“I’m going to vote for it, or commit suicide,” said District 17 Sen. Chuck Younger, referencing the largest economic development deal in the state’s history. That deal — an aluminum mill going onto Steel Dynamics’ campus off of Airport Road — represents a $2.5 billion investment by the company and a huge infusion of jobs.
The mill was only one component of a stacked year of economic development news, with automotive manufacturers and even spaceships coming to roost in Lowndes County.
Other big issues in 2022 included a topsy-turvy year for personnel in the city of Columbus, retail developments and the FBI raiding the headquarters of J5 in downtown Columbus.
Here’s a look at some of this year’s biggest stories.
Economic development
After some lean years, economic development came roaring back to Columbus and Lowndes County in 2022.
In October Lowndes County landed the largest economic development project in the state’s history in the form of a $2.5 billion aluminum mill. Steel Dynamics will construct a low-carbon aluminum flat-rolled mill (Aluminum Dynamics) near its steel mill on Airport Road and a biocarbon facility on Artesia Road, near the International Paper pulp mill.
The mill is expected to be complete by late 2025 and create around 700 jobs, and the biocarbon facility by 2023 and create about 40 jobs. The average annual salary is expected to be about $93,000.
Also in October, the Lowndes County Port Authority received a $6.1 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant to build a rail line at its West Bank Port on Old Macon Road. The 10,000 linear feet of line will connect to an existing Kansas City Southern Railway line and will allow scrap to be moved from the port straight to SDI’s mill. This will reduce the number of trucks driving back and forth every day.
In July, Altex Tube broke ground on a $108 million manufacturing plant and corporate headquarters, which also is located on the SDI campus. It will produce steel tubing and is expected to create 58 jobs, paying an average salary of $72,000 annually.
Manufacturing is expected to be underway by mid-2023.
Meanwhile, snarled supply chains have delayed construction on two planned solar farms in western Lowndes County. Origis Energy had planned to begin operating the first of those plants in October, and the second was set to go in October 2023. Construction has yet to start at either of those facilities due to problems getting solar panels from manufacturers in China.
The two farms are located on 4,000 acres near Golden Triangle Regional Airport.
Finally, shotgun shell manufacturer Apex Ammunition bought the old Maxxim Medical facility, located off of Yorkville Park Square in Columbus, for $200,000. The New Hope-based business agreed to buy the site, jointly owned by the city and Lowndes County, in December.
Apex hopes to be operational there by October 2023. Eventually it expects to have about 100 employees there.
City personnel turnover
The city saw some big changes in big positions in 2022.
Joseph Daughtry Sr. was sworn in as the new Columbus police chief in December. He was chosen from among 35 qualified applicants after a months-long search and interview process. He replaces Fred Shelton, who retired in August after serving in the role since 2018.
Daughtry came to the city from Natchez, where he had served as police chief for about two years.
Columbus also finally filled two top administrative positions. Jammie Garrett was hired as chief operations officer in February. She replaced David Armstrong, who retired from the post in June 2021. It was held on an interim basis by Mark Alexander Jr.
In late March, the city hired James Brigham as its new chief financial officer. The previous CFO, Deliah Vaughn, had resigned in September 2021 to take a job with the city of West Point. The job had been filled in the interim with part-time volunteers, including Mike Bernsen from Columbus Light and Water and accountant Linda Holliman.
Rounding out the revamped roster was Columbus Fire and Rescue Chief Martin Andrews, who retired in April after 35 years with the department, including eight as chief. Assistant Chief Duane Hughes was appointed interim chief and, in June, was officially made Andrews’ replacement.
In February Mayor Keith Gaskin and Shelton — then CPD chief — viscerally disagreed over the creation of a town marshal. Gaskin wanted a city marshal as a separate, autonomous investigator who would report directly to him. The marshal would have arrest powers and a separate uniform and badge from CPD officers.
Gaskin argued it was a creative way to address violent crime, while Shelton said it would create chain-of-command and morale problems within CPD. The council eventually tabled the idea, and it has not been revisited.
Retail growth
After working with the city, the Lowndes County Port Authority and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers since roughly February, Gulf Coast businessman Thomas Genin backed out of a potential deal to buy the former Woody’s on the Water location at the Columbus Marina.
Genin wanted to open a restaurant and seafood market at the site, which has been sitting vacant for years. Genin said disagreements over operating hours, the dimensions of the seafood market and how he would pay rent made it not worth pursuing.
In happier news, The Hull Group began renovations to Leigh Mall. Demolition work got underway in October, with empty stores being gutted and the former Sears Auto Center building torn down. It is the first stage in Hull Group’s plan to flip the traditional mall inside out and turn it into an outward-facing shopping center.
Hull Group bought the mall at auction in October 2019, and obtained a $3.1 million incentive package from the city and county in May.
In Downtown Columbus, First Baptist Church was purchased by Vince Rapisarda and Scott Wagner for an undisclosed sum in May. The 81,000-square-foot property sits on Seventh Street across from Court Square Tower.
The former church will see new life as a mixed-use development, potentially including an event space, day care and a cafe.
Elsewhere, a developer has made an offer to the Columbus Redevelopment Authority for two parcels at Burns Bottom. Neither the developer nor the location of the parcels have been disclosed.
