May 01, 2020 MBJ E-Edition

M S B U S I N E S S . C O M

| Apr. 18 - May 1, 2020 | Vo. 42 • No.9 • 24 pages

• Law & Accounting

• Going Green

{Section begins P12} » How are college closings impacting graduating lawyers and accountants? » Courts carry on in a pandemic

{Section begins P15} » Department of Environmental Quality temporarily suspends deadline during COVID-19 emergency

'THE NEXT 30 DAYS ARE ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL' Pummeled in March, Mississippi retailers brace for historically bad May » Page 4

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Virtually all Americans impacted by Coronavirus

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s the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases continues to rise and schools, workplaces and public gathering spaces across the United States remain closed, a new Pew Research Center survey finds that the coronavirus outbreak is having profound impacts on the personal lives of Americans in a variety of ways.

Nearly nine-in-ten U.S. adults say their life has changed at least a little as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, including 44% who say their life has changed in a major way.

Amid widespread calls from experts for Americans to socially distance from one another to avoid spreading the virus, what recently seemed like mundane daily activities now elicit concerns from large swaths of the population. About nineleast once or twice a month, “It’s a double whammy,” said Bill Reader, in-ten U.S. adults (91%) most (59%) now say they have the co-author of “Foundations of Commusay that, given the current scaled back their attendance be- nity Journalism” and a journalism profestodd smith situation, they would feel uncause of the coronavirus – in many sor at Ohio University. Weekly newspapers comfortable attending a crowdcases, presumably because churches and “are busier than they’ve ever been covering ed party. Roughly three-quarters (77%) other houses of worship have canceled ser- local edicts, local closures, providing essenwould not want to eat out at a restaurant. vices. But this does not mean they have tial information — and at the same time, In the midst of a presidential election year, disengaged from collective worship en- getting almost no revenue.” about two-thirds (66%) say they wouldn’t tirely: A similar share (57%) reports having As the surge of news deserts – commufeel comfortable going to a polling place watched religious services online or on TV nities entirely lacking in local reporting – to vote. And smaller but still substantial instead of attending in person. Together, spreads across the country, weekly papers shares express discomfort even with going four-in-ten regular worshippers appear to have increasingly become the sole source to the grocery store (42%) or visiting with have replaced in-person attendance with for that essential information, especially in a close friend or family member in their virtual worship (saying that they have been rural communities – areas that often have home (38%). attending less often but watching online spotty broadband access and elderly popHow are people adapting their behavior instead). ulations, making the idea of cutting in light of the outbreak? Four-in-ten workCommunity newspapers mobicosts by moving entirely online ing-age adults ages 18 to 64 report having lize Coronavirus support a nonstarter, Reader said.

About worked from home because of coronavirus Editors of communiIn the early days of concerns – a figure that rises to a majori- ty newspapers, an often nine-in-ten the crisis, as mandates ty among working-age adults with college overlooked but critically U.S. adults (91%) for social distancing degrees and upper-income earners. Still, important element of the spread slowly and local say that they despite current circumstances, about two- U.S. media ecosystem, governments tried to would feel thirds of adults with children under 12 at are front-line responders square safety concerns uncomfortable with home say it’s been at least somewhat easy in the coronavirus crisis. public access, for them to handle child care responsibilattending a The nation’s 7,000 weekly editors were at ities. crowded non-daily community the forefront of fights to The virus also has impacted Americans’ newspapers have been hit just ensure that officials would party. religious behaviors. More than half of all as hard as daily papers and ondefine news organizations as U.S. adults (55%) say they have prayed for line news sites as the global economy essential businesses. Many were an end to the spread of coronavirus. Large shudders to a halt and advertising evapo- successful. majorities of Americans who pray daily rates, according to a recent study from the State news associations, a vital resource (86%) and of U.S. Christians (73%) have Poynter Institute. for weekly papers, are running special taken to prayer during the outbreak – but Some have suspended their print edi- COVID-19 pages on their websites that so have some who say they seldom or never tions or sharply trimmed their print runs. link to reliable sources. They are providpray and people who say they do not be- Publishers have reluctantly laid off long- ing Slack channels, house ads and PSAs, long to any religion (15% and 24%, respec- time staffers. But the mission, to inform advice on the federal stimulus package and tively). communities and keep them safe, has nevSee AMERICANS IMPACTED, Page 5 Among U.S. adults who said in an earli- er been more crucial. er survey they attend religious services at

MISSISSIPPI AIRPORTS RECEIVE NEARLY $35M IN GRANTS FOR ECONOMIC DISRUPTION Mississippi airports have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic as airlines have cut back flights in the wake of steeply declining demand The state’s Republican U.S. Senators, Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith announced the award of $34,855,031 in grants to 73 Mississippi airfields experiencing “severe economic disruption because of the COVID-19 public health emergency.”

The Federal Aviation Administration awards, made available directly from the U.S. Treasury, were funded in the recently enacted Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. “Mississippi’s airports provide an essential service to our state that has been dramatically impacted by the coronavirus outbreak,” said Wicker, who as chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee was responsible for negotiating many of the transportation-related provisions in the CARES Act legislation, including support for airports and air carriers. “This emergency funding will help our airports mitigate the worst effects of the coronavirus on their operations so they can continue to support air travel after this crisis has ended.”

“Helping to ensure continued operation of airports in Mississippi is important for public safety and our economic recovery. This series of FAA grants is intended to help sustain these facilities as our state works through the coronavirus outbreak,” Hyde-Smith said.

The largest grants are:

•Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, Gulfport – $20,929,795 •Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport, Jackson – $8,561,630 •Golden Triangle Regional Airport, Columbus – $1,190,282 •Key Field, Meridian – $1,079,543 •Tupelo Regional Airport, Tupelo – $1,055,781 Other airports receiving grants were:

Aberdeen ($30,000), Belmont ($20,000), Booneville ($20,000), Corinth ($30,000), Holly Springs ($20,000), Iuka ($30,000), New Albany ($30,000), Okolona ($30,000), Oxford ($69,000), Pontotoc ($30,000), Ripley ($20,000), Starkville ($69,000), Water Valley ($1,000) and West Point ($20,000).

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» law elevated

Working remotely during COVID-19: Data security risks

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ith more employees working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic come increased data security risks.

Phishing emails are the leading cause of business data breaches, and according to Google, scammers are sending 18 million hoax emails about COVID-19 to Gmail users every day. So far, we have seen the following phishing melody mcanally emails specific to the COVID-19 pandemic: To sign up for COVID-19 vaccine testing; To invest in stock of a COVID-19 vaccine or ventilator equipment; To buy COVID-19 home test kits (there are no FDA-approved home kits); To buy products to treat COVID-19 (there are no products proven to treat COVID-19); To donate to a charity relating to COVID-19; To receive government checks from the recent federal Coronavirus Response Act. These phishing emails often ask you to click a link and provide debit/credit card numbers or bank account information. Hackers will use this information to steal from your financial accounts or sell your credit card information on the Dark Web. It is rarely a good idea to click on email links to provide financial account information. If you think an email is from a financial institution with whom you do business, go directly to that financial institution’s website to log in.

If a charity emails asking for a donation, separately go to that charity’s website to donate online. If an email asks you to click on a link to download a new app, go to the app store to download the app. The Federal Trade Commission is a good resource for common scams and data breaches and for reporting phishing scams.

Some of the same phishing emails we have seen before are making come-back appearances. Often hackers imitate Microsoft requesting users to enter their usernames and passwords for an urgent purpose or to change passwords. This is often a scam to get your work credentials to hack into a business network. Separately email your business’s IT helpdesk to inquire about Microsoft updates

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suggestions for encouraging advertisers to stick with their buys.

Corporate Responsibility Mic: Companies Beg You Not to Use Services in Coronavirus Ads Uber and Fiat Chrysler are taking an unusual tack in their ads during the coronavirus – urging people not to use their products.

A recent 60-second television ad from Uber shows a montage of scenes of people quarantining at home.

“Stay home for everyone who can’t,” the advertisement advises at the end. “Thank you for not riding with Uber.”

It’s not uncommon for companies to run ads that try to tap into a national mood during a time of crisis and tragedy, Joseph Turow, professor at Annenberg School for

that may be legitimate.

If you receive an email from someone in your business asking you to click on a link or provide your username and password, call or email separately that person to make sure the request is legitimate.

The FBI has also warned about these increased risks of phishing schemes relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. The FBI gave several examples of recent COVID-19 phishing schemes, which typically impersonate vendors asking for payment outside the normal course of business due to COVID-19.

The FBI advises of the following red flags: • Unexplained urgency • Last minute changes in wire instructions or recipient account information • Last minute changes in established communication platforms or email account addresses • Communications only in email and refusal to communicate via telephone or online voice or video platforms • Requests for advanced payment of services when not previously required • Requests from employees to change direct deposit information The FBI also recommends the following tips: • Be skeptical of last-minute changes in wiring instructions or recipient account information.

• Verify any changes and information via the contact on file – do not contact the vendor through the number provided in the email.

• Ensure the URL in emails is associated with the business it claims to be from.

• Be alert to hyperlinks that may contain misspellings of the actual domain name.

Communication at University of Pennsylvania told CNN. But he said the Uber ad is unique in that it actually urges people not to use the product.

Thomas Ranese, Uber’s vice president of marketing, said the company will run the ad for the next two weeks to stress the importance of staying at home.

The public service announcement is “a company that is synonymous with movement, thanking you for not moving, because right now that helps save lives,” he said in a statement.

Fiat Chrysler isn’t specifically telling people not to buy cars. But a social media campaign on Friday told people to leave their cars parked and not drive for the time being.

It repurposed its “Groundhog Day” Super Bowl spot starring Bill Murray. But instead of showing him enjoying the repetition of the same day because of his chance

• Verify the email address used to send emails, especially when using a mobile or handheld device, by ensuring the sender’s email address appears to match who it is coming from.

If you are a victim of a fraudulent scheme, contact your financial institution immediately. You should also file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Businesses should continue to regularly train employees on phishing emails, particularly now that new COVID-19 phishing emails are becoming more common. Train employees to help them know what to look for in phishing emails. Remember to look for spelling errors or grammatical errors in suspicious emails. Many criminally indicted hackers have come from foreign countries and lack English skills. Also, look for misspellings in email addresses purporting to come from someone in your business. Often email addresses are misspelled by one letter that is hard to catch unless you look closely.

Businesses should implement multi-factor authentication given the increase in employees working remotely.

Remote access to a business network remains a common data breach risk. Multi-factor authentication has become the gold standard to prevent remote access breaches.

If businesses have not yet invested in a cyber insurance policy, now is the time. Talk with your insurance broker for information about cyber insurance policies. Businesses who have a cyber policy should check in with their broker to make sure it still provides sufficient coverage. Specifically inquire about coverage relating to phishing email data breaches. Cyber policies are more common and less expensive than a few years ago. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. » MELODY McANALLY, an attorney with Butler Snow, focuses her practice on data privacy and security and commercial litigation. She is a co-team leader of the firm’s data security and privacy team, and advises clients on data security protection, data breach response and cyber-risk management.

to drive a Jeep, as the original spot did, this contains a message about being stuck at home.

“We understand that every day is starting to seem the same,” said the ad, before cutting to the original spot showing Bill Murray waking up again to the Sonny and Cher song “I’ve got you babe.”

“Stay home. Stay healthy” says the ad. It then shows a Jeep driving off road with the words “When this is all over, the trails will be waiting.”

It also has online ads featuring the Chrysler Pacifica and the company’s Ram and Alfa Romeo brands.

The Jeep ad is similar to ads that ran near the end of World War II, said Turow, as companies that had not been able to make consumer products during the war were promising customers they would be able to buy their products again soon. The most famous of those ads was one that promised

“There’s a Ford in your future.”

Each week, The Spin Cycle will bestow a Golden Mic Award to the person, group or company in the court of public opinion that best exemplifies the tenets of solid PR, marketing and advertising – and those who don’t. Stay tuned – and step-up to the mic! And remember … Amplify Your Brand! » TODD SMITH is co-founder, president and chief executive officer of Deane | Smith, a full-service branding, PR, marketing and advertising firm with offices in Jackson. The firm – based in Nashville, Tenn. – is also affiliated with Mad Genius. Contact him at todd@deanesmithpartners.com, follow him @spinsurgeon and like the ageny on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/deanesmithpartners, and join us on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/ company/deane-smith-&-partners.

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'The next 30 days are absolutely critical' Pummeled in March, Mississippi retailers brace for historically bad May February totaled $163.6 million, a 2.8 percent increase over the same month last he period through year. But March transthe end of May is fers fell to $159.4 million, likely to determine slightly below the $160.4 the course commercial propmillion in March 2019. erty landlords take in addressEstes said landlords and TED CARTER ing tenants tardy on rent after banks are working with retailers government-ordered shutdowns over and other business owners in a myrthe coronavirus pandemic. iad of ways. “They’ve given them a little re“The next 30 days are absolutely critical,” prieve,” he said, and noted they will try to said Brian Estes, a Jackson real estate invest- recoup the tardy rents in the months that ment specialist whose Estes Group manages follow. its own properties as well as area restaurant “Landlords recognize it is not the tenants’ and retail locations and office buildings. fault,” Estes said of the state-ordered shutMost retail business tenants paid rent down of all non-essential businesses. in March, but a never-before-seen plunge Landlords aren’t yet of 8.7 percent in retail sales nationally that thinking about evicmonth has put collections beyond the end tions, he noted. “It of May in doubt. Disturbingly, some nation- doesn’t’ do the landal tenants have told Estes it could be several lords any good to evict months more before rents can be paid, let tenant because they alone caught up on. can’t pay for April and

By June, landlords could be confronting May.” a truck load of troubles of their own, Estes The economic pain said, chief of which are their own mortgages of the state’s cvoid-19 Estes and commercial loan balloon payments. shutdown is hardly Retail analysts say much of the deep na- across the board, according to Estes. “It’s tionwide fall off occurred the last two weeks business by business,” he said. of March. Some of that fall off could be Some restaurants, he said, have made showing up in Mississippi Department of “decent” money through take-outs and deRevenue sales tax collection transfers to the liveries.

On the other hand, many of the other state’s general fund. Sales tax transfers in

By TED CARTER mbj@msbusiness.com

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commercial tenants “are starting to blow through their reserves” – if they had any to begin with, Estes said.

On the residential side, the Estes Group racked up a better-than-expected 87 percent collection rate through April 10 on the 1.300 apartment units it manages.

It is the uncertainties of the May collections on retail, restaurants and office tenants that unsettle Estes at this point. “Even some of the national chains have told us they don’t intend to pay for the next three to five months,” he said.

“Just because you’re a national tenant doesn’t mean you have got the money.

Some are more exposed than the momand-pops. They are getting hit terribly hard.”

Starnes

Speed

Fontaine

But five months is too long for resumption of rent payments, Estes said. “Landlords can’t wait that long without a rent check.”

Pat Fontaine, executive director of the Mississippi Hospitality & Restaurant

Association, says landlords around the state aren’t forgiving rents but are giving tenants more time to catch up on arrears.

“Some are even reducing payments,” said Fontaine, whose association represents 1,200 restaurant and hotel/motel locations in the state.

Flexibility and patience may not be enough, if national projections on restaurant-survival rates pan out. A recent survey from the National Restaurant Association, Fontaine said, found that 40 percent of U.S. restaurants are closed and 3 percent of owners have decided to close for good.

“They are projecting that by the end of the crisis that could be as much as 11 percent, and possibly higher,” Fontaine said in a Wednesday interview.

In Mississippi, Fontaine noted, “so many of my members are operating week to week. They are not able to sustain this.”

Fontaine received some encouragement this week with congressional approval of a new $450 billon economic rescue package that seeks to put substantial amounts of forgivable loan money in the hands of genuinely small businesses, unlike the previous Paycheck Protection Act which watchdogs say allowed large banks to give priority to their large national

'five months is too long for resumption of rent payments.

Landlords can't wait that long without a rent check'.

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Medical licensure board restricts out-of-state telemedicine doctors

By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com

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he Mississippi Board of Medical Licensure threw open the door on March 15 for out-of-state physicians to practice telemedicine in the Magnolia State because of the corona virus pandemic.

