Mississippi News

Gulf Coast Amtrak: Vote scheduled to decide fate of route

Published

2 years ago

October 28, 2022

Vote scheduled to decide fate of Gulf Coast Amtrak route

by Sara DiNatale, Mississippi Today
October 28, 2022

A federal board has scheduled its vote on whether Amtrak’s service will return to Mississippi’s Gulf Coast with a route from Mobile to New Orleans.

The Surface Transportation Board, a federal body made up of presidential appointees, announced Friday it will vote on the future of the passenger route on Dec. 7. The contested route has been under the board’s review for over a year, with Amtrak and the track’s freight-company owners presenting their own cases about its viability.

There will be a final set of November hearings ahead of the vote.

“Amtrak is preparing for the next hearing, confident in our case for Gulf Coast access and optimistic our service will begin next year,” spokesman Marc Magliari said in a statement.

Amtrak has maintained the route can handle the added passenger train traffic, while companies CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway Company say it could negatively affect businesses that rely on the Port of Mobile to move freight.

The hearings, beginning Nov. 17, will focus on models that predict train traffic.

Amtrak hasn’t run a Gulf Coast route since Hurricane Katrina. The proposed route would run two trains daily in the morning with stops in Bay St. Louis, Pascagoula, Gulfport and Biloxi.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Related Topics:Gulfport Mississippi Today

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Mississippi News

Attorneys file motion to delay Jackson bribery trial

Published

21 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Staff Editor

www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2024-11-21 16:41:00

SUMMARY: In connection with the Jackson bribery scandal, attorneys for federal officials and local leaders filed a motion to postpone the trial to allow time for extensive evidence review, including hours of recordings and thousands of pages of documents. Key figures charged include Hinds County DA Jody Owens, Jackson Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba, and Councilman Aaron Banks, each facing multiple counts of conspiracy related to bribery and fraud. The scandal involves alleged bribes amounting to over $80,000 related to a downtown development project, facilitated by individuals posing as real estate developers working with the FBI.

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The post Attorneys file motion to delay Jackson bribery trial appeared first on www.wjtv.com

Mississippi News

Family of Dexter Wade rallies outside JPD nearly two years after his death

Published

2 days ago

November 20, 2024

Staff Editor

www.wjtv.com – Tia McKenzie – 2024-11-20 14:20:00

SUMMARY: Nearly two years after Dexter Wade’s death, his family continues seeking justice. On November 20, Dexter Wade Day was observed in Jackson, declared by Councilman Kenneth Stokes. Wade, hit by a Jackson police cruiser in March 2023, was later found in a pauper’s grave in Hinds County, and his mother, Bettersten Wade, was unaware of his death until August 2023. She believes his death was covered up. No arrests have been made, and authorities consider it an accident. Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade expressed condolences and shared updates on new policies to prevent similar tragedies.

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The post Family of Dexter Wade rallies outside JPD nearly two years after his death appeared first on www.wjtv.com

Mississippi News

Man shot while helping with stalled vehicle in Jackson

Published

2 days ago

November 20, 2024

Staff Editor

www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2024-11-20 19:08:00

SUMMARY: A man was shot in Jackson, Mississippi, while attempting to assist a person with a stalled vehicle on State Street at Beasley Road around 4:00 p.m. on November 20. Detective Tommie Brown reported that the victim was working on the vehicle when the suspect approached, questioned him, and then opened fire. The assailant fled the scene in a vehicle. Fortunately, the victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a local hospital. The Jackson Police Department is seeking information about the incident and encourages anyone with details to contact them or Crime Stoppers.

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The post Man shot while helping with stalled vehicle in Jackson appeared first on www.wjtv.com