topping-out point in the construction of the […]

City Council meetings begin shortly

The Biloxi City Council has its 1:30 p.m. today, with a meeting to discuss the city’s tree-protection ordinance. Both meetings will be at City Hall and are open to the public. See the agenda for the 1:30 meeting   New sidewalk planned between Popp’s Ferry and Hiller Park  Residents and motorists on Atkinson Road will be […]

New sidewalk planned between Popp’s Ferry and Hiller Park

Residents and motorists on Atkinson Road will be seeing construction of a new sidewalk to link Popp’s Ferry Road to just west of Hiller Park. Nearly three-dozen residents who live on Atkinson Road have been notified of the upcoming work and have been invited to learn more at a community meeting on Monday, Nov.  24 […]

Infrastructure work coming up in Balmoral, Edgewater area

Residents of the Balmoral and Edgewater Drive area in west Biloxi will be seeing a major infrastructure project getting underway in December, and the result will be new water mains, sewer lines and storm drains as well as replacement of the streets, curbs and sidewalks impacted by the construction work. The $1.82 million project is […]

Beauvoir goes Scottish this weekend

You’ll find plenty of pipe bands, Irish dancing, sheep herding and jousting this weekend as Beauvoir hosts the two-day Scottish Highland Games, one of this weekend’s top events. The festival features traditional foods, such as meat pies, sausage rolls and pastries, and other fair fare. A host of vendors will offer unique Scottish and Irish […]

DRC see plans for South Beach East, apartments

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, the Development Review Committee reviewed a site plan for South Beach East. South Beach East will add an additional 60 units to the existing South Beach Condotel, located on the south side of Beach Boulevard next to Sharkheads. The DRC also reviewed a proposal […]

Planning group to discuss re-zoning, tree ordinance

A committee of the Biloxi Planning Commission will hold a workshop next week to discuss the possibility of re-zoning to commercial beachfront land north of U.S. 90 between Porter Avenue and Hopkins Boulevard, and possible revisions to the city’s tree-protection ordinance. The Zoning Text and Map Committee will meet Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the […]

Parade highlights entertainment-filled weekend

More than 1,900 marchers are scheduled to be a part of the Gulf Coast Veterans Day parade on Saturday in downtown Biloxi, and you’ll also be able to see a host of arts and crafts vendors and military displays in a “Red, White and Blue on the Green” gathering on the Town Green. The parade […]

Review continues for Hyatt, medical office

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, we are continuing to review the building construction plans for the proposed Hyatt Place Hotel, to be located on Beach Boulevard. We are also completing the building plans review for Dr. Michael Diaz’ Office and Surgical Center, to be constructed on Tommy Munro Boulevard. Earlier this […]

Visitors Center to host Mad Marlin exhibition

Sculptor Marlin Miller, who created the majority of the sculptures on the Katrina Sculpture Trail on U.S. 90, will have his works showcased in a Biloxi Visitors Center “pop-up gallery” that will open Thursday, Nov. 13 with a public ribbon-cutting ceremony and reception beginning at 7 p.m. Miller, owner of Mad Marlins Studio in Fort […]

Tree ordinance to get more attention

Dozens of residents from Biloxi and the surrounding area showed up and spoke during a special City Council meeting on Tuesday to discuss the city’s tree-protection ordinance. Most residents spoke in favor of a return to a tree committee to have a say in the process, while others pointed to a need to not add […]

Huge Veterans parade to roll Saturday

The Gulf Coast Veterans Day Parade, boasting a lineup of 1,900 marchers, rolls on Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m. from the IP Casino Resort Spa on Back Bay to the Town Green, where a free Red, White and Blue on the Green Festival is planned. Although the parade itself begins at 11 o’clock, you can […]

Trees, second short-term rental on agenda today

The city’s tree-protection ordinance will be discussed during a special City Council meeting this afternoon at 4:45, and the city will get its second short-term rental operation if the City Council says OK during its 6 p.m. meeting. The council called the special meeting to discuss the city’s tree-protection ordinance after more than a hundred […]

