STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State University’s undergraduate elementary education program is among the best in the nation when it comes to ensuring future educators have the essential content and skills needed to teach mathematics. The National Council on Teacher Quality, a national research and policy organization that regularly evaluates core requirements and practices of over 1,100 programs that prepare future elementary teachers, released a new report May 17 in which MSU’s undergraduate program earned an A+ designation for its requirements in elementary mathematics. MSU is among only 79 programs in the nation to earn this distinction as an “exemplar” in the new report. (Source: MSU 05/17/22) Mississippi State named national leader for preparing future elementary teachers to teach math | Mississippi State University (msstate.edu)
Wednesday, May 18, 2022
HII-built ships' commissionings
USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28), built at HII-Pascagoula, Miss., will be commissioned at Port Everglades, Fla., at 9 a.m. (CT) on July 30. Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis, who attended the ship’s christening in Mississippi in 2021, says he will be there. “It acknowledges the long history our community has had with the Navy,” he said. “Being the host of Fleet Week for many years, our community has developed a rapport with our men and women in service over the years.” The USS Fort Lauderdale is a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship. (Source: Sun Sentinel 05/17/22) US Navy to commission USS Fort Lauderdale in namesake city in July | Stars and Stripes
HII-Pascagoula built DDG-121 commissioned: CHARLESTON, S.C. - With Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro calling it “the very best ship that our nation has to offer,” the Navy christened Aegis-class destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG-121) during ceremonies in Charleston, S.C., on May 14. The Petersen, built by HII-Pascagoula, Miss., is named in honor of Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Frank E. Petersen Jr., the first black Marine Corps aviator and the first black Marine to rise to the rank of three-star general. (Source: Gulf Live 05/17/22) Navy christens Ingalls-built USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. in South Carolina | Stars and Stripes
Tuesday, May 17, 2022
USMI appoints new president
EPA investing $53M for GC
GULFPORT, Miss.- Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPAQ) officials were here at the Great Southern Club on May 16 to commemorate the anniversary of a $53M investment in the future of the Gulf of Mexico. The EPA awarded the monies over five years to the Gulf Coast (GC) states of Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas and Florida. Requests for local project proposals will be sent out by the end of the year, EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe said to the crowd. The funding is intended for water quality improvements, community resilience, habitat restoration and environmental education. EPA put out a media release which indicated that tens of millions of dollars will support wetland restoration, stormwater treatment and control, nature-based infrastructure, resilient shorelines and more. (Source: WLOX 05/16/22) U.S. officials visit Gulfport to celebrate $53 million investment in Gulf (wlox.com)
Proposed Superfund site for plant
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to add the defunct Hercules Inc. chemical manufacturing plant in Hattiesburg to its priority list of hazardous waste sites around the nation. Hercules Inc. produced hundreds of chemical products and pesticides from 1923-2009. Since its closure, multiple EPA inspections have turned up benzene and a dozen-plus contaminants in the groundwater. After its most recent inspection in 2021, EPA proposed in March to add Hercules to its Superfund National Priorities List. Hattiesburg has eight drinking wells within two miles of the site. The EPA hasn’t found any impact to those wells but says it will continue sampling the residential area. The agency is receiving comments from the public until June 16, and will hold a public meeting at 6 p.m. on May 19 at the C.E. Roy Community Center in Hattiesburg. (Source: Mississippi Today 05/12/22) Hattiesburg plant proposed as hazardous waste site - Mississippi Today
La. LNG inks international deal
Sempra Infrastructure’s Cameron (La.) LNG in Hackberry has inked a long-term deal with an international buyer to supply 2M metric tons of LNG annually to the Polish Oil & Gas Co. It’s the sixth contract in five months for Louisiana’s LNG facilities. Five have come since March, and most were signed by one company. Sempra Infrastructure, a subsidiary of San Diego-based Sempra, struck another 2M-ton deal with Poland for its upcoming Port Arthur (Texas) LNG facility. The other five announcements came from Venture Global LNG, a Virginia-based company, behind four planned or existing LNG facilities across south Louisiana. Venture Global signed pacts with PETRONAS in Malaysia, ExxonMobile LNG Asis Pacific, New Fortress Energy Inc., Shell NA LNG and China National Offshore Oil Corp. (Source: The Advocate 05/1622) For the sixth time in five months, another Louisiana LNG company has announced a long-term deal | Business | theadvocate.com
Austal-built LCS fires 3 Hellfires
