HPNM
Hattiesburg, Mississippi – The City of Hattiesburg will observe trick-or-treat hours for Halloween on Monday, October 31 between 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
This is a suggested time block for trick-or-treating. The city encourages all residents to do what is best for their own individual households/families.
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Those who have followed HPNM in recent months no doubt know about the T’kia Bevily Trial. Bevily stood accused of capital murder of her fourteen-month-old step-daughter, Jurayah Smith back in October of 2017. Bevily was convicted of Capital Murder in Claiborne County in January of 2019 and sentenced to life in prison. After the trial, Bevily’s new attorney with the Cochran Firm in Jackson filed a post trial motion and asked that the the conviction be vacated or in the alternative remanded for new trial on the basis of jury misconduct. A new trial was ultimately granted, and Mrs. Bevily was released on bail after having served nine months in prison.
Soon after the trial, Bevily’s brother, Christopher Smith, assembled a group of friends, 
Now, one member of the inner circle, Christine Raye, went public and has disclosed the inner workings of the dream team’s harassment and smear campaign of baby Jurayah’s mother, DeDruana Smith and their attempted corruption of the prospective jury pool in Monroe County.
A text message obtained by HPNM (pictured) between two members of the now defunct “Dream Team,” Kim Ducksworth and Lavender Hibbler, show that they worked to undermine the system of justice in the T’kia Bevily trial by joining groups in Monroe County and Aberdeen
Mrs. Raye has effectively handed potentially very incriminating evidence, to prosecutors on a silver platter, which implicates Ducksworth, Hibbler, and possibly Mr. Smith in criminal contempt of court, a felony.
It’s unclear at this time if the investigation is ongoing, but if not, this new evidence is likely enough to at least obtain warrants for the social media accounts of Ducksworth and Hibbler.
Ashton Pittman Award-winning Senior Reporter Ashton Pittman, a native of the South Mississippi Pine Belt, studied journalism and political science at the University of Southern Mississippi. Previously the state reporter at the Jackson Free Press, he drove national headlines and conversations with award-winning reporting about segregation academies. He has won numerous awards, including Outstanding New Journalist in the South, for his work covering immigration raids, abortion battles and even former Gov. Phil Bryant’s unusual work with “The Bad Boys of Brexit” at the Jackson Free Press. In 2021, as a Mississippi Free Press reporter, he was named the Diamond Journalist of the Year for seven southern U.S. states in the Society of Professional Journalists Diamond Awards. A trained photojournalist, Ashton lives in South Mississippi with his husband, William, and their two pit bulls, Dorothy and Dru. Follow on Twitter @ashtonpittman. Send tips to [email protected] All Posts
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Jackson businesses that have been racking up costs to stay open through the water crisis can now apply for low-interest loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Applications are due June 14. Gov. Tate Reeves applied for the loan program earlier this week.
The loans are available to businesses and nonprofits that experienced economic losses as a result of the total or near water pressure loss following the Pearl River flooding in late August 2022. Businesses in Hinds and some surrounding counties are eligible.
“These low-interest loans will go a long way to support our Jackson businesses and help them make it through the ongoing water crisis,” Reeves said. “I’m committed to ensuring that we both restore clean water to the city and relieve the burdens of this crisis for Jacksonians.”
The loans are intended to assist businesses through the recovery period, can be up to $2 million per applicant, and will not have an interest rate above 4%.
Applicants may apply online at https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/ela or call (800) 659-2955.
The post SBA loans now open to Jackson businesses with losses from water crisis appeared first on Mississippi Today.
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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When the latest emergency in Jackson’s long-running water crisis hit — most of the city lost water again from a combination of broken or ill-maintained machinery and flooding — state leaders began talking of intervention.
And one of the first ideas floated in backroom discussions was creating a “regional authority” to oversee and overhaul waterworks for Jackson and, ostensibly, other areas, particularly those surrounding areas already on the capital city’s system.
This would make sense. Regionalization and consolidation of water and sewer services has been a trend nationwide. Regionalization appears to help garner favor — and funding — from Congress and environmental agencies. Studies by experts say regional approaches allow systems to comply with stricter standards, connect unserved communities to water and sewerage and, importantly, save customers money using economies of scale for upgrades and repairs.
Jackson’s chamber of commerce has called for creation of a regional water authority. And there’s growing sentiment among many Mississippi leaders that someone other than the city of Jackson should run or help run the system. But so far, talk of a regional authority for Jackson and surrounds has gained little traction, particularly with Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and leaders in areas around Jackson.
The realpolitik is a true regional water system would be a tough sell in the Jackson Metro Area. It would appear no other cities want to be in a regional water authority with Jackson, and state leaders are unlikely to force it. A regional authority, as it stands, would more likely include only Jackson and some small systems in