Category Archives: Your City At Work | Page 9

Your City at Work

Council to discuss housing, state port issue

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

Sculpture work continues this weekend on Beach Boulevard

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

Permits top billion-dollar mark; other news and notes

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

Open house on flood maps is Wednesday at Coliseum

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

More tree sculpting on Beach Boulevard; other news, notes

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

Natatorium to close for five-month overhaul

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

City accepting reservations for Biloxi Community Center

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

Curtain rises on Christmas events; other news and notes

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

New bridge at more than 60 percent of pre-Katrina traffic

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

Christmas on Water kicks off month of holiday events

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

Holloway praises Lott for service to state, country

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

Council to meet Tuesday afternoon; other news and notes

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

Police: Expect heavy traffic through weekend

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

City pursues charges against front-beach property owner

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

Court gives Bolton 30 more days to clean property

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

Youngsters sought for annual Children’s Christmas Walking parade

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

Council to discuss annexation, other issues Monday

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

Cable to play video recording of City Council meetings

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

Mayor’s Cup tours downtown this weekend

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

Police seek toys for the needy

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

Law enforcers to again deliver Thanksgiving Day meals

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

Replant Biloxi seeks interest in free trees for Biloxians

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

Biloxi High School, principal in line for national honors

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

Work continues on U.S. 90 in east Biloxi

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

USA Today touches on Biloxi issues

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

Council faces rebuilding, land-use issues Tuesday

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

Bridge photos; weekend preview; other news and notes

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

News and notes about opening of Biloxi Bay Bridge

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

Biloxi approaching billion-dollar mark in construction

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

City issues Halloween safety tips

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

Council sets meeting dates for next three months

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

Volunteers to be honored at Hard Rock concert

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

City hosts Halloween events at Town Green, Hiller Park

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

Parking, traffic flow limited for bridge opening

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

Council withdraws vote to re-consider annexation

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

Oaklawn repairs to begin Tuesday morning

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

Annexation past and future to highlight meetings Tuesday; other news

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

Collapsed drainage line closes Oaklawn

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

Council to discuss zoning, other issues Tuesday; other news and notes

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

Cruisin’ rolls into final weekend; other news and notes

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

Cemetery actors look ‘so real, it’s eerie’

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

City to host NFL Pepsi Punt, Pass & Kick competition

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

Cruisers roll into downtown Wednesday morning; other news and notes

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

Council meets three times Tuesday; other news and notes

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

City, MDOT seek info on beachfront plans

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

Police chief: Expect heavy Cruisin’ traffic, slowdowns

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

Holloway vetoes proposed re-zoning for Tivoli site

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

With a nod to history, Biloxi to re-dedicate cemetery

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

City seeks applications for Landmark designation

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

Property owners reminded of trash, debris regulations

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

Ohr fall festival this weekend; Cruisin’ around the corner

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

Holloway: Prepare, continue to watch weather reports

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

Evacuation recommended for residents of campers, trailers

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

Bridges to close to marine traffic as winds grow

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

Depression comes ashore near Fort Walton Beach; warnings dropped

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

Residents encouraged to monitor weather reports

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

Planning Commission seeks input on East Biloxi Hospitality District

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

Council OKs change in Tivoli zoning

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

Biloxi casinos post largest August on record

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

Council scheduled to decide Tivoli issue Tuesday

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

MDOT revises U.S. 90 traffic pattern between Main and Caillavet

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

Flood watch issued for Biloxi, Harrison County

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

Chamber to host Biloxi Seafood Festival this weekend

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

CTA to offer free transit service Wednesday, open house Thursday

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

Harbor work to begin next week; other news and notes

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

MDOT seeks local art for Biloxi Bay Bridge

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

Biloxi to update downtown signage, add kiosks

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

MDOT at City Hall today seeking photos of bridge, other landmarks

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

New trash firm begins delivery of carts

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

City Council eyes taxes, land-use issues; other news and notes

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

FEMA-supported debris removal officially over; other news and notes

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

MDOT: Motorcylists to lead bridge procession

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

Holloway questions White House about cover up

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

Second anniversary should be a day of thanks, Holloway says

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

City releases program for Katrina observance

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

MDOT seeks pre- and post-Katrina bridge photos, stories

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

Council to eye budget, Back Bay zoning change

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

Media focuses on two-year mark; other news and notes

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

Holloway seeks Lighthouse Park, harbor contracts

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

City to move forward on Lighthouse Park, Civic Center; other news and notes

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

Biloxi casinos post all-time record for July

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

Post-Katrina construction in Biloxi tops $700 million mark

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

Inquisitive Wall doing well after surgery

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

Residents should review storm plans for family, business

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

Clock winding down on free storm-repair, rebuilding permits

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

Budget hearings; mayoral appearances; other news and notes

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

Hearing on Tivoli re-zoning proposal is Monday evening

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

Q&A on city services in Woolmarket

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

Development director looks at big picture; other news and notes

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

Council meets at 3 and 6 p.m. today; other news and notes

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

Holloway taking the afternoon off

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

Biloxi Lighthouse to adorn new license plates

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

Police to host Night Out Against Crime fair

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

Council to hold rare post-Katrina night meeting; other news and notes

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

Design work underway, in the works for city facilities

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

Katrina +2: A glance at recovery numbers

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

City resumes publication of Community Calendar

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

Holloway proposes 18 percent higher budget – with a surprise

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

Clerk announces upcoming council schedule

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

Harbors, marina update; McGraw, Hill concert; budget meetings

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

90 percent of debris removed at harbors;
dredging, construction underway shortly

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

Traffic signals to go operational Thursday

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

Biloxi seeks to expand northward

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

Convention Center district, other issues on council agenda

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

City to host movie, family pool party; other news and notes

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

City to celebrate Recreation and Parks month

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

New York Times reports on Gulf Coast “casino boom”

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

City completes lighting of ‘holy land’

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

Council meets Tuesday; weekend preview

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

Museum marks Ohr’s birthdate throughout day

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

Gaming Commission weighs in on casino zoning

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

City making progress on highwater-mark project

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

Tops in Blue in Biloxi Tuesday; other news and notes

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

July offers plenty of promise for Biloxi

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

Biloxi to host fireworks shows Wednesday, Thursday nights

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

Hard Rock opens Saturday; other news and notes

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

City now offering album, DVD packages at reduced price

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

City’s annual water quality report in mail, online

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

Biloxi to mark Juneteenth; other news and notes

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

Biloxi aims to continue water, sewer progress in Woolmarket

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

Council to re-visit Veterans, Boomtown re-zoning and museum proposal

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

City to activate traffic signals on Howard, Division

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

Ribbon-cutting ceremonies planned for temporary libraries

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

City Council expected to discuss seafood museum request

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

Weather Channel focuses on Biloxi; Blessing, fire photos

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

New report shows highwater marks throughout the city

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

Council to hear Boomtown case; other news and notes

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

Schooner seeks Blessing passengers; other news and notes

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

Snyder center to host seniors health fair

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

Updated storm info now online; other news and notes

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

Blood drive scheduled for son of Biloxi firefighter

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

Time winding down for debris removal effort

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

Council to eye variances Tuesday; other news and notes

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

City to host end-of-school pool party

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

Hearing on Convention Center district is this afternoon

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

Biloxi casinos report another record-setting gross

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

Caillavet Street fully re-opened to traffic

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

Jimmy Buffett and Co., from Margaritaville

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

Harrah’s, Buffett unveil plans for $700M Margaritaville Casino & Resort

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

Harrah’s plans major announcement Tuesday

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

Council meets Tuesday; other news and notes

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

Holloway provides industry status report for gaming audience

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

Holloway on storm season: Don’t be scared, be prepared

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

City seeks input on proposed Convention Center district

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

Holloway to address summit audience; other news and notes

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

U.S. 90 lighting project begins next week; other news and notes

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

Now online: “State of the City: 2007, Katrina +2”