Weekend preview: A tricky evening, music and more

It’s a festive weekend with thousands of trick-or-treaters expected on neighborhood streets this evening, and tens of thousands of visitors perusing the streets of downtown Ocean Springs for the huge Peter Anderson Arts & Crafts Festival Saturday and Sunday. Biloxi Police remind motorists and pedestrians to be extra careful this evening, as thousands of Halloween […]

Visitors Center to host hurricane lecture, book signings

The Biloxi Visitors Center will host a trio of public events in November: two book signings,and the last in this year’s series of hurricane lectures. Here’s the schedule with background on each event: Hurricane Hunter Lecture, Nov. 7, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Come hear what it’s like to fly into the most deadly weather […]

Remember these tips for trick-or-treating

Halloween is Friday 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. Recommended time for trick-or-treating: Friday late in the day, but before darkness sets in. The city offers these tips: When trick-or-treating: — A parent or […]

Edgewater Mall to offer indoor trick-or-treating

Edgewater Mall will once again this year provide trick-or-treating in an indoor, climate-controlled environment. Mall stores will be handing out candy from 5:30 until 7:30 p.m., and those who drop by the mall’s Guest Services booth will get additional treats from mall customer service representatives. The mall also will provide kids with free trick-or-treat bag at the […]

New apparatus committee has its say in city’s new fire truck

The Biloxi Fire Department is looking to buy a new ladder truck during Tuesday’s City Council meeting, and the purchase is the first recommendation from a new apparatus committee empaneled by Fire Chief Joe Boney. The purchase of the new truck – more than $900,000, paid for with Community Development Block Grant funds – is […]

Halloween on the Green is this afternoon

If you missed Halloween at Hiller Park, don’t fret; there’s more trick or treating fun later this afternoon on the Town Green. Halloween on the Green, capped by a drive-in movie, begins at 4 p.m., with a costume contest, trick-or-treating and family fun. Then, at dusk, you can see the movie “Frankenweenie.” The affair is […]

All treats, no tricks this weekend

Two seasonal events are coming up this weekend: Halloween at Hiller Park, and the award-winning cemetery tours at the old Biloxi City Cemetery. Halloween at Hiller, which runs from 5:30 to 7:30 this evening, will feature a costume contest, hayrides and fire truck rides, trick or treating with local businesses, chidlren’s games and attractions, and […]

Santa Maria sold to hotel development group

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, the big news was the announcement that the old Santa Maria Del Mar senior housing structure on Beach Boulevard is being sold to the Barrington Group. The Barrington Group is the same developer who restored the White House Hotel. Possible uses proposed for the property include an […]

Cemetery tours highlight colorful cast of characters

Another collection of some of most Biloxi’s colorful characters of yesteryear will headline this year’s Old Biloxi Cemetery Tour, a free public program that takes place Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m., with an encore Tuesday from 4 to 7 p.m. Included in this year’s lineup will be colorful Mardi Gras impresario Walter “Skeet” Hunt, […]

Visitors Center hosts ‘Moonshine Adventure’ today

You’ll have a chance to hear storytelling and name dropping later today at the Biloxi Visitors Center when author Al Saucier talks about his book, “Moonshine Adventure,” a tome that chronicles Southern Culture and the introduction of moonshine to a worldwide audience. Saucier, whose ancestors were among the first European settlers in the area known […]

Ohr to launch campaign to restore oaks at museum

When world-renowned architect Frank Gehry first looked at the site for the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art on east beach, he envisioned shiny buildings nestled neatly among the grove of majestic oak trees. So construction began, and the idea of a museum “dancing with the trees” began to take shape. Unfortunately, not long after construction began, […]

