AGP Executive Report

Auto Manufacturing Watch: Honda and Nissan are reportedly weeks from announcing a cooperation deal covering shared electronic control units, standardized in-car operating systems, and joint North American development—potentially putting common tech into vehicles no earlier than 2029. Higher Ed & Housing: East Mississippi Community College is breaking ground on a nearly $2.5M Scooba campus housing expansion adding 24 beds, with completion expected by year-end. Workforce Funding: Mississippi is rolling out expanded access to Workforce Pell Grant funds starting July 1, aiming to help residents enter short, employer-driven training programs. Manufacturing Jobs: Keytronic plans an $8.89M expansion in Corinth creating 376 jobs, adding assembly and production lines. More Industry Investment: Gould Industries will invest about $14M in Pike County to modernize an existing site and create 65 jobs. Forestry Infrastructure: MDA approved $5M for three forestry facility grant projects, including road access, rail corridor acquisition, and utility upgrades. Tech & Economic Development: AWS is repurposing the former Delphi plant in Clinton for a $1B data center investment expected to support at least 100 skilled roles. Transportation Safety: MDOT is urging holiday travel safety and pausing most non-emergency lane closures July 3–5.

Mississippi Agriculture: Double-digit rain in southern Mississippi has devastated watermelons and blueberries, with some watermelon growers reporting 60% to 90% losses as fruit splits and spoils after harvest. Federal Policy & Food Supply: U.S. and state attorneys general reached a proposed settlement in an egg price-fixing case that includes Cal-Maine Foods of Mississippi, with more than $3.3 million and millions of donated eggs tied to the resolution. Transportation Funding: Two South Mississippi airports—Gulfport-Biloxi International and the Dean Griffin Memorial Airport in Wiggins—won FAA Airport Improvement Program grants for runway, pavement, and safety upgrades. Energy Infrastructure Debate: Proposed nearly 500-mile gas pipelines crossing Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi drew fresh concerns over land impacts and whether the projects mainly serve out-of-state needs. Lower Mississippi River Work: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced temporary closures at Lock and Dam 9 and a West Newton Chute boat landing closure for sand-moving work affecting Mississippi River navigation operations. Workforce & Industry: Moran Towing completed its acquisition and integration of New Orleans-based Bisso Towboat, adding 11 tractor tugs and dozens of employees to its Lower Mississippi River presence. Community & Health: A Monticello couple behind Heart Strong Monticello helped fund a public-access AED at Ellison Park, aiming to boost sudden cardiac arrest awareness and lifesaving skills.

Mississippi Manufacturing: Auto Parts Manufacturing Mississippi (APMM) is investing $53 million to expand operations in Lee County, adding 28 jobs over five years as it boosts capacity for Toyota Corolla parts production in Guntown. Defense & Shipbuilding: HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding has begun fabrication for the future USS John F. Lehman (DDG 137), using a distributed shipbuilding model that spreads work across partner yards in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida. Mississippi Energy/Tech: Anduril says a rocket motor test at its Mississippi facility ended with an explosion; no injuries were reported, but the damaged test setup could delay prototype work for weeks. Agriculture & Prices: Cal-Maine Foods, headquartered in Mississippi, reached a $1.5 million DOJ settlement over egg price manipulation claims and will donate 30 million eggs to food banks across 17 states. Heat & Power Costs: Mississippi Power is urging customers to cut summer bills by checking A/C efficiency, sealing leaks, and using tools like online home energy checkups. Food Supply Chain Policy: U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) helped introduce the American Food Supply Chain Resiliency Act to make USDA resilient food programs permanent and expand regional food hubs for producers. Transportation Safety: Pass Christian is upgrading all public railroad crossings with new gates, warning lights and signal equipment under a $4 million safety initiative.

Port of Gulfport Expansion: The Port of Gulfport cleared a key hurdle in its $548M ship channel deepening and widening plan, moving toward larger vessels and more cargo capacity on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Workforce & Training: Georgia Pacific boosted its Jones College scholarship endowment by $1,500 for 2026-27, backing Mississippi technical programs in welding, electrical tech and engineering tech. Education Leadership: South Piedmont Community College named Amy Ball Braswell as its new vice president of strategic enrollment management, overseeing admissions, advising, financial aid and enrollment strategy. Public Health Risk: Mississippi health officials are warning about rising threats from flesh-eating Vibrio vulnificus, as climate-driven pathogen spread and federal health program cuts raise concern. Mississippi Law Changes: New Mississippi laws take effect July 1, including a shift toward adult court for certain youth firearm cases and tougher penalties tied to stolen guns. Local Tech & Power Debate: xAI’s Memphis data center push is tied to a “Starlink dividend” offer, as residents weigh benefits against grid and neighborhood impacts. Food Industry: DOJ and states allege major egg producers conspired to inflate prices, with settlements including cash and egg donations. Trade Policy: Bipartisan lawmakers urged action to restore a competitive specialty-crop trade balance with Mexico under USMCA.

