143 @ Maximus-Hattiesburg laid off

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - A total of 143 of a total of 930 Maximus Inc. federal call center employees here have been laid off due to overstaffing, according to a company statement. The IT service management company provides customer relations services for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In a statement, Maximus Inc.  provided information regarding the layoffs at its Hattiesburg location, which is located at the Cloverleaf Center: The statement said the layoffs were due to "low attrition rates with employees" and surplus staffing at multiple Maximus facilities. Maximus will be releasing select employees in all its locations. Staff being released "were selected based on their tenure and schedule." The firms said it is "coordinating with other Maximus programs where remote positions may be available for impacted employees. We also will ensure that we consider these employees for other hiring needs if additional staff is required in the future." (WDAM 01/10/23) Maximus-Hattiesburg 

Ingalls installing SPY-6 radars

Raytheon expects the Navy to order a new variant of its SPY-6 missile defense radar in a step towards back-fitting numerous Arleigh Burke-class destroyers with upgrades. The SPY-6(V)4 variant is planned to be installed onboard the Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, a ship variant that is the workhorse of the fleet until Flight III destroyers are operational. Raytheon has developed four variants of the SPY-6 radar, each for a specific subset of Navy ships. In 2022, many of the radar variants have transitioned to fleet. The Flight III destroyer Jack Lucas (DDG-125) entered sea trials in December from Ingalls shipbuilding in Mississippi, equipped with SPY-6(V)1 radar. The amphibious transport Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD-29) received the SPY-6(V)2 radar designed for amphibs and Nimitz-class aircraft carriers. LPD-29 was the first amphib online with the SPY-6 radar. The ship's below-deck equipment has been installed and Ingalls is installing the array in less than a week. Sea trials are an early opportunity for the Navy to test all the different elements that make up a warship, including the combat management system’s ability to command and control the SPY-6 radar. (Breaking Defense 01/10/23) Raytheon expects key SPY-6 contract for destroyer backfits in early 2023 - Breaking Defense. The Navy is expected to commission USS Jack H. Lucas and its AN/SPY-6(V)1 radar into service in 2024.

Pearl survivor passes away at 104

PENSACOLA, Fla. - One of the last Pearl Harbor survivors, Frank Emond, has died at age 104 on Jan. 10. Chief Warrant Officer Frank Emond was one of the last surviving servicemen to have witnessed the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. (WEAR 01/10/23) 

Emomd visited NCBC Gulfport in December: Central Mississippi to Central Louisiana: Pearl survivor visits NCBC sailors (goldentriangleregion.blogspot.com)

AF Academy OL from La. dead

Cadet Hunter Brown, 21, a lineman on the Air Force Falcons' football team died after suffering a "medical emergency" on his way to class Jan. 9, the Academy announced. First responders attempted to resuscitate Brown but were unsuccessful. Hunter was a standout offensive lineman ... and was well-respected in his squadron," Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark, academy superintendent, said in a statement released Jan. 10. Brown, a native of Lake Charles, La., assigned to Cadet Squadron 16. Brown was majoring in management and minoring in French. He attended Barbe High School in Louisiana. (USA TODAY 01/10/23)

Corp's Fish Habitat Day in MS

VICKSBURG, Miss. - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' (USACE) Vicksburg District will host its annual Fish Habitat Day Feb. 4 at Lake Enid. Volunteers will construct and place fish shelters using wooden stakes, natural vegetation or recycled Christmas trees that provide bedding and cover for fish. Participants are invited to meet at the Enid Lake Field Office at 7 a.m. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Volunteers are encouraged to wear warm outdoor clothing and bring gloves. The winter months are generally ideal for this work because lower lake levels expose mudflats and provide open spaces to create new fish habitats. For more information, contact the Enid Lake Field Office at 662-563-4571. (USACE Vicksburg 01/09/23)

Final EIS for GoM lease sales

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issued its Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for two upcoming Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas lease sales (Lease Sales 259 and 261) to comply with the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. On Oct. 6, BOEM issued a Draft Supplemental EIS, and received feedback from the public. During that period, BOEM held two virtual meetings to provide information about the Draft Supplemental EIS and collect comments, which resulted in nearly 76,000. The Final Supplemental EIS includes an expanded greenhouse gas (GHG) analysis and provides an analysis of monetized impacts from these estimated GHG emissions. The act mandates Lease Sale 259 to be held no later than March 31. Lease Sale 261will be held no later than Sept. 30. The Notice of Availability will publish in the Federal Register on Jan. 13. (Work Boat 01/10/23) Gulf of Mexico Lease Sales 259 and 261 Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement | Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (boem.gov)

