Jackson Free Press

The city of Jackson ranks 27th out of the 100 largest U.S. markets for having the best climate for small businesses to thrive, the national media outlet, The Business Journals reported yesterday.

The Business Journals used a six-part formula to examine the nation's 100 largest metropolitan areas and ranked the areas accordingly. Jackson fell from its previous spot of 24 in 2010, but made a significant increase from its ranking of 67 in 2009.

In 2008, Jackson had 12,713 small businesses and 23.67 small businesses per 1,000 residents. The city also increased its population by 4.2 percent from 2004 to 2009. Austin, Texas, received the highest rating with 39,180 small businesses in 2008 and 23.69 small businesses per 1,000 residents.

Parkway Properties Strikes a Deal

Jackson-based Parkway Properties announced its largest acquisition in the company's history yesterday of $462 million.

The property- management company will acquire an interest in six office properties totaling 2.5 million square feet in Pennsylvania, Florida and Georgia. The company will also grow from 260 employees to 400.

SBA Hosts Webinar

The Agility Recovery Solutions, a disaster- assistance agency, and the U.S. Small Business Administration host a webinar Tuesday, April 19, on effective leadership during emergencies.

Former FEMA Administrator David Paulison will lead the hour-long webinar, discuss obstacles to leadership and reflect on his own experiences in emergency management.

"Leading with Resiliency During Disaster," is at 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 19, and is free. Register online.

City Seeks Art Proposals

The City of Jackson's Department of Human and Cultural Services is seeking proposals from art groups and other community organizations for arts and culture projects. The projects must focus on educational activities and youth services. The projects must each impact 1,000 people in the city.

The maximum grant per group is $6,000. In order to receive the funds, organizations must match 50 percent of the project's cost.

The city hosts a workshop on the application process at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 28, at the Municipal Art Gallery. The deadline for submitting applications is 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 3, at the City Clerk's office.

Applications are available at the Department of Human and Cultural Services (350 Woodrow Wilson Blvd., Suite 300) To request an electronic copy, e-mail [e-mail missing]. For more information, call 601-960-0383.