Mississippi Business Journal B-L-O-G

May Madness? State, Ole Miss, JSU golf in NCAA tourney

Jim Laird — Tue, 06 May 2008 00:04:06 +0000

The golf teams at Ole Miss and Mississippi State, as well as SWAC champion Jackson State University, will be playing in the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship. Play begins for all three in the East Regional May 15 at the Council Fire Golf Club in Chattanooga, and it’s hosted by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

The Rebels are seeded No. 9, and State comes in at No. 13. JSU is No. 27.

Ten teams and two individuals not on advancing teams will move on from each of the three regionals to championship play at the Kampen Course at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex in West Lafayette, Indiana, hosted by Purdue University.

Not exactly March Madness, but I’ll take it.

Tate Reeves luncheon speaker today

Jim Laird — Mon, 05 May 2008 14:59:42 +0000

State Treasurer Tate Reeves is the guest speaker for today’s Stennis Insititute-Capitol Press luncheon. The noon event is open to the public and will be held at Galloway Memorial United Methodist Church in downtown Jackson. Lunch is $8.

Reeves will discuss the current state financial picture, the impact of legislative spending and the state and national economy, according to the Stennis Institute’s Phil Hardwick.

CDF earns Site Selection Top 10 ranking

Jim Laird — Fri, 02 May 2008 19:03:05 +0000

The Community Development Foundation has been named to an impressive list. In its May issue, Site Selection magazine includes Tupelo-based CDF on its 2007 Top 10 List of Economic Development Groups for its role in landing the Toyota auto assembly plant. Here’s a snippet from the Site Selection article:

The CDF played a lead role in helping Mississippi secure the $1.3-billion Toyota Motor Manufacturing plant in Blue Springs – a project that will create up to 2,000 jobs and more 500,000 sq. ft. (46,450 sq. m.) on 1,700 acres (689 hectares). Crucial to the attraction of Toyota was Lee County’s alliance with Pontotoc and Union counties to form the PUL Alliance.

Check out the rest of the story in print or online.

Love tennis? Buy a car tag

Jim Laird — Thu, 01 May 2008 21:07:21 +0000

If you love to play tennis, or even if you don’t play but love the game and want to see it grow, think about buying a specialty car tag that will help support the Mississippi Tennis Association’s Community Grant Fund Program to upgrade tennis facilities around the Magnolia State.

According to the MTA Web site, they are only 57 orders away from seeing the Play Tennis tag produced this year. The deadline, though, is May 15th.

Barbour names Medicaid advisory panel

Jim Laird — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:30:32 +0000

Gov. Haley Barbour has named seven hospital executives to an advisory panel for Medicaid. Here are the details straight from a Governor’s Office news release:

JACKSON, Mississippi — Governor Haley Barbour today named seven hospital administrators to a Medicaid Hospital Advisory Committee and asked them to provide advice and assistance to the Division of Medicaid with regard to matters affecting hospitals participating in the Medicaid program.

Governor Barbour said due to changes in reimbursement policies at the federal level, the advisory board will address the changing payment needs of Mississippi hospitals.

“This commission is purely advisory in nature and its members are drawn from a diverse group of hospital administrators. It is my hope they will offer Medicaid and hospitals their best counsel based on their combined years of experience in determining a solution to fund the Medicaid shortfall,” Governor Barbour said.

Members of the committee are:

Chris Anderson – CEO, Singing River Hospital System, Pascagoula

Gerald Wages - CEO, North Mississippi Medical Center, Tupelo

Chip Denton - CEO, Grenada Lake Medical Center, Grenada

Wallace Strickland - CEO, Rush Foundation Hospital, Meridian

Gary Marchand - CEO, Memorial Hospital at Gulfport

Will Ferniany - CEO, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson

Ray Humphreys - CEO, Delta Regional Medical Center, Greenville

The funding situation for the Medicaid program was left unresolved when the Legislature adjourned last month. The governor is expected to call a special session to address the issue in the coming weeks.

The Mississippi Hospital Association wants a tobacco tax considered as part of the Medicaid funding solution, and it has posted an online action alert about that option for its members and others interested in fixing the Medicaid mess. Check it out.

Intechra collects thousands of pounds of used equipment

Jim Laird — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:38:01 +0000

Earth Day 2008 has come and gone, but the impact continues. Jackson-based Intechra collected about 14,000 pounds of electronics equipment during its annual Earth Day event in Jackson and even more in communities around the country. More details from a company news release:

JACKSON, Miss., April 25, 2008 – Intechra collected nearly 45,000 pounds of used electronics during free recycling events April 12 at five of its facilities across the country. The total is up 12.5 percent from its Earth Day collections in 2007.

The electronics recycling company will process the used computers, laptops, monitors, printers, cell phones, TVs and stereos at facilities in Columbus, Ohio; Dallas; Hartford, Conn.; and Merrimack, N.H. Intechra also accepted donations at its Jackson, Miss. headquarters.

The same day, Intechra partnered with Dell at their Nashville, Tenn. campus. Roughly 200,000 pounds of computer and electronics were collected from the Nashville community to be recycled by Intechra.

“These events were a great opportunity to serve our communities by providing them secure, responsible recycling for old computers and electronics,” Intechra CEO Chip Slack said. “More than 120 tons of e-waste could have ended up in landfills if people hadn’t had a place to recycle them.”

E-waste (a.k.a. electronic waste) is created by the improper disposal of electronics and accounts for 70 percent of the heavy metals in landfills, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. Materials such as lead, mercury, barium and cadmium can cause serious health problems if leached into the ground or water supply.