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

National Day of Prayer is Thursday; other news and notes

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

Natatorium sets up long-course swimming

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

Blessing set for first weekend in June

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

Seymour honored as Biloxi’s Distinguished Volunteer

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

FEMA, MEMA to meet with contractors

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

Council to meet this morning, afternoon

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

Biloxi communications efforts recognized

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

City realigns Popp’s Ferry lanes at Cedar Lake

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

Holloway outlines slate of traffic-improvement work

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

Termite authority to offer info for homeowners

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

Holloway to update status of road projects

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

Natatorium, Snyder pools offer spring break hours

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

Reminder: FEMA Q&A session is Thursday

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

Main Street plans events Saturday; other news and notes

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

Flood insurance reminders to be mailed citywide

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

IP donates half-million dollars to city

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

Farmers Market to re-open April 3

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

Biloxi to host child abuse prevention breakfast

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

Smokin’ the Sound, council meeting, other news and notes

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

Q&A on building in a flood zone; other news and notes

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

Council reverts back to old flood map

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

February gaming figure breaks records in Biloxi

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

FEMA gives final OK for cemetery work; city seeks tree permits

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

Switzer Drive drainage work to begin

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

St. Pat’s run, parade; council meeting; Smokin’ the Sound

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

St. Pat’s dance, Easter egg hunts planned

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

Call before beginning work; other news and notes

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

Fishing bridge funding; other news and notes

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

City seeks youngsters for Start Smart program

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

City to send $10,000 to tornado-stricken Alabama town

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

Chainsaw artist update; temporary libraries; other news and notes

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

Town Green to be ‘slimed’ Friday; other news and notes

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

Traffic advisories: Keesler exercise, MDOT work set for Wednesday

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

Natatorium to offer lifeguard traning

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

Tree deadline nears; Postal Service dedication; other news and notes

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

City seeks nominees for volunteer awards

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

Zoning cases, equipment on council agenda; other news and notes

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

City to conduct drawing for softball tourney dates

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

President Bush’s visit to City Hall

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

Chief warns of traffic slowdowns; other news and notes

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

Collapsing drainage line closes Oaklawn

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

Council to re-visit flood elevations; other news and notes

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

Biloxi parade to roll this afternoon

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

Going to the Mardi Gras

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

Council meets Monday; parade rolls Tuesday

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

City, Hands On to host “A Day in the Park”

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

Council meets this evening at 5:45 and 6

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

Mayoral address airs tonight on Cable One in Biloxi

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

Holloway outlines unprecedented program of public improvements

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

FEMA: Adopt advisory flood elevations; other news and notes

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

City to hold annual Sweethearts Ball and Dance

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

State of the City; tree-trunk project; other news and notes

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

MDOT: Southbound-lane closure on I-110 highrise

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

City recognizes employees for longevity

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

Council to meet Tuesday morning, afternoon; other news and notes

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

City to hold youth baseball, softball registration

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

State of the City is Feb. 12; other news and notes

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

See online video tours of post-Katrina Biloxi

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

Mayor vetoes proposal for 29-story condominium tower

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

City steps up enforcement of illegally placed vehicles; other news and notes

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

City to host youth Mardi Gras ball and dance

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

Events to celebrate history planned Feb. 11-17

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

Council votes 4-3 to pass 29-story condo tower

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

City to offer special seating for Mardi Gras parade

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

Mardi Gras: One big parade in two parts on Feb. 20

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

Biloxi residents encouraged to file tree ROEs

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

Traffic improvements well underway in Biloxi

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

Council expected to vote on condo issue Tuesday

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

City to auction vehicles, equipment and seized property

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

Biloxi casino industry posting record figures

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

Council faces huge agenda Tuesday; other news and notes

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

MLK parade, Battle of Bands set for Monday

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

Children’s walking parade seeks registrants

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

Natatorium schedules swim lessons

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

Biloxi to embark on tree-trunk project on Beach Boulevard

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

Weather Service issues flash flood watch

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

Snyder takes second in Punt, Pass and Kick

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

Holloway: New Year will see big-ticket improvements

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

Flags lowered to half-staff to mark Ford passing

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

Major improvement projects in works at marina, harbor

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

Biloxi, county under flash flood watch

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

City seeks to begin restoration work in cemetery

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

Council eyes variance issue; holiday meals on way for needy

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

Ohr-O’Keefe to host free open house at transitional home

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

Council agenda includes tennis complex, planning measures

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

Stormwater meeting is this evening

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

City seeking ROEs for standing dead trees in surge areas

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

Beck Park event moved to Wednesday

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

Holloway: Governor being realistic with trailer extension

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

Vehicles, debris contracts on agenda Tuesday

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

Holiday events coming up; fresh aerials of Biloxi online

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

Fire Department offers winter safety tips

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

City to celebrate Christmas at Eagle Point

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

Trio of holiday events; council to meet; other news and notes

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

Biloxi story to get statewide exposure

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

Police seek toys for needy children

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

Biloxi offers online discounts for ‘Katrina & Biloxi’

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

Seashore applicants withdraw appeal for zoning change

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

North Pole Calling seeks child registrants

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

CNN program to focus on Biloxi issues; other news and notes

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

Chambers, Main Street to honor city employees

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

City earns financial reporting award; other news and notes

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

Biloxians to get “Storm Recovery News” update

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

Housing Authority announces goal of building 1,500 homes

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

Children’s dance tonight; Schooner holiday sail; storm review

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

Main Street plans Christmas fair, parade

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

Flood warnings continue for rivers

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

City Hall, neighborhoods sustain water damage, flooding

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

Snyder center to open at noon as storm shelter

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

Flood warnings issued for Biloxi, Tchoutacabouffa rivers

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

Council to consider dropping requirement for variances

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

Veterans observances planned Friday, Saturday

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

Non-emergency offices to close Monday

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

Popp’s Ferry debris site to close Sunday at sunset

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

Council meets Tuesday afternoon at City Hall

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

Mayor’s Cup 5K run, walk set for Nov. 11

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

City seeks laborers for outdoor work; other news and notes

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

Check contactors licenses at outset of any work

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

Practice safety when trick-or-treating

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

Air Force group offers free Coliseum show Wednesday

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

Mayor addresses recovery issues, progress for investors

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

Reminder: Weekend events, bridge work coming up

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

Lions Club to formally dedicate all-access park

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

City Hall hosts Point Cadet artwork this evening

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

Major portion of new Caillavet to wrap up by Thanksgiving

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

Main Street plans movie, Halloween fun on Town Green

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

RTR, other issues on council agenda this afternoon

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

Council to consider ’07 budget; other news and notes

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

Coast hotel-room inventory near 55 percent

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

Katrina observances continue through evening

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

‘Katrina & Biloxi’ now at casino resorts; other news and notes

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

Updated schedule of Katrina anniversary events

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

Bush lunches downtown, visits east Biloxi neighborhood

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

Chertoff, senators, governor on program for Tuesday

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

Council to discuss budget this afternoon

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

MDOT limits access at bridge construction site

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

Biloxi finalizing plans for Town Green observance

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

Budget talks resume Tuesday; architects tour east Biloxi

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

Redeemer remembers Camille with ceremony this afternoon

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

Now online: “The State of the City: One Year Later”

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

Camille remembrances kick off month of milestones

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

Governor’s recovery expo bows Friday at Coliseum

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

Mayor on casino zoning, taxes, budget

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

Corrected gaming chart now online

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

Biloxi to host a month of milestones in August

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

Biloxi releases long-term, short-term economic indicators

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

Biloxi makes front-page splash in Wall Street Journal

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

The Home Depot, KaBOOM! to unveil 10 ‘dream’ playgrounds

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

Deadline nearing for debris-removal efforts

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

Police to host National Night Out Against Crime block party

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

Proposed budget: No tax increase, $41 million in major work

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

Council eyes residential, condo issues, new gaming zones

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

Click here to read the Reviving the Renaissance report

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

Holloway calls meeting for long-term recovery presentation

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

Council eyes change to temporary housing ordinance

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

Milestones coming up in Biloxi’s long-term recovery effort

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

Storm & Flood Preparedness guide now online

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

Cochran to leave city’s Legal Department

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

Holloway remains concerned about insurance package

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

Council approves portions of insurance package

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

Holloway calls special meeting to resolve insurance issue

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

Police chief: Let’s make it a safe Fourth of July

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

Council meets Wednesday; other news and notes

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

Fireworks show; 10-month milestones; other news, notes

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

Holloway endorses use of direct deposit

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

Biloxi has great track record, Holloway tells analysts

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

Downtown mixed-use proposal on council agenda

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

City finds home for bell from USS Biloxi

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

Holloway to appear at Wal-mart book signing this afternoon

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

Holloway: Fisherman will be part of city’s future

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

Reward climbs in Golden Fisherman case

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

Work on Caillavet revitalization to resume

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

Golden Fisherman statue missing from Point Cadet site

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

North Charleston responders turn tables on Biloxi

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

Holloway speaks to casino zoning, affordable housing issues

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

‘Katrina & Biloxi’ passes quarter-million-dollar mark

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

Council meets Tuesday at 1:30 p.m.