This weekend: Battles, a Beatle and BLT

Diversity is the word for this weekend’s entertainment lineup. Beauvoir: The Jefferson Davis Home and Presidential Library hosts its 2014 fall muster this weekend, where you can see plenty of re-enactors and encampments and an occasional skirmish, while next door the Coast Coliseum has Inktoberfest, a huge gathering of tattoo artists, and a horror film […]

More big numbers in development

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, after only 9.5 months in 2014, our construction valuation total has surpassed our total for the entire 2013 calendar year. For 2013 our construction valuation was $104,037,322. With the building permits issued this week, our total valuation for 2014 is $105,469,200, with a number of proposed […]

Library program turns back pages of time

History buffs can get a preview of next weekend’s cemetery tours and discover the importance of journals in a free program Thursday afternoon at the Biloxi Public Library. The Local History and Genealogy Department at the Biloxi Public Library on Howard Avenue will offer the program Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Two re-enactors – Bill Raymond […]

Cruisin’ into the final weekend

Cruisin’ the Coast, the non-stop celebration of vehicles that navigates an RV-lined U.S. 90, enters its final weekend with a record-setting number of registered automobiles and onlookers. You’ll find a host of daily entertainment on the outdoor stages at Edgewater Mall and at sites along the Coast, along with concerts at casino venues. More than […]

Reef Restaurant opens; Sal & Mookie’s gets permit

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, activities included the opening of the Reef Restaurant on Beach Boulevard. The restaurant opened on Saturday, just in time for Cruisin’ the Coast. Although the building is complete and operational, be on the lookout for the addition of two more improvements. A new playground will be […]

Photos from the downtown block party

To see more than a hundred photos of cars and people at this morning’s Downtown Biloxi Block Party for Cruisin’ the Coast, courtesy of the city’s Facebook page, click here.

Cruisin’ crowds bigger than ever, says police chief

“It seems that there are more people here earlier than ever before,” Biloxi Police Chief John Miller says of this year’s Cruisin’ the Coast and the number of RVs and onlookers gathering each day along U.S. 90. Miller and his officers with the Biloxi Police Department say Cruisin’, with expectations of as many as 7,300 […]

Artists have a mission in downtown Biloxi

Cruisers and visitors to the big Downtown Biloxi Block Party on Wednesday will have a chance to see nearly 50 pieces of artwork – some as large as 12-foot by 8-foot – in a public display on buildings from Reynoir to Lameuse Street, in the heart of the Vieux Marche. The project involves about two […]

Downtown rolls out another First Friday

Finally First Friday, the monthly tip of the hat to downtown Biloxi, ushers in another turn of the calendar this evening with entertainment by the Brett Mitchell Band and Richard Shropshire. The 5 to 8 p.m. event, focused in the Rue Magnolia and Water Street area known as the Downtown Arts District, features discounts from […]

Medical-retail development OK’d on Jam Lane

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, the Biloxi Planning Commission voted to approve a new 2-lot medical and retail subdivision to be located on Jam Lane. The proposed development will include 13,000 square feet of retail space and 2000 square feet of medical. The Planning Commission also voted to approve […]

Nearly 450 swimmers expected for Demoruelle meet

Nearly two dozen high schools and 440 swimmers from across the state will be competing in the 12th Annual Jeanie Demoruelle Invitational Swim Meet Saturday, at the Biloxi Natatorium. The swim meet will begin at 10:30 a.m. and last run until about 4 p.m.  Spectator fee is $5. “We have a lot of really competitive […]

Cruisin’ gets rolling this weekend

You’ve seen the signals over the past few weeks on U.S. 90: County crews cutting grass and trimming palm trees, the power company repairing street lights on the thoroughfare, MDOT paving sections of the roadway, and Biloxi Public Works crews positioning barricades at key intersections. It’s all setting the stage for Cruisin’ the Coast, the […]

