Biloxi marks its 320th birthday Wednesday with a host of activities to commemorate the day – Feb. 13, 1699 – when the French explorer Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville first set foot on the shores of present-day Biloxi.
The occasion, which amplifies the point that Biloxi is one of the oldest communities in the country, is certainly not lost on Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich.“Anything that’s 320 years old has got to be good,” Gilich declared. “It has thrived and survived, and our efforts today are to make sure we have another 320 years of the city we cherish.”Added city Historical Administrator Bill Raymond: “Biloxi has a long and colorful history and is known around the world. This birthday is an opportunity for us to celebrate that history and remind people, and ourselves, of the significance of this community.”
Here’s the schedule of events:
3 p.m.: Re-enactment of the 1699 landing of Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville on the beachfront, south of the Biloxi Lighthouse, greeted by Biloxi Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich.
3:20 p.m.: Birthday party at the Biloxi Visitors Center with free cupcakes and a commemorative gift for the first 320 guests.
5:30 p.m.: Downtown Block Party at Biloxi Brewing Company, 186 Bohn St., featuring entertainment and complimentary barbecue. For the occasion, the brewing company will be selling a commemorative “Biloxi Blue” brew.
Admission to all events is free and open the public.
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An Officer with the Metro Task Force tried to stop a vehicle around 7 last night on I-10 west of H57, but the driver took off and wouldn't stop. Sheriff Mike Ezell with the Jackson County Sheriff's Dept. says the suspect drove into Vancleave and then came back down to the Ocean Springs Walmart, where he and the passenger in the vehicle ran inside. Both were arrested without incident. The driver is being charged with felony pursuit.
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A Harrison County man says he didn't mean to shoot his two-year-old son. And Billy Roberts is claiming he killed his roommate in self defense. He's facing a first degree murder charge in David Garcia's death and is charged with manslaughter in the death of his son. The shootings happened late Saturday night at a home that the two men and their families shared near Saucier.
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The state of Mississippi is suing the federal government over efforts to control the course of Old Man River. An Army Corps of Engineers project that was started back in the 1950s was aimed at keeping the Mississippi River flowing through Baton Rouge and New Orleans but Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann says the Old River Control Structure also created unnecessary flooding on almost eight thousand acres that's set aside to generate revenue for Mississippi schools. And the lawsuit that Hosemann and Attorney General Jim Hood are filing asks for at least 25-million dollars in damages for school districts in Claiborne, Adams and Wilkinson counties.
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It's not that his complaint has fallen on deaf ears, but Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards isn't getting much satisfaction from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Edwards fired off a letter to the league boss after the no-call seen 'round the world when refs in the NFC Championship game didn't flag pass interference against the Rams that most believe cost the Saints a trip to the Super Bowl. Goodell wrote back saying that while he understands the governor's "personal disappointment," rules don't permit him to overturn an officiating error. Goodell says the matter will be reviewed to determine if procedural or rule changes should be made to prevent a similar situation in the future.