On March 24, the board revised its position by deciding that only out-of-state physicians with previously established doctor-patient relationships with Mississippians would be allowed to practice telemedicine.

That has been criticized in some corners as protectionism for Mississippi physicians.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Steve Azar had urged states to relax restrictions to allow more flexibility in attacking the pandemic. Gov. Tate Reeves likewise urged the Board of Medical Licensure to show flexibility in addressing the needs caused by the outbreak.

“It’s inexcusable that the board is not doing everything that they can to increase the supply of qualified health care professionals. It seems to me that the board only cares about power,” Taylor Jameson, a lobbyist and researcher for the Mississippi Center for Public Policy, told Mississippi Today.

Dr. Kenneth Cleveland, executive director of the board, said Cleveland

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business clients.

“Other industries have gotten the lion’s share,” Fontaine said, lamenting that restaurants received only 9 percent of the money banks loaned in the previous rescue.

“It is our hope that smaller, independent operators” will fare better in the new round, he said.

A slightly better outcome came to members of the National Federation of Independent Businesses’ Mississippi chapter, according to Dawn Starns, state director of the NFIB chapters in Mississippi and Louisiana.

Mississippi members, she said in an interview Tuesday, received 20 percent of the Paycheck Protection Act money banks loaned to Mississippi businesses. But that percentage is still worrisomely low, she said,

that while the state is at the bottom of all states in physicians per capita, its doctors are only working at 15 to 20 percent of capacity, Cleveland estimates.

After the March 15 vote by the board, it was flooded with requests from out-ofstate physicians – nearly 1,200 from California alone, Cleveland said in a recent interview with the Mississippi Business Journal.

Asked why the Mississippi board would not accept the vetting and licensing of physicians by other states, Cleveland said the

sheer numbers of applicants would likely mean that 1 or 2 percent of them would not pass muster.

Kevin Harper of the American Telemedicine Association said, “We were surprised that Mississippi chose to require an existing patient-provider relationship.”

Mississippi had 190.3 physicians per 100,000 population in 2018, ranking last, according to Becker’s Hospital Review.

Neighboring Louisiana ranked No. 27, with 260.3 doctors per 100,000, Becker’s says.

and called for giving recipient businesses more latitude on spending the funds.

Loan provisions do allow some freedom to cover non-workforce operational expenses, including mortgage interest, rents and utility costs. But the loans specify payroll and compensation levels must be maintained over an eight-week period in order to gain forgiveness of the loan.

First, the eight-week life of the rescue loans must be extended, said Starns.

“Members are saying they can make it a month or two months, but past that they can’t do much.”

The reality, Starns said, is that it “is not going to matter if they make their payroll and can’t keep their leases.”

So far, Starns has not received calls from any of her 3,000-plus Mississippi members about difficulties with landlords.

Landlords likely will continue in a tolerant mode, largely because lenders are main-

taining tolerance as well, said Jeff Speed, broker and principal of Speed Commercial Real Estate in Ridgeland. “I don’t think banks are going to start foreclosing on a bunch of commercial properties,” he said in an interview in mid April.

He emphasized, however, that it is too early to make a lot of assumptions other than the more liquidity a business has, the higher its odds for survival.

He said commercial building owners with substantial equity in their properties will get more forbearance than ones with lesser stakes. “If a bank has a loan on a property that is 8 percent leveraged vs. 50 percent leveraged, are they going to treat the owners differently?”

They are, he said.

Not all commercial real estate segments are hurting, Speed noted. “Right now, obviously retail is greatly impacted, both nationally and locally,” he said.

As of 2019, there were about 17,000 physicians licensed by Louisiana, nearly three times Mississippi’s 6,000.

Louisiana is granting temporary licenses to out-of-state physicians to render telemedicine for the duration of the pandemic.

Louisiana ranks ninth overall in corona virus cases per 100,000, or 528 per 100,000 population, putting it fourth place, and 1,328 deaths, or sixth overall, according to The New York Times on Monday.

Mississippi ranked 24th with 4,512 cases as of Monday, or 152 per 100,000, and 169 deaths, or six per 100,000, according to The Times.

Dr. Claude Brunson, executive director of the Mississippi Medical Association, which represents the state’s physicians, said in an interview that Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, cannot be treated telemedically.

Because of precautionary steps such as blocking elective office visits, “we’ve got plenty of physicians with not much to do,” Brunson said. “ Te l e m e d i c i n e Brunson cannot help you intubate a patient that needs to go on a ventilator,” Brunson said.

“Covid-19 has not created a telemedicine crisis.”

But that has not trickled down so fast to metro Jackson’s office and industrial, according to Speed. “Office has not been greatly impacted; The warehouse market is actually strong,” he said.

Just where the breaking point among tenants, landlords and lenders rests is a big unknown, Speed said. “If I knew a simple answer to that question, I’d be on Hannity tonight,” he said, referring to Sean Hannity’s Fox News television show.

What is known, Speed said, is that when the light returns to green for the Mississippi economy, consumers will be eager for the things they’ve gone without. “I do think pent-up demand is going to generate a lot of revenue for a lot of businesses,” he said.

“Everybody wants to get out and spend some money – if they have some.”

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» INSIDE MISSISSIPPI

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Highly contagious pandemic not ending in two weeks

all with doctor’s office last week: “The doctor is not taking new patients at this time. Call back in two weeks when this pandemic is over.”

Gov. Tate Reeves: Friday Reeves extended his shelter-in-place order for a week until April 27, saying the state is not ready yet to re-open its economy. He did allow more small businesses to provide curb service.

Latest stats: Mississippi coronavirus cases and deaths have not yet peaked. Reeves said he believes we’re near that key turning point which will allow him to phase-in more economic activity.

President Donald Trump: Ready to re-open the national economy, Trump announced new guidelines states can choose to follow to phasein economic activity as certain criteria are met. He did not include widespread testing.

Dr. Anthony Fauci: “We’re not there yet,” said The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and key public health advisor to the president. He added that the U.S. does not yet have in place the critical procedures needed to re-open the economy.

Hmmm, which way is up?

Perhaps some facts would be useful. First, the COVID-19 coronavirus is not going away. Shelter-in-place, school and business closures, and social distancing have slowed its spread but is not stamping out the highly contagious virus.

Second, clusters of contagion continue to pop up, particularly in elderly care facilities. The Mississippi Department of Health reported 66 outbreaks in nursing homes in 36 counties last Wednesday. Meanwhile, a Smithfield pork-processing facility in South Dakota became the nation’s biggest single source of infections with 644 cases reported. The CDC was called in to determine what safety procedures must be put in place for the plant to re-open. Other major clusters identified so far include the U.S.S. Roosevelt aircraft carrier (585), Cook County Jail in Chicago (524), Soldier’s Home in Holyoke, Mass. (194).

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Third, Gov. Reeves wisely cancelled inschool classes for the remainder of the school year, acknowledging that school closures have been a key reason Mississippi cases have not escalated. How to re-open schools safely has not yet been determined. Issues include sanitation, teacher protection, class sizes, and how to handle BILL CRAWFORD sports, food service, assemblies, and busing.

Fourth, the testing capacity, protective equipment, and sanitation supplies needed to re-open much of the economy, as Dr. Fauci said, are not in place. While companies are developing new and faster tests, the materials and equipment needed to provide the tests across the nation are not yet in place or fully available. For example, guidelines in the works for food processors (including Mississippi’s poultry plants), truckers and other food transport personnel, and food handlers at grocery stores and restaurants will likely require extensive testing, aggressive sanitation measures, and daily supplies of protective gear. Kroger has called on public officials to make access to protective masks and gloves for grocery workers a national priority.

Fifth, respirator masks, sanitizers, and virus tests for the general public remain scarce.

Sadly, the coronavirus pandemic will not end in two weeks. Instead, it may rebound if prudent steps are not taken as states re-open economies. But even the most prudent steps will fail without rapid production and distribution of testing materials, sanitation supplies, and protective gear.

“Do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight, preserve sound judgment and discretion” – Proverbs 3:21. » BILL CRAWFORD is a syndicated columnist from Jackson.

Pandemic expected to have an effect on site selection factors

ach year, Area Development magazine publishes the results of its survey of corporate executives regarding their expansion plans and the factors that rank highest in their site selection decisions.

In this column, we will look back seven years and compare those site selection factors with those in 2019. We will also speculate about which factors will be most affected by the coronavirus outbreak in next year’s survey.

Below is a list of phil hardwick the 2019 Top 10 site

selection factors. The number in parentheses after each factor is where that ranking appeared in the 2012 survey. If there is no parentheses, it means that the factor was not listed in the Top 10 survey in 2012.

Highway accessibility (2) Availability of skilled labor (3) Labor costs (1) Quality-of-life Occupancy or construction costs (5) Corporate tax rate (7) Energy availability and costs (6) Tax exemptions (9) Environmental regulations 10. Proximity to major markets The most obvious differences were Quality-of-life, Environmental regulations, and

Proximity to major markets, none of which appeared in the survey of seven years earlier.

Businesses don’t like uncertainty because it makes planning for the future more difficult. The Environmental regulations category was certainly unsettled because the current administration had made rolling back federal regulations a priority. No less than 90 rules and regulations had been rolled back or were in the process of being rolled back. At the top of the list were air pollution and emissions, drilling and extractions, and infrastructure and planning.

Although many of these rollbacks were championed by business interests, the threat of litigation and the prospect of a change in See SITE SELECTION, Page 7

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Pandemic offers resilient Mississippi a chance to embrace a brighter future

y favorite streaming video program lieve, will remain different for a long time. If during the COVID-19 virus stayso, fine. Let’s not pine away for the past. Let’s at-home lockdown has not been learn from this change, embrace different about tigers and their crazy trainer, Joe Exand move Mississippi forward. otic, from the wildly popular Netflix docuHow do we as a people and a state move series. Nor has it been about Scottie Pippin forward? First, we need to acknowland the other guy who played professional edge and mourn the loss of life, the vast basketball with him on the Chicago Bulls. negative impacts on our economy and the The one I’ve enjoyed the most is a series ennecessary loss of personal freedoms of moveHu Meena titled The Chosen about the time of Jesus’ earthly ment as most of us continue to practice “social ministry which has brought that profound era to life for distancing” by sheltering in place to protect ourselves me in new and compelling ways. The last few years of His and our neighbors. life here on earth literally changed the world forever.

Second, I believe we need to consciously decide not to In a scene from one of the early episodes, disciple Simon participate in the looming recession. Let’s decline the inPeter states how differ- vitation. Instead of accepting a recession, let’s embrace a ent an activity or task reset. A reset to see change as an enabler and not an impedprescribed by Jesus is iment. A reset to move aggressively instead of deliberately. compared to the way it A reset that leverages toughness, technology and a transhad always been done. formative mindset.

The character playing It all boils down to whether we are willing to proactively Jesus replies, “Get used use this change to our advantage. Some change, like that to different.” caused by this global pandemic, can be very challenging, While that phrase dramatic and uncomfortable. So, how do we use it? is not mentioned in We reset and move forward, fast, like a runner looking the Bible, it resonated to win a race at the finish line. If we hesitate, turn back and with me because ev- look behind, we will lose a step. We can’t look back! We erything is so different need to embrace different and move forward. now compared to two At C Spire, for over three decades, our company has months ago and, I be- found success in one of the most competitive industries

SITE SELECTION

Continued from, Page 6

future administrations created uncertainty.

Quality-of-life appears at number four on the list for the first time. However, it is noted that Area Development had quality-of-life as a sub-survey in its 2012 and 2013 surveys. Respondents to the survey were interested in this factor as it is becoming increasingly important in attracting skilled labor. So what are Quality-of-life factors? In the earlier surveys, Quality-of-life factors included the following: Low crime rate Healthcare facilities Housing costs Ratings of public schools Housing availability Recreational opportunities Colleges and universities in the area Climate Cultural opportunities Back in 2012, the number four factor in the survey was Availability of advanced ICT services. That issue is deemed to be resolved as those services are now assumed to be available. Available buildings was ranked number eight.

Back to number one on the list, Highway accessibility. With 80% of U.S. communities

served exclusively by trucks and more products being delivered to the customer, it is no surprise that this factor is so important.

State and local incentives was becoming a factor in 2012, when it was ranked number 13 on the list, and had moved up to number 8 on the 2012 list. It did not make the Top 10 in either 2018 or 2019.

Low union profile was ranked at number 10 in the 2012 survey but was absent in the 2019 survey.

What was on the list in 2012 survey, but not on the 2019 survey? Availability of advanced ICT services was ranked number four.

Looking ahead, it is speculated that factors two, three, seven and nine will be most affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

There will be no shortage of labor, only shortage of jobs. Before, respondents to the survey cited Availability of skilled labor as the number two site selection factor.

Because of what amounted to full employment, companies had to hire the “already employed.” Doing so, tended to drive up labor costs in many areas. Now, with so many layoffs, skilled labor should be easier to find.

That may even drive down average wages.

Energy availability and costs will not be a factor for a while because of current low and falling energy costs. The nationwide average for a gallon of regular gasoline was $1.85 and the average for diesel was $2.51,

in the world because we have fully embraced continuous change and perpetual innovation. We learned early on that resisting change is an exercise in futility. No question we are structured and operate differently than we did back then, but that’s the essence of change.

Let’s transition with conviction and speed to the economic mountain top we have never seen. It can be done by incorporating the positives of work-from-anywhere applications, by viewing on-line education as a sharp new tool in our educational tool kit and expanding the use of telehealth in our great health care ecosystem in Mississippi. Further, our businesses should leverage the highly connected world we have discovered while trapped in our homes. In the last few weeks we have seen how the entire worldwide marketplace might literally be at our fingertips.

It’s time to go after it!

Our very existence as human beings is proof that change is at work in all aspects of our being. Change forces us as individuals and organizations to grow and to constantly evaluate our decisions and priorities.

Let’s get used to different, Mississippi. It’s time for a reset. Let’s work to make it work. » HU MEENA is President and CEO of C Spire, a Mississippi-based diversified telecommunications and technology services company.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The column is the first in a series of Mississippi CEOs writing how Mississippi businesses are responding to the COVID-10 crisis.

according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s April 13 Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update. Because of the global oversupply of oil, prices have also dropped, which will result in lower energy costs to run manufacturing plants and heat and cool commercial buildings.

For more information and details about the survey, check out Area Development’s

» RICK NOBLE

34th Annual Corporate Survey online at https://www.areadevelopment.com/ Corporate-Consultants-Survey-Results/ Q1-2020/34th-annual-corporate-survey-16th-annual-consultants-survey.shtml. » PHIL HARDWICK is a regular Mississippi Business Journal columnist. His email address is phil@ philhardwick.com.

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Apr. 18 - May 1, 2020

Mississippi’s two big indie bookstores await Grisham title

By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com

I

ndependent bookstores are always facing changes in the marketplace that can threaten their very existence.

First came the chains, then the Internet, which gained the upper hand over all booksellers.

Then Amazon, which as the name suggests, has become the biggest retail bookseller in the world.

Now the corona virus pandemic has cast an invisible net over the whole book publishing industry.

Entangled in the big net are the ultimate survivors of publishing: the indies.

Two bookstores in Mississippi are goto places for those with a literary hunger during the no-go epoch.

Square Books in Oxford and Lemuria Books in Jackson.

Selling signed books is a magnet for Lemuria and Square, and no name is bigger in that category than John Grisham, a oneman industry who turns out at least one bestseller a year.

This year, it will be two.

“Camino Winds” will go on sale April 28 as a sequel to “Camino Island” published in 2017.

It is not one of his annual legal thrillers whose leaves drop from his imagination every fall.

The setting for the Camino books is a bookstsore, which is largely modeled on Square Books, said John Evans, owner of Lemuria.

And a twofer couldn’t be better for the two Mississippi indies.

“In Mississippi, it means a lot, especially to Square Books and Lemuria, since we’ve been working with him for so long,” Evans said.

Release of a Grisham book is “usually a high traffic” event, but not this year, with the

Main Street America finds up to 7.5 million small businesses in danger of closing permanently

lockdown ordered by Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, which mirrors a similar order from Gov. Tate Reeves.

