Runoffs set for May 21; Boudreaux seeks review

Voters in Wards 3, 4 and 6 will be asked to return to the polls on Tuesday, May 21 to help decide party nominees in those wards because no candidate received more than 50 percent of the votes in those races.

And, meantime, Paul H. Boudreaux Jr., a candidate for the Ward 6 city council seat, has asked to re-examine the Ward 6 box where his third-place finish was a dozen votes shy of incumbent Edward “Ed” Gemmill, who will face top-vote getter Kenny Glavan in the May 21 runoff.

The initial count had Glavan with 220 votes (41 percent), Gemmill with 117 (21.83 percent), and Boudreaux with 106 (19.78 percent).

Boudreaux will re-examine the ballots on Wednesday at 10 a.m. at City Hall.

Thacker, a 17-year City Hall veteran who was overseeing her first election as municipal clerk, said she was pleased with the overall process Tuesday.

“I know there were a few glitches, but overall it went pretty well considering all of the changes we were facing,” she said.

A total of 5,100 people or 21 percent of the city’s 23,800 registered voters, cast ballots in an election designed to set the stage for the June 4 general election.

“We had 62 people vote by affidavit, which I thought was good when you consider that we received notice late that the re-districting had been approved by the Department of Justice.” Thacker said. “We had a few people who had to be re-directed to polling places that day, and we appreciate their patience.”

Other races on May 21:

In Ward 3, Dixie Newman and Joy Barhanovich Tucei will compete for the Republican nomination. In Ward 4, Robert Collier faces Robert L. Deming III, and in Ward 6, barring any changes, Edward “Ed” Gemmill faces Kenny Glavan.

The winner in the Ward 3 race will face Democratic nominee and incumbent Lucy C. Denton in June.

The numbers: To see the voter tabulations from Tuesday’s election,

click here.

Barges destroy part of fender system at Popp’s Ferry bridge

A tug boat pushing four barges carrying crushed rock and gravel collided with the wooden fender system that protects the Popp’s Ferry bridge after noon today, heavily damaging and detaching a section of the wooden system.

The bridge itself remained operational and open to vehicular and marine traffic after the incident.

“The fender system did exactly what it was supposed to do; it protected the bridge,” said Damon Torricelli, the city’s engineer and acting Public Works director. “The first thing we did was inspect the bridge for damage, and now we’re installing temporary emergency lights on the damaged sections of the fender system so they will not be as much of a hazard to navigation.

“We’re also going to take emergency steps to get the fender system repaired as soon as we can,” Torricelli added, noting that marine vessels have damaged the fenders more than once over the years. “We realize the importance of having that system in place, and getting it in place quickly, especially with hurricane season less than a month away.”

Photos: To see photos from the accident today, click here.

Previous collision: To see photos from a March 2009 collision that destroyed a 150-foot section of the bridge, click here.

Order up! Fire museum to hold fish fry Friday

West End Hose Co. No. 3, the all-volunteer fire museum, will hold a fish fry Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Howard Avenue museum.

The $7 plates will include fish, potato salad, baked beans and bread. Drinks and desserts also will be available.

Advance orders will be taken Friday morning from 8 to 10 a.m. at 228-435-6119.

The fire museum is at 1046 Howard Ave. Details: Joe Boney 228-365-4069.

More about the museum: To learn more about the Biloxi fire museum and take a photographic tour of the Howard Avenue facility,
click here.

News and notes

Fais do-do: Organizers of the upcoming 84th annual Blessing of the Fleet and Shrimp Festival are making a last call for crafts vendors for the Fais-Do-Do. The Fais do-do, a French term loosely translated as street dance, will be held Saturday, June 1, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., on the Biloxi Town Green. Deadline for vendor applications is May 24th. Vendor fees range from $25 to $75. Call (228) 435-6368 Learn more about tbe Blessing of the Fleet at the Shrimp Fest by clicking here.

Olympians: The Special Olympics Torch Run will arrive in Biloxi Friday, completing a statewide trek and signaling the Friday night opening ceremonies of the 2013 Mississippi Special Olympics Summer Games. More than a thousand athletes from throughout the state will take part in the opening ceremonies Friday night and compete in sporting events Saturday. Biloxi Police help organize the run and support the Olympics year ’round.

Visitors Centers: Amanda B. Williams, event coordinator for the Biloxi Visitors and Civic centers, reports that Visitors Center will be hosting special events every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in July, as well as every Saturday in August. In June, only one Friday-Saturday combination remains available in June. For booking information at either center, contact Williams at abwilliams@biloxi.ms.us.