MPA/MPS Press Releases

For Immediate Release For more information
Contact Donna Yowell, Executive Director
Mississippi Urban Forest Council
Phone: 601-672-0755
E-mail: dyowell@aol.com

Community Tree Workshops
Why We Should Care About Trees
Trees clean our air, water, and soil. They also add greatly to our health, sense of well being, quality of life, and our economic future in many ways. As a result, the presence of trees and healthy ecosystems provide a strong foundation for a sustainable urban infrastructure in the future. The very essence of nature provides sound guidance for reaching urban sustainability. To quote Mr. Albert Einstein “look deep into nature and you will understand everything better”.
We all breathe the same air plus use the same water and soil to survive, therefore, it is important to understand the interconnectedness of all things as well as the important role that trees and healthy urban ecosystems play in planning for our future. Education is critical in
stimulating the public conscience which will ultimately drive
environmental causes. We must learn to think globally, plan regionally, and act locally to reach sustainability. We all benefit greatly from a shared regional vision of social, economic, and regional goals for sustainability.
We have a moral obligation to leave the world in a better condition than we found it. Tree planting and care offers an opportunity for each person or entity to mitigate (or offset) their personal environmental “footprint” due to the many benefits they offer. Some of these benefits include: improved air and water quality; reduced energy use, urban temperatures, storm water runoff, and flooding; as well as increased property values and other economic benefits.

The forests and trees in Mississippi are part of what makes our state a great place to experience southern charm, character, history and beauty. Learn how to ensure a “Greener Future” for your community. The Mississippi Urban Forest Council is providing a series of community forestry and tree workshops free to the public.

The four workshops will present a variety of topics including everything anyone managing trees will need to know. You will learn how to protect your home and business with trees, prepare for the next storm, fire prevention, planting methods, lower utility costs, recognize hazard trees, maintain trees, and the right tree in the right place, plus much more. The McComb workshop will feature green laws, landscape and tree codes that work for small or large communities. If you want to learn more about trees to improve your property or if you are working to improve your community, you will want to attend at least one of these workshops.

Those that should attend include city workers, business and home owners, arborists, foresters, landscape professionals, park managers, and others.

The fours works are as listed -
October 22, 2009 - Community Center, Downtown, Natchez MS
October 27, 2009- Greenville Higher Education Center, Hwy 1 South, Greenville, MS
October 30, 2009 - Lee County Library, Tupelo, MS
Novmeber 13, 2009- MS Department of Transportation District VII Auditorium, 1076 MDOT Dr, McComb, MS

Each workshop will begin at 9 AM until 4 PM. These workshops have no registration fee but you must pre-register at the MS Urban Forest Council, (601) 672-0755 or dyowell@aol.com. You may request an agenda for each workshop at dyowell@aol.com.

Participants will receive free seeds, educational material, CDs, and door prizes.

Continuing education hours for landscape architects, foresters, engineers, elected officials, parks and recreation, planners, Urban Forest Masters, arborists and others. Elected officials will receive 2 MML credits plus 100 free trees. Funded by an Urban & Community Forestry Grant from the MS Forestry Commission, in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service and the Southern Group of State Foresters” Co-hosted by local groups.

For more information about community forestry or to “Help Plant More Shade” contact the Mississippi Urban Forest Council at www.msurbanforest.com or Donna Yowell at (601) 672-0755 or dyowell@aol.com.
McComb, MS Workshop
Tree Policy, Ordinance and Inventory Seminar
The most effective way to ensure a safe & sound community forest is through the development of public policies known as green laws, carefully prepared tree inventories and urban forest plans that will allow a community to protect, preserve or replant tree resources. This seminar presents some of the basic tools that are needed to develop an urban forestry program for cities big and small. Topics will cover ordinances that work, ordinances for smaller communities, cost effective ordinances, how to develop greener/better, codes and policy enforcement, and canopy benefits to the community and its citizens.

