The Pearl River County Board of Supervisors honored three county scholarship recipients during Wednesday’s meeting.

Representatives from the Southern Mississippi Planning and Development District presented Pearl River Community College student Sye Glossman with a $750 scholarship to continue this manufacturing program.
Walker Smith also received a $750 SMPDD scholarship but could not attend the meeting.

Board Vice President Hudson Holliday, who supervises Glossman’s district, said scholarships are often given to future doctors or layers but having the opportunity to give a scholarship to a manufacturing student was a blessing to the community.

County Administrator Adrain Lumpkin also presented two students with $500 scholarships from the Mississippi Association of Supervisors.

As children of county employees, Chelsey Lynn Johnson and Evan Taylor Smith were awarded the scholarships after writing 300-word essays on the importance of county government, Lumpkin said.

“Even with all kind of crime, and people that don’t behave, it’s refreshing to have young people come in here that are doing something with their lives,” Holliday said, who presided over the meeting in Board President Sandy Kane Smith’s absence.

In other matters, County Engineer Les Dungan said a mircrosurfacing project on Bart Road and a portion of Hillsdale Road is complete, including state inspections. Dungan also said four sites in an ongoing Natural Resources Conservation Service and Emergency Watershed Protection Program project were complete. Pearl River paving was awarded the project bid for $159,316 in December, according to previous coverage. The Board approved Dungan’s request to issue payment to Pearl River Paving and to request reimbursement for the portion NRCS is paying for.

In other NRCS matters, Dungan said representatives were inspecting four sites in the county today, two on Derby Whitesand Road, Bradley Road and one on South Haynes Street in Poplarville.

The Poplarville Board of Aldermen recently closed the street until repairs can be made to the failing culvert, previous coverage states.

Lumpkin asked Dungan if an eroded culvert at the county fairgrounds would also qualify for NRCS funding. Dungan said it wouldn’t but the Mississippi National Guard could help fund the repairs.

Repairs to serious erosion at the Pearl River County Hospital and Nursing Home have been completed, Dungan said. The new drainage pipe was installed by Tripple L Construction at a cost of $10,175, previous coverage states.

In bridge replacement matters, Dungan said Rock Ranch Road is open to local traffic and should be paved this week before permanently opening to all traffic. Site B is also complete on the Springhill Road project, he said. Contractors are expected to finish the last site involving two bridges soon, Dungan said.

Pearl River County Building Inspector Kolby Davis told the Board several properties have recently been cleaned due to the department’s efforts, including properties on Liberty Road and Homestead Drive.

District I and II supervisors Donald Hart and Malcolm Perry also noted the litter problem seems to have eased, but still has a long way to go.

Hart requested Davis set up dump site cameras at a location in Poplarville where the city has noticed reoccurring dumping. Holliday said he also has a site in mind for another camera. Davis said as soon as cameras become available, they will be installed in those areas.

More information from Wednesday’s meeting will be published in Friday’s item. The next Board meeting will be held June 5.