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County’s Economic Director Provides Update On Projects

By David Howell
Editor

Yalobusha’s Economic Development District Director, Bob Tyler, reported his department has several projects ongoing.

    Tyler said an update is imminent involving the North Mississippi Railroad Coalition, a group he was instrumental in starting after state officials learned that CN Railroad were in the process of selling its Grenada Line, which included 175 miles of rail that runs from Memphis to Canton. The line passes through the western portion of Yalobusha County.

    Mayor Larry Hart was appointed as the chairman of the coalition, which represents numerous counties that have expressed an interest in keeping the line open.

    “Chairman Hart is talking constantly with the railroad’s new owners and officials with the Mississippi Department of Transportation,” Tyler reported. “He will have an update very soon for the members of the coalition and the public.”

    Tyler also said a recent shift by the Mississippi Development Authority  (MDA) now places Yalobusha County in the North Delta Region of the MDA.

    “We are excited to be working with Larry Young in the Senatobia office,” Tyler reported. One of the first projects requested by Young was to complete a survey of overnight lodging available in the county.

    “We are just about through with the project, we are listing a variety of accomodations,” Tyler said.

    The accommodations range from cabins and RV pads available at area lakes and Cossar State Park, the Valley Motel, Larry Lindley’s cabins in Oakland, and a number of bed and breakfast units scattered through the county. Once completed, the information in the survey will be disseminated through MDA and tourism publications.

    The North Mississippi Fish Hatchery and Visitor Education Center was the next topic on Tyler’s list. The economic director reported that Jessie Gurner, the director of the Visitor Education Center, was working with the Bureau of Tourism to list the museum in several tourism publications and build a website advertising the hatchery and visitors center.

    Tyler also said that the Yazoo-Mississippi Levee Board is preparing to complete the construction of additional ponds at the hatchery.

    A final note offered by Tyler was an update on a website promoting the county.

    “Keith Miller, a member of the county’s economic development board and employee at BorgWarner is making good progress with the website and a brochure,” Tyler reported. This venture in funded with a matching grant provided by MDA.

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