What: Premier Seminar by Prof. Buck Abbey, of Louisiana State University a noted expert on local tree and landscape ordinances, policies and inventories. We invite nurserymen, arborist and others to exhibit at $50.00.
Where: MS Department of Transportation District VII Auditorium, 1076 MDOT Dr, McComb, MS
When: Friday, November 13, 2009 9 AM – 4 PM - Free Seminar (Exhibitors are welcome - $50)
Who Should Attend: Anyone wanting to learn about city laws & trees- elected officials, city planners, urban foresters, city arborists, landscape architects, anyone managing trees, home owners, business owners, developers, engineers, Urban Forest Masters, city tree workers and nurserymen. Cities get 2 Credits from Ms Municipal & 100 Free Trees)
Pre-register by November 6, 2009: Contact Donna Yowell (MUFC) at (601) 672-0755 or dyowell@aol.com or
Keep Pike County Beautiful (601) 601-249-4694 (leave message) or kpcb@bellsouth.net
Time Topic Instructor
9: 00 AM Welcome, Introductions Donna Yowell
9:15 AM Planting Trees for Maximum Benefits Donna Yowell, MS Urban Forest Council
10:00 AM Green Laws - Public Policy & Trees Buck Abbey, LSU
Noon Lunch on Your Own – Discover McComb’s Restaurants & Merchants
1:00 PM Writing Green Laws for Communities Big and Small Buck Abbey, LSU
3:00 PM Inventories… What, Why, How Rick Olson, MFC

Tupelo, MS workshop

Where: Lee County Library, 219 North Madison Street, Tupelo, MS
When: Friday October 30, 2009 9 AM - 4 PM - Free Workshop for participants, Exhibitors $50
Who Should Attend: Anyone wanting to learn about trees; home owners, business owners, developers, Urban Forest Masters, arborists, city workers, nurserymen, city leaders, and others managing land and trees.
Pre-register by October 16, 2009: Contact Donna Yowell (MUFC) at (601) 672-0755 or dyowell@aol.com or
Sherrie Cochran (City of Tupelo) at (662) 841-6510 or scochran@ci.tupelo.ms.us

Time Topic Instructor
9: 00 AM Welcome, Introductions Donna Yowell, MUFC
9:15 AM Tree Maintenance and Planting Boyd Yarbrough, PAAM
10:00 AM Planting Trees for Maximum Benefits Donna Yowell, MS Urban Forest Council
10:45 AM Right Tree, Right Place George Byrd, MFC
Noon Lunch on Your Own – Visit Tupelo Restaurants & Merchants
1:30 PM Hazard Trees- Repair or Replace Stephen Dicke, MS State Extension Service
2:30 PM When a Storm Strikes- Preparedness and Stephen Dicke, MS State Extension Service
Caring for Trees After A Storm

Natchez, Ms workshop
Where: Natchez Community Center , Downtown Natchez
When: Thursday October 22, 2009 9 AM - 4 PM - Free Workshop (Cities get 2 Credits from MML & 100 Free Trees)
Who Should Attend: Anyone wanting to learn about trees; home owners, business owners, citizens, developers, Urban Forest Masters, arborists, city workers, nurserymen, city leaders, and others managing trees. (Exhibitors- $50)
Pre-register by October 16, 2009: Contact Donna Yowell (MUFC) at (601) 672-0755 or dyowell@aol.com or
Beth Dudley (Natchez Master Gardeners) at (601) 304-1623 or bethdudley@bellsouth.net
Time Topic Instructor
9: 00 AM Welcome, Introductions Charlie Morgan & Donna Yowell
9:15 AM Trees Selection for Streets, Parking Lots, Steve Dicke, MS State Extension
Median and Shopping Centers
10:00 AM Planting Trees for Maximum Benefits Donna Yowell, MS Urban Forest Council
10:45 AM Tree Maintenance and Planting Steve Dicke, MS State Extension
Noon Lunch on Your Own – Visit Natchez Restaurants & Merchants
1:30 PM When a Storm Strikes- Preparedness and
Caring for Trees After A Storm Rick Olson, MFC
2:30 PM Firewise Leslie Blackwell, MFC

