News

Fire Service Legislation Day
Collins Fire Chief John Pope visited the Mississippi State Capitol Thursday, January 23, 2020 for Fire Services Legislative Day, to meet with state leaders regarding issues of fire protection.

The Covington County Volunteer Homemakers Club were part of the school program “The Fourth Grade Meets the American Flag” on Thursday, January 23, 2020, at the Collins Elementary School.

The Main Street Merchants in the City of Collins will host “Christmas in Collins” on Main Street on Friday December 6, 2019 from 5:30-8:00 p.m.  The event is designed to bring families out along Main Street to enjoy the Christmas season.  There will be plenty of activities for children as well as shopping and dining throughout the evening.  Everyone’s favorite downtown restaurants will be open.

A live nativity will be set up next to Annie B’s and everyone is invited to come see Santa Claus in the V.O. Smith Courtyard from 5:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. and have your picture made with Jolly Old St. Nick.  There will be games, a train ride and jumpers.

Guests are invited to stroll Main Street and enjoy the sights and sounds of the Christmas season.

It’s Christmastime in Covington County
Collins, Mount Olive and Seminary are all getting ready for Christmas.  The Collins Christmas Parade will be held Thursday, December 5, 2019, at 6:30 p.m.  Mount Olive’s Parade will be held Friday, December 6, at 6:00 p.m. and Seminary’s Christmas Parade will be held Saturday, December 7, at 6:00 p.m.

CCH Recognized with 2019 Performance Leadership Award in Quality

In conjunction with National Rural Health Day on November 21, Covington County Hospital is announcing that it has been recognized by The Chartis Center of Rural Health and the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) for overall excellence in Quality. Based on the results of the Hospital Strength INDEX from iVantage Health Analytics, the Performance Leadership Awards reflect top quartile performance among all rural hospitals in the United States in either Quality, Outcomes or Patient Perspective.
“It is a real honor to receive this recognition for the quality of care we provide,” said Kathe Bryant, Director of Quality at Covington County Hospital. “We have worked very hard to improve in areas such as Emergency Department wait times, care of patients with chest pain, timely pain treatment for patients with long bone fractures and appropriate follow-up for colonoscopy patients. These are just a few of the many ways we work to provide quality care to all of our patients.”
The Hospital Strength INDEX is the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance. Leveraging data from publicly available data sources, the INDEX aggregates data from 50 rural-relevant metrics across eight pillars of performance. Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2020, the INDEX serves as the data foundation for a number of industry-leading rural recognition programs and legislative initiatives.
“National Rural Health Day has come to symbolize not just the vital role healthcare providers play in rural communities, but the dedication and hard work that goes into overcoming the unique healthcare challenges that exist across rural America,” said Teryl Eisinger, Chief Executive Officer, NOSORH. “We are proud of the work of the State Offices of Rural Health, their partners and rural hospitals do to improve care across the nation.”
“Each year, National Rural Health Day serves as a terrific backdrop for celebrating the power of rural and recognizing rural providers who continue to demonstrate an unwavering commitment to delivering quality care within their communities,” said Michael Topchik, National Leader, The Chartis Center for Rural Health. “We are delighted to be recognizing these top quartile performers in partnership with NOSORH.”

POSITION AVAILABLE

The Mayor and Board of Aldermen of the City of Collins will be accepting applications for a Full-time Lineman for the Electric Department.   Applications may be picked up at City Hall during the hours of 8:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. Deadline for receiving applications will be December 4, 2019, at 5:00 P.M.

Chamber to Kick Off Santa Shops November 21

The Covington County Chamber of Commerce will host its annual “Santa Shops Covington County First” event from November 21 through December 3, 2019.  Supporting local businesses is vital to the health and strength of a community, and the Chamber is encouraging the residents of Covington County to visit local stores and businesses when buying those all important gifts for loved ones.
To make shopping local more enticing, the Chamber is offering incentives and prizes to customers who do business with participating merchants in Covington County.   As they shop, customers will have the opportunity to register for prizes and for Chamber Dollars valued at $500, $300, and $100.  The drawing for the prizes and Chamber Dollars  will be held on Thursday, December 5 prior to the Collins Christmas Parade, which begins at 6:30 p.m.  Winners of Chamber Dollars will have until  December 24 to spend their prize money.
Participating businesses must be paid members of the Covington County Chamber of Commerce.  Names of participating businesses will be listed in the advertisements.
The Chamber is asking participating businesses to provide the prizes from their stores which will be given away as part of the program.  Merchants will draw for the store prizes and notify winners on December 5.  Store winners will also be eligible for the Grand Prize Drawing.  Customers who register must provide their name, address and phone number.
The “Santa Shops” program is designed to keep tax dollars in the county and promote businesses working together to create greater success for all.

