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Garbage truck manufacturer New Way Trucks plans to expand its Booneville operation and create at least 120 new jobs. 

New Way is investing $4 million to grow its manufacturing capacity in Prentiss County, according to the Mississippi Development Authority. The Iowa-based company got a host of state incentives, including a rebate agreement, to grow its Mississippi footprint. 

New Way CEO Mike McLaughlin called the expansion “an easy decision” because of the company’s existing partnership with state and local leaders. 

The jobs will pay an average of $49,700, according to Prentiss County Development Association Director Leon Hays. The existing factory already employs about 140 people. 

“It’s a good win for us,” Hays said. “These are good paying jobs, really good opportunities for folks in our community.” 

New Way opened its Booneville facility inside a former tubing factory in 2019. The new factory is a 66,000-square-foot facility inside the Prentiss County Industrial Park, where workers will fabricate truck parts as well as research new product development. 

Prentiss County purchased the building for New Way for about $675,000, according to the local development association. New Way will rent the space from the county. The Mississippi Development Authority is paying $720,000 to rehab the building, which is all but $23,000 of the estimated construction costs. 

As part of the state’s Advantage Job Rebate Program, New Way will likely make back a good chunk of its initial investments. The program allows businesses to receive rebates if they create new jobs above the area’s annual average salary. 

New Way must hire at least 100 new positions at a minimum salary of about $36,500 over the next two years to collect the rebate, according to the written agreement obtained by Mississippi Today.

If New Way paid salaries at the minimum end of its agreement, it could receive more than $1 million back over next 10 years. The program caps the amount a company can earn back at 4% the cumulative total of the added salaries. 

“Mississippi boasts a strong portfolio of business advantages, all of which assist in keeping companies like New Way Trucks competitive in today’s marketplace,” Gov. Tate Reeves said in a statement. “Mississippi’s strongest advantage is our people, who are committed to their employer’s success just as much as their own.”

New Way has been steadily working with Northeast Mississippi Community College to ensure skilled welders are available to fill its open positions. Hays expects that relationship to grow so the factory can fill the upcoming openings. 

New Way plans to begin operating the facility by the end of the year.

The post Garbage truck maker New Way Trucks launches Mississippi expansion with promise of well-paying jobs appeared first on Mississippi Today.

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Seventy-four cases of COVID-19 have been reported at the Raymond Detention Facility and the Work Center, Hinds County Sheriff Lee Vance said in a Tuesday press release.

Of the total number, 14 employees and 60 detained people tested positive for the coronavirus. Vance said the positive cases were found after random rapid testing was conducted. He also said employees are on mandatory quarantine while detained people are being separated and quarantined within the facilities.

Other employees within the HCSO have tested positive for COVID-19 and are in quarantine, though the official number of people is not yet available, HCSO Captain Tyree Jones said in an email.

“The (Hinds County Sheriff’s Office) will continue to practice and enforce safety measurements for both detainees and employees,” Vance said in a statement released Tuesday.

This outbreak comes as the highly infectious Delta variant of the virus spreads across the state, causing the “fourth wave” of COVID-19 in the state. With increased social activities during the summer months and Mississippi’s low vaccination rate, hospitals and ICUs across the state are seeing a spike in people infected with the Delta variant. The Delta variant currently represents nearly all COVD-19 infections circulating in Mississippi, State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said.

Earlier this year Dr. Marc Stern, an assistant professor of health services at the University of Washington and an expert in correctional health care, told Mississippi Today jails and prisons are also high-risk locations for the coronavirus to spread.

“(It’s) much more likely that you’re going to get infected because it’s hard to keep social distance,” Stern said. “Ventilation may not be great. Hand hygiene may be challenging. Mask wearing may be challenging. All those things that we’re supposed to do are more difficult in a correctional setting.”

Vance said the increased COVID-19 numbers within the Raymond facilities also reflect the number of positive cases in the general public. 

On July 20, the Mississippi Department of Health reported 961 new cases of COVID-19 and 8 deaths, bringing the total number of cases in the state to 330,664 and 7,485 total deaths.

With over 2 million shots administered, only 34% of Mississippians have been fully vaccinated, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

“I personally encourage people to get vaccinated in an effort to slow the spread and minimize the numbers of those infected,” Vance said in a Tuesday press release.