Greenville, MS Workshop

Where: Greenville Higher Education Center, Hwy 1 South, Greenville, Ms
When: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 9 AM - 4 PM - Free Workshop (Cities get 2 MML Credits & 100 Free Trees)
Who Should Attend: Anyone wanting to learn about trees; home owners, business owners, citizens, developers, Urban Forest Masters, arborists, city workers, nurserymen, city leaders, and others managing trees. (Exhibitors - $50)
Pre-register by October 16, 2009: Contact Donna Yowell (MUFC) at (601) 672-0755 or dyowell@aol.com or
Betty Lynn Cameron( Main Street) at (662) 378-3121 or blc@mainstreetgreenville.com

Time Topic Instructor
9: 00 AM Welcome, Introductions Donna Yowell
9:15 AM Trees for Homeowners and City Development Billy Fountain, Fountains Green GROWcery
9:45 AM Planting Trees for Maximum Benefits Donna Yowell, MS Urban Forest Council
10:30 AM Urban Tree Pathology- Hazard Trees Ted Leininger, Research Plant Patholigist, USDA Forest Service
Noon Lunch on Your Own – Visit Greenville Restaurants & Merchants
1:00 Bloom Town Jeannie Waller, MS Main Street
1:30 PM Tree Maintenance and Planting George Byrd, MS Forestry Commission
When a Storm Strikes- Preparedness and George Byrd, MFC
Caring for Trees After A Storm
3:00 PM Firewise Leslie Blackwell, MS Forestry Commission

September 15, 2009

Contact:
Louie Miller, Sierra Club Senior Regional Representative, Mississippi, 601-624-3503

Mississippi Power’s Kemper County Coal Plant – Unnecessary, Expensive and Dirty

Many Mississippians have asked why the Sierra Club, the nation’s oldest conservation organization, has become so involved in opposing Mississippi Power Company’s (MPCO) proposal to build a $2.4 billion dollar IGCC coal plant and adjoining mine in Kemper County. After all, MPCO alleges that it would bring our state much needed power from a clean fuel source at an affordable price.

MPCO’s claim is built on four myths, myths that have little or no basis in fact.. The truth is that the Kemper coal plant is unnecessary, is astronomically expensive, and there are alternatives that pose far less risk to Mississippi’s people and natural resources.

Let’s start with Myth Number 1: MPCO argues that South Mississippi will run out of electricity if this plant is not built. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. Mississippi currently has power plants that can supply almost three times the amount of power the entire state requires at peak times.

Specifically, Mississippi has twelve natural gas-fired power plants already built which sit idle 85% of the time but can provide up to 7993 megawatts of power (Source: Mississippi Public Service Commission website/electric service>merchant generation plants). MPCO’s proposal would produce only 585 megawatts of power. Therefore, just one of the twelve existing natural gas plants could easily meet and exceed the state’s future electricity demands and needs that MPCO has identified.

The fact that these twelve plants were built with private investor dollars is also noteworthy since MPCO’s proposal requires consumers to foot the bill for this $2.4 billion plant, even if they never use the electricity.

MPCO also assumes that the only way to reasonably meet demand for electricity is to build new power plants. Yet the company has never fully utilized readily available ways to reduce demand through conservation. One simple way to accomplish this is by “weatherizing” or retrofitting new and existing homes and buildings with energy efficient doors, windows, insulation, appliances and heating and cooling units.

Weatherization programs help grow our economy because they create manufacturing jobs to produce energy efficient goods and new jobs for installing these products. In fact energy conservation could produce far more jobs than would be created by the Kemper coal plant. A recent study by American Council for a Energy Efficient Economy concluded that energy conservation initiatives could create 569,000 new jobs nationwide by 2020, with 5,100 jobs right here in Mississippi.

Serious conservation efforts could actually eliminate the need to build new power plants. In fact it could save over four times what Kemper could generate. A recent study by Georgia Tech concluded that energy savings for Mississippi could equal the amount of energy consumed by 343,000 households!

Saving energy also means less pollution. While the Kemper coal plant will be cleaner than the coal plants of the past – at least on paper – not using dirty fossil fuel energy in the first place is the cleanest alternative.

