MS 1% to provide support pact

Serco - IPS Corp., Herndon, Va., is awarded an $18,325,525 cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-only modification to a previously awarded contract (N00174-18-C-0015) to procure professional support services for the Naval Sea System Command’s deputy commander for surface warfare. Work will be performed in Washington, D.C. (55%); Norfolk, Virginia (19%); San Diego, California (18%); Mayport, Florida (2%); Yokosuka, Japan (2%); Sasebo, Japan (1%); Manama, Bahrain (1%); Pascagoula, Mississippi (1%); and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (1%), and is expected to be complete by April 2021. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $5,350,000 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 12/31/20)

Houma marine $178M mod pact

Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors, Houma, La., is awarded a $178,082,877 firm-fixed-price modification to a previously-awarded contract (N0002419C2216) to exercise options for the detail design and construction of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Auxiliary General Oceanographic Research Variant (NAV) Ship 1 and Ship 2. This award completes Phase II of the NAV two-phase, down-select competition. This option exercise is for the detail design and construction for the NAV Ships 1 and 2. Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors LLC will be the shipyard responsible for the ship construction of the two NAV vessels (lead ship and additional ship). Work will be performed in Houma (60%); Alpharetta, Ga., (15%); Lynnwood, Wash. (7%); New Orleans (6%); Gray, La. (5%); Crozet, Va. (3%); Alesund, Norway (2%); Amelia, La. (1%); and various locations across the U.S. (each less than 1%), and is expected to be completed by June 2024. Procurement, acquisition, and construction (NOAA) funding in the amount of $178,082,877 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 12/31/20)

BMC Columbus offers incentives

COLUMBUS, Miss. - Baptist Memorial Hospital Golden Triangle in Columbus is among many hospitals across the country offering bonuses for experienced healthcare workers. GMC-GT is offering a $5,000 signing bonus for experienced nurses amid the healthcare worker shortage caused by the pandemic. “All nursing is at a premium right now,” BMC-GT's nurse recruiter Johnny Judson told WCBI-TV, “no matter what you’re doing.” As coronavirus cases surge, Judson says the stakes are high when it comes to choosing the right people because “patient safety (is) at stake” and the hospital’s reputation. There’s been “a nursing shortage for years,” he said, “but the COVID-19 virus has simply made things worse.” The hospital is offering a $5,000 signing bonus for registered nurses with at least two years of experience in addition to Baptist Memorial’s usual student loan payback program. The incentive is for ER and critical care and progressive care nurses, and medical surgical workers that work with COVID-19 patients. There are also needs in the laboratory and environmental services. (Source: WCBI 12/30/20)

Columbus Info security analyst

General Dynamics Information Technology (www.gdit.com) has a job opening (veterans preferred) for an Information Security Analyst-Senior in  Columbus, Miss. (Source: Military Hire 12/20/20) Info. Security Analyst Senior in Columbus Afb, Mississippi Jobs for Veterans | Military Hire

Austal, HII ships join fleet in '21

Ships Navy will commission in ‘21 The Navy will commission seven ships in 2021 and christen eight more, according to the Naval Sea Systems Command. Three Littoral Combat Ships will join the fleet after commissioning ceremonies. Two were built at Austal USA in Mobile, Ala.: USS Oakland (LCS-24) and USS Mobile (LCS-26). USS Minneapolis-St. Paul (LCS-21) was built at Marinette (Wis.) Marine. USNS Apalachicola (T-EPF-13), the 13th Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport, and the amphibious transport dock USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28) will also be commissioned. Both were built at Huntington Ingalls in Pascagoula, Miss. USS Daniel Inouye (DDG-118), expeditionary mobile base Miguel Keith, fast-attack submarines Oregon and Montana will also enter the fleet. Scheduled for christening in 2021 are three destroyers, two of which will built at Huntington Ingalls-Pascagoula, Miss.: Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123) and Jack Lucas (DDG-125). Carl M. Levin (DDG-120) was built at Bath (Maine) Iron Works. Replenishment oilers John Lewis and Harvey V. Milk, and fast-attack sub Rickover will also be christened. (Source: Navy Times 12/30/20) https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2020/12/30/new-in-2021-here-are-all-the-ships-the-navy-will-commission-and-christen-in-the-coming-year/

