Jackson Free Press

JACKSON — The Penguin Restaurant & Bar (1100 John R. Lynch St.), originally slated to reopen this fall after closing for renovations on Friday, July 8, posted a message to Facebook on Sept. 24 stating that the restaurant will not be reopening.

"The Penguin would like to thank you for your support and friendship," the Facebook post reads. "We especially want to thank our investors, customers, the JSU Foundation, the JSU Community, our employees, as well as many other friends and neighbors that supported us. Unfortunately, the Penguin will not be reopening. Please know we are still committed to the Jackson State community, West Jackson, Jackson and the inner-city business development in the area."

Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes at UMMC

The University of Mississippi Medical Center recently received a grant of more than $1.9 million from the National Institutes of Health's Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes, an initiative that will research the health effects of environmental factors from conception through early childhood on children and adolescents.

ECHO will distribute the funds over four years to create research infrastructure at UMMC and increase pediatric clinical trials in Mississippi, particularly among underserved populations.

The grant is part of the $157 million that the ECHO program has awarded to children's health organizations around the country this year. The studies will focus on four pediatric health areas that greatly impact public health, which include upper and lower-body airway health, obesity, neurodevelopment, and pre-, peri- and post-natal outcomes.

Through the grant, ECHO will use existing infrastructure to tackle gaps in health-care access for rural children and build a pediatric clinical trial network. Children's of Mississippi, the umbrella organization that also operates Batson Children's Hospital and all of UMMC's pediatric care, will use pediatric clinics around the state to help connect clinical trials with children and families.

More on Local 463's Big Move

Local 463 Urban Kitchen (121 Colony Crossing Way, Suite A, Madison) is moving to a larger space that once housed Mint Restaurant in the Renaissance in Ridgeland. The new space, which will keep the Local 463 name despite no longer being located on Highway 463, will feature a larger bar and three private dining rooms of varying sizes, seating anywhere from 16 to 90 people. The new building is 3,800 by 5,200 square feet.

"Basically, we wanted to get a bigger location while staying in Madison County, in a place that's centrally located between Ridgeland and Jackson," owner and chef Derek Emerson said. "Our old location and our customers have been good to us, so we wanted to stay in the area, but we've outgrown the building we were in and decided it was time to trade up. With private dining areas, we can offer a different and even better experience from what we could before."

The new Local 463 will have a larger kitchen and an expanded menu, featuring a wider selection of gourmet burgers, burger night events with specialty milkshakes every Monday and an expanded focus on plate lunches.

Emerson anticipates an early December move-in date, ideally Dec. 1 to open in time for the holiday season. For more information, call 601-707-7684 or visit local463.com.