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photo by Steve VanGunda
First Lady Marsha Barbour and Mayor Jake Middleton listen as Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour speaks after touring damage done in Natchez by Hurricane Gustav.
Barbour tours area damage
Published Saturday, September 6, 2008
NATCHEZ — Gov. Haley Barbour visited Natchez Friday and said he was shocked by the amount of damage in the area.
“I’m led to believe and I think it’s accurate that this is the worst damage by a natural disaster to happen to Natchez in a decade,” he said.
After touring areas on Melrose-Montebello Parkway and Glenwood Drive, he said he was amazed at how many homes had been damaged by fallen trees.
Barbour also said he was impressed by how the storm has been handled by city and county officials.
He gave special mention to Adams County Emergency Management Director Stan Owens, who he called well informed.
He said everything was handled well on the state level, too.
This was the first major test of emergency management the state has faced since Hurricane Katrina, he said.
But he said lessons were learned from that experience and were applied to this situation.
Some lessons can be learned from Gustav, though. He said after Katrina, he toured gas stations at the Gulf Coast, trying to figure out if any had generators.
He found out that none did. A year later, 30 gas stations had generators.
A lot of business was lost when the county lost power, bringing down the gas stations with them.
Barbour did give a nod to the utilities company for restoring so much power so soon.
“I do think utilities are working really hard,” he said.
He answered questions of city and county officials, while urging to get to work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
He said it’s very important to get all the paperwork straight in getting federal aid, which he said he feels confident Adams County will receive.
“I am optimistic from what I’ve seen and what I’ve heard,” Barbour said.
Right now, it’s all about recovery and getting reimbursement funds is key.
Owens told the governor MEMA and FEMA’s damage assessment of the county showed that there are 33 miles of debris that needs to be cleaned up.
Adams County Sheriff Ronny Brown was curious to know how to handle cleaning up debris on private property.
Barbour reminded Brown that it is against the law to go on private property to clean up debris unless it is a life-threatening situation.
Adams County Board of Supervisors President Henry Watts was adamant in re-iterating that in no way can workers go on private property.
Property owners must clear their own debris and pull it to the street where it can then be picked up.
Public Works Director Eric Smith said his phone has been ringing off the hook for requests to clear debris but said his hands are tied by the law.
As far as cleaning debris off of public property, his crews are doing all they can do.
“Please be patient, we’re working as hard as we can,” he said.
Comments
Posted by An_Observer (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 12:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Thank you Sheriff for trying to get the citizens of Adams County some help. The cost for tree removal is so expensive.
Posted by NatchezBell (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 2:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Cut it up and use it for fire wood this winter. If you don't have a fire place, save it and give it to family as needed. You never know when these trees can save a life with warmth from a fire place.
Teem up Natchez; help your neighbors & look to God for your rewards; not the government because like the Governor said, "the money is for County agencies" not the public.
We'll never know the whole truth about anything as far as the government is conserned; they are trained to lie & die. God forgive me.
Posted by msubulldog (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 4:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I totally agree that Stan Owens and his staff did a great job. They spent 13 days total on Gustav. Lets give all of the agencies a big hand. Law enforcement, fire, Red Cross, the shelters that opened, and now the utlility crews working to restore power. On a personal note I have started a group called Generator Generals. This is a volunteer organization that will take a generator to those who need to use one for a few hours to power appliances for short periods of time. If any one would like to contact me leave a messeage here.
Posted by OldGrandDad (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 5:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What a shame that our Republican governor has to come down here in order to explain state law to our Democrat sheriff. :(
Posted by sobeit (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 5:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
msbulldog
I am very interested in having a generator for a few hours each day I am without power. This would save food in frig and freezer. I don't know how you will know who I am and I don't know how to contact yo9u.