The USS Montgomery (LCS-8), an Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship built at Austal USA's shipyard in Mobile, Ala., launched three Longbow Hellfire missiles in the Pacific Ocean that hit a land-based target for the first time during a proof-of-concept exercise May 12, the Navy announced in a media release. The AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire missiles have a range of about five miles and make up the LCS' surface-to-surface mission module, one of the three original components of its mission package. “This test proved the critical next step in increasing lethality of the Littoral Combat Ship,” ship's captain, Cmdr. Dustin Lonero, said in the news release. “Using our speed and shallow draft, we are now uniquely optimized to bring this level of firepower extremely close to shore in support of our warfighters and operators on the beach.” The Navy wrapped up the structural testing required to ensure the LCS could fire the Hellfire missiles in 2019. The missile plays a "key role in the up-gunned surface warfare mission package,” the Navy said. Originally fielded by both variants of LCS in 2019, the missile has "demonstrated the capability to quickly defeat multiple swarming Fast Attack Craft/Fast Inshore Attack Craft." Each LCS is capable carrying twenty-four missiles. (Source: USNI 05/16/22) VIDEO: LCS USS Montgomery Fires Hellfire Missiles in Land Attack Test - USNI News
Navy history: USS Stark attacked
On This Day in Navy and Marine Corps History: 1987 - USS Stark (FFG-31) is struck by two Iraqi Exocet Missiles in the Persian Gulf, killing 37 Sailors and wounding 21. (US navy 0/17/22)
Among those who perished, and who were from the Gulf region, were :
*Jeffrey Sibley, 21, Metairie, La. Played bass drum in high school. 'Jeff was a very big guy and he just dove into physical things,' band director Carl Hellmers said, adding the school retired the bass drum after Sibley left because no one was big enough to carry it.
*Vincent Ulmer, 21, Bay Minette, Ala. Played high school basketball. Ulmer was in the Navy two years. His mother said he enjoyed the service.
*Ronnie Lockett, 30, Bessemer, Ala. Married with 6-month-old daughter. He was 'always happy-go-lucky,' his mother, Eldora, said. 'It is a terrible thing but is an act of God and I have to believe in him,' she said of the tragedy.
*Vernon Foster, 33, Tallahassee, Fla. Career Navy officer. Family described him as easygoing, intelligent and dedicated.
*Braddy Brown, 28, Calera, Ala. Leaves three sons. Brown was in the Navy 10 years.
Sunday, May 15, 2022
La. econ groups earn mag award
The Baton Rouge Area Chamber and Southwest Louisiana Economic Development were among 20 national organizations to receive the 2021 Mac Conway Award for Excellence in Economic Development by Site Selection magazine. The honor is awarded to the top 20 local/regional American economic development groups based on an index of corporate job creation and facility-related capital investment data calculated both cumulatively and per capita. In 2021, BRAC welcomed 17 new businesses/expansions to the market, resulting in 1,800 direct jobs and over $8B in capital investment, including an ExxonMobil modernization, an Amazon logistics hub and renewable and transitional energy projects like Air Products and commercial solar developments. The SWLA Alliance Foundation funds programs and projects focused on workforce development, economic development, and encouraging entrepreneurship. Its Workforce Training Guide offers training and development to recent high school graduates and the underemployed in the region. The Alliance works with site selectors and LED to recruit new businesses to Southwest Louisiana. Among some of the significant projects were with Venture Global LNG, Phillips 66 refinery, Canfor Southern Pine and the Indorama Ventures Olefins petrochemical industry. (Source: Site Selection May 2022) Top Economic Development Groups: 2022 Mac Conway Award: The economic development organizations profiled in the following pages are being recognized for contributing significantly to their locations’ investment attraction and job creation success (siteselection.com)
Saturday, May 14, 2022
MSVA exec, chief of staff resign
JACKSON, Miss. - The Mississippi Veterans Affairs Board announced, in a media release, on May 13 the resignations of its Executive Director and Chief of Staff. Executive Director Stacey Pickering has decided to retire from state government. Chief of Staff Melissa Wade will pursue other opportunities outside of the VA. MSVA Deputy Director Mark Smith will serve as interim Executive Director while the Board begins searching for a new chief of staff for the agency. (Source: WLBT 05/13/22)
Hurricane Hunters crew disciplined
BILOXI, Miss. - Five crewmen from the Biloxi-based 403rd Wing’s “Hurricane Hunters” squadron have been disciplined for making an unauthorized flight stop in Massachusetts to pick up a vintage motorcycle that belonged to one of the crew. The five reservists were spotted in Martha's Vineyard in March to load a 1970 BMW R75/5 motorcycle into the plane before continuing on an assignment to California, The Sun Herald reported. In a news release May 10, Lt. Col. Marnee Losurdo, chief of public affairs for the wing, said the aircrew have faced "both administrative and aircrew qualification-related discipline for misuse of a WC-130J Super Hercules aircraft.” No further details were released. “The personal stop was an abuse of government assets,” said Col. Stuart M. Rubio, Wing commander. “We hold our reservists to the highest standards of conduct and these actions are not tolerated.” The crew left Keesler Air Force Base on March 24 and landed at Quonset (RI) Air National Guard Base. Without their superiors' knowledge, the next day the crew made a detour to Martha’s Vineyard before continuing their assigned mission, which was to pick up equipment from Mather, Calif., the news release said. Wing leadership was notified March 27, grounded the crew in California and sent another crew to pick up the aircraft and crew March 28, according to the news release. The motorcycle remains in California. (Source: The AP 05/12/22)