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

National audience to see status of recovery efforts

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

Biloxi to bid massive project to replace street signs, posts

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

Biloxi at nine months, post-Katrina

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

Ten families to be welcomed into restored homes

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

Preliminary Renaissance report, recovery stats now online

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

Biloxi Wal-mart will be first to offer city’s DVD, photo album

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

Renaissance meeting tonight moved to Community Center

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

Biloxi turns into ‘Scarborough Country’ tonight

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

Grand’s Island View Hotel collapses as planned

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

A weekend blast; a flood of issues; other news and notes

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

Grand’s Island View Hotel to be leveled

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

The buzz on Biloxi, as seen in the eyes of the nation

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

BILOXI sign to be electrified this evening

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

Holloway calls special meeting on flood-elevation issue

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

Clergy to discuss Bush-Clinton Katrina fund

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

Hands On offers free mold-removal workshop

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

First Lady presents grant for historic preservation

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

Public to get look at preliminary Renaissance report

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

Police: Expect traffic slowdowns, delays Thursday

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

Holloway: Bullish on Biloxi’s future

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

Day of Prayer observance, Renaissance meetings on tap

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

Biloxi saddles up for new season, new challenges

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

City focuses on code enforcement, land-use ordinances

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

Council proposes lower flood elevations

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

City honors volunteers for efforts

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

Renaissance updates; volunteer awards; flooded streets

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

Grand seeks to move gaming north of U.S. 90

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

Shrimp fest, blessing scheduled for June 10-11

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

Council to eye elevations; Holloway stumps; other news

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

Mayor: Nearly $160 million in requests pending with FEMA

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

City seeks $160 million; debris update; other news and notes

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

Museum announces schooner sailing schedule

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

Deadline extended for volunteer awards; other news, notes

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

Public to get look at transitional housing option

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

‘GMA’ in town; updates on several other issues

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

Torch run Fish fry, volunteer awards approaching

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

Group seeks to recognize Preservation heroes

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

Downtown to host spring festival this weekend

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

Council to meet Tuesday morning, afternoon

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

Renaissance outreach efforts underway

The U.S. Postal Service today is scheduled to begin delivering tri-lingual invitations to the city’s Reviving the Renaissance kick off meeting, which takes place Thursday night at 6 at the Saenger Theater in downtown Biloxi. All Biloxians are on the invite list. The city also has established a presence on its web site for the […]

Museum announces walk-on schedule for schooners

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

‘Extreme Makeover’ special airs tonight; other news, notes

ABC’s popular program “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” spotlights post-Katrina Biloxi and the Mississippi Gulf Coast in an hour-long special airing tonight before a nationwide, prime-time audience. In the first of a series of four one-hour specials, the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” team heads to Biloxi to rebuild some cornerstones of the community, including a local […]

Renaissance committee to meet March 30 at Saenger

The Reviving the Renaissance Steering Committee, an initiative that Mayor A.J. Holloway announced at the State of the City address, will have its inaugural meeting Thursday, March 30 at 6 p.m. at the Saenger Theater in downtown Biloxi. The meeting is open to the public. Holloway, during his Feb. 23 State of the City address, […]

Gaming revenue inches nearer pre-Katrina level

Biloxi’s three casino resorts reported nearly $59 million in gross gaming revenue for the calendar month of February, amounting to nearly 72 percent of the business that the nine-resort strong industry in Biloxi did this time last year. The city on its web site today posted the calendar-month figures for February, and last week posted […]

MDOT to make I-110 highrise repairs Wednesday night

From the Mississippi Department of Transportation: JACKSON, Miss., Tuesday, March 14, 2006—According to Transportation Commission Chairman Wayne Brown, motorists traveling the I-110 Bridge should be aware of bridge repairs beginning Wednesday night, March 15th through Thursday, March 16th. MDOT officials will begin repair work on the I-110 Bridge on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. […]

Volunteer recognition ceremony set for April 27

The City of Biloxi will recognize individual, organizations and businesses that contribute their time and energy to helping others and making this a wonderful place to live. The citizens of Biloxi are invited to join Mayor A. J. Holloway and the Biloxi City Council in recognizing the outstanding volunteers in your organization for their leadership, […]

Main Street launches Brown Bag series on St. Pat’s Day

Main Street Biloxi will hold its first Brown Bag Lunch of the season Friday, March 17 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the new shoo fly on the Town Green. Entertaining will be The Broadmoors featuring Mark Schloegel. Admission is free. Those attending should bring their lunch, and Main Street will provide the soft […]

Deadline looms for free permits in Biloxi

Homeowners hoping to get free storm repair or rebuilding permits from the City of Biloxi have until March 21 to get the necessary plans turned in to the city’s Community Development Department. Homeowners have saved anywhere from $25 to $250 or more since the city waived the fees for storm-related permits in the wake of […]

Snyder center to provide shelter from weather

The City of Biloxi, in the face of forecasts of severe thunderstorms and winds as high as 30 mph this evening, will allow residents to seek shelter in the Donal Snyder Sr. Community Center in west Biloxi beginning later this afternoon through Friday morning. The National Weather Service and Biloxi emergency management leaders are recommending […]

MDOT inspection snarls I-110 traffic

Biloxi Police were forced to close access to the I-110 at U.S. 90 earlier today after a draw span inspection by Mississippi Department of Transportation workers backed up northbound motorists to the beachfront. Police first discovered that MDOT had reduced northbound traffic to one lane mid-morning and were told by MDOT that southbound traffic at […]

City re-opens nearly all U.S. 90 access points

Biloxi Police and Public Works crews today re-opened all but a handful of the more than 50 neighborhood streets that had been barricaded at U.S. 90 since Hurricane Katrina struck on Aug. 29. Those that remain barricaded: Eisenhower Drive, Acacia Avenue, Chalmers Drive, Caldwell Avenue, G.E. Ohr Street and Kuhn Street. Intersections had been closed […]

DVD, photo album due in two to three weeks

The city’s “Katrina & Biloxi” project, a 52-page soft-cover photo album and companion DVD, have grossed more than $60,000 in pre-orders, and the 50-minute documentary has captured a regional award. And, unfortunately, those who have pre-ordered face another two to three weeks before shipments will be delivered. Final proofs of the 52-page album are expected […]

Mardi Gras rolls into town this weekend

The downtown streets of Biloxi are easing into the Mardi Gras mode, beginning Saturday morning at 10 with the Children’s Mardi Gras Walking Parade, which expects to attract dozens of youngsters with parents in tow. In the event of rain, a gathering will be held in the Dukate Elementary Gym, north of the Biloxi Community […]

Mayor outlines future for enthusiastic State of City audience

Biloxians were in the midst of the most prosperous and promising era in the city’s 300-plus-year history in the decade leading up to Hurricane Katrina, Mayor A.J. Holloway told a packed State of the City audience today, and the city is now poised to realize even greater opportunity with a well-planned recovery effort. Holloway’s remarks […]

See photos from Katrina Memorial

To see photographs of the recently dedicated Katrina Memorial, which is on Biloxi’s Town Green, click here.

