NOLA firm competes for $35M pact

MSMM Huitt-Zollars JV,* New Orleans, Louisiana (W518EA-23-D-0001); Scout-Cardno JV LLC,* Encinitas, California (W518EA-23-D-0002); and OEI-AECOM JV,* Carrollton, Texas (W518EA-23-D-0003), will compete for each order of the $35,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for architect-engineer services. Bids were solicited via the internet with 10 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 26, 2028. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth, Texas, is the contracting activity. (DoD 01/27/23)

CNO visited 2 Gulf Coast shipyards

The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Michael Gilday visited a pair of Gulf Coast shipbuilding operations on Jan. 26. At HII's Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss., Gilday toured the future Navy ships Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD 29) and Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125). Gilday last visited Ingalls last March the christening of Jack H. Lucas, the Navy’s first Flight III destroyer. Since the christening, the LPD has completed initial at-sea trials. (HII 01/27/23) HII Hosts Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday at Ingalls Shipbuilding - HII

In Mobile, Ala., CNO visited Austal USA's complex for the first time while taking in the production of both steel and aluminum ships, including operations supporting the submarine industrial base. Austal leadership briefed CNO on several autonomous surface vessel programs, including the successful addition of capabilities to EPF 13, construction and retrofit of Overlord-class vessels that featured Austal’s in-house designed machinery control system and production of Saildrone Inc.’s high-tech uncrewed surface vehicle Surveyor. (Austal USA 01/27/23) Austal USA hosts Chief of Naval Operations | Austal: Corporate

Chem leak causes evacuations

GLUCKSTADT, Miss. - A FedEx driver, making a delivery to Vertex Aerospace, noticed a chemical leak coming from his truck while docking. It turned out to be a compound, called organic peroxide. An alternative school and multiple businesses here had to be evacuated after 11:30 a.m. Jan. 27, according to Madison County Emergency Management Director Albert Jones. Students at the school, about a mile away from, began complaining of sore throats, prompting additional businesses' evacuations around Industrial Drive South. Hazmat crews later began cleaning the area, Assistant Police Chief Hale Barry said. As of 3 p.m., most businesses had reponed except for Industrial Drive at Denim Way headed south to Parkway Drive. There were no serious injuries reported, but first responders attended to the students. (WLBT 01/27/23)

JSU votes 'no confidence' in prez

Jackson State University's faculty senate voted to uphold a "no confidence" resolution regarding President Thomas Hudson and various leaders of the administration. JSU Faculty Senate President Dr. Dawn Bishop McLin confirmed the vote on the resolution to "move forward with bringing concerns" to the campus community and stakeholders. The majority of voting members agreed with the entirety of the no confidence proclamation, McLin said. The faculty senate is calling for a "restoration of shared governance, transparency, accountability, and academic democracy at Jackson State University." The faculty senate noted that, "these university leaders ... have exhibited a continuous pattern of failing to respect shared governance, transparency (and) accountability., she continued. They have "worked outside of professional norms that have broad implications for the campus climate" affecting the reputation of JSU. The faculty senate expresses a "continued willingness to engage in any forum to yield remedy to the issues shared by its body," McLin concluded. President Hudson responded on Jan. 27 with a statement saying he is committed to the university. (Clarion Ledger 01/27/23)

Milsaps prez headed to Sewanee

Millsaps College President Dr. Robert Pearigen on Jan. 26 was named vice chancellor at The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. Vice Chancellor position at Sewanee is the equivalent of university president. Pearigen announced his resignation from Millsaps on Jan. 25. He will officially step-down effective May 31. (Clarion Ledger 01/26/23)

Helo flights detect EPA violations

High-tech helicopter infrared-camera surveillance across six regions in Louisiana in 2021 has led to EPA pollution violation notices for a list of O&G facilities, documents and officials say. The overflights and notices have only recently come to light publicly through Environmental Protection Agency document filings. The flights' targeting included the Mississippi River chemical corridor between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, rural areas as far north as Shreveport, and the areas of Lafayette, Morgan City and Lake Charles. The EPA has handed out nine violation notices to O&G firms operating in Louisiana. The surveillance monitored more than 150 facilities between Aug. 14 and Sept. 24, 2021, said an EPA spokesperson. Hydrocarbon emissions were detected from approximately 47 unique sources at 29 different facilities. EPA sent notification letters and received responses from all 29 facilities. EPA would not release the letters and responses and has turned down a media FoIA request for the records. However, notices of violations issued between May and December 2022 to nine of the facilities were recently posted to an EPA public database. 

The EPA violation notices cited each company for violation of Louisiana regulations limiting the emission of organic compounds. The companies listed included: 

*Bayou Bouillon Operating LLC production facility near Butte LaRose.

