James Louis Collins, Jr.
Mr. James Louis Collins, Jr., 64, of Starkville, MS died on March 18, 2021 in Columbus, MS.
Visitation will be held Friday, March 26, 2021 at 1:00 P.M. -6:00 P.M. at West Memorial Funeral Home, Starkville, MS.
The Funeral service will be held at Springhill M.B. Church on Saturday, March 27, 2021 @ 2:00 P.M. and the Interment will be at Springhill Cemetery, Starkville, Ms.west Memorial is in charge of all arrangements.
RIDGELAND — Construction could begin this summer on a new UPS distribution center in Mississippi’s Madison County.
United Parcel Service announced in October that it would build a $28.6 million development in the City of Ridgeland, creating 161 new high-paying jobs.
“The construction contract has been awarded to Thrash Construction in Rankin County,” said Joey Deason, executive director of the Madison County Economic Development Authority. “Construction is expected to begin in the first part of summer, depending on (the) weather.”
Officials with Thrash Commerical Contractors, in Brandon, declined to comment and referred all questions to UPS, which couldn’t be reached for comment, WLBTTV reported.
The center will be located in the Highland Colony 220 Business Park. It will accommodate a fleet of more than 105 package delivery vehicles and serve as a “last mile package destination,” the development authority said earlier.
Positions will pay, on average, $57,000 a year, Deason said.
“Madison County’s average wage is $43,400. Any time you bring in something above that it is a positive sign,” he said.
Mississippi inmate dies; was serving time for sexual battery
JACKSON — A Mississippi inmate serving a 30-year sentence for sexual battery has died in a Jackson hospital.
The Mississippi Department of Corrections said Thursday that
Robert Tyler Jr. was pronounced dead Wednesday at Merit Health Central. He had been taken there from Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. Tyler was 53. An autopsy will be done.
Tyler was sentenced July 17, 2003, in Desoto County.
At least 23 Mississippi inmates have died this year, according to the Department of Corrections.
At least 106 Mississippi inmates died from late 2019 until the end of 2020. Several died during outbursts of violence in late December 2019 and early January 2020. The U.S. Justice Department announced in February 2020 that it is investigating the state’s prison system.
Law will allow new Mississippi residents to keep licenses
JACKSON — A new law signed Thursday by Gov. Tate Reeves will allow people who move to Mississippi from out-of-state to maintain their professional licenses.
House Bill 1263 requires licensing boards to issue occupational licenses for professions without new testing or classroom training if a person held a license in good standing from another state for at least one year. The new rule will take effect on July 1.
Professions covered under this legislation include nursing and architecture.
Licensing boards will also be required to issue licenses if a person has worked at least three years in a state that did not require a license for their occupation.
Arizona became the first state in the nation to provide universal recognition of occupational licenses two years ago. Last year, Mississip
pi passed a similar law exclusively for military families.
Russ Latino, president of Empower Mississippi, an organization that lobbied for the law’s passage, said Mississippi is the first southern state to approve universal license recognition.
“While much remains to be done to make our home the most job-friendly state in the country, the Governor and leaders in the legislature are to be commended for entering the race toward competitiveness with great gusto,” Latino said in a statement.
Mississippi man to be sentenced on 2 murder convictions
VICKSBURG — A Mississippi man is set for sentencing Monday in the shooting deaths of a father and son.
Jurors on March 19 convicted Steven Lewis, 37, of first-degree murder in the death of 47-year-old Alex Jennings Sr. and second-degree murder in the death of 26-year-old Alex Jennings Jr.
A coroner said the father and son had been shot multiple times, including in the head. Their bodies were found Nov. 27, 2017, in a car in Rolling Fork, at the intersection of U.S. Highway 61 and Mississippi Highway 16.
Lewis is from Sharkey County, and the bodies were found there. The trial was moved to Warren County. The Adams County district attorney’s office prosecuted the case.
“I am very proud of the job my team did in bringing Mr. Lewis to justice,” District Attorney Shameca Collins said in a statement. “Nothing will replace what he took from the Jennings family but hopefully they can find some peace.”