Jackson Free Press

The following is a verbatim press release from the Jackson airport:

Jackson, Miss. – At the Regular Meeting of the Board of Commissioners for the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority held earlier this month, the Board of voted to engage the services of W.T. Consultants.

As the official lobbyist for the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority, Worth Thomas, along with the W.T. Consultants team will monitor and track all state and municipal legislation impacting the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority. Additionally, W.T. Consultants will coordinate communications with legislators and other officials concerning impacts to the economic development of the JMAA enterprise including the Jackson Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport and Hawkins Field Airport.

“We are most excited about the addition of Mr. Thomas to our legal team”, said Perry J. Miller, Chief Operating Officer for the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority. “The gravity of his experience is an added value in assisting us to meet our legislative goals in support of our enterprise."

Established in 1996, W.T. Consultants has been engaged in lobbying and business consulting with congressional, state, municipal and other local entities. The firm has been in good standing with the State of Mississippi as a registered lobbyist and has established bi-partisan relationships with government and legislative officials including the Mississippi House of Representatives and the Mississippi Senate.

Woodrow Wilson Drive's eastbound lanes will be reduced to one lane in preparation for major repair work on the water lines below the road. Once repair work begins, traffic will be re-routed to State Street, but no contractor has been named so the street will remain open until a contractor is found and repair work begins. The project could take up to two months once construction begins.

Read the City of Jackson's press release (in full) below:

"Beginning Thursday, Jan. 7, City of Jackson Department of Public Works crews are switching eastbound traffic to the north lane of Woodrow Wilson Drive instead of the south lane. Motorists are encouraged to proceed with caution and drive at a reasonable speed.

The City is moving forward with the project to repair a major water main break on Woodrow Wilson Drive. The road remains passable for motorists as crews continuously assess the condition of the site to keep it safe until the repair work can begin.

Engineers have designed the repair, which is complex because of the location, the materials for the pipe and the laying conditions. This project requires a custom built new pipe as the break occurred on a 36-inch water line constructed in the 1960s. The pipe needs to be encased, which requires engineering design and a contractor. This repair cannot be made in-house.

The City is currently reviewing a contract for a contractor. Upon approval, work will begin and could take approximately two months to complete because of the complexity of the repair. During that time, traffic will be rerouted to State Street. The public will be informed of the detour in advance."