Evans is considering putting up a tent out-

62

percent of surveyed small businesses in Mississippi at risk of permanent closure in

side Banner Hall for the release date.

Lyn Roberts, manager of Square Books, said Grisham is very generous with signed copies. “We’re very grateful to him.”

Roberts said Square Books sales are down 70 percent since the onset of the pandemic in March. Evans said Lemuria has not been hurt to that extent.

Booksellers do not set the price of new books, which is controlled by the publisher, Roberts said. In the case of Grisham’s latest, that will be $28.95.

Sellers catch a break from publishers’ (Doubleday in this case) discounts ranging from 40 percent to 46 percent, Roberts said.

S q u a r e B o o k s closed its doors on March 18 and sold by delivery and shipping until Tate’s shelterin-place order starting April 3, when curbside sales began. Reeves has since extended the lock-down to at least Tuesday, April 27.

Meantime, the two largest Mississippi indies await the arrival of the next Grisham book, a life preserver in choppy seas. » JACK WEATHERLY is the senior reporter for the Mississippi Business Journal. He can be reached at jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com.

five months A new report published by Main Street America, founded by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, reveals that nearly 7.5 million small businesses across the country are in danger of closing over the next five months as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

Of the 149 small businesses surveyed in Mississippi, 62 percent indicated that their businesses are at risk of closing permanently in the next five months. Half of Mississippi respondents have seen their revenue decrease by more than 75 percent since early March.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Small Businesses is based on the first and most extensive survey to date assessing the impact of the pandemic on small businesses, especially those that employ 20 or fewer people. Nearly 6,000 small business owners responded to the survey, of whom 91% own businesses with staff of fewer than 20 people. Interactive maps with state and local-level data can be found here.

“We remain deeply concerned that many of our nation’s smallest businesses are the most vulnerable to revenue disruption caused by the pandemic, and these businesses are the least able to obtain funds absent a well-developed relationship with an existing lender and/or technical assistance in securing funds,” says Patrice Frey, President and CEO of Main Street America. “Congress must ensure there are sufficient funds to support all small businesses in need, particularly those with under 20 employees.”

The report also calls on Congress to fund the U.S. Small Business Administration and partner organizations like local Main Street programs and Chambers of Commerce to expand technical assistance to small businesses. These local economic development organizations act as critical connectors and educators for our nation’s smallest employers and can help ensure stimulus dollars reach these businesses.

Similarly, state and local governments must continue to prioritize and fund these

essential downtown and city-wide small business support organizations. These programs not only play a vital role in stabilizing local economies throughout the crisis but will expedite the recovery process once the pandemic subsides.

“The Mississippi Main Street Association has been working overtime to help our local communities respond to the impacts of COVID-19,” said Thomas Gregory, State Coordinator for MMSA. “Specifically, we are assisting our local Main Street directors in navigating small business loan programs and we are providing grant funds for community development projects in our Main Street communities,” Gregory stated.

While much focus has turned to supporting e-commerce solutions to help boost revenue while the nation remains in quarantine, troublingly almost two-thirds of the businesses surveyed nationally said they did not have an active online sales component to their business.

In Mississippi, nearly 70 percent of respondents indicated they do not have an active online sales component to their business. The report suggests web development and e-commerce training for small businesses might also be a needed area of investment for the federal government to consider as the need for further cash infusion is evaluated.

“Mississippi’s downtowns are the heart of our communities and the Mississippi Main Street Association is providing the critical resources our Main Street organizations need to revitalize their local economies,” Gregory said. “As we say all the time, Mississippi Main Street is a family, and we are all working through this unprecedented situation together,” Gregory added.

The report is based on survey responses from small business owners in 48 states and the District of Columbia. Respondents came from more than 1,000 locales across the United States, including big cities like New York and Chicago and small towns like Blairsville, Georgia and Greybull, Wyoming. Nearly 40 percent of the small businesses represented in this survey operate in towns with fewer than 10,000 residents.

March 2020

Mississippi Unemployment Rates by County DeSoto

Mississippi 5.0 U.S. 4.5

Apr. 18 - May 1, 2020

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March 2020

Mississippi Business Journal

Tunica

UNITED STATES Labor Force Data Civilian Labor Force Unemployed Unemployment Rate Employed STATE OF MISSISSIPPI Unemployment Insurance Data •• Initial UI Claims Continued Claims Benefits Paid Weeks Paid First Payments Final Payments Average Weekly Benefit

Mar ‘20 162,537,000 7,370,000 4.5 155,167,000

Feb ‘20 1,262,800 64,700 5.1 1,198,100

Mar ‘19 1,269,500 64,700 5.1 1,204,800

Feb ‘20 164,235,000 6,218,000 3.8 158,017,000

Mar 2020 60,907 55,357 $7,990,137 39,244 13,374 499 $203.60

Mar ‘19 162,823,000 6,382,000 3.9 158,017,000

‘19 Avg. 1,276,100 69,200 5.4 1,206,900

Feb 2020 3,460 33,534 $4,575,876 21,688 1,544 470 $210.99

** Average for most recent twelve months, including current month •• Unemployment Insurance amounts presented in this section only represent regular UI benefits, federal program amounts are not included. Labor force amounts are produced in cooperation with the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Note: Unless indicated state and county data presented are not seasonally adjusted.

— Mississippi Department of Employment Security

Quitman 5.1 7.0

Grenada Montgomery Carroll 5.7 4.7

Washington Sunflower Leflore Montgomery 7.0 8.4 7.0 Carroll 5.7 Humphreys Holmes 6.0 10.2 9.2 Washington Sharkey 7.0 7.8 Humphreys Holmes 10.2

Issaquena Sharkey 8.3 7.8

Madison Leake 4.2

Yazoo 5.9

Issaquena 8.3

Warren 5.2 Warren 5.2 Hinds 5.0

Claiborne 9.2

Claiborne 9.2

Jefferson

12.5 Jefferson 12.5 Adams

Adams6.7 6.7

Wilkinson Wilkinson 9.1 9.1

Hinds 5.0

Copiah

Copiah 5.9 5.9

Franklin

Franklin6.1 6.1

AmiteAmite 6.4 6.4

5.2

Madison 4.2

Rankin Scott 3.7 4.2

Rankin 3.7

Clay Choctaw 5.07.1

Webster 5.6

Attala 5.9

9.2

Yazoo 5.9

Simpson Smith 5.1 4.7 Simpson

Pike 5.9

Clay 7.1

Monroe 5.0

Lowndes 5.0

Oktibbeha 5.1

7.1

5.7

5.9

Noxubee 7.1

Winston 5.7

Neshoba 5.7

Scott 4.2

Kemper 7.6

Kemper 7.6

Neshoba 5.7

Newton 5.1

Newton 5.1

Smith 4.7

Jasper 6.8

Lauderdale 4.9

Lauderdale 4.9

Jasper 6.8 Clarke

Clarke 6.0

6.0

5.1

Covington Jones 4.6 Covington Jones 5.1 Lawrence 4.6 Jeff Davis Lincoln 5.1 Lawrence Jeff 6.2Davis 6.2 Lincoln 5.0 5.0

5.0

Lowndes Oktibbeha Noxubee 5.1 Winston 5.0

Choctaw Attala 5.0

Leake 5.2

5.1

Webster Chickasaw 5.6 5.1

Calhoun 5.4

6.0

Tishomi 5.5

Lee Itawamba Chickasaw Monroe 4.1 4.7

Calhoun

Pontotoc 5.4 4.0

Grenada Yalobusha 4.7

Leflore 7.0

Sunflower 8.4

Bolivar 6.8

Prentiss 4.8

Union 4.0

Yalobusha

4.9

Alcorn 4.4

Tippah 4.6

Union Alcorn 4.0 4.4 Benton Tippah Lafayette Tishomingo 5.7 Lee5.5 Itawamba 4.6 4.0 Prentiss 4.1 Pontotoc 4.7 4.0 4.8

Lafayette 4.9 4.0

5.8

Quitman 7.0

Coahoma Bolivar 7.4

Tallahatchie 5.8

Moving Avg.** 163,751,000 5,996,000 3.7 157,755,000

Mar 2019 4,047 32,630 $4,230,188 20,148 1,416 381 $209.96

Panola Marshall 6.2 5.1

Panola Tallahatchie 6.2

6.8

Moving Avg.** 1,274,800 68,800 5.4 1,206,000

‘19 Avg. 163,539,000 6,001,000 3.7 157,538,000

Tate

Benton 5.7

Marshall 5.1

Tate 5.1

DeSoto 4.1 5.8 Coahoma 7.4

Labor force and employment security data Mar ‘20 1,260,800 63,600 5.0 1,197,200

Tunica 5.8

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Mississippi 5.0 U.S. 4.5

MISSISSIPPI’S MARCH UNEMPLOYMENT FIGURES STATE OF MISSISSIPPI Labor Force Data Civilian Labor Force Unemployed Unemployment Rate Employed

4.1

6.2

Unemployment Unemployment Rates Unemployment RatesRates

Marion Lamar 5.0 4.0

Lamar

Forrest 4.0 4.6

Forrest

Perry 4.6 6.3

Stone Pearl RiverPearl River 6.0 4.8

4.8

3.7 - 4.4

3.7 --4.4 3.7 4.4 4.5 --5.6 4.5 5.6 5.7 - 8.3 5.7 --8.3 5.7 8.3 8.4 - 12.5 8.4 --12.5 8.4 12.5 4.5 - 5.6

Wayne 5.7

6.2

Marion Pike Walthall 5.0 Walthall 5.9 6.7 6.7

Wayne 5.7

Harrison Hancock 4.8 Hancock 5.1

5.1

Greene Perry 6.9 6.3

George

Stone 6.3 6.0

Greene 6.9

George 6.3

Jackson

Harrison5.5 4.8

Jackson 5.5

Source: Labor Market Data Publication Design: Labor Market Information Department, MDES

Source: Labor Market Data Publication Design: Labor Market Information Department, MDES

Mississippi Labor Market Data — 3

Delta’s Double Quick in new hands after sale to S.C. buyers

Mississippi Labor

By TED CARTER mbj@msbusiness.com

T

he dozens of Double Quick convenience stores that are a fixture of the Mississippi Delta got new owners in a transaction that closed April 23.

Don’t worry.

You won’t have to get used to a new name, new signage, new store décor or new cashiers. Current store locations and the Double Quick corporate store workforce will remain, said Tom Gresham, Double Quick president and CEO. Double Quick and its 41 Delta stores and eight Arkansas stores are the latest acquisition of Charleston, S.C.-based Refuel. The 12-year-old seller of food and gasoline has been on a buying spree since its 2018 acquisition by Texas private equity firm First Reserve. With First Reserve, Refuel went on to acquire 30 stores from West Oil Inc. and Bishopville-Petroleum. They followed that with the $50 million construction of 10 new stores in South Carolina, according to an Associated Press report.

Acquisition of the Double Quick locations puts Refuel on track to meet the prediction of its principals to grow locations to over 100 by the end of the year.

Gresham declined to give a price for the private transaction. Refuel will handle administrative operations from the Gresham Petroleum Co./Double Quick headquarters on Pershing Avenue in Indianola.

Gresham, a former president of the Mississippi Economic Council, will wrap up a one-year term as president of the Delta Council on June 1.

As an officer and shareholder of Gresham Petroleum, he said he expects the firm will find a place for him. He’ll also be serving on the executive committee of Gov. Tate Reeves’ Restart Mississippi, a group Reeves will consult on the timing and steps toward removing restrictions related to the coronavirus.

Gresham and Bill McPherson started Double Quick in 1983. Tom Gresham’s brother Walton Gresham stayed on the petroleum side of the business, an operation the Gresham family started in the

1920s with a filling station and petroleum deliveries to farms in the region.

Today, Gresham Petroleum distributes fuel to Double Quick stores and other dealer sites.

Convenience store veteran Mark Jordan has been guiding Refuel’s expansions and applying a data-driven approach to its food and beverage of-

ferings, the Convenience Store News reported last year. The report noted Refuel’s stores have become known for making fresh boiled peanuts on site.

Double Quick, for its part, is known for fresh food, including made-to-order items for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Hot and cold beverages are also part of the draw.

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Apr. 18 - May 1, 2020

State Supreme Court unanimously upholds ruling to award C Spire with state technology contract

C

Spire’s new contract with the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services (ITS) will move forward without any further delays.

This news follows a unanimous decision by the Mississippi State Supreme Court denying AT&T’s appeal and will employ C Spire’s fiber technology to improve the state’s communications capabilities.

“We commend Mississippi’s state leadership for taking particular responsibility to spend each taxpayer dollar wisely and for putting our citizens’ needs first,” said C Spire CEO Hu Meena. “We look forward to continuing our successful partnership with MS ITS and providing Mississippians with the services and prices they deserve.”

C Spire’s cutting-edge network, with tens of millions of fiber feet throughout Mississippi, utilizes advanced IPbased services to provide leading voice and data services, keeping Mississippi at the forefront of technology now and for years to come. Under the new contract, state workers will have access to the fastest Internet speeds in Mississippi – over 100 Gigabits per second – making Mississippi a tech leader.

In 2017, MS ITS issued a Request for Proposals to purchase telecommunications services for all of state government. ITS then selected C Spire’s proposal over AT&T’s proposal for its superior service offerings, as well as its cost, which was $32 million less than what AT&T proposed. Now, instead of paying more for an antiquated, lega-

cy AT&T network, Mississippians will have access to C Spire’s new, advanced voice and data network that will give

state entities, including schools, the competitive edge they need.

Cooper Tire to begin process Yokohama reopening Mississippi of reopening plants next week commercial truck tire plant

A

fter being closed for five weeks, the Cooper Tire plant in Tupelo will start the process of reopening next week.

The plant, which opened in 1984, employs some 1,300 workers.

Cooper officials announced today that its manufacturing plants in the U.S. and Serbia “will begin the process of reopening and ramping up production next week.”

U.S. plant locations include Findlay, Ohio; Clarksdale and Tupelo, Mississippi and Texarkana, Arkansas. Cooper’s plant in Serbia is located in Kruševac. The company’s plant in Melksham, England remains temporarily closed.

To help safeguard the health and safety of employees, the company said it has put in place a comprehensive set of

return to work procedures that include required employee disclosures, increased cleaning and disinfecting of equipment, social distancing and physical barriers, visitor restrictions, and other measures.

Similar procedures have been effective at Cooper’s two plants in China, which reopened and began ramping up production in mid-February.

The company also announced that the federal government in Mexico has now determined that Cooper’s manufacturing plant there is a non-essential business, and is requiring Cooper to temporarily close the plant beginning April 28. Cooper had successfully reopened its Mexico plant April 13 after it Thomas Wells | Daily Journal had been temporarily closed due to coronavirus and its impacts. The company will continue to monitor the situation and prepare to reopen as soon as appropriate.

Cooper’s distribution centers around the globe have continued to operate and flow product to customers.

— Daily Journal

Y

okohama Corporation of North America (YCNA) announced today that its plant in West Point, Mississippi is reopening. Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Mississippi (YTMM), which produces commercial truck tires, is scheduled to go back online April 27. The plant temporarily closed as a precautionary measure in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

To ensure the health and welfare of all personnel upon their return, YTMM has implemented several new safety procedures at the plant based on the latest

guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as from local authorities.

» The front entrance of the Yokohama Tire plant in West Point.

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Apr. 18 - May 1, 2020

Using big data and AI to find fraud

T

he Office of the State Auditor is using new technology to look at more government transactions for fraud than ever before. The techniques we are using today were not available ten or, in some cases, even five years ago. Criminals should be more worried about the Auditor’s office than ever.

To understand the power of this technology, let’s compare it to farming. If you were a farmer who wanted to test the quality of your soil, you might take a sam-

ple of dirt from one corner of your field, then drive across the field and take another small sample, then perhaps another, and then send those samples to be tested.

This is sort of how traditional auditing works. It’s too onerous for auditors to examine how every penny was spent. Instead, we take samples. We do so to make sure those sampled expenditures do not contain signs of fraud.