The post As Delta variant spreads across Mississippi, COVID-19 outbreak reported at Raymond detention facilities appeared first on Mississippi Today.

In this episode of Mississippi Stores, Mississippi Today Editor-At-Large Marshall Ramsey sits down with Jackson-based chef Nick Wallace.

Nick Wallace learned to associate love and food from his grandmothers. That passion has continued throughout his long career as a chef, entrepreneur and philanthropist. Named best chef in Jackson and Mississippi, Wallace has been featured in many publications (Southern Living Magazine) and episodes for Food Network’s “Chopped” and “Fire Masters.”(which he won.) On July 20, 2021, his latest venture, The Nissan Café opened at Mississippi’s Two Museums. He also has given back through his non-profit Creativity Kitchen. Wallace talks about his life, his career, his philosophy, his passion and his love of Mississippi. 

To find out more about Nick, check out his website at nickwallaceculinary.com

The post Mississippi Stories: Nick Wallace appeared first on Mississippi Today.

State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said Tuesday that the Delta variant has taken over “all the transmission within the state of Mississippi.” Dobbs attributed the fourth wave of infections and hospitalizations the state is experiencing to the highly infectious nature of the Delta variant, increased social activities during the summer months and Mississippi’s low vaccination rate. 

“It really is kind of a perfect storm for an explosion in cases,” Dobbs said. 

The Delta variant has considerably increased the already high risks posed by the virus to unvaccinated people. Over the past month, 93% of new COVID-19 cases in Mississippi and 89% of deaths have been among the unvaccinated. Those vaccinated people who died from an exceedingly rare breakout infection have all been 65 and older. 

The surge of Delta infections Mississippi is experiencing is already hitting hospitals and ICUs. While hospitalizations are nowhere near their February peak, the increase in recent weeks has been sharp. Between July 5 and July 19, hospitalizations increased 189%, from 145 to 419. The number of COVID-19 patients in ICUs has increased 294% over the same period, from 35 to 138. 

Dobbs said that the increase in hospital and ICU admissions is straining the hospital systems in parts of the state, and that COVID patients in the Delta have been flown to the Pine Belt because there are no open ICU beds in their region. There are currently 13 hospitals across the state with zero ICU beds available. Dobbs said that a number significantly higher number of hospitals have less than 10% of their beds available. 

MSDH officials have repeatedly stressed that Mississippians have the choice of getting vaccinated or contracting COVID-19, and that in every scenario a vaccinated person is going to have a better outcome.

One of the main hurdles MSDH faces in getting more people vaccinated is combating the troves of vaccine misinformation that regularly circulate online. The problem is so bad that on July 13, the department removed the ability to comment on COVID-related posts on its Facebook page.

MSDH officials said that allowing misinformation to spread on its own page is “directly contrary” to the state’s public health mission and the ability to comment will be restored when the department develops an effective plan to moderate them.

In a candid moment during the press conference, Dobbs reflected on the dire situation the state is in and responded to backlash he’s received from anti-vaccine activists over a comment he made last week, saying “anti-science Nazis on social media” try to find anything to make an excuse to not get vaccinated.

“I just want to apologize for kind of getting away from a sense of calm decorum, but I’m frustrated,” Dobbs said. “I’m mad. I’m upset. I’m depressed. Because we’re going to watch people needlessly die over the next month or two, for no good reason. There is a mountain of lies and disinformation that is being promulgated by a relatively small number of misinformed, disillusioned people. And it’s leading folks astray. It’s very difficult to watch.”

The three COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in the United States are nearly as effective against the Delta variant as the original strain, greatly minimizing the chance of infection and nearly eliminating the risks of developing a serious illness. Studies suggest, however, that being fully vaccinated is the only adequate protection against the Delta variant, as a single shot of either of the two-dose mRNA vaccines provides only weak protection against infection. The Delta variant, first identified in India, is believed to be about 60% more contagious than the Alpha variant and up to twice as contagious as the original strain of COVID-19.

Despite the wide availability of vaccines and the risks posed by variants, Mississippi continues to rank last in the nation in the share of its population that has been vaccinated. With over 2 million shots administered, only 34% of Mississippians have been fully vaccinated, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

While MSDH has made new recommendations in response to the Delta spread to protect the most vulnerable, they are just that. Mississippi has had next to no COVID-related restrictions at the state level since Gov. Tate Reeves repealed most of them in March.

