MPA/MPS Press Releases

For More Information
Contact: Kevin Buckel 228-343-2245
msinsurancebill@cableone.net

A Long Beach resident who lost his home in Katrina, only to be paid $1000 on his homeowner’s insurance claim, will file a Homeowners Insurance Bill of Rights (BOR) for the 3rd time. Sponsored by Rep. Janus and Rep. Peranich, the BOR is modeled after the Texas BOR which gives all homeowners basic understandable rights when buying insurance or filing a claim.

Coast resident Kevin Buckel has asked Commissioner Chaney to support such legislation, but he has refused. Buckel also asked Commissioner Chaney to form a committee to study and research a BOR for homeowners before the 2009 session, but Chaney never replied to his numerous requests.

According the Insurance Information Institute, the average homeowner claim amount paid in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina is $15,422 per claim. Buckel said these claim numbers are undisputed because they were confirmed by the Insurance Services Office (ISO). However, when presented to Commissioner Chaney to confirm, again, there was no reply. These numbers should be a wake up call for every homeowner in this state.

The BOR filed will have 24 homeowners’ rights, and right number 21 will compel MID to report the performance of every insurance company every year on claims filed, denied and paid. The BOR would also require that if an insurance company elects to not provide insurance coverage in any part of the state, it cannot offer the same coverage in any other part of the state. Buckel said Florida has adopted a similar policy.

A stripped down BOR passed the House in 2008, but died in the Senate Insurance Committee when Chairman Clarke failed to give the bill a vote. Buckel said he is trying again but expects the bill to die in the Senate Committee again.

You have a powerful insurance lobby in Mississippi, powerful enough to deny the homeowners in this state a bill that will improve their rights, Buckel says. Makes you wonder who our elected leaders work for!

The BOR can be viewed at www.msbillofrights.com.

The Mississippi Bridal Show & Expo is preparing for the upcoming (11th) Annual Touch of Class Bridal Expo & Show to be held on January 18,2009 from 11AM-4PM, at the Mississippi Trade Mart (Fairgrounds by the Coliseum) 1200 Mississippi Street in Jackson, Mississippi.

We invite you to be a part of this exciting event. Each year the Bridal Show & Expo provides numerous attractions for the “brides-to-be” during the event…. fashion shows, workshops, food sampling, entertainment and give-a-ways; all under one roof!

This promises to be such a great event, that even grandmothers and grandfathers will be glad they came.

The 2008 Bridal Show & Expo attracted consumers not only from Mississippi, but also from various states including Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Tennessee and Alabama for one sensational day of activities. The Show also registered over 400 brides-to-be, with a total attendance of more than 3000 people.

We hope to see you at the 2009 Bridal Show!

MS Bridal Show & Expo
PO Box 6601  Jackson MS 39282
phone: 601.988.1142
fax: 601-988-1143
info@msbridalshowandexpo.com

There is nothing to hard for God, we MUST learn to TRUST him
Linda Long


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FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:  MARTIN MIAZZA AT 1-800-476-1208

Because religion plays such an important part in the lives of so many Mississippians, this year’s edition of The Original Mississippi Christmas Ornament features a cross and two dogwood blossoms.  Each ornament also comes with a copy of the Legend of the connection between the cross and the dogwood tree.
The ornament comes in tarnish-resistant silver-plate inside a free gift box designed especially for it.

“We expect our latest edition of the Mississippi ornament to enjoy the growing popularity of our previous issues,” Miazza said.  The limited edition state ornament is now available for Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Florida where previous editions are still sought by collectors.

Miazza, who has been in business since 1965, also does an annual ornament based on the music of Christmas which he feels makes an ideal gift for those who do not collect the state ornaments.  This year’s edition features a jolly reindeer and was inspired by the song, “Rudolph the Red–Nosed Reindeer.”

You may contact the designer at 1-800-476-1208 or you are invited to visit his store on the Internet at www.martinmiazza.com.

Current issues are $13.95 for either the state or music ornaments.  A limited number of past editions is also available.

For More Information

Contact:  Melanie Toler
(601)853-4461

AMONG THE ANIMALS: MISSISSIPPI
Gives Children a Close-up View of the State’s Natural World

In his first children’s book, renowned wildlife photographer Stephen Kirkpatrick invites young explorers to go on a grand adventure through the forests, fields, swamps, and waterways of Mississippi and discover the sometimes hidden world of the animals that live all around us.
AMONG THE ANIMALS: MISSISSIPPI is geared toward children ages four to eight years old. The 44-page book features 60 vibrant photographs that give young readers an intimate look at mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and insects in their natural habitats.
Young readers will come face-to-face with playful otters, wild hogs, and fearsome barracuda, and share quiet moments with butterflies, rabbits, and turtles. They’ll enter the secret world of insects, swim with tropical fish, and soar above the treetops with songbirds. AMONG THE ANIMALS: MISSISSIPPI features photographs of more than 50 animals native to the state engaging in a range of behaviors, including eating, sleeping, hiding, defending their territories, and caring for their young.
The text for AMONG THE ANIMALS: MISSISSIPPI, was written by Marlo Carter Kirkpatrick, Stephen Kirkpatrick’s wife and an award-winning author. The storyline challenges young readers to leave the everyday world and explore the wilderness.