New technology dramatically expands the number of expenditures we can review, because we no longer need human eyes to check every single one. Now we can sometimes take every expenditure that a government office has made, put those expenditures into software, and analyze them with an algorithm.

The algorithm tells us which expenditures look suspicious, and human auditors review those suspicious expenditures.

It’s as if the farmer can now test every single square foot of soil in his field and have a computer analyze that soil in real time. The analysis would tell the farmer more about the field than ever, just as this new big data technology tells us more about fraud risk than ever.

We’ve used technology like this in creative ways in recent months. Here are three examples: Data analysts in my office looked at millions of data points from Medicaid last year. We found that some of the folks who were on Medicaid rolls were either dead or ineligible for the program. When we turned that information over to the state Medicaid program, they were able to save around $600,000 for the year.

Another advanced data analytics project we’ve done involves one-time vendors.

In Mississippi, if a vendor performs only one service for state government—let’s say a plumber comes by once and fixes a pipe at a state agency—then that vendor is subject to less red tape than, say, a vendor who performs hundreds of services for state government. The idea is to make it easier for one-time vendors to perform small services and to speed up the pace of government. But there’s a problem if vendors perform many services and pretend they’ve only performed that service once.

They might be using the lack of paperwork to defraud us or evade their own taxes.

There are many ways to conceal performing multiple services. A fraudulent vendor could spell their name slightly differently (Shad White vs. Shad T. White vs.

Shadrack White) each time they perform work. And given the tricky ways this might be concealed, and given the massive number of transactions in state government, catching folks who want to take advantage of the one-time vendor rules can be difficult. So my office called on one of the leading artificial intelligence (AI) companies in the world, ASAPP, to help us solve this problem. ASAPP developed a method to identify which of the one-time vendors were not actually one-time vendors and which ones might be trying to defraud the state as opposed to the ones making an honest mistake.

In the coming months, we will partner with a data analytics company specializing in finding waste in public education spending. This project doesn’t involve looking for fraud, necessarily, but it is a use of technology to make sure more of our money makes it into the classroom. Data analysts can now take every expenditure made in a school district and analyze it for duplication and inefficiency. They can also compare spending to highly efficient districts.

The work doesn’t stop there. We will also apply advanced data analysis and artificial intelligence techniques to places where government spends a lot of money, like healthcare. The result will be better use of taxpayer dollars and less fraud. It also means auditors are able to do more auditing with the same amount of staff, which saves you money. I’m committed to using all the energy and brainpower in my office to find and use this new technology.

We can solve some of the oldest problems of government—waste and fraud—with the newest ideas.

Shad White is the 42nd State Auditor of Mississippi

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Cal-Maine denies allegations in price-gouging lawsuit

C

al-Maine Foods, Inc. recently denied that it was practicing price-gouging during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The response came after the attorney general for Texas filed suit the previous day.

“There has always been great volatility in the egg pricing market,” the Jackson-based company said in a release. “The Covid-19 pandemic caused a massive disruption in every sector of the economy, including the egg industry.

“Retail demand for eggs reached historically high levels and egg prices increased significantly in line with those demand trends. However, egg prices have since declined quickly to pre-Covid-19 levels.”

“Cal-Maine Foods has not changed its longstanding approach to pricing. Any allegation to the contrary is simply not true.”

“For decades, like other egg producers, Cal-Maine Foods has priced egg sales based on a model utilizing independent, third-party market quotes published by Urner Barry, the leading provider of protein market news and information for the food industry.

Cal-Maine cited Urner Barry as saying the average market price thru 11 months is $1.23 cents per dozen for Large Grade

A eggs. The low price for the year was on May 30, 2019, at $0.62 per dozen, or below break-even cost. The high price was $3.18 per dozen on March 26, 2020.

Before the pandemic, between December 2019 and February 2020, Cal-Maine’s prices in Texas were around $1.02 for generic eggs and $1.89 for specialty eggs, The Wall Street Journal said in citing the lawsuit.

Cal-Maine is the largest producer and marketer of shell eggs in the U.S., with a 19% overall market share.

According to the lawsuit, CalMaine’s price jumps weren’t justified because its egg supply wasn’t affected—the company has said its facilities have been fully operational, with no disruptions to delivery or its supply chain.

“During this pandemic, neither production costs nor contractual obligations forced Cal-Maine to charge exorbitant prices,” the lawsuit alleges, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The surge in pricing followed a tough year for U.S. egg producers, The Journal reported. On March 30, Cal-Maine reported a 10 percent decline in sales for the quarter ending Feb. 29, because of shrinking egg prices and high supplies, with profit down two-thirds from the previous year.

law & accounting Apr. 18 - May 1, 2020 • Mississippi Business Journal • www.msbusiness.com

How are college closings impacting graduating lawyers and accountants?

Is this being done online? What about hiring?

By LISA MONTI mbj@msbusiness.com

W

eeks before college students were set to graduate and enter the workforce to begin their careers, the pandemic upended the remainder of the school year and beyond.

For students studying law and accounting in the state’s colleges and universities, classes were shifted online as campuses closed and students returned home. Administrators quickly adopted new grading systems and began adjusting plans for graduation ceremonies, summer classes and the fall term.

For some graduates, job prospects are in flux for now.

The decision to move the Ole Miss Law School classes online was made during spring break, which was extended by a week to make the switch beginning March 23.

“The big push was to get the faculty trained and get them to where they felt comfortable” with the new online course management system, said Dean Susan Duncan.

The faculty went all out to learn a new way of teaching, she said. “They really care about their students and they are trying to do their best to get them through this.”

During the first week, students learned how to access the recorded lectures while the faculty stayed in close contact with them, adjusting workloads and making other refinements.

“By the second week, changes were made, everything was really resolved and there were fewer concerns,” she said, as students and teachers became more familiar with the new arrangement.

Other changes followed, she said, including giving pass-fail instead of letter grades and allowing open book exams. All the exams are being handled remotely and the last one is set for May 7. Graduation would have been May 9.

Summer classes all will be online as well.

“We still don’t know what fall is going to be.

People are really hoping to be back in the classroom if they feel safe enough.”

Meanwhile, students were waiting to see if their summer jobs would be affected and even when the state bar exam would be given. “Many states have already postponed theirs until the fall,” Duncan said. “That’s a real problem because student offers might be revoked if they haven’t passed the bar.”

Duncan said before the pandemic, the job market for lawyers was good, having rebounded after the Great Recession.

But even with uncertainty about the future, Duncan sees a silver lining in the new normal. “The Duncan faculty knows much more about using technology and how it can improve or enrich the classroom,” she said.

The law students showed resilience and grit, which she said will serve them well in their profession and in life. "I’ve seen them rise to the challenge and be kind to others.

It’s not what anybody wanted to happen but it’s been really heartwarming to watch the students and faculty come together and support each other.”

The Mississippi College School of Law moved classes online after extending spring break by a week, and gave students the option to take a class credit/no credit. Many students had experience with remote learning, and all faculty members “had some level of experience teaching some classes through online means,” said Professor Matt Steffey. “That facilitated the quick pivot.”

Graduation has been moved from May to August and summer classes will be online. “Then we expect to resume in-person classes in the fall,” said Steffey.

Steffey Everything is subject to change, though.

Steffey said finishing out the semester remotely has been “effective although not ideal.” It has created a feeling of camaraderie, with “everybody facing the same set of emergency circumstances,” though not everyone is affected equally. “It’s not ideal but for adults in a professional school for half a semester, it happened as well as one could hope.”

At the University of Southern Mississippi’s School of Accountancy, the move to all-online classes was smooth because many classes already had been taught using a mix of online and face to face sessions, said Marv Bouillon, Director, School of Accountancy.

With the campuses closed, he said, “all of my meetings are done virtually,” including student exit interviews and faculty meetings. For the Bouillon most part, students are handling the new normal well, he said.

Graduation now is planned for late August, he said, “assuming everything straightens out by then.” Summer school for the most part will be online, much like it was last year. He said fall classes are expected to be online and in classrooms “but with a few more online classes than normal.”

The pandemic has put career plans in a holding pattern, he said. “A lot of them had spring internships and many of them got job offers before everything fell through,” he said.

Even in all the uncertainty, public accounting firms are holding their own for the most part in what would be the busy tax season.

Many have been hired by businesses to fill out applications for government loans.

“That’s been a big deal,” he said. With the tax deadline extended, summer will be busy filing taxes. “I’m hoping it gets back to normal but now many firms are working virtually just like we are for the most part.”

LAW & ACCOUNTING

Apr. 18 - May 1, 2020

n

Mississippi Business Journal

n

13

Courts carry on in a pandemic

By LYNN LOFTON mbj@msbusiness.com

A

s in every facet of current life, the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the way the state's court system conducts business. Beginning in mid March, the Mississippi Supreme Court has issued emergency administrative orders pertaining to court operations, appropriate steps to protect public heath and safety, the release of pre-trial detainees, and authorization for trial judges to delay jury trials.

“Trial courts across the state issued orders postponing their previously scheduled jury trials,” Supreme Court spokeswoman Beverly Kraft said. “The Supreme Court gave individual judges the discretion to postpone any trials on their own dockets.”

However, the Supreme Court ordered that some in-person proceedings cannot be delayed. These include jury trials that were currently in progress; Department of Child Protection Services emergency matters related to child protection and custody orders; proceedings directly related to

protecting the constitutional rights of all persons; habeas corpus; mandatory youth court detention hearings for youth held in custody; and emergency mental-health orders.

“Any other emergency and time-sensitive matters are in the discretion of individual judges.” The Supreme Court directive says. “Each judge is authorized to

determine the manner in which necessary in-person proceedings are to be conducted. Any such in-person proceedings shall be limited to attorneys, parties, witnesses, security officers, members of the press, and other necessary persons, as determined by the trial judge.”

Technology is becoming a great aid for courts and attorneys and Zoom is a main-

stay. Chancery Judge Carter Bise of Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties said, “We are getting up to speed on electronic courts. We already had electronic filings with the deputy clerks for lawyers, and the courthouses are open for direct filing.

All four judges in the district are holding hearings using Zoom and teleconferencing which allows all to be present from their homes.

“It's a new learning curve but it allows participation with a large number of participants. All chancery judges in the state meet each Friday via Zoom.”

However, Judge Bise adds that there are some issues with decorum. “Since people think they are not technically in court, they may be in their pajamas or t-shirts and lying in bed.”

Attorneys Ashley Gunn and Michael Hewes agree about the importance of this new technology.

“Most courts have postponed civil jury trials and non-emergency hearings, and See COURTS, Page 17

14 n

Mississippi Business Journal

n

LAW & ACCOUNTING

Apr. 18 - May 1, 2020

Largest Accounting firms

Largest accounting Firms Largest Accounting firms Firm Local Address

Telephone Website

Top Officer Year Founded

Partners in Mississippi

CPAs in Mississippi

1

HORNE LLP 661 Sunnybrook Road, Ste. 100, Ridgeland, MS 39157

601-326-1000 hornellp.com

Joey D. Havens 1962

22

104

2

Watkins, Ward & Stafford, PLLC 213 Commerce St., West Point, MS 39773

662-494-5732 wwscpa.com

James L. Stafford 1949

24

49

3

Carr, Riggs & Ingram, LLC 400 W. Parkway Place, Suite 300 , Ridgeland, MS 39157

601-853-7050 cricpa.com

Elton Sims 1997

18

47

4

GranthamPoole 1062 Highland Colony Parkway, Suite 201 , Ridgeland, MS 39157

601-499-2400 granthampoole.com

Robert Cunningham 1977

20

45

5

Harper, Rains, Knight & Co., P.A. 1052 Highland Colony Parkway, Ste 100, Ridgeland, MS 39157

601-605-0722 hrkcpa.com

Cecil Harper 1952

8

38

6

Haddox Reid Eubank Betts PLLC 188 E. Capitol St., One Jackson Place Ste. 500, Jackson, MS 39201

601-948-2924 HaddoxReid.com

Greg King 1958

13

31

7

BKD CPAs & Advisors 190 E. Capitol St., Ste. 500, Jackson, MS 39201

601-948-6700 bkd.com

Andrew Williams 2008

6

30

TMH 2 Southern Pointe Pkwy., Ste. 100, Hattiesburg, MS 39401

601-264-3519 tmhcpas.com

Emily Paige Johnson 1977

11

30

9

KPMG, LLP 188 E. Capital St., Ste. 1100, Jackson, MS 39201-2127

601-354-3701 kpmg.com

Ashley E Willson 1987

3

25

10

T.E. Lott & Company 221 N. 7th St., Columbus, MS 39701

662-328-5387 telott.com

Thomas J. Buckley 1926

11

20

Alexander, Van Loon, Sloan, Levens & Favre, PLLC 9490 Three Rivers Rd., Gulfport, MS 39503

228-863-0411 avlcpa.com

Cindy Sloan 1967

6

20

12

Silas Simmons, LLP 209 N. Commerce St., Natchez, MS 39120

601-442-7411 silassimmons.com

1932

7

18

13

Nail McKinney P.A. 110 N. Madison St., Tupelo, MS 38804

662-842-6475 nmcpa.com

Richard D Bullock 1951

9

17

14

Matthews Cutrer & Lindsay | CPAs 599C Steed Rd., Ridgeland, MS 39157

601-898-8875 mclcpa.net

Matt E. Freeland 1988

10

16

15

May & Company, LLP 110 Monument Pl., Vicksburg, MS 39180

601-636-4762 maycpa.com

H. Riley Nelson 1922

7

15

16

Tann, Brown & Russ Co., PLLC 1501 Lakeland Dr., Ste. 300, Jackson, MS 39216

601-354-4926 tannbrownruss.com

Richard W. Russ 1970

8

14

17

Taylor, Powell, Wilson & Hartford, P.A. 1705 U.S. 82 West, Greenwood, MS 38930

662-453-6432 tpwh.com

Howard Raymond Davis, Jr., Will King Knight 1917

6

13

Rea, Shaw, Giffin & Stuart 2415 9th St., Meridian, MS 39301

601-693-2841 rsgscpa.com

O Keith Evans 1935

7

13

19

Piltz Williams LaRosa & Co. 1077 Tommy Munro Dr., Biloxi, MS 39532

228-374-4141 pwlcpa.com

David C Neumann 1962

5

11

20

Williams, Pitts and Beard, PLLC 2042 McIngvale Rd., Ste. A, Hernando, MS 38632

662-429-4436 wpbcpa.net

Danny L. Williams 1983

4

8

21

McArthur Slay & Dews, PLLC 1 Commerce Dr., Ste. 100, Hattiesburg, MS 39402

601-264-2423 msd-cpas.com

L. Andrew Dews, Harry McArthur, III, Raymond Polk, Laura Blackwell 1935

4

6

BFMW Group, PLLC 115 W. Market St., Greenwood, MS 38930

662-453-3235 BFMWgroup.com

N. Craig Brewer, III 1999

5

6

Byrne Zizzi CPA, PLLC 111 E. Washington St., Houston, MS 38851

662-456-5757 byrnezizzi.com

Thomas A Byrne, Jr, Emily M Zizzi 1961

3

6

24

The Koerber Company, P.A. 103 Madison Plaza, Hattiesburg, MS 39402

601-583-1000 koerbercompany.com

James A. Koerber 1997

3

5

25

JE Vance & Co., P.A. 825 W. Jefferson St., Tupelo, MS 38804

662-842-2123 jevance.com

James E. Vance 1989

2

4

The Burgess Group, P.A. 2506 Lakeland Dr., Ste. 401, Flowood, MS 39232

601-939-7116 burgessgroup.net

Beth B. Burgess 2001

1

4

Orsborn, Sutphen & O'Neal, P.A. 208 George St., Greenwood, MS 38930

662-453-4175 osocpa.com

F. Marshall Sutphen, Sr. 1951

3

4

DeVoe Carr, PLLC, CPAs & Businerss Advisors 1420 N. Lamar, Oxford, MS 38865

662-234-0703 devoecarr.com

Richard L. DeVoe, Phillip A. Carr, Rebecca Simmons, PJ Belk 1994

4

4

Collins, Barr & Hembree, Ltd. 130 Fountains Blvd., Ste. 100, Madison, MS 39110

601-707-7536 cbhcpas.com

Wallace B. Collins 1976

3

4

Sayle, Sandifer & Associates, LLP 2037 Highway 82 E, Greenville, MS 38704

662-378-2222 sayle-sandifer.com

V.L. Sandifer, Jr., Lisa Sandifer, Ben B Sayle, Brandon Johnson 1969

3

3

Huffman & Company, CPA, P.A. 497 Keywood Circle Suite A;PO Box 321330, Flowood, MS 39232

601-933-1986 huffmanandcompanycpa.com

Tony Huffman 1991

1

3

Rank

30

Information provided by firm representatives and MBJ research and ranked by CPAs in Mississippi. Direct questions to frank.brown@msbusiness.com.

