Overpaid taxes may cost schools

COLUMBUS, Miss. - The Mississippi Supreme Court delivered a unanimous ruling in May that some businesses here at the Golden Triangle Regional Airport, including Airbus Helicopter Inc., Aurora Flight Sciences, and part of Stark Aerospace, have been mistakenly paying Lowndes County property taxes for years. The ruling will cost the county more than $800,000 in property taxes, according to an Aug. 16 report by the Columbus Dispatch. The ruling determined commercial properties on airport-owned land are exempt from paying county ad valorem or school taxes. County Superintendent Lynn Wright says the funding loss will be "devastating" for schools and may lead to a reduction in personnel or programs. The president of the county Board of Supervisors, Harry Sanders, says a tax increase is likely. (Source: Columbus Dispatch 08/16/18)

Columbus dumps LINK funding

The City Council of Columbus, Miss., voted 3-2 during an FY 2019 budget work session Aug. 16 to pull its share ($100,000) of annual funding to the Golden Triangle Development LINK. The development agency has coordinated grants, site development, infrastructure placement and tax-increment financing plans for several projects that have located in Columbus, according to LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins. Lowndes County holds the local contract with the LINK for $400,000 annually for the past 10 years. Columbus has paid its $100,000 a year as its portion of the contract. The county covers the remaining $300,000. The city shifted the $100,000 to its professional services budget in hopes that the money will help more directly with retail development. Councilman Charlie Box said that he was “concerned” with the continued funding to the LINK after seeing a chamber-commissioned study that “showed more than $1 billion” could be spent on local retail, but was being spent outside the city retail market. "We've given (the LINK) more than $1M over the last 10 years, and we just haven't seen much on the retail development side." The influx of funds lifted the city’s professional services budget to more than $691,000 for FY-19. The services include attorney, engineering, and consulting fees, the J5 project management firm, contributions to Baptist Medical Group for treatment of city employees and dependents; and funds to hire a retail development firm to help develop retail strategies and recruit new businesses. A representative from Memphis-based NaviRetail is scheduled to appear before the council Aug. 20. If the city contracts with the company, it will cost about $37,000 a year. The LINK will not suffer financially from the council’s decision. The cost will be passed on to county taxpayers because the county is obligated to pay the full LINK contract. CEO Higgins said the LINK's footprint can be seen throughout Columbus, but that level of cooperation is subject to change. “Unless directed otherwise I will recommend that we work to locate investment in the geographic areas that support us." (Columbus Dispatch 08/17/18)

Tupelo airport numbers up 32%

TUPELO, Miss. – For the third consecutive month, passenger boardings at Tupelo Regional Airport topped more a 1,000. The 1,313 boardings are the most since August 2010 (1,345). Through July 2018, Tupelo Regional has carried 6,836 passengers. In comparison to the same timeframe in 2017, that figure represents a 32.4 percent increase. (Source: Daily Journal 08/15/18)

First MWD at Meridian in 11 years

MERIDIAN, Miss. - Naval Air Station Meridian introduced its newest 5-year-old Security Forces member on Aug. 14, Military Working Dog (MWD) Baba, a male German Shepherd. Baba and his handler, Master-at-Arms 3rd Class Jonathan White performed a demonstration of the dog’s attack and obedience abilities. Baba has been a Navy MWD since two when he graduated from the doggie boot camp at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. He previously served at Naval Station Mayport and NAS Jacksonville, Fla., before arriving in Meridian. The entire time Baba’s been at NASM, he’s shown a “good amount of progression … and to be honest, he has taught me much more than I have taught him,” White said. Baba is White’s first MWD. They spend 6-to-10 hours a day together. In addition to Baba and his handler, NAS Meridian is home to three more trained dog handlers who are waiting to be paired with MWDs and a Kennel Master. NASM last had military working dogs in 2007. (Source: NAS Meridian 08/15/18)

MSU, UM grad to head MJI

The Mississippi Center for Public Policy (MCPP) announced Aug. 9 that Aaron Rice has been named the new director of the Mississippi Justice Institute. MJI serves as the legal arm of MCPP, representing Mississippians whose state or federal constitutional rights have been threatened by government actions. Rice replaces Shadrack White, who was appointed State Auditor of Mississippi by the governor. Rice is a Mississippi State University alumnus having earned a bacehlor’s degree, in political science, an MSU Truman Scholar, a former Marine wounded warrior and Purple Heart recipient. The Truman award is the most prestigious scholarship for students dedicated to public service. Rice received his law degree from the University of Mississippi. (Source: MS Policy 08/09/18)

Aerospace newsletter: Check it out

The August issue of the Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor Newsletter is now available online. This issue has a story about the effort to expand the MRO operations at Pensacola (Fla.) International, and a story about the development of an aviation park just outside Naval Air Station Whiting Field. Both promise to make the Pensacola metro area a leader in the field. There is also a story about the recent Southeast Aerospace and Defense Conference in Mobile, where that city's aerospace footprint continues to grow. (Source: GCAC Newsletter, 08/14/18) Note: Future editions will carry informative storylines across the entire Gulf Coast from Louisiana to Tallahassee, Fla., and Fort Rucker, Ala.