What will you see when you venture into the field or the swamp?
What will you meet when you climb into the treetops or jump into a lake?
What will you find in the waters off the Mississippi Gulf Coast or in the deepest, darkest forest?
What will you discover when you stand very still and very quiet in your very own backyard?
“We wanted to create a children’s book that inspires fascination and appreciation of nature in a young audience,” says Stephen Kirkpatrick. “So many children today spend their entire childhoods sitting in front of the television set or playing video games. They have no idea of the real wonders that are waiting right in their own backyards. Our goal with AMONG THE ANIMALS: MISSISSIPPI is to inspire children to want to know more about the natural world around them.”
Marlo Kirkpatrick has written several books on Mississippi, including the Kirkpatricks’ award-winning WILDER MISSISSIPPI, IMAGES OF MADISON COUNTY and the guidebook MISSISSIPPI OFF THE BEATEN PATH.
AMONG THE ANIMALS: MISSISSIPPI is available in bookstores throughout the state and at kirkpatrickwildlife.com.
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER
Stephen Kirkpatrick has been chased by grizzly bears, attacked by alligators, and nibbled by piranha.  In the process, he’s captured some of the world’s most beautiful and exciting nature and wildlife photography.
Kirkpatrick has published more than 2,800 photographs in books and magazines worldwide. His coffee table books for adult audiences include IMAGES OF MADISON COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI IMPRESSIONS, ROMANCING THE RAIN, WILDER MISSISSIPPI, TO CATCH THE WIND, IN WILDERNESS SONG, WILD MISSISSIPPI, and FIRST IMPRESSIONS.
Kirkpatrick’s work has captured numerous national and international awards. He and wife, Marlo, reside in Madison, Miss.

PHOTO AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

For more information contact:
Mara M. Hartmann
(601) 969-2520 (office)
(601) 594-9042 (cell)
mhartma@entergy.com

Utility pleased demand withdrawn, but states suit changes nothing
Jackson, Miss. – Entergy Mississippi, Inc. is encouraged that the office of the attorney general withdrew its demand for 30 years’ worth of information from the company today, but stated that a lawsuit filed against the utility instead does nothing to change the company’s stance that the proper forum for resolving the issues raised is through the Mississippi Public Service Commission.
“Entergy Mississippi’s business practices are consistently and thoroughly reviewed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Mississippi Public Service Commission and other governmental regulatory agencies specifically created for their expertise in dealing with complex utility issues,” said Haley Fisackerly, president and chief executive officer of Entergy Mississippi, Inc. “They are the expert and responsible consumer advocates on utility matters, and the attorney general, as an intervenor, can participate in their public proceedings.”
Fisackerly further stated that the attorney general’s actions and allegations are irresponsible and without merit.
“Whatever venue the issue ultimately winds up in—whether it is hearings by the MPSC, FERC or the courts—Entergy Mississippi expects to prevail on behalf of our customers because the facts are on the company’s side.”
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 2.7 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.
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Entergy Mississippi’s online address is www.entergy-mississippi.com.

For more information contact:
Mara M. Hartmann
(601) 969-2520 (office)
(601) 594-9042 (cell)
mhartma@entergy.com

Utility asks commission for formal inquiry, hearing and ruling
Jackson, Miss. – Entergy Mississippi, Inc. has responded to the non-binding resolution issued last week by the Mississippi Public Service Commission in regard to the office of the attorney general’s civil investigation into the utility.
Entergy Mississippi has informed the MPSC that it strongly disagrees with this unprecedented and non-binding resolution; therefore it is requesting a formal docket on the issue.  This will provide an open and public forum in which to discuss the attorney general’s demands.  Additionally, the company has asked the state chancery court to halt proceedings involving the attorney general until the matter can be addressed by the MPSC.
“A formal proceeding by the commission, our legal regulatory agency, is the proper place to address these issues because the commission has the expertise and exclusive statutory responsibility for utility matters,” said Haley Fisackerly, president and chief executive officer of Entergy Mississippi, Inc.  “For 52 years our company’s electric utility business has been thoroughly reviewed by the commission and has always been in compliance with the statutes and regulations they enforce.”
“Entergy Mississippi is open, transparent and thoroughly regulated by a number of entities,” he continued. “We’re disappointed the commission and the attorney general didn’t give us an opportunity to be heard before issuing this unprecedented resolution.”
Fisackerly called the attorney general’s charges irresponsible, without merit, a waste of taxpayer money and harmful to the state’s business reputation.
“Ultimately, we expect to prevail on behalf of our customers, our company and the public interests of the state,” he said.
The attorney general’s unreasonable demands for information involve Entergy Mississippi’s fuel and wholesale power purchasing practices. The extensive amount of information demanded through the courts covers decades, would take about a year to gather and could cost customers millions of dollars. Earlier this year, the MPSC opened two dockets to review fuel issues and much of the information the attorney general seeks can be legally and properly obtained through these proceedings.  However, the attorney general has not filed to participate in either proceeding.
“The attorney general’s office participated in commission proceedings routinely in the 1990s and as recently as this year intervened in a ‘generation needs’ docket at the commission,” said Fisackerly. “We don’t understand why he won’t go through the proper and well-established legal channels on this issue. After all, the state legislature created the MPSC as the expert and responsible consumer advocate on matters involving the utilities industry.”
Fisackerly reiterated that Entergy Mississippi will continue to be an open and transparent
company.
“We will continue to work for what’s in the best interest of our customers, our company, our 1,900 employees and the greater good of Mississippi.”

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.
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Entergy Mississippi’s online address is www.entergy-mississippi.com.