*Columbia Gulf Transmission Company – Rayne Compressor Station in Acadia Parish.

*ETC Field Services, LLC – Dubach (La.) Cryogenic Plant. 

*Harvest Midstream Co. – Kaplan Gas Plant in Abbeville. 

*John W. Stone Oil Distribution, LLC – Gretna terminal.

*Kinetica Deepwater Express – Patterson terminal.

*Texas Petroleum Investment Co. Weeks Island East Facility in Iberia Parish. (NOLA.com 01/27/23) High-tech flights prompt Louisiana pollution notices | Environment | nola.com

Northrop reports $10B for 4Q

Northrop Grumman (NOC) reported $10B in revenue for the fourth quarter of 2022, up 16% from the prior-year and a 3% increase in organic sales for the full year. The Virginia-based aerospace and defense contractor said Jan. 26 that its sales growth was driven by demand for its products, performance of the company’s space and mission systems segments and improving trends in labor availability. Q4 net awards were $9.1B, including $3.2B for restricted programs, $700M for the F-35 aircraft and $400M for the Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System. Its full-year net awards reached $39.3B. Its total backlog was $78.7B. The space systems business logged a 23% increase in sales for the fourth quarter. (GovWire 01/26/23) Northrop Posts 16% Rise in Q4 Revenue; Kathy Warden Offers Update on B-21 Raider Program - GovCon Wire 

Northrop Grumman locations in Mississippi: Moss Point, Iuka, Ocean Springs.

Northrop Grumman locations in Louisiana: Lake Charles. Fort Polk, Belle Chasse.

USDA buying $42M of catfish

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has purchased $42M of catfish products - from catfish-producing states including Mississippi - for distribution to various nutrition assistance programs and charitable institutions. Five members of Mississippi’s congressional delegation, along with five others from another state, sent a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to make the purchase. The letter requested Vilsack to use “Section 32,” a permanently authorized program, to make emergency purchases of surplus commodities (MS catfish) for distribution to domestic food assistance programs. Section 32 purchases assist catfish producers with reducing the risk of financial insecurity resulting from climbing inventories and increases in feed costs. (SuperTalk Mississippi 01/26/23)

USDA partners with Mississippi tribe: WASHINGTON -The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced Jan. 26 it has signed a cooperative agreement with the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (MBCI) under the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA). Through LFPA, the tribe seeks to purchase and distribute locally grown, produced, and processed food from underserved producers. The partnership will promote economic opportunities for farmers and producers and to increase access to locally sourced nutritious food in underserved communities, says USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt. It also will improve agricultural supply-chain resiliency. MBCI will contract with Choctaw Fresh Produce (CFP) to purchase fresh produce and have it distributed among the tribe’s underserved communities. (USDA 01/26/23)

Vertex procurement specialist

Regional aerospace/aviation job opportunity.

* Procurement Specialist I (T-45) - Vertex Aerospace, Madison, Miss. Procurement Specialist I (T-45) - Madison, MS - Vertex Aerospace LLC | Madison, MS (simplyhired.com) 

Game changers on MS campuses

STARKVILLE - Mississippi State University will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the 'Game of Change' when the Bulldogs' basketball team host No. 11 TCU at 3 p.m. Jan. 28 at Humphrey Coliseum. The Game of Change was a seminal moment in the history of collegiate sports. In March 1963, during a time of great racial tension, MSU's basketball team elected to participate in the NCAA Tournament against an integrated opponent, Loyola. It was a groundbreaking decision. Despite threats and political pressure, MSU President Dean Colvard and head coach Babe McCarthy sneaked the all-white team out of the state to play against a Loyola squad that featured four black starters. Upon returning to Starkville, a significant step towards racial equality in athletics had been taken. Four members of the 1963 team are scheduled to be present at The Hump. Tickets at HailState.com/tickets or call (662) 325-2600 or in person at the MSU Athletics Ticket Office. (MSU 01/25/23) 

Harvard prof to speak at Ole Miss: OXFORD, Miss. – Randall Kennedy, the Michael R. Klein Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, is slated to speak Feb. 1 at the University of Mississippi School of Law. His lecture is titled “The Greatest Lawyer in American Legal History: Thurgood Marshall.” Kennedy clerked for the U.S. Supreme Court justice from 1983-84 before becoming a law professor. A graduate of Princeton and Oxford universities and Yale Law School, Kennedy teaches courses on contracts, criminal law and the regulation of race relations. Author of nine books, Kennedy received the 1998 Robert F. Kennedy book award for “Race, Crime, and the Law” (Pantheon Books, 1997). The free public lecture is at 12:30 p.m. in the law school’s Weems Auditorium. (UM 01/25/23)

JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY President Thomas K. Hudson has been selected as a 2023 Top CEO by the Mississippi Business Journal. The distinguished cohort of 23 leaders were honored Jan. 26 at an awards ceremony. 

