MPA/MPS Press Releases

Contact:
Mara Hartmann
(601) 969-2520
mhartma@entergy.com

Entergy Mississippi Inc. Announces $500 Million Investment in Transmission System
Projects represent major investments in customer reliability

Jackson, Miss.–Entergy Mississippi, Inc. today announced its investment of approximately $500 million in upgrading and bolstering transmission facilities within the state between 2006 and 2013.
These projects represent the completion, initiation and planning of major phases in Entergy Mississippi’s comprehensive plan to upgrade, improve and strengthen its transmission system.
From 2006 through 2008, Entergy Mississippi completed and put into service new substations, upgraded substation equipment and upgraded transmission lines representing nearly $90 million in investments. In 2009, that number was more than $38 million.
During the years from 2010 through 2013 the company expects to invest an additional $376 million-plus in further upgrades and expansions. While the number of jobs created is not yet known, these investments represent a positive impact on Mississippi’s economy through dollars spent on both contractors and materials necessary to complete these projects.
“We’re exited about these improvements for many reasons. It shows our commitment to the state and to bringing low-cost, reliable power to our customers,” said Haley Fisackerly, president and chief executive officer of Entergy Mississippi, Inc. “We spent significant time and effort analyzing and designing the most cost-efficient solutions that provide the greatest benefits to our customers, while at the same time helping improve reliability and meeting the power demands the future will surely bring.”
The investments will contribute to customer reliability by providing redundant routes of electrical service so that if there is a transmission line fault, the number of customers affected will be greatly reduced. Additionally, many of these projects provide stronger power ties to alternative sources. By having more sources, new ways to move power and flexibility in the system to adapt to changing conditions, system operators have more ways to provide service under widely varying load conditions.
“These improvements and upgrades are based on carefully conducted planning studies that analyze and anticipate electricity demand,” said Fisackerly.
“These are good examples of wisely planning for the future.”
“These improvements illustrate our commitment to strengthen and expand our transmission system here in Mississippi to meet the new demands of an evolving national energy policy,” Fisackerly added.
Throughout the planning, design and construction phases, Entergy teams worked closely with local and state government officials, permitting agencies, regulatory bodies and communities where these projects were built.
While the company’s transmission engineering and construction group spearheaded these projects, multiple departments within the company worked together to bring these projects to reality. Regulatory, customer service, distribution and economic development employees, among others, all played important roles in getting these projects designed, planned, approved and built.
Projects include new substations, equipment upgrades at existing substations, upgrading transmission lines, new transformers, voltage regulators and other items that will bolster and strengthen the company’s transmission system. Projects are located throughout the Entergy Mississippi service territory. (For a complete listing, see the Entergy Mississippi, Inc. Transmission Projects Facts document.)
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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The Entergy Mississippi, Inc. online address is entergy-mississippi.com

CUTLINES:
RayBraswell 3: Entergy Mississippi will invest $45 million in a project at the Ray Braswell substation in Clinton, Miss. that will improve reliability for customers from Jackson to Brookhaven. Gene Hodges and Ronald McMorris (in truck), both operations coordinators with Entergy Mississippi, Inc., discuss a work project while in front of the transformer at the substation.

Twinkletown 3: Steve Clark and Ronald McMorris, both operations coordinators with Entergy Mississippi, Inc. perform work on the Twinkletown substation in DeSoto County. The $6.3-million reliability improvement project went into service in the summer of 2006.

Entergy Mississippi, Inc. Transmission Projects Facts
Nov. 24, 2009

Entergy Mississippi, Inc. today announced that it has completed, has in construction or in planning transmission system expansions and improvements that represent an investment of approximately $500 million in upgrades, improvements and new construction over eight years.

This nearly half billion dollar investment is over the years 2006 through 2013.

Below is a list of major upgrades and expansions Entergy Mississippi has made or is planning to make over that time period.

The company has also made or plans to make numerous smaller value upgrades and improvements that collectively represent investment of several hundred million dollars.

2006 — 2008

Twinkletown substation: This substation in DeSoto County added more distribution capacity. It went into service in the summer of 2006 and enhances reliability during summer peak demand. This substation is on the company’s 230 kV transmission line that runs between its Freeport and Robinsonville substations. The project included construction of a 230 kV line, three Entergy feeders and one feeder serving the Coahoma Electric Power Association.
This project represents an investment of more than $6.3 million.

