In public hearings across the region, residents of the Mississippi Delta will soon have an opportunity to voice their concerns and identify issues regarding the region’s long-range economic development planning. The hearings will be conducted by the Special Task Force for the Revitalization of the Delta Region, a group formed by House Bill 1034 in the 2006 Mississippi Legislature. Robert Clark, former Speaker Pro Tempore of the Mississippi House of Representatives, serves as chairman of the task force, while Mr. John Osborne of Hollywood Casino serves as the group’s vice-chairman.

Information gathered at the public hearings will be incorporated into the Special Task Force’s “Plan of Action,” to be completed by the task force and systematically implemented in the state over the coming three years. Hearings will take place at the following locations and times; interested citizens are invited to attend as many hearings as they choose. Reservations are not necessary.

Greenwood – Time and location to be announced..

Greenville – Thursday, July 20, 2006, 6:30 p.m., Higher Education Center, 2900 A Highway 1 South.

Tunica – Saturday, July 29, 2006, 10:00 a.m., Tunica Museum, 1 Museum Boulevard.

Clarksdale – Saturday, July 29, 2006, 2:00 p.m., Coahoma Community College (Whitestone Hall Lecture Room), 3240 Friars Point Road.

Belzoni – Time and location to be announced.

Yazoo City – Saturday, August 5, 2006 (Time and location to be announced).

Jefferson/Claiborne counties – Saturday, August 12, 2006, 10:00 a.m. (Location to be announced).

For more information on the public hearings or on the Special Task Force for the Revitalization of the Delta Region, please contact Debra Anderson at the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Bureau for Long Range Planning at 601-432-6264.

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