The Pearl River County Board of Supervisors heard a petition Wednesday to erect a plaque or monument honoring one of the county’s brave men that fought in the Battle of the Alamo.
Bobby Spiers spoke to the Board about the historical significance of Richardson Perry, who fought in the Battle of the Alamo when he was just 19-years-old.
“He went 600 miles to fight in a battle that had nothing to do with him,” Spiers said.
Spiers said that over the years, the significance of Perry crossed his mind many times before he decided to contact the state Department of Archives and Histories to establish some sort of historical marker.
Though Spiers is not a resident of Pearl River County, his family has ties to the area, he said.
“This is not a Bobby Spiers project, this is Pearl River’s problem that’s been ignored for 100 or 200 years,” he said.
Spiers asked the Board to appoint a three to five-member committee to look into the project.
The Board took no action on the matter but expressed support for the project.
In a separate matter, the new director of the Senior Center of South Pearl River County, David Sykes, introduced himself to the Board.
Sykes thanked the Board for its support of the center, saying the investment is extremely important for the senior citizen community.
County Engineer Les Dungan also gave the Board an update on two ongoing bridge repairs.
Dungan said work on Rock Ranch Road is on schedule, with six of the nine bridges already repaired. He estimated the project would be finished in a couple of weeks.
On Springhill Road, Dungan said the first of four bridges has been built with the second currently under construction.
In response to Board President Sandy Kane Smith’s previous request to remove the centerline delineators from Highway 11 near the intersection of Richardson-Ozona Road and Highland Parkway, Dungan said the Mississippi Department of Transportation said they would be removed shortly.
Other upcoming bridge projects include those along Ottis Jones, McNeill SteepHollow, Progress Run, Sones Chapel and Harry Sonns roads, Dungan said.
The Board also approved a change order to the courthouse renovation currently underway.
County Administrator Adrain Lumpkin said the biggest change was to fix the roof, costing an additional $48,000.
Lumpkin said the contractor advised him the additional upgrades were necessary to prevent the roof from leaking in the future.
Renovations could be complete as soon as June or July, he said.
The next Board meeting is scheduled for April 3 at 9 a.m. in the Boardroom.
The county is holding a cleanup day on Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon where dump trucks will be staged at various county volunteer fire stations. If it rains, the event will be rescheduled to April 22 to coincide with the Keep Poplarville Beautiful event. An announcement will be posted on the Picayune Item Facebook page Saturday morning if it’s rescheduled.
A second town hall meeting will be held at Crosby Memorial Library on April 6 at 6 p.m. All are invited to ask questions and express concerns to county officials.