Bozeman Road substation: This facility went into service in 2007 and represents an investment $14 million. This substation provides an additional distribution source in the area west of Madison to accommodate residential load growth.

McComb capacitor bank: This equipment upgrade also went into service in 2007 and represents a $750,000 investment. It provides voltage support and reactive power management in the McComb area.

Plum Point third transformer: Adding this transformer provides additional distribution capacity in Desoto County. This project represents an investment of more than $2 million.

Grants Ferry add second transformer: Provides additional distribution capacity along Lakeland Drive towards Brandon in Rankin County. This represents approximately $1.2 million invested.

Getwell substation - second transformer: Provides additional distribution capacity in Desoto County near Hernando. Investment of $5.3 million.

Natchez D-VAR units: Two dynamic VAR units regulate and stabilize voltage levels by injecting dynamic reactive power into the power grid at precise locations where voltage problems can occur. These two units automatically control local transmission voltage during contingencies and restore voltage to an acceptable level.
Entergy Mississippi chose this technology because it was field proven at locations in Entergy’s Louisiana and Texas operating companies.
These units went into service in 2008 and represent a $10 million investment in improved reliability.

Liberty – Gillsburg 115 kV transmission line: This upgraded transmission line, completed in 2008, represents an investment of $7 million. It improves transmission flow between Entergy Mississippi and Entergy’s Louisiana operating company and illustrates the systemic nature of the 15,500 mile transmission system which is interconnected across four states.
2009 – 2011

Liberty – Gloster 115 kV transmission line: This upgraded transmission line went into service recently in May. This project, an investment of more than $4 million, is associated with the equipment upgrades at the Natchez substation.

Indianola – Greenwood 115 kV transmission line: This transmission reliability improvement project is scheduled to be in service next year. Investment in this project should be approximately $250, 000.

Sunnybrook substation and radial 115kv transmission line: This $28 million project, slated to go into service in 2011, will provide additional distribution capacity to serve commercial and residential growth in the Ridgeland area.

2012 – 2013

Granada/Winona/Greenwood improvement project: Five 115 kV lines serve the Greenwood, Winona and Grenada area in north central Mississippi. Under several single contingency scenarios, including loss of the 230/115kV auto transformer at Tillatoba and/or the loss of the Tillatoba to Grenada 115kV line, various substations in this area would have low voltages. This project will address those potential voltage losses. The investment in this reliability improvement is expected to be about $44 million. The scheduled in service date is 2012.

Church Road substation and 11.3 mile 230 kV transmission line: Building this new substation and transmission line will provide additional distribution capacity to support residential and commercial load growth south of Horn Lake. The project is scheduled to go into service in 2012 and is projected to require an investment of approximately $ 33.8 million.

Ray Braswell – Wyndale 115 kV transmission line: This project will improve the reliability of the 115kV line from South Jackson to Brookhaven by adding a new power source south of Byram. It will also provide additional distribution capacity to support residential, commercial, and industrial load growth between Jackson and Brookhaven.
The investment value of this project is expected to be about $45 million.

MPB Announces Premier of In-House Documentary
World War II Documentary to Air on December 7

(JACKSON, Miss)— Mississippi Public Broadcasting’s (MPB) newest documentary, “Home Front to Battlefront: Mississippi During WWII,” will premier on December 7 at 7:00 p.m.

The piece highlights the ways Mississippians contributed to World War II, whether they went to fight overseas or supported the war efforts from home. 

“I am glad MPB has an opportunity to honor the men and women who sacrificed to support our nation during World War II and highlight the role that Mississippi played in the war efforts,” said Judy Lewis, Executive Director of MPB. “Our state’s contribution to the war effort is a shining example of how far Mississippians will go to support our country.”

Mississippi sent thousands of soldiers to battle during World War II, but many who did not go off to fight worked in new factories created to support the war effort. Military installations, munitions plants, and even Prisoner of War camps were built in Mississippi to help sustain the growth of the military, supply the armed forces, and house war prisoners. Construction, operation, and maintenance of these facilities created thousands of jobs. 

Producers spent two years compiling the data for the documentary, interviewing dozens of Mississippi veterans, historians, and civilians. 