City to conduct auction of surplus equipment

The City of Biloxi will conduct an auction of surplus city equipment – boats, vehicles, trailers, tractors, school buses, zero-turn mowers, tools, computers and the like – on Saturday, Oct. 11 on the Biloxi Public Safety Communications site on Popp’s Ferry Road. The auction will be begin at 9 a.m., and potential bidders have a […]

Visitors Center announces book signings, craft show

The Biloxi Visitors Center, 1050 Beach Blvd., will host a trio of public events in October:  two books signings and the 2nd Annual Lighthouse Arts and Crafts Fair.   Book signing, Oct. 2, 5:30â€7 p.m.: “Code: Team Zebra” is about a small Top Secret organization funded by Congress under a fictitious research titled Project 7. Only […]

Biloxi to get 30th annual Tree City designation

Biloxi, which is Mississippi’s oldest Tree City, will receive its 30th annual designation as a member of Tree City USA during a ceremony in Jackson on Wednesday. City Arborist Eric Nolan, who also heads the city’s Development Review Committee, will be at the Children’s Museum in Jackson on Wednesday to accept the designation for the […]

Public safety festival is Saturday on Town Green

Dozens of families are expected to gather on the Biloxi Town Green Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to show-and-tell time by the Biloxi Police and Fire departments. It’s the annual Community Festival Against Crime, where Biloxi public safety workers offer safety and fire-prevention tips to the public in an outdoor setting that involves […]

Sal & Mookie’s to get permit next week

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, we received the final site information for Sal & Mookie’s Restaurant. The actual building permit should be issued in the next few days. Construction crews at the Reef Restaurant are working diligently to finish and open before “Cruisin’ the Coast” begins this week. The new location […]

Biloxi Police: ‘We want your drugs’

Residents of Biloxi with unused or unnecessary prescription drugs are being asked to bring the drugs to the Lopez-Quave Public Safety Center Saturday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. so they may be disposed of properly. The department is again taking part in the Drug Enforcement Agency’s National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. The program aims […]

Initial layer of asphalt scheduled for Caillavet, Howard

Good news for those who travel Caillavet Street: A base layer of asphalt is expected on the section of Caillavet south of Howard Avenue by the first part of October, and the lane of Howard Avenue just east of Caillavet should be paved by mid-October. The majority of the Caillavet and Howard work has involved […]

Police, fire plan community festival for Saturday

Far too often the only encounters that residents have with Biloxi Police or Fire departments involve an auto accident, a fire or some other sort of emergency, but a free community festival this weekend is designed to give the public a chance to meet public safety workers in a fun atmosphere. The fifth annual Biloxi […]

Court affirms City Council’s decision in Waffle House case

A court has ruled that the Biloxi City Council acted within its authority in rejecting a zoning change to allow a Waffle House to be built at Myrtle Street on Point Cadet, midway between the Palace and Golden Nugget casinos. Circuit Court Judge Michael H. Ward also dismissed the notion that Councilman George Lawrence, who […]

Stadium cam: Get the picture from MGM Park at Beau Rivage

A stadium cam is now in place to give you a real-time photo and archive of images from the construction site at MGM Park at Beau Rivage, the downtown baseball stadium and entertainment venue. The interactive cameras – two of them, actually, that update images every 15 minutes – offer viewers the chance to select […]

Whet your Cruisin’ appetite at Ohr-O’Keefe

The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, capitalizing on the interest in the upcoming Cruisin’ the Coast, will host a free reception this evening for a new exhibition titled “Cars in Art.” The reception,  from 5 to 7 p.m., also will be the unveiling of the exhibit “Bruce Davenport Jr: I See You Looking,” a display of […]

Plans reviewed for hospital project, five new homes

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, the building plan reviews were completed for the $1.3 million dollar expansion and improvements to the Biloxi Regional Hospital’s Outpatient Facility. Plan reviews were also completed for 5 new single family houses to be constructed in the new Rock Creek Subdivision on Lorraine Road. […]

