Jackson Free Press

The wait is over, kids. Mississippi House members finally have a new legislative district map to vote on. The maps, which add two districts in rapidly growing DeSoto County, were unveiled at the Capitol today. Under the plan, several Democrats could lose their seats either by hasquaring off with fellow Democrats or by having to compete in mostly GOP districts.

The city of Jackson has issued two precautionary boil-water notices due to loss of water pressure during water-main repair.

The Animal Rescue Fund of Mississippi is making a desperate plea for donations.

At this morning's Hinds County Board of Supervisors meeting, supervisors distributed more than $250,000 to various recreational and other projects around the county. The money is coming from $3.5 million that had been set aside for the Byram-Clinton Parkway development project, which sparked intense debate between two board members.

In recent months, supervisors have routinely moved money from the parkway fund to the recreational fund. Today, supervisors doled out $262,000 to pave Village Drive ($70k) in northeast Jackson, playground equipment for Tougaloo Park ($50k), repairing a community center in Edwards ($80k) and resurfacing John F. Kennedy Drive in Presidential Hills ($62k).

Each vote passed 3-2, with Supervisors Robert Graham, Kenneth Stokes and Alphonso Hunter supporting the expenditures. Two of the projects -- the Village Drive resurfacing and Tougaloo Park lie in Graham's District 1. The town of Edwards and Presidential Hills are in District 2, where Hunter is the representative.

Peggy Hobson Calhoun of District 3 and Robert Walker of District 4 voted against each of the measures.

"We don't have enough funds to give everyone a piece of the pie," Hobson-Calhoun said at the meeting.

District 5 Supervisor Stokes, a staunch opponent of the parkway project, contends that the parkway project will never come to fruition and that the money could help other projects in the county now.

Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves met with Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, both Republicans, in Cleveland, Miss., today to talk tourism.

The lieutenant governors met with members of the Mississippi Tourism Association to discuss tourism possibilities in the area and between the two states. The Delta Regional Authority is working with both Louisiana and Mississippi to promote the Mississippi River Geotourism Project, which will work on making the Delta a tourist attraction as well as create a website in coordination with National Geographic to to help tell the story of the longest river in North America.

Reeves and Nungesser toured the Grammy Museum while in Cleveland, one of the area's newest tourist attractions. The museum opened in March 2016, and it features not only exhibits but also a theater. Both lieutenant governors also praised development around the museum, including construction of the new Lyric Hotel in Cleveland, which will be a luxury hotel featuring a four-star restaurant, special event venue and spa.

“Our two states share a deep connection in so many areas, whether its food, music, history or a love of the outdoor sports,” Lt. Gov. Reeves said in a press release. “Through tourism, we can highlight the contributions of our talented citizens to these areas and grow the economies in our towns.”