MPA/MPS Press Releases

Contact: Rick Hudgens
Life of the South Corporation
Phone: 601.214.3228
E-Mail: RHudgens@life-south.com

Life of the South, a leading provider of and administrator of credit insurance and payment protection services, has announced that Rick Hudgens has joined the company as Regional Vice President of Sales. In this position, Hudgens will focus his efforts on delivering a diverse portfolio of products and services tailored-made to meet the needs of financial institutions in Mississippi.

Hudgens joins Life of the South with 33 years’ of banking and insurance experience. He received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Mississippi College. He is a long-time resident of Jackson and with his wife, Peggy, in Brandon.

About Life of the South Corporation

Founded in 1982, Jacksonville, FL-based Life of the South Corporation has grown to be one of the top providers and administrators of credit insurance and payment protection services in the United States. Life of the South serves clients in the automotive, banking, credit unions, consumer finance, retail, credit card and vacation ownership industries. Wholly-owned subsidiary LOTSolutions provides a wide variety of best-in-class marketing services, including strategy development and campaign design, management, execution and fulfillment. LOTSolutions is also a premier provider of product administration and technology services. Life of the South is a proud member of the Summit Partners portfolio of companies (www.summitpartners.com).

Visit Life of the South at www.life-south.com

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Safeway Homes announced today it will build homes to the Fortified…for safer living® standard.  The “Fortified” designation is granted by the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), a nonprofit organization supported by the insurance industry.
The “Fortified” program specifies construction and design guidelines to increase a new home’s resistance to natural disasters. The program pays special attention to the most vulnerable areas: openings such as doors and windows, connections from the foundation up, roof construction and building elevation. The program also requires a series of third-party inspections.  In Mississippi, “Fortified” homes:
•    Are designed to withstand wind speeds 20 MPH above those set by the American Society of Civil Engineers;
•    Have higher design pressure rated windows and doors, and in the southern portion of the state require impact-resistant opening protection;
•    Have roofing materials that provide resistance to water penetration, high winds and hail; and
•    Provisions that take flood and wildfire into consideration.
“We are pleased to be working with IBHS to provide strong, affordable homes throughout Mississippi,” said Buddy Jenkins, President of Safeway.  “From the beginning, our homes have been built to meet severe wind requirements, and we are pleased to be the first manufacturer in Mississippi to provide system-built homes meeting the Fortified…for safer living® criteria.”
For system built homes like those offered by Safeway, the “Fortified” designation is granted once the home is permanently sited and an inspection shows elevation and connection details meet IBHS requirements.
Homes designated by IBHS as Fortified…for safer living® can qualify for insurance rate reductions when insuring through the Mississippi Windstorm Underwriting Association, better known as the Wind Pool.  In the counties along the Gulf Coast, this will reduce Wind Pool insurance premiums by twenty five percent in the first year of coverage.
For information on the Fortified…for safer living® program visit the IBHS Web site www.DisasterSafety.org or call toll free 1 (866) 657-4247.
Safeway Homes, www.SafewayHomes.com, manufactures highly wind resistant homes in its Lexington, Mississippi plant.  Since its inception in 2004, Safeway Homes has produced over five hundred safe, energy-efficient homes for the people of Mississippi.  Safeway Homes is the primary provider of system-built homes in the coastal area.  To contact Safeway Homes, call Dan Hobbs at (601) 936-9465.

The MSU Department of Communication and Career Center will hold the second annual Communication Career Fair on Wednesday, Feb. 27, from 1-4 p.m. in the recently renovated Union Ballroom on the Starkville campus. This event is designed to offer current majors in the department and related majors an opportunity to meet with communication-specific prospective employers.

Exhibitors will each have a table, access to electricity, and a wireless
Internet connection to set up a display and meet students on a come-and-go basis. There is a small registration fee of $75.00 to cover lunches, refreshments, and the table/chairs setup for employers. There is no charge for students to attend. Exhibitors may also choose to interview students the next morning in Montgomery Hall at the MSU Career Center.

“Last year’s event was very successful, and we are hoping to expand this
year’s even further, stated Dr. John E. Forde, APR, communication department head. “Not only are we striving to help our students, but we also want to provide employers an opportunity to connect with prospects who could positively impact their organizations for years to come.”