It’s here! Seafood Fest returns home this weekend

Between 25,000 and 30,000 people are expected to visit the Biloxi Seafood Festival this weekend, marking the return of the popular two-day event to its pre-Katrina location on Point Cadet. The festival, which begins Saturday and Sunday at 10 a.m., will feature myriad seafood dishes, live entertainment, and more than a hundred arts and crafts […]

Development report: Permits OK’d for St. Michael’s, other projects

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, our department issued building permits for the new Saint Michael’s Parish Life Center, renovations for the VIP area at the Beau Rivage’, exterior repairs to the Beauvoir Manor, construction of the new Lighthouse Park Pavilion, and the new City of Biloxi Public Works Maintenance Building and […]

Holloway seeks compromise on city budget

Mayor A.J. Holloway, citing a need to shore up city finances, has vetoed two budget measures passed by the City Council on Tuesday. Holloway notified councilmembers this afternoon that he vetoed the proposed budget for FY 2015 because the $53 million budget provides only a $56,000 spending reserve, which, the mayor said last week, could […]

Fireman’s Day Parade set for Sept. 20

The Biloxi Fireman’s Day Parade, a tradition that once was more popular than the city’s Mardi Gras parades, will roll through downtown Biloxi on the morning of Saturday, Sept. 20. Biloxi Fire Chief Joe Boney said fire departments from across south Mississippi are expected to be represented in the  10 a.m. parade, which begins on […]

Biloxi First to ‘honor’ Susan Hunt

Susan Hunt has dedicated her life to the children of Biloxi, whether through being a career educator, or working with Biloxi Excel By 5 or helping spark an interest in the colorful traditions of Mardi Gras, and now a group of her friends are gathering to “honor” her lifetime of achievement. Hunt will be the […]

Art, music and belly dancing on tap for First Friday

Main Street’s “Finally! First Friday,” the monthly downtown street fair, will include an art walk with belly dancing, free beignets and music from a DJ, all coming together this evening from 5 to 8 in downtown Biloxi. In addition, a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held for Salt Cloth, a new business opening near the Le […]

Hotel planned at former west Biloxi hospital

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, the Biloxi Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve a zoning change from NB Neighborhood Business, to CB Commercial Business for the former Gulf Regional Hospital on Debuys Road, to be converted to a 171 room hotel. The planning commission’s recommendation will now go before the […]

Ohr-O’Keefe named one of country’s best small-town museums

You don’t have to travel to New York or Los Angeles or Chicago to see some of the country’s best museums or most cherished works of art, CNN says in a report released today. In fact, you can find one of the country’s best small-town museums right here in Biloxi, Mississippi. The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of […]

Fourteen added to Biloxi Sports Hall of Fame

The Biloxi Sports Hall of Fame this evening added 14 new members, including a legendary sports promoter, a highly respected basketball coach, a well-traveled professional boxer and two brothers who starred on the football teams at Biloxi High School and the University of Southern Mississippi. A crowd of nearly 500 was on hand for the induction […]

‘We pause and remember’

“Rarely has a day gone by when we have not thought of Katrina,” Mayor A.J. Holloway told the hundred or so people gathered at this morning’s Katrina memorial observance on the Town Green. “It might thinking about something that used to be, and isn’t any more. Or it might be giving directions to someone and […]

Development by the numbers

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, the news is about New Single Family Residential Homes. During this week, we have issued 3 building permits for new houses, and are reviewing plans for 4 more. Since the fiscal year began on October 1, 2013, we have issued 87 building permits for […]

Bishop, students to launch day of Katrina remembrance

The ninth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina will be a day of remembrance in Biloxi, beginning Friday morning with the city’s annual Katrina memorial observance on the Town Green, and showings of the documentary “Katrina & Biloxi” on Cable One and at the Biloxi Visitors Center. Friday, Aug. 29, 2014, marks the ninth anniversary of the […]