U.S. Supreme Court Watch: The Court blocked Trump’s birthright citizenship limits, a ruling with direct ripple effects for Mississippi families and immigrant communities. Civil Rights Lens: Analysts say the term’s broader theme was constitutional rights wins, including rulings affecting transgender athletes and firearms access for marijuana users. Mississippi Public Safety: MSDH urged July 4 caution on fireworks, impaired driving, water hazards and extreme heat as celebrations ramp up for America’s 250th. Food Industry: DOJ and state AGs reached proposed settlements with major egg producers after a price-fixing probe, requiring millions of eggs for food banks and payments to states. Local Infrastructure & River Work: The Army Corps announced Mississippi River lock-and-dam open houses and a temporary closure of a Minnesota boat landing tied to navigation-channel maintenance. Tech + Energy Debate: SpaceX is offering Memphis-area Starlink half-price service as xAI expands local AI computing—while residents and advocates continue to question energy use and emissions. Workforce & Trade Training: Metallica’s Scholars Initiative expands with new U.S. school funding for professional and technical education. Construction/Design: A Mississippi Riverfront park project earned a landscape design merit award, highlighting river access and restoration.

Clean Air Act Fight in Mississippi: The U.S. Justice Department asked a federal court to dismiss an NAACP Clean Air Act lawsuit targeting Elon Musk’s xAI over alleged un-permitted methane gas turbines powering its data center near Memphis, arguing the case threatens national security and that the executive branch can end citizen suits. Energy & Tech Buildout: The dispute ties to a major AI infrastructure push in the region, with the complaint alleging heavy pollution impacts on nearby communities. Mississippi Higher Ed: Mississippi State named chemical engineering professor Julie Jessop director of the Dave C. Swalm School of Chemical Engineering, effective July 1, as she leads research and industry partnerships. Local Industry/Power Demand: Starkville is reviewing a proposed 30MW cryptocurrency mining facility near an electrical substation, with officials saying the load could be steady for the city utility and ratepayers. Food Industry: Cal-Maine Foods reached an agreement to resolve DOJ and 17 states’ attorney general claims tied to alleged manipulation of an egg industry price index, with no fines and added compliance steps. Courts & Elections: The U.S. Supreme Court upheld state rules allowing ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted after it arrives, rejecting a Trump-led challenge.

Energy & Transportation: AAA says gas prices are falling nationwide as U.S.-Iran tensions ease, with the national average dropping below $4 to about $3.86—welcome relief for the July Fourth travel rush, though prices still run higher than last year. Agriculture: USDA’s weekly Crop Progress report shows corn ratings slipping slightly while winter wheat harvest is 48% complete; the Pro Farmer Crop Condition Index rose modestly despite a small dip in overall corn quality. Mississippi Business & Industry: LM Funding plans to repurpose power at its Columbus, Miss. crypto site for AI and high-performance computing, adding GPU hardware and marketing capacity to AI colocation customers. Tech & Local Power Demand: A proposed 30MW cryptomine in Starkville would sit by an Industrial Park substation, with officials saying the steady load could help ratepayers if noise rules are followed. Workforce & Training: Itawamba Community College will host a Food Management Certification class in Belden July 13–Aug. 6, focusing on food handling, kitchen safety, and interview skills. Legal/Local Impacts: French Quarter businesses in New Orleans sued the Sewerage & Water Board over alleged Decatur Street construction disruptions, seeking injunctions and damages. Environment: NOAA expects a Gulf “dead zone” larger than average this summer, with the Mississippi River/Gulf of America Hypoxia Task Force aiming to shrink it by 2035. Historic Preservation: Nine Mississippi sites were added to the National Register of Historic Places this year, including the Terry Rosenwald School in Hinds County.

Mississippi Gulf Coast Industry & Environment: Chevron teamed with local fire and state marine partners to sink unused industrial equipment off the coast near Petit Bois Island, creating an artificial reef to boost fish habitat and recreational fishing. Manufacturing & Construction: Gainey’s marked 45 years in Mississippi’s precast concrete business, expanding wastewater treatment and specialty contracting capabilities while growing its workforce. Workforce & Training: A push to expand U.S. registered apprenticeships toward a “million-apprentice” goal is running into a funding and modernization gap, with experts pointing to outdated rules and insufficient long-term investment. Energy & Data Centers: Utilities say data-center-driven grid upgrades are helping lower some residential bills, while other communities are debating land, trust, and impacts as new facilities move forward. Agriculture & Labor: A federal lawsuit in Mississippi alleges a farm used H-2A visas to pay Black U.S. farmworkers less than white South African workers doing similar work. Public Safety: Mississippi’s American Legion named a Lawrence County JROTC educator and a volunteer firefighter for state honors.