Going Green Apr. 18 - May 1, 2020 • Mississippi Business Journal • www.msbusiness.com

Department of Environmental Quality temporarily suspends deadline during COVID-19 emergency

By BECKY GILLETTE mbj@msbusiness.com

T

he Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) has shifted its mode of operation and permitting requirements overseeing state industries to comply with the governor’s “shelter in place” order effective April 3 which required, among other things, that all non-essential business operations and travel cease.

“MDEQ recognizes that, in complying with the Governor’s Orders, facilities regulated by MDEQ may have reduced work forces due to illness, travel restrictions, and social distancing restrictions implemented in compliance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) guidelines, and that temporary suspension of deadlines to comply with certain reporting, document submittal, and other regulatory requirements may be necessary,” said MDEQ Interim Executive Director Chris Wells.

MDEQ has provided guidance to regulated facilities which may experience temporary noncompliance directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Wells said facilities are expected to take all reasonably practicable steps to operate in compliance with permit terms and conditions and applicable regulatory and statutory requirements including, but not limited to, all applicable air emission and water discharge limitations.

“Deviations from such terms and conditions and limitations must continue to be reported to MDEQ per existing requirements,” Wells said. “We have implemented some electronic permit communication and other measures to make it easier for facilities and staff to remain in contact. No significant issues have been reported.”

John McKay, president and CEO, Mississippi Manufacturers Association, said the move by MDEQ to essentially allow for delays related to related to COVID-19 took into consideration that MDEQ staff and industry staff are not currently operating at full capacity now that much of the staff is working remotely.

“That move by MDEQ was very much appreciated, especially for companies that had new permits or renewals that they needed execute,” McKay said. “It definitely

provided the time and space that was needed to make sure they didn’t fall out of compliance during the emergency. Our state partners, MDEQ, the Dept. of Revenue and other state agencies our membership deals with on regular basis, have all been very accommodating to push back deadlines or set up other ways to assist companies during these difficult situations.”

Wells said it is the intent of MDEQ to conduct, to the extent possible, currently-scheduled public hearings, as well as all other public hearings which may be scheduled while this temporary guidance is in effect, via virtual/remote access means.

There has been a Title V fee hearing hosted by MDEQ’s Air Division, and there was a landfill public hearing in Marshall County scheduled for April 30.

included encouraging employees carrying out essential duties to work from home, sending sick employees home, actively encouraging sick employees to stay home, and sepWells arating and sending home employees who appear to have respiratory illness symptoms.

Wells said MDEQ will make a case specific evaluation and exercise appropriate enforcement discretion in addressing noncompliance, including not assessing penalties for such non-compliance, where the facility provides adequate documentation that: (1) the deviation is attributable to the

There was a telephonic meeting of the Mississippi Environmental Quality Permit Board on April 14 and a similar teleconference meeting for the Commission on Environmental Quality meeting on April 23.

MDEQ offices are closed to public access. The agency has transitioned to telecommuting to continue the work of the agency as much as is logistically possible.

The vast majority of MDEQ staff are working remotely.

In the mid-March proclamation of a state of emergency in Mississippi, Gov. Tate Reeves directed that any state statutes, rules, regulations, or orders may be temporarily suspended or modified if compliance with such provisions would prevent, hinder, or delay action necessary to cope with the COVID-19 outbreak. Such measures

COVID-19 pandemic; (2) the person or facility took all reasonable and appropriate actions to minimize both the extent and duration of the non-compliance; and (3) the person or facility took reasonably practicable steps to return to compliance as soon as possible. In any event, no person or facility should operate in a manner that creates an acute risk or imminent threat to human health or the environment.

Where operations are adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, if an application for a permit renewal is due to be submitted between March 14 and the date MDEQ withdraws this guidance, such application for permit renewal must be submitted as soon as reasonably possible, but no later than 90 days from the date MDEQ withdraws this guidance.

Wells said permittees submitting late permit renewal applications in reliance upon this guidance must provide adequate documentation that the delay in submittal is attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic. Any person or facility whose permit expires during the time that this temporary guidance is in effect, or whose permit expires due to a delayed submittal of a renewal application in accordance with this guidance, will be expected to comply with the terms and conditions of such expired permit, until such time as a new or renewed permit may be issued.

If a party to any notice of violation, administrative or agreed order, or other compliance directive from MDEQ is adversely impacted due to COVID-19, MDEQ will consider extensions and/or modifications to the requirements of such a notice of violation, order or directive on a case-by-case basis upon receipt of such requests and accompanying information justifying the need for the extension/modification.

Wells said facilities where operations are adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic may request in writing (an email to a MDEQ contact is sufficient), on a case-by-case basis, an extension of any of the deadlines specified in their permits or any other applicable statutory or regulatory deadlines. Facilities seeking such extension must provide adequate documentation that the extension requested is attributable to, and made necessary by, the COVID-19 pandemic.

Continuing education training classes required for certification renewals have been cancelled or temporarily suspended due to COVID-19 (e.g., visible emissions evaluation training and certification, wastewater operator training education classes, solid waste facility operator training, etc.). MDEQ will administratively continue certifications that were in good standing as of March 14, and which expired solely due to the unavailability of classes required to maintain certification as a result of COVID-19. In such circumstances, MDEQ will also grant an extension to meet continuing education requirements until such classes resume. Applications for renewal of certifications where all regulatory requirements for renewal have been met should be submitted to MDEQ for processing as normal.

Mississippi Recycling Programs

16 n

Mississippi Business Journal

n

Apr. 18 - May 1, 2020

Organization Address County Phone mississippi recycling programs Adams County City of Natchez Alcorn County City of Corinth City of Cleveland Calhoun County Town of Carrollton City of Quitman City of West Point Coahoma County City of Crystal Springs City of Hernando City of Horn Lake City of Olive Branch City of Southaven DeSoto County Mississippi Recycling Services City of Hattiesburg MS Army National Guard -Camp Shelby Recycling Facility University of Southern Mississippi EnergyZMart MS Army National Guard -Camp McCain Recycling Facility City of Diamondhead Hancock County City of Gulfport Harrison County Beautification Commission

Website

Program Type

adamscountyms.net natchez.ms.us alcorncounty.org cityofcorinthms.com cityofclevelandms.com calhouncoms.com carrolltonms.net quitman.ms wpnet.org coahomacounty.net cityofcrystalsprings.com cityofhernando.org hornlake.org obms.us southaven.org desotocountyms.gov

Local Government Drop Off Local Government Curbside Local Government Curbside Local Government Drop Off Local Government Drop Off Local Government Drop Off Local Government Drop Off Local Government Curbside & Drop Off Local Government Curbside & Drop Off Local Government Drop Off; Includes Clarksdale Local Government Drop Off Local Government Curbside & Drop Off Local Government Curbside Local Government Curbside Local Government Drop Off Local Government Curbside & Drop Off Private Recycler Local Government Curbside

307 Market St, Natchez, MS, 39120 233 1/2 D'Evereux Dr, Natchez, MS, 39120 305 S. Fulton Dr, Corinth, MS, 38834 300 Childs St, Corinth, MS, 38834 1098 Old Hwy 61 N., Cleveland, MS, 38732 103 W. Main St, Pittsboro, MS, 38951 701 Lexington St, Carrollton, MS, 38917 101 East Church St, Quitman, MS, 39355 580 Commerce St, West Point, MS, 39773 115 First St, Clarksdale, MS, 38614 210 E. Railroad Ave., Crystal Springs, MS, 39059 475 West Commerce St, Hernando, MS, 38632 3101 Goodman Rd W, Horn Lake, MS, 38637 9200 Pigeon Roost, Olive Branch, MS, 38654 5813 Pepperchase Dr, Southaven, MS, 38671 365 Losher St, Suite 200, Hernando, MS, 38632 6500 Center St E, Horn Lake, MS, 38637 P.O. Box 1898, Hattiesburg, MS, 39403

Adams Adams Alcorn Alcorn Bolivar Calhoun Carroll Clarke Clay Coahoma Copiah DeSoto DeSoto DeSoto DeSoto DeSoto DeSoto Forrest

601-304-8022 601-445-7518 662-286-7707 662-286-6644 662-843-5365 662-412-3126 662-237-9274 601-776-3728 662-494-2573 662-645-9713 601-624-3405 662-429-9092 662-393-0249 662-895-4335 662-796-2489 662-469-8152 901-331-9510 601-545-4645

Camp Shelby, MS, 39401

Forrest

601-813-6095

3403 Morningside Dr, Hattiesburg, MS, 39406 376 Kershaw St., Grenada, MS, 38901

Forrest Grenada

601-266-6801 662-230-0383

usm.edu/green facebook

Campus (open to Hattiesburg-area residents) Private Recycler

3152 James H. Biddy Rd, Grenada, MS, 38901

Grenada

662-294-0072

ms.ng.mil/installations/mccain

MSARNG material recovery facility

5000 Diamondhead Cir., Diamondhead, MS, 39525 854 Highway 90, Bay St. Louis, MS, 39520 Gulfport, MS, 39503

Hancock Hancock Harrison

228-222-4626 228-363-1877 228-818-5393

diamondhead.ms.gov hancockcounty.ms.gov gulfport-ms.gov

Local Government Curbside Local Government Drop Off Local Government Curbside

1801 23rd Ave, Gulfport, MS, 39501

Harrison

228-214-1405

keepharrisoncountybeautiful.com

Local Keep America Beautiful Affiliate

Harrison County Utility Authority

10271 Express Drive, Gulfport, MS, 39503

Harrison

228-868-8752

hcua-ms.us

City of Byram City of Clinton City of Jackson D.D.J. Recycling Door 2 Door Recycling Hinds Community College Town of Lexington City of Fulton Douglas Recycling City of Gautier City of Moss Point City of Ocean Springs City of Pascagoula Jackson County

550 Executive Blvd, Byram, MS, 39272 525 Springridge Road, Clinton, MS, 39056 200 S President St., Ste 523, Jackson, MS, 39205 1230 Springridge Road, Clinton, MS, 39056 Jackson, MS P.O. Box 1100, Raymond, MS, 39154 112 Spring St, Lexington, MS, 39095 213 West Wiygul St, Fulton, MS, 38843 1720 Highway 178, Mantachie, MS, 38855 P.O.Box 670, Gautier, MS, 39553 4320 McInnis Ave, Moss Point, MS, 39563 712-A Pine Drive, Ocean Springs, MS, 39566 4011 14th St, Pascagoula, MS, 39567 10501 Seaman Road, Vancleave, MS, 39565

Hinds Hinds Hinds Hinds Hinds Hinds Holmes Itawamba Itawamba Jackson Jackson Jackson Jackson Jackson

601-372-7791 601-924-2239 601-960-1193 601-503-3305 888-564-7767 601-906-9975 662-834-1261 662-862-4929 662-862-7844 228-497-2276 228-475-0300 228-475-0300 228-372-6835 228-872-8340

byram-ms.us clintonms.org jacksonms.gov

gautier-ms.gov cityofmosspoint.org ci.ocean-springs.ms.us cityofpascagoula.com co.jackson.ms.us

City of Oxford

107 Courthouse Square, Oxford, MS, 38655

Lafayette

662-232-2745

oxfordms.net

Door 2 Door Recycling Oxford Recycling Facility FV Recycling City of Meridian Lauderdale County Leake County (Pearl River Valley Supply District) City of Baldwyn City of Plantersville City of Tupelo Keep Tupelo Beautiful Lee County

Oxford, MS County Rd 321 (Pea Ridge Road), Oxford, MS 1386 Hwy 42, Sumrall, MS, 39482 311 27th Ave, Meridian, MS, 39301 2715 6th St, Meridian, MS, 39301

Lafayette Lafayette Lamar Lauderdale Lauderdale

888-564-7767

door2doorrecycling.com

877-927-8372 601-485-1920 601-482-9868

fvrecycling.com meridianms.org lauderdalecounty.org

Local Government Curbside. Includes Biloxi, D'Iberville, Long Beach, Pass Christian Local Government Drop Off Local Government Curbside & Drop Off Local Government Curbside Private Recycler Paid Subscription Curbside Campus (open to Raymond-area residents) Limited Cardboard Collection Local Government Drop Off Private Recycler Local Government Curbside Local Government Curbside Local Government Curbside Local Government Curbside Local Government Curbside Local Government Curbside & Drop Off; Includes Recycling Center Paid Subscription Curbside Local Government Recycling Facility Private Recycler Local Government Curbside County Recycle Days

P.O. Box 2180, Ridgeland, MS, 39158

Leake

601-605-6898

therez.ms.gov

State Agency Recycling Program

200 West Main St, Baldwyn, MS, 38824 2587 Main St, Plantersville, MS, 38862 669 Westmoreland Dr, Tupelo, MS, 38801 907 Lynn Circle, Tupelo, MS, 38804 281 County Road 1282, Tupelo, MS, 38804

Lee Lee Lee Lee Lee

662-365-2383 662-844-2012 662-407-0708

Baldwynliving.com

662-844-2003

City of Greenwood

P.O. Box 907, Greenwood, MS, 38930

Leflore

662-455-7625

greenwoodms.com

Greenwood/Leflore Recycling Facilty

Leflore

662-455-7197

greenwoodms.com

Leflore

662-254-3098

mvsu.edu

Campus (open to Itta Bena area residents)

City of Brookhaven

1500 Commerce St, Greenwood, MS, 38930 14000 U.S. 82 W., Technical Education Bldg, Itta Bena, MS, 38941 P.O. Box 560, Brookhaven, MS, 39602

Local Government Drop Off Local Government Drop Off Residential Curbside, Drop Off Local Keep Mississippi Beautiful Affiliate Local Government Drop Off Local Government Curbside & Drop Off. Includes Indianola and Sidon Local Government Recycling Facility

Lincoln

601-833-7766

brookhaven-ms.gov

City of Columbus

523 Main St, Columbus, MS, 39701

Lowndes

662-328-7021

thecityofcolumbusms.org

Allen Recycling City of Canton City of Madison City of Ridgeland Door 2 Door Recycling Madison County Town of Flora Marshall County City of Amory

522 Industrial Drive, Canton, MS, 39046 303 Soldier Colony Road, Canton, MS, 39046 1239 U.S. 51 N., Madison, MS, 39110 304 U.S. 51, Ridgeland, MS, 39157 Jackson, MS 125 W. North St, Canton, MS, 39046 P.O.Box 218, Flora, MS, 39071 128 E Van Dorn Ave, Holly Springs, MS, 38635 109 S. Front St, Amory, MS, 38821

Madison Madison Madison Madison Madison Madison Madison Marshall Monroe

601-214-4188 769-320-6014 601-856-8958 601-853-2027 888-564-7767 601-855-5502 601-879-8686 662-252-3434 662-256-5635

cityofcantonms.com madisonthecity.com ridgelandms.org door2doorrecycling.com madison-co.com florams.com Marshall-county.com cityofamoryms.com

Local Government Curbside, Public Spaces, Drop Off Local Government Drop Off/Private. Includes New Hope and Caledonia Private Recycler Local Government Drop Off Local Government Curbside Local Government Curbside Paid Subscription Curbside Local Government Drop Off Local Government Drop Off Local Government Drop Off Local Government Drop Off