TWO JSU graduate students from the College of Business (COB) were selected to represent the university at the 45^th annual National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA) conference. Tyra McCormick and Aaron Bailey attended the 2022 conference in Atlanta as members of the association’s first HBCU Student Scholarship Cohort. “Our MBA program is growing by leaps and bounds, and the quality is also growing. In order to maintain our standards, we have to raise the bar, too. We’re really proud of what we’re building with the program and the successes of our students,” said Dean Fidelis Ikem, Ph.D., College of Business. The two students were handpicked by COB administrators to join the inaugural cohort of approximately 50 HBCU business students from around the nation. 

JACKSON STATE has been ranked among the 2023 Best Online Bachelor’s Programs by U.S. News & World Report. JSUOnline offers undergraduate programs in business administration, history, childcare and family education, criminal justice, healthcare administration, professional interdisciplinary studies, and technology with a concentration in emergency management. JSU rose dramatically in the rankings to appear as No. 113, its highest position in the category to date. U.S. News assessed more than 350 schools in the online bachelor’s category based on a variety of objective factors, such as student engagement, faculty credentials, and services and technologies. 

Biz focus: 'Speed, risk, money'

GULFPORT, Miss. - Bill Cork with the Mississippi Development Authority spoke about the three factors companies look for as far as economic development across the Magnolia State. “Speed, risk and money" are what corporations focus on, he told the Gulf Coast Business County on Jan. 25. Speed: How quickly they can go from spending to making money. The faster MDA can get them here ... "the faster we can all benefit. " Mississippi has 32 sites, including about eight along the coast that are prime for development. Cork wants to see more high-tech companies, but manufacturing and building things is what makes Mississippi's economic hum. “We make things in Mississippi," he said. Cork also says the state needs more industrial-ready sites and workers to fill those jobs. (WLOX 01/25/23)

4 tornadoes touch down in LA

At least four tornadoes touched down in Louisiana on Jan. 25 as storms swept the state, including a 90-mph EF-1 twister that damaged three mobile homes in Ventress, sending three people to a local hospital. The Lake Charles National Weather Service office reported three other people were injured near Gaytine in Beauregard Parish when a 125-mph tornado slashed a 12-mile path through parts of Calcasieu and Beauregard parishes. Meteorologists in Slidell completed damage surveys on the two Tuesday night tornadoes in their Louisiana service area, including Ventress and a 95-mph tornado briefly touching down in Bayou Blue in Lafourche Parish, causing minor damage. (The AP 01/26/23)

Hancock Port Authority meetings

Hancock (Miss.) Port Authority Commission

Recess Meeting & Workshop: Feb. 13 at 3 p.m.

Regular Commission Meeting: Feb. 27 at 3 p.m. (Zoom only)

Meetings are held at the Robert Kane Administrative Center's Harry Farve Board Room (unless otherwise stated) at 14054 Fred and Al Key Road, in Kiln, Miss. 

To participate via Zoom, email DSexton@HCPHC.ms. no later than the Friday prior to the scheduled meeting to receive the Zoom link.

DoD releases small biz strategy

The Department of Defense (DoD) released its Small Business Strategy on Jan. 26 to promote a strong and robust small business industrial base by focusing on reducing barriers, increasing set-aside competitions and leveraging programs to grow the base. From manufacturers providing critical parts needed "for our arsenal" to innovative technology firms, small businesses are "vital along the entire spectrum of the Department’s needs,” Deputy Secretary of Defense Dr. Kathleen Hicks said. Reducing barriers and creating additional opportunities will "allow us to expand, innovate, and diversify, increasing our warfighter advantage ...(and) strengthening our supply chains ... and growing our economy here at home.” Small businesses make up 99.9% of all U.S. businesses and 73 percent of in the defense industrial base. In 2022, small businesses were awarded over 25% of all DoD prime contracts. DoD's strategy has three objectives: Implement a unified management approach for small business programs and activities; ensure the department’s small business activities align with national security priorities; and strengthen its engagement and support of small businesses. DoD’s efforts will include providing more tools and resources. The effort will be facilitated by the Department’s 96 APEX Accelerators located across the country, formerly Procurement Technical Assistance Centers, which serve as a resource for small businesses.The Office of Small Business Programs encourages those interested in working with DoD to read a “Guide to Marketing to DoD” on https://business.defense.gov  Gulf Coast Note: 

Regional state APEX Accelerators are located in Jackson, Miss.; and Lafayette, La. 

