MPA/MPS Press Releases

For more information, call:
Hugh Barkley, Executive Director
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence of the Central MS Area, Inc.
(601) 899-5880
www.ncaddcenms.org

JACKSON, MISS:  “A Catch for Recovery” is an open team bass tournament benefiting the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence of the Central Mississippi Area, Inc.  Sponsored by the Pine Belt Bass Masters, the tournament will be held at the Ross Barnett Reservoir at Tommy’s Landing on Saturday, June 14, 2008.  Cash prizes will be awarded and door prizes will be given away.  To register for the tournament or for more information, please call (601) 899-5880.

About NCADD

The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. is a national non-profit organization combating alcoholism, other drug addictions, and related problems.   NCADD provides education about alcoholism, tobacco, and other drug addictions as treatable diseases; offers prevention programs for schools, organizations and communities; answers questions from the public, legislative bodies, and the media; and distributes a variety of publications.  NCADD also offers information and referral services to children, teenagers, and adults seeking help with alcoholism, drug dependencies and other related issues.  A majority of this information is available free of charge.  All contacts with persons seeking help are confidential.  National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence of the Central Mississippi Area, Inc. funding is made possible through United Way of the Capital Area as well as private donations and grants.

CONTACT:      Merrill Tenney McKewen
The Piney Woods School
(601) 940.4950
mmckewen@comcast.net

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, May 22, 2008

Piney Woods, MS—On Friday and Saturday, May 23 and 24, 47 seniors from The Piney Woods School (PWS) will celebrate graduation—and all will go to college. With a 100 percent of its 2008 graduates attending such elite colleges as Howard University in Washington, D.C.; Spelman College in Georgia; Syracuse University in New York; Xavier University in Louisiana; and Tuskegee University in Alabama; not to mention Mississippi’s Jackson State University, Tougaloo College, University of Southern Mississippi and Mississippi State University, The Piney Woods School reaffirms its commitment to changing the world—one student at a time.
“We are proud of our graduates, and know they will continue to excel as leaders capably carry the banner of The Piney Woods School with them as they graduate and go to college,” said Dr. Reginald T.W. Nichols, President of The Piney Woods School. “As an example, just one of our many star 2008 graduating seniors is Jochi McNair, a native of Mt. Olive, Mississippi, and nephew of former Baltimore Raven quarterback Steve McNair, who will attend Tuskegee University on a full JROTC scholarship.”
On Friday, May 23, beginning at 6:00 p.m., the Baccalaureate Ceremony will be held in the PWS Zilpha E. Chandler Auditorium, featuring Rev. Dr. Ralph Galloway, Pastor Kwanzaa Community Church, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, as guest speaker; followed by the Senior Reception at 7:30 p.m. in the Sadie Caldwell Dining Hall, sponsored by the PWS International Alumni Association.
Graduation events will continue on Saturday, May 24, beginning with a Friendship Breakfast at 9:00 a.m. in the Sadie W. Caldwell Dining Hall; followed by the Commencement Exercise at 10:00 a.m. in the Zilpha E. Chandler Auditorium, featuring CBS News Correspondent Randall Pinkston as guest speaker.
Media and the general public are encouraged to attend all graduation events.
Featured as one of the country’s ten best boarding schools by U.S. News and World Report, The Piney Woods School serves students in grades 9-12 and is one of four remaining African-American boarding schools in the nation. PWS is the first and only high school in America to host an AmeriCorps program. Founded in 1909 by Dr. Laurence C. Jones, The Piney Woods School is committed to training the next generation of leaders. Each year, over 98 percent of its graduates go to some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the county. The Piney Woods School is changing the world—one student at a time.

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FROM: Eudora Welty Foundation
P. O. Box 55685
Jackson, MS 39296-5685
601-353-7762

Eudora Welty, Mississippi’s acclaimed master of the short story, will be remembered in a special broadcast on Mississippi Public Radio on Sunday, May 25, at 2:00 p.m. The production may also be heard on-line at www.mpbonline.org.