Holloway to set course for next step in recovery

Mayor A.J. Holloway on Thursday plans to remind Biloxians of the unprecedented success that the city was enjoying before Hurricane Katrina and lay out a plan for how the community will now embark on a process that will lead to even greater prosperity. A capacity audience is expected for what will be Holloway’s 13th annual […]

Coast Guard OKs new U.S. 90 bridge

Mayor A.J. Holloway notified the Biloxi City Council this afternoon that he’d just learned that the U.S. Coast Guard has approved construction of a new high-rise bridge to link Biloxi and Ocean Springs. HGlloway, whose remarks were met with applause from the crowded City Council meeting, said that MDOT notified him shorly before the council’s […]

Council meets Tuesday morning, afternoon

The Biloxi City Council will hear suggestions on modular homes from two individuals, Chad Harvey and Steve Spyder, during a special meeting Tuesday at 10 a.m., and later that afternoon, at 1:30, the council will face an agenda that includes four measures involving the Bacaran Bay Casino Resort, proposed to be constructed on Caillavet Street. […]

Biloxi debris-removal efforts hit milestone

Biloxi’s debris-removal teams crossed the 2 million cubic-yard mark Wednesday, and Mayor A.J. Holloway says it appears that about 75 percent of the storm debris has been hauled from city streets and neighborhoods. “It has been and continues to be an arduous and time-consuming process,” Holloway said, “but residents throughout our city are seeing a […]

Public invited to candlelight vigil, unveiling of memorial

Producers of TV’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” who have been in Biloxi this week filming community projects for an upcoming prime-time special, are inviting the public to a candlelight vigil Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. on the Biloxi Town Green, where a Hurricane Katrina memorial will be unveiled. The Emmy-nominated ABC series, with an augience of […]

Lions to present award; St. Vincent DePaul up for donation

The Biloxi Lions Club, in keeping with a tradition dating back 75 years, will recognize a community-minded individual with the Biloxi Outstanding Citizen Award. The announcement, which will be made Wednesday during a noon luncheon at Mary Mahoney’s Old French House Restaurant, is an occasion where members of the Lions Club recognize “the Biloxi citizen […]

Biloxi sets March 1 as ROE deadline

The City of Biloxi has announced that property owners have until March 1 to sign right-of-entry agreements giving the city authority to remove debris from their property. Property owners may download a copy of the agreement from the city web site or clicking here. The forms, however, must be signed at the Community Development Department, […]

Biloxi chosen as host for Great American Cleanup day

Biloxi has been selected as host site for the national kickoff of the Great American Cleanup, an annual effort where the Keep America Beautiful campaign asks residents in communities across the country to spend the day picking up litter and sprucing up neighborhoods. The effort, which has become the signature event of the Keep America […]

Resorts report bustling business for January

The three Biloxi casino resorts that re-opened in late December took in more than $50 million in gross gaming revenues in January. That amount compares to the nearly $80 million a month that the city’s nine casino resorts would gross on any given month before the storm. “These figures prove that the hospitality industry in […]

Holloway leaves hospital, sends ‘warmest personal regards’

Mayor A.J. Holloway was released this morning from Biloxi Regional Medical Center, where he had gone Monday morning after an allergic reaction to antibiotics. Holloway was at home before noon and planned to return to work in a day or so. Holloway underwent a stress test this morning, which confirmed Monday afternoon’s electrocardiogram results that […]

City to again offer special seating for Mardi Gras Parades

The City of Biloxi will again provide special seating for disabled and frail, elderly residents to view the Gulf Coast Carnival Association afternoon parade on Feb. 28, Mardi Gras Day. The city is marking its 22nd year hosting the special protected seating area, which this year will be on the west side of Lameuse Street, […]

Holloway undergoing tests at Biloxi Regional

Biloxi Mayor A.J. Holloway is undergoing tests today at Biloxi Regional Medical Center, after appearing ashen and perspiring during a Monday morning staff meeting. Holloway was alert and sitting up when taken to Biloxi Regional, two blocks from City Hall. “He’s sitting up, talking,” Director of Administration David Staehling said, “and probably wondering if everyone’s […]

Holloway under observation after possible allergic reaction

Mayor A.J. Holloway will remain in Biloxi Regional Medical Center overnight for observation after tests performed this afternoon showed that he did not suffer a stroke or heart attack. Holloway entered the hospital for tests after appearing ashen and perspiring during a weekly Monday morning staff meeting. He remained alert and sitting up. The mayor […]

Most neighborhood streets remain barricaded at U.S. 90

Biloxi Police are reminding motorists that the majority of neighborhood streets connecting to U.S. 90 in Biloxi remain barricaded, and it is illegal for motorists to move or drive around a barricade. More than half of the 52 streets connecting to U.S. 90 in Biloxi remain barricaded along the beachfront, primarily in neighborhoods where debris […]

‘Butterknife’ team ready to hand over keys Saturday

A Biloxi couple whose North Bay home was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina will receive the keys to a new three-bedroom home Saturday afternoon, thanks to a group of volunteers from a church in a small midwestern town. A couple from the small town of Frederic, Wisc. visited Biloxi after the storm and were so moved […]

Holloway tells ‘Biloxi story’ to national audience

You can now see Mayor A.J. Holloway’s address to the 74th annual winter meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors last week in Washington, thanks to online video from the gathering. During his 16-minute presentation, the Biloxi mayor thanked the audience of more than 300 mayors for the many calls and e-mails offering assistance in […]

City passes 5,000 mark on permits since Katrina

The city’s Community Development Department has issued more than 5,000 permits covering $121 million in construction work or repairs in the five months since Hurricane Katrina struck. Mayor A.J. Holloway reports that 95 percent of the 5,033 permits were for storm-related repairs to homes or businesses, and that 78 percent of the $188 million in […]

Severe weather possible this evening

Biloxi residents are facing a chance of severe weather tonight, with winds that could gust up to 60 mph, heavy rain, and a chance for hail and tornadoes. Emergency management officials have announced that Jeff Davis Elementary School in Biloxi will be opened as a shelter for those who are concerned. The shelter will open […]

Coroner: Katrina claimed 53 in Biloxi

Harrison County Gary T. Hargrove today told the mayor and City Council that Hurricane Katrina had claimed 53 victims in Biloxi, as of this week. Hargrove, speaking during this afternoon’s City Council meeting, said that number could increase because as many as 400 persons are listed as missing countywide. Of the 53 confirmed fatalities in […]

CSX winding down rail-crossing work in Biloxi

CSX, which aims to have rail-crossing repairs completed this week in Biloxi, on Tuesday afternoon reported to the city the following status on upgrades and associated closings at its rail crossings in Biloxi Re-opened: Keller Avenue, Monday afternoon; Lee Street, this morning; Crawford and Oak streets, this afternoon. Scheduled to re-open Wednesday by 9 a.m. […]

Holloway: On building bridges and roads, let’s be practical

Mayor A.J. Holloway said Tuesday afternoon that Biloxi’s recovery efforts, the overall quality of life of residents and the daily commutes of tens of thousands of motorists are all being negatively impacted by the delays in constructing a new bridge between Biloxi and Ocean Springs. In a 1,000-word commentary released to media outlets and online, […]

Status of rail work; council to meet; DVD SRO

CSX, which aims to have rail-crossing repairs completed this week in Biloxi, on Monday afternoon reported to the city the following status on upgrades and associated closings at its rail crossings in Biloxi — Re-opened: Benachi Avenue. — Lee Street and Keller Avenue: re-open Tuesday by 9 a.m. — Oak Street: re-opens by noon Tuesday. […]

‘Katrina & Biloxi’ may have encore showing Sunday night

The city may have an encore showing of the documentary “Katrina & Biloxi,” Sunday evening at the Saenger Theater, based on interest generated by the initial airing of “Heaven’s Cry,” a song included in the documentary. The world premiere of the production is Sunday at 5:30 p.m. at the downtown Biloxi theater, and a second […]

Holloway to recap Washington visit

Mayor A.J. Holloway, one of three mayors of storm-stricken cities to address the U.S. Conference of Mayors this week, will speak about his presentation and Washington reception during an appearance this afternoon on WLOX-TV’s “4 O’Clock Show.” Holloway, along with Ray Nagin of New Orleans and Manuel A. Diaz. of Miami spoke Tuesday to hundreds […]

Audiences to get preview of “Katrina & Biloxi’

