Steven Palazzo has unseated Gene Taylor in the race for Mississippi’s 4th district Congressional seat.

The numbers look like this:

Taylor: 91,838

Palazzo: 101,318

In some hotly contested judicial races,

Lamar County resident Tony Mozingo has defeated RIP Prichard in District 15 Place 1 race for Circuit Judge. Mozingo ended up with 21,961 votes; Pritchard 20,124.

And there will be a runoff between Dawn Beam 24,915 and Scott Phillips 18,902 in the race for Chancery Judge District 10 Place 2. That Special Election will be held Nov. 23rd.

The untimely death of Chancellor James H. C. Thomas, Jr., created a vacancy for the seat that encompasses Forrest, Lamar, Marion, Pearl River and Perry Counties.

Qualifications for the office of Chancellor  include being a practicing attorney for five years, at least 26 years of age, a citizen of Mississippi for five years, and a resident of the district in which he or she will serve by Election Day.

Heath Hillman, Assistant Secretary of State for Elections,will represent the Secretary of State’s office at the forum.

The public is invited to attend.

After winning a regional award, the Laurel S-Curve Reconstruction Project recently became a finalist for the ‘People’s Choice Award’ competition, which is sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO),

MDOT reconstructed and realigned a 3,700-foot segment of I-59 through Laurel, Mississippi, eliminating the notorious Laurel S-Curve, which had one of the highest crash rates in the state.  The reconstructed segment crosses six local streets and the Norfolk Southern Railroad, requiring a 1,980-foot-long, six-lane bridge, along with a total of 1,350 feet of elevated ramp structures, two on-ramps, and one off-ramp.

“This project has dramatically improved safety and traffic flow through the area,” said MDOT District Six Construction Engineer Red Stringfellow.  “The community had input into the project design and it was ultimately delivered under budget, due to a redesign effort to find more cost-effective materials and construction methods.”

As its name indicates, the People’s Choice Award is selected by the public by voting online at www.americastransportationaward.org. Winners of the People’s Choice Award and the Grand National Prize will receive a $10,000 cash prize, to be donated to a charity or scholarship fund chosen by the winning state. Awards will be presented at the AASHTO Annual Meeting in Biloxi, Mississippi, in October.

Laurel Mayor Melvin Mack encourages everyone to show support for this great project by taking the time to vote online in the coming days.  Mack said, “I am elated about Laurel being selected as a finalist in the People’s Choice Award and I am asking all friends and residents of Laurel to vote.  There is no limit to the number of times you can cast a vote.”

The People’s Choice Rally will feature a presentation by Mayor Mack and MDOT Construction Engineer Red Stringfellow, who was involved in the design and implementation of the S-Curve project.  The public is invited to attend the October 8 rally, which will provide information about the People’s Choice Award and feature a number of prize give-aways.

The public is encouraged to vote online as often as possible from now until Monday, October 18.

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