SIDEBAR - Mississippi small biz center at Ole Miss

OXFORD, Miss. – The Mississippi Small Business Development Center at the University of Mississippi is supporting small-business owners and budding entrepreneurs across the state through a system of Virtual Access Centers. The Mississippi SBDC has partnered with Regions Bank and with Mississippi community colleges through its Rural Development Initiative to establish 27 VACs. Each location was strategically selected to reach all corners of the state. “These centers will bring opportunity through state-of-the-art technology and function as access points for clients who have barriers to service, such as reliable internet access or transportation issues,” said Sharon Nichols, Mississippi SBDC state director. To increase accessibility and reach all corners of the state, the Mississippi SBDC is establishing 27 virtual centers across Mississippi at partner community colleges.  The centers will provide a private area with a secure internet connection for individuals to connect to the Mississippi SBDC network and receive one-on-one business counseling. (UM 01/26/23) Small Business Development Center Offers Statewide Virtual Access - Ole Miss News

GDP slowing toward June recession

WASHINGTON - The nation's economy expanded at a 2.9% annual pace from October through December, ending 2022 with momentum despite intended higher interest rates, by the Federal Reserve, and fear of a recession. The U.S. Commerce Department released its estimates on Jan. 26 showing that the gross domestic product (GDP) slowed in the 4Q from the 3.2% annual growth rate from July through September. Many economists believe the economy will slow further here in the 1Q of 2023 and slide into a mild recession by June. The economy got a boost in 4Q from consumer spending, restocking of supplies by businesses and federal government spending. With higher mortgage rates, investment in housing plummeted at a 27% annual rate. For all of 2022, GDP expanded 2.1% after growing 5.9% in 2021.The Fed’s hikes are meant to reduce growth, cool spending and stop the worst inflation in 40 years. Last year, the Fed raised its rate seven times. It will do it again next week- though by a smaller amount. (The AP 01/26/23)

Pentagon's R&D summit

Technological advancements inevitably affect the military, forcing warfighters to consider a host of threats and potential vulnerabilities due to the capabilities of new tools and strategies. If you would like to learn about the Pentagon's research and development (R&D) endeavors and hear directly from Undersecretary for Defense Research and Engineering Heidi Shyu, attend the Potomac Officers Club’s 9th Annual Defense R&D Summit on March 23. You can register here. (GovWire 01/26/23)

Nat'l guard looking to future

The National Guard is integral to the U.S. military, and it is changing to remain effective for the future, Army Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, said Jan. 25. He spoke to challenges facing the NG and its 430,000 service members. They were among forces who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq and that currently has 22,000 service members deployed in Europe and the Middle East. They perform missions for state governors and to help Americans in the aftermath of disasters. 

Regarding changes ahead, the general: 

* Has the "Health Care for Our Troops Act ... on my radar" that would provide about 60,000 NG and reserve components with premium-free medical insurance.

* Is adamant that guardsmen performing the same duties as active-duty counterparts should get the same pay and benefits. "Duty-status reform goes a long way to address this inequity."

* Says on the operational side, the ANG will modernize brigades and divisions to produce all-domain combat forces aligned with the Army by making rotations more predictable and giving guardsmen more leadership opportunities.

* Says there is a need to keep all of its 25 reserve Air Force fighter squadrons and modernize their aircraft to provide combat capability and strategic depth for deterring adversaries. (National Guard Bureau 01/25/23) Leaders Detail Future of National Guard > U.S. Department of Defense > Defense Department News

Gulf Coast Note: Air National Guard fighter units regionally include the 122d Fighter Squadron of the Louisiana Air National Guard's 159th Fighter Wing located at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, Louisiana. The 122d is equipped with the F-15C/D Eagle. The 100th Fighter Squadron (100 FS) is a unit of the Alabama Air National Guard's 187th Fighter Wing located at Dannelly Field, Alabama. The 100th is equipped with the General Dynamics F-16C+ Fighting Falcon.