MDOT advisory: expect lane closures

Jim Laird — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:45:19 +0000

It’s everyone’s favorite topic of conversation in metro Jackson: traffic. Then again, maybe the weather has been No. 1 lately, but traffic is never far behind. Here’s an I-55/I-220 update straight from the MDOT news release:

JACKSON, MISS., Tuesday, April 15, 2008-The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) announces the following traffic alert to motorists traveling on I-55 southbound in Hinds County on Wednesday night.

Beginning Wednesday night, April 16 through Friday, April 18, 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.

Message boards will be posted in the area to advise motorists of the lane closures. MDOT regrets any inconvenience this necessary work may cause.

For the most up-to-date information in your area, please visit www.MSTraffic.com and sign up for your traffic alerts. Also, visit http://www.mstraffic.com/mobile to get the latest traffic information from MSTraffic.com on your mobile device. MDOT advises the public to pull off the road to a safe location if you need to check the MSTraffic.com website while driving. MDOT’s number one concern is the safety of the traveling public.

Another case of WNV reported

Jim Laird — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:40:27 +0000

The Mississippi State Department of Health reports another case of West Nile virus in the state:

(Jackson, MS) Today, the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) reports one additional human case of West Nile virus (WNV) for 2008. The new case is in Madison County.

The MSDH reports both confirmed and probable cases to the public. The state’s total number of human cases is now two. Last week the agency confirmed the state’s first WNV case in Lincoln County.

MSDH conducts statewide mosquito testing with its most intensive surveillance during peak mosquito reproduction time, which is usually July, August and September.

FPA sets strong lineup for 25th-annual symposium

Jim Laird — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:48:04 +0000

[first published in the April 14th issue of the Mississippi Business Journal, page 14]

The Magnolia State is home for a wide range of talented financial planners, analysts and professionals who would be right at home on Wall Street. Fortunately for their clients — and business reporters on a tight deadline — they’re running successful firms and managing impressive portfolios right here on Main Street Mississippi.

I always enjoy visiting with folks on the frontlines of the financial services industry. Their perspectives help us tell better business stories no matter what we’re trying to cover.

Over the past few years, we’ve gotten to know members of the Financial Planning Association’s Mississippi chapter through working together on several projects. For the past two falls, we’ve put together a special publication of columns written by local FPA members as part of Financial Planning Week — the first week of October. We’re in the planning phase of that project right now.

Every spring, FPA hosts an annual symposium, and the Mississippi Business Journal helps sponsor and spread the word about the speakers, topics and continuing education credit opportunities. This year’s symposium is set for April 30 at the Country Club of Jackson. Last week when visiting with Ann Caves, who helps manage the association with husband Roy, I learned that this year’s FPA symposium is the 25th-annual incarnation of the event.

That’s a milestone worth celebrating.

The Estate Planning Council of Mississippi, the Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Society of Financial Service Professionals are joining FPA as associates in presenting “Financial Planning: Putting the Pieces Together.”

Key issues and items on the agenda include business and securities law, the U.S. economic outlook, health savings accounts, tax updates, post-Katrina insurance and, of course, much, much more. Speakers include:

• Delbert Hosemann, Mississippi Secretary of State

• Jay Bryson, senior economist for Wachovia Corporation

• John Scott, CPA, firmwide director of tax services for HORNE LLP

• Stan Neese, United Healthcare

• Bill Rayburn, Ph.D., chairman of FNC Inc.

• Mike Chaney, Mississippi Insurance Commissioner

• Barry K. Jones, J.D., LL.M., CPA, AEP, partner in Wise Carter Child & Caraway law firm

• Walter Wofford, founder and CEO of IRA Wealth Education Inc.

For additional information or to register, contact the FPA office in Jackson at (601) 981-9834 or msfpachapter@bellsouth.net.

Contact MBJ editor Jim Laird at jim.laird@msbusiness.com. Read his blog at mbjblog.wordpress.com.

Rothenberg keynoting Delta Council gathering

Jim Laird — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:40:13 +0000

The Delta Council will host political analyst Stu Rothenberg as this year’s annual meeting keynote speaker. Here are a few more details from this morning’s news release:

Stoneville, Miss.–The 73rd Annual Delta Council Meeting will be held Friday, May 23, 2008, and will include a featured address by political analyst Stu Rothenberg. The Rothenberg Political Report publisher and Roll Call columnist’s address will be at Delta State University’s Bologna Performing Arts Center, in Cleveland, Miss.

“We are pleased that Stu Rothenberg will address the members and special friends of Delta Council at this year’s meeting,” said Delta Council President Bill Kennedy. “I anticipate his keynote address to be both informative and insightful.”

In addition to Rothenberg’s newsletter and bi-weekly Roll Call columns, he often contributes opinion editorials to The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Orlando Sentinel.

“For the last few years, Stu has spoken to Delta 1000 Members prior to the Annual Meeting, and his political insight and unbiased observations were extremely well-received,” Kennedy said. “With one of the most important election cycles in modern American history about to unfold, we felt like it was timely to have Stu address all of the members and guests of Delta Council.”

Rothenberg’s keynote address will follow a full morning’s activities, including a salute to Delta honor graduates by Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant, and a report on the region’s activities and priority issues. Delta Council will also recognize those who have made significant contributions in other critical areas of Delta life

Rothenberg’s address is scheduled to conclude at noon, when the Delta Council members and guests will move to the University Quadrangle for a fried catfish luncheon.

The 73rd Delta Council Annual Meeting will begin at 10:30 a.m. This year’s meeting is sponsored by BankPlus, KBH Corporation, Land Banks of Mississippi, Morgan Keegan, Jimmy Sanders., Inc., and five organizations representing “Voices of Mississippi Agriculture:” The Catfish Farmers of Mississippi, The Corn Promotion Board, Cotton, Inc., The Rice Promotion Board, and The Soybean Promotion Board.