Mississippi

Hattiesburg Zoo to bring $10.5 million water park to south Mississippi in 2023

Published

2 years ago

August 16, 2022

Hattiesburg Zoo to bring .5 million water park to south Mississippi in 2023

HATTIESBURG, Mississippi — By this time subsequent yr, residents in south Mississippi are anticipated to have a brand new summer season getaway vacation spot close by.

The Hattiesburg Zoo has introduced the start of development this month of Part I of what is going to finally be Serengeti Springs — a $10.5 million water park constructed on 3.5 acres of Kamper Park, which is able to lead to an expantion of the zoo’s present Africa part.

Among the many options of Part 1 of the brand new water park would be the “Fusion Fortress” water play space, a 150,000-gallon lazy river, swim-up pool and bar, pavilions and cabanas. There will even be a present store, altering rooms with showers and lockers, workers workplaces and different facilities.

The Fusion Fortress space will function 9 slides of various heights and what the zoo says is the “quickly to be well-known” Serengeti Swirl. There will even be a number of water-play areas and two bucket dump stations, all themed in step with the animal and setting of the adjoining Africa space.

The big bucket would be the tallest construction at Serengeti Springs at 62 toes excessive, dumping 800 gallons of water onto Fusion Fortress at set intervals. A smaller bucket will dump 475 gallons of water onto the world. Zoo officers be aware the water for the park shall be handled and recycled, with solely a small quantity of water misplaced resulting from evaporation every day.

Beneath Fusion Fortress would be the Life Flooring, a cushioned flooring space that’s anti-microbial and has a zero water stage (no standing water). The Life Flooring and across the Fusion Fortress shall be an extra 19 spray toys.

Most areas of the parks shall be handicap-accessible, though there shall be some points of interest which would require company to climb stairs. The lazy river will function a zero-entry seashore, accessible to all company.

The zoo will present particular animal shows contained in the water park, with some tropical animals residing inside Serengeti Springs.

Meals vehicles and kiosks shall be within the park, together with grownup drinks for company 21 and older. Serengeti Springs is predicted to function day by day from Memorial Day by way of Labor Day annually, with extra weekends doable primarily based on climate circumstances.

Free parking for Serengeti Springs shall be on the south facet of the water park, accessible from Park Avenue off Hardy Avenue.

A four-slide tower shall be a part of Part 2, development of which is ready to start inside 2-4 years after the Part 1 opening.

Building of the water park is being funded by the Hattiesburg Conference Fee and derived from earned revenues and the Metropolis of Hattiesburg’s 2% restaurant tax. Officers say Serengeti Springs, as soon as opened, shall be self-sustaining and worthwhile.

The water park is predicted to create 6-8 everlasting jobs, with as much as 75 seasonal positions, together with StarGuard Elite-certified lifeguards tasked with making certain the park meets or exceeds water park security necessities.

Ticket costs haven’t been set, however zoo officers say affordability is a precedence. There shall be a number of ticket choices and can embody tickets with admission to each the zoo and the water park.

As soon as opened, Serengeti Springs will be a part of Gulf Islands Waterpark in Gulfport, Buccaneer Bay in Waveland and the Aquatics Heart indoor water park on the Kroc Heart in Biloxi because the accessible water parks in south Mississippi.

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Mississippi

Who should be SBLive’s Mississippi high school player of the week? (Aug. 25-31)

Published

7 hours ago

September 2, 2024

Press Room

Who should be SBLive’s Mississippi high school player of the week? (Aug. 25-31)

Here are the candidates for SBLive’s Mississippi high school Athlete of the Week for August25-31. Read through the nominees and cast your vote. The poll will close Sunday at 11:59 p.m. If you would like to make a nomination in a future week, email Tyler@scorebooklive.com. For questions/issues with he poll, email athleteoftheweek@scorebooklive.com.

Editor’s note: Our Athlete of the Week feature and corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. However, we do not allow votes that are generated by script, macro or other automated means. Athletes that receive votes generated by script, macro or other automated means will be disqualified.

Kohl Bradley, DB, George County: Racked up 17 tackles and returned an interception 80 yards for a touchdown in a 33-7 win over East Central.

DaJuan Colbert, DB, Natchez: Recorded 15 tackles, forced one fumble and returned another one 75 yards for a touchdown in a 58-50 win over Hancock.

Garrison Davis, QB, Holmes County Central: Completed 14 of his 21 pass attempts for 375 yards and three touchdowns in a 20-6 win over Vicksburg.

Xzavion Gainwell, DB, Yazoo County: Recorded nine tackles, an interception and an 80-yard interception return for a touchdown in the Panthers’ 20-16 win over South Delta.

Elijah Jones, RB, West Jones: Had 24 carries 226 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-6 win over Laurel.

Kingi McNair, WR, Pearl: Caught four passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns in a 26-20 win over Neshoba Central.

