The gathering in October in Bay Minette, Ala., seemed at times like a pep rally as speaker after speaker talked about the tanker contest pitting Boeing against the Northrop Grumman/EADS team. The message was clear: Northrop/EADS – and by virtue of that, Mobile, Ala. – would again win the contest.
The Palace Casino Resort in Biloxi will soon launch the largest casino expansion on the Mississippi Gulf Coast since Hurricane Katrina. The 110,000-square-foot project will include a 64,000-square-foot expansion of its facilities and amenities, as well as the renovation of existing areas.
On both ends of Harrison County, Mississippi, retail is sparking new growth and prosperity. D’Iberville, on the eastern side of the county, has welcomed The Promenade shopping complex with local, regional and national retailers. To the far west of the county, the city of Pass Christian recently opened a new 153,000-square-foot Walmart.
With grand columns gracing its entrance, an impressive amphitheatre and an artificial turf courtyard, the Pass Christian Center for Excellence resembles a miniature college campus more than the home of an elementary and middle school. But the $32 million complex in Pass Christian, Mississippi is an educational haven for children from six weeks old through eighth grade, and the grandeur of the facility reflects the strength and hard work of the teachers, students and community.
When it comes to a list of the most important pillars of the Harrison County economy, it’s hard to top the military. The numbers tell the tale.
In a competitive, global economy where so many places tout their high-tech capabilities, few can say they host a technology school that draws students from across the nation.
It’s well known that Keesler Air Force Base is home to one of the largest medical centers in the Air Force and provides care for thousands of Defense Department patients.
It’s the largest flying organization at Keesler Air Force Base, and the only Air Force Reserve command wing in the state of Mississippi. And they keep busy, deploying when needed to perform airlift mission and providing critical weather reconnaissance whenever hurricanes threaten.
It was a weekday at the Air National Guard Combat Readiness Training Center, and not an unusual one. Every few minutes the air was punctuated by the sound of jets coming and going. Some were airliners taking off or landing at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, but most were warplanes.
With 192 full-time and 205 part-time workers and a 140,000 square-foot facility, the Army Nation Guard’s aviation depot is already a big operation in Gulfport. But plans are in the works to make it larger – doubling the size of the facility in anticipation of expected growth.
Salute to the Military 2011 |
Community Profile 2009 |
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