“Eudora Welty: A Tribute in Stories,” features Nashville author Ann Patchett, winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award, as emcee and Suzanne Marrs, Welty’s biographer and longtime friend, who shares thoughts on Welty’s writing and work. Marrs is the Scholar-in-Residence for the Eudora Welty Foundation and the Stewart Family Professor of Language and Literature at Millsaps College.

Patchett briefly discusses three Welty stories and introduces actors who read each of the works. Marian Seldes interprets “Lily Daw and the Three Ladies”; Kathryn Markey, “A Piece of News”; and Sloan Shelton, “The Key.”

Marrs put the stories, all published in 1937, in the context of Welty’s early creative process. “These stories - from the comedy of ‘Lily Daw’ to the tragedy of ‘The Key’ - typify Eudora’s ability to evoke a wide range of emotions in her readers,” Marrs said.

The radio program was co-produced for Public Radio International’s “Selected Shorts” series by Symphony Space and WNYC, New York Public Radio. Hosted by Isaiah Sheffer, artistic director of Symphony Space, the program was recorded at a live performance on May 7 at the Peter J. Sharp Theater in New York before an audience of some 700 people.

The Mississippi broadcast is sponsored by the Eudora Welty Foundation with support from the Crooks Foundation. According to board chairman Jim Moore, the Welty Foundation is a non-profit organization created to celebrate the legacy of Eudora Welty; enhance appreciation of her work; and encourage reading, writing, and photography by students, scholars, emerging and established professionals, and the public. More information may be obtained at www.eudorawelty.org.

For more information contact:

Sirmon & Associates, 601-854-6631

Woodland owners who planted or naturally regenerated pine or hardwood stands on agricultural or pasture land since January 1, 1990 and in some cases other stands, can now receive extra income from managing and marketing Carbon Dioxide (CO2) sequestered in these forest stands. This is made possible through our association with the AgraGate Carbon Credits Corporation, according to Greg Sirmon, forester with Sirmon and Associates, Pelahatchie, MS.

“Greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation is of increasing economical and environmental importance. The sequestering of CO2 in forest plantations and other woodlands is the primary way in chich the air we breathe is purified. Companies who routinely emit GHGs into the atmosphere are now recognizing that tree farmers are providing filtering systems for the atmosphere and are willing to compensate those who own woodlands,” Sirmon said.

Carbon Credits Sold on Chicago Climate Exchange

“Carbon credits, sometimes called offsets, are marketed through our company, or any member of the Mississippi Carbon Group, with the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX). The CCX was formed in 2003 exclusively for trading carbon credits and operates much like the Chicago Mercantile Exchange,” Sirman explained.

According to scientific studies, pine and hardwood plantations sequester more carbon than most other southern species. For example, some unthinned plantations can sequester 2.3 to 4 metric tons or more per acre per day. At the current price of over $6.00 per metric ton, many landowners are jumping at the opportunity to earn this extra income.

Compatible With Conservation Reserve Program

“This program fits in very well with most tree farm management plans. Silvicultural activities such as thinning, burning, spraying, etc. are compatible with the program. Stands under the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) are great candidates since the program does not conflict with the CRP”, Sirmon added.

Two types of contracts are available, one for plantations that have not been thinned and another for older stands that are under sustainable forest management. Current contracts run through 2022. However contracts signed before the end of 2008 for trees planted between 1990 and 2003 that have not been thinned are retroactive to 2003. This means that those who sign afforestation contracts this year could actually be paid for 19 years. If for any reason the contract is broken by the landowner, these credits must be replaced by using reserve credits or purchase credits.

To participate in the program, landowners may contact Sirmon and Associates at 601-854-6631, email gsirmon@aol.com or contact via cell phone at 601-260-9403 or 601-940-6545. You can also visit our website at www.sirmonandassociates.net.

Other members fo the Mississippi Carbon Group include May and Associates, Brandon; Canale Forest Management, Oxford; Southern Resource Services, Starkville; Longleaf Consultants, Lumberton; and Taylor Forestry, Summit.