Just as important for consumers, saving power can create a permanent savings on electric bills, and less money on electric bills means more money for other things a family needs, like education and health care.

Myth Number 2 is that this proposal will not raise the bills of MPCO’s customers. The price tag for the Kemper coal plant is $2.4 billion — and rising. This represents by far the largest capital expenditure ever put into an electric utility’s customer rate base in the history of our state.

The Mississippi Public Service Commission’s (MPSC) own expert has concluded: “The Kemper IGCC facility is an expensive new facility and, if its costs were allowed to be put into rates, then Mississippi Power’s rates would increase substantially as compared to rates of today”. The expert goes so far as to say that the “rate increase caused by the IGCC plant itself could actually reduce peak demand and energy use and, thereby, obviate the need for some or all of the plant”. (Source: Testimony 2009 UA-14 Craig Roach redacted p. 35).

Myth Number 3 is that, despite its $2.4 billion plus price tag, the Kemper coal plant is supposed to save money for customers. MPCO will not even make public the basic facts supporting their claim. If this plant is better for customers than using existing power plants and energy conservation measures, MPCO should be transparent in supporting their claims so they can be independently verified.

The old adage “Actions peak louder than words” also applies, since MPCO spent hundreds of thousands of dollars lobbying the state legislature to change the law to allow the up-front risk of financing this plant to be shifted from its stockholders to its customers, even if the plant is never put into service. If this plant is such a great financial deal, MPCO and its shareholders should be willing to accept the risk of building it.

Myth Number 4 is that the Kemper coal plant is “clean coal”. MPCO’s proposal involves digging up forty-five square miles of Kemper County for strip mining, which would displace hundreds of residents while destroying valuable streams and wetlands. Five hundred acres will be used as a dump for toxic coal ash from the plant. The plant itself will be classified as a major source of air pollution under the federal Clean Air Act.

MPCO proposes to capture and sell 65% of the carbon dioxide emissions from the plant, which is far better than existing coal plants. What the public isn’t being told, however, is that the company does not yet have anyone to buy this carbon dioxide, and that until a buyer is secured, MPCO will not commit to this reduction in the air permit. That means if the market for carbon dioxide doesn’t materialize, consumers will likely bear the cost of disposing of it, making the proposal an even more expensive venture for the public.

Why not use conservation and existing natural gas fired plants, which will get more environmental bang for the buck with less risk to ratepayers?

Finally, the Kemper coal plant will also emit as much as sixty-three pounds of mercury per year, even after pollution control technology is used. Over time that’s enough toxic mercury to contaminate thousands of waterbodies and million of pounds of fish. When whole river systems in Mississippi are already so contaminated with mercury that the fish pose a danger to pregnant women, why allow more contamination when there are better alternatives?

The citizens of Mississippi should reject this dirty, expensive and unnecessary coal plant proposal. On October 5th the Mississippi Public Service Commissioners will begin hearings to decide the fate of this proposal. Please contact the Commissioners and tell them “Thanks but no thanks,” we can do better.

MILLSAPS COLLEGE TO HOST ARCHAEOLOGY EXPO

JACKSON, Miss.— The second annual Mississippi Archaeology Expo: A Hands-on Family Fair will be held on Saturday, Oct. 17 at Millsaps College from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The fair, which celebrates Archaeology Month, includes a variety of free, family activities including pottery design and making, basket weaving, spear throwing, bracelet making, and flintknapping. In addition, archaeologists from around the state will be available to help identify any artifacts brought to the fair.

“Archaeology plays a vital role in Mississippi’s unique heritage,” said Millsaps College archaeology professor Michael Galaty. “We encourage parents to come bring their kids for a day-long event that’s fun and educational. The goal is to show kids, and their parents, that there is so much more to archaeology than what you see in Indiana Jones movies.”

Special guests are The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians will demonstrate the tribal game of stickball, bead making, drum making and basket weaving. Also, Bryan Haley, a Mississippi archaeologist who was on the PBS Time Team America television series, will be on hand along with twenty other professional archaeologists.

