Walking trails to be improved at Northside Park

The Board of Supervisors, city aldermen, and the Philadelphia-Neshoba County Park Commission are working together to secure a grant to improve the walking trails at Northside Park.

The city and the park commission have begun the grant application process through the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks’ Recreational Trails Program (RTP) at the park commission’s request.

The county, city, and park commission are seeking the maximum grant amount of $120,000. The grant follows an 80/20 matching structure, meaning the local entities must cover 20% of the project cost.

If awarded, the county, city, and park commission will each contribute one-third of the required 20%, while the remaining 80% will come from RTP funds.

The Board of Supervisors approved a resolution in support of the grant application during their regularly scheduled meeting on Monday.

Supervisors emphasized that recreational improvements are a recognized local need and that enhancing outdoor spaces and activities is an integral part of their community development efforts.

In other business, supervisors voted to:

• Approve issuing a 2024 Chevrolet Suburban, previously forfeited by the Circuit Court, to be used by the Sheriff’s Department;

• Approve paying a District Attorney pre-trial intervention in the amount of $500 for the State vs. Mary Cherry case;

• Approve paying Neshoba General $31,928 for inmate meals in February;

• Approve hiring Ainzley Moore and Tommy Rodgers as correctional officers at $14 per hour, effective separately on March 7 and March 12;

• Approve giving correctional officers Jasmin Young, Jaron Tucker, Preston Green, and James Pippen a $0.50 per hour raise for six months continuous employment;

• Accept a $47,303 reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for flooding that occurred in 2023;

• Approve paying $200 for Emergency Management dues to the Mississippi Civil Defense Emergency Management Agency;

• Approve a travel request for Emergency Management employees Edie Clay, Jerry Davidson, Heather Tolbert, and Andrea Slaton to attend the Advance Dispatch Supervisor Training Class in Pearl from March 24-25;

• Approve a request from Wesley House to use the courthouse lawn for a candlelight vigil ceremony in recognition of April as Child Abuse and Sexual Assault Awareness Month;

• Approve the board meeting schedule from April through June for the following Monday’s: April 7 and 21, May 5 and 19, and June 12 and 16.

• The Board adjourned the meeting in honor and remembrance of Mr. Curtis Chunn and Mr. Dustin Pope upon recommendation of District 1 Supervisor Mike Snow.