Firm's $17M Tainter gate award

+ KBR Wyle Services LLC, Lexington Park, Maryland, is awarded a $29,386,496 cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price, cost reimbursable modification (P00021) to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N0042118D0001). This modification exercises options to provide installation, systems integration, test and evaluation, in-service engineering logistics, repair and validation, training, lab maintenance, quality assurance, and technical management services for the Multi-Mission Datalink support system in support of the Airborne Systems Integration Division of Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Webster Outlying Field. Work will be performed in St. Inigoes, Maryland (50%); Norfolk, Virginia (11%); San Diego, California (11%); Everett, Washington (5%); Mayport, Florida (5%); Yokosuka, Japan (5%); Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (4%); Rota, Spain (2%); Bath, Maine (2%); Pascagoula, Mississippi (2%); various locations outside the continental U.S. (CONUS) (2%); and various locations within the CONUS (1%), and is expected to be completed in January 2025. No funds will be obligated at the time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

+ Sealevel Construction Inc., Thibodaux, Louisiana, was awarded a $17,357,450 firm-fixed-price contract to remove existing steel *Tainter gates and fabricate and install new steel Tinter gates. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in Marksville, Louisiana, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2025. Fiscal 2023 civil construction funds in the amount of $17,357,450 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg, Mississippi, is the contracting activity. (DoD 01/25/23) 

*The Tainter gate is a type of radial arm floodgate used in dams and canal locks to control water flow.

Clinton HS to get CGJROTC unit

WASHINGTON - The Coast Guard is establishing four new Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) units for the 2023-24 school year, bringing the national total to 10. The new units will be located at high schools in Clinton, Miss.; Saraland, Ala.; Chicago and San Diego. It is the largest one-year expansion of JROTC units is the program’s history, which began in 1989. The CGJROTC program currently includes some 500 cadets across six high schools in Delaware, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. The Coast Guard JROTC develops cadets using the COAST model, an acronym for our 5-fold pillars of Citizenship, Operations, Advancement, Service, and Teamwork. The National Defense Authorization Act 2023 provided specific direction for the program’s future to establish and maintain a JROTC unit in every Coast Guard District by December 31, 2025. The six JROTC units are currently located in two of the CG’s nine Districts. This year's expansion adds three for a total of five districts with active JROTC units. (Coast Guard 01/25/23)

EPA Regions 4 & 6 in review

DALLAS - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Regions 4 & 6 - which includes Mississippi and Louisiana respectively - released its 2022 Year in Review outlining accomplishments and environmental progress over the past fiscal year. Accomplishments ranged from increasing EPA's presence in the "most impacted communities to developing a new air monitoring system for inspections to issuing the region’s first ever Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) 3008 consent agreement for the Denka Performance Elastomers facility in St. John the Baptist Parish, La., says Region Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. EPA used its authority to require the Denka to install fence-line monitors to identify sources of emissions, allowing EPA and communities to better understand air pollutants in a reliable way. Data is posted regularly to EPA's St. John the Baptist Parish website. EPA also issued an RCRA 3008 Consent Agreement requiring the Denka to improve its handling and disposal of chloroprene, the first ever such order in Region 6. 

Last January in EPA Region 4, the administrator saw firsthand the water infrastructure challenges and their impacts in the Jackson, Miss., area have on the community. On Jan. 25, 2022, EPA issued a Notice of Noncompliance to the city for not timely repairing and maintaining equipment necessary to reliably produce drinking water. The administrator sent follow-up letters to elected officials to stress the importance of dedicating federal infrastructure funds, including nearly $79 million allocated to Mississippi from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to solve some of most dire water needs in Jackson and other areas of need across Mississippi. To read the full report, please visit webpage. (EPA 01/025/23)

LM net sales reach $66B in 2022

Lockheed Martin’s net sales reached $66B in 2022 with the aeronautics sector accounting for the biggest share, which contributed $26.98B to sales, followed by rotary and mission systems with $16.1B. Space and missiles and fire control each posting $11B, according to the company’s 2022 financial results published Jan. 24. Total income for 2022 was $5.7B. The company returned $10.9B in stock dividends and repurchases to shareholders. Lockheed’s 2023 guidance has the company’s earnings in the range of $26.60 to $26.90 per share and revenue of between $65-66B. (GovWire 01/25/23) Lockheed Posts $66B in Net Sales in 2022; Jim Taiclet Quoted - GovCon Wire 

LION'S SHARE OF CONTRACTS FOR UKRAINE:

Lockheed Martin and Raytheon both saw a boost in sales as the Pentagon accelerated weapons orders to fill the gap left by billions in weapons and equipment sent to Ukraine. The two firms posted 4Q earnings slightly below earnings from the 4Q in 2021. The duo makes up the lion’s share of contracts associated with $27B in U.S. security assistance committed to Ukraine. Remaining top defense contractors General Dynamics and Boeing will report 4Q earnings Wednesday and Northrop Grumman will follow on Jan. 27.

Gulf Coast Note: Lockheed Martin has a significant presence in Mississippi with locations in Biloxi, Stennis, Vicksburg, Meridian, Pascagoula and the Greater Jackson Area. In Louisiana at the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility in East New Orleans.