Chertoff, senators, governor on program for Tuesday

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, Mississippi Sens. Thad Cochran and Trent Lott, and Gov. Haley Barbour will share the program with Mayor A.J. Holloway, local clergy and others Tuesday morning in a Hurricane Katrina memorial observance on the Town Green.

The hour-long program will begin at 8 a.m. and will kickoff a day of events in Biloxi related to the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina making landfall on Aug. 29, 2005.

Also scheduled for the 8 a.m. program: Bishop Thomas J. Rodi of the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi, Father Harold Roberts of the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, Chaplain John Jennings of the Biloxi Fire Department, the Rev. James Black of Faith Tabernacle of Praise, the Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church Choir, the Biloxi singing trio Ame and singer-songwriter Brad Jerkins.

WLOX-TV, the Biloxi-based ABC affiliate, plans to carry the program live, and Mississippi Public Broadcasting will broadcast it to its statewide radio audience.

To see your invitation to the events on Tuesday, click here.

Katrina coverage grows through weekend

A growing number of stories about the recovery efforts in Biloxi and along the Mississippi Gulf Coast will be playing before national audiences through the first anniversary on Tuesday.

Among the noteworthy national programming known at this writing:

— “The Newshour with Jim Lehrer,” tonight at 6 on Mississippi Public Broadcasting and nationally on PBS, will include an 11-minute segment on post-Katrina Biloxi and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

— The Weather Channel on Saturday at 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. (CT) offers a behind-the-scenes look at the storm-surge footage shot from Biloxi City Hall.

— NBC’s “Today” Show on Monday, likely during the 8 a.m. hour, will feature an interview with Mayor A.J. Holloway.

— ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Monday morning will broadcast segments with reporter Kate Snow from the Biloxi Town Green.

News and notes

Hands on: Father Harold Roberts of the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer is hoping to see thousands of residents gathering on the beachfront this weekend to form a human chain along the coastline. For details, click here.

Cemetery repairs: The city is seeking information on gravesites and plots in the Biloxi City Cemetery. For more information, click here.