Producer, Katie Savage said, “For me this project has been a labor of love and a dream come true.  It was a privilege to interview people who participated in what I think is one of the greatest times in our world’s and country’s history.  I’ve always had a fascination about WWII and how ordinary people did such extraordinary things.  I’m eternally grateful for what these people did for us during the war and am thankful that they shared their stories with us.”

As a companion piece to the documentary, MPB has also launched a new website dedicated to Mississippi’s history during the World War II era. The site provides a more in-depth look at the contributions and experiences of Mississippians who lived during that time period. Visit www.mpbonline.org/homefrontbattlefront to explore the site and learn about Mississippi during World War II. 

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Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB) provides relevant instructional and public programming to Mississippians through its statewide television and radio network. MPB enhances the work of educators, students, parents and learners of all ages through quality programs, resources and services that educate, entertain and enlighten. Children’s programs constitute a major portion of the daytime and weekend morning schedules. Since 1970, MPB has won over 350 national and regional awards, including Emmys and Parents’ Choice Awards, for its productions.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, November 18, 2009       

For more information or photos, Contact: Linda Buford-Burks, Director of Communications,

(601) 924-2001; lburks@msbaonline.org

 

CLINTON, MS – South Panola School District board president Lygunnah Bean has been elected new president of the Mississippi School Boards Association. Bean, employed as the Panola County road manager, was elected Tuesday, November 17 by the Delegates Assembly –– a body of school board member representatives from across the state. They convened for the annual business session during the Mississippi School Boards Association’s Fall Leadership Conference in Jackson.

The Delegates Assembly also elected Dr. Norris Edney, Natchez-Adams School District board president, as MSBA vice president and Marian Barksdale, a member of the Oxford School District Board of Trustees, as secretary-treasurer. Jackson County School District board president Kenneth Fountain will remain on the MSBA Board of Directors as immediate past president. 

      At the Delegates Assembly, school board members also elected local school board members to serve on the statewide MSBA Board of Directors for two-year terms: (Congressional District 1) David Duncan, South Tippah School District; Tommy Prude, Columbus School District; Stephen Dodd, DeSoto School District; (Congressional District 3) Barbara Jones, Lauderdale County School District; Sondra Odom, Pearl School District; and, Etta Taplin, North Pike School District.

Under MSBA bylaws, the association’s president is authorized to appoint four additional members to serve on the MSBA Board of Directors during his/her one-year term of office.

 

More information about MSBA Officers and New Board Members:

NEW OFFICERS

Lygunnah Bean has been a member of the board of trustees of the South Panola School District since 1992, serving as its president for the past six years. He served as presidential appointee to the MSBA Board of Directors twice before being elected to the MSBA board. Prior to the start of his career, the South Panola board member studied tool and die making at Northwest Community College, later opting to pursue studies in computer programming and earned certification in the field. He used his computer knowledge to develop and install a computerized road and bridge system for Panola County, where he works as county road manager. He also owns Bean’s Computer Printing –– a computer consulting, bookkeeping and accounting business. A strong advocate for children, Bean has actively worked as a volunteer for the Boys and Girls Club of Northwest Mississippi, serving as a member of the organization’s Personnel Committee.  Bean and his wife Deborah have two daughters: Nadia, a freshman at Northwest Community Collge; and, Lakenna, a social services counselor at the Finch-Henry Job Corps Center in Batesville.

 

 

Dr. Norris A. Edney, retired biology professor and Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences at Alcorn State University, was first elected to the MSBA Board of Directors in 2005. He served as MSBA secretary-treasurer during the 2008-09 school year. Dr. Edney has served as president of the Natchez-Adams School District Board of Trustees since 2001. Also former president of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), Dr. Edney has earned numerous awards for both community and professional accomplishments including Outstanding Agriculture Researcher, Research Scientist of the Year, and SWAC Hall of Fame. He has two doctorate degrees, one in conservation (mycology) from Michigan State University and the other in education administration from the University of Wisconsin. He received his undergraduate degree from Tougaloo College and M.S.T. degrees from Antioch College (biology – ecology) and from Atlanta University (biology – experimental). He was biology professor at Alcorn State University for 31 years. He and his wife Lillian have three grown sons: Norris II, a health physicist for Grand Gulf Nuclear Power Plant; Albert, a research chemist/minister; and Alvin, a district supervisor with the MS Department of Health.