For Immediate Release

Celebrate National Cancer Survivors Day® on Sunday, June 1, 2008
Jackson, Miss. – May 19, 2008 -  On Sunday, June 1, hundreds of communities throughout the United States, Canada, and other participating countries will observe the 21st annual National Cancer Survivors Day by hosting celebrations of life. Baptist Cancer Services will honor these survivors on Sunday, June 1 at 2:00 p.m. in the cafeteria of Baptist Medical Center, 1225 North State Street, Jackson, Miss.
This year’s keynote speaker is Kristi Brown, author, Top 40 Under 40 recipient and cancer survivor. Entertainment will be provided by Judy Rhodes Davis, and emceed by WLBT Anchor and Reporter Cheryl Lasseter.
According to the American Cancer Society, this year, it’s estimated 13,400 Mississippians will be diagnosed with cancer. Despite this number, many people are ready to celebrate their victories. Even though some battles with this disease might not be over, cancer victims are living proof that a diagnosis of cancer is no longer a certain death sentence.
“This annual event is filled with joy, camaraderie, hope, compassion, faith, and love,” said Baptist Cancer Services Director of Support Services and Navigator Mary Ann Hood. “Cancer survivors are honored for their strength and courage, and the contributions of their families, friends, and healthcare providers are recognized.”

* Free Parking is available in the Hederman Cancer Center Parking Lot.

For more information or to register call the Baptist Health Line at 601-948-6262 or 1-800-948-6262.

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Entergy Mississippi, Inc.
P.O. Box 1640
Jackson, MS  39215-164

Contact:
Mara M. Hartmann
601-969-2520 (office)
601-594-9042 (cell)
mhartma@entergy.com

Mississippians will have increased opportunities for better education and healthier lifestyles thanks to more than $90,000 in grants awarded to area organizations by the Entergy Charitable Foundation.
Programs supported by Belhaven College, Boys and Girls Club of Central Mississippi, Children’s Defense Fund, Mississippi College, Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service, Parents for Public Schools of Jackson, National Multiple Sclerosis Society of Mississippi and Mississippi State University Foundation were among the winners in the corporation’s first round of grants for 2008.
“Entergy’s aim is to improve the quality of life in the communities we serve,” said Ann Becker, manager of external affairs for Entergy Mississippi, Inc. “We are pleased to partner with organizations that support the goal of Entergy’s grant program.”
Encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit is at the heart of the Thad Cochran Endowment for Entrepreneurship, Mississippi State University Foundation’s grant-winning project. The organization gives scholarships and stipends to university students establishing their own new business ventures and cash awards to outstanding student-run businesses. It also gives monetary rewards and grants to outstanding faculty teaching in the area of entrepreneurship, and new and developing technology-related businesses.
Another grant winner, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society of Mississippi, is promoting a healthy lifestyle while raising funds for programs and services aimed at Mississippians with multiple sclerosis and their families. Toward that end, the society is conducting the 2008 MS 150 Bike Tour, a two-day ride from Clinton to Vicksburg.
“Programs funded through the Entergy Charitable Foundation strengthen school systems, support voluntarism and promote healthier lifestyles,” said Becker. “With help from Entergy, these organizations are making a real difference in Mississippi.”
The Entergy Charitable Foundation is a private, not-for-profit foundation that is wholly funded by Entergy Corporation. The foundation’s purpose is to help low-income families and individuals escape poverty by providing them with tools such as education, job training and placement, literacy, affordable housing and building assets.
The Foundation accepts applications three times per year. For more information and to access an application form from the Entergy Charitable Foundation, look under “Our Community/Corporate and Foundation Giving” on the company Web site at www.entergy.com.
Entergy Mississippi, Inc. provides electricity to more than 433,000 customers in 45 counties. It is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation. Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, and it is the second-largest nuclear generator in the United States. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.6 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.
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Entergy Mississippi’s online address is www.entergy-mississippi.com.