The Archaeology Expo is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sat., Oct. 17 in the Bowl at Millsaps College. Parking is available at the Riverside Drive entrance to campus. In case of rain, the fair will be held in the Boyd Campbell College Center (Leggett Center) on the Millsaps campus.

Major sponsors of the event are the Mississippi Archaeology Association, the Mississippi Humanities Council, the Mississippi Arts Commission and Millsaps College. Mississippi Archaeology Expo: A Hands-on Family Fair is held each year to portray the vital role archaeology plays in uncovering and celebrating Mississippi’s unique cultural heritage. Additional sponsors include the Mississippi Department of Archives & History, Mississippi Department of Transportation, Mississippi Association of Professional Archaeologists, Cobb Institute of Archaeology, Brockington Cultural Resources Consuulting, and Earth Search, Inc.

For more information, contact Cliff Jenkins, Expo Project Chair, at 601-965-4139 ext. 115.

Mississippi Heritage Trust
600 East Amite Street, #201
Jackson, MS 39202
(601) 354-0200
www.mississippiheritage.com
Mississippi Heritage Trust to unveil its 2009 list
of ‘10 Most Endangered Historic Places’

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – September 4, 2009  – Mississippi Heritage Trust works across the state to preserve the historic places that anchor our neighborhoods and communities, protecting the irreplaceable in Mississippi.
At a special event next week, MHT will reveal its ‘10 Most Endangered Historic Places’ list for 2009, shining a spotlight on historic places that are in danger of disappearing forever.  These imperiled places — threatened by neglect, exposure to the elements, and the wrecking ball – will hopefully be saved because of MHT’s efforts.
The event will take place Thursday, Sept. 10, from 7-10 p.m. at the Union Train Station in downtown Jackson. Tickets, which are $50 per person in advance and $60 per person at the door, are on sale now at www.mississippiheritage.com or by calling (601) 354-0200.
Unveiling the ‘10 Most’ places at the event will be master of ceremonies Walt Grayson of WLBT-TV. The endangered locations, which have been chosen by a jury based on submissions from around the state, will remain a secret until the event.
The event will feature food by Mint Julep Catering, drinks, and live music by Howard Jones. As a bonus, those attending the event will be treated to exclusive “hard-hat” tours of the King Edward project before it opens to the public.
“You just can’t measure the awareness and support this event generates among Mississippians,” said Carla Wall, MHT Board President. “We’ve seen it happen over and over that people hear about an endangered historic place and it motivates them to donate and support restoration efforts.”
Art lovers will enjoy the evening because it will feature a silent auction of art pieces representing the ‘10 Most’ sites for 2009. Artists from around the state have been matched up with one of the sites and asked to produce a work of art inspired by the location. A variety of media will be used by the artists, including photography, stained glass, oil on canvas, watercolor and more. To add to the fun, art depicting Jackson’s King Edward Hotel will also be part of the silent auction. The King Edward - which has been vacant since 1967 and was on MHT’s ‘10 Most’ list in 1999 -  will reopen this fall, renovated for use as a hotel and apartment space.

“We’ve assembled a diverse group of artists who are known for their originality and local flavor,” said watercolor artist Wyatt Waters of Clinton, the event’s artist chairman, who will have one of his own watercolors at the auction. “We’re excited to have pieces in the auction by Hope Carr, Tony Davenport, Kathryn Davis, Tony DiFatta, Bill Dunlap, Susan Ford, Rolland Golden, Josh Hailey, Birney Imes/Elayne Goodman, Curtis Jaunsen, Briar Jones, Ron Lindsey, Stephen Little, Frank McGuigan, Jane Mullins, Lucky Osborne, H.C. Porter, Chase Quarterman, Jane Robbins Kerr, Felandus Thames and Glenray Tutor.”
The 10 Most list was established in 1999 as a way to raise awareness about the most threatened historic places in the state.  Over the years, more than 60 sites have been named to the MHT’s ’10 Most’ lists. Of that number, 12 places have been saved, 35 are in progress of being saved, no progress is occurring on 10, and 3 have been lost. MHT has played a major role in saving such high-profile Mississippi locations as:
•    The Irving Hotel in Greenwood, which appeared on the ‘10 Most’ list in 2000, and after restoration, reopened in 2003 as boutique hotel The Alluvian.
•    The 1916-era Cutrer Mansion in Clarksdale, known for its connection to playwright Tennessee Williams. The mansion appeared on the ’10 Most’ list in 1999, and after restoration, reopened in 2004 as part of the Coahoma County Higher Education Center.
•    The Walter Anderson Cottage in Ocean Springs, which appeared on the ’10 Most’ list in 2007 along with other buildings severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The house, which was pushed off its foundation by the storm, was stabilized and completely renovated in 2009.