 

Marian Barksdale, a member of the Oxford School District Board of Trustees since July 2005, is actively involved in the Oxford community. She serves as president of the School of Applied Technology, run jointly by the Oxford School District and the Lafayette County School District. Twice each week, Barksdale tutors students in her school district, something which she says is “real critical to keeping me abreast of the needs of individual students.” A graduate of Vanderbilt University, Barksdale until recently was a member of the advisory board of the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation. She also is a former member of the board of the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council. During the 2008-09 school year, Barksdale served as a presidential appointee to the MSBA Board of Directors.  A former board development and long-range planning consultant, Barksdale also has worked for the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, the Mississippi Arts Commission and the Metro Jackson Arts Alliance.  She and husband Claiborne have three children:  Jack, a freshman at Trinity University in San Antonio, TX and twin girls Norma and Mary Bryan, juniors at Oxford High School.

 

NEWLY ELECTED BOARD MEMBERS

Stephen Dodd, first elected to the DeSoto County School Board of Trustees in 1994, is employed by Federal Express in the Technology Services Division in Memphis. He received his B.A. in Journalism from the University of Memphis and earned an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Computer Science from State Technical Institute in Memphis.  His community service includes being a member of the Board of Directors for Christian Ministries International. He and his wife, Dana, have one married daughter and one granddaughter.

 

Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the South Tippah School District, David Duncan has served on his local school board since 2006. A graduate of the University of Mississippi, he earned the B.A. degree  in chemistry and the B.S. degree in pharmacy. He is enrolled in the Doctor of Pharmacy program at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia, with expectations to graduate in Fall 2010.  Duncan is employed as a pharmacist at Tippah County Hospital in Ripley.  He and his wife Cathy have two adult children, Matt Duncan and Lauren Hopkins.

 

Barbara Jones, dean of Academic Affairs at Meridian Community College in Lauderdale County, is a member of the Lauderdale County School Board of Trustees. She received her B.S. and M.E. degrees from Delta State University and has done work toward a doctoral degree at Mississippi State University. She began her career as an English teacher and department chair in the Lauderdale County School District. Jones also is a volunteer with Big Brothers and Big Sisters and is a member of the Leadership Lauderdale Youth Advisory Board. 

 

A board member in the Pearl Public School District for 17 years, Sondra Odom has served five terms as president of her local board. She is a former youth court counselor in Rankin County. Active in her community and church, Odom is a recipient of the Pearl Chamber of Commerce’s Pillar of the Community award. She and husband Steve are partners in several businesses in the Rankin County area. A 1976 graduate of Mississippi State University, Odom and her husband have two adult children.

    

Tommy Prude, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Columbus Municipal School District, began his first term on the board in March 1988. After a ten-year absence, he returned to the board in August 2001 and has served continuously since that time.  Prude earned his Ed.S. and M.A. degrees from Mississippi State University in Starkville and a B.S. degree from Tennessee State University in Nashville. A retired U.S. Department of Defense civilian employee, his work experience includes serving as U.S. Air Force youth activities director, education services officer, education specialist, and guidance counselor. Prude currently serves as a volunteer chaplain at Baptist Memorial Hospital in the Golden Triangle area and serves on the board of Father’s Child Ministries.

 

A member of the Board of Trustees of the North Pike School District since 2003, Etta Taplin is a consultant specializing in grant writing. Formerly chief financial officer of the Amite County Medical Center and the SHARP Community Health Center, Taplin has a wealth of experience in finance, human resources, public relations and office management. She serves her community as a part of her church’s Rocky Point Gift Ministry Services, helped establish the Pike County Animal League Shelter and volunteered for several years as a member of the committee organizing the Mississippi March of Dimes efforts in Pike County.  She and husband Estes Taplin have two children, one a college graduate and another attending the University of Southern Mississippi.