Resilience in small college town
The U.S. Economic Development Administration’s American Resilience & Equity Networks Initiative will be hosting a virtual event for economic development leaders in the public and private sectors at 11 a.m. (CT) on June 1. The event is to discuss “Building Resilience in Small, University-Anchored Cities.” Small cities are “living laboratories” for ideas on generating economic opportunity across a broader geography. They can provide a patchwork of economic hubs with diverse industry base, entrepreneurship, quality jobs, and quality of life for people outside of major metropolitan areas where growth and opportunity are increasingly concentrated. On June 1 - as part of EDA, the University Economic Development Association (UEDA), and Virginia Tech’s American Resilience & Equity Networks Initiative (ARENI) - economic development leaders from the University anchored cities of Boone, North Carolina and Oxford, Mississippi, will discuss the strategies, tactics, and partnerships that have contributed to resilience. ARENI is a network for EDA’s University Centers to collaborate on resilience and equity issues through regular convenings, online forums, and resource libraries. Learn more about it. … REGISTER HERE
Miss.-based Brownfields grants
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded $254.5M in Brownfields grants to 265 communities. The grants are supported by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides a total of $1.5B to advance environmental justice, spur economic revitalization, and create jobs by cleaning up contaminated, polluted, or hazardous brownfield properties. Brownfield projects can range from cleaning up buildings with asbestos or lead contamination, to assessing and cleaning up abandoned properties that once managed dangerous chemicals. Mississippi-based FY-22 Brownfield grant recipients include Central Mississippi Planning & Development District $453,000; Golden Triangle Planning and Development District $500,000; Hernando Community-wide Assessment $409,000; Louisville Community-wide Assessment $484,000; Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality Community-wide - States/Tribes Assessment $1.56M. Once cleaned up, former brownfield properties can be redeveloped into productive uses such as grocery stores, affordable housing, health centers, museums, parks, and solar farms. (Source: EPA 05/13/22) Applicants Selected for FY 2022 Brownfields Assessment, RLF, Cleanup (ARC) Grants and RLF Supplemental Funding | US EPA
GC vet system nurses of year
BILOXI, Miss. - The Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System (GCVHCS) announced its 2022 organization-wide nursing awards May 12 in Biloxi, Miss. Coming at the end of National Nurses Week, GCVHCS nursing service leadership recognized Pauline White as the Nursing Assistant of the Year; Mary Harris as the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) of the Year; Sheena Strong as the Registered Nurse (RN) of the Year; and Amanda Anderson as the RN of the Year (Expanded Role) during the virtual presentation. Additionally, GCVHCS Public Affairs Specialist Camille Weston was named Honorary Nurse of the Year. The Biloxi Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center, along with the Mobile, Ala.; Pensacola, Eglin and Panama City, Fla., VA Clinics are all part of the GCVHCS, which is HQ’d in Biloxi and provides a variety of medical outpatient services to more than 82,000 veterans. (Source: GCVHCS 05/13/22) GCVHCS Announces 2022 Nursing Awards, Wraps Up Nurses Week Celebrations | VA Gulf Coast Health Care | Veterans Affairs
New super for schools in Starkville
STARKVILLE, Miss - The Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously to hire Tony McGee as its new superintendent. McGee is currently superintendent of the Scott County (Miss.) School District and served as superintendent at the Kosciusko School District. McGee, 55, earned undergraduate and doctorate in educational leadership degrees from Mississippi State University. He holds a master’s degree from the University of Southern Mississippi. The district will introduce McGee at a news conference at 5:30 p.m. on May 17 at the Greensboro Center. (Source: WTVA 05/13/22)
Friday, May 13, 2022
DoD regional contracts May 13
Consolidated Analysis Center Inc., Norfolk, Virginia, is awarded a $9,813,519 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract action for engineering services for amphibious and auxiliary ships. The contract is structured with an 11-month base period and a six-month option period, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $15,243,206. Work is expected to be performed in Washington, D.C. (72%); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (8%); Glen Burnie, Maryland (5%); Arlington, Virginia (5%); Mount Laurel, New Jersey (4%); Virginia Beach, Virginia (4%); and Pascagoula, Mississippi (2%), and is expected to be completed by October 2023. Fiscal 2022 operation and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $100,000 will be obligated at time of award, of which $100,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) — only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. Naval Surface Warfare Center, Corona Division, Norco, California, is the contracting activity.
