News Room

Madison County residents will be able to watch meetings, review minutes, and fill out public records request forms, all without leaving their desks. The Board of Supervisors recently approved the “Madison County Government Transparency Initiative.”

The initiative will provide a number of benefits, including allowing board meetings to be streamed live and archived online, said District Three Supervisor Gerald Steen. The program is expected to go “live” in the next 30 to 45 days, and a tab for live board meetings has already been placed on the county’s website. “Transparency is big for us. We definitely want to set the standard, and this is another step to show that we can,” he said. Steen pointed to other things the county has done in the past, including posting agendas and board packets online for the public to read prior to meetings, something that will continue under the new initiative.

The system will be operated by U.S.NEXT, the vendor who hosts the county’s current website. The next step will be to archive board minutes, which will happen at a later date, said County Administrator Tony Greer. In all, equipment and annual contract costs will run a little more than $3,500.

Greer said the idea to provide additional access came out of an earlier board retreat. “This is one of their priorities,” he said. “The board is serious about allowing the public broad access to the inner workings of government.”

(Reprinted from The Northside Sun, March, 31, 2016.)

A website aimed at promoting Philadelphia?s assets to potential new business and industry was approved by the Mayor and Board of Aldermen last week. While the city currently does not have its own website, aldermen have discussed one on numerous occasions and most recently, met with an official from U.S.NEXT of Jackson, a company which designs sites for cities and counties, among others.

David Crawford, a representative for the company, told aldermen that they recently launched websites for Sharkey and Yazoo counties. The Jackson-based web development company boasts over 800 clients in 24 states. Crawford promised that the website, www.philadelphiams.net, would be easy for city officials to update in-house. ?If you can update your Facebook page, you can use our site editor,? he said.

Ward 2 Alderman Jim Fulton said not having a website has put the city at a disadvantage. ?All these other cities have one and I think we have been behind the times without one,? he said.

The website will cost a one time fee of $4,680 to build with a monthly fee of $39 for email service. City officials opted out of the option to have U.S.NEXT manage the site for $90 a month at this time. Young said that it is important that the city have its own website. Information about city can currently be found at Neshoba.org, a site associated with the Community Development Partnership. ?It puts us in the information age where anyone can click a button and find out everything we are doing or planning to do,? Young said. ?It is just another tool to keep us competitive in local and global markets.? 

The site will also have a mobile version and include options to have fees payable  and to upload documents like city ordinances and board minutes. Someone at city hall will likely be designated to post on the site, aldermen said. Ward 1 Alderman Josh Gamblin said that he thought it was important that city officials approve all posts before they go live on the site. Crawford said that U.S.NEXT would start building the site immediately based on mockups presented to the board.

(Article by Duncan Dent, published in The Neshoba Democrat on February 10, 2016)

In honor of Arbor Day and Tree Planting Week in Mississippi, the Mississippi Forestry Commission (MFC) announces the release of their new Mississippi Trees app. Available for download on both Android (Google Play Store), and iPhone (App Store) mobile devices.

The Mississippi Trees app is an adaptation of their popular Mississippi Trees identification handbook prepared for the MFC by the Department of Forestry at Mississippi State University. Mississippi Trees is not intended as a textbook on dendrology or tree identification. It was prepared for the citizens of Mississippi as an aid to identification of the common trees occurring in Mississippi, and to give useful information about each tree species. The Mississippi Trees app is free of charge to the public. It was made possible by a grant from the USDA Forest Service and developed by U.S.NEXT.

Common tree identification is a necessity for those who work in forestry and related fields. The forestry and forest product industry represents a large economic benefit to the state of Mississippi. Forestry has a $12.3 billion economic impact on the state of Mississippi and represents almost 70,000 jobs. Sixty-four percent of Mississippi?s total land area is covered in forested acres and timber is second only to poultry in terms of agricultural production values in Mississippi.

Tree identification is also helpful for those who simply enjoy the woods for recreational or aesthetic reasons, being able to identify the trees they encounter enhances their experience. It is MFC’s desire that this app will be beneficial to both the forestry professional and the recreational user. This app provides a convenient alternative to the printed Mississippi Trees handbook and allows people to reference the materials in the handbook from their mobile devices at any time.

