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 or see the times trials Saturday or races Sunday, click here.

Council to meet Tuesday morning, afternoon

The Biloxi City Council meets Tuesday morning to hear details about the Isle of Capri Casino Resort’s proposed amendments to its master plan, before meeting again at 1:30 p.m. to vote on the issue and another holdover from this week’s meeting, a variance request from a Popp’s Ferry Road daycare.

The afternoon agenda also includes measures in which Mayor A.J. Holloway will ask councilmembers for approval to hire consulting architects for repairs to four of the city’s storm-ravaged properties – the Old Brick House and gazebo, and the fire stations at East End and Back Bay.

To read the complete agendas and available resolutions for both meetings, click here.

News and notes

Guarding lives: The Parks and Recreation Department will offer lifeguard training sessions in April, open to those at least 15 years old. For details, click here.

City Desk: Bay Press Editor Gene Coleman asks about the issues du jour in this week’s City Desk program. To hear the discussion, click here.

Lights out?: Residents who encounter burned out or otherwise inoperative street lights on city streets should contact the Mississippi Power Co.’s 24-hour, toll-free “Lights Out?” line at 1-800-532-1502 or visit the power company web site at www.mississippipower.com to report city street light outages.

New debris numbers: City debris czar Jonathan Kiser reports that crews have hauled more than 20,000 cubic yards of debris in the past month, a far cry from the 220,000 cubic yards hauled in the first weeks of the city’s debris-removal contract, but a steady stream nonetheless, considering the remaining four percent continues involves property owners dealing with issues concerning insurance, grant or financing before deciding whether to repair, rebuild or sell and move to higher ground. To see the latest debris figures, released Thursday, click here.