Mississippi Valley State University

hattiesburgms.com

MSARNG material recovery facility

door2doorrecycling.com hindscc.edu facebook

tupelorecycling.com facebook

Mississippi Recycling Programs

Organization Address County Phone mississippi recycling programs

Apr. 18 - May 1, 2020 Website

n

Mississippi Business Journal

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17

Program Type

City of Winona

409 Summit St, Winona, MS, 38967

Montgomery

662-283-1232

winonams.us

Local Government Drop Off

City of Starkville

506 DL Conner, Starkville, MS, 39759

Oktibbeha

662-323-2652

cityofstarkville.org

Local Government Curbside

Door 2 Door Recycling

Starkville, MS

Oktibbeha

888-564-7767

door2doorrecycling.com

Paid Subscription Curbside

Industrial Recyclers of Mississippi, LLC

211-A C.C. Clark Road, Starkville, MS, 39759

Oktibbeha

662-324-0930

industrialrecyclersms.com

Private Recycler

Panola County

P.O. Box 1548, Batesville, MS, 38606

Panola

662-934-7992

panolacoms.com

Local Government Drop Off

City of Picayune

203 Goodyear Blvd., Picayune, MS, 39466

Pearl River

601-799-0602

picayune.ms.us

Local Government Curbside

mccomb-ms.gov

Local Government Drop Off. Includes Osyka, Summit, Magnolia

City of McComb

115 3rd St, McComb, MS, 39648

Pike

601-248-0237

City of Pontotoc

116 N. Main St., Pontotoc, MS, 38863

Pontotoc

662-489-4321

pontotocms.org

Residential Drop Off

City of Flowood

2101 Airport Road, Flowood, MS

Rankin

601-624-8645

cityofflowood.com

Local Government Drop Off

Door 2 Door Recycling

Jackson, MS

Rankin

888-564-7767

door2doorrecycling.com

Paid Subscription Curbside

Hinds Community College-Pearl Campus

3805 Highway 80 E., Pearl, MS, 39208

Rankin

601-936-1820

hindscc.edu

Campus (open to Pearl-area residents)

Keep the Reservoir Beautiful

P.O.Box 2180, Ridgeland, MS, 39158

Rankin

601-421-6160

keeptherezbeautiful.org

Local Keep Mississippi Beautiful Affiliate

Rankin County

211 E Government St, Suite A, Brandon, MS, 39042

Rankin

601-825-9213

rankincounty.org

Local Government Drop-Off

Rankin County (Pearl River Valley Supply District)

P.O. Box 2180, Ridgeland, MS, 39158

Rankin

601-605-6898

therez.ms.gov

State Agency Recycling Program

cityofmorton.com

City of Morton

97 West First Ave., Morton, MS, 39117

Scott

601-732-6252

Community Recycling Inc.

520 Walnut St, Rolling Fork, MS, 39159

Sharkey

662-828-3779

Sharkey County

120 Locust St, Rolling Fork, MS, 39159

Sharkey

662-873-2755

City of Magee

Magee, MS, 39111

Simpson

601-849-3344

Local Government Drop-Off Private Recycler Local Government Drop-Off

cityofmagee.com

Local Government Drop-Off

City of New Albany

P.O. Box 56, New Albany, MS, 38652

Union

662-534-1010

newalbany.ms

Local Government Drop Off

City of Vicksburg

819 South St, Vicksburg, MS, 39180

Warren

601-634-4528

vicksburg.org

Local Government Curbside & Drop Off Local Government Drop-Off

MIDD West Industries

100 Smokey Lane, Vicksburg, MS, 39180

Warren

601-638-2761

City of Greenville

304 Main St, Greenville, MS, 38701

Washington

662-378-1534

greenvillems.org lelandchamber.com

City of Leland

206 N. Broad St, Leland, MS, 38756

Washington

662-686-4136

Greenville Recycling

235 Lake Front Road, Greenville, MS, 38704

Washington

662-347-4869

Wayne County

609 Azalea Drive, Waynesboro, MS, 39367

Wayne

601-735-3414

Services Vicksburg Drop-Off Local Government Drop-Off Private Recycler waynecounty.ms

Local Government Drop Off

Wilkinson County 525 Main St, Woodville, MS, 39669 Wilkinson 601-888-3436 wilkinson.co.ms.gov Local Government Drop-Off List ranked by county. Source: Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. Eleven counties do not have programs. Direct questions to frank.brown@msbusiness.com.

COURTS

Continued from, Page 14

many courts are holding hearings via Zoom or telephonically,” Gunn, an attorney with Wise Carter Child & Carraway, said. “The current procedures vary across the state, but courts are trying to accommodate cases as much as possible while also being safe and following social distancing guidelines. A lot of work goes into cases before they are 'heard' in the courtroom, so those matters which were not yet ready for trial or a major hearing are still carrying on as normal, for the most part.”

She adds that the state Supreme Court and the federal District court orders are being implemented at the local level in ways that best fit that particular local area.

Hewes, an attorney with the Gulfport office of Butler Snow, says he and others in the firm are maintaining regular contact with clients, primarily through scheduled video conferences or phone conferences. “Many clients are under similar quarantine restrictions and there are few, if any, face-to-face meetings currently scheduled,” he said.

Hewes feels all cases have some degree of urgency in the

context of jury trial settings, but his firm is seeing trial dates moved further down the calendar. “There have been hearings, conferences and petitions to get a firm timeline, and while some cases are slotted, the situation regarding scheduling is fluid and we are all working together to be as flexible as possible to ensure we are proceeding in a method that is the safest and most efficient for all parties,” he said.

Gunn says all litigants view their cases as critical, but the courts are mandating what is a priority in this unprecedented time. “Attorneys, judges, and court staff are facing the same concerns as the general population while also trying hard to continue as close to normal operations as possible to serve parties involved in the justice system,” she said. “Priority for hearings is given to urgent matters involving children and those in dire need of assistance, such as domestic violence protection hearings.”

Gunn notes that not all cases are right for telephonic and/or video hearings, but often times a matter can be handled without in person ap-

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pearance. “Like many others, I am working remotely from home, but am connected through email and phone just as if I was in the office. COVID-19 hasn’t changed the fact that we are open for business.”

Hewes foresees more remote activities in the future until restrictions are lifted in their entirety. “On the civil side, many judges have continued trial settings, hearings, appearances etc. for 60 days or more and will revisit the continuance upon expiration of the period,” he said. “We have seen some cases where judges have continued any litigation activities involving face-to-face contact (depositions, medical examinations, etc.) for a defined period in light of the quarantine.”

Judge Bise said, “Due to time constraints, as well as the initial inertial of this emergency, there will be a backlog when the courts are fully open and moving again, but critical cases are being heard.”

Wetland Consulting Services, Inc.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Wetland Determination Delineation Permitting Mitigation Mitigation Banking Violation Resolution Consulting Endangered Species Survey Gopher Tortoise Relocation Archaeological Surveys Phase I (ASTM) Commercial and Industrial Developments Utility Line Corridors Well & Tower Sites Roadway & Bridge Projects Wastewater Management Sites Subdivision & Residential

wetlandconsultingservice.com • 601-550-2346

Environmental Consulting Firms

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Environmental Consulting Firms Largest environmental consulting Firms Company Address

Phone Website

Principals Founded

Allen Engineering and Science, Inc. 6360 I-55 N., Ste. 330, Jackson, MS 39211 W.L. Burle Engineers, P.A. 111 S. Walnut St., Greenville, MS 38701

601-936-4440 allenes.com 662-332-2619 wlburle.com

Jeffrey L. Allen 1993 William Louis Burle, Jr. 1991

3

Environmental Management Services Inc. 7350 US Hwy 98, Hattiesburg, MS 39402

601-544-3674 env-mgt.com

Clyde Woodward, Jr. 1997

4

FC&E Engineering, LLC 917 Marquette Road, Brandon, MS 39042

601-824-1860 fce-engineering.com

Ken Faulkner, PE 2004

5

Environmental Compliance & Safety, Inc. P.O. Box 356, Sherman, MS 38869

662-840-5945 envirocomp.net

Brian S. Ketchum, Kirk A. Shelton 2002

6

Cobb Environmental and Technical Services Inc. 871 S. Green St., Tupelo, MS 38804

662-841-0995 cobbenv.com

Brian Cobb 1997

7

Advanced Environmental Consultants Inc. 775 N. President St., Jackson, MS 39202

601-362-1788 advancedenviroconsultants.com

DeJonnette Grantham King, Ph.D. 1996

601-853-2134 earthcon.com

Earl Scott 1990

601-922-0766 hazclean.com

E. Corbin McGriff, Lori L. Muirhead 1990

601-948.3071 neel-schaffer.com

W. Hibbett Neel, Jr. 1983

601-956-8233 ppmco.com

Mike McCown, Annie McIlwain 1994

601-956-4467 terracon.com

Richard M. Simon 1965

601-899-9252 thompsonengineering.com

Bobby Moseley, Richard Sheffield 1991

662-328-2286

Rank 1 2

EarthCon Consultants Inc. 401 Fontaine Place, Suite 102, Ridgeland, MS 39157 Hazclean Environmental Consultants of Mississippi,Inc. 160 Upton Dr., Jackson, MS 39209 Neel-Schaffer, Inc. 125 S. Congress St., Ste. 1100, Jackson, MS 39201 PPM Consultants Inc. 289 Commerce Park Drive, Suite D, Ridgeland, MS 39157 Terracon Consultants Inc. 859 Pear Orchard Rd., Ridgeland, MS 39157 Thompson Engineering 599 North Park Drvie., Ste. A, Ridgeland , MS 39157 Environmental Evaluation & Control P.O. Box 5422, Columbus, MS 39704 Pickering Firm, Inc. 2001 Airport Rd., Ste. 201, Flowood, MS 39232

601-956-3663 pickeringfirm.com

WGK Inc. Engineers & Surveyors 204 W. Leake St., Clinton, MS 39056

601-925-4444 wgkengineers.com

Ron Robinson 1993 Nat Whitten, Curt Craig, Rick Ferguson, Dan Townsend, Jonathan Johnson, Blake Collins, Andy Phelan 1981 Greg Gearhart, Bill Owen, Mike McKenzie, Josh Broome 1991

17

Cypress Environment & Infrastructure 906 DeSoto St., Ocean Springs, MS 39564

228-596-2708 cypress-environmental.com

Cynthia Henderson, Marc Foster 2010

18

Clearwater Consultants Inc. 316 University Dr., Starkville, MS 39759

662-323-8000

Carey Hardin 1982

19

C&B Enterprise Incorporated P.O. Box 2186, Madison, MS 39130

601-238-9129

Calvin Ousby, Sr., Barbara Ousby 2000

CTEH, LLC 660 Lakeland East, Suite 107, Jackson, MS 39232

601-278-7814 cteh.com

Phillip Goad 1997

EnSafe Inc. 101 W. Washington St., Suite C5, Ridgeland, MS 39157

601-981-4880 ensafe.com

Brian R. Derry 1980

Access Environmental Solutions Inc. 1100 Augusta Dr, Ste 704, Oxford, MS 38655

662-680-9927 accessenvironmental.com

David Sykes 1998

Environmental Management Plus Inc. 117 Richardson Drive, Jackson, MS 39209 Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions, Inc. 112 Village Blvd, Ste A, Madison, MS 39110

601-922-1919 evnmgntplus.com

Alfred L. Martin, Jr. 1993

601-709-2837 woodplc.com

Rick Crawford 2014

14

22

Terrell W. Temple, Richmond Alexander, Steve Miller 1987 Ed Reid, Issac Edwards, Ellen Reid, First Environment Inc. 770-424-3344 Bernard Tod Delaney, Michael Slack firstenvironment.com 1020 W. 4th St., Wesson, MS 39191 1987 Mendrop Engineering Resources, LLC 601-899-5158 Blake Mendrop mendrop.net 2001 854 Wilson Dr, Ste A, Ridgeland, MS 39157 Wetland Consulting Services, Inc. 601-550-2346 Robert Carl Anderson 28 wetlandconsultingservice.com 1998 21 Autumn Run, Hattiesburg, MS 39402 AECOM (601) 352-2701 Mike Burke 29 aecom.com 1990 111 E Capitol St #400, Jackson, MS 39201 Brown, Mitchell & Alexander Inc. 228-864-7612 Dax Alexander, Ben Smith bmaengineers.com 1967 401 Cowan Rd, Ste A, Gulfport, MS 39507 Epes Environmental & Consulting 662-473-9800 Pierce Epes epesenviro.com 2002 419 Railroad St., Water Valley, MS 38965 PM Environmental Inc. 800-313-2966 Peter Bosanic pmenv.com 1992 500 Russell St., #106, Starkville, MS 39759 Data provided by company representatives and MBJ research. Direct questions to frank.brown@msbusiness.com.

25

Engineering Plus Inc. 1724-B 23rd Ave., Meridian, MS 39301

601-693-4234 engineeringplus.com

Services Engineering, planning, consulting, and construction management services for private and public sectors.

Environmental/Civil/ Geo-technical/Structural Engineering, Land Surveying and Construction Material Testing Services Environmental consulting; Permitting; ESA's; Brownfields redevelopment; solid waste facility design/permitting; lowimpact development Turnkey permitting and compliance services including air permitting and modeling, wastewater, SWPPP, SPCC, landfills, and hazardous waste.

Environmental & Safety Consulting Firm (North MS and Gulf Coast Office) - Air, Water, Waste, Audits, Compliance Assistance, Service Plans, Training.

Air and Water Quality Permitting, Environmental Site Assessments, Due Diligence, Remedial Evaluation and Design, Asbestos and Mold Evaulations.

Project, environmental, construction management; environmental justice; asbestos; air monitoring; abatement; lead inspections; risk assessments Environmental consulting services: Phase I/II ESA; Brownfields Assessment/Remediation; Permitting; Industrial Hygiene Air quality surveys; mold assessments; industrial hygiene; noise assessments; site assessments; and environmental permitting Industrial environmental permits, environmental assessments, water/wastewater treatment, hydrology/ hydrogeology, UST/AST remediation Assessment/remediation of soil & groundwater, Brownfields & economic redevelopment, environmental due diligence and compliance Environmental Assessments, Remediation Plans & Operations, Industrial Hygiene, Brownfields, USTs, Asbestos Surveys, HazMat Surveys, IAQ Multi-discipline engineering design; environmental consulting; construction management; quality assurance inspection & testing Asbestos/ lead-based paint inspections, mold/ indoor air quality evaluations and remediation, regulatory compliance.

NEPA Assessments, Asbestos Compliance, USTs, Civil Engineering and Land Surveying, Water and Wastewater Engineering, Transportation Design Sewage collection, treatment, disposal; water supply, treatment, distribution; industrial waste treatment; storm water handling; surveying; permitting Environmental Engineering and Planning; Civil & Coastal Engineering; Regulatory Compliance; Remediation; Wetland & Stream Mitigation Municipal and industrial wastewater collection, treatment and disposal; water treatment and distribution; various regulatory compliance assistance Environmental Assessment Phase I/II; Project Management/Development Emergency Response; Env.Consulting; Toxicology; Industrial Hygiene; Air Monitoring; Air, Water, Groundwater and Soil Sampling Engineering; environmental permitting, compliance & assessments; health & safety; remediation; abatement; technology management Industrial permitting for air emissions and water discharges, hazardous waste management, emergency response planning, Phase I ESA Asbestos, Lead-Based Paint and Mold: Inspections, Abatement, Air Monitoring; UST Removals Wood is a full service environmental and engineering firm, focused on the needs of our industrial, commercial and municipal clients.

Highways; environmental; soils investigation; material testing; site planning; surveying; landscape design; general civil; county engineering Environmental consulting & engineering, including site investigation & remediation, litigation support, climate change & sustainability.

Environmental Staff in MS 35 31 28 23 16 12 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 8 8

8 7 6 5 5 5 4 4 4 3 3

Hydrology & Hydraulics

3

Wetland delineation; permitting; mitigation; endangered species survey; ASTM Phase I surveys Design/build, planning, engineering, design, construction and defensive Stormwater design & permitting; dndangered species & NEPA assessments; wetland investigations Environmental engineering, compliance, Phase I, and permitting services Phase I & II environmental site assessments, underground storage tank management

2 1 1 1 1

Apr. 18 - May 1, 2020

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Mississippi ag industry holds on as virus rattles supply chains

By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com

US ENGINEERS EXAMINE IMPACT OF YAZOO PUMP PROJECT The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said recently that it will re-examine the potential environmental impact of a proposal for massive pumps to drain floodwaters from parts of rural Mississippi, drawing immediate criticism from conservation groups that say the project would be harmful and expensive.