Residents of Biloxi and the Mississippi Gulf Coast will be getting their first glimpses of the city-commissioned documentary “Katrina & Biloxi,” during WLOX-TV’s “4 O’clock Show” this afternoon, and on Coast radio stations and in The Sun Herald Friday morning. The media outlets have been asked to preview the 50-minute production in advance of its […]

Latest status of CSX rail-crossings repairs

CSX, which aims to have rail-crossing repair work completed in Biloxi within a week, this afternoon at 5:15 provided this status on upgrades and associated closings at its rail crossings in Biloxi: — Iris Street: re-opens Friday by mid-morning — Rodenberg Avenue: re-opened this morning — Veterans Avenue: re-opens Friday by mid-morning. — Bohn Street: […]

Holloway addresses U.S. mayors on recovery

Biloxi Mayor A.J. Holloway and leaders of New Orleans and Miami this morning are discussing the hurricane recovery efforts in their cities during remarks to hundreds of mayors from across the country, who are in Washington through Friday for the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C. “The key to our recovery,” Holloway told convention […]

Status of CSX rail crossings in Biloxi

CSX this afternoon at 4:15 provided this status on upgrades and associated closings at its rail crossings in Biloxi: — Eisenhower Drive: re-opened today shortly after noon. — Iris Street: closed until Thursday afternoon. — Rodenberg Avenue: closed until Thursday at 8 a.m. — Veterans Avenue: closed until Thursday afternoon. — Oak Street: re-opened today […]

CSX updates status of rail crossing work

CSX this morning provided this status report on upgrades and associated closings at its rail crossings Biloxi: — DeBuys Road: scheduled to re-open this afternoon, around dusk. — Eisenhower Drive: scheduled to re-open Wednesday afternoon. — Iris Street: closed this morning and will remain closed as long as 48 hours. — Veterans and Robenberg avenues: […]

CSX provides late-afternoon status of rail crossing work

CSX this afternoon (5:15) provided this status report on upgrades and associated closings at its rail crossings Biloxi: — DeBuys Road: scheduled to re-open this afternoon, around dusk. — Eisenhower Drive: scheduled to re-open Wednesday afternoon. — Iris Street: closed until Thursday afternoon, weather permitting. — Veterans and Robenberg avenues: scheduled to close Wednesday, as […]

CSX expands rail crossing work

CSX has announced that it expects to re-open the DeBuys Road crossing late Tuesday afternoon and re-open the Eisenhower Drive crossing Wednesday. CSX had closed the crossings today to make storm-related repairs. Additionally, CSX plans to close the crossings at Iris Street, and Veterans and Rodenberg avenues as early as Tuesday at 7 a.m. for […]

Children’s Mardi Gras parade set for Feb. 25

The City of Biloxi and the Mardi Gras Museum invite children ages 12 and under to participate in the annual children’s Mardi Gras walking parade, which takes place Saturday, Feb. 25 at 10 a.m. in downtown Biloxi. This is a non motorized parade; bicycles, skates, skateboards, scooters and wagons are acceptable. Children are encouraged to […]

DeBuys, Eisenhower crossings to close for upgrades

CSX has notified the City of Biloxi that on Monday at 7 a.m. it will close the rail crossings at DeBuys Road and Eisenhower Drive in west Biloxi for as long as 48 hours in order to make storm-related repairs. The work is part of the railway’s effort to restore sections of its Mississippi Gulf […]

The ‘Luna Sea’ leaves Lameuse Street

The “Luna Sea,” a 48-foot green steel-hulled shrimp boat that survived the driving winds and pounding seas of Hurricane Katrina to become a backdrop for most national news shows broadcasting from Biloxi, has been moved from its spot on Lameuse Street and returned to the water. Crews hired by Harvey Shows, captain and owner of […]

Carnival to roll Feb. 28 in Biloxi

The streets of Biloxi will host one instead of three Mardi Gras parades this year, but organizers with Gulf Coast Carnival Association say that the 1 p.m. parade on Tuesday, Feb. 28 will be just as large as those of past years. “We’ve had a very positive response,” said Captain of Carnival Jerry Munro. “Last […]

Washington Post: ‘Good bet on Biloxi’

Following is a column that appeared under the headline “Good bet on Biloxi” on the Washington Post op-ed page on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2005. By Eugene Robinson Tuesday, January 17, 2006; A17 BILOXI, Miss. — An hour’s drive west of here, the City Formerly Known as New Orleans wasn’t destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans […]

‘Katrina & Biloxi’ DVD to premiere Jan. 29

The world premiere of “Katrina & Biloxi: A story of resolve and resilience” will be Sunday, Jan. 29 at 5:30 p.m. in the Saenger Theater in downtown Biloxi. The free event will be open to the public, with seating in the 1,000-seat theater on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets will be required. The premiere […]

MLK parade rolls Monday in Biloxi

The Biloxi branch of the NAACP will stage the city’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade on Monday beginning at 11 a.m. The parade, as usual, will begin on Howard Avenue in front of the Biloxi Community Center and will wind its way around MLK Boulevard through downtown. This year, however, the Battle […]

City Council eyes condo, zoning issues Tuesday

The Biloxi City Council will meet twice on Tuesday, with a 10 a.m. special-called meeting to discuss increasing the number of condominium units allowed in individual developments, followed by a 1:30 p.m. meeting to discuss, among other issues, a request to re-zone land on an eastern portion of Back Bay to allow casino resorts. Both […]

Developing a clear vision of future is next challenge

This is a column that Mayor A.J. Holloway was asked to write for The Bay Press newspaper. By A.J. Holloway Mayor of Biloxi For the past month or so, Biloxians have read and heard numerous reports about long-term rebuilding and recovery plans for our community. Since the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, we have promised that […]

Holloway on future; other news and notes

Biloxi is closing out 2005 in historic fashion – with two resorts now offering shore-based gaming – but Mayor A.J. Holloway says one of his goals in 2006 is to spark more-focused public discussion on the city’s long-term recovery. In a front-page column published today in The Bay Press, Holloway says that while residents of […]

City nears halfway mark on debris removal; other news

Biloxi has cleared nearly half of the storm debris from city streets and neighborhoods, and on Friday afternoon the city will hold a public hearing that will lead to the clearing of debris from as many as 2,000 properties stretching the length of the Biloxi peninsula. The public hearing, which will begin at 1:30 p.m. […]

Popp’s Ferry ribbon-cutting is Friday at 10 a.m.

Mayor A.J. Holloway will join Rick Webster of Key Constructors, members of the Biloxi City Council, and representatives of MDOT and the Federal Highway Administration Friday morning at 10 a.m. to cut a ribbon to formally re-open the Popp’s Ferry bridge to motorists. The bridge, which had been closed to vehicles since Aug. 29 when […]

Mayor worried about lingering debate over U.S. 90 bridge

Mayor A.J. Holloway said late this afternoon that he is troubled by news that a proposal to construct a new U.S. 90 bridge linking Biloxi and Ocean Springs is still being debated in some quarters. WLOX-TV told Holloway this afternoon that Ocean Springs Mayor Connie Moran had withdrawn her support for a proposed six-lane high-rise […]

U.S. 90 in Biloxi to fully open Wednesday at 10 a.m.

