$32M in Stimulus Flowing to County

SOCIETY NEWS GLADDEN PLACES RIDGELAND DRAWS IN MRS. AMERICA NEW BOUNDARY Mrs. America — See page A9 Result of annexation — See page A2 Madison County’s Serving Madison, Ridgeland, leading newspaper. Canton, Flora, Northeast VOLUME 40 NUMBER 15 Copyright © 2021 Madison County Journal MADISON COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI www.madisoncountyjournal.com APRIL 15, 2021 ** $1.00 AMERICAN RESCUE ACT $32M in stimulus flowing to county By SCOTT HAWKINS follows: guidelines for acceptable have them considering expand- make it go.” District 5 Supervisor Paul Grif- [email protected] • $5.7 million, city of Madi- expenditures, including infra- ing broadband internet access County spokesman Heath fin has been noting broadband son. structure and broadband inter- in the northern part of the coun- Hall said Vance is still awaiting dead spots in the northern part Madison County is slated to • $5.4 million, city of Ridge- net for rural areas. ty. details on what the money can of the county for about a year. receive $20 million in federal land. Below is what some elected “That is one area we are be spent on but said the county During the Madison County COVID-19 stimulus monies of • $2.7 million, city of Can- officials throughout Madison considering using the funds,” is ready to receive the funds. Board of Supervisors April 5 the state’s $6 billion with sepa- ton County said about their govern- Banks said, adding the Rescue “Shelton and his team are meeting, three students from rate allocations for municipali- • $420,000, city of Flora. ment’s plans at this point for the Funds process is “complicat- still working through all the rural northern Madison County ties. While local officials know money coming their way. ed.” details,” Hall said. “We don’t came before the board to ask The funds are all part of the they will be able to receive the Madison County Adminis- even know when the money the county to support bringing federal government’s $1.9 tril- funds, most said they do not yet Madison County trator Shelton Vance, Banks will be paid to the county, but broadband internet to their lion federal American Rescue know how they will use the $20,610,800 said, is still crunching numbers we have already opened a bank areas. (See story, page A5.) Act passed last month by Con- monies because they are await- Madison County is slated to on what the broadband internet account for these funds.” Joey Deason said the Madi- gress to help local governments ing further guidelines from the receive more than $20 million project could look like. Hall said Banks’ suggestion son County Economic Devel- recover from the COVID-19 federal government on how the in federal funds and District 4 “There are specific uses for of a broadband project was con- opment Authority has not had pandemic. funds can be used. Supervisor and Board President these funds,” Banks said. “You sistent with issues the board has an opportunity to review the The break down for Madi- The initial legislation, how- Karl Banks said early discus- can't just take it and use it any- been discussing for some time. American Rescue Act in depth. son county municipalities is as ever, provided some broad sions between county officials where but we are going to try to Specifically, he said that See STIMULUS, page A3 MADISON Legislature earmarks $5M for Bozeman By SCOTT HAWKINS [email protected] A $32 million project to four- lane Bozeman Road got a $5 million shot in the arm from the Legislature and work could begin in January. The project calling for a four- lane divided median from Mis- sissippi 463 to Reunion Parkway has been in the works for several years, said Trey Baxter, District 2 Madison County supervisor. Work continues on the massive, four-story Amazon fulfillment cen- Amazon and county officials estimate the facility to be up and run- “Before I took office five ter currently under construction at the Madison County Megasite. ning by August. years ago, the federal government gave Madison County $4.5 million for Bozeman Road,” Baxter said, adding the money sat dormant for approximately Amazon fulfilling vis on of ready sites seven or eight years and the i county was at risk of losing the funding. By DUNCAN DENT along with four-lane highways, water, electric, Associates will pick, pack and ship customers’ Baxter said he was able to [email protected] sewer and rail access, he said then. orders alongside robots. obtain an extension on the feder- And that Deason has done by growing the Amazon says this allows for a more efficient al grant funds and has since got- Text notification alerts about the availability Madison County Megasite where Amazon is process that will enable them to more efficiently