Mississippi Business Journal B-L-O-G

The Governor’s Office announced this afternoon that PK USA will build a facility in Senatobia that will supply the Toyota auto assembly plant under construction at Blue Springs. Here are the details straight from the press release:

(JACKSON, Mississippi) – Governor Haley Barbour announced today that PK USA will build a new stamping and welding assembly manufacturing plant in Senatobia, a $35 million investment that will create 150 jobs for Mississippians. PK USA’s new facility, which will serve Toyota and other Japanese automotive companies and suppliers in the state, becomes the third announced supplier for the Toyota plant currently under construction in Blue Springs.

“We are very excited about this new addition to our industrial community in Senatobia and Tate County. PK USA is a strong company who will create significant employment opportunities for this area,” said Janie Mortimer, executive director of the Tate County Economic Development Foundation. “We appreciate the cooperation of our state, city and county governments and Entergy in working with our local economic development organization to meet the needs of this project as they searched for their new location.”

Been wondering what you’ll need to do for that economic stimulus check that should be on its way in May? Not that much, says the Internal Revenue Service. More from an agency news release:

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today advised taxpayers that in most cases they will not have to do anything extra this year to get the economic stimulus payments beginning in May.

The IRS will begin sending taxpayers their payments in early May after the current tax season concludes. Payments to more than 130 million taxpayers will continue over several weeks during the spring and summer. A payment schedule for taxpayers will be announced in the near future.

The Mississippi State Department of Health has confirmed a third pediatric influenza death. More from this afternoon’s news release:

(Jackson, Miss.) - Today the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) confirmed the third pediatric death due to influenza (flu) illness in 2008. Pediatric deaths are defined as deaths of individuals under age 18. The death occurred in Lee County.

“The decision to add pediatric flu deaths to our reportable disease list was made to aid the Health Department in its surveillance of children’s health,” said State Health Officer Dr. Ed Thompson. “The national Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended in 2004 that all states make pediatric influenza reportable to the states’ disease surveillance systems, and almost all states did so. When we discovered last week that Mississippi had not, we immediately added it to our regulations.”

Third Congressional District candidate David Landrum has released his schedule for the next few weeks. Here are a few of the details from a campaign press release:

February 20 — Mississippi Realtors PAC Candidate’s Forum – Flowood

February 20 — Stennis Institute of Government Debate – Meridian

February 21 — Lauderdale County Republican Women’s Meeting

February 25 — A.G. Edwards Candidate’s Forum – Jackson

March 3 — Stennis Institute of Government Debate – Starkville

Whoever really thinks about the mail? It shows up. We send stuff out. Barely on the radar.

Until there’s a postage increase. Then we pay attention. And the MBJ is paying attention to the next round of rate increases since we mail thousands of copies of our newspaper every week.

Here are a few more details from the United States Postal Service:

WASHINGTON, DC — The price for a one-ounce First-Class stamp will increase from 41 to 42 cents on May 12.

New prices for shipping services, including Express Mail and Priority Mail, will be announced in March. Prices for all postal products and services are available at usps.com/prices.

Your evening driving around metro Jackson might be trickier starting Tuesday. Here’s the advisory from the Mississippi Department of Transportation:

Beginning Tuesday, February 12 through Friday, February 15, construction crews will begin making improvements on I-55 southbound starting at 7 p.m. until 6 a.m. The location where work will be performed is between I-220 and County Line Road. As a result of this work, crews will close the right lanes of I-55 southbound between Old Agency Road and County Line Road. The exit ramp to I-220 will also be CLOSED to traffic. There will be no traffic permitted to travel on the I-220 exit ramp from I-55 southbound while crews are working in the area.

The purpose of this work is to add a lane to I-55 southbound and make other necessary improvements on I-55 and I-220 exit ramp.

According to a media advisory from the Charlie Ross campaign, the Mississippi Associated Builders and Contractors will endorse him in the Third Congressional District contest. The official announcement is scheduled for Monday afternoon in Jackson.