Arbor Day became an official day of observance in Mississippi in 1926. Later, the second Friday in February was firmly adopted as the day on which the state would annually observe Arbor Day. February 12-19, 2016 is also Tree Planting Week in Mississippi as designated by Governor Phil Bryant’s Arbor Day / Tree Planting Week Proclamation.

Sharkey County is known for being home to the Mississippi Blues and President Teddy Roosevelt?s famous bear hunt, and most recently for the launch of its new mobile-friendly website. The innovative site, www.sharkeycounty.net, is a rich source of up-to-date information about the County?s elected officials and government services, as well as reflects the community?s rich history, promotes economic growth, and is a quick guide for residents, businesses and visitors.

To design and program the County?s new website, the Board of Supervisors hired U.S.NEXT, a Mississippi company with an extensive track record of developing apps for counties and cities. ?Being able to communicate with our citizens and provide them with useful information is an important part of our mission,? stated Bill Newman, board president. ?The team at U.S. NEXT engineered the website to help us to fulfill that mission, and I encourage people to go online and see everything that Sharkey County has to offer.?

The new site provides comprehensive and timely information including announcements, services provided by County departments, a calendar of events, frequently asked questions, a photo tour, and more. The website touches on all aspects of county government and offers users easy and efficient access to information, whether at home or office or on the road.

The City of Flowood has been chosen by Google as the strongest online business community in Mississippi for 2015.  The eCity Awards recognize one community per state as a digital capital, and other eCity winners include Boston, Denver, Atlanta, and Austin.

In determining which Mississippi community would receive the award, Google noted that Flowood’s municipal website (www.cityofflowood.com) lets citizens pay their water bill, pay court fees and reserve facilities online. The site was designed and programmed by U.S.NEXT.

?We are delighted that Flowood?s new website has helped them be selected by Google as Mississippi?s eCity,? stated David Crawford, CEO of U.S.NEXT.  ?We enjoyed working with the City?s staff and elected officials, and are pleased to see their strong efforts recognized on a national level.? 

Google also noted that Flowood has the nation’s first indoor radio-controlled car park (the only one in the nation that’s city-owned).  By generating a strong online presence, the City of Flowood has helped to create a strong digital platform for the business community.

?With 97 percent of Internet users looking for products and services online, it?s clear that success is about being connected,? said Emily Harris, Marketing Manager for Google?s Let?s Put Our Cities on the Map Program.  Google reports that 4 in 5 consumers use search engines to find information about local businesses.

Many homes and offices have airborne pollutant levels 25-100 times higher than the air outside. In addition, recent studies show poor indoor air quality can wreak havoc on your overall health. Filtration Management, Inc., knows that air filtration systems are one of the most efficient and effective ways to clean the air in an office or home.  The launch of their new website www.filtrationmanagement.com helps the public find healthy, economical solutions to residential and industrial air and water filtration needs.

?Filtration Management wanted a website to inform the public of available products concerning residential, commercial, and industrial filters,? stated David Crawford, CEO of web development firm U.S.NEXT.  ?We were able to design a user-friendly, mobile-responsive website that makes it easy to find information such as FAQs, products, what?s new, contact information, local dealers, and product warranty registration.?

Your energy and health basically depend on clean air and clean water. Clearly, effective management of your home or office indoor air quality will result in greater comfort, better health, and more money in the bank for you and your family.

Filtration Management, Inc. offers a wide range of industrial filtration products designed for efficiency to meet the various needs of a demanding global market. Their industrial line includes HVAC filters, paint and overspray filters, dust collection, liquid filters and bags, compressor filters, and much more. Their service and support includes direct shipment to the customer, scheduled maintenance notices to the customer to clean/replace filters, complimentary literature and samples, technical assistance, etc.

Dealing with an illness or injury is hard enough without also having to decipher healthcare information and options.  Delta Health Center hopes to alleviate some of this confusion with the launch of their new website, www.deltahealthcenter.org, which provides patients with data they need ? when they need it.  The site provides medical info, plus a locations map, online calendar, news, printable forms, online video, and more.

?We see our new website as another step in our continued effort to deliver quality care and support to our patients,? stated John Fairman, CEO of Delta Health Center, Inc. ?The new site design makes it easier for patients to understand what to do to get the care they need, with information available 24/7 ? at home, at work, or on the go.?

