News - Local

Monday, Oct. 26, 2009

MDOT considering options for Miss. 15

LATIMER — State Rep. Jeff Guice said Monday night that people along the existing route for Mississippi 15 want to keep their state highway as much as the people of Latimer want to keep it out of their community.

Guice and state Sen. Michael Watson heard concerns from this west Jackson County community that in at least one option, the state highway would take a right, north of D’Iberville, and cut through Latimer before it connects to Mississippi 57 north of Vancleave.

But they learned more Monday about a new alternative that the Mississippi Department of Transportation is working on.

Lori Massey, whose group spoke out early against the Latimer route, said, she believes “letting our voices be heard” and educating the community to the early routes made MDOT more accommodating.

The new route, now under consideration, likely will go north of Latimer. MDOT officials last week confirmed this and said the route or routes will be presented to the public in December or early 2010.

Members of the Latimer Civic Association also learned Monday night that it will take a lot of community involvement, not just money, to improve the area’s fire rating and lower insurance costs.

Wanda Freeland told residents that the goal is to go from a 10, the worst rating in the county, to an eight, which would save 40 percent in insurance costs.

But Latimer’s two volunteer fire stations cover 98 square miles, and in order to improve the rating, they have to increase the number of residents signing up as members of the VFD and showing up at residential fires. There are also issues of purchasing more equipment and certified trucks.

Supervisor Tommy Brodnax also attended and answered questions on zoning and paving. He said he was proud to announce that the county had finished paving Old Biloxi Road all the way to Daisey Vestry Road.