Blue Angels to get ‘Super’ upgrade

The Boeing Co. of St. Louis, Mo., was awarded $17,002,107 delivery order Aug. 14 for the retrofit documentation and kits to convert nine F/A-18 aircraft models into the Navy’s Blue Angels’ demonstration team configuration. Work will be performed in St. Louis, and expected to be completed in December 2021. The Blue Angels have been flying Boeing’s F/A-18 Hornet since November 1986, according to the team’s website, their 40th anniversary. The contract is for nine Block 1 F/A-18E Super Hornets and two Block 1 F/A-18F Super Hornets for the team from their current F/A-18C/D jets. The work will convert operational Super Hornets with equipment tweaks required for aircraft to be used by the demonstration team. The differences between the jets flown by the Blues and those in the fleet are that the team’s F/A-18s have nose cannons removed and replaced with smoke-oil tanks; and painted in the team’s distinctive blue and gold colors. A civilian instrumentation landing system is put in each plane and each cockpit has a spring installed on the stick to maintain a constant seven pounds of forward pressure to enable improved formation and inverted flying. “Otherwise, the aircraft that the squadron flies are the same as those in the fleet,” according to the Blue Angels website. Each aircraft is “capable of being returned to combat duty aboard an aircraft carrier within 72 hours,” the site indicated. (Source: USNI News 08/14/18) The Blue Angels flew at the Biloxi (Miss.) Gulf Coast Air Show on July 21-22. The final show of the 2018 season will be Nov. 2-3 at its home base of Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.

Contractors injured in T-38 accident

Columbus (Miss.) Air Force Base grounded ts fleet of T-38C training aircraft for 24 hours after three Vertex Aerospace contract maintenance personnel were injured in an on-the-ground ejection seat accident Aug. 7. T-38s resumed flying Aug. 8, according to 14th Flying Training Wing spokesman Staff Sgt. Joshua Smoot. In a media release Aug. 7, CAFB indicated that the rear cockpit ejection seat inadvertently fired at about 7:47 a.m., injuring the trio who were inspecting the T-38C. They were taken to a local hospital for treatment and released that same day. (Source: Air Force Times 08/09/18)

UM grad to preside over war court

A new judge has been assigned to preside over the U.S. war court at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and the stalled trial of a Saudi man accused of plotting al-Qaida’s suicide bombing of the USS Cole (DDG-67) off the port of Aden, Yemen, in 2000. Seven American sailors were killed. Air Force Col. Shelley W. Schools, a graduate of the University of Mississippi’s law school in 1997, is to replace the retiring chief trial judge, Vance Spath, according to a memo obtained by McClatchy. It’s unclear when she will appear on the military commission’s bench. (Source: Miami Herald 08/09/18) Gulf Coast Note: Three senior enlisted personnel aboard the USS Cole at the time of the explosion were assigned to a command(s) at NAS Pensacola, Fla., or had family living in the NW Florida community. On April 19, 2002, USS Cole departed Northrop Grumman’s Ship Systems sector in Pascagoula, Miss., following a 14-month restoration project; and returned to its homeport in Norfolk, Va.

Weeks takes rein of 14th FTW

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. - Colonel Samantha Weeks took command of the 14th Flying Training Wing (FTW) at a change of command ceremony Aug. 6 at Columbus AFB. “I am humbled beyond words and measure at the opportunity …” she said in her acceptance speech. As commander, Weeks will manage Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training (SUPT) for Air Force and allied officers, as well as tactical training for Afghan and Lebanese pilots and aircraft maintainers in the A-29 Super Tucano at Moody AFB, Ga. Weeks comes to CAFB from duty as commander of the 57th Adversary Tactics Group at Nellis AFB, Nev. Weeks is an F-15C Eagle pilot with more than 2,200 hours, which includes 105 combat hours. Weeks also flew the F-16 Fighting Falcon as a member of the Air Force Thunderbirds flight demonstration team. From April to October 1999, she was a student pilot in initial F-15C training at Tyndall AFB, Fla. Outgoing commander, Col. Douglas Gosney retired after 23 years of service. (Source: CAFB 08/07/18)

