Friday, January 29, 2021

News Clippings January 29, 2021

State

OWNER OF COMPANY CONTRACTED TO DISPOSE OF GOLD COAST'S WASTEWATER IN JACKSON'S SEWER SYSTEM PLEADS GUILTY IN FEDERAL COURT
Northside Sun
 
The owner of a company that was contracted by Gold Coast Commodities to dispose of its wastewater plead guilty Wednesday in federal court to pollution-related charges.

Abandoned building still condemned
WTOK

MERIDIAN, Miss. (WTOK) - The red abandoned building on Front Street and 25th Avenue is still on the condemned property list. Community Development Director Laura Carmichael says the city of Meridian is working hand-in-hand with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality to get the building on the right track.

Diamondhead residents concerned over harmful algae bloom
WXXV

After suffering from symptoms ranging from headaches to hair loss to fainting for the past two-and-a-half years, one Diamondhead resident is speaking out about harmful algae blooms she believes to be affecting her and her family.

No injuries reported after Ergon truck catches fire on I-220
WLBT

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - No injuries have been reported after an Ergon truck caught fire on I-220 Thursday evening.

Petal city officials mull over ways to collect on sewer payments
WDAM

PETAL, Miss. (WDAM) - City officials in Petal are mulling over ways to encourage residents to catch up on money owed for sewer bills.

Hyde-Smith, Wicker: Uphold Trump’s Waters Protection Rule
Daily Leader
 
U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), of Brookhaven, and Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) joined a resolution Thursday urging the Senate to uphold the Trump Administration’s Navigable Waters Protection Rule.


State Government

Reeves announces new MEMA director
WLBT

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Gov. Tate Reeves is expected to give an update on the state’s COVID-19 response. During his Wednesday conference, Reeves announced that Stephen McCraney would be taking over as executive director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.

C Spire to invest $1 billion for 5G speeds in Mississippi. What does it mean for you?
Sun Herald

Mississippi will have 12th best access to fiber internet in the nation after C Spire spends $1 billion over the next three years to deploy 5G wireless technology, CEO Hu Meena announced Thursday.


Regional

DeSantis budgets for Everglades restoration, EAA reservoir, curbing harmful algal blooms
TC Palm

When it comes to protecting the environment, money matters. Is $714 million enough for certain environmental projects, as Gov. Ron DeSantis proposed in the state budget Thursday? While some Florida environmental groups quickly praised DeSantis' budget proposal, others were swift to share their criticisms.

'A devastating loss': 6 dead, 11 hospitalized after liquid nitrogen leak at Georgia poultry plant, officials say
USA Today

A liquid nitrogen leak at a northeast Georgia poultry plant killed six people Thursday and hospitalized 11 others in an incident officials called "devastating" and a "tragedy."


National

As Biden seeks a turn on environment, Trump rules to linger
AP

Longtime safeguards for U.S. bird populations took a hit under former President Donald Trump, whose administration made it harder to prosecute industry-caused deaths — such as the 2019 destruction of a sprawling Virginia seabird nesting ground — and chipped away protections for endangered species.

Gov. Greg Abbott says Texas is prepared to sue Biden administration over environmental regulations
Austin American-Statesman

Gov. Greg Abbott pledged Thursday to protect the state's oil and gas industry from the Biden administration's climate agenda and directed state agency heads to identify opportunities for litigation over federal environmental regulations.

Hope And Skepticism As Biden Promises To Address Environmental Racism
NPR

Devon Hall has lived most of his nearly seven decades in Duplin County, N.C. The land is flat and green there in the southeastern part of the state, about an hour's drive from the coast. It's lovely unless you live downwind of one of the county's many industrial hog farms.

GM to Phase Out Gas- and Diesel-Powered Vehicles by 2035
WSJ

General Motors Co. GM 3.45% has set a 2035 target date for phasing out gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles from its showrooms globally, among the first major auto makers to put a timeline on transitioning to a fully electric lineup.


Press Releases

STEPHEN MCCRANEY APPOINTED NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MEMA
January 28, 2021
 
PEARL, Miss. (MEMA) – Governor Tate Reeves appoints Stephen McCraney as the new Executive Director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. McCraney started his new duties as executive director following the governor’s announcement on January 28, 2021.

Announcing Mary Walker as the Executive Director of the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council

New Orleans, LA– The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (RESTORE Council) welcomes Mary S. Walker as the Executive Director.