Those attending the Community Festival Against Crime Saturday on the Town Green could get a whiff of that new car smell.
That’s because the Biloxi Police Department will be showing off its array of new cruisers and Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and the Biloxi Fire Department will be displaying its new million-dollar ladder truck, which will be accented in pink in observance of national Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In fact, even the firefighters manning the truck will be garbed in pink.
The annual community festival, which runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., is free and open to the public.
Children games and activities are planned, along with free food and soft drinks.
“This a chance for everyone to come out and meet the men and women of the Biloxi Police and Fire departments in a stress-free, fun setting,” said Biloxi Police Chief John Miller. “You can learn about home safety, how to avoid being a victim of crime, and see the tremendous investment that this city has made in public safety, in terms of personnel, training and equipment.”
Print a flyer about the event
See some of the new police cruisers
City website now back in operation
Every element of the City of Biloxi’s website has been cleaned and scrubbed, and has been certified as virus-free by Google. The re-certification occurs after a piece of malicious software, also known as malware, found its way into the coding that powers the city website. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Visit biloxi.ms.us
Gilich seeks agreement on east Biloxi roadway, funding
The city is willing to move forward with completing an east Biloxi traffic loop with a wider Pine Street to link Back Bay Boulevard with Point Cadet, but only after half the expected $22 million price tag is in place.
Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich on Tuesday will ask the City Council for approval to enter into an agreement where the city would proceed with the project only after the state has committed $5 million in already promised money, and a developer hands over $7 million and donated rights-of-way to help with construction.
The so-called “Pine Street extension” project is one of 35 measures on the agenda for the City Council meeting Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Biloxi City Hall. More than two-dozen code-enforcement cases also will be brought before the City Council.
Read more about the proposed roadway
Hiller, Ohr to host celebrations
Hiller Park, the sprawling 90-acre city park in west Biloxi, marks its 74th anniversary Saturday at 10 a.m. with a ribbon-cutting for Pixie Memorial Dog Park, the city’s second dog park. The ribbon-cutting ceremony, organized by Councilmember Dixie Newman and the city’s Parks & Recreation Department, will feature refreshments for those attending.
On Sunday afternoon at 1:30, the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art will unveil a monthlong exhibit dedicated to one of Biloxi’s colorful characters of the past, Clarence “Kenny” Harder, who constructed a one-man band apparatus that is so large is can’t fit into any of the east Biloxi museum’s galleries. The exhibition, organized by the Biloxi Bay Chamber of Commerce, is a celebration of “a great entertainer, not only his music, but his humor, too,” organizer Errol Bradley told the Biloxi-D’Iberville Press. “He made everybody happy.” The Sunday afternoon gathering is free and open to the public.
Cruisers streaming into town
Cruisin’ the Coast doesn’t officially begin its 10-day run until Sunday, but Biloxi Police expect many of the predicted 7,500 registered Cruisin’ the Coast participants to begin motoring along U.S. 90 this weekend. Authorities are asking motorists to anticipate delays and drive carefully.
“We always want everyone to have a great expeience at this event,” Biloxi Police Chief John Miller said. “The drivers enjoy showing off their vehicles and telling the stories behind the vehicles, and the locals love lining up along Highway 90 to watch them parade by.”
The only thing police ask, Miller said, is that “everyone be careful, use common sense and drive their vehicles in a responsible manner.”
Barricades have been positioned at key intersections along U.S. 90 in Biloxi in the event police need to close left turn lanes or close intersections.
Said Miller: “We’ll have extra officers on the roadways this weekend, primarly to make sure traffic continues moving in a safe and orderly manner.”
See a preview of Cruisin’ events
Hear a City Desk preview of  Cruisin’
Planning OKs plats for two new subdivisions
By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director
This week in community development, the Biloxi Planning Commission voted to recommend approval for preliminary plat applications for two new single family residential developments, and an expansion to an existing subdivision. The first application includes 96 acres located on the west side Hudson-Krohn Road and will provide 131 new market rate homes. The second development will be located at the northwest corner of Woolmarket Road and Old Highway 67. It contains 39 acres and will create another 87 market rate homes. Also, Malpass Landing will be adding 21 new SFR Homes to Phase 2 of their existing development located on Brashier Road. These recommended approvals will now go before the Biloxi City Council for final consideration.
Also this week, a certificate of occupancy was issued to Baja Beach Biloxi Restaurant on Beach Boulevard. Plan reviews were completed for Petco, to be located on Pass Road. Plans were received for Shoe Department Encore to be located in Edgewater Mall, and for 5 new single family houses.
News and notes
Popp’s Ferry detour: Contractors on the Popp’s Ferry Road widening project will close the section of Popp’s Ferry between Cedar Lake and Motsie roads on Saturday  at 7 a.m. and re-open it Sunday, Oct. 4 at 8 p.m. Motorists should  use either Lamey Street or Cedar Lake Road as alternate routes. To see the status of roadwork citywide, click here.
Budget and more: Chief Adminsitrative Officer David Nichols, in a City Desk program recorded on the first day of the new Fiscal Year, discusses the new city budget and offers a preview of this weekend’s events. To listen to the 14-minute podcast, click here.