City releases latest financial overview

The new Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the City of Biloxi, a report that provides detailed financial information about city operations, is now available online at biloxi.ms.us. The 130-page full-color document uses graphics, bar charts and balance sheets to provide an accurate and complete financial position of the city, as of Sept. 30, 2013, the […]

Council to meet on budget Thursday

The City Council will hold another of its series of budget meetings Thursday at 2 p.m. at City Hall. The meeting is open to the public. The council is working to trim city expenditures to match the $53 million in available revenue for Fiscal Year 2015, which begins Oct. 1. The budget must be in […]

Council gets briefing on stadium progress

A representative of W.G. Yates & Sons Construction Co. told members of the Biloxi City Council this afternoon that construction is on schedule for the downtown baseball stadium and adjoining parking garage, but council members hope the field is ready for play before the expected completion of the first week in August of next year. […]

City’s Katrina observance is Friday morning

Bishop Roger Morin of the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi, Mayor A.J. Holloway, singer Monica Boudreaux of Biloxi and students from Biloxi High School and St. Patrick’s Catholic High School are scheduled to participate in the city’s annual Katrina memorial observance, which takes place  Friday at 8:30 a.m. on the Biloxi Town Green. The ceremony, expected […]

Report touts growth of wages on Gulf Coast

Have you checked your paycheck lately? According to a report published today on MSN, the Biloxi metro area grew by nearly 11 percent comparing numbers from the fourth quarters of 2012 and 2013. In fact, according to the data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the rate wages growth in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula metro area was […]

Hotel zoning gets initial OK

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, the Planning Commission voted 10-2 to approve an application to change the zoning for property located at 950 and 956 Beach Boulevard from RM-10, Low Density Multi-Family Residential to CB-Commercial Business. The purpose of the request is to allow a LaQuinta Inn and Suites Hotel to be […]

Visitors Center unveils collection of lighthouses

The Biloxi Visitors Center this week added a new, permanent exhibition of Harbour Lights lighthouse replicas.  The exhibit features 27 limited edition lighthouse replicas collected by James and Tonie Day during their travels around the United States after Mr. Day’s retirement from a 30-year Air Force career. Included in the collection donated by the Days […]

It’s a Shrimp Bowl kind of weekend

The stage and bleachers are erected on the Town Green. The 2014 edition of the Shrimp Bowl Classic gets rolling this evening at 6 with a Spirit Night and Pep Rally on the Biloxi Town Green. This year’s doubleheader will feature Gulfport vs. Bay High on Saturday at 4 p.m. and Biloxi vs. Pearl River […]

Site work underway at Lighthouse Park

Motorists passing the Biloxi Lighthouse can see the initial site work underway on what will become Lighthouse Park, a 5.25-acre site just west of Porter Avenue and a stone’s throw from the Biloxi Lighthouse. The new park – a $5.2 million endeavor, which includes cost of land acquisition — will feature a children’s playground area, […]

Experience paying off on infrastructure work

Biloxi has completed about $20 million worth of the construction in its $355 million infrastructure work, and program manager Marvin G. Dalla Rosa says the lessons learned in that initial construction is paying off in the $153 million now under construction in areas along Back Bay and in east Biloxi. Dalla Rosa presented a detailed […]

City eyes short-term rental issue

The city’s Community Development Department has identified 160 homes that are being used for short-term rentals without proper approvals and has begun code enforcement action against 20 of them, according to a report delivered Tuesday to the Biloxi City Council. To read the report, click here.