Guard, MSU’s Bulldog Free Tuition

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State University and the Mississippi National Guard announced Aug. 7 a new program designed to ensure free tuition for Mississippi National Guard service members enrolled full-time at MSU. President Mark E. Keenum and Maj. Gen. Janson D. “Durr” Boyles, Adjutant General of Mississippi, both signed the agreement establishing the ‘Bulldog Free Tuition’ program during a campus ceremony at the G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery Center for America’s Veterans. In order to be eligible, service members must be full-time undergraduate students in good standing with their unit and cannot be within a year of their expiration of term of service. (Source: MSU 08/07/18)

Fla. sailor killed in helo inspection

Helicopter Aircrewman 1st Class Jonathan Richard Clement of Florida was killed July 30 after an auxiliary fuel tank fell from an HH-60H helicopter that he and another sailor were inspecting aboard Naval Air Station North Island, Calif., a spokesman for Commander Naval Air Forces told USNI News. Clement, who had served with Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 85 since July 2017, was performing a “quick post-flight inspection,” said Cmdr. Ron Flanders. At around 6:30 p.m., Clement and another sailor were injured when the auxiliary tank detached from the HH-60H. The sailors were taken to a nearby hospital. Clement was taken off life support on July 31. The other sailor, who was not identified, sustained minor injuries and was released the same day. The Navy is conducting a comprehensive safety investigation. The mishap was first reported by Military.com. The Navy did not issue a notice or media release about the incident, citing an obligation only to announce combat-related casualties. Clement was the 11th sailor or Marine to have died in 2018 in a work-related mishap or combat, according to USNI News records. The “Firehawks” of HSC 85 is a reserve squadron that supports special operations missions. In 2011, HSC 85 transitioned from a logistics role to supporting Naval Special Warfare personnel. It is the only squadron solely dedicated to that mission. (USNI News 08/07/18)

Gulf Coast Navy energy winners

In an announcement Aug. 3, the Secretary of the Navy named Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Fla., as the recipient of the Department of the Navy Energy Excellence Award for 2018 in the Navy Small Shore category. The Navy’s annual Energy Excellence Awards program promotes excellence in the areas of energy security, new technology, innovation, program management and efficiency across the department. In addition to the SECNAV award winners, the following Gulf Coast states’ commands were recognized for their achievements in energy program management. At the Platinum level of achievement was NAS Pensacola; Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 3 of Gulfport, Miss. Gold level commands included NAS Meridian, Miss. At the Blue level was NAS/JRB New Orleans and Naval Support Activity Panama City, Fla. (SECNAV 08/03/18)

Luckiest guy in universe

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State University’s first Astronaut Scholarship recipient, and one of only 50 across America this year, senior civil engineering major Phong C. Ly of Brandon, Miss., feels like the luckiest guy in the universe. He received a $10,000 merit-based award from the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. Ly is pursuing an environmental engineering concentration through MSU’s James Worth Bagley College of Engineering. He also is a top student in the Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College, home to the university’s Office of Prestigious External Scholarships. As part of the award, Ly is embarking on a trip to Washington, D.C., for ASF’s 2018 Innovators Gala featuring the Neil Armstrong Award of Excellence. He will be interacting with some of America’s pioneering astronauts, scientists, researchers who are making an impact and advancing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. In 2017, MSU became the only university in Mississippi invited into a partnership with the Orlando, Fla.-based Astronaut Scholarship Foundation to promote STEM fields, along with NASA research priorities at the undergraduate level. The university is among 36 top American institutions selected for having strong undergraduate and graduate research programs that produce significant numbers of professional scientists, academic scientists, engineers and researchers. ASF Scholarship program recognizes outstanding college juniors and seniors, and students are encouraged to apply during their sophomore or junior year. (Source: MSU 08/06/18)

‘Connected Corpsmen’ team

Health systems engineers from Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory are partnering with the Navy to facilitate a pilot program – called ‘Connected Corpsmen in the Community’ – at Naval Hospital Pensacola, Fla., that aims to increase service members’ access to medical services. APL will integrate systems, assess tools and analyze data in an effort to update healthcare delivery models for active-duty service members in Pensacola through the initiative. Corpsmen will use telemedicine systems to virtually examine patients and treat minor ailments, such as sprains, joint pain, and upper respiratory infections. APL also conducted a population analysis that helped Navy Medicine determine the prevalence of medical conditions across its fleet and identify routine care needs. (Source: Johns Hopkins 08/03/18) NH Pensacola is the parent command of naval branch health clinics at NAS Meridian, and NCBC Gulfport, Miss.; and NAS/JRB New Orleans. APL, a not-for-profit university affiliated research center, is located in Howard County, Md. The lab serves as a technical resource for the Defense Department, NASA, and other government agencies.