Lantern Award Recipients:

Clinton Public School District                                               

Board President: Tommie Cardin                 

Board Members:

Sheila B. Grogan                             

Dennis Dyse

Charles Wilbanks

Ingrid Williams

Superintendent: Dr. Phillip Burchfield

Corinth School District

Board President: Mildred Ann Walker

Members: 

Braddock Brawner

Jerry Finger

Tom L. Rogers

Melissa Woodhouse

Superintendent:  Dr. Edward Lee Childress

Enterprise School District                                          

Board President: Andrew Preston Kersh       

Board Members:

Michael W. Gunn                    

Lynn Irby                                  

John E. McPhearson

Barbara Kay Risher

Superintendent: Arthur McMillan

Lamar County School District

Board President: Dr. Kyle W. Hill

Board Members:

Steve Lampton         

Craig S. Morris

Mike Pruitt

Chris W. Ryals

Superintendent:  Dr. Ben Burnett

Long Beach School District                                                   

Board President: James C. Stubbs             

Board Members:

Craig Carpenter                              

Angela Johnson                        

Claire Leatherwood

Timothy Pierce

Superintendent: Carrolyn Hamilton

           

Madison County School District

Board President: Ken A. McCoy

Board Members:

William R. Grissett Jr.

Wayne Jimenez

Rosemary McInnis

Shirley Simmons

Superintendent:  Michael Kent

New Albany School District                                                  

Board President: Dr. Jason B. Dees                           

Board Members:

Bernice Bailey                                  

Bobby R. Gault

Catherine C. McClinton

Jerry L. Tate

Superintendent: Dr. Charles Garrett Jr.    

 

Ocean Springs School District

Board President: Dr. Sharon H. Walker

Board Members:

Keith Crosby

Dr. Lena H. Melton

Michelle M. Smith

Timothy Taranto

Superintendent:  Robert Hirsch

Pontotoc City School District                   

Board President: Wally Henry                   

Board Members:

Charlotte Bass                      

Gary Golden

David Owen

Rene Simon

Superintendent: Dr. Adam G. Pugh

 

Torch Award Recipient:

South Delta School District - South Delta Elementary School

Board President: Melvin S. Young            

Board Members:

King T. Evans, Jr                 

Dorsey Johnson

Margaret R. Marshall

Lee Martin

Superintendent: Katherine Tankson

South Delta Elementary Principal: Lucille Lovette

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, November 18, 2009       

For more information or photos, Contact: Linda Buford-Burks, Director of Communications,

(601) 924-2001; lburks@msbaonline.org

 

CLINTON, MS – The Mississippi School Boards Association’s inaugural Board Member of the Year Award was presented on Tuesday, November 17 to Laura Davis of Carroll County, a member of her local board for more than 30 years. The presentation was made during the Lighthouse School Leader Awards Luncheon, held in conjunction with the MSBA Fall Leadership Conference in Jackson. Davis, a retired educator, was nominated for the honor by a fellow board member. Nineteen (19) nominations of board members from across the state were submitted to MSBA for consideration in the awards program. A selection committee made up of board members from each of the congressional districts examined the documentation for each nominee and concluded that Davis was the honoree for the inaugural presentation of the Board Member of the Year.

 

The “MSBA Board Member of the Year” honors a current school board member who has exhibited distinguished leadership during his or her tenure, as demonstrated by effective efforts in:

§         Advocating for children,

§         Increasing student achievement,

§         Understanding school board governance, and

§         Involving the community in the children’s’ education.

 

Letters supporting Davis’ nomination as Board Member of the Year were highly complimentary of her accomplishments on behalf of children.

 

A fellow board member praised Davis’ persistence in seeking out all available resources on behalf of children. “She uses one-on-one contact, families, churches, community events and activities to get the community involved,” the board member stated. “She never misses an opportunity to pull parents, grandparents, uncles and aunt, anyone…into the fold,” often reminding them from the board room table that they have a responsibility to see to it that their “children are well behaved, so that they can be educated.”  

 

Another support letter, from a retired elementary school principal in the Carroll County School District, maintained that Davis has earned the reputation of being an ardent supporter of public education. “The success of every student in the Carroll County School District has served as her inspiration for the many decisions made at the school board level. Her outstanding leadership has resulted in her being elected president of the board for many years.” 

 

The president of the Carroll County Development Association added that Davis is meticulous about searching out resources that will help move her school district forward. “Throughout the community, Laura continues to look for innovative ways to get parents involved in the education of their children. She always counsels and encourages dropouts to return to school or get into the various GED programs. She spends countless hours assisting students with enrollment, financial aid and scholarship applications” for college. “She has always strived to promote ways to help students and adults be successful in this community.” 

