Student seeks information about Mississippi

I am writing as part of a class project for the novel “The Watsons Go To Birmingham.” My classmates and I are contacting newspapers across the country in a state we chose to learn more about. I wanted to learn more about Mississippi because they are big on agriculture and I grew up on a farm and want to learn more.

I am writing to ask your readers to please write back and tell me why they like Mississippi, interesting facts about the state , and what visitors can do there. They can write to my school’s address. If they could also include a copy of the newspaper where they saw my letter, I would appreciate it greatly.

Nathan Holderbaum

c/o Queen of Peace Catholic School

4508 Vistula Road

Mishawaka, IN 46544

Support purchase of additional ABC warehouse

As a local family owned package store owner, I wish to share some thoughts and insights that collectively affects my industry in Mississippi.

In a recent newspaper article, there was a breakdown of revenue monies spent in Mississippi since the enactment of House Bill 1630. $500,000 each month goes to support the Gulf Coast Aquarium Construction Fund, $41,663 goes to support the Catfish Row Museum Construction Fund and $83,334 to the Bass Cultural Arts Center. These are good and valid educational and historical projects for our state. But the state should also invest in one of its best sources of revenue, the ABC. Because it generated in 2018 alone $114,883,277 in revenue for Mississippi!

The current ABC warehouse can no longer handle today’s volume and capacity properly, which is causing reduced service to all distributors throughout Mississippi. The state’s Department of Revenue is asking to purchase an existing warehouse, located directly across the street, for $4,100,000. This facility has 51,830 square feet of climate controlled warehouse space, seven dock doors and one drive-in door, which will provide a long-term solution for the ABC warehouse capacity issues and support the potential average 3% growth for the next 15 years.

Contact your representatives in Jackson and ask them to approve this purchase. It will increase revenue to the state for education and infrastructure as well as enable your local package store to best serve customers while preserving local business in Mississippi.

Mike Mensi

Gulfport