North MS airport, port grants

TUPELO, Miss. – Mississippi Transportation Commissioner Mike Tagert announced more than $1.44M in grant awards for multimodal projects in Mississippi’s Northern Transportation District. The commission approved the grants to regional and municipal airports, ports, railways, and public transit systems throughout north Mississippi. “Each of these modes of transportation play a vital role in transporting people, goods and services that promote economic growth and development throughout Mississippi,” Tagert told the Daily Journal. Grants approved for regional/municipal airports in north Mississippi: • $34,880 – Monroe County Airport, Aberdeen: Acquisition of an aircraft ground power unit. • $73,369 – Golden Triangle Regional Airport, Columbus: Renovation of the rental car facility. • $15,500 – Iuka Airport: Upgrade the fuel management system. • $136,842 – New Albany-Union County Airport: Rehabilitate the county hangar. • $14,251 – University-Oxford Airport: Finalize the aircraft fuel system upgrade. • $17,183 – Tunica Municipal Airport: Expand the north apron at the Tunica Airport. • $23,850 – McCharen Field Airport, West Point: Upgrade the self-service fuel terminal controls. • $20,880 – Okolona Municipal Airport: Rehabilitate the access road and main apron. Grants were approved for these ports in north Mississippi: • $95,000 – Yellow Creek Port, Iuka: Improve barge terminal access. • $466,317 – Lowndes County Port: Extend rail at the west bank. • $301,158 – Port of Itawamba, Fulton: Repair and installation of mooring dolphin. Funding for the multimodal grants comes from the Multimodal Transportation Improvement Fund. (Source: Daily Journal 08/04/18)

New Vertex HQ for Madison

American Industrial Partners’ Vertex Aerospace is making its Madison, Miss., site its corporate headquarters with a $1.42M investment and about 70 mostly-administrative jobs over the next two years. Vertex, a former subsidiary of L3 Technologies, is a leading provider of specialized aerospace sustainment and support services. It is a recognized firm for contractor logistics support and aerospace services. The firm was originally founded in Mississippi back in 1975. The Mississippi Development Authority is providing assistance for building improvements and workforce training. Madison County Economic Development Authority is the local sponsor for incentives and plans to work with Vertex and the county for additional tax assistance. Vertex has annual revenues of $1.42B, and employs some 4,200 workers throughout 100 operating sites, including Crestview, Fla. (Source: Clarion Ledger 08/03/18)

Crew for commercial craft to ISS

NASA introduced its first American astronauts Aug. 3 who will fly on U.S.-made commercial spacecraft to and from the International Space Station (ISS). It’ll be the first time since the space shuttles’ retirement in 2011 that astronauts will launch and return to U.S. soil. NASA assigned nine astronauts to crew the first test flight and mission of both Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. The astronauts are Sunita Williams, Josh Cassada, Eric Boe, Nicole Mann, Christopher Ferguson, Douglas Hurley, Robert Behnken, Michael Hopkins and Victor Glover. Additional crew members will be assigned by NASA’s international partners at a later date. (Source: NASA 08/03/18)

Blue Angels select new ’19 team

PENSACOLA, Fla. – The Blue Angels Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron announced Aug. 1 the selection of new officers for the 2019 air show season. The squadron selected three F/A-18 demonstration pilots, an events coordinator, flight surgeon, and supply officer to replace outgoing team members. Each officer was approved by Commander, Naval Air Forces’ Vice Adm. DeWolfe Miller. The Blue Angels select “finalists” at the team’s home base aboard Naval Air Station Pensacola during the annual Pensacola Beach Air Show in July. (Source: Pensacola News Journal 08/01/18)

Columbus in line for H145M?

Airbus Helicopters is interested in producing its H145M military rotorcraft at its final assembly plant in Columbus, Miss., and lobbying for support from Capitol Hill to export sales of the U.S.-built aircraft. The Columbus facility already assembles UH-72 Lakota helicopters - based on the earlier EC145 variant for the U.S. Army; and that AH is keen on standardizing global production of the newer model. Mark Henning, H145M program manager, speaking in Hungary on July 27, said the situation has been explained to the Army and "they are listening in an interested manner." Henning believes there is growing interest by the Army to re-establish its armed scout capability, lost when the Bell OH-58 Kiowa helicopters were retired in 2016. Christian Fanchini, a marketing executive for Airbus Helicopters' HForce weapons program, believes the Army could be interested in the H145M, but whether or not the service selects it may depend on congressional-funding for the Foreign Military Sales process, if the helicopters are built in Mississippi. (Source: Flight Global 07/30/18)