The post Delta variant now responsible for all new COVID cases, Dobbs says appeared first on Mississippi Today.

State tax collections increased by $924 million, or nearly 16%, year-over-year for the fiscal 2021 year that ended in June, a state report released Tuesday showed, as Mississippi’s economy recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic and percolates from billions in federal government spending.

The largest increase for fiscal year 2021 was in corporate income taxes, up $296 million or 54% year over year. Individual income taxes, use taxes (from online sales) and casino taxes also saw large percentage increases for the year, while sales taxes saw a modest increase of $88 million, or 4%.

Total state tax collections increased from about $5.8 billion to $6.7 billion year-over-year. This comes after the state ended last fiscal year at $151 million, or 2.5% below collections for the prior year amid the pandemic economic downturn. Over the last decade or so, state revenue growth has averaged around 3%.

Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann on Tuesday said he is “pleasantly surprised” by the fiscal year-end numbers.

“We are particularly pleased that the numbers are strong across the board,” Hosemann said. “The revenue strength is there with corporate and individual income taxes and sales taxes — hitting on all cylinders and that shows we have a healthy economy.”

Economists have also cited multiple federal stimulus packages passed by Congress to address the pandemic for fueling the Mississippi economy and revenue collections. Mississippi received more than $1.25 from the first round of federal pandemic spending and will be receiving around $6 billion all told from the most recent measures.

“Some of this obviously is the federal government pouring money in, with the CARES Act, and that is continuing with the RESCUE Act, so that’s good in that it is continuing and should help, although how we ever pay all that back as a country, I’m not sure,” Hosemann said. “But as long as we spend it well, it should help. I’ve been visiting with over 50 boards of supervisors and cities, and emphasizing the thing we need to do is look at how to spend this so it doesn’t just help and last for one or two years, but in ways that help for at least one or two generations.

“None of us ever predicted this kind of arrangement — this kind of ability to fund projects the state couldn’t have otherwise, water, sewer, broadband — so the real discussion now needs to turn to how we make the best use of these taxpayer dollars.”

The collections for fiscal year 2021 that ended in June also saw a large increase — about $230 million — from taxes that would have normally been collected in the prior year but were delayed because of pandemic extensions to pay.

The post Mississippi sees massive increases in tax collections as economy awakens, stimulus funds flow appeared first on Mississippi Today.

The Governor, who proclaims himself to be a numbers guy, is now facing higher COVID numbers thanks to Delta and our low vaccination rate.

The post Marshall Ramsey: The Numbers Guy appeared first on Mississippi Today.

Elise Winter, former First Lady of Mississippi and spouse of Governor William Winter, was a true public servant in her own right. Deeply invested in Habitat for Humanity, her legacy of public service built a beautiful eternal home as well.

The post Marshall Ramsey: Reunited appeared first on Mississippi Today.

The Mississippi State Department of Health reported 2,326 new COVID-19 cases on July 19, further documenting the hold the Delta variant has on the state and the threat it poses to the unvaccinated.

Commenting on the spike in cases and hospitalizations, State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs tweeted Monday morning: “Very sad indeed. Didn’t have to be this way. 4th wave is here.”

Delta currently represents nearly all COVD-19 circulating in Mississippi. There are 231 confirmed cases, but those only represent a small surveillance sample, so it is undoubtedly a small fraction of the Delta infections in the state. Additionally, the MSDH report on the number of variant cases in the state hasn’t been updated since July 13. 

The surge of Delta infections Mississippi is experiencing is already hitting hospitals and ICUs. While hospitalizations are nowhere near their February peak, the increase in recent weeks has been sharp. Between July 5 and July 18, hospitalizations increased 154%, from 145 to 369. The number of COVID-19 patients in ICUs has increased 257% over the same period, from 35 to 125. 

Dobbs said that the increase in hospital and ICU admissions is straining the hospital systems in parts of the state, like Jackson and Hattiesburg, that have seen non-COVID procedures fill up their ICUs. Monday morning, Dobbs said there were 11 major ICU’s across the state with zero beds available. 

Dobbs and other health officials have repeatedly stressed that Mississippians have the choice of getting vaccinated or contracting COVID-19, and that in every scenario a vaccinated person is going to have a better outcome.