Posted by jack (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 9:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
granddad no its a shame the governor and the other elected officals will not help the sheriff work his prisoners and help some of the old folks I know I am not crazy, I saw inmates working on the gulf coast whats the difference republican governor and democrat sheriff I guess maybe it is a different law now, but I am for the sheriff working these people and making them give back to us for their crimes Most would work anyway. Now let me get this straight a sheriff can work a prisoner picking up paper for the state and helping non-profits, but they cannot help a poor ,disable or elderly person remove a tree off their roof or move some limbs something wrong with this picture shame on the governor and thanks sheriff brown for trying KEEP WORKING THESE PRISONERS WHERE IT IS LEGAL, I LOVE TO SEE A PRISONER WORKING
Posted by natchez500 (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 9:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
must be a different law for sheriff maxwell, he has inmates working on private property all the time now whats the difference if we need help in mississippi why can't we make a inmate work I think sheriff ronny brown should ur do wwork these inmates and let governor barbour send someone to arrest you , then the jury in adams county can turn yu loose for doing yur job of protecting and serving the public keep doing your job brown barbour should have said he would send more inmates to help you, not tell you that you are breaking some dumb law and yes inmates did work on the gulfcoast and even in
jackson two months ago when the tornadoes hit whats the difference sir
Posted by andy (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 9:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
OH I AM SO PISSED AFTER READING THIS ARTICLE THE NERVE OF THE GOVERNOR TO TELL THE SHERIFF, COUNTY AND CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT THEY CANNOT HELP OUT A TAX PAYER OR PERSON IN NEED OF HELP DURING A DISASTER HE MUST HAVE NOT LOOKED AROUND. THE ONLY PEOPLE GETTTING HELP ARE THE ONES WITH INSURANCE OR WEALTHY AND THEY CAN AFFORD SOMEONE TO HELP THEM MOST PEOPLE DONOT HAVE THE MONEY OR EQUIPMENT TO HIRE SOMEONE TO HELP CLEAN UP FOLKS THIS IS THE TIME TO TAKE HELP FROM OUR CITY AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT AND ALSO THE STATE. I KNOW THE FOREST COM HAS MANY EMPLOYEES SITTING ON THEIR BUTTS TODAY THAT IF WE CANNOT USE PRISONERS TO HELP OUT, THEN GOVENOR SEND THEM TO WORK AND HELP US THIS IS THE CRAZIEST THING I HAVE EVER HEARD PUBLIC OR PRIVATE PROPERY THIS IS A TIME TO GIVE US SOMETHNG BACK
OTHERS THAT STATED IT WAS DIFFERENT ON THE GULF COAST, GIVE ME A BREAK
Posted by jack (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 10:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
grand dad i am sure the sheriff and both boards know the law, maybe they want to know the difference in sw mississippi and jackson or the coast I have saw prisoners working during storms in those areas on private property and then we have a disaster and we get the law explained I hope sheriff brown does it anyway and you try to arrest him after all the jury will be made up of citizens of adams county and i donot think you can find a jury to convict him of helping the public but like in jackson, if he tries to do right like mayor melton, then the feds will come and arrest him anyway sheriff brown,if you do this and get in trouble, i will do your bond and hope i am on the jury to turn you loose for doing a good deed for our county people
Posted by southernbelle (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 10:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I know for a fact the Wilkinson County sheriff uses prisoners to work his private property . And it doesn't have to be for hurricane relief ! Of course , they also get to use the county pick-up truck to go to "The Sonic" to get burger & fries too . Don't get me wrong, I like seeing the prisoners earn some of their keep . If most of them had been working for a living when they got into trouble maybe they would still be out of jail . But the article is about our Gov. Barbour, isn't it ? I 'm so glad we have a gambling boat down here so he will show us some interest ! Who knows , maybe the next time a company wants to build a plant down here he will think about us ! There are people down here that would like to have jobs !
Posted by reader (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 10:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Don't blame the Governor, he doesn't make the laws. No matter what happened somewhere else, do you think the Governor would come in here and tell our officials it's ok to break the law??? The law is, prisoners (or the County for that matter) cannot move debris off private property unless it's a life or death situation such as medical personnel trying to get to a dwelling. If you don't like the law, talk to your Legislator. If you start allowing this sort of thing though, you will have prisoners doing work, storm or not, for the sheriff's/supervisor's friends and contributors. Yu open quite a can of worms that way. The Governor has done a great job with this storm and previous storms, and we are lucky to have him.
Posted by Gimmeabreak (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 11:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
That is absolutely ridiculous and just one more reason why I am not a fan of the Governor, dont get me wrong-he did a good job with Katrina but he dropped the ball on getting my old hometown the help it needs in the form of free prison labor. That is just a no-brainer to me, but who am I, just a taxpayer, thats all! I havent been back home or seen any pictures but I wish all of you the best during this time. Another thing, the stress of someone who isnt in the best medical condition, is elderly and has no one to help them, could become a life-threatening condition. I agree that the sheriff should go ahead and use the prisoners and suffer the consequences later, it just makes sense. Our sheriff did that here in Hattiesburg and nothing was ever done to him.
Posted by natchez500 (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 11:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
i donot think the sheriff or supervisors will break the law but maybe you are right we need to change the law for disasters and storms i donot think they would play politics doing things for friends or supporters lets call our senator dearing for help, but again they do work prisoners in other areas of the state and did during Katrinia and we all know whats the difference
Posted by msubulldog (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 7:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Dear Sobeit, email me at generator107@gmail.com I am a local person and this is not a scam just folks helping folks.