Manufacturing Milestone: Gainey’s in Holden marked 45 years since 1981, growing from septic tanks into a regional precast concrete and wastewater solutions provider with 120+ employees and new Mississippi Municipal and Public Works licensing. Paper Industry Shakeup: International Paper plans to streamline its North America packaging footprint, including ending operations at an Aurora, Illinois sheet plant and winding down converting work in Elk Grove, California, and Barrington, New Jersey, with changes targeted to finish by Q3 2026. Workforce & Growth: xAI filed permits totaling about $300M for expansion projects at its Memphis facilities, including major work at Colossus I and Colossus II. Local Environment & Permitting: Mississippi’s Department of Marine Resources is waiving permit fees for rebuilding and repairing storm-damaged structures (with conditions) through June 19, 2027. Labor Rights in Agriculture: A federal lawsuit in Mississippi accuses Carr Farms of wage discrimination tied to H-2A visa use, alleging Black farmworkers were paid less than white South African workers. Community Safety & Health: Shelby County health officials are disputing neighborhood air monitoring results in South Memphis, where residents and researchers say fine-particle pollution exposure is higher than official monitoring shows. Gulf Coast Industry Culture: Pass Christian’s Blessing of the Fleet drew crowds and highlighted the seafood industry and fishermen’s community ties.

Coastal & Marine Policy: Mississippi Department of Marine Resources will waive permit fees for storm-damaged, previously authorized rebuilding and repairs (with conditions) through June 19, 2027, aiming to speed Gulf Coast recovery. Gulf Fisheries & Community: Pass Christian’s 48th annual Blessing of the Fleet drew crowds for a harbor boat parade and memorial wreath honoring fishermen lost at sea, with local leaders urging support for Mississippi seafood. Workforce & Education: Mississippi’s economy and talent pipeline stay in focus as leaders push workforce development and K-12 achievement plans, including training pathways tied to technical careers. Small Business Relief: The SBA opened low-interest disaster loans for small businesses and nonprofits in parts of Mississippi and neighboring states hit by drought, offering working-capital help for eligible losses. Public Health & Industry Impact: In Memphis, residents and researchers are clashing over neighborhood air-quality monitoring data, highlighting how industrial-area health claims can become a trust and oversight fight. Community Safety & Growth: Shreveport is paying for a multi-year downtown revitalization plan, but officials say perceptions of unsafe conditions—lighting, vacancies, and police staffing—must be addressed for retail and investment to return. Arts & Local Economy: Marilyn Powell was named Mississippi Songwriter of the Year, with a prize supporting professional recording and a live performance on WLBT.

Downtown Revitalization: Shreveport is paying a Texas/Mississippi/Alabama retail consultant $130,000 for a three-year strategic retail plan, but business leaders say the city can’t fix vacancies and investor hesitation without tackling safety concerns like panhandling, lighting, and staffing. Small Business Relief: The SBA opened low-interest Economic Injury Disaster Loans for eligible small businesses and nonprofits in parts of Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi tied to a December 2025 drought declaration. Mississippi River & Industry: A Mississippi River Day reflection spotlights how the river underpins local life and commerce, reminding readers why waterways matter to regional growth. Public Safety on I-20: Mississippi Highway Patrol reports 300+ crashes in the I-20 construction zone since early 2025, with citations and “double fine” warnings for violations. Mississippi Music: The Mississippi Songwriter of the Year finals run tonight in Kosciusko, with 15 finalists competing for a $2,000 studio prize.

Mississippi Politics: Gov. Tate Reeves set Nov. 3 special elections for two vacant Mississippi House seats after the deaths of Reps. Price Wallace and Bo Brown, with District 70 (Jackson) and District 77 (Rankin/Simpson) both up for grabs. Highway Safety: The Mississippi Highway Patrol says crash totals are climbing in the I-20 construction zone in Warren County, with more than 300 crashes investigated since early 2025 and four wrecks reported this week alone; troopers cite reckless driving and shoulder passing, warning fines can double in the zone. Water & Construction: Sewerage & Water Board crews in New Orleans are removing fencing along Decatur Street after replacing 100-year-old water mains, though completion has slipped to August at the earliest due to delays and Mississippi River levels. Agriculture Policy: GOP governors, led by Sen. Boozman’s Farm Bill 2.0 push, are urging Congress to reauthorize the farm bill instead of extending the “outdated” 2018 version again. Energy Planning: Minnesota approved a $500,000 study to assess whether new nuclear generation should be part of the state’s future power mix, with Monticello at the center of the conversation.