 

A current elementary school principal in the Carroll County School District also praised Davis for her commitment to children, saying that Davis’ background as a former special education teacher prepared her to work well on behalf of all students: “Special student populations are true and dear to Mrs. Davis’ heart. She makes it her business to visit our severe and profound class if at all possible each time she visits” the schools. “The expressions on the students’ faces in the classroom are indeed a reward to all of those involved in their care.”  

 

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

News Release

Mara Hartmann
601-969-2520 Office
601-594-9042 Cell
mhartma@entergy.com

Entergy Mississippi Customers Likely to See Lowest Bills in Six Years
Utility files fuel adjustment for first quarter of 2010

Jackson, Miss. – Customers of Entergy Mississippi, Inc. will likely soon see electric bills drop again–this time some 11 percent from January through March as compared to the same period in 2009.
The company has submitted its routine quarterly fuel adjustment to the staff of the Mississippi Public Service Commission. If approved, customers’ bills will be the lowest they have been in more than six years.
The submittal shows typical residential customers using 1,000 kilowatt hours per month will pay about $79.46 beginning January 1. Typical monthly residential bills for the first quarter of 2009 were $89.32, a difference of nearly $10.
Bills have dropped even more from summer 2008 when skyrocketing natural gas prices caused a 28 percent hike. In fact, the typical customer’s bill is 40 percent less than in July and August 2008 when the same amount of electricity cost nearly $133. That’s a savings of more than $53.
Falling natural gas prices is the main reason. The price of natural gas peaked at more than $13.50 per MMBtu in July 2008 before falling to as low as $3.58 per MMBtu earlier this year. The Henry Hub price in early November was $4.28 per MMBtu and is predicted to continue rising in the near future.
“We’re pleased that our customers will benefit from lower natural gas prices,” said Haley Fisackerly, president and chief executive officer of Entergy Mississippi, Inc. “We’re also fortunate to be able to pass along decreases when the approaching holidays and current economy are causing challenges for many of our customers.”
“However, the market is volatile and fuel prices could spike again and cause customers’ bills to rise, so we’re continuing to do everything we can to keep customers’ bills low,” he added. “For instance, working with the commissioners and the public utilities staff, we’ve managed to stabilize rates through summer of next year.”
The MPSC and the Mississippi Public Utilities Staff have 45 days before the start of the affected quarter to review the fuel adjustment submittal and make any changes.
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 entergy-mississippi.com.

For Immediate Release

Chef Luis Bruno Presents Healthy Recipes for
Barbecue Chipotle Beef Tenderloin, Bread Pudding and More
At Huntingtons Grille, Adjacent to Hilton Jackson Hotel

JACKSON, MS (Nov. 16, 2009) – Chef Luis Bruno, Director of Culinary Development at The Hilton Jackson, MS and the award-winning Huntingtons Grille, is debuting healthy recipes for this holiday season at two special “Lunch with Luis” events. Held on December 6th and 7th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., he will demonstrate cooking tips and strategies on how to substitute holiday recipes with healthful ingredient alternatives.

Chef Luis’ holiday line-up of his favorite crowd pleasers, all made with staying healthy in mind, include:
Vanilla Walnuts
Smoked Barbecue Chipotle Beef Tenderloin with Fresh Cranberry-Pecan Relish
Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding with Frangelico Sauce

“There’s nothing harder than losing or even maintaining your weight during the holidays,” says Chef Luis. “I am excited to have this opportunity to help motivate and educate people to learn about good nutrition and eat healthy.”

For Chef Luis’ holiday recipes, go to www.chefluisbruno.com/recipes.html.

For reservations for “Lunch with Luis” at Huntington’s Grille (1001 E. County Line, Jackson, MS 39211) contact 601-957-2800, ext. 7003. The cost is $35 per person, including lunch. “Thanksgiving to Go” and “Christmas to Go” with favorite classic recipes are also available. To order, call 601-957-2800, ext. 7003.

About Huntingtons Grille
Huntingtons Grille offers Mississippi fine dining at its best with nutritious food – fresh from farm to table – and one of the region’s most extensive wine lists. It also features wine dinners, prix fixe early dining, live music nightly, and the private Oak Room and Chef’s Table for smaller parties and meetings. Huntingtons Grille recently earned the DiRo¯NA (Distinguished Restaurants of North America) award for its top quality and distinguished dining.

