Delta Business Journal
Woods Eastland
Written by Charlotte Buchanan | 
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A distinguished Deltan
Woods Eastland retired as President and CEO of Staplcotn in September of 2010. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Staplcotn Cooperative Association and Staple Cotton Discount Corporation. Staplcotn is America’s oldest farmer owned cotton marketing cooperative, marketing Memphis/Eastern cotton.
Eastland will quickly tell you that being retired does not mean that he isn’t working. “I love to work, that’s my hobby,” Eastland says. He is also finalizing the closure of his family’s farming operations in Sunflower County.
The Doddsville, Mississippi native has led an unusual and rewarding lifestyle. As the son of the late United States Senator James O. and Elizabeth Eastland, his growing up years were entirely different from most Delta children.
“When the Senate was in session, we lived in Washington, and I went to school there. When the summer recess rolled around, we came home to Doddsville,” he says.
Eastland admits that while his lifestyle might seem glamorous to some, at times it was difficult. “Yes, it could be difficult for a child, spending many months in a cosmopolitan atmosphere and then coming back to the farm. However, as I grew into an adult, I realized that the advantages far outweighed any disadvantages,” he says.
The Delta's PortsWritten by Beth Stevens | | |
Providing transportation efficiently and inexpensively Photography by Matthew Wood When people think of transportation, three R’s come to mind: roadways, runways and railways. But there is another “R” that most tend to overlook, and it’s one of the most cost-effective in today’s economy: our riverways. “Our ports are important because they are the most effective form of transportation there is,” says Wayne Mansfield, director of the Warren County Port Commission, which oversees the port at Vicksburg. “And it’s a greener form of transportation because you eliminate the needs for trucks on the highway.” The port at Vicksburg is one of 16 ports in Mississippi, and one of six along the Mississippi River. It’s the 11th most active inland port in the U.S. Not only is Vicksburg served by a class-1 rail service, but they are also a designated foreign trade zone as well. “This is a huge economic advantage to the companies who are importing goods because they pay no duties on these goods,” Mansfield says.
Grammy Museum Tuesday, 03 January 2012 22:41 | Written by Mark H. Stowers | | |
Newly appointed board works to bring music museum to Cleveland Photography by Jordan Thomas Mississippi just got another step closer to having its own GRAMMY museum. With the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, and the B.B. King Museum in Indianola, a GRAMMY museum could be the ideal thing to create real tourism synergy in the area, according to Judson Thigpen, executive director of the Cleveland/Bolivar County Chamber of Commerce. The first major step towards making a GRAMMY museum a reality in Cleveland took place recently with the establishment of a board of directors for the museum. The 18-member board will be led by Thigpen, who currently serves as the interim chair of the board. The group met in late November and talked briefly about the status of the project, and to review proposed bylaws. “Once the by-laws are passed, we will move forward with a strategic plan, a fundraising campaign and the design of the building,” says Thigpen.
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