Ashton Nichols, DB, Clinton: Recorded six tackles to go with two big pass breakups, a blocked punt and a return for a touchdown in a 26-20 win over Warren Central.

Ethan Prater, RB, Pisgah: Rushed for 132 yards on 27 carries with three scores and caught a 60-yard touchdown pass in a 33-32 win over North Forrest.

Glen Singleton, RB, Madison Central: Rushed for 174 yards on 18 carries with all four touchdowns in a 27-20 win over Ocean Springs.

Damarius Yates, RB, Kemper County: Rushed for 193 yards on 17 carries and returned a kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown in a 38-15 win over Kosciusko.

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Mississippi

‘If they cannot play Thalia Hall, they cannot play in Mississippi at all’: Broadway in Jackson speaks out about possible show cancellations

Published

14 hours ago

September 2, 2024

Press Room

‘If they cannot play Thalia Hall, they cannot play in Mississippi at all’: Broadway in Jackson speaks out about possible show cancellations

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – It’s been one month since Thalia Mara Hall closed its doors due to a mold outbreak.

Innovation Arts and Entertainment is the company responsible for bringing Broadway productions to Jackson.

Representatives from the company visited Jackson after hearing the building had been closed.

CEO Adam Epstein says the City of Jackson did not inform them of the news.

“We did not find out from anybody within the city. We found out by reading news clippings forwarded to us by other people in Jackson,” Epstein said.

Certified Industrial Hygienic Testing reported visible dirt, debris, and suspected mold growth on many surfaces.

Epstein fears this could change the possibility of bigger shows coming to the capital city.

“They’re going to skip over us because of this mess. We need to show as a community that Jackson cares about this valuable asset and that we demand our elected leaders to support and treat this really, incredibly valuable asset with the TLC it deserves,” he said.

Thalia Mara Hall is the only venue in the state that can host a Broadway production due to the technical needs and accommodations required.

“Touring theatrical shows. If they cannot play Thalia Hall, they cannot play in Mississippi at all,” he said.

Broadway in Jackson is not only a great source of entertainment in the city, but it’s also beneficial economically.

“Those other businesses don’t benefit. The city doesn’t earn tax revenue from events that we present. They don’t earn rental income from the events we present. They don’t earn facility fees from the events we present. This is a real tragedy. It’s unacceptable.”

The well-being of the potential audience is the company’s main priority.

“I will not risk our ticket buyers’ health and safety and comfort. Our shows can and will cancel before we’d ever put somebody in jeopardy. We’ve issued a 100% guarantee of a full refund if the venue is not given a clean bill of health,” Epstein said.

All shows will be canceled on a case-to-case basis.

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Mississippi

Tire failure suspected in deadly Mississippi bus crash, NTSB says

Published

22 hours ago

September 1, 2024

Press Room

Tire failure suspected in deadly Mississippi bus crash, NTSB says

Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board are conducting a probe into Saturday’s crash that killed seven and injured 36 people.

The deadly bus crash in Mississippi that killed seven people and injured dozens of others early Saturday occurred after the vehicle experienced a tire failure, causing it to run off the road and overturn, officials and authorities said.

Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board, in coordination with the Mississippi Highway Patrol, are conducting a probe into Saturday’s crash that left seven people dead and another 36 people injured. The collision occurred at about 12:40 a.m. on Interstate 20 near Vicksburg, Mississippi, when the bus left the roadway and overturned.

The bus, which authorities described as a 2018 Volvo commercial passenger bus, traveled westbound when its left front tire failed, NTSB member Todd Inman said at a news conference Sunday. The bus then moved onto an embankment and rolled over on its left side.

Inman added that investigators will be at the scene for at least another week and are looking into several factors of the crash, including the vehicle’s mechanical condition, motor carrier safety, the condition and experience of the driver, and environmental factors.

According to U.S. Department of Transportation records, the bus was operated by Autobuses Regiomontanos. Records show that in the 24 months before Saturday, the transit company’s vehicles were involved in one fatal crash, two injury collisions, and a crash requiring a tow truck.

The transit company has over 20 years of experience and provides trips between more than 100 destinations throughout Mexico and the United States, according to Autobuses Regiomontanos’ website.

“Everyone at the NTSB sends their expressions of sorrow for everything that the survivors and victims of this crash went through,” Inman said.

7 killed, 36 injured in bus crash

The bus carried a total of 41 passengers and two drivers, according to authorities. It was traveling from Atlanta to Dallas when the incident occurred.

No other vehicles were involved in the crash, according to Master Sergeant Kervin K. Stewart with the Mississippi Highway Patrol. Six people were pronounced dead at the scene and another person died later at a hospital, Stewart said.

Another 36 people were transported to area hospitals.

Warren County Coroner Doug Huskey said two victims killed in the crash were identified by their mother as a 16-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy, according to The New York Times. Authorities were working to identify the other victims.

Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY

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