Brick planters being removed in Vieux Marche

A volunteer group is working this week to remove brick planters from the Vieux Marche in an effort to spruce up the area and provide a clear line of sight through the heart of the downtown area. Seven of the nine planters, which range from three to four feet tall and six feet wide and […]

City Council to get the treatment Tuesday

We’re in the heat of summer, but Biloxi City Council President Kenny Glavan says he and his fellow councilmembers will be cold and wet Tuesday afternoon after the Biloxi City Council meeting. That’s because Glavan has accepted a challenge for the City Council to take part in the “ice bucket challenge,” a social-media stunt that […]

See photos from today’s Saenger presentation

A crowd of nearly 600 longtime residents and newcomers turned out this afternoon for “Camille: The 45th Anniversary Remembrance” at the Saenger Theater. See dozens of photos from the event

Free Excel by 5 health fair is Saturday at Snyder

Biloxi Excel By 5 will hold its annual Ready Set GO Children’s Health Fair from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Donal Snyder Community Center, 2520 Pass Road, Biloxi. The event is designed for children from birth to 5 years of age and will offer free health screenings that are age appropriate. Screenings include […]

Camille presentation is Sunday afternoon

“When’s the last time you heard of more than 140 tickets being sold in advance for a movie?” Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art Director Kevin O’Brien says of this Sunday afternoon’s “Camille: The 45th Anniversary Remembrance.” “We’re expecting to see a really good turnout at the Saenger Theater for something that will be memorable for longtime […]

Biloxi Sports Hall of Fame to add 14

A legendary sports promoter, a highly respected basketball coach, a well-traveled professional boxer and two brothers who starred on the football teams at Biloxi High School and the University of Southern Mississippi head the 14 players elected to the 2014 class of the Biloxi Sports Hall of Fame. A crowd of more than 300 is […]

Kellogg grant to help expand Nichols pre-K

More children will be attending pre-K classes at Nichols school in east Biloxi thanks to a half-million-dollar grant the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) has awarded to Biloxi Public Schools. The grant means that Biloxi Public Schools will be establishing its own four pre-K classrooms to complement the seven Head Start classes that Gulf Coast Community […]

Permit issued for Blind Tiger

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, the department issued the building permit for the new “Blind Tiger Restaurant”, which will be located on Beach Boulevard between Shaggy’s and the Blue Crab House Restaurants. The Blind Tiger currently has a very successful location in Bay Saint Louis and the owner expects even greater […]

Free Excel by 5 health fair is Saturday morning

Biloxi Excel By 5 will hold its annual Ready Set GO Children’s Health Fair from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Donal Snyder Community Center, 2520 Pass Road, Biloxi.   The event is designed for children from birth to 5 years of age and will offer free health screenings that are age appropriate. Screenings […]

Former Biloxi mayor to headline ‘Camille’ presentation

Biloxi Mayor Danny Guice and his wife were in Destin, Fla. in August 1969 when forecasters announced that Hurricane Camille was expected to strike that popular coastal community, so the Guices returned home, only to find that the storm had also taken a turn, zeroing in on Biloxi and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The next […]

Weekend preview: Family time at the Ohr

Children ages 6 and up will be creating mermaid windchimes Saturday at the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, one of the myriad pursuits on this weekend’s entertainment calendar. The Ohr-O’Keefe session takes place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.  These sturdy works of art will be suitable for hanging outdoors. Ages 6-14 will be led by […]

Short-term rental, fireworks at issue

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, the city council voted to approve an application for conditional use, for short term rental in the “Downtown Zoned District”, for a townhome located at 133 Reynoir Street. This will allow the owners to rent the townhome for periods of less than 30 days. In other […]

City recognizes preservation efforts

Lolly Barnes was presented the inaugural Julia Guice Lifetime Achievement Award for her body of work preserving the history of Biloxi. Barnes, who as the city’s historic administrator oversaw the restoration of a number of city properties, today serves as the director of the Mississippi Heritage Trust, The presentation was one of the highlights of […]

Lawrence at home, ready to get back on pace

The local group The Checkmates are playing at the French Club this weekend, but George Lawrence says he doesn’t think he’ll be able to make it – just yet. The five-term east Biloxi councilman was resting at home with family this afternoon, a day after he had a pacemaker implanted to regulate his heart rhythm. […]

Biloxi schools registration deadline is Tuesday at 3 p.m.

