Kenneth Feinberg, administrator of the Gulf Coast Claims Facility, will hold town hall meetings on Monday in the three Coastal counties, including an 11 a.m. meeting at the Biloxi Community Center on Howard Avenue.
Each meeting, which is scheduled to last about 45 minutes, will have staffers ready to answer specific questions and assisnt those hoping to file claims to recoup losses from the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.
Besides the Biloxi meeting, gatherings will be Monday at 9 a.m. at the American Legion Post #139 Bingo Hall, 701 Green Meadow Road, Bay St. Louis; and
at 12:35 p.m. at the Jackson County Civic Center,
2902 Shortcut Road,
Pascagoula.
Monday, incidentally, will be Day 1 for Feinberg to have control of the claims process $20 billion Gulf Coast compensation fund. Until now, BP has been handling the hundreds of thousands of claims that have already been entered. Feinberg has pledged to speed up the payment process — as soon as two days for individuals or seven days for businesses.
Coming soon: Expect to see an online presence for the Gulf Coast Claims Facility taking shape Monday at
http://www.gulfcoastclaimsfacility.com.
Two Biloxi High School students diagnosed with chicken pox
Two students with the Biloxi High School football team have been diagnosed with chicken pox, prompting school leaders to cancel upcoming sports events and to advise all parents to closely monitor their children for symptoms of the illness.
At least four sports events — including tonight’s season-opening football game — have been canceled or postponed, and parents were being notified of the situation this afternoon through the school district’s automated phone messaging and email systems.
To read the announcement the school district made earlier this afternoon,
click here.
News and notes
Waters open to crabbing: State and federal agencies have re-opened state waters to commercial and recreational crabbing. To read the official announcement, click here.
Weekend preview: The fifth anniversary of Katrina is next weekend, but you’ll find a host of Katrina-related events this weekend, including Jay Leno at the Beau, an outdoor concert at Treasure Bay, an indoor benefit show at the Hard Rock, and an art exhibit at Negrotto’s Gallery. Also on tap this weekend: “Cabaret” at Biloxi Little Theater and “Hee Haw” at Center Stage. For details on these events and others, click here.
Council preview: The Biloxi City Council will return to meeting at City Hall on Tuesday at 10 a.m. with a special meeting to discuss the city’s spending plans for FY 2011. On tap Tuesday: budgets for departments of Parks and Recreation, Community Development and Adminstration, as well as the City Council’s budget. The meeting is open to the public.
Webcasting: Jamie Lee of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department discusses the myriad programs offered at the Biloxi Natatorium. Also hear the latest on budget talks and other issues. To hear the
17-minute program, click here.
Traffic update: Work to install water or sewer lines in the Eagle Point and Woolmarket areas next week will force detours on several roads, including Oaklawn, John Lee, and Lorraine roads. To see the details and for an overview of road work in and around Biloxi, click here.