Additional award-winning restaurants at the Hilton Jackson include Wellingtons with its legendary buffets and Sunday Jazz Brunch featuring local jazz artists; Fitzgeralds with live entertainment nightly by local
and regional musicians, and Luis’ Havana Cabana which overlooks the courtyard swimming pool. For dining information or reservations, contact 601-957-1515 or www.opentable.com.

About Chef Luis Bruno
Good health is most important to Chef Luis, former Executive Chef for two Mississippi Governors’ administrations, whose inspirational story includes maintaining a non-surgical weight loss of 200 pounds

More…/
Cooking for the Holidays at Huntingtons Grille with Chef Luis Bruno…2/

through exercise and healthy eating. Not that long ago, he weighed 400 pounds when personal health
issues and uncontrolled diabetes forced him to close his restaurant in 2003 when his doctor gave him just five years to live.  One year later and half his size, he had turned his life around and his weight-loss efforts melded perfectly with incumbent Governor Haley Barbour’s dedication to the health of the people of Mississippi. Barbour asked a healthy, slim Bruno to return as executive chef at the Governor’s Mansion, where he remained until his appointment with the Hilton Jackson.

Chef Luis is a frequent motivational speaker on how he succeeded losing weight. His cookbook, “Don’t Feel Guilty, Eat It!” is a collection of favorite recipes with healthful ingredient alternatives. His new line of spices, Bruno’s Eclectic Spices, are featured in many of his uniquely delicious dishes. Chef Luis also collaborates with Mississippi’s premier designer glass company, Pearl River Glass, where a portion of proceeds go to the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi. For information, visit www.chefluisbruno.com.

Contact:
Janna Hughes
601-573-0221
janna@jannahughesadvertising.com

By Petch Lucas

It’ll be time to go out “Walkin’ After Midnight” in just a few weeks, when Hattiesburg Civic Light Opera presents its Fall show, Always…Patsy Cline, for a toe-tapping engagement at Hattiesburg’s historic Saenger Theatre. Directed again by Wess Hughes, the show will run November 19-22 and is complimented by returning musical conductor Michelle Howells and choreographer Jennifer Odom-Townsend. The show was conceived and written by Ted Swindley and for several years was among the top ten produced plays in the country.

Onstage will be the unforgettable Missy Sanderson as legendary country singer Patsy Cline. You’d swear Patsy was alive and well as Missy makes 27 classic songs her own. Also onhand is Catherine Nowicki, who plays Louise Seger, a fan who had the fortune of meeting her singing idol and striking up an enduring friendship that lasted throughout the remainder of Patsy’s beloved but sadly short career.

Patsy Cline rose to country music fame in the late 1950’s because of her singular voice and her unforgettable songs, such as “I Fall To Pieces,” “Bill Bailey (Won’t You Please Come Home),” “Crazy,” “Come On In,” and “You Belong To Me.” She tragically died in a 1963 airplane crash, shortly before her single “Sweet Dreams” became a posthumous chart smash.

Based on a true story, Always…Patsy Cline portrays Patsy as more than just a show-biz star, but as a genuine friend who became a source of inspiration to one devoted fan. Although Patsy’s friendship with Louise was cut short by the tragedy, the legacy of their correspondence lives on in this triumphant stage musical. Louise Seger eventually moved to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, where she lived until her passing a few years ago.

This production marks the fifth time Sanderson, as well Nowicki, Hughes, Howells and Odom-Townsend, have performed Always…Patsy Cline in the Hattiesburg area. They’ve got the show down-pat, and this is the first time they’ll get to do it on the expanded stage of the Saenger, albeit this time with some new faces in the chorus.

“I’m very excited,” said Hughes, “to be doing it in the huge Saenger, building the show out into the audience and making it even bigger.”

The performances will be prefaced by a “Grand Ole Opry Talent Show” on the main stage, hosted by the likeness of Minnie Pearl and Grandpa Jones, and featuring singers, guitar pickers and even cloggers. Expect to hear songs made famous by Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Hank Williams and Mississippi-born natives Elvis Presley, Charlie Pride, and Tammy Wynette. Among the entertainers there will be professional guitarist Bob Saxton, who once played for Patsy Cline herself. And even while you’re entering the theatre during that time, there will also be acoustic performances in the lobby with some good ol’ country music to entertain you until the main event.