Employers with internships and graduate program coordinators are also
encouraged to attend. A major goal of the event is to have numerous
organizations represented that would interest students in various
concentrations of communication and similar fields: broadcasting,
communication studies, journalism, public relations, theatre, marketing,
sports communication, art, etc. Organizers plan to provide a list of
employers and graduate schools attending prior to the event through the school newspaper and e-mail.

For more information, contact Forde at 662-325-8033 or
jforde@comm.msstate.edu or Caragh McLaughlin, senior coordinator of the MSU Career Center, at 662-325-3344 or cmclaughlin@career.msstate.edu. Full registration details for employers are also available at
http://www.career.msstate.edu/employers/events/cdays/comm08ei.php.

For more information contact:  Jennifer Beasley
601-613-0678
mmdajenn@aol.com

February 11, 2008, Jackson, MS- On March 1 at 7:00 PM and March 2 at 2:00 PM, the  Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet will present a magical production of Cinderella at Thalia  Mara Hall.  With breathtaking sets and costumes and beautiful choreography by Artistic  Director Jennifer Beasley and Assistant Artistic Director Erik Kegler, Cinderella promises to be a treat for all ages.

The Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet is celebrating their 15th season and has many ancillary events scheduled in conjunction with the Cinderella performance.  A Cinderella Ball will be held at the University Club following the March 1st performance.

Entertainment will be provided by Hunter Gibson and the Gators.   MMB Patrons are invited to come dance and dine in celebration of 15 years.  Guests will have the opportunity to meet the dancers and guest artists.   A Cinderella Tea Party will be held following the March 2nd performance at the Mississippi Museum of Art.  Guests will be able to meet and greet the main characters from the ballet, enjoy delectable treats, and be
entertained with a spring shoe fashion show.

Set to the exquisite score by Prokofiev, the ballet brings all of the elements of the beloved fairy tale to life:  Cinderella’s transformation from rags to riches by her Fairy Godmother, the ball where she meets Prince Charming, her dramatic departure at the stroke of midnight, and the Prince’s search for the owner of the glass slipper.  The hilarious antics of the Ugly Stepsisters provides delightful doses of humor, and the love story of Cinderella and her Prince fulfills every romantic fantasy.  “This production has  all the necessary stage magic to mesmerize children and a handsome enough quota of sly wit and inventive choreography to satisfy devoted ballet fans,” said Artistic Director Jennifer Beasley.

Guest Artists Adiarys Almeida and Joseph Gatti will perform the roles of
Cinderella and the Prince.  Joseph and Adiarys amazed audiences in Jackson in 2006 at the USA International Ballet Competition where he won the senior bronze medal and she was named a finalist.  They are both principal dancers with Cincinnati Ballet.  Most recently Gatti was awarded the gold medal at the World Ballet Competition.   “We are so
excited to bring these world class dancers to the stage again in Jackson.” said Jennifer Beasley, Artistic Director.

Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet dancer Victoria Hunter, of Brandon, will perform the role of the Fairy Godmother.   Assistant Artistic Director,  Erik Kegler and guest artist Dolan Shoemaker will perform the roles of the Stepsisters and MMB Ballet Mistress Crystal Allen Skelton will perform the role of the Evil Stepmother.  MMB dancers Christina Holy of Ridgeland, Haleigh Huddleston of Hattiesburg, and Lana Smith and
Rhea Kay Rowe of Brandon will perform the roles of the fairies representing Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.

Performance tickets prices are $15, $20, and $25.  Ticket packages can be purchased which include performance and Cinderella Ball or Cinderella Tea Party tickets.  For more information call 601-853-4508.  You may also visit the Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet’s website at www.msmetroballet.com.

Mississippi Needs the ‘Sunshine’ Bill

Jackson, MS – Citing a recently released IRS filing which reveals that indicted trial lawyer Dickie Scruggs and trial lawyer Joey Langston appear to have funneled $400,000 to Attorney General Jim Hood’s campaign in the final days before the election through the Democratic Attorneys General Association (DAGA), Mississippians for Economic Progress (MFEP) called again for ‘sunshine’ legislation to restore accountability to the office.

