Rail Revival Talks Move Forward With Board Appointment
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WATER VALLEY — The Yalobusha County Board of Supervisors took a key procedural step Dec. 15a toward advancing long-dormant discussions about restoring the former Mississippi & Skuna Valley Railroad, appointing District 5 Supervisor Gaylon Gray to the Skuna Valley Rails to Trails Recreational District to reactivate a board that has been inactive for years.
The appointment reopens a legal pathway that could allow the 21-mile rail corridor from Coffeeville to Bruce to be transferred to the North Central Mississippi Regional Railroad Authority (NCMRRA), which would explore rebuilding the line. The NCMRRA was formed in 2011 with representatives from seven Mississippi counties, including Yalobusha.
The Mississippi & Skuna Valley Railroad ceased operations in 2008 after a bridge failure. In 2010, Patriot Rail acquired the line from Weyerhaeuser and later removed the steel rail and ties. The 100-foot-wide right-of-way was donated in 2011 to Yalobusha and Calhoun counties, and the Skuna Valley Rails to Trails Recreational District was formed to hold title to the property.
That district, however, has remained dormant for years.
“Is it good news, Shannon?” Gray asked Board Attorney Shannon Crow as the discussion began during the meeting at the Water Valley courthouse.
Crow explained that the rail corridor remains titled in the name of the Rails to Trails district, but the board has been inactive for more than a decade.
“The title to that rail line is in the name of the Skuna Valley Rails to Trails Recreational District,” Crow said. “Our last board member was Arcola Hughes. That was probably 15 years ago.”
Each county along the corridor, Yalobusha and Calhoun, must appoint a representative in order for the district to legally act. Crow said Calhoun County is expected to make a similar appointment.
Crow also outlined a proposed legal process developed with assistance from the regional rail authority, which successfully oversaw the revival of the Grenada Railroad line.
Under the plan, the Rails to Trails district would deed the portion of the right-of-way located in each county back to that county. The counties would then formally declare the property surplus and transfer it to the rail authority.
“We will declare it surplus, in other words, it’s not useful to either county, and then deed it to this authority, who are then going to do whatever with it,” Crow said.
Gray asked for clarification.
Crow said Jay Gore, a Grenada attorney assisting the rail authority, has urged the counties to begin the process.
“We’ve got to get the ball rolling on it,” Crow said.
Gray questioned the long-term goal and the cost of restoring the line.
“So the plan is eventually restoring the rail line?” Gray asked.
“Where are they going to come up with that $100 million to restore it?”
District 4 Supervisor Eddie Harris summarized the immediate action before the board.
“So what you’re asking us to do is appoint somebody to the board?” Harris asked.
Crow recommended appointing Gray to the Rails to Trails district, prompting laughter from the board.
“Why me?” Gray asked.
“Because it is in your district,” Harris replied, referring to the rail corridor that runs through District 5. Supervisors unanimously approved the appointment.
In an unrelated matter, supervisors received a financial update from Yalobusha Health Services during the Dec. 15 meeting. Hospital administrator Jessica Embry provided a financial overview of the county-owned hospital.
Yalobusha Health Services Administrator Jessica Embry delivered a brief financial report for the hospital.
Embry said the figures presented were based on month-ending October numbers from 2021 through 2025, using the most recent data available. Operating revenue in October 2021 totaled $1.959 million. That figure increased to $2.089 million in 2022 and rose again slightly to $2.091 million in 2023. In 2024, operating revenue dipped to $1.984 million, before increasing to $2.291 million in October 2025.
Overall, Embry said operating revenue increased 16.97 percent from October 2021 to October 2025. She noted, however, that expenses have also increased during that period, rising approximately 20 percent over the same timeframe.
Embry added that accounts payable currently stand at $193,239.72, compared to $1.322 million in 2020.
“I hope that gives you a little idea of where we are,” Embry said, noting that refilling nursing home beds has significantly improved the hospital’s financial position. She also noted that more residents also increase operational costs related to staffing, food, cleaning and resident care.