UPDATE [Monday, February 11, 4 p.m.]: And here’s the official endorsement news release:

On Monday, the Mississippi Associated Builders and Contractors formally endorsed Charlie Ross for his Third Congressional District campaign.

“While in the Mississippi legislature, I fought for pro-business legislation. I had the highest BIPEC rating while serving in the Mississippi Senate. When I go to Washington, I will take these same business principles with me,” Ross said. “With the growth and economic development taking place throughout the state, the construction industry is vital to the Mississippi economy. The Associated Builders and Contractors are a very powerful and respected organization throughout the state. I am very grateful for their endorsement and support of me for the Third Congressional District.”

Winchester is relocating its military packaging operation from Illinois to a company facility in Oxford. According to a news release from the Governor’s Office sent this afternoon, the move means a $3 million investment and 100 new jobs.

“With this announcement, Winchester joins a long line of companies that have recognized Mississippi’s adaptable and highly-skilled workforce, as well as our business friendly climate. Our aggressive economic development efforts continue to yield results for all regions of the state,” stated Gov. Haley Barbour.

The new operation will use approximately 85,000 to 90,000 square feet in the existing Winchester manufacturing facility in Oxford with only minor modifications needed. Equipment will be moved from Illinois to Mississippi, and a new firing range will be built.

Rachel Crews, who was an account executive with us several years ago, had her camera handy on the commute to St. Jude in Memphis Wednesday and sent a few photos of the storm damage. This shot was taken in Southaven along Stateline Road near Interstate 55.

Earlier today, MBJ staff writer Clay Chandler talked to a few folks about Wednesday’s Mississippi Supreme Court ruling affirming Gov. Barbour’s date for the election for Trent Lott’s U.S. Senate seat. Here’s the story:

By CLAY CHANDLER
MBJ Staff Writer
clay.chandler@msbusiness.com

The election to fill the seat of retired Sen. Trent Lott will take place November 4. The Mississippi Supreme Court handed down its decision Wednesday after more than a month of legal wrangling between Gov. Haley Barbour and Attorney General Jim Hood.

Barbour originally set the election date for November after he received Lott’s official resignation last December. Hood had argued that the election, according to state law, had to be held within 90 days of the seat being vacated and had filed court papers in Hinds County Circuit Court seeking to set the election for March 19. Circuit Court Judge Bobby DeLaughter, after hearing arguments from attorneys for Barbour and Hood, ruled last month that the statute was clear enough for the election to he held on or before March 19.

Barbour appealed to the state Supreme Court, which said the law was unclear on how to handle a Senate vacancy that fell between a state general election and an upcoming congressional or presidential election, and ruled that Barbour’s original proclamation that the election be held in November would stand.

Now, the race is on.

Shortly after Lott resigned, Barbour appointed Roger Wicker, who at the time represented Mississippi’s First Congressional District in the House of Representatives, to temporarily fill the void.

Wicker, a Republican from Tupelo, will face in the election former governor Ronnie Musgrove and former congressman Ronnie Shows, both Democrats.

As to who might benefit the most from the Court’s ruling, Morgan Baldwin, a political consultant in Tupelo, says the voters are the biggest winners.

“It gives enough time for people to get to know the candidates and where they stand on the issues,” Baldwin said.

Baldwin is not affiliated with any of the candidates, but said if he were, he would have preferred the November election date, especially if he were working for the incumbent, in this case Wicker.

“Wicker has gotten more media attention, he’s the incumbent, he’s the selection of the governor, and that creates an advantage,” Baldwin said. “That’s a lot of ground for Musgrove and Shows to make up.”

Musgrove’s campaign released a statement Wednesday bemoaning Barbour’s attempt to “anoint” Wicker as Mississippi’s next U.S. Senator and said the tactic usurps the rights of the voters to elect one.

The statement called the ruling “bad news.”

“ … Mississippi will be stuck for another nine months with the same type of Washington nonsense from Roger Wicker.”

Shows did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment.

The Secretary of State’s Office said it is preparing for the Senate special election, which will be held in conjunction with the general election scheduled for November 4. The primary election scheduled for March 11, will not be affected by the Supreme Court decision.