This would be the first bite at the CRA’s Burns Bottom project, which aims to turn the formerly blighted area around the Lowndes County Soccer Complex into a mixed residential/commercial zone.
FBI raids J5; owner, president face federal charges
In June the Federal Bureau of Investigation, along with other state and federal agencies, raided J5’s headquarters in Court Square Tower. J5 founder Jabari Edwards and President Antwann Richardson were arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, money laundering and making false statements.
They are accused of misusing more than $2 million in Paycheck Protection Plan and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program funding. Prosecutors allege they used the money to prop up Edwards’ businesses, pay taxes and buy real property, including land off of Officers Lake Road and Court Square Tower, as well as for political contributions and charitable donations.
The two have a motion to dismiss charges against them pending before the court, and have tried unsuccessfully to get freezes lifted on business and property assets.
CMSD loses superintendent, gains letter grade
In August, Cherie Labat resigned as Columbus Municipal School District superintendent after about four years in the post. Her resignation came less than 24 hours after the CMSD discussed her job performance in an executive session at its regular monthly meeting. A special-call meeting was set for 6 p.m. on the day of her exit where her job performance would be discussed again.
She did not give a reason for her resignation. Labat was hired in 2018 for four years, but her contract was extended in 2020 until 2024. Former Hunt Intermediate School Principal Dennis Dupree, who had served as superintendent in Clarksdale, was hired as interim superintendent in August.
After years languishing with a D rating for more than a decade under the Mississippi Department of Education’s accountability system, the CMSD rose to a C for the 2021-22 school year, Labat’s last full year at the helm.
MUW looks at changing name
After 48 years as Mississippi University for Women, the school is weighing a name change. An online survey in October allowed members of the public to vote on eight possible names: University of Northern Mississippi, West Appalachia University, University of Central Mississippi, University of Eastern Mississippi, Northern Mississippi University, Callaway State University, Weathersby State University and Williams State University.
Callaway State references Mary Callaway, a founding faculty member and two-time interim president; Weathersby State honors Mary Ellen Weathersby Pope, who established home economics at the school and taught the first racially integrated class; and Williams State calls back to Blanche Colton Williams, an internationally known scholar and advocate for women’s education.
Results of the survey have not yet been made public.
Local elections
Voters went to the polls in November for a special election for the District 37 House of Representatives seat.
Andy Boyd defeated David Chism to fill out the remainder of the late Lynn Wright’s term in Jackson. Wright passed away in June.
Meanwhile, incumbent Jim Kitchens defeated challenger Chuck Easley to win another term in the Place 1 Circuit Judge seat. Michelle Easterling beat Trina Davidson Brooks in a runoff for the Place 3 seat. Mark Cliett and Bennie Jones, Sr. also ran for the seat.
In the Place 2 seat, Lee “Jay” Howard ran unopposed to replace his father, Lee Howard, who did not seek re-election.
Tornado hits Highway 12 area
On Nov. 29 a tornado touched down in northern Lowndes County as part of a system of strong storms and torrential rains.
The majority of the damage was along Highway 12, where mobile homes were destroyed and there was much structural damage.
Fortunately there were no reported injuries.
Parks expansion
Both Columbus and Lowndes County got recreation projects underway in 2022. Columbus City Council approved an estimated $2 million to build four youth baseball fields at Propst Park. Bids came in higher than expected and were rejected in September. The project will be rebid next year.
Meanwhile, the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors approved a $12 million bid to build eight baseball/softball fields, a playground and a multipurpose building off of Highway 82 West. Construction is underway.
Mothership connection
Aurora Flight Sciences is partnering with Virgin Galactic, a space travel company, to design and manufacture an aircraft that will help launch spaceships into orbit. It will build two “motherships,” which are large aircraft that carry a spacecraft to an altitude of 50,000 feet before releasing it. The spaceship then uses its own thrust to get into space.
The motherships are expected to start flying missions in 2025.
Hunt rehab ongoing
The rebuilding of the Hunt school after its destruction by a February 2019 tornado got back on track this year after the CMSD was approved $13.7 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and an undisclosed amount from its insurer.
Both FEMA and Middlesex Insurance Company had lowballed the district’s estimates at first. FEMA reconsidered in July, raising its reimbursement from $1.6 million to $13.7 million. Middlesex originally claimed it would only pay $4.8 million, but increased that amount after a federal lawsuit. The amount of the settlement was not disclosed.
The site will eventually house the district’s sixth-grade classrooms, which are now at Columbus Middle School. The old home economics building will become a music and art space for those students. A workforce development space and adult education space will also be on the site, as well as the R.E. Hunt Museum and Cultural Center.
Top web stories of 2022
1. CHS Valedictorian receives $1M in scholarship offers
2. Hamilton Daycare workers terminated over viral video
3. Man shot after declining weed
4. CMS cheerleading goes viral with 18M views
5. 19 arrested in Lowndes drug roundup
6. FBI, other agencies raid J5 offices
7. Drunk driver kills two motorcyclists on Hwy 82
8. How you can watch the 2022 Egg Bowl between Mississippi State and Ole Miss
9. Mississippi State football tries something different with new balconies at Davis Wade Stadium
10. Mississippi State survives in wild Egg Bowl, beats Ole Miss to close out regular season
Brian Jones is the local government reporter for Columbus and Lowndes County.
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