Final preparations underway for election

Municipal Clerk Stacy Thacker today has been checking and re-checking voting supplies that will be used at the city’s 10 polling places in the mayoral election on Tuesday.

Voting precincts will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the election where “FoFo” Gilich faces W.S. “Windy” Swetman III in a runoff to succeed Mayor A.J. Holloway, who stepped down in March after serving for more than two decades.

“The ballot boxes have been sealed, the supplies have been boxed, and the voting machines have been loaded and are ready,” Thacker said this morning. “The poll managers are picking up their materials this afternoon and will be ready for 7 tomorrow morning.”

A total of 7,670 ballots were cast in the April 28 vote, when 10 candidates vied to be mayor of Biloxi. Gilich received 2,207 votes or 29.03 percent of those cast, while Swetman polled 1,685 votes or 22.16 percent.

The election is open to all Biloxi voters, regardless of whether they voted on April 28. Said Biloxi Chief Administrative Officer David Nichols: “Having a big turnout will show that people are interested in Biloxi and our future.”
Hear an election discussion in City Desk webcast
Visit the Voter Information page

 

Election 2015: What you need to know

All voters registered in Biloxi can vote in this election, regardless of whether you voted on April 28. Polls will be open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. To see a map of polling places, click here. Voters must show a voter ID when casting their ballot. Among the acceptable forms of identification: a driver’s license; a photo ID issued by any branch, department, or entity of any state or the U.S. government; a U.S. passport;  a firearms license; a student photo ID issued by an accredited Mississippi university, college, or community/junior college; a tribal photo ID; or a Mississippi Voter Identification Card.

 

Katrina Conversation: The state of gaming

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

Panelists will be Jerry St. Pe, former chairman of the Mississippi Gaming Commission; Alan Godfrey, director of the Mississippi Gaming Commission; Michael Cavanaugh, longtime Biloxi gaming attorney; and Chevis Swetman, longtime Biloxi banker. Moderator will be Len Blackwell, also a former chairman of Mississippi Gaming Commission.

The event, part of the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art’s continuing “Katrina +10” retrospective, is free and open to the public, although a $10 donation is suggested.

K10 coming up: “Katrina +10” will celebrate MDOT’s rebuilding of the Biloxi Bay and St. Louis Bay bridge with a bridge walk om the Biloxi Bay Bridge Saturday from 8 to 10 a.m. There’s no registration fee, but walkers are encouraged to bring canned food donations for hands across America food bank. First 50 walkers will receive commemorative T-shirt. Then from 2 to 4, the O(hr-O’Keefe will celebrate the post-Katrina revival of the arts and artists with a museum reception and free admission.
Visit the K10 website

 

News and notes

Boat fire photos: Biloxi Police and Fire personnel responded to a boat fire off the Popp’s Ferry Causeway Sunday afternoon. To see photos from the ordeal, from the city’s Faceabook page, click here.

Biloxi Indians baseball: The Biloxi Indians baseball squad, after a two-game sweep of Petal, travels to Oak Grove Tuesday for Game One of the Class 6A South State series. The Indians (21-11) on Thursday topped Petal in Game 2 of the South quarterfinals. Biloxi overcame a 6-1 disadvantage with a seven-run sixth inning for a 9-7 victory at Petal.