'Fighting Okra' debuts on ESPN

Delta State University’s football team wasn't in the national championship game Jan. 9, but the school's alternative mascot - "The Fighting Okra" - was part of ESPN's ongoing series of commercials with school mascots. The Fighting Okra is not the Mississippi school's official mascot but was generated on a lark by students in the late 1980s, saying it was perfect "because Okra is tough, green and prickly." The cheerleader sponsor and mascot flew to Bristol, Conn., to shoot the commercial with anchors Kevin Neghandi and Elle Duncan. “We were thrilled for ESPN to use The Fighting Okra ... (and) was a no-brainer for us to say yes to their request,” said DSU athletics director Mike Kinnison. (Clarion Ledger 01/10/23)

SpaceX to launch 51 Starlink sats

SpaceX plans to launch 51 of its Starlink internet satellites into orbit Jan. 10. A Falcon 9 rocket topped with the satellites is scheduled to lift off from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base at 10: 02 p.m. CST. Watch live at Space.com, courtesy of SpaceX, or via the company. Coverage is expected to begin about five minutes before liftoff. (Space.com 01/09/23)

CSIS wages public war games

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) ran 24 war-game scenarios in which China attempted an amphibious invasion of Taiwan in 2026. In most cases, the U.S. prevailed, but how'd we know the details? War games are for civilian and military decision-makers to test strategies or plan for conflict. They're generally highly classified and assumptions and methodologies are never explained in detail publicly. Taiwan has emerged as a point of major contention between Washington and Beijing. So, CSIS took the unusual step of releasing its findings and methodology. The conclusions are sobering.  (Air and Space Forces 01/10/23) CSIS Simulation Offers a Rare Look at US-China Clash over Taiwan and the World of Wargaming | Air & Space Forces Magazine (airandspaceforces.com)

CG suspends search near NOLA

NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard has suspended its search Jan. 9 for a missing boater on Lake Pontchartrain near New Orleans. CG crews searched for about 16 hours that covered more than 230 nautical square miles. Missing is a Billy Coile, a 44-year-old male last seen wearing a blue shirt and khakis. The CG received a report Jan. 8 of a 12- to 14-foot recreational vessel adrift without anyone aboard near the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway at mile marker 23. "Making the decision to suspend a search and rescue case is never an easy one and it's only made after careful consideration of factors involved in each case," said Lt. Cmdr. Lauren Keefe, Sector New Orleans SAR mission coordinator.  Crews involved in the search included CG Station New Orleans, CG Air Station New Orelans, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office. (Coast Guard 01/10/23

MS mega site weeks from start

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. – An early March groundbreaking for the largest ever Mississippi economic development project - a $2.5B Aluminum Dynamics mill located near the Golden Triangle Regional Airport in Columbus - is weeks away from its initial start. The project will create 1,000 jobs over seven years, along with spin-offs, at the mega site. Plans are to get construction trailers, water, sewer and electricity onto the site by mid-February, Joe Max Higgins, GTR LINK executive told WCBI. "That will be the heartbeat of the whole construction site while it’s building," Higgins said. Tree removal could begin in a few weeks and permits finished by spring. The LINK and board of supervisors are working to begin $25M worth of road work near the site, as part of the deal. (WCBI 01/09/22)

DoD bridge work contract in La.

SupplyCore, Rockford, Illinois, has been awarded a maximum $90,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for facilities maintenance, repair and operations supplies. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 3204 (a)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a 456-day bridge contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Louisiana and Texas, with an April 15, 2024, ordering period end date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Type of appropriation is FY 2023-24 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (DoD 01/09/23)

UM prof's book draws global eye

OXFORD, Miss. – University of Mississippi political science professor Susan Allen has co-authored a book that is catching the attention of international peacekeepers. Allen co-authored “Bargaining in the UN Security Council: Setting the Global Agenda.” The book (Oxford University Press, 2022) examines the factors that play into whether the Security Council responds to an international peace and security threat. The UN council's “formal rules ... haven’t changed since 1986," Allen said, yet there have been many differences in the way the council acts since the end of the Cold War. Those actions reflect the international policy environment – who is getting along with whom and what conflicts are happening. The book was noticed by diplomats at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea. The mission "reached out to us" asking to talk about the research and engage in "bridging the gap between educators and policymakers,” she said. Allen and co-author Amy Yuen of NYU traveled to New York City to visit the mission and talk about their findings in December. The duo met with the South Korean mission staff where they were looking to "maximize their influence” at the council in 2024, Allen said. It was "pretty thrilling to know that people were that engaged, and our advice was practical in that way.”  (University of Mississippi 01/09/23) Political Science Professor Advises UN Security Council Members - Ole Miss News

Terberg to break ground in MS

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. – Terberg Taylor Americas Group anticipates breaking ground Jan. 24 in Mississippi on its new $16M facility. The factory will create 90 jobs and produce Terborg’s terminal tractors, which move containers at ports, steel mills and other distribution centers. The partnership is between the Taylor Group of companies out of Louisville, Miss., and Royal Terberg Group of the Netherlands. The 200,000-square-foot facility will be built in multiple phases. The goal is to start assembling terminal tractors this year. (WCBI 01/09/22)