Complete details about each location named to the past ’10 Most’ lists can be found at MHT’s web site, www.mississippiheritage.com. Details about the sites named to the 2009 list will be added to the web site following the Unveiling Event. Tickets to the event may also be purchased online, or by calling (601) 354-0200.
The Mississippi Heritage Trust is one of the leaders in the statewide preservation movement along with the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and the Mississippi Main Street Association. Because preservation takes time and ultimately preservation happens locally, MHT helps provide the continuity for, credibility to, and awareness of local preservation efforts.

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Photo available upon request

CUTLINE: Jackson’s landmark King Edward Hotel serves as backdrop and inspiration for Ron Lindsey’s art piece, which will be part of the silent auction at the Mississippi Heritage Trust’s ‘10 Most Endangered Historic Places’ unveiling event on Thursday, Sept. 10. Besides the work by Lindsey, work by 22 other artists from around the state will also be featured. Some artists have produced pieces inspired by the King Edward and others have used the ‘10 Most’ 2009 sites as inspiration.

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

News
Release

Entergy Mississippi Invests $300,000 in Mississippi Building Blocks
Grant will help fund early childhood education project statewide

Jackson, Miss. – It’s a basic rule of economics: Wise investments made early in the game can pay off in the future with big dividends.
Entergy Mississippi, Inc. is applying the same philosophy to Mississippi’s future. Today, the company announced a $300,000 grant to Mississippi Building Blocks. The early childhood education program aims to improve the quality of pre-kindergarten and build a stronger future work force. Today’s $100,000 gift is the first of three installments to be invested in the program over three years.
“Supporting Mississippi Building Blocks is an investment that will pay off in long-term benefits for our state,” said Haley Fisackerly, president and chief executive officer of Entergy Mississippi, Inc. “More and better early childhood education directly affects the success of our children, our communities and our economy. This initiative is critical in Mississippi, where there is no statewide pre-K program.”
Mississippi Building Blocks is a three-year pilot program that will serve some 50 child care centers and 150 early education classrooms throughout the state. Over the life of the pilot, $10.5 million of funding is required, all to be contributed by the private sector.
“Thoreau wrote that a corporation can have a conscience only if it is run by conscientious leaders,” said Blake Wilson, president of the Mississippi Economic Council. “The fact that this new initiative is funded by the conscience of the corporate community sends a clear signal about how important early childhood education is to Mississippi’s future.
“Entergy Mississippi has also sent a positive signal to its customers and employees that it cares about making a difference in our children’s lives.”
The idea for Mississippi Building Blocks took shape when Momentum Mississippi and Leadership Mississippi, both part of MEC, partnered to bring business and education leaders together on the issue of early childhood education. They launched the program in December 2008.
“Mississippi Building Blocks is committed to improving school readiness and work force development,” said Dr. Laurie Smith, executive director of Mississippi Building Blocks. “Entergy Mississippi’s generous donation will help us meet this commitment by enabling us to purchase needed classroom materials and promote teacher training within participating child care centers.
“Good corporate citizens like Entergy Mississippi are vital to the successful fulfillment of Mississippi Building Blocks’ mission, and I am grateful for their support.”
Mississippi Building Blocks’ goals are to:
increase the number of centers that participate in the Mississippi Child Care Quality Step System program,
improve teaching and learning in licensed centers,
strengthen parenting skills, and
improve school readiness factors for young children. 
Program organizers will provide incentives to child care centers for participating. These include on-site mentors, classroom materials and scholarships to help pre-school teachers obtain Child Development Associate certification and associate degrees in child development technology.
Business consultants will provide financial management assistance, and parent advocates will educate parents about appropriate developmental stages for their children and help them become more engaged in their early education.
“We’re very excited that Entergy Mississippi has made it a priority to help boys and girls in our state get a great start in life,” said Dr. John Jordan, interim state superintendent of education. “Teachers and school leaders work hard to prepare students for their future endeavors, but they can’t do it alone. Mississippi Building Blocks is a wonderful example of how Entergy Mississippi and other business leaders are supporting our children and helping prepare them to enter the work force. This grant is a great investment in Mississippi’s future that will pay dividends in a stronger economy and better quality of life for all.”
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.