The website was designed and programmed by web development firm U.S.NEXT. ?Delta Health Center has always put the needs of their patients first, and insisted the site be user-friendly and easy to navigate on mobile devices as well as desktop computers,? stated David Crawford, CEO of U.S.NEXT.  ?We designed the new site with mobile devices in mind because in today?s world you?re not always at your computer when a medical need arises.?

Delta Health Center, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not-for?profit organization, providing accessible, affordable, and quality primary medical and dental care services to residents of Bolivar, Sunflower, Washington and surrounding counties.  Their new website is another way Delta Health Center is showing their commitment to promoting healthier lifestyles and dedication to being a reliable health resource for members of their community.

A commitment to improvement is one of the foundations of health and fitness.  Baptist Healthplex at Mississippi College has recently committed to an improved online presence with its recent launch of a new, mobile-responsive website, www.healthplexclinton.com.  The new site enables users to find group exercise schedules, membership information, a free 3-day trial offer, upcoming events, and staff contact info from their smartphone, tablet or desktop computer.

?We?re excited about being able to better interact with our current and prospective members,? stated Josh Osborne, Membership/Marketing Director. ?Our website and social media helps us to continue serving the residents of Clinton and surrounding areas, offering them the best fitness resource and the best member experience.?

The site was designed and programmed by U.S.NEXT.  ?The Healthplex is a great facility with wonderful people and services, and we enjoyed the challenge to communicate that online,? stated David Crawford, CEO of U.S.NEXT. ?A major focus was making the website layout straightforward and mobile friendly ? because the easier we can make the website to navigate for the user, the better.?

Baptist Healthplex at Mississippi College is a not-for-profit health system and is the leading provider of health and fitness to the Clinton community and surrounding areas as well as Mississippi College faculty, staff, and students. The Healthplex creates an inviting atmosphere to those of all fitness levels by offering a wide selection of innovative programs and services for people of all ages, interests and activity levels.

With their newly designed website, Baptist Healthplex at Mississippi College makes it convenient for members to have the necessary tools to make fitness an integral part of their everyday lives.

Since its beginning, Coahoma Electric Power Association (EPA) has worked to provide low cost electricity to its consumers throughout northern Mississippi.  Today, their services are even more visable with the launch of their new website www.coahomaepa.com. Optimized for all devices, the new website is geared for the consumer, facilitating ease and convenience in establishing new service, paying bills online, checking current weather conditions, and finding or reporting pertinent information concerning electrical outages.

The management at Coahoma EPA recognized that customers needed fast access to their services 24/7. Whether requesting new service, locating notifications concerning outages, or simply paying a bill online, customers desired a way to communicate with Coahoma EPA at their convenience. 

?Focusing on the needs of their customer, Coahoma EPA demanded an interactive website that makes it easy for consumers to find information fast and take actions,? stated David Crawford, CEO of web development firm U.S.NEXT.  ?We were able to create a web design that makes finding and reporting information as painless as clicking a button on a computer keyboard or smartphone.?

Since 1937 Coahoma EPA has provided reliable electric power to families, farms, businesses and industry throughout our seven-county service area of Desoto, Tunica, Coahoma, Quitman, Bolivar, Sunflower and Tallahatchie counties.  Their commitment to quality service for all consumers is reflected in the use of technology to stay in contact with their customers and help keep the communities they service safe and comfortable.

Many obstacles face returning ex-offenders as they rejoin their families and neighborhoods after incarceration. In order to make this transition successful for ex-offenders, their families, and the communities to which they are returning, the Foundation for the Mid South, on behalf of the Mississippi Reentry Council, has recently launched a new website, www.msreentryguide.com, to connect people to services.

The directory includes national, state, county and city resources with the goal of being as comprehensive as possible. Information is organized and easy to find.  Under each location heading resources are arranged by topics such as housing or educational services.

?The reentry guide website is a readily available resource for all ex-offenders and those that support them,” stated David Crawford, CEO of U.S.NEXT, the website design firm hired to create the new site. ?The 24/7 accessibility of the website helps the transition process by reaching the many individuals throughout Mississippi who need this information.?

Many services and resources throughout the state of Mississippi work to make the transition process for ex-offenders as easy as possible. The Foundation of the Mid South was established to bring together the public and private sectors and focus their resources on increasing social and economic opportunity. Organizing needed information and creating a website strictly for the purpose of reentry assistance is a way the Foundation provided a helping hand to the Mississippi Reentry Council.