FBI: No threat in emergency landing

Two people have been detained after reports of a possible explosive device forced a flight from Jackson, Miss., to Houston, to make an emergency landing at the Alexandria (La.) International Airport. Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office told local news sources they received a 911 call at 12:24 p.m. on Dec. 30 about an inbound commercial aircraft. Deputies, along with the England Airpark Fire Department, responded to the scene where passengers were off-loaded and the scene secured. Two persons of interest are being detained at this time. RPSO’s Bomb Squad along with local FBI are on scene assisting in the investigation. (Source: Magnolia State Live 12/30/20) Report of 'possible explosive device' forces airplane from Jackson to make emergency landing - Magnolia State Live | Magnolia State Live UPDATE: FBI New Orleans did not release details regarding the (potential explosive device) incident aboard United Flight 4344, but did say there is no threat to public safety: "FBI New Orleans is aware of the incident which occurred at the Alexandria, LA airport today. Through a coordinated effort involving our law enforcement partners, specifically the Louisiana State Police, Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office, Transportation Security Administration, US Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana, Rapides Parish Homeland Security, Rapides Parish District Attorney, and the England Airpark Authority we are thankful to report there was no threat to public safety and all diverted airline passengers have proceeded to their destinations." So far there are no reports of a device being found. (Source: WBLT 12/30/20)

214th EIS preps for ‘21 deployment

Airmen with the 214th Engineering Installation Squadron (EIS) of the Louisiana Air National Guard (LANG) gathered in early December for a deployment ceremony on board Naval Air Station/Joint Reserve Base (NAS/JRB) New Orleans. The 214th EIS is scheduled to deploy in support of Operation Freedom Sentinel in Africa and Operation Spartan Shield in the Middle East in early 2021. The squadron’s missions are to mobilize and deploy authorized resources and supporting assets to accomplish the engineering, installation, maintenance, reconstitution, and/or replacement of communications-computer systems, ATCALS and meteorological/navigational aid systems. That includes support of war and mobilization plans and worldwide contingency requirements, according to its website. Brig. Gen. D. Keith Waddell, Adjutant General for the LANG addressed the airmen telling them: “You are the best, and I am very proud of each and every one of you and your families.” (NAS/JRB New Orleans Currents 01/21).

Specialty buys MS plant, subsidiary

Specialty Welding and Turnarounds, with an office in Gonzales, La., has acquired Hydroprocessing Associates of Moss Point, Miss. The price was not disclosed. Hydroprocessing provides maintenance services for catalyst and reactors inside of petrochemical plants. Among some of its customers are Chevron, BP, and Exxon Mobil. The acquisition includes HA subsidiary Breathing Systems Inc., a helmet maker for industrial safety inspections. It was the first acquisition since the NY private equity company Orix Capital Partners became majority stake holder last January. SW&T sells its services in 14 states, and contracts with 4,000 professionals for work in the field. (Source: NOLA.com 12/29/20) Breathing Systems is located in Pensacola, Fla. Its life support systems are used throughout the petroleum refining, petrochemical, and liquid natural gas industries to protect workers in confined spaces and inert entry into nitrogen purged vessels.

New 'Miz Sippi' blog - Come on '21

By Rod Duren, Central Mississippi/Golden Triangle editor 

Here’s an early wish that 2021 will be a welcoming 12 months, and a reboot to better things. But, in the meantime, there were several things we can review (and wonder about) from 2020. 

Some business updates: In September, the Navy awarded six companies contracts (about $7M each) to begin determining what the service’s Large Unmanned Surface Vehicle will look like. Three of those businesses are located on the Gulf Coast: Austal USA at Mobile, Ala., Huntington Ingalls in Pascagoula, and Bollinger Shipyards in Louisiana. The other three are Fincantieri Marinette, Lockheed Martin and Gibbs & Cox. G&C is HQ’d out of NYC, but has an operations office in New Orleans. 

In June, Relativity, the first/only company to integrate 3D printing, robotics and software to design, build, test and launch orbital rockets in days expanded again at Mississippi’s Stennis Space Center, home of NASA’s largest rocket testing site. The $2.4M investment will support its rocket vehicle and engine testing capabilities. The company invested another $59M for expansion in 2019. Also at Stennis, NASA awarded Aerojet Rocketdyne a $1.79B contract for 18 more RS-25 engines for its Artemis moon-landing program. The engines will be assembled and tested in Hancock County.  

In January, Northrop Grumman announced an expansion in Iuka, Miss., to increase production of large composite aerospace structures for NG’s Antares, Pegasus and Minotaur launch vehicles, and United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V and Delta IV launch vehicles. 

Several Mississippi start-ups got some top ratings from The Tech Tribune this outgoing year. School Status, Edge Technology, Lobaki, and Kopis Mobile were at the forefront of start-up businesses in Mississippi.  

