Latest Gulfport-Biloxi metropolitan area Stories

By Melissa M. Scallan, The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss. Aug. 5--GULFPORT -- Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann plans to be more involved in the beach and how it's used, he told the Harrison County Board of Supervisors on Monday. In the past, supervisors informed the Secretary of State's Office of their plans for the beach. But Hosemann said Monday there needs to be a written agreement outlining exactly what each group's responsibilities are. "I spend about 25 percent of my time on the...

By J.R. Welsh, The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss. Aug. 5--BAY ST. LOUIS -- After months of indecision, Hancock County supervisors gave preliminary approval Monday to the first large-scale, waterfront condominium development in the unincorporated county. A green light by the board means developer Mike Felter can get down to business in building Jourdan River Resort and Yacht Club at the end of Nicola Road, along the river north of Interstate 10 and east of Mississippi 603. "We want to be a good...

By Ryan LaFontaine, The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss. Aug. 4--GULFPORT -- Large cranes are busy this week pulling more than 70,000 cubic yards of muck from the floor of the Small Craft Harbor, a necessary step if the city is to realize its dream of a world-class facility. The two-phase, harbor-dredging project should last well into the new year. Meantime, the new Gulfport Development Commission, a five-member panel assembled to solicit proposals from developers to build projects on city...

By Gillette, Becky One might expect that with high fuel prices making it more expensive to fly, air travel in Mississippi would be down. While the number of flights at some commercial airports has decreased, overall statewide passenger boarding, in May were up 16% over a year ago. Awash on a wave of new industrial developments with ties to foreign countries, boardings at the Golden Triangle Regional Airport (GTRA) are up 17% over a year ago. "There has been literally over $4 billion in...

By Lofton, Lynn What's it like to run an airport? Bruce Frank, executive director of the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, makes it seem easy. The affable Bruce Frallicformer Marine Corps pilot handles the intensity of his job in a quiet, positive way. Associated with the aviation industry for 42 years, principally in airport management positions, Frallic caught the airport hug while stationed in Pensacola, Fla., as a young Marine pilot. Receiving no pay due to military regulations, he...

By Leigh Coleman, The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss. Aug. 3--GULFPORT -- Residents of the Gaston Point community said they are reclaiming their neighborhood from the social ills of the area. Hundreds gathered for a Village is Back Block Party on Saturday at the Gaston Point Community Park to celebrate an awakening. The event is only the beginning, organizers said, as the Little Rock Missionary Baptist Church and representatives from the Gulfport YMCA are taking steps to get their kids off the...

By J.R. Welsh, The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss. Aug. 2--WAVELAND -- City residents will be seeing a door-to-door survey taken over the next few days as officials gather information to be used in applications for millions of dollars in federal recovery grants. Like other governments in Hancock County, Waveland faces an Aug. 8 deadline to submit proposals for a share of nearly $200 million being directed to the county through federal Community Development Block Grants. The money is to be used...

By Mary Perez, The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss. Aug. 2--LONG BEACH -- Gladys McRaney and her husband, Harmon, saw many thousands of people off on their journeys when the couple managed the Continental Trailways Bus Terminal in Gulfport. The McRaneys, who moved to the Coast in the mid-1950s, were happy to stay home in Long Beach and were married for more than 50 years when Harmon died. Gladys died Tuesday at 93. Her funeral will be Sunday at 2 p.m. at Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Home in...

By Ryan LaFontaine, The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss. Aug. 1--GULFPORT -- Before the federal government gives Gulfport the 92-acre Veterans Affairs site, U.S. Rep. Gene Taylor wants to make sure the gift forever remains public property. The government vowed after Hurricane Katrina to donate the beachfront land to the city, which would be the largest gift in the history of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Federal leaders are working to shore up the property, conducting environmental...

By Ryan LaFontaine, The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss. Aug. 1--A good performance by Gulfport Mayor Brent Warr can really shake things up. Warr was in Los Angeles County this week giving a presentation to California officials on how best to respond to a disaster when all hell broke loose. "I literally just finished with the last sentence of the speech and the ground started shaking," Warr said. "Everyone in the room knew exactly what to do, except for me -- the guy giving the presentation on...