Natural disasters and catastrophic weather conditions, deterioration of the housing market, financial uncertainties … are you now searching for hope and peace of mind in these turbulent times?

Make a Joyful Noise: Searching for a Spiritual Path in a Material World
Chariss K Walker, B. Msc.

(Navarre, FL)— Chariss K Walker’s new book offers light and hope for those holding desperately to a thread of faith in these uncertain and changing times.

Make a Joyful Noise: Searching for a Spiritual Path in a Material World uses liberal scriptural reference to explain Spiritual Laws and how to incorporate them into daily life. Everything works by a system of laws or rules whether it be spiritual, societal, physical, or natural. In the public eye, when we follow the laws or guidelines, we are thought to be responsible. When we follow society’s laws, we experience respect from our peers. In following the Universal Laws or guidelines, we experience growth and prosperity in all areas of our lives, spiritual as well as physical and mental.

You may wonder why you need spiritual, physical or mental growth. Without growth, we become stagnant, we loss hope and we merely exist.

I wrote this book to give hope to a world that is quickly losing faith; faith that life, in its purest form, is filled with love, joy, prosperity, and inner peace when we know and live by Spiritual Laws. When you understand this, you will make your own joyful noise!

Chariss K. Walker, B. Msc., author

Make a Joyful Noise: Searching for a Spiritual Path in a Material Word is …

• A book of hope and inspiration explaining how to understand and practice Spiritual Laws
• The essential toolkit for anyone seeking to understand Universal or Spiritual Laws from a biblical perspective
• A practical guide for anyone seeking a more spiritual experience incorporating Spiritual Laws into daily life
• An inspirational reference to enhance any level of spiritual growth using Spiritual Laws that have always been with us had we only known where to look

Chariss K. Walker, B. Msc., has something more to offer than credentials. Although she has certainly earned her degrees, she has over thirty years of self-help study and reading. Her true qualifications come from what matters most: life experiences, true insight, and helping others. Chariss currently lives in Navarre, FL with her family.

About Make a Joyful Noise: Searching for a Spiritual Path in a Material World
ISBN 0-595-48119-4, published April 2008, $18.95 soft-cover/$28.95 hardcover, published by iUniverse. Available at Amazon.com, AbeBooks.com, BooksaMillion.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Target.com, a myriad of other online bookstores, and at major book stores.

Media Contact: Chariss K Walker — (850) 496-3603 — charissw@aol.com – www.chariss.com

Contact Information:
Bruce C. Alt, Executive Vice President, Mississippi Forestry Association
601.354.4936
balt@msforestry.net

Monday, May 12, Governor Barbour signed the water quality and private lands trespass bill advocated by Mississippi Forestry Association and conservation partners. Due to widespread ATV riding in streams and trespassing without permission from landowners, Mississippi land and aquatic ecosystems have suffered needless damage. “Education of the public, especially young riders, on responsible ATV use is an essential part of addressing this problem. Stream riding is not a legal water sport. Fish habitat in public waterways is a public resource. Sediment and stream bottom disturbance from ATVs and other motorized vehicles in the beds of streams and rivers is harmful to fish reproduction and the insect larvae and small organisms that feed newly hatched fish. The Mississippi Forestry Association and its partners opened a much needed discussion on a change in the law and the effort was a success,” said Andrew Whitehurst, coordinator, Mississippi Scenic Streams Stewardship Program.

House Bill 1357 seeks to:

1. protect private property rights;
2. decrease the widespread practice of trespassing on private lands by all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), especially in Mississippi’s public waterways;
3. prevent the associated destruction of aquatic ecosystems and fisheries habitat; and
4. increase the penalties for trespassing on private lands.

This bill, HB1357, was proposed during the 2008 legislative session by Mississippi Forestry Association (MFA) and forestry community partners in order to protect the aquatic ecosystems and improve the fisheries habitat of the state’s public waterways. To strengthen Mississippi’s public waterways statute, the law was changed to prohibit all types of vehicles, including ATVs, from operating within the bed of our public waterways and trespassing on private land.