Prominent Mississippi politicians have been pushing the Trump administration to revive and fund the project that was vetoed by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2008 under Republican President George W. Bush. Construction cost estimates exceed $400 million.

EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in April 2019 that the agency would reconsider the decision that has blocked the proposal for huge pumps to be built at the confluence of the Yazoo and Mississippi Rivers.

The Corps of Engineers filed a public notice Thursday in the Federal Register saying it will prepare a new environmental impact statement for the Yazoo Backwater Area north of Vicksburg.

The expanse of Delta flatland has experienced significant flooding during nine of the past 10 years, the Corps said.

“In particular, the historic flood of 2019 caused two deaths, caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damages, flooded over 600 homes, and significantly adversely affected the aquatic and terrestrial environment,” the Corps said. “The recurring flooding has demonstrated the need to complete the Yazoo Area Pump Project feature.”

The late Sen. John McCain once called the pumps “one of the worst projects ever conceived

by Congress,” and opponents say pushing water out of the south Delta could cause worse flooding downstream along the Mississippi River.

Among the Mississippi politicians trying to revive the project are Republican U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith, current Gov. Tate Reeves and his fellow Republican predecessor Phil Bryant and Democratic U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, whose congressional district includes the areas that would be most affected.

The Sierra Club said Thursday that the pump project is a “boondoggle” and “the poster child for political pork barrel spending.” Louie Miller, director of the group’s Mississippi chapter, said the Corps previously found that most of the area that flooded in 2019 would have still been submerged even if the pumps were in place. He said agricultural interests would be the main beneficiaries.

N

ational news reports have grabbed attention with footage of vast amounts of milk being dumped and mounds of vegetables that were buried in the fields that grew them.

Those are two of the many effects of the corona virus pandemic on the nation’s food supply.

The milk and vegetables had to be discarded because of a widely cited failure of “supply chains.”

In other words, the usual destination for those foods was not holding up its end of the bargain, according to Dr. Elizabeth Canales, specialty foods specialist at Mississippi State University.

Restaurants – which have been sharply curtailed due to the pandemic – are supplied with different cuts of meat than groceries.

Those dire dumping scenes have not happened in Mississippi, whose growing season for vegetables is just getting underway, Canales said in a recent interview.

Mississippi is not a major milk-producing state. It produced 29 million pounds of milk in the fourth quarter of 2019, about .054 percent of the national total of 53.8 billion pounds.

Michael Ferguson of Tate County, vice chairman of the Atlanta-based Dairy Alliance, said in an interview that he knew of only one incident that has occurred in Mississippi. Several tankers of milk designated for schools had to be dumped because of a miscommunication, he said.

Sale of fruits and vegetables to restaurants are suffering due to the ban on dining in, Canales said. Service is limited to curb-

side pickup and deliveries.

And because the channels are not established, “it’s hard to shift to retail,” Canales said.

But another threat to the food supply is shutting down of meat processing plants in other states.

But Dr. Josh Maples, assistant professor of economics at MSU, said in a teleconference on Friday that it will be “unlikely to see a national shortage of meat.”

That comes after SmithField and Tyson Foods shut down pork processing plants due to the outbreak of Covid-19 among its workers. The virus has not be shown to contaminate food.

Tyson Chairman John Tyson on Sunday said “the food supply chain is breaking.”

Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson is the United States’ largest meat processor. It has shut down two pork plants and one beef plant.

That assertion was rebutted by Executive Director of the American Association of Meat Processors Chris Young, who told Newsweek: “People may get to the grocery store and they may not have the exact cut of protein they want. But overall, there’s going to be enough meat for the consumer.”

Maples said that the second quarter supply of beef is expected to be slightly higher than average, even though there has been the disruption starting in early March.

There has been a sharp decrease – 10 percent to 20 percent – in the beef supply in the past couple of weeks, he said.

Still, he said, “prices are not crazy yet.”

Maples agreed with Canales that it is difficult to shift from one market – retail groceries, for instance – to another, such as restaurants. Cuts of meat are different for each destination market, he said.

Jon Kilgore, livestock communications director for the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation, said that only about 1 percent of the beef cattle raised in the state are processed here.

However, the pandemic is having a “huge impact on the producers of the herd in Mississippi,” which was about 930,000 in 2018 and is probably about that now, Kilgore said.

Kilgore agreed with Maples, saying that “you can’t just flip a switch” and move beef from one customer to the next. He noted that processors set up their machinery to cater to their customers, whether restaurants or grocery stores.

However, he said there is “nothing we can’t work through.”

Sanderson Farms Inc., which is based in Laurel, is the nation’s third-largest chicken producer, with five plants in Mississippi and 13 total, including in Georgia, Texas and North Carolina.

Sanderson sent 415 workers in Moultrie, Ga., home after they tested positive for the virus. One infected worker was sent home from the McComb plant in late March.

A Sanderson spokesman did not respond to a message left Tuesday about the pandemic and the company’s operations.

President Donald Trump plans to order U.S. meat processing plants facing concerns about corona virus outbreaks to stay open to protect the country’s food supply, a senior administration official said on Tuesday, according to Newsmax.

Trump was likely to sign an executive order later Tuesday, using the Defense Production Act to mandate that the plants continue to function, the official said.

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NEWSMAKERS

Apr. 18 - May 1, 2020

Edney admitted to American College of Trial Lawyers Butler Snow attorney Andrea La’Verne Edney has become a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in North America.

The fellows were inducted before an audience of 561 during a ceremony at the college’s 2020 spring meeting in Tucson, Arizona. The meeting, held March 5-8, had a total attendance of 679.

Edney “This is a well-deserved honor for La’Verne, and we are proud of her accomplishment,” said Christopher R. Maddux, chair of Butler Snow. “She is an exceedingly talented trial attorney and a valued member of our firm. The American College of Trial is a prestigious organization, and La’Verne’s admission speaks volumes about her commitment to client service and high-caliber legal work.”

Founded in 1950, the college is composed of the best of the trial bar from the United States and Canada. Fellowship in the college is extended by invitation only and only after careful investigation to those experienced trial lawyers of diverse backgrounds, who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility and collegiality. Lawyers must have a minimum of 15 years trial experience before they can be considered for fellowship.

Canterbury joins Renasant as assistant branch manager

Renasant has announced the hiring of Justin Canterbury as assistant branch manager of the Water Valley branch located at 1100 Central Street.

“We are excited to have Justin as a member of the Renasant team,” says Tommy Jones, President of Northwest Central MS Community & Business Banking. “He will be an asset to the Water Valley area. We look forward to watching him continue to grow in his leadership and new role as Assistant Branch Canterbury Manager.”

Canterbury is a 2010 graduate of East Mississippi Community College. He serves as Vice President-Elect of the Water Valley Area Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Water Valley Rotary Club, a volunteer member at Water Valley High School Interact Club, and a Deacon at First Baptist Church.

Turbeville promoted to CAO at BankPlus BankPlus has announced that Karlen Turbeville was recently promoted to Executive Vice President &

Chief Accounting Officer. Turbeville has been with BankPlus for over seven years and has over 30 years of financial and operational experience including public accounting with Arthur Andersen & Co. and in the telecommunications industry.

Turbeville attended the University of Mississippi where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant. Turbeville resides in Jackson and serves on the Board of Directors of Baptist Memorial Healthcare Corporation.

BankPlus promotes Southerland to CFO

BankPlus announces that Ann Southerland was recently promoted to Senior Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer.

Southerland has been with BankPlus for almost 17 years, and has over 35 years of experience in Accounting and Finance Southerland attended Mississippi State University Southerland and holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Accounting. She is also a Certified Public Accountant. Southerland resides in Madison, MS, serves on the board of Mission First, Inc., and is a member of First Baptist Church of Jackson.

BankPlus promotes Alison Tyler

BankPlus announces that Alison Tyler was recently promoted to Executive Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer.

Tyler has been with BankPlus for over two and a half years and has worked in Human Resources for the past two decades. Before joining BankPlus, Tyler previously worked as the Human Resources Director at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of MS and Tyler HORNE LLP. Tyler attended the University of Southern Mississippi and holds a degree in Social Science, with a minor in Psychology. She has a passion for helping others reach High-Performance and is a certified PHR ®, Human Resources Professional. She currently serves on the Board of the MS Telehealth Association and served on the Board for the MS Business Group on Health. Tyler was previously recognized as a top 10 finalist in the Top 50 under 40 by the MS Business Journal. She is a member of the MS Bankers Association HR Committee, the Society of Human Resources Management, and the Capital Area Human Resources Association.

Tyler resides in Madison, MS with her husband Todd and two sons, Evan and Brett. She attends Broadmoor Baptist Church and enjoys decorating, SEC sports, and watching her sons play travel baseball.

Regions Bank announce up to $50,000 matching gift to support COVID-19 relief Regions Bank on recently announced a contribution of up to $50,000 to the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) in support of UMMC’s comprehensive work to serve patients, families and communities affected by COVID-19.

These funds will be used as part of a matching gift option designed to help increase financial support for immediate needs across the Medical Center. For every dollar raised in support of UMMC’s COVID-19 response efforts, Regions Bank will provide a dollar-for-dollar match up to $50,000.

“Every day, around the clock, the physicians and staff of UMMC are meeting urgent needs and providing guidance, care, comfort and support for people and families from across our state,” said Robert Leard, Metro Jackson Market Executive for Regions Bank. “We are proud to support their work through this donation, and we encourage others to consider how they can contribute to these efforts as well. Indeed, we are facing an unprecedented challenge in the form of COVID-19. But we are also seeing unprecedented collaboration as people and organizations come together to support each other during a very difficult time.”

Donations can be made to the COVID-19 Recovery Support Fund online at this link. In addition, gifts can be mailed to COVID-19 Support; UMMC Development Accounting; 2500 N. State St.; Jackson, MS; 39216. Gifts may be made in honor or memory of a loved one, a health care hero, or any other person.

Contributions made in support of COVID-19 relief will be matched dollar-for-dollar by Regions – up to $50,000 – to assist UMMC in providing

medical supplies and equipment, supporting health care professionals, and offering additional support to patients and their families. UMMC is sharing consistently updated COVID-19 information, innovations and response tactics at www. umc.edu/coronavirus.

“We are grateful to community partners like Regions for their generosity in stepping up to assist UMMC, our providers and our patients during this time of uncertainty, suffering and loss,” said LouAnn Woodward, Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and Dean of UMMC’s School of Medicine.

“As we face this challenge together, this financial commitment from Regions will help us meet real human needs in real time.”

As Mississippi’s only academic medical center, UMMC is helping lead the state’s response to the pandemic. The UMMC Center for Telehealth, one of only two Telehealth Centers of Excellence in the nation, is providing triage services by phone and on smart devices for COVID-19 testing. UMMC experts have also provided responses to the pandemic, including the design of an emergency ventilator and creation of a respiratory clinic on the Jackson campus. In partnership with the Mississippi Department of Health, UMMC has provided in-house COVID-19 testing and has opened testing sites around the state.

The UMMC donation is part of Regions’ comprehensive response to helping people, businesses and communities affected by the coronavirus.

Collectively, Regions Bank and the Alabama-based Regions Foundation, a nonprofit initiative of Regions Bank that supports community investments, have committed $5,000,000 in support of small-business recovery, nonprofit assistance and other community initiatives.

For full versions of Newsmakers visit www.msbusiness.com

NEWSMAKERS

Apr. 18 - May 1, 2020

Hendrix wins scholarship Moss promoted to CEO of award to Site Selectors Merit Health Jackson Healthcare executive Barry Moss has been proGuild annual conference moted to the role of chief executive officer for Merit John Hendrix, Director of Economic Development for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, was recently awarded one of five scholarships to attend the Site Selectors Guild Annual Conference. This conference brings together all 51 global members of the Site Selectors Guild as well as economic developers from around the world.

“This annual conference afforded me the opportunity to Hendrix make contacts with experienced site selection consultants,” says Hendrix. “I was able to inform them about the many benefits and incentives to working with the Tribe, and describe the variety of industries we are currently serving.”

The conference featured expert guest speakers, breakout sessions, and panel discussions, all with the goal of fostering an interactive sharing of ideas with regard to site selection, as well as a networking opportunity for all attendees.

Hendrix received the Robert M. Ady Professional Scholarship, awarded to only five recipients who must be full-time employees of an economic development organization. These recipients are given a complimentary registration to the Annual Conference, including all activities throughout the event’s duration. This year’s conference was held in March in Atlanta, GA.

Brent Story joins Neel-Schaffer

Neel-Schaffer, Inc., has announced the addition of Brent Story, PE, to our Georgia Operations as Director of Transportation Services.

Based in Neel-Schaffer’s Atlanta office, Brent will play an integral role in enhancing our services to the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT).

Having spent his entire career with GDOT, Brent brings over three decades of diverse Story project experience to his new role. While at GDOT, Brent served in the offices of Roadway Design, Consultant Design, and Design Policy and Support. Brent most recently served as State Design Policy Engineer at GDOT, a position that included oversight of civil and CAD software standards, surveying standards, and roadway design policy and standards, among other services.

“We are eager to welcome Brent to the Neel-Schaffer team,” said Chris Sellers, Director of Business Development for the firm’s East Region. “Brent has an impressive depth of industry experience and he will be a valuable asset to our team. His expertise will enhance our ability to serve GDOT and clients across the state.”

Brent earned a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from Auburn University in 1990. In 2018, he was the recipient of GDOT’s prestigious Wayne Shackelford Award, presented for exceptional leadership, commitment to the Department, and service to the public.

Health’s Jackson Market.

Moss currently serves as CEO of Merit Health Central, and will continue in this position, which he has held for the past three years. In his expanded role, Moss will have oversight for Merit Health Rankin, Merit Health River Oaks and Merit Health Moss Woman’s Hospital. The CEOs of these hospitals will continue in their roles.

“I’m honored to support the work of Merit Health physicians and employees to enhance access to care and coordinate services between our facilities for the benefit of the communities we serve,” said Moss.

With over 15 years of executive healthcare management experience, the Alabama native joined Merit Health Central from sister facility Merit Health Rankin, where he functioned as CEO for three years.

He has also served in leadership roles at Merit Health Wesley in Hattiesburg and 10 years in administration at Flowers Hospital in Dothan, AL. “Barry has been an asset to the Merit Health leadership team, and I am pleased to have him branch out to help strengthen and expand our network to enrich the lives of patients across the central Mississippi region,” said Steve Dobbs, regional president and CEO, Merit Health.

Moss holds master’s degrees in business administration and health administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Birmingham Southern College.

Cunningham named engineer manager for Starkville office

Neel-Schaffer, Inc. has announced that John Cunningham, PE, has been promoted to the position of Senior Engineer Manager for the firm’s office in Starkville.

Cunningham joined Neel-Schaffer in 2007 and has more than 25 years of experience as a Project Engineer and Project Manager for a wide variety of projects and disciplines. He is a Vice President with the firm and as Cunningham Senior Engineer Manager will oversee all projects and activities for the Starkville office. “I look forward to continuing to serve our community and working with a great staff devoted to the betterment of all who live and work in our area,” said Cunningham.

Cunningham is a lifelong resident of the Golden Triangle Area and has developed an excellent reputation with clients across the region while completing dozens of projects over the last two decades.

“Making John the next leader of our growing Starkville office was a no-brainer and natural fit,” said Kevin Stafford, PE, Neel-Schaffer’s North Mississippi Operations Manager. “Our Starkville employees campaigned for him, and rightfully so. John will

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continue serving his long-time Golden Triangle clients, but I look forward to expanding his skillset as our firm continues to serve the Mississippi State University and Starkville community. John’s dedication to professional expertise and personable service is why we all love to work with him, and I anticipate his new staff and clients will agree.”