ten other funding for the project jobs at Mississippi’s third state-of-the art Amazon locating. meet consumer demand. through the state. fulfillment center set to open here this fall are “Yes, the fulfillment center is still slated to Deason said that while anyone is waiting for the Last July, the Legislature available now. open later this year,” said Amazon spokesperson jobs to come available they can sign up for text announced $5 million in funding Amazon hopes to begin hiring this summer at Ashley Lansdale. “I should have updates on hir- notifications by texting MISSNOW to 77088. for the project so in total the the site west of I-55 and Nissan Parkway off Mis- ing later this summer.” “The preliminary process for hiring has begun project has approximately $14.5 sissippi 22 near Canton. The facility should be substantially complete with a text alert system,” Deason said. million in funding if Gov. Tate The Amazon fulfillment center is helping to by August 2021, Deason said. Amazon fits within MCEDA’s vision to build a Reeves signs this year’s $5 mil- fulfill Madison County Economic Development “Amazon is progressing and moving along at a comprehensive marketing plan to help promote lion appropriation for the project Director Joey Deason’s vision for jobs he laid out fast pace,” he said. Madison County to key target markets like Ama- that is included in SB2971, a when he arrived four year ago. The Journal first reported last July that the zon since the metro is sort of a crossroads between general obligation bond bill Madison County has a lot of good qualities, shipping giant had bought 69.02 acres at the Meg- Dallas and Atlanta, Deason has said. passed April 5 that is awaiting but one thing it lacks is land ready and available asite. Madison County’s recruitment efforts focus on the governor’s signature. for industrial development, Deason said back in In November, the company announced that the the advanced manufacturing, warehouse and distri- “The governor and the speak- February 2018 shortly after arriving on the job. facility would bring as many as 1,000 full-time bution and data center sectors, a strategy Deason er and the lieutenant governor "We don't even get to play in a lot of the jobs to the state, which Lansdale confirmed Mon- brought with him and his implemented. have been nothing but helpful,” opportunities that the state has because we don't day. With their 69 acres, Amazon is the initial tenant Baxter said of Legislative sup- have land available," Deason told the Canton “Yes, the 1,000 new jobs number still stands,” for the site. port for the project. “They Rotary Club in February 2018 after about four Lansdale said. Late last October, MCEDA and County offi- stepped up to the plate.” months on the job. The facility will be at least four stories and will cials announced the purchase of 520 acres within District 3 Madison County MCEDA’s aim is to make more land available house the majority of the sortable goods sold on for development because that's what's necessary Amazon. See AMAZON, page A5 See BOZEMAN, page A2 MADISON Garden underway at Montgomery House By JOHN LEE chased the Montgomery House born architect known for his [email protected] property. designs of Gothic Revival “It’s planned to be an old churches and who designed the A large traditional Southern Southern garden that will accen- Chapel of the Cross in Madison, garden for family activities on tuate the house,” Ethridge said. which was built between 1850 the grounds of the historic 1852 “There’s a lot of history there, and 1852. Montgomery House in the cen- and we hope to build on it. It’s Gothic Revival was an archi- ter of Madison is becoming right in the middle of Madison tectural movement that began in reality with a groundbreaking and will be the focal point of the late 1740s in England and is event set later this month. downtown.” commonly identified by pointed Officials envision a walkway The Montgomery House, a arches, used for windows, doors incorporating the large trees one-story Gothic Revival, was and decorative elements such as were families will be able to built in 1852 and was listed on porches, dormers or roof gables. picnic and stroll through the the National Register of His- Two sponsors of the garden garden. toric Places in 1984. The house project, America in Bloom and “We’ll be including azaleas, is located right off Main Street Canadian National Railway, ferns, wildflowers, and more,” in Madison across from the will be present at the event, she said Miriam Ethridge code Methodist church. said. enforcement officer with the The house’s design is attrib- The city applied for a grant Work continues on the Montgomery House in Madison.

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