While much of the news around the state this past week was centered around the municipal elections most communities held this week, but we managed to find a good number of preservation stories this week as well.

We’ll start off down in Pascagoula.  MissPres readers down that way might want to swing by the Round Island Lighthouse site at 10 am for a ceremony for the lantern gallery placement.  An interpretive panel will also be unveiled.  The article also notes that the reconstruction is not complete – and that funds are needed to do the interior of the lighthouse.

The oil well issue at Arlington in Natchez is back in the news this week.  We’ve followed this story for a while here on MissPres.  Last we left it, the Oil & Gas Board at the state have okayed the drilling – provided that the company get the appropriate local approval, which they have not been about to get because of the denial of a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Preservation Commission.  The latest story is that some of the property’s neighbors have voiced concerns that there have been workers out at the site prepping for drilling.  The company is denying that anything is going on, but City Officials are looking into the concerns raised.  We’ll keep an eye out for an update on this one soon.

A couple of archeological sites made some news in Natchez this week as well.  Adams County officials are in the process of purchasing the old International Paper site – which had been in the hands of  a private developer whose plans for the site never came together.  While the private developer was looking at plans, two landmarks on the periphery of the site came to light.  One has evidence of French Colonial Development in Natchez and the other is an Indian Mound.  Anything that Adams County might do with the IP site would have to take into consideration what impact it could have on these two archeological sites – something that Adams County officials already seem to be aware of, which is a good thing.

One more Natchez story – this time a feature piece prepping for the 75th Anniversary of the Natchez Trace Parkway, which is this coming Saturday.  The article recounts the history of the roadway – including the use of the Old Trace prior to the National Park Service turning it into the Natchez Trace Parkway 75 years ago.  It’s worth the read on a Monday morning!

Moving to Columbus, I came across a story that officials will be seeking grant funds to help renovate the interior of City Hall.  According to the article, the City has been looking for the right funding for the past five years, but have been unable to put together the right combination thus far.  In a couple of months, they will be seeking a Community Heritage Preservation Grant.  This is the first story I’ve come across that indicates a new round of the popular grant program will occur.  The Columbus paper says that the application period will run from July 1 – September 1, so as we get into the summer months, we’ll keep watching the MDAH website for the official announcement to share with MissPres.

Down in Hattiesburg, the adaptive reuse project on the Ross Building (now known as the America Building) is almost to the point of being able to have some tenants.  Residents interested in leasing apartments in the building can start that process June 1 – and move in in July.  The retail spaces will start to see tenants in September.  The article – and the building’s developers – focus on the rehab as another example of how downtown Hattiesburg has become a urban living hotspot.

An interesting story I came across in the Jackson Free Press this week focused on Windsor Ruins down in Claiborne County.  The article was not a traditional news story – it was more like a “there and back again” article.  The author and her sister traveled down to the site for a visit and the story is about their trip.

Those of you on Facebook, should check out a photo album on Belinda Stewart Architect’s page of the Stand Theater in Kosciusko.  The firm did a facade restoration and it looks great!

Finally, congratulations are in order for the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale.  This week, the museum was one of 10 recipients of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service for 2013.  The ceremony was at the White House and the First Lady presented the awards.

Categories: Clarksdale, Columbus, Cool Old Places, Grants, Hattiesburg, Historic Preservation, Kosciusko, Mississippi Landmarks, MS Dept. of Archives and History, Museums, Natchez, National Park Service, News Roundups, Pascagoula, Preservation Law/Local Commissions, Preservation People/Events, Renovation Projects