All lanes of U.S. 90 in Biloxi – from the tip of the peninsula at Point Cadet to the city’s westernmost boundary at DeBuys Road – will re-open to traffic Wednesday morning at 10, marking a milestone in the city’s Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts. Biloxi’s debris removal crews this morning were moving a 40-foot tall […]

City Council to meet twice Tuesday

The Biloxi City Council will hold a special meeting Tuesday morning at 10 to hear a report on future development, primarily along U.S. 90 in west Biloxi, which is related to an issue the council will be discussing during its 1:30 meeting on Tuesday afternoon. Both meetings are open to the public and will be […]

Christmas on Water; traffic update; NY Times, casino times

The promoter of this weekend’s Christmas on the Water boat parade, announced today that the event has been pushed back one day – to Sunday at 6 p.m. off the waterfront between the Biloxi Lighthouse and Point Cadet Marina. Rusty David made the change because of forecasts for inclement weather on Saturday night. The parade, […]

All lanes of U.S. 90 in Biloxi set for Dec. 21 re-opening

All lanes of U.S. 90 in Biloxi – from Debuys Road to the tip of Point Cadet – will re-open to traffic on Wednesday, Dec. 21, Mayor A.J. Holloway announced this afternoon, after meeting with the city’s debris removal teams and public safety department heads. Holloway, who has been pushing since mid-September for the Biloxi […]

Severe thunderstorms, wind gusts expected this evening

Biloxi residents should prepare for a cold and rainy evening this evening, with inclement weather expected through Thursday morning. The heaviest storm activity is expected to pass through the area between 6 tonight and 6 Thursday morning, with a cold front arriving around midnight. Between 2 and 4 inches of rain is expected, with winds […]

Training on cleaning mold scheduled in Biloxi

Hands-on, professional mold remediation training will be offered this week in Biloxi for leaders of volunteer groups now working on the Gulf coast. Sessions will take place Wednesday, Thursday and Friday beginning at 9 a.m. Travis Tassey, a mold specialist with 17 years of experience and owner of ADE Environmental in Los Angeles, will demonstrate […]

City to advertise final areas for debris removal

This week, the city will be publishing notices to inform owners of property from DeBuys Road in west Biloxi to Oak Street in east Biloxi that the city may need to remove storm debris from their property. The eight-page notice, which will be published Thursday in the Sun Herald and Friday in The Bay Press, […]

City Council faces condo, bridge issues

The Biloxi City Council, during its meeting on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m., will face a host of resolutions involving condominium proposals that had been in the works before Hurricane Katrina, and council members also will consider voicing their support for a six-lane bridge to link Biloxi and Ocean Springs. The meeting is open to the […]

U.S. 90 in Biloxi to open to two-way traffic Saturday

After meeting this afternoon with debris-removal contractors, MDOT and public safety leaders, Mayor A.J. Holloway has announced that the two southernmost lanes of U.S. 90 in Biloxi — from Debuys Road to Porter Avenue – will open to two-way traffic on Saturday morning at 10. The two northernmost lanes of the highway will be open […]

Team Wal-mart expected to roll in this afternoon

The Team Wal-mart caravan of bike-riding store managers and support vehicles is expected to roll into Biloxi via U.S. 90 this afternoon between 2 and 2:30, bringing down the curtain on a 300-mile trek that crisscrossed the Mississippi Gulf Coast to raise money for the Salvation Army to provide 100,000 bikes for Christmas. The group, […]

Time running out for free storm-related permits

The city’s Community Development Department, which has saved Biloxi homeowners anywhere from $25 to $250 by waiving fees for storm-related building permits, will resume charging for building permits after the first of the year. Mayor A.J. Holloway, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, had ordered that fees be abolished for any city-issued permits for residential […]

Good news on Popp’s Ferry, U.S. 90 repair work

Mayor A.J. Holloway said this afternoon that the Popp’s Ferry bridge in west Biloxi could re-open by the end of this month, more than a month ahead of its original schedule. And, Holloway said, the city has been assured by the Mississippi Department of Transportation that all lanes of U.S. 90 in Biloxi will be […]

Q&A with Mayor on 100 days after storm

Does Biloxi have a city hall back? City Hall re-opened a couple of weeks after the storm. Prior to that, mayor’s staff operated out of Public Safety Center, which became the defacto center of operations for city government while electricity was being restored at City Hall. City Hall sustained some water damage as a result […]

City encouraging residents to sign ROEs

The City of Biloxi is in the process of preparing public notices to be published for the removal of storm debris from as many as 4,250 parcels of property in areas from the city’s western boundary at DeBuys Road to Lee Street in east Biloxi. However, while those legally required notices are being prepared, the […]

Louisville group heads to Biloxi for children’s party

“Operation Win for Kids,” a project of a Louisville, Ky.-based children’s non-profit charitable group, has a toy-filled 18-wheeler en route to Biloxi for a Christmas party on Saturday, Dec. 10 in a neighborhood park on Benachi Avenue, just east of the Lopez-Quave Public Safety Center. The party, which would move inside the public safety center […]

Truckload of toys; agenda of issues; bike, schooner reports

An 18-wheeler packed with more than $75,000 worth of children’s toys and treats from Louisville, Ky. is expected to arrive in Biloxi later this week, in time for a Saturday morning Christmas party at a city park near the Lopez-Quave Public Safety Center. “Operation Win for Kids” is the project of The Winner’s Circle for […]

ABC scheduled to include Biloxi segment

“ABC World News Tonight Sunday” is scheduled to air a segment on the ongoing recovery efforts in Biloxi and surrounding communities during its national newscast this evening. David Kerley, one of the network’s Washington, D.C.-based reporters, was in Biloxi last week conducting interviews for the story. Back Bay ‘condotel’ on council agenda Tuesday A proposal […]

Team Wal-mart launches historic bike drive

The largest bicycle drive in U.S. history began its weeklong 300-mile trek in Biloxi this morning, with 10 Wal-mart managers and a host of corporate sponsors kicking off a route that will travel the Mississippi coastline from Alabama to Louisiana before retuning to Biloxi Friday afternoon. Retail giant Wal-mart is working with the Salvation Army […]

Seafood Museum offers Christmas excursion

The Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum is offering the public a chance to sail aboard a Biloxi schooner for the Christmas on the Water Boat Parade on Saturday, Dec. 17. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children ages 3-12. The schooner will depart Point Cadet Marina at 4:30 p.m. to rendezvous with the […]

Weather Channel spotlights Biloxi

Jim Cantore of the Weather Channel, who interviewed Mayor A.J. Holloway hours before Hurricane Katrina made landfall Aug. 29, will revisit the issue with the Biloxi mayor during a live interview this afternoon at 3. The Weather Channel is in Biloxi to mark the close of the 2005 hurricane season, which is today.

U.S. 90 in Biloxi aiming for Dec. 15 opening

Biloxi police are hoping to minimize traffic congestion on DeBuys Road as a result of Gulfport’s plan to open two lanes of U.S. 90 to traffic on Thursday. Police are advising eastbound motorists traveling U.S. 90 in Gulfport to turn north onto Cowan Road since U.S. 90 will remain closed in Biloxi. “Cowan offers four […]

Newsletter in the works for Biloxi residents

Residents will be getting an update on the city’s continuing recovery efforts in an eight-page newsletter scheduled to begin arriving in mailboxes throughout the city within the next week. The December issue of “Storm Recovery News” will be the second citywide mailout since Hurricane Katrina, which decimated Biloxi and the Gulf Coast 13 weeks ago […]

City Council to meet Tuesday afternoon

A request for a zoning change on Irish Hill Drive at St. Jude Street to allow construction of a 12-unit condominium development is among the half-dozen zoning issues on the City Council agenda for its meeting Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. at City Hall. Also on the agenda is a request to allow the Catholic Diocese […]

Police suggest routes for Edgewater Mall traffic

The Biloxi Police Department is asking motorists to help minimize the traffic congestion expected near Edgewater Mall Friday and throughout the Thanksgiving weekend, the traditional kickoff of the holiday shopping season. Police have posted signs on Pass Road asking that Gulfport motorists traveling to the mall use DeBuys Road and C.T. Switzer Sr. Drive, and […]

City accepting orders for Katrina photo album, DVD

The City of Biloxi today is launching online and mail-order sales for a commemorative DVD and photo album chronicling the destruction of Hurricane Katrina and the city’s inspirational recovery efforts. The DVD and photo album, which can be purchased individually or as a package, will be available in January, but Christmas shoppers placing online or […]

Popp’s Ferry bridge may open around first of year

Motorists may be able to resume traveling across the Popp’s Ferry bridge around the first of the year, a month ahead of schedule, Mayor A.J. Holloway announced this afternoon. Holloway said Key Constructors, a Madison firm that was awarded a $7.65 million repair contract barely a month ago, has had a 20-person crew working as […]

‘Christmas in the City’ bows Dec. 3

Events for the whole family, including a chance to make new holiday ornaments, will highlight the Saturday, Dec. 3 Christmas in the City celebration in downtown Biloxi. The event, sponsored by Biloxi Main Street, begins with a Children’s Christmas Walking Parade at 9 a.m., sponsored by the Christmas on the Water Committee. For information on […]