VT Halter Marine awarded fourth Navy berthing barge

VT Halter Marine of Pascagoula, a company of ST Engineering North America, was awarded a contract option for the U.S. Navy’s fourth Auxiliary Personnel Lighter–Small (APL(S)) 67 Class berthing and messing barge. The contract award is $39,906,609 for a firm, fixed-price option for the detail design and construction of the vessel.

VT Halter Marine is currently constructing the first three APLs. In September 2018, the company received the initial contract to design and build two units, with options for four additional units. Construction on the fourth vessel is expected to be completed in the summer of 2021. The company expects to deliver the first two APLs in the third calendar quarter of 2020 and the third vessel is due to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2020.

A section of the second Auxiliary Personnel Lighter–Small is lifted into place. VT Halter Marine received the U.S. Navy’s contract to construct a fourth APL.

“I am proud of the talented men and women here at VT Halter Marine who design, build and deliver quality vessels,” said Ron Baczkowski, President and CEO. “Our engineers and shipbuilders have done excellent work in the design and construction of the first three APLs; everyone here at VT Halter Marine is honored to serve our country.”

The initial contract was for the detailed design and construction of the first and second APL with an option for four additional vessels. Construction of all APL craft is firm, fixed-price. Should the Navy exercise all of the options with associated supplies and services, the total contract award would be in excess of $244 million.

APLs–also referred to as berthing barges–are used by the Navy to house crew members when ships are in port for availabilities and Inter-Deployment Training Cycles. The barges are mobile and can be towed to new bases or shipyards to support changing fleet requirements and also offer potential use for humanitarian missions and other temporary assignments.

The vessels are 82 meters long x 20.95 meters wide x 2.2 meters draft. Additionally, they are capable of seating 228 enlisted personnel and 56 officers for each meal. Each vessel is equipped with offices, classrooms, washrooms, laundry facilities, medical treatment areas, barber shop and fitness center. The vessels are being fitted with mixed gender berthing spaces for 74 officers and 537 enlisted personnel, for a total of 611 people.

MORA ANNOUNCES SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency (MORA) recently announced its 2019-2020 scholarship winners.

This year, MORA added three memorial scholarships from donated funds raised by donor families in memory of their loved one who gave the Gift of Life: the Allie Carruth Memorial Scholarship ($5,000), the Walker Wilbanks Memorial Scholarship ($2,265), and the Matthew Gaskin Memorial Scholarship ($1,000). MORA also offered two $1,000 scholarships: the Annie Lucious Gift of Life Scholarship and the Dr. Shirley Schlessinger Scholarship, named after MORA’s long time medical director, as well as two $500 scholarships.

Among other criteria, students submitted a 300-750 word essay on the topics of how they or their family have been affected by donation and/or transplantation, why they are a registered donor or want to become registered, or the importance of encouraging others to be donors.

The Walker Wilbanks Memorial Scholarship, however, was based solely on a one page letter written by an administrator, faculty or staff member on behalf of the applicant describing how he or she exhibits exemplary character traits such as integrity, accountability, respect, and responsibility.

The winners of the 2019-2020 scholarships are: Allie Carruth Memorial Scholarship ($5,000)— Kaitlin Elise Myricks, Germantown High School Walker Wilbanks Scholarship ($2,265)— Tyler Smith, Northeast Lauderdale High School Matthew Gaskin Memorial Scholarship ($1,000)— Molly Stinson, Madison Central High School Annie Lucious Gift of Life Scholarship ($1,000)— Hannah Johnson, Vardaman High School Dr. Shirley Schlessinger Scholarship ($1,000)— Taylor Claire Lessley, Cathedral High School MORA Scholarship ($500)— William Scott Giachelli, Washington School MORA Scholarship ($500)— Dempsie Lindsey, Saltillo High School

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NEWSMAKERS

Apr. 18 - May 1, 2020

Hinds parkway segment in Byram cited in national engineering competition The Jackson -based joint venture of Waggoner Engineering and IMS has earned a National Recognition Award for exemplary engineering achievement in the American Council of Engineering Companies’ (ACEC) 53rd annual Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) for Segment 2 of the Hinds Parkway in Byram.

The fully functional, 3.53-mile standalone roadway from Davis Road to Parks Road will eventually become part of the Hinds Parkway, connecting the City of Byram at I-55 to the Norrell Road Interchange at I-20 in Clinton. Conceived in 1988 as a multi-modal transportation corridor designed to enhance both economic development and energy efficiency, the 18-mile road will eventually become a 40-mph maximum speed, multi-lane, parkway-style roadway.

Two 12-foot lanes in both directions are divided by a 24-foot raised median with curb and gutter.

Crye-Leike names Sissye Gory sales manager of Flowood Office

Crye-Leike Real Estate Services has announced that Sissye Gory has been named sales manager of Crye-Leike’s Flowood branch office. Gory will be responsible for the recruitment, training and management of the office’s sales associates.

Gory has more than 25 years of managerial experience, previously overseeing Gory a multi-million dollar business with over 100 employees. While serving as general manager for that company, Gory navigated the path for growth and successful operations, leading to her selection as one of Mississippi’s Top 50 Business Women in 2001.

During the last five years of her real estate career, Gory has also perfected her sales skills as a successful Multi-Million Dollar Producer. She plans to use her real estate knowledge and managerial experience to embrace Crye-Leike’s “passionate commitment to unsurpassed service” for the Flowood office and community.

“I welcome the opportunity to continue to support and inspire the success of our agents through CryeLeike’s innovative technology, marketing and training support,” said Gory.

Finkelberg named to Forbes’ best-in-state wealth advisors

Arty Finkelberg, CFA, CFP®, Senior Vice Presidents-Investments and Managing Director-Investments, of Finkelberg Investments of Raymond James has been selected to the Forbes list of Best-In-State Wealth Advisors for the third consecutive year. The list, which recognizes advisors from national, regional and independent firms, was recently released online.

The entire project will consists of an 18-mile, low speed (45 mph) multi-lane parkway style road situated between the Byram Community at I-55 in the southern portion of the Jackson Metropolitan Area, extending northwestward to the Norrell Road Interchange at I-20 in Clinton.

The design includes separated multi-use trails and access limitations to promote public safety and enhanced levels of service. The corridor is designed

to be integrated into the existing fabric of the communities it connects, creating opportunities for economic development where appropriate, as well

Forbes has honored Finkelberg every year since the original ranking in 2018. The publication listed him as the number two wealth advisor in the state last year.

Finkelberg heads up Finkelberg Investments, a five-member team focused on investment management and retirement planning. According to the publication he oversees approximately $500 million in assets.

“Finkelberg Investments believes every client’s investment and financial strategy should be based on long-term goals and risk tolerance,” said Finkelberg. “Our investment approach is distinct, and each portfolio is designed to meet Finkelberg client needs and goals.”

The Forbes ranking of Best-In-State Wealth Advisors, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on an algorithm of qualitative criteria, mostly gained through telephone and in-person due diligence interviews, and quantitative data. Advisors that are considered have a minimum of seven years’ experience, and the algorithm weighs factors like revenue trends, assets under management, compliance records, industry experience and those that encompass best practices in their practices and approach to working with clients.

Out of approximately 32,000 nominations, more than 4,000 advisors received the award. Portfolio performance is not a criteria due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. Neither Forbes nor SHOOK receives a fee in exchange for rankings.

This ranking is not indicative of advisor’s future performance, is not an endorsement, and may not be representative of individual clients’ experience. Neither Raymond James nor any of its Financial Advisors or RIA firms pay a fee in exchange for this award/ rating. Raymond James is not affiliated with Forbes or Shook Research, LLC. Finkelberg, who joined Raymond James in 2011, has more than 37 years of experience in the financial services industry.

BGC taps Simpson for new position

Demetria Simpson, former Chief Executive Officer of Lucas Metropolitan Housing Authority (LMHA) recently accepted a new senior leadership role at BGC Advantage, a Louisiana-based affordable housing development, consulting, and management firm.

In her role as Vice Simpson President of Development, Simpson will accelerate the development of high-quality affordable and market-rate housing. She has 23 years of Housing and Development expertise. The move marks Simpson’s return to Mississippi, where she led the redevelopment efforts of affordable housing on the Mississippi Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina prior to her tenure at LMHA.

Hill returns to Mississippi as CFO of M&M Bank

Clayton Legear, President & Chief Executive Officer of Merchants and Marine Bank in Pascagoula, recently announced the selection of Casey Hill as the Bank’s Chief Financial Officer.

Hill, a Mississippi native, has held a variety of senior and executive banking roles in a broad cross-section of U.S. markets. He moves to Pascagoula from Austin, Texas, where he served as the managing director Hill of a multibillion-dollar national business unit at one of the wholesale funding banks of the Farm Credit system. Prior to that, he was chief credit officer at a bank on the west coast. In addition to these posts, Hill has significant banking experience within the markets where M&M Bank operates, including Mississippi and Alabama.

as environmental and community preservation and recreational opportunities.

Waggoner and IMS formed their joint venture in 2002 to provide transportation planning and design services to local governments The project is eligible for additional honors as part of a record 203 entries this year representing engineering excellence from throughout the nation and the world. Judging for the awards program— known industry-wide as the “Academy Awards of the engineering industry”– took place in February and was conducted by a national 35-member panel of built environment leaders, along with experts from government, the media and academia. Award criteria focused on uniqueness and originality, technical innovation, social and economic value, and generating excitement for the engineering profession.

Recognition of all award winners including top winners—20 Honor Awards, 16 Grand Awards and the prestigious “Grand Conceptor Award” for the year’s most outstanding overall engineering achievement—will take place at the annual EEA Dinner and Gala, a black-tie event originally scheduled to be held in April, but will now be held in September on a date and location to be determined.

Hill completed his undergraduate studies in banking and finance at Mississippi State University, going on to earn his MBA with honors from the Owen School of Management at Vanderbilt University.

Wolf named chief operating officer at Adams and Reese

Adams and Reese recently announced that Stephen C. Wolf, CPA, CLMhas joined the firm as Chief Operating Officer, based in the firm’s New Orleans office.

As COO, Wolf oversees all operational aspects of the firm, including financial management, administration, technology and information services, human resources, facilities, and risk management.

Wolf Wolf will also be heavily involved in the planning and execution of the firm’s strategic goals and to ensure its continued financial strength and operating efficiency, working closely with the Adams and Reese Executive Committee in this capacity.

Wolf was previously Chief Operating Officer at Deutsch Kerrigan, LLP in New Orleans, and prior to that was the firm administrator at Lugenbuhl Wheaton Peck Rankin and Hubbard and Martzell & Bickford, APC, both in New Orleans.

Wolf received his Bachelor of Science in Management from Tulane University and completed Graduate Studies in Management at Loyola University New Orleans. He is a Certified Public Accountant, Notary Public and Certified Legal Manager.

NEWSMAKERS

Apr. 18 - May 1, 2020

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Nail McKinney is pleased to announce the following elections and promotions: Richard D. “Ricky” Bullock, Jr., CPA has been elected as President of Nail McKinney P. A. Ricky, a native of Booneville, is a graduate of the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor of Accountancy and Master of Taxation.

He joined Nail McKinney in 2000 after practicing public accounting in Memphis and became a shareholder of Nail Bullock McKinney in 2011. Ricky, his wife, KK, and their daughter, Jill, reside in Booneville.

Matthew W. Oaks, CPA has been elected as Treasurer of Nail McKinney P.A. Matthew, a native of Booneville, is a graduate of Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Accountancy and a Master of Taxation. He joined Nail McKinney in 2010 and became a Oaks shareholder in 2019. Matthew, his wife, Jessi and their children, Murray and Mabry, reside in Tupelo.

Jon K. Pernell, CPA has been promoted to Senior Manager. Jon, a native of Greenwood, is a graduate of Delta State University with a Bachelor of Accountancy. Jon joined Nail McKinney in 2005 and he and his wife, Casey, reside in Tupelo.

Charles F. “Chase” Farmer, IV, CPA has been promoted to Manager. Chase, a native of Columbus, is a graduate of Mississippi University of Women with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Chase, his wife, Shelley, and their children, Charlie and Maggie, reside in Tupelo.

Charlotte W. Lofton, CPA has been promoted to Supervisor.

Charlotte, a native of Guntown, is a graduate of Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Accountancy. Charlotte joined Nail McKinney in 1992 and she and her husband, Ross, reside in Guntown.

Hollie P. Ballard, CPA has been promoted to Supervisor.

Hollie, a native of Corinth, is a graduate of Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Accountancy and a Master of Taxation. Hollie joined Nail McKinney in 2013. She and her husband, Carl, and their daughter, Carlie, reside in Shannon.

Ryan A. Rhea, CPA has been promoted to Supervisor. Ryan, a native of Tupelo, is a graduate of Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Accountancy and a Master of Taxation. He joined Nail McKinney in 2014 and currently resides in Saltillo.

Samantha A. Weatherford, CPA has been promoted to Supervisor. Samantha, a native of Sebastopol, MS is a graduate of Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Accountancy and a Master of Taxation. She joined Nail McKinney in 2018. Samantha and her husband, Bradley, and their children, June and Thomas, reside in Tupelo.

Rhea

Ole Miss’s MBA program ranks among top 50 in nation

Weatherford

Kyle G. Stephenson, CPA has been promoted to Senior. Kyle, a native of Booneville, is a graduate of the University of North Alabama with a Bachelor of Business Administration, with an emphasis in Accounting.

Kyle joined Nail McKinney in 2016 and he and his wife, Claire, reside in Tupelo.

Stephenson

Pernell

Farmer

Lofton

Matt Chisholm has been promoted to Senior. Matt, a native of Tupelo, is a graduate of Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Accountancy and a Master of Professional Accountancy.

He joined Nail McKinney in 2011. Matt and his wife, Callie, and their daughters, Lucy and Darci reside in Amory.

Chisholm

Jessica Tubbs has been promoted to Senior. Jessica, a native of Clarksdale, is a graduate of Delta State University with a Bachelor of Accountancy and a Master of Professional Accountancy.

She joined Nail McKinney in 2015 and currently resides in Guntown.

Tubbs

Ballard

MBA Class Officers

The University of Mississippi‘s Master of Business Administration program has been recognized as one of the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The rankings, released March 17, place Ole Miss in a three-way tie for No. 31 among public universities and No. 92 overall.

UM is tied with Oklahoma State and Texas Tech for the No. 31 spot.

The Southeastern Conference universities of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Missouri and Kentucky and Auburn University, Louisiana State University and Texas A&M University also are ranked in the top 50.

“We are excited for this recognition of our MBA program that reflects the outstanding education and value of the degree,” said Ken Cyree, dean of the UM School of Business Administration. “We have dedicated our efforts to create the best experience possible for our students who spend a year working hard to advance their business education.

“This ranking also reflects the dedication of the faculty, staff and alumni who are devoted to providing an excellent graduate education that creates competitive opportunities for our students.”

MBA programs have a greater enrollment than any other type of graduate degree programs in the country, the U.S. News release noted.

Prospective students often narrow their research exclusively to programs that award MBAs. To aid their efforts, the publication compiles annual rankings of campus and online MBA programs. This year’s campus rankings include 141

schools nationally.

“The ranking reflects a deep and ongoing commitment to excellence among our faculty, students and alumni,” said Walter Davis, faculty adviser to the MBA program.

Each year, U.S. News ranks professional school programs in business, education, engineering, law, medicine and nursing, including specialties in each area. The rankings in these areas are based on two types of data: expert opinions about program excellence and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school’s faculty, research and students.

The data for the rankings in all six disciplines comes from statistical surveys of more than 2,081 programs and from reputation surveys sent to more than 24,603 academics and professionals, conducted in fall 2019 and early 2020 For the 2021 edition, U.S. News ranked MBA programs using five categories: student engagement, expert opinion, faculty credentials and training, student excellence, and student services and technologies.

“Our campus program includes a 36-hour comprehensive curriculum that allows students to gain important business concepts and knowledge,” said Ashley McGee, director of the MBA program. Alongside this, we have a supportive MBA alumni board that emphasizes professional development.

“The knowledge gained in the classroom, plus the networking outside of class, equals outstanding career opportunities for our MBAs.” — By Stella Connell

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