However, it is legal to ford streams for recreational, agricultural, forestry, or other lawful purposes.

What is a public waterway? Mississippi Code defines a public waterway as those portions of all natural flowing streams in this state having a mean annual flow of not less than one hundred (100) cubic feet per second, as determined and designated on appropriate maps by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). The law states that citizens shall have the right of free transport in the stream and the right to fish and engage in water sports. By law, citizens are not allowed to disturb the banks or beds of such waterways because the banks and beds are private property. “This is really good news that the governor and legislators recognize the importance of protecting the streams. The problem is that the public is ignorant of the law. Trespassers have caused considerable damage on my land; one time I had to pull a pick-up truck out of my stream with a bulldozer,” said Jim Currie, landowner and vice-president of Harrison/Hancock County Forestry Association. A map of all the state’s public waterways can be viewed on the MDEQ website at http://www.deq.state.ms.us/MDEQ.nsf/page/L&W_pub_waterways?OpenDocument

MFA wishes to gratefully recognize and thank our forestry community partners who joined with us to pass this landmark environmental and private property rights legislation. The Miss. Dept. of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, Miss. Museum of Natural Science, Wildlife Mississippi, Miss. Farm Bureau Federation, Miss. Wildlife Federation, and the Miss. Chapter of the Sierra Club worked together during the 2008 legislative session.

“Without the support and advocacy efforts of our coalition partners, these strategic goals of preserving and protecting water quality, improving fisheries habitat, and providing stiffer penalties for trespassing on private lands would not have been possible,” stated Bruce C. Alt, executive vice president, Mississippi Forestry Association.

MFA was formed in 1938 to guard and grow Mississippi’s forests and that is still the association’s mission today. Celebrating 70 years of service, MFA is the only organization in Mississippi that represents every segment of the forestry community. MFA leads the effort to protect private property and landowner rights, to improve the forest products economy, and educate the community about the environmental benefits of healthy, renewable, and sustainable forests and a vital forest industry. MFA is a private (non government), nonprofit association. To learn more, please visit www.msforestry.net

For Immediate Release
Contact: Jennifer Beasley
601-613-0678
mmdajenn@aol.com
The Mississippi Metropolitan Dance Academy will host their 16th Annual Summer Dance Intensive June 9-20 at their state of the art facility located in Homestead Park in Madison. Dancers ages 8 and up from the metro area as well as neighboring cities and states will participate in daily classes conducted by some of the nation’s finest teachers. Students will participate in classes in ballet, pointe, classical variations, pas de deux, jazz, modern, and pilates.

The 2008 Summer Intensive Guest Faculty includes:

• Sarah Schafer-Dancer, Chicago Lyric Ballet
• Leah Cavier-Teacher, Louisiana Delta Ballet
• Adam Sage-Artistic Director, Virginia School of the Arts
• Jane Wood-Smith-Former Dancer and Teacher, Ballet West

Additional faculty will be announced at a later date. The Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet Resident faculty including Artistic Director, Jennifer Beasley, Assistant Artistic Director, Erik Kegler, and Ballet Mistress, Crystal Skelton will also teach at the workshop.

“We are so honored that our Summer Intensive has grown and begun to attract dancers from other parts of the state and even from out of state. At MMDA we have many students who go away to large summer programs connected with professional companies such as Boston Ballet and Joffrey Ballet in New York. These programs are very expensive when you factor in room and board and not all families can afford to send their children away for summer study. Therefore, we strive to bring the same caliber teachers here to Madison so that the students in our area can have the opportunity to train with the best.” said Jennifer Beasley, Artistic Director of the Mississippi Metropolitan Dance Academy.

The Mississippi Metropolitan Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet Company is a 501C3 non-profit organization that serves the Metro Jackson area as a presenting and performing ballet company. MMB presents the annual Nutcracker performance in Madison as well as a spring performance in Jackson at Thalia Mara Hall. The Mississippi Metropolitan Dance Academy is the official school of the Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet Company.