President extends FEMA reimbursement for communities

President Bush today made additional disaster assistance available to Mississippi by extending 100 percent federal funding for some debris removal and certain emergency protective measures. Debris removal and emergency protective measures, including those involving direct federal assistance, will be reimbursed at 100 percent of the costs incurred through the new deadline of Jan. 15. These […]

City Council faces four meetings Tuesday

The Biloxi City Council starts a day of meetings Tuesday morning at 10 with a meeting that council members called to discuss amendments to master plans for the Isle of Capri Casino Resort and the Palace Casino Resort, two Point Cadet resorts that are aiming to re-open their doors to the public shortly after Christmas. […]

Anaheim Care-A-Van rolls into Biloxi Monday

The Anaheim Kindness Care-A-Van will arrive on the Gulf Coast to deliver nearly 1,000 toys Nov. 21 and 22 to hundreds of children impacted by hurricanes since August. The toys — donated by Anaheim residents, businesses and city employees — will be distributed to children in Biloxi on Nov. 21 and at Audubon Zoo in […]

FEMA releases advisory flood maps

FEMA today released a series of high-resolution maps that detail Hurricane Katrina flooding and provide data intended to help local leaders enact building codes that will minimize the risk of flooding. The maps, which FEMA hopes local governments will eventually adopt, would be used to create the new Flood Insurance Rate Maps, which have not […]

Grand Forks extends helping hand to Biloxi

Congressman Earl Pomeroy (D-ND), along with Grand Forks (N.D.) Mayor Mike Brown, will lead a group of Grand Forks’ community leaders to Biloxi Nov. 18. During the visit the group will share valuable experience, gained during the 1997 flood of Grand Forks, with Biloxi city leaders as the city continues to recover from Hurricane Katrina. […]

HUD plans informational meeting for developers

Developers and those who play a role in development can learn about a host of available federal programs and support during a briefing by representatives of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Friday (Nov. 18) from 9:30 a.m. to noon at City Hall in Biloxi. During the free session, HUD staffers will provide […]

HUD ‘A-Team’ to be on hand for Friday session

Local developers, bankers and builders will have a chance Friday morning to get answers from a team of federal authorities led by HUD’s chief of field policy management and the agency’s southeastern director. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is hoping for a good turnout during a informational session Friday from 9:30 a.m. […]

Wal-Mart to launch bike drive for storm-ravaged Coast

Wal-Mart is teaming up with the Salvation Army for a history-making Christmas project that promises to provide 100,000 bicycles for children in the hurricane-ravaged communities along the Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana coastlines. “Merry Christmas, Gulf Coast: Bicycles or Bust,” which would be the largest bicycle drive in history, would take place Dec. 3-9, when 10 […]

Fire Department issues wintertime safety advice

The Biloxi Fire Department, which sees an increase in fire calls at the outset of winter each year, is reminding residents to take steps to minimize the risk of inadvertently igniting household fires. The fire department’s advice coincides with this afternoon’s announcement by the National Weather Service that a freeze warning is in effect from […]

Holiday heads up: Main Street plans downtown events

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

FAQ regarding city’s debris-removal plan

Q: I’ve read where the city intends to remove debris from private residential property in the areas of Point Cadet, Eagle Point and Holly Hills. How is the process going to work? A: Initially, the city identified Point Cadet, Eagle Point and Holly Hills as areas where it intended to enter private residential property to […]

Planning Commission seeks input on regulations

The Biloxi Planning Commission will conduct a public hearing on Thursday (Nov. 17) to seek input on whether to revise the city’s ordinances governing standards for condominiums and waterfront development. The hearing, which begins at 2 p.m. at City Hall, was prompted by a request from the City Council several weeks ago for the Planning […]

Residents may conduct city business on Veterans Day

Mayor A.J. Holloway has announced that key city departments will be open for business at their usual hours on Friday, even though Veterans Day is customarily a holiday. Residents will be able to apply for building or temporary trailer permits or obtain zoning information at the Community Development Department, which is on Dr. Martin Luther […]

Debris removal efforts to expand in east Biloxi

Mayor A.J. Holloway next week will ask the Biloxi City Council to expand the Hurricane Katrina debris-removal efforts to include more private property in east Biloxi. The issue is one of several on the agenda for the City Council meeting on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. at City Hall. The meeting is open to the public. […]

Biloxi pools, Farmers Market set to re-open

Next week, the city’s Parks and Recreation Department will re-open the Biloxi Natatorium, along with several programs at the Donal Snyder Sr. Community Center and will resume operation of the Biloxi Farmers Market at a new location. Here are details on each: Biloxi Natatorium re-opens Monday The Biloxi Natatorium, which received minor roof damage as […]

Debris-removal teams reach milestone in Biloxi

Biloxi’s debris-removal crews today reached a milestone: More than 1 million cubic yards of storm debris have now been removed from city streets and neighborhoods. The achievement comes on Day 60 of the city’s debris-removal efforts, but Mayor A.J. Holloway said that much work remains to be done. “Our debris-removal teams and the debris monitors […]

Council meets this afternoon at 1:30

The Biloxi City Council, during its regularly scheduled meeting this afternoon, will consider the purchase of new and replacement radios and video systems for the Biloxi Police Department. Councilmembers also will be asked to continue the state of emergency declaration, which has been in place since preparations originally began for Hurricane Katrina. To read the […]

Casino resorts plan to begin re-opening in December

Mayor A.J. Holloway has announced that the city’s casino resort industry, which attracted millions of visitors and employed thousands of workers in Biloxi, will begin re-opening to the public in a matter of weeks. Holloway said he has been encouraged by discussions with representatives of the nine casino resorts in Biloxi. “It’s been about 60 […]

Debris hearing; youth leagues; FEMA campers; news, notes

City to hold Eagle Point debris hearing Owners of residential property in the Eagle Point area will have a chance on Friday afternoon to appeal the city’s intent to remove hurricane debris that poses a threat to public safety or public health. The city will hold a hearing on Eagle Point properties Friday at 1:30 […]

FEMA, temporary housing on council agenda Tuesday

FEMA representatives are scheduled to brief the Biloxi City Council on Tuesday about plans for new flood elevations in Biloxi. The briefing will be included in the council’s 1:30 p.m. meeting, which takes place at City Hall. Representatives of the Federal Emergency Management Agency had notified the city’s Community Development Department weeks ago that new […]

Parks and Recreation Department plans winter season

Winter is just around the corner and for the Parks and Recreation Department this means time for winter sports. The city’s winter sports begin this year with soccer and basketball. “Hurricane Katrina caused some type of damage to every one of the city’s parks”, said Greg Eleuterius, Biloxi’s Parks and Recreation Athletic Specialist. “Most of […]

City making progress on Point Cadet, Eagle Point debris

The City of Biloxi has begun removing debris from privately-owned residential properties on Point Cadet where owners have signed right-of-entry agreements, and notices advising Eagle Point property owners about pending debris-removal efforts in that north Biloxi community are in today’s editions of The Bay Press and Sun Herald. The efforts are part of the city’s […]

Sports group to provide meals from Community Center

Residents can pick up free meals at the Biloxi Community Center on Howard Avenue next week, thanks to Overtime Sports, Game Time Concessions and Diamond Concessions. The three groups will provide as many as 700 meals a day, beginning with a 6 p.m. dinner on Monday, Oct. 24, and continuing with an 8 a.m. breakfast, […]

Answers to your questions about city’s debris removal plan

Q: I’ve read where the city intends to remove debris from private residential property in the areas of Point Cadet, Eagle Point and Holly Hills. How is the process going to work? A: At this point, the city has identified Point Cadet, Eagle Point and Holly Hills as areas where it intends to enter private […]

Traffic update: Popp’s Ferry contract; U.S. 90 access to I-110

Popp’s Ferry bridge could re-open to traffic in about 100 days under the terms of a $7.65 million contract the City of Biloxi awarded this afternoon. Key LLC, a Madison, Miss. firm, had the lowest of three bids submitted for the project, which would see repairs to the two-lane bridge that carried as many as […]