Posted by presby (anonymous) on September 7, 2008 at 12:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
They work in Angola and Maricopa county in Arizona. Don,t get sentenced in Maricopa county if you don,t want to work.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio (in Arizona) is doing it RIGHT!! He has jail meals down to 40 cents a serving and charges the inmates for them. He stopped smoking and porno magazines in the jails. Took away their weights. Cut off all but "G" movies. He started chain gangs so the inmates could do free work on county and city projects. Then he started chain gangs for women so he wouldn't get sued for discrimination.
He took away cable TV until he found out there was a federal court order that required cable TV for jails. So he hooked up the cable TV again but only let in the Disney channel and the weather channel. When asked why the weather channel he replied, so they will know how hot it's gonna be while they are working on my chain gangs.
He cut off coffee since it has zero nutritional value. When the inmates complained, he told them.....this is a good one......"This isn't the Ritz/Carlton. If you don't like it, don't come back."
He bought Newt Gingrich's lecture series on videotape that he pipes into the jails. When asked by a reporter if he had any lecture series by a Democrat, he replied that a democratic lecture series might explain why a lot of the inmates were in his jails in the first place. You have to love this guy!!
More on the AZ Sheriff:
With temperatures being even hotter than usual in Phoenix (116 degrees just set a new record), the Associated Press reports:
About 2,000 inmates living in a barbed-wire-surrounded tent encampment at the Maricopa County Jail have been given permission to strip down to
their government-issued pink boxer shorts. On Wednesday, hundreds of men wearing boxers were either curled up on their bunk beds or chatted in the tents, which reached 138 degrees inside the week before. Many were also swathed in wet, pink towels as sweat collected on their chests and dripped down to their pink socks. "It feels like we are in a furnace," said James Zanzot, an inmate who has lived in the tents for 1 1/2 years. "It's inhumane."
Joe Arpaio, the tough-guy sheriff who created the tent city and long ago started making his prisoners wear pink, and eat bologna sandwiches, is
not one bit sympathetic He said Wednesday that he told all of the inmates: "It's 120 degrees in Iraq and our soldiers are living in tents too, and
they have to wear full battle gear, but they didn't commit any crimes... so shut your damned mouths."
Posted by dragonflyday (anonymous) on September 7, 2008 at 1:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
msubulldog, i have to say thank you for helping people in need in this time of need, MAY GOD BLESS YOU. also i would like to say if there are older people or someone you know in your area that needs help with whatever it maybe please help, cause you just might make someones day. help cause you can, care cause it might just be you who needs that help one day.GOD BLESS
Posted by msubulldog (anonymous) on September 7, 2008 at 7:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Dragonfly thank you and I will
Posted by reader (anonymous) on September 7, 2008 at 9:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Gimmieabreak-That IS the law, call Mims or Dearing and tell them it needs to be changed.
Posted by dragonflyday (anonymous) on September 7, 2008 at 5:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
your welcome msubulldog. to presby,that sounds like my kinda sheriff,the way i see it, don't do the crime,if you don't want to do the time.
Posted by presby (anonymous) on September 8, 2008 at 12:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Actually a large number of people being taken care of have always been taken care of. They don,t produce or work. Their needs are taken care of by taxpayers. I heard a group talking about all the freebies they were going to get the night the storm hit. The ones who get the most are the ones that don,t pay taxes and are on some kind of goverment programs or programs. A huge amount of assitance programs are never even heard of by working class people because they work and pay for the programs,if they did know all the loopholes,they still would not receive benefits unless they are already sponging off the pell grants and systems the taxpayers pay for. They have their hands out constantly and complain and scream at the tinest infraction or the least bit of trouble they have to do to obtain the smallest to the biggest help.Mooches,bums,no-pays,Never have,never will.
Posted by presby (anonymous) on September 8, 2008 at 12:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If the goverment gives away one hot dog they all know about it and the ones who really need help of all ages and race don,t get a lot they are entitled too.
Posted by fire39212 (anonymous) on September 8, 2008 at 2:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
presby It is a shame all sheriffs don't have his backbone.....I love it...
Posted by SandraSue (anonymous) on September 8, 2008 at 10:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Presby, the people of Maricopa County love Sheriff Joe for his COMMON SENSE approach to everyday situations. We attended a barbeque rally for him Saturday and about 2000 or more were in attendance. The enthusiasm for a common sense sheriff gives evidence that this is the type of sheriff needed in disaster areas.I am sure if we had a disaster here in Maricopa County, our hero, Sheriff Joe would come to the rescue! He makes use of voluntary posse members.They are his eyes and ears to problems in rural areas , mall parking lots, and illegal drop houses. He is a role model for sheriffs everywhere! You are correct when you say he would use prisoners to help the people suffering from this disaster.
Posted by dragonflyday (anonymous) on September 8, 2008 at 9:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
presby,got another sheriff joe to give to our town,we sure do need one like him.
Posted by presby (anonymous) on September 8, 2008 at 11:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I wish every town had one. Wouldn,t it be nice....
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