Jackson Free Press

Oriental Supermarket and Restaurant Opens
One of Mississippi's largest Asian markets and restaurants celebrates its grand opening in Jackson today next to Cowboy Maloney's Electric City and Big Lots. Assistant Manager Shery Chen said her family chose the Interstate 55 location for its high traffic and ample parking space.

The store features an extensive selection of Asian products, including dry goods and seafood like Dungeness crab and other crustaceans, Tilapia and a hearty selection of eels, mollusks and baby squid. The building also features an Asian-style restaurant with a large selection of jellyfish and squid dishes in addition to familiar meals containing beef, pork and chicken.

The Oriental Supermarket and Restaurant (5465 Interstate 55 N.) is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week, including Christmas and New Year's Day. For more information, call 601-978-1865.

Economic Recovery Slow
The January 2011 issue of the Mississippi Economic Review and Outlook, published by the Center for Policy Research and Planning of the Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL), finds that the state economy is chugging along and gaining momentum, but slowly.

"Fiscal austerity and high unemployment rates continue to slow the pace of recovery," senior economist Marianne Hill wrote. "However, several economic indicators confirm that the economy is gradually gaining steam."

The report, available online, offers an economic forecast for the state between 2011 to 2015, and includes employment forecasts, and an examination of national and international developments influencing the state economy.

Retail sales have been rising, according to the report, and many economic sectors are adding jobs, while tax revenues are running at estimated levels. The unemployment rate is still hanging at 10 percent, however, and the report does not expect employment to return to 2007 levels before 2015.

Kemper County Coal Plant Breaks Ground
Mississippi Power Company and Gov. Haley Barbour joined state and local leaders in celebrating the Dec. 16 groundbreaking of a potential $2.88 billion experimental coal plant in Kemper County. The plant is one of the first of its kind to use a controversial new technology, the Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle. The plant will produce 582-megawatts of electricity and create 260 permanent jobs, representing a rate-payer investment of about $11 million per new employee.

Despite the cost, Barbour remains a staunch ally of the plant and praised the project: "The state of Mississippi is pleased to join Mississippi Power in making this state-of-the-art plant a reality. This facility will give the state a greater level of energy independence, and it positions Mississippi among the leaders in clean coal technology as we strive for greater energy independence for the nation."

Barbour Announces Broadband Website
Barbour announced Dec. 13 a new "Broadband For Mississippi" website that will connect Mississippians to broadband Internet options available in areas.

Barbour said he wants to extend high-speed Internet access to every community in the largely rural state and hopes the website will allow Mississippians to "learn more about broadband technology and what it means to their community." The site also allows visitors to test the speed of their current Internet service.

The site is made possible through $7 million in federal grants through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Previous Comments

ID

161336

Comment

I'm psyched about the new Asian market. But I have to ask, why did it cost 7 freaking million dollars for a website that shows residents where to get broadband? I literally can't fathom, at worst, that thing costing more than twenty grand to set up and pay for 2 years worth of hosting, bandwidth, and upkeep.

Author

RobbieR

Date

2010-12-21T13:48:52-06:00