On Sunday, November 3, 2019 (due to inclement weather for work originally scheduled for Sunday, October 27), the City of Collins will be changing out poles close to the Police Department and Fire Station.  Power will have to be off on all customers east of the railroad tracks and some locations west of the tracks in this area.  This will involve customers on Salem Church Road, Salem School Road, and Highway 588.  They are asking for everyone to not use air conditioning unless you are a senior citizen or someone who needs to stay cool with special concerns for their health.  Please use fans when possible and reduce the power load where possible.  Please make arrangements for that Sunday morning for 5-7 hours beginning at 7:00 a.m.  Any questions concerning this outage, please call Bob Shoemake at 601-517-0076.
These dates and times may change if there is bad weather or an emergency.  Again, this will only involve customers on the City of Collins Power System, not SPEPA.
The Mayor and Board of Aldermen of the City of Collins thank you for your help in this matter.

The City of Collins will be working on the Power System beginning around 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 23, 2019, for about 4 hours.  They hope to keep the power on for everyone during this time but they are asking for everyone to not use air conditioning unless you are a senior citizen or someone who needs to stay cool with special concerns for their health.  This should enable the City to keep everyone with lights and television.  Please use fans when possible and reduce the power load where possible.  For any questions or concerns, please call Bob Shoemake at 601-517-0076.
On Sunday, October 27, 2019, the City of Collins will be changing out poles close to the Police Department and Fire Station.  Power will have to be off on all customers east of the railroad tracks and some locations west of the tracks in this area.  This will involve customers on Salem Church Road, Salem School Road, and Highway 588.  They are asking for everyone to not use air conditioning unless you are a senior citizen or someone who needs to stay cool with special concerns for their health.  Please use fans when possible and reduce the power load where possible.  Please make arrangements for that Sunday morning for 4-6 hours beginning at 7:00 a.m.  Any questions concerning this outage, please call Bob Shoemake at 601-517-0076.
These dates and times may change if there is bad weather or an emergency.  Again, this will only involve customers on the City of Collins Power System, not SPEPA.
The Mayor and Board of Aldermen of the City of Collins thank you for your help in this matter.

Collins’ Mayor Hope Magee Jones was the guest speaker for the October 7, 2019 meeting of the Collins Rotary Club.

She was the guest of Rotarian Josh Clayton and spoke on upcoming events for the City of Collins.  Pictured, from left, are Mayor Jones and Josh Clayton, Administrator of Arrington Living Center in Collins.

Collins Elementary School has a new interactive, educational area thanks to a group of volunteer citizens. The Discovery Garden was actually established in the 1990’s when kindergarten teacher Annette Hamill and her husband, Bob, put in sidewalks and gardening grids. Their  daughter, Sherry, painted murals on the walls surrounding the area. Annette’s students planted radishes and sugar cane that they could harvest and taste on the spot. WDAM came to CES and filmed the students enjoying the garden.

Over the years, the Discovery Garden had fallen into disrepair and become an unused space. In fact, for more than ten years, the garden was off-limits to the students.
One school volunteer noticed the unused area and saw the potential for the space, envisioning a fun learning spot that needed a little tender loving care. Work began in mid-July and continued through August. The inspiration came from a community garden in Bay St. Louis called Ruth’s Roots. Ideas were also found on Pinterest.
Today the Discovery Garden is alive and vibrant with colorful plants and yard decorations. A “Music Wall” featuring metal scraps allows the students to make music (aka noise) with wood dowels. A “Touch & Feel” wall serves as a ta

ctile sensory board where students can experience different textures and surfaces. A faux succulent and cacti display, a photo area with pictures of insects, birds and flowers, a huge pvc xylophone, and several birdhouses and bird feeders also fill spaces in the garden.

A “Pollinator Area” filled with a variety of plants and flowers that will attract butterflies and bees is situated in a rear section. This area will be more natural and has pine needles as mulch. Cypress and bark mulch covers most other ground with pebbles covering an area that has a table and benches. Some potted plants can be found throughout the garden with hopes of adding more.
Inter

active areas include a hopscotch grid, ring toss and a tic-tac-toe game made from a wood slice and rocks painted like bees and ladybugs.

A story time area has been established where a teacher may read to the students or students may read individually. Books about nature, insects and gardens are provided in a storage tub. Currently, there are chairs for seating in the story area but plans are to replace these with tree stumps for a more natural look. Bob Shoemake, Public Works Director for the City of Collins, and his crew are cutting some felled trees for this project.
The revitalization of the CES Discovery Garden has been possible by donations and volunteers. Several people donated money, mulch, plants and yard decorations. Volunteers from Collins First Baptist Church have worked tirelessly to weed, mulch, plant and decorate the area. Plant markers have been placed around the garden so that students can learn their names.
During the recent CES Open House on September 12, an Open Garden was hosted by Sheila Fortenberry and Lane McLoud. Lemonade and cookies were served to families, and an “I Spy” scavenger hunt added to the fun. Prior to the school open house, donors were invited to tour the garden to see the marvelous results.
Plans f

or the future are to keep adding plants and changing decorations to celebrate the different seasons and holidays. Hopefully, these additions will keep students interested and add to their enjoyment.

As with any garden, upkeep is crucial. CES Beautification Committee members have agreed to maintain the Discovery Garden.