Bridge Repairs/Traffic: Louisiana DOTD says the outside (right) lane of I-20 eastbound over the Mississippi River in Madison Parish will close June 27 for about four weeks for structural repairs, with no alternate route. Heat Risk: Mississippi braces for a multiday heat surge with “feels-like” temps over 110°F into the holiday week, with limited overnight relief. Storm Impacts: Rankin County residents face flash-flood conditions and rising water threatening homes and roads, with closures reported as water encroaches. Public Safety/Community: About 100 people protested outside a Senatobia Walmart after a police shooting killed a one-year-old boy; family and witnesses are calling for full transparency. Data Center Debate: In Monticello, residents urged city leaders to slow down data center planning, saying they’re not being heard as zoning rules are drafted. Agriculture/Health: Mississippi remains free of New World Screwworm as officials track outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico. Business Moves: Fortune Fish & Gourmet is acquiring Inland Foods’ Houston and New Orleans operations, expanding services into Southern Mississippi. Energy/Outdoors: USACE will waive day-use fees at more than 2,800 recreation areas July 3-5.

Farm & Labor: Five Black farmworkers in Mississippi sue employer Gregory Carr, alleging discrimination that led to lower pay than white South African workers hired via the H-2A visa program. Food Supply Chain: U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Sen. Adam Schiff introduced the American Food Supply Chain Resiliency Act to make USDA’s Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program permanent and create Regional Food Systems Hubs, aiming to expand markets for small and mid-sized producers. Coastal & Aquaculture: Spat-Tech and the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources deployed more than 30 million oyster spat into the Mississippi Sound to restart commercial oyster harvests after a long shortage. Weather & Health: A Saharan dust plume is forecast to reach Mississippi this weekend into early next week, potentially affecting air quality and sunsets. Legal/Transport: A trucking company tied to an Interstate 20 pileup can’t dodge a $2.8 million default judgment, with the Fifth Circuit denying a do-over. Cybersecurity: A report says Mississippi and South Carolina lag on email security safeguards, leaving many large businesses exposed to phishing and fraud.

Energy & Water Risk: Lake Powell is at its emptiest level ever for summer, with federal projections warning it could drop to “minimum power pool” next spring—raising the odds of Glen Canyon Dam power cuts and, in worst case, a “dead pool” scenario. Coastal Industry & Permitting: Mississippi’s Marine Resources agency is waiving permit fees for rebuilding storm-damaged structures (with limits on footprint and below-water work), aiming to speed repairs for coastal property owners. Workforce & Business Expansion: iQor plans to add 1,300+ jobs across North Carolina and Meridian, Mississippi, expanding customer-experience support for a major financial services client. Manufacturing & Construction: Starkville is moving ahead with a new Starkville High School on Mississippi State’s campus—227,000 square feet, 1,400 students, and a $101 million bond—highlighting continued growth in Mississippi education infrastructure. Logistics & Training: U.S. Army Reserve units at Camp Shelby carried out real-world rail operations during Operation Sentinel Justice, including Port of Gulfport loading and unloading drills. Mississippi Spotlight: Cleveland’s Leña Pizza + Bagels chef Marisol Doyle earned a global Top 50 ranking, adding fresh attention to Mississippi’s food industry. Agriculture Media: Farmweek ended its 49-year run produced by MSU Extension, marking a major shift for statewide ag programming. Education & Enrollment Pressure: Mississippi districts face looming funding impacts as enrollment declines continue and a “hold harmless” protection expires in 2027.

ICE Detention Shift: The Trump administration is walking back plans to use newly purchased warehouse detention sites after backlash and lawsuits, saying it will rely on existing space with state and county partners instead. AI Data Center Fight in Jackson: A Roy Howard Community Journalism Center fact-check says claims that lawmakers blocked an AI data center are misleading, while residents keep raising concerns about water, power, and impacts on surrounding communities. Workforce for Tech Infrastructure: Holmes Community College and partners, including Amazon, are training Mississippians to operate and engineer data centers, aiming to fill a statewide need for thousands of workers. Logistics & Rail Expansion: George County supervisors advanced a rail extension and transload facility phase that would let local industries unload freight to trucks and connect directly to the national rail network. Flooded Fields Hit Produce: Torrential rains tied to Tropical Storm Arthur devastated George County’s watermelon crop, with heavy May and June rainfall saturating plasticulture fields. Manufacturing Jobs Claim: A Mississippi Democratic Party release alleges the state lost 2,300 manufacturing jobs since Trump took office, pointing to broader cost pressures. Road Work Disruption: Bridge maintenance will close the U.S. 60/62 Mississippi River bridge in Alexander County July 6-10, with no marked detour and expected daily delays. Energy & Community Scholarships: Entergy awarded $5,000 scholarships to Mississippi students, including a Wesson recipient planning mechanical engineering.