“At this pace, and given the sort of external dynamics that are in play here, we’re going to remain vulnerable for a long time,” Dobbs said. “I don’t think that we’re going to have some miraculous increase in our vaccination rate over the next few weeks, so people are going to die needlessly.”

The vaccines are nearly as effective against the Delta variant as the original strain, greatly minimizing the chance of infection and nearly eliminating the risks of developing a serious illness. Studies suggest, however, that being fully vaccinated is the only adequate protection against the Delta variant, as a single shot of either of the two-dose mRNA vaccines provides only weak protection against infection. The Delta variant, first identified in India, is believed to be about 60% more contagious than the Alpha variant and up to twice as contagious as the original strain of COVID-19.

Delta is now also the dominant variant across the United States. Nationally, the average number of new cases has started to trend upwards due to localized Delta outbreaks in places such as Mississippi with low vaccination rates. 

The Delta variant has considerably increased the already high risks posed by the virus to unvaccinated people. Between June 3 and July 1, 95% of all COVID infections in Mississippi were among the unvaccinated. During that period, the same group also accounted for 90% of hospitalizations and 89% of deaths.

Despite the wide availability of vaccines and the risks posed by variants, Mississippi continues to rank last in the nation in the share of its population that has been vaccinated. With over 2 million shots administered, only 34% of Mississippians have been fully vaccinated.

While MSDH has made new recommendations in response to the Delta spread to protect the most vulnerable, they are just that. Mississippi has had next to no COVID-related restrictions at the state level since Gov. Tate Reeves repealed most of them in March.

The post ‘Fourth wave is here’: MSDH reports 2,326 new COVID-19 cases appeared first on Mississippi Today.

In order to truly serve the state of Mississippi, we have to have an audience that reflects the state as a whole. Through Mississippi Today Listens, our new community listening program, we are addressing an issue that has plagued newsrooms across the country for decades: How to best report for the everyday reader and not just about them.

“MT Listens is a new initiative to connect with community leaders and reach people we might not otherwise be able to reach. By connecting and listening, we can uncover stories that Mississippians want and need to live more fulfilled and informed lives,” said Lauchlin Fields, Mississippi Today’s Audience Development Director.

At Mississippi Today, our path to amplifying the variety of voices in Mississippi began with making diversity our North Star, a unifying goal for the entire team. We’ve built a cross-departmental committee tasked with examining how we cover stories and how our journalism could better reflect the state. We’re creating space for meaningful conversations about race and gender within the organization.

In October 2020, we published a story announcing our commitment to put diversity at the center of our news and published the results of our first source audit. We also announced the Mississippi Today Community Ambassadors Program, an initiative to build a network of Mississippians from every corner of the state to help guide our journalism. Our ambassadors have teamed up with reporters and helped us get to know readers and their communities better.

“We can’t expect readers to trust us if they don’t see themselves reflected in the stories we tell,” said Kayleigh Skinner, managing editor at Mississippi Today. “Our hope with MT Listens is to create a model where our reporters and staff can establish meaningful connections with people from different backgrounds and lived experiences. We want to hear directly from them what’s going on in their communities, and what they think should be covered.”

Through MT Listens, we are doubling down on our commitment to build a more diverse readership by targeting five specific communities across Mississippi — Canton, Yazoo City, Forest, Moss Point and New Albany — where we will ask community members what matters most to them. We will listen. We will be present in each community, and what we hear and learn will lead to action — creating content that matters to all Mississippians.

“At the center of our nonprofit mission is public service, and the best way for our newsroom to be of service to Mississippians is by listening first and reporting later,” said Mississippi Today CEO Mary Margaret White. “This program takes out the transactional relationship that so often takes place between reporters and sources. MT Listens, instead, provides a channel for continuous conversation, feedback and learning.”

Our work is just beginning. We are eager to get into these communities — to listen, to learn and to respond. We want our readers to follow us on this journey and help us dig deep. As we get into these communities, we’ll share our updates here and on our social media channels. We plan to use community listening as a tool to continue the work our organization was founded on — to hold those in power accountable — all while amplifying the voices of diverse Mississippians.

If you live in Canton, Yazoo City, Forest, Moss Point or New Albany, please take a minute to fill out the below survey, or share it with someone you know.

The post MT Listens: How we’re continuing our work to amplify diverse voices in Mississippi appeared first on Mississippi Today.