Jackson Free Press

District 5 Supervisor Kenneth Stokes believes library branches in rural Hinds County are not meeting the needs of residents. At this morning's Hinds County supervisors' meeting, Stokes said the hours of operation at some county libraries are inconvenient for school-age children and that the facilities need upgraded Internet service.

The Jackson/Hinds Library system has 15 branch locations in the Jackson area and other municipalities in the county.

District 4 Phil Fisher suggested having some libraries open at noon so they can stay open later into the evening.

"We just want to make sure if we're going to have libraries that they're available," Fisher said.

Board President and District 1 Supervisor Robert Graham said the county is negotiating with at AT&T to expand broadband Internet access countywide. Graham said he expects to sign the agreement this week. The board took no action on adjusting library hours.

The board began the meeting with a presentation to District 2 Supervisor Doug Anderson who announced his retirement last week. Anderson has served on the board since 1993 when he replaced outgoing Supervisor Bennie Thompson, who was elected to Congress.

Graham thanked Anderson, a former state lawmaker, for his "spirited hard work" in securing funding for historically black colleges and universities and advocating for minority business participation in government contracts.

District 3 Supervisor Peggy Hobson-Calhoun said she hoped Anderson's retirement from the rigors of public service would have a positive effect on his physical health. Anderson suffered two strokes last year and has diabetes. As a result, he often missed supervisors' meetings and at times had difficulty speaking.

Fisher, the lone Republican on the board, called Anderson a man of integrity.

"Throughout the years, we have disagreed on many issues and agreed on few, but I always knew where he stood," Fisher said.