Benefit lunch to aid ailing police officer

The Biloxi Police Department will be serving plates of red beans and rice with sausage and salad for lunch Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to raise money for retired officer Mitch Roberts, who is recovering from a stroke.

Those interested can dine at the West End Hose Company No. 3, the Biloxi Fire Museum, on Howard Avenue, or orders can be picked up or delivered.

Price is $7 a plate. To place an order in advance or schedule a delivery, call the department’s Community Relations Division at 228-385-3033.

Roberts served as a patrolman in the Biloxi Police Department from 1994 through 2015, and Biloxi Police Chief John Miller said he played a vital role in Katrina recovery operations.

“Mitch was instrumental in setting up and running our logistical support center in the weeks and months after Katrina,” Miller said. “We had commandeered Nativity Elementary School, adjacent to the police station, and it served as a place for meals, for accepting and dispersing supplies and for a variety of purposes in those hectic days. Mitch is the guy who was in charge of the equipment. He could fix the generator, or the air conditioner, and essentially keep the lights on.

“I understand Mitch is indeed recovering from the stroke,” Miller said, “but I understand he’s moving slow and having difficulty getting around. This is a great chance for the community to help defray his medical expenses, and we hope a good number of people are able to turn out or will call in an order. We can and will deliver.”
Print the flyer

 

Calling active seniors: Be an Olympian

Are you age 50 or older and want to be part of a healthy lifestyle? Well, the Mississippi Senior Olympics may be for you.

Registration has opened for the annual state games, which take place at locations along the Mississippi Gulf Coast from April 4 to May 25.

Participants may sign up for one or more of the more than 20 events.  Games include a 5K run/walk, a 10K run/walk, archery, badminton, basketball, bocce ball, bowling, cycling, darts, disc golf, golf, horseshoes, pickleball, racquetball, shuffleboard, softball, swimming, table tennis, tennis, track and field, triathlon and volleyball. 

The basic registration fee is $20, but additional fees may apply for some events.

“We encourage a healthy lifestyle and know that it is important for senior to remain active in life,” said Jamie Lee, state director and chair of the Mississippi Senior Olympics.  “It is a great way to meet people from all over the world.  The games are special because you can see people from age 50 all the way up to age 90 or even older competing in the various events of these games.”

This is the fourth year for the Gulf Coast to host the state games.  In 2015, the games moved from Jackson because of the Coast’s concentration of athletes.

The Mississippi Senior Olympics operates under the guidelines set by the National Senior Games Association, which sees more than 10,000 seniors competing in the semi-annual National Senior Games. This year’s state games is a qualifying year for the nationals.

Added Lee:  “With this year being a qualifying year for the National Senior Games in Albuquerque in 2019, we are expecting 800 to 1,000 participants.”
See more about the Mississippi Senior Olympics
Visit the registration page

 

News and notes: City Desk, sweetheart dance, boardwalk progress

City Desk: Christopher DeBack, the Biloxi Police Department’s chief investigator and public information officer, discusses Mardi Gras do’s and don’ts in this week’s City Desk podcast. To listen to the program, recorded this morning at City Hall, click here.

Daddy-Daughter dance:  The Parks & Recreation Department will host its fifth annual Daddy-Daughter Sweetheart Dance on Friday, Feb. 16 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Biloxi Civic Center.  The event is free and open to all fathers and daughters.  To view the flyer, click here.

West Biloxi boardwalk: To see construction the progress at the site of the West Biloxi Festival Boardwalk, click here.

Washington visit: Biloxi Police Chief John Miller and Assistant Chief Michael Wills were in Washington this week to meet with U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker and others to discuss the local impacts of the federally-funded Regional Information Sharing Systems. To read more about the visit, click here.