An Open House has been scheduled at Collins High School for Monday, August 14, 2017, 4:30-6 p.m. Parents and guardians are invited to visit the school, meet teachers and tour the campus. For questions regarding the event, please call the school office at 601-765-3203.
The Collins Fire Department is adding another truck to its fleet thanks to a contribution by Kinder Morgan. The petroleum company with an operation in Covington County contributed the new foam pumper truck to the department. It will be added to the department’s industrial fire response divisions fleet. The truck, which had previously served at the Baton Rouge, Louisiana Tank Farm & Bremen, Georgia Tank Farm was transferred to the department earlier this year. The specialized foam truck will allow the department to better serve and respond to incidents at the tank farms and terminals and any incidents involving flammable liquids. “We are delighted to give back to a community where we have operated for over 70 years and that our employees call home. The City of Collins Fire Department provides a great public service and we hope the donation of this fire truck helps them in their critical mission,” said Steve Polk, Manager, Operations. Collins Fire Chief John Pope agreed the donation was much appreciated. “We are proud to serve our community and our petroleum industry partners with the best possible response capabilites,” said Pope.
New Collins Mayor Hope Jones and the Board of Aldermen to the Oath of Office on Monday, July 3. Pictured, from left, are Ward Three Alderman Sally Buffington; Alderman At Large Bobby Mooney; Mayor Hope Jones; Ward Two Alderman Robert Thompson; Ward Four Alderman Debbie Lundy and Ward One Alderman Lester Magee.
City leaders in Collins will take the Oath of Office over before beginning their four-year terms.
The ceremony will be held on Monday, July 3 at 5 p.m. at the Civic Center. The Aldermen taking the Oath alongside new Mayor Hope Magee Jones include Bobby Mooney, Lester Magee, Robert Thompson, Sally Buffington and Debbie Lundy.
As Collins Mayor V.O. Smith nears the end of his term, many have gathered to honor his legacy with the city.
At the Mississippi Municipal League meeting held June 19, Smith was celebrated for his hard work and dedication to not only the City of Collins, but the Mississippi Municipal Service Company and the Mississippi Municipal League during the last three decades.
Officials with the City of Collins will host a dedication ceremony for the V.O. Smith Courtyard located on Main Street next door to City Hall. The ceremony will be held on Thursday, June 29 at 6:30 p.m. with special acknowledgements to be given.
Light refreshments will be served.
Collins Mayor-elect Hope Magee Jones will take office on July 3, and she is ready to get to work. “I’m very excited about this new position,” Jones said. “Mayor Smith has done a great job, and we want to build on the foundation he has laid.” Jones said she wants to see Collins continue to grow and prosper. “We want to work to bring jobs to our city,” she said, “and we want to work on our city and county relationship especially with our schools.” Jones noted that making the city attractive to new businesses was a priority. “These are some early goals that I have set,” she said. “I’ll know more once I get in there and see where we are.” Jones and the new Board of Aldermen will meet on Wednesday, July 5 at 6 p.m.
Mayor Totals:
Tom Brooks 307
Hope Magee Jones 400
Alderman at Large:
Bobby Mooney 653
Ward One:
Tom Brooks 48
Hope Magee Jones 143
Bobby Mooney 179
For Ward One Alderman
Lester Magee 173
Ward Two:
Tom Brooks 50
Hope Magee Jones 192
Bobby Mooney 226
For Ward Two Alderman
Regina Daughdrill 46
Robert Thompson 191
Ward Three:
Tom Brooks 75
Hope Magee Jones 40
Bobby Mooney 103
For Ward Three Alderman:
Sally Buffington 104
V.O. Smith (write-in) 1
Ward Four:
Tom Brooks 134
Hope Magee Jones 25
Bobby Mooney 145
For Ward Four Alderman:
Ann Norris Lott 53
Debbie Lundy 106
Voters in Covington County will go to the polls on Tuesday, June 6 to decide municipal races in the 2017 General Election. Absentee voting is going on now at City Halls in the county during their regular business hours on weekdays. City Hall will be open on Saturday, June 3 for absentee voting. The Saturday hours are from 8 a.m. until 12 noon. The last day for absentee voting ins Saturday, June 3. All voters must show identification. On election day polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
The Covington County Library System is gearing up for another great year of its “Build a Better World” Summer Reading Program. This year, the system received two $3,000 grants through the Mississippi Library Commission, funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, that allowed for the expansion of each library’s children and young adult collections. Hundreds of popular titles have been added to the branches, including a significant number of graphic novels. These new titles will be excellent choices for children looking to fill their reading logs during the upcoming Summer Reading Program. Beginning June 1, the libraries will be hosting a variety of events, culminating in a finale event at each branch on June 30 with Animal Tales, an educational presentation featuring live animals. Over the course of the month, participants will have the opportunity to attend any or all of these events, and will be able to add completed books to their reading log each week to earn prizes and free books. A complete list of events and a link to the registration form can be found on the library website’s summer reading page, http://www.ccls.lib.ms.us/summer-reading/. Registration begins May 22, but participants may sign up at any point during the program.