School Status provides a student data analytics platform paired with communication tools to grow engagement between school and home with offices in Ridgeland and Hattiesburg.  

Edge Technology is a Conversation Media Company defining content to empower organizations to control, amplify and unify their narrative to own a greater share of conversations important to them. HQ is located in Ridgeland.

Jackson-based Lobaki Inc., founded in 2016, is a provider of “Extended Reality” (XR) Experiences - virtual reality, augmented reality and 360 video - along with educational systems for corporations, universities and non-profit organizations. Kopis Mobile, located in Flowood, delivers systems to enhance the operational effectiveness of war-fighters. These applications are centered around increased information sharing and the operational efficiency of war-fighters and/or first  

If 2020 ends on a positive note, then we have a 17-year-old Mississippi Eagle Scout’s “hugging booth” project to consider among the highlights of a somewhat dismal year. 

Cooper Williams of Madison County developed the booth for families and residents to embrace one another safely from the coronavirus at a Yazoo City assisted living facility. 

Since the pandemic, those with family members could only have behind-a-window visits. One family member hadn’t been able to hug her mother for eight months. The life enrichment director at senior facility told The AP that seeing residents use the booths was “moving" and “uplifting” during this difficult period. Kudos to Cooper. 

Starlink to fall on Mississippi  

Elon Musk recently tweeted about his satellite internet project called Starlink, part of the aerospace company SpaceX, saying Starlink would "most likely" spin out from SpaceX and go public "once the revenue growth is reasonably predictable."  

Starlink is currently beaming internet, via about 900 satellites, down to parts of the U.S. and Canada. It’ll be coming to Mississippi in 2021.  

In early December, SpaceX won $885M in federal subsidies to expand Starlink to locations throughout the U.S. SpaceX plans to fly as many as 42,000 Starlink satellites into orbit. The goal is to provide high-speed internet to nearly any location on Earth, and generate up to $50B in annual revenue.  

Starlink will potentially bring satellite internet to tens of thousands of rural Mississippians. The FCC awarded SpaceX a $44M contract to bring its new internet capabilities to 38,956 locations in the state. (Source: Gold Triangle blog Central Mississippi and Golden Triangle: SpaceX internet coming to Miss. (goldentriangleregion.blogspot.com)  

The coronavirus is still bad news for our neighbors to the East. Alabama ranked sixth on the list of states with the most new cases per capita over this past week, according to Johns Hopkins University’s database. 

Alabama, somewhat like Mississippi, is one of the unhealthiest and most impoverished states in the U.S. It has emerged as one of the nation's coronavirus hot spots. The state’s latest average positivity rate is nearly 40 percent, and is seeing an average of 46 deaths per day, up from 30 on Dec. 14. 

Mississippi’s cases are at 210,032. There have been 4,719 deaths as of Dec. 30. In Louisiana: 304,485 case, and 7,397 deaths. Alabama: 351,804 cases and 4,737 deaths. U.S. cases have reached 19,551,197 and 339,360 deaths. Is there no end to this pandemic? Come on 2021, and eventually wipe out this scourge.  

2020 new discoveries  

• *Herculean efforts of researchers and scientists in the discovery and delivery of COVID-19 vaccines in record time. 

• *Asteroid 16 Psyche could be made entirely of metal, which may make it worth an estimated $10,000 quadrillion - more than the entire economy of Earth. 

• *Research indicates Earth is 13.8B years old.  

• *There could be dozens of intelligent civilizations throughout the Milky Way; and we ...  

• *Heard the voice of a 3,000-year-old mummy. 

Last, but certainly not least, was the discovery of four new species of walking sharks near Australia and New Guinea. Yikes, is this a Saturday Night Live sketch of the “Land Shark” knocking at your front door?: “Candy Gram.”  

These bottom-dwellers actually 'walk' using their pectoral and pelvic fins. The walking sharks evolved about 9M years ago, making them the youngest sharks on the planet.  

Lead study author Christine Dudgeon, a scientist at the University of Queensland, believes there are more walking shark species still waiting to be discovered.  

No need to stress, researchers say only small fish and invertebrates need worry. (COVID vaccine wasn't only amazing discovery 2020: A year in science (nwfdailynews.com)

(Editor’s Note: This post is a new entity for the Central Mississippi/Golden Triangle blog. In deference to the Ole Miss, this new ‘Miz Sippi’ blog will be a periodic post throughout the month(s) ahead. Invitations are open to businesses and individuals on how to improve and grow this product. Business ads are also available upon request via gcmilbiz@gmail.com.)