Mike Hooks LLC, Westlake, Louisiana, was awarded a $24,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for rental of a cutterhead pipeline dredge. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of July 12, 2023. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile, Alabama, is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 05/13/22)
NASM dedicates new 'JLB' hangar
NAS Meridian, Miss., dedicated its new Ensign Jesse L. Brown Memorial Hangar before 200 guests including 30 members of the Brown family that included his daughter, Pamela Brown Knight. NASM also unveiled a mural which is painted by local artists on the 2nd floor of the hangar. (Source: NASM 05/13/22) (5) NAS Meridian | Facebook Ensign Jesse L. Brown was the Navy's first Black aviator. He was killed in December 1950 when his plane was shot down during the Korean War. He was from the Hattiesburg area. 'A true American story': NAS Meridian dedicates hangar to Navy's first Black aviator | Local News | meridianstar.com
High level of benzene at refineries
Four Louisiana refineries are among a dozen across the U.S. that released the cancer-causing chemical benzene at levels higher than EPA limits, according to the environmental non-profit Environmental Integrity Project. EIP found that PBF Energy's Chalmette Refinery in Chalmette; Valero’s St. Charles refinery; Shell Norco Manufacturing Complex in Norco; and the Phillips 66 refinery in Westlake all emitted more than nine micrograms per cubic meter of benzene at their fence lines in 2021. Benzene, which the EPA considers a “known carcinogen” is a gaseous compound found in gasoline and petroleum products. It is known to cause immune systems damage and leukemia. Firms are required to create plans to reduce benzene emissions when it exceeds the 9-microgram limit. Six other Louisiana refineries emitted more than three micrograms per cubic meter of benzene. The lower benzene level is not mentioned in EPA’s regulations. EPA's nine micrograms per cubic meter does not mean there is a health risk to the public, or is it a measure of benzene levels in the community, according to a statement released by the Chalmette Refinery. (Source: NOLA.com 05/13/22) Louisiana refineries measured excessively high levels of cancer-causing chemical in 2021 | Environment | nola.co
Congress mulls new 15 ship deal
Congress is considering authorizing to buy up to 15 guided-missile destroyers for the Navy over the next five years, legislative sources told USNI News on May 12. The deal would be a 10-ship, multi-year funding with options to buy five more Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyers between FY 2023-27. The work would be split between General Dynamics Bath (Maine) Iron Works and Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss. If approves, the contract would extend the DDG-51 line to 104 hulls (through DDG-153). The move would push the Navy well over its initial FY-23 budget request. The Navy asked for a 9-ship multi-year deal with an option for a 10th. The multi-year deal would set HII and BIW on a path to build three ships a year, with the majority of the work likely headed to Ingalls, USNI News is reporting. BIW has been plagued with production setbacks over the last several years. (Source: USNI News 05/12/22) Congress Wants Potential 15 Hull, 5-year Destroyer Deal at 3 Ships a Year - USNI News
CNO: Navy unprepared to fight 2 wars -WASHINGTON - Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday told members of the Senate Armed Service Committee that the Navy is unprepared to fight wars in separate regions without more ships. The current fleet of about 298 ships is "sized to fight one and keep a second adversary in check, but in terms of two all-out conflicts, we are not sized for that.” In 2018, Congress passed a law requiring the Navy to reach a 355-ship fleet “as soon as practicable,” but the number of ships has dropped due to budget requirements. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) asked CNO about Navy's operational impact "if we had to withhold Navy forces from Europe in order to deter Chinese aggression in (the Pacific)? Navy would be “challenged” to meet both needs, CNO answered. (Source: Stars & Stripes 05/12/22)
Thursday, May 12, 2022
Meridian mag cover: NAS officer
The May/June edition of Meridian Home and Style Magazine, Men's Edition. This issue spotlights six men from the Meridian area dedicated to serving community and country. On the cover is NAS Meridian Security Officer Lt.j.g. Alex Dorais. Dorais shares his story of 17 years in the Navy inside the magazine. (Source: NAS Meridian 05/12/22) (2) Facebook