If you’ve seen it before, you’ll want to see it all over again. And if it’s to be your first time to experience Always…Patsy Cline, be prepared to tap your toe and proclaim “Yee-Haw!”

Show times Thursday through Saturday are at 7:30 pm, while Sunday’s matinee begins at 2:00 pm. Tickets are priced at tiered rates of $20, $16 and $12 and can be purchased over the phone at 601 583 5694. Special pricing is available for groups of ten or more. Further information is available at http://www.hclo.org, so please visit!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For information, contact: Ms. Jessie M. Jaynes
Public Relations Commissioner for the Emmett Till Memorial Commission
Tallahatchie County, Mississippi
(662) 302-7610 • jaynesjessie@yahoo.com

Conference, tours highlight proposed Emmett Till museum
to be developed inside courthouse where his killers were acquitted

SUMNER, Miss. — A Nov. 20 conference will highlight plans for the development of a museum honoring Emmett Till, the black Chicago teen whose 1955 Mississippi Delta murder helped to galvanize the nation’s civil rights movement.

The upcoming activities are being coordinated by the Emmett Till Memorial Commission of Tallahatchie County, Miss., the Emmett Till Memorial International Museum Committee and the Tallahatchie County Board of Supervisors.

The three entities are working to develop a working museum within the Tallahatchie County Courthouse in Sumner, site of the five-day, September 1955 trial of two men accused of Till’s murder. The museum, which would include interactive exhibits and restoration of the courthouse courtroom to the near-exact state it was in during the 1955 trial at a total estimated cost of $5 million to $7 million, would be dedicated to Till and focus specifically on the 1955 murder, subsequent trial and the impact both have had on the struggle for civil rights in America.

Scheduled to keynote the event is Dr. Lawrence J. Pijeaux Jr., president and chief executive officer of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, who will provide consulting services to aid establishment of the international memorial to Till in Tallahatchie County.

The Nov. 20 itinerary includes a tour of the Sumner courthouse during which the existing structure will be viewed and proposed renovations will be discussed. Local officials will be joined by Pijeaux and project architect Belinda Stewart. A bus tour of area sites of relevance to the Till case also will follow, in addition to an invitation-only reception that evening.

Federal funds totaling $1.6 million have been designated for the Sumner courthouse restoration, and other awards have pushed total receipts for the project to over $2 million. The rest is expected to come from private sources, including foundations and individual contributions. Tax-deductible private donations for the work of the Emmett Till Memorial Commission may be made to the Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that serves eight counties, including Tallahatchie. Donations may be sent to the foundation at 513 Losher St., Hernando, MS 38632.

Till was brutally murdered after allegedly whistling at a white woman inside a Money store. His body was tied with barbed wire to a cotton gin fan and thrown into the Tallahatchie River. Two white men accused of the crime were acquitted, but within three months they admitted their guilt in an article for a national magazine. The trial and aftermath drew international media coverage.

In 2005, the Emmett Till Memorial Commission was established by the Tallahatchie County Board of Supervisors with a mission to foster “racial harmony and reconciliation; to seek federal, state and private funds and grants to initially restore the Tallahatchie County Courthouse in Sumner; to explore the restoration of other buildings and sites of historical value; and to promote educational tours of the courthouse and other sites in Tallahatchie County.”

In 2007, the Sumner courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places and has since been nominated as a National Landmark. In October 2007, members of the Commission and Board of Supervisors stood in the shadow of the Sumner courthouse during a ceremony to acknowledge publicly, for the first time, that “the Emmett Till case was a terrible miscarriage of justice” and to express the “deep regret” of the people of Tallahatchie County. At that time, a Mississippi Department of Archives and History monument to the Till murder trial was unveiled outside the courthouse. Numerous Till family members were present. The National Park Service currently is considering the development of a Delta Heritage Civil Rights Trail, featuring the Sumner courthouse as a hub. The Emmett Till Memorial Commission has erected a series of permanent historical markers at local sites of significance to the Till case and is embracing other projects, including an interpretive walking trail on the grounds of the Emmett Till Multi-Purpose Complex near Sumner, which is owned and operated by the Tallahatchie County Parks and Recreation Department.