OK, moms and dads, if for whatever reason you haven’t yet registered your child to attend Biloxi Public Schools, you have until Tuesday, Aug. 5 at 3 p.m. to register and still have your child be able to attend the first day of school, on Thursday, Aug. 7. Those registering after Tuesday at 3 p.m. […]

Councilman Lawrence on the mend

Councilmember George Lawrence, the representative for east Biloxi, was resting comfortably this afternoon after undergoing surgery this morning to have a pacemaker implanted. Lawrence, the fifth-term councilmember who is a fixture at city functions and festivals, collapsed Saturday night while dancing at a party at the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum. He was transported to […]

August gets off to a rousing start

August, with its anomaly of five full weekends, launches with a stirring start this evening, with a Who Dat party in downtown Biloxi, VIPs at the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum where the general public gets to join Saturday morning, the first full weekend for the new White House Hotel, and a host of entertainment […]

White House, seafood museum open; Arbor Landing permitted

By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development, we saw the grand opening of the White House Hotel after a year of painstaking restoration. Also this week is the opening of the New Maritime and Seafood Museum. Both are beautiful additions to our tourism inventory of attractions. Building permits were issued this week for […]

Who Dats to gather in Downtown Biloxi

Biloxi Main Street’s “Finally First Friday” this evening will be a Who Dat Tailgate Party, with plenty of black and gold, live entertainment, and an appearance by former Saints running back Buford Jordan. The free event, which runs from 5 to 8 p.m. in downtown Biloxi, also will feature the Brett Mitchell Band, Dome Dogs […]

Council to begin budget process next week

City Council members will kick off the Fiscal Year 2015 budget process with their first budget meeting on Tuesday at 4 p.m. at City Hall. This year, says David Nichols, the magic number is $53 million. “Right now,” Nichols says, “that’s the amount of money we project we’ll have to operate the city on a […]

Storm prep guide being delivered across Biloxi

Residents and business owners throughout Biloxi are now receiving the city’s annual Storm & Flood Preparedness guide in their mailboxes, just as the peak of hurricane season arrives. The 12-page compendium includes a storm tracking map; information on evacuation routes and shelters; tips on how to create a storm plan for your family; frequently called […]

Seafood museum to open new digs Saturday

The Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum, which has been closed since Hurricane Katrina destroyed its original structure, will re-open this weekend at Point Cadet, the gateway to Biloxi. Factory whistles will blow at 9 a.m. Saturday to signal the re-opening of the museum, just as back in the day when the factories would call their […]

Development report: Shopping center, Arbor Landing

This column was unavailable last week. By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director This week in economic development comes an announcement about a 70.4 acre shopping center proposed for the southeast corner of Shriners Boulevard and Woolmarket Road. Although we have not received site plans for the development, a Wetlands Impact Application has been filed with […]

Party at the Point — with a splash

Point Cadet has the first of two big weekends Saturday, with the official dedication of Point Cadet Plaza, with a 4-to-7 p.m. gathering that will feature free hot dogs, chips and soft drinks, while a DJ spins music and children play on playground equipment and frollick on the park’s splash pad. Then next weekend, it’s […]

WYES to focus on Biloxi and Broadwater Beach

WYES, the New Orleans PBS affiliate known for its specials highlighting New Orleans culture, raises the curtain on a new special Wednesday that explores the popularity of Biloxi and what was once the Coast’s flagship hotel, the Broadwater Beach Hotel. “It’s iconic, it was Biloxi,” says local historian and author Jane Shambra, who supplied many […]

Point Cadet Plaza to open with a splash

The city will christen its newest park, Point Cadet Plaza, with a family-oriented party Saturday from  4 to 7 p.m. The free event will feature family fun and games, according to Parks and Recreation Director Sherry Bell. “This is a show place. When people are coming across the Biloxi Bay Bridge, this is one of […]