Both the Mississippi Metropolitan Dance Academy and the Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet have been under the Artistic Direction of Jennifer Beasley for the past ten years.

Candidates for the Summer Intensive are accepted by teacher recommendation. For more information about registration for the Mississippi Metropolitan Dance Academy’s Summer Intensive call 601-853-4508 or visit their website at www.msmetroballet.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Josh Huff, 601-985-4104                              josh.huff@butlersnow.com

Butler Snow has created a Public Policy and Strategy Team to advise clients on public initiatives that affect their interests.  Charlie Williams, a veteran legislator and recent Chief of Staff to Gov. Haley Barbour, will lead the 11-member team.

With years of government experience, the team offers clients special insight on how to manage public policy challenges. Joining Williams are two other former gubernatorial chiefs of staff: Mark Garriga, who served with former Gov. Kirk Fordice and also as a state legislator, and John Henegan, who worked for former Gov. William Winter.

The Public Policy and Strategy Team will help clients navigate the legislative and regulatory maze.  Williams and his team will develop a strategy to meet a client’s public policy goals at the local, state or federal level. With bipartisan contacts, the team can be effective on both sides of the aisle. “We’ll keep clients informed about initiatives that impact them,” Williams said. “We’ll help them take advantage of opportunities, overcome hurdles, and educate decision-makers about their issues.”

Williams, from Senatobia, served in the Mississippi House of Representatives for 24 years, chairing the Ways and Means Committee for eight years. “We’re excited to have someone of Charlie Williams’ caliber leading our team,” said Don Clark, Chair of Butler Snow. “His extensive legislative and executive branch experience will benefit clients.”

In contrast to other public policy groups, representation by Butler Snow’s team can extend beyond the policy and strategy areas to legal representation, if needed.

The team’s knowledge about how government works will benefit businesses and other private-sector clients on issues ranging from economic incentives to compliance to regulations.  The team is also able to advise counties or municipalities on state policy. “Whoever the client, whatever the public policy problem, we can help solve it,” Williams said.

Clark noted that the three former chiefs of staff represent significant eras in Mississippi. Henegan served with Winter during passage of the landmark Education Reform Act in 1982. Garriga served with Fordice, elected in 1992 as the state’s first Republican governor since 1874. Williams was on board during Barbour’s widely praised response to the test of Hurricane Katrina. “They’ve built solid relationships on both sides of the aisle,” Clark said. “They’ve been present when state history was being made.”
The new team will begin as part of the Public Law and Finance practice group. “We’ve always offered public policy advice to clients,” said Tommie Cardin, Practice Group Leader and member of the policy team, who practices in administrative law, election law, environmental law and government relations. “This new team lets us offer our clients enhanced strategic advice in the policymaking arena.”

In addition to Williams, Garriga, Henegan and Cardin, members of the Public Policy and Strategy Team include:

Lucien Bourgeois – served in executive branch, practices in municipal bonds, public finance, economic development incentives.
Michael Caples – a trained engineer whose practice emphasizes environmental law and government relations, has represented public utilities.
Julie Ellis – a former attorney with FedEx who practices in transportation & logistics, aviation, business planning and operations, government relations and administrative law.
Chris Espy – practices in administrative law, constitutional law, governmental litigation, public finance and product liability.
Nick Manley – practices in governmental relations, banking law, business operations and administrative law.
Leslie Scott – a former state Asst. Attorney General and attorney for City of Jackson, practices in administrative law, government relations, election law and civil rights defense.
Jason Yarbro – represents local, regional and national developers in real estate, corporate and securities and commercial lending.

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Butler, Snow, O’Mara, Stevens & Cannada, PLLC, is a full-service law firm with more than 150 attorneys representing regional, national and international clients from offices in Jackson, the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Memphis, and the Greater Philadelphia, PA area. For more information, visit www.butlersnow.com.
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