Haskel Burns

Officials from the City of Lumberton don't expect to wait very long to fill the position of chief of the Lumberton Police Department, which was recently vacated after former chief Adrien Fortenberry recently accepted that same role at the Columbia Police Department.

A Hattiesburg nightclub that was recently closed down after a recent fatal shooting – among several other unlawful incidents over the past few years – has been allowed to reopen under certain stipulations.

Brandon Brooks, the Hattiesburg attorney who was arrested last year for felony sexual battery, will serve more than two and a half decades in prison after being convicted of two counts of that offense.

Academic success continues throughout the five school districts in the Pine Belt News coverage area – Petal School District, Hattiesburg Public School District, Lamar County School District, Forrest County School District and Forrest County Agricultural High School – as each of those districts has received an overall A score from the Mississippi Statewide Accountability System for the third year in a row.

Residents of the City of Petal can expect to see a slight increase on their utility bill, as city officials intend to raise the fee for garbage/rubbish pickup and disposal by $2 per month.

In line with the City of Petal's 50th anniversary celebration – which has lasted throughout most of this year – the Petal Board of Aldermen recently approved the institution of a time capsule that will tell the story of the city since its inception in 1974.

Although Hattiesburg is well-known for its various art displays – including its more than 50 murals and other public art – when Jacqueline Gonzalez Wooten and Hector Boldo attended exhibitions around the city, they noticed a lack of representation of Latin residents in the Hub City and their contributions in the art world.

One of the most-anticipated projects in recent Hattiesburg history recently capped off a successful inaugural season, as officials from Serengeti Springs at the Hattiesburg Zoo announced that more than 103,000 guests had visited the water park in the four months since its opening.

The major infrastructure project in Sumrall that is expected to alleviate drainage issues in Ward 4 is making significant progress, as the northern part of that project has been nearly completed.

In a case of “what's old is new again,” officials from the City of Hattiesburg recently unveiled the rebuilt and restored Barksdale Ladder Truck, which was originally purchased in 1939 and served as the Hattiesburg Fire Department's first-ever ladder truck.