“Our biggest concern with Attorney General Jim Hood has been his propensity to appoint his campaign contributors to lucrative legal contracts outside of the public eye,” said MFEP Chairman Lex Taylor.  “These campaign finance reports, which appear to show that trial lawyers funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars into the Hood campaign, combined with the Attorney General’s track record of awarding lucrative legal contracts to campaign donors, only serve to reinforce the need for ‘sunshine’ legislation to restore transparency and accountability to the Attorney General’s office.”

MFEP’s review of 2007 DAGA disclosure forms, which were recently made available on the Internal Revenue Service’s web site, revealed Joey Langston, who recently pleaded guilty to attempting to bribe a judge, gave $100,000 to DAGA.  Dickie Scruggs, who recently was indicted on federal bribery charges, gave $100,000 to DAGA as well as a second contribution of $200,000.  After these contributions were made, DAGA gave $150,000 and $250,000 to the Hood campaign.  Law firms that received state legal contracts from Attorney General Hood’s office also contributed over $220,000 to DAGA.

As past reports have shown, these DAGA contributions could be an attempt to obscure the sources of the contributions.  For example, on October 15, 2003, trial lawyers Joey Langston and David Nutt gave $100,000 and $50,000, respectively, to DAGA.  The next day, DAGA gave $150,000 to the Hood campaign. Langston, Hood’s largest campaign contributor at the time, was hired by Hood to represent the state in the WorldCom case—and split $14 million dollars in fees.

“It is unsettling that Hood has accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from a source that was not required to disclose its contributors until after the election,” Taylor said.  “This is yet another example of why we need ‘sunshine’ legislation for the Attorney General’s office.”

There are two bills currently before the Legislature, SB 2188 and HB 1194, which would help ensure an open and accountable hiring process in the Attorney General’s office.  Mr. Hood has also introduced a bill through Representative Blackmon to address ‘sunshine’ issues. However, the Attorney General’s proposal does not contain all of the changes needed for transparency and accountability.

Mississippians deserve a process for hiring attorneys in which the people’s interest, and not the interests of trial lawyers, come first.  An open process would make the Attorney General’s office transparent and accountable to the people of Mississippi.

CONTACT: LaGina Fisher
Special Projects Manager
(601) 960-1891, ext. 308

JACKSON, Miss. — The Jackson Convention & Visitors Bureau is now accepting applications for Jackson’s annual Miss Hospitality Scholarship Tea Pageant. The competition, set for April 4, 2008, is open to outstanding young Jackson women age 18 to 24. The winner will represent the city for one year and receive a $1,000 scholarship to a Mississippi college or university of her choice. She will also compete in Mississippi’s Miss Hospitality Pageant July 27-August 4, 2008, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where a total of $100,000 in scholarships will be awarded.

The first runner-up to Jackson’s Miss Hospitality 2008 will receive a $500 scholarship and will replace the winner if she is chosen state winner or is unable to complete her reign for any reason. Jackson’s Miss Hospitality has won the state pageant title twice during the past 5 years.

The mission of the Mississippi Miss Hospitality Pageant is to identify, honor and engage young ladies in promoting Mississippi’s tourism industry and economic development by serving as the state’s goodwill ambassadors.

The deadline for application to the local program is Wednesday, March 5, 2008, at 5 p.m. For a pageant application, guidelines and other information, contact LaGina Fisher at 601-960-1891, ext. 308, or at lfisher@visitjackson.com.

For more information contact and a list of participating schools
contact: Michelle LaFleur
601.352.2699
mlafleur@jbhm.com
The Junior League of Jackson, Mississippi Department of Education, Mississippi Economic Council and the Partners of the Mississippi Children’s Museum along with Signature Sponsor Cellular South invite you to save the date for the Mississippi Children’s Educational Fair, “Come be a kid again” Preview Party, to be held April 1, 2008 at the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum in Jackson, Miss.

The Wizard of Oz themed Mississippi Children’s Educational Fair (MCEF,) which will be held April 2-5, 2008 at the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum, is designed to help reduce the high school dropout rate in Mississippi by encouraging students to “Stay in School: Soar into the Future.” Featuring hands-on, interactive exhibits, the fair will be a fun, action-packed event.  It is offered as a field trip to area schools to showcase the skills needed for exciting careers.