Delta first to offer free Wi-Fi

Delta Air Lines will begin offering passengers free Wi-Fi on Feb. 1 on about 80% of its domestic fleet, according to CEO Ed Bastian, but will be available on more each week. Delta's free Wi-Fi, through a sponsorship from T-Mobile, will be available on more than 700 planes by the end of this year and on international and regional aircraft by the close of 2024. “It’s free. There’s no fine print,” Bastian said in a news release on Jan. 5. (Delta.com 01/05/23) Delta introduces fast, free onboard Wi-Fi | Delta News Hub

MS firms settle worker lawsuits

JACKSON, Miss. - Two Mississippi Delta agriculture businesses, both located in Sunflower County about 100 miles NW of Jackson, and 13 Black farm workers have settled the workers' lawsuits over claims the farms hired white laborers from South Africa and paid them more than the local Black workers for the same type of work. Federal court records show the two lawsuits were settled in December. Terms were not disclosed. This form of discrimination is a recent manifestation of the age-old problem of exploitation of Black labor in America and particularly in the Delta,” Rob McDuff of the Mississippi Center for Justice, an attorney for one group of workers, said in a news release Jan. 5. Southern Migrant Legal Services and the Mississippi Center for Justice filed one of the lawsuits in September 2021 against Pitts Farms Partnership, which grows cotton, soybean and corn. The second lawsuit was filed in April against catfish grower, Harris Russell Farms. Amal Bouhabib, a Southern Migrant Legal Services attorney who also represented workers, said more suits will be coming against those who do not pay fair wages to the local workers." Tim Threadgill, an attorney for Pitts Farms, said Jan. 6 that the business was "glad to have reached a mutual settlement" instead of going through expensive litigation. Pitt Farms also denied liability. Robert Warrington, an attorney for Harris Russell Farms declined comment. The lawsuit claimed Pitts Farms used a placement firm to bring in white South Africans seasonal labor from 2014-20 and that the farm did not make the same effort to recruit U.S. workers. The federal H-2A program allows U.S. farmers to hire foreign workers when no U.S. workers are available but does not allow farmers to pay American workers less than the foreign workers, Bouhabib said. (The AP 01/09/23) Farms settle suits on using immigrants over Black US workers | Nation & World | meridianstar.com

LSU energy studies exec to retire

David Dismukes, executive director of LSU’s Center for Energy Studies research organization since 2014, will retire this week, according to the university. Greg Upton, associate professor of research who joined the center in 2014, has been named interim executive director. The center's research efforts are known for its analyses of the Gulf Coast’s energy and petrochemical sectors, as well as its Louisiana greenhouse gas inventory. Dismukes’ research at LSU has included O&G exploration, power markets, Gulf Coast energy infrastructure and renewable energy. Since 2017, Dismukes and Upton have co-authored the annual Gulf Coast Energy Outlook that examines potential trends for the region’s energy market. Upton joined the center’s faculty in 2014. He received all three of his economics degrees from LSU. He serves as chair of the 2023 U.S. Association for Energy Economics conference, which will be held in Chicago in November. Upton recently began work on a $3.2M project from the state to estimate methane emissions in Louisiana and potential costs to plug orphaned and idle O&G wells. (NOLA.com 01/08/23)

NASA RFPs coming by Feb. 28

By the end of February, NASA intends to release a request for proposals (RFPs) for a potential 8-year contract vehicle to serve as an enterprise platform to centralize IT services in support of the space agency’s centers and facilities. The proposed NASA Consolidated Applications and Platform Services contract will support requirements across operations, maintenance and end-user support for applications, websites, mobile apps and information systems and IT systems engineering, modernization and management, according to a pre-solicitation notice published Jan. 6. NASA solicited feedback on a draft RFP in September and intends to issue another draft Jan. 13 to seek comments on the performance work statement and other attachments. It will also host a virtual industry day on or about Jan. 24. NASA expects to receive proposals for the final solicitation by March 31. (Gov.Wire 01/09/23) NASA Eyes Feb. 28 Release of Final Solicitation for NCAPS IT Support Contract - GovCon Wire

Prez in Texas for first time

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is questioning the legality of President Biden’s new immigration policy, which is a COVID-era policy, while the president visits El Paso for the first time in his presidency. "Each branch (of government) has its own power. The states have their own power," Paxton told Fox Digital. Title 42 is "his own rules." CBP agents have been overwhelmed" with migrants. Biden said Jan. 5 that GOP lawmakers "haven't been serious" about the issue. "I don't like Title 42, but it's the law now," the president said. The policy allows officials to rapidly expel migrants. The Supreme Court will be hearing arguments about the legality of the policy on March 1. (Fox Business 01/08/23) Texas attorney general says Biden's new immigration plan may not be legal: 'you're not king' (msn.com)

Eaton CNC machinist position

Eaton Corp: CNC Machinist-2nd shift in Jackson, Mississippi. CNC Machinist-2nd shift in Jackson, Mississippi | Eaton