:

Soon to come – for more information call Frank Howell at (662) 686-3366


GREENVILLE'S LEADER: As the first female and African-American mayor of the largest municipality in the Delta, Heather Hudson is helping to produce big results for Greenville.
December 2004
Heather McTeer Hudson-
Mayor of Greenville
Striving to make her hometown a better place to live

by CHIP MABRY
DBJ Contributing Writer

Mayor Hudson is a Greenville native. She attended T.L. Weston High School and then Spelman College in Atlanta where she received a B.A. in sociology. She then attended law school at Tulane University in New Orleans where she received her J.D.

Mrs. Hudson also studied agricultural growth and Hispanic culture at the Universidad Caltolica Madre y Maestra in Santiago, Dominican Republic. She spent a summer in Kenya, East Africa with the Africa Crossroads program helping train women in business.

While Mayor Hudson is only 28 years old, her education and life experience have prepared her well. I recently spoke with Mayor Hudson about the past, present and future of Greenville and the Mississippi Delta.

FULL STORY

MDEZA gets a new lease on life
The Delta economic development powerhouse will continue to contribute greatly to many ventures in the area


by JULIE WHITEHEAD
DBJ Contributing Writer

Recently the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development extended the designation of the Mid-Delta Empowerment Zone Alliance for another five years—but over $11.5 million in additional funding is still pending before Congress, leaving the Mid-Delta Empowerment Zone Alliance with only $6.5 million of its original $40 million appropriation to spend during that time.

John Greer, executive director of MDEZA since November 2002, said that the move to extend the empowerment zone designation was a joint application by MDEZA and the Mississippi Development Authority, which disburses the development money from Washington to MDEZA projects. “The money can’t go directly to us as a 501c3 nonprofit,” said Greer.

FULL STORY

Also in this issue:
• Columns & Opinions
• Selected Articles
• Special Sections

I-69 public hearings soon to begin in Delta
Officials hope for good turnout in order to move project forward

County officials and civic leaders across the Delta are encouraging a strong turnout for two December public hearings on the proposed Interstate 69. In Bolivar County, the meetings are to be held at the Ray Brooks School in Benoit on December 13 and at the Bolivar County Expo Center Annex on December 14. Each meeting will run from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

“I-69 would be the greatest economic boost imaginable for Bolivar County,” says Dean Morganti, Economic Development Assistant with the Cleveland-Bolivar County Chamber of Commerce. “We hope our citizens will attend these public hearings and show support for the central route alternative, which we believe offers the greatest economic impact potential for both our Bolivar County communities and other towns along the route.”

FULL STORY

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Are racial issues still and obstacle in the Delta?
Yes
[tally] 89%
No
[tally] 11%
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Are racial issues still an obstacle in Mississippi?
Yes
[tally] 86%
No
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Is tourism an economic opportunity for the Delta?
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[tally] 73%
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Delta Business Journal
P.O. Box 117 • 125 South Court Street • Cleveland, MS 38732
Tel: (662) 843-2700• Fax: (662) 843-0505
© 2003, Coopwood Publishing Group, Inc.
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