Come be among the first to experience the exciting exhibits planned for Mississippi’s students.  The Preview Party will be held from 7-10 p.m. and will feature food, fun, and one-of-a-kind auction items from “Mississippi’s Heroes.”  The public will also have an opportunity to tour the exhibits on Saturday, April 5, and planning is underway for a concert targeted to high school students. Watch for more details!

For ticket information please call the Museum offices at 601.981.5469.
Fact list available upon request.

JACKSON, MISS., February 4, 2008 – The Fifth Annual CFA Society of Mississippi Forecast Dinner, was held at the Country Club of Jackson Thursday night.  Over four hundred and forty people attended to hear experts provide their outlooks on the economy and stock and bond markets in 2008.
Alan Smith, CFA, CFA Society of Mississippi president, welcomed guests to the premier event in Mississippi for serious investors and business leaders. Tate Reeves, CFA, State Treasurer of Mississippi, moderated the panel discussion.  Mr. Chris Mahony, Director and Product Specialist, BlackRock; Mr. Ron Muhlenkamp, CFA, Founder, President, and Portfolio Manager, Muhlenkamp & Co.; and Dr. Jerry Webman, CFA, Chief Economist, OppenheimerFunds provided their views of the economy and financial markets.  Dr. Marty Wiseman, Director, John C. Stennis Institute of Government provided a summary of the current political landscape in Mississippi.
The CFA Society of Mississippi is one of 135 CFA Institute affiliated professional societies in 56 countries. The society’s mission is to foster a community of investment and financial professionals in Mississippi with the highest levels of ethics and competence.  The society promotes participation in the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) Program, a graduate-level, self-study curriculum and examination program for investment professionals.  More information about CFA Society of Mississippi may be found at www.cfamississippi.org.

Media Contact:
CFA Society of Mississippi
Robin Perry
T: 601.981.5332 ext. 1486
rperry@sfbli.com or info@cfamississippi.org

The leaders of the appropriations and education committees of the House of Representatives Thursday, Jan. 31, praised their fellow members for the overwhelming passage of HB 513 to fully fund the K-12 public education system. The bill passed 95 to 26.
“This was important to set a tone for the session saying that public education is our top priority,” said House Education Chairman Cecil Brown. “It is a great first step. It is not all that we wanted to do, but we feel what we have done says to all of our citizens, and particularly our children, that we intend to provide them with a quality education.
“We truly did not want to delay the teacher pay raise to next January, because we all know that we must have a quality teacher in every classroom in the state,” Brown said.
“The bill funds a lot of what the governor said was important to him. This is good faith prioritizing, I believe,” Brown said.
House Appropriations Chairman Johnny Stringer noted that editorial boards across the state and other observers have said education was a priority, “so we needed to just go ahead and do it. I am very proud that such an overwhelming number of House members saw it that way.”
Stringer said funding such programs as Medicaid “will go ahead as well. That’s another of the priorities we have in the House of Representatives.  Funding education will not stop that.”
The House passed HB 513 to fully fund the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, including a 3 percent across-the-board for the state’s 30,000 school teachers, and a smaller amount for teacher aides. It also provides additional incremental raises for teachers beyond 26 years of service, and put extra funds into such programs as early childhood development, training for teachers to recognize dyslexia problems, mentoring for new teachers, classroom supplies and a school building fund, among others. It also keeps some financially-stricken Coast districts from losing funds compared to their last appropriation. The bill had earlier cleared the House Appropriation Committee, where the Coast language was included.
The Joint Legislative Budget Committee and Gov. Barbour had expressed support of full funding of the MAEP formula for the 2008-2009 school year, and some of the other programs contained in the bill. The governor mentioned his support of the MAEP formula during both his recent inaugural and State of the State speeches. The Legislature passed full MAEP funding last year, and leaders said then they expected it to follow in upcoming sessions. An amendment failed that would have stripped most of the teacher pay raises. There are approximately 475,000 students in the K-12 system statewide.
Contact: Rep. Stringer: 601-359-3340; Mr. Brown: 601-359-3329