City trims half of discretionary spending

The Biloxi City Council this morning cut about half of the budgeted $4.9 million in discretionary spending, eliminating funding for special events, museums, and social service and community groups. However, council members, who unanimously supported the measure, said groups could appeal the decision on a case-by-case basis in hearings to be scheduled in the future. […]

City Council to discuss budget Tuesday morning

The Biloxi City Council has called a special meeting for Tuesday at 11 a.m. to discuss amending the FY ‘06 municipal budget, which had been approved days before Hurricane Katrina struck on Aug. 29. The council also will meet Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 p.m., where council members will be asked to continue the state of […]

City to advertise Point properties for debris removal

The City of Biloxi will be giving formal notice to Point Cadet property owners on Friday of plans to begin removing storm debris from privately owned residential property east of Oak Street and south of the CSX Railway. Full-page notices listing parcel numbers, addresses and owners of record of nearly 500 parcels are scheduled to […]

Police to allow I-110 loop access at Porter

Motorists in Biloxi looking to cross the I-110 bridge may be able to avoid congestion on Division Street and Howard Avenue starting Wednesday afternoon at 2:30, when Biloxi Police will allow drivers to access U.S. 90 at Porter Avenue and travel eastward to the I-110 loop. The U.S. 90 access at Porter will allow motorists […]

FEMA releases preliminary info on new flood elevation

(From WLOX and Associated Press reports) The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Friday that it’s putting out interim flood elevation maps to help hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast communities make early rebuilding decisions. Analysts have decided that the old flood elevation levels were 3 to 8 feet too low in the three coastal counties of Hancock, Harrison […]

FEMA to set flood elevations; more TV, video coverage

The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced today that that it’s putting out interim flood elevation maps to help hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast communities make early rebuilding decisions. The new flood maps propose to increase the flood elevation – the height at which there is a one percent chance of flooding annually – to help reduce the […]

Holloway sees good news on two fronts

Mayor A.J. Holloway says Biloxians should be encouraged by promising news on two important issues – the countdown to the re-opening of the Popp’s Ferry bridge in west Biloxi and news that the real-estate development community is apparently not letting Hurricane Katrina derail proposals for hundreds of millions of dollars in condominium development. On Friday, […]

All northbound lanes of I-110 now open to traffic

Biloxi Police report that all northbound lanes of traffic are now open on the Interstate 110 bridge, but motorists exiting at Rodriguez Street in D’Iberville may face delays at peak times until traffic signals replace a four-way stop now at that ramp. Traffic on many downtown Biloxi streets was snarled Wednesday about 6 p.m. when […]

Public housing: 400 families displaced, $38.5 million in damage

The Housing Authority of the City of Biloxi has released a report detailing more than $38.5 million in storm damage, and authority leaders say that more than 400 families have been relocated from the seven public housing sites throughout the city. The 23-page report also said that Hope VI, the much-heralded $35-million-plus affordable housing initiative […]

Holloway responds to gaming bill being sent to governor

Mayor A.J. Holloway, who has been at the state capitol throughout the day today, issued the following statement after the legislature this afternoon sent to the governor a bill that would allow casinos to operate 800 feet onshore. “With the signing of this bill, we in Biloxi now have a major tool to RESURRECT the […]

Red Cross, FEMA open sites in east Biloxi

Residents in east Biloxi now have more storm-recovery assistance just around the corner. The American Red Cross this morning set up a financial aid station at the Biloxi Community Center on Howard Avenue, where a host of volunteers also are continuing to provide free medical care, canned and dry food, prepared meals, infant supplies, bedding […]

Major repairs to flood-zone homes may trigger code issues

Homeowners with significantly damaged property in a flood zone will be required to make sure their homes fully comply with flood regulations before the city can issue a building permit for repairs, according to FEMA regulations. Community Development Director Jerry Creel said some property owners may find that their homes had been constructed before standards […]

City lifts curfew; motorists should exercise caution, patience

Mayor A.J. Holloway this afternoon lifted the 11 p.m.-to-6 a.m. curfew that had been in effect in Biloxi since Hurricane Katrina struck Aug. 29. Holloway made the decision after consulting Police Chief Bruce Dunagan and Assistant Chief Rodney McGilvary. “We’ve lifted the curfew,” Holloway said, “but motorists should continue to use caution since so many […]

Good news: Boil-water notice lifted in Biloxi

Mayor A.J. Holloway and the Mississippi Department of Health announced this afternoon that the boil-water notice, which had been in effect for Biloxi residents south of the Bay since Aug. 29, has been lifted. All water supplied by the City of Biloxi is now safe for drinking. “This is a significant step in this city’s […]

Video of devastated library now online

You can get a first-hand report on the damage and restoration efforts at the Biloxi Public Library in downtown Biloxi through a video clip now posted on the city web site. Biloxi librarian Charlene Longino narrates the video. The library — which in 1976 won national recognition for its design – is prominently featured in […]

More than half of students return to classroom

Biloxi Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Paul Tisdale said he was encouraged to see that more than half of the students enrolled before Hurricane Katrina were back in school today, the first day of class since the storm struck Aug. 29. A total of 3,167 students attended this morning, compared to 6,125 enrolled before the storm. […]

Debris removal teams nearing completion of first pass

“It’s been going great,” Brian Fulton says of the ongoing task of removing storm debris from city rights of way. “The contractors are nearing completion of the first pass of the entire city, and the second pass will begin later this week.” Fulton is with Neel-Shaffer Inc., a firm the city hired to oversee its […]

City asks legislature to OK gaming zones

The Biloxi City Council this afternoon voted unanimously to ask the state legislature to allow on-shore gaming in Biloxi, but limited to a proposal by Mayor A.J. Holloway that would base locations on existing casino-zoned areas in the city. Under the proposal, any on-shore casino would be no more than 800 feet from the water. […]

Evacuation recommnded for low-lying areas

The Harrison County Emergency Management Agency, acting on behalf of county and city leaders, this afternoon recommended that residents evacuate low-lying areas to avoid possible rising tides and winds associated with Hurricane Rita. The storm, which is approaching the Texas-Louisiana coastling, could cause a five- to eight-foot storm surge, three to five inches of rain, […]

Firefighters battle smoldering fire at Hard Rock barge

About two dozen firefighters are working this evening to extinguish remnants of an afternoon fire that construction workers sparked while working on the collapsed roof of the storm-ravaged Hard Rock casino barge. Fire Chief David Roberts, who expected firefighters to be on the scene through daybreak Thursday, said the fire was reported at 5:02 p.m. […]

Measure proposes clearing of property on Point Cadet

Biloxi’s debris-removal workers could clear storm debris from private property on Point Cadet under a measure passed by the City Council this afternoon. The resolution, which was proposed by Mayor A.J. Holloway and approved unanimously by council members, sets up a FEMA-approved mechanism where city debris teams would enter private property to clear debris or […]

Crews complete 75 percent of first debris sweep

Biloxi’s debris-removal teams, who have been working 12-hour days since Sept. 11, had covered three fourths of their first sweep of the city and hauled more than 150,000 cubic yards of debris as of this afternoon, enough debris to cover a football field and stand seven stories high. More than 300 trucks are hauling debris […]

Agencies working to get relief news to east Biloxi residents

Vietnamese churches and business leaders are being asked this weekend to help distribute information about the Disaster Recovery Centers operating in Biloxi and in Ocean Springs. “It’s been quite difficult to find a way to get information to those in east Biloxi because of the total devastation,” Mayor A.J. Holloway said this afternoon. “There’s no […]

Mayor encouraged by President, senators

Mayor A.J. Holloway says he’s encouraged and optimistic after meeting with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and other senators in Biloxi this afternoon, and after listening to President Bush’s nationwide address Thursday night, which included a promise of federal funding for an unprecedented, long-term recovery effort for hurricane-stricken areas. “I feel very good,” Holloway said […]

Recovery News: FEMA to open recovery center at Snyder

With few east Biloxi buildings large enough to provide sufficient space to house a Disaster Recovery Center, FEMA has been forced to open its Biloxi office at the Donal Snyder Sr. Community Center on Pass Road, and the City of Biloxi and Coast Transit Authority have established free shuttle service for east Biloxi residents to […]