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

(Formerly King Biscuit Blues Festival)
P.O. Box 118
Helena-West Helena, AR 72342

A SONNY BOY BLUES SOCIETY PRODUCTION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ARKANSAS BLUES AND HERITAGE FESTIVAL OFFERS REDUCED ADMISSION
FEES FOR OCTOBER EVENT IN HELENA, ARK.
Organizers credit local contributions and new leadership for bargain rates

HELENA-WEST HELENA, Ark. (Sept. 2, 2009) – Admission rates for this year’s Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival – to be held Oct. 8-10 in Helena, Ark. – have been reduced by half. Admission is now $5 per day and $10 for a three-day pass. Previously publicized admission fees were $10 per day and $25 for a three-day pass.

Advance tickets for the 2009 festival are now available online and can be purchased by visiting
www.bluesandheritagefest.com. Beginning Sept. 8, all participating Food Giant stores in Helena-West Helena, Marianna, Harrisburg, Forrest City and Little Rock, as well as Tobacco Warehouse stores in Augusta and McCrory, will sell advance tickets.

Festival-goers who purchase pre-sale tickets from the stores will be entered into a raffle for a 2009 Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival poster signed by this year’s performers.

“Based on our research of other festivals that have gone from free to paid events, we are now
able to offer passes at a reduced rate of $5 a day pass or $10 for a three day pass,” said Munnie Jordan, executive director of the Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival. “Offering passes at this price will allow us to not only bring in blues fans from around the globe, but also help the festival reach out to our local residents as we transition from a free to paid event.”

The admission fee announcement comes on the heels of weeks of planning and reorganization
taking place within the festival. Jordan and Associate Director Daniel Sims were recruited earlier this year by the Sonny Boy Blues Society, owners and producers of the festival, to assist with the event’s reorganization and fundraising. Jordan, a lifelong resident of Helena, previously served as director of the King Biscuit Blues Festival from 1992-1997 when the festival was owned and produced by Main Street Helena.

“I watched the festival grow from a Main Street Helena creative idea into one of the largest blues festivals in the country. I have a passion for this festival and our community,” Jordan said. “It has given our community and Arkansas worldwide positive publicity and has allowed us to brand our region as the home of the blues and capitalize on our heritage.”

Sims, also a Helena native, returned home in March to conduct community development work
and approached the festival about ways he could contribute.

“I definitely didn’t know that things would turn out the way that they did, but I am glad that I can be a part of this experience,” Sims said. “Coming back home and working with Munnie has been a phenomenal experience.”

For more information on the festival and how to get involved, please contact Sims at (870) 338-6583 or visit www.bluesandheritagefest.com.

About Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival
The Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival, formerly known as the King Biscuit Blues Festival, is one of the nation’s foremost showcases of blues music. Held for three days annually in October, tens of thousands of blues enthusiasts converge on historic downtown Helena, Ark., to hear stirring and uplifting performances of an American art form on the banks of the Mississippi River. Founded in 1986, the first festival was a one-day event with a small gathering of local residents and a flatbed truck as a stage. Since then, the festival has grown to a three-day event with three stages and several activities, such as the Kenneth Freemyer 5K Run, the Blues in Schools program, and the ABHF BBQ Cook-off. The 2009 event marks the festival’s 24th anniversary. Festival officials expect 65,000 to attend.
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