In any major undertaking such as the one the size of the Mississippi Veterans Memorial Cemetery (MVMC), baby steps must be taken during the course of the project.
Thursday, MVMC Director Randy Reeves announced a major step as officials with the MVMC received permission from the state Veterans Administration to advertise for bids from contractors who wish to compete for the construction rights of the multi-million dollar project. It was an announcement Reeves was most excited to talk about.
"All of us associated with this project are ecstatic over this new development," said Reeves. "The fact we are soliciting for bids means this project is going from being just a dream on paper to a reality. Very soon people in Newton County and those driving along I-20 between Meridian and Newton will be able to see machinery on the property."
The bidding process, as with all State of Mississippi projects, will be conducted by the Mississippi Bureau of Building, Grounds and Real Property Management. The winning contractor will prepare the land, construct the administrative, ceremonial structures and maintenance buildings for Phase I
estimated to cost around $7 million dollars. There also will be approximately 5,000 internment sites in this first installment.
"In today's dollars, the first phase will probably be the most expensive and comprehensive construction project for the entire cemetery," Reeves said. "This will go a long way in setting the tone for what this cemetery will be in the future."
Reeves, who along with many associated with the project have nicknamed the site as the "Arlington of the South," in reference to Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., said MVMC will be located on 75 acres between Newton and Hickory. The site is just off I-20 and will be visible from the Interstate. The cemetery will serve all eligible U.S. veterans and is currently projected to begin construction in the fall of 2009 and open for interments in the spring of 2011.
"We are hoping for the official ground breaking to take place in July," said Reeves. "That will be yet another step forward for us and I'm really looking forward to that."
Local News
Veterans cemetery reaches milestone
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City cuts payment to Watkins
The Meridian City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to cut their monthly payment to David Watkins, project developer of Meridian's new police station, by $9,999 until work resumes on the project.
The order, made during the Meridian City Council meeting Tuesday morning, included a mutual agreement between the councilmen and Watkins to reduce the project developer's monthly consultant fee of $10,000 to $1, effective Tuesday. -
Crews work on gasoline pipeline
If you hear a loud, booming sound early today, between 4 a.m.-10 a.m., there is no cause for alarm.
Workers with Plantation Pipeline will be performing maintenance work on their 30-foot gasoline pipeline in the Meridian area to accommodate the widening of Highway 493. The location of the work activity will be at Highway 493 North and Oak Hill Baptist Church, just inside the city limits. -
Team Spirit
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High Honor
The flowers and balloons Crestwood Elementary School Principal Kimberly Kendrick received at school Monday were not an early Valentines' Day gift.
Kendrick has been named Meridian Public School District's 2012 Administrator of the Year – an announcement that both surprised and wowed the 17-year veteran educator when made by MPSD Superintendent Dr. Alvin Taylor. -
Master Dance Class
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Digital system promises better communication
Hopefully in the near future you won't hear someone in the emergency services ask over the radio, "Can you hear me now?"
A digital communications system, one which is being pushed by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC), is a few months away and, in some cases, is already in the testing phase in Lauderdale County. -
Inmate escapes custody
Mississippi Department of Corrections officials said Monday afternoon an inmate escaped from custody Friday and is still being sought.
Officials said Johnny Hall Jr. escaped from two Wilkinson County Correctional Facility officers’ custody while being escorted from his father’s wake at the Picayune Funeral Home in Picayune. Preliminary information indicates Hall left the officers and jumped into a waiting black vehicle with a white female driver. -
Citizen’s Police Academy begins today
The work law enforcement conducts on a daily basis is often misunderstood by the general public.
Officials at the Meridian Police Department developed a program to inform and educate citizens on what police do in serving and protecting the population. The program, The Citizen's Police Academy, has been gaining speed for a couple of years since it was first offered. Officials said it shows residents are interested in police work and how it is conducted. - Woman: decongestant brought meth charge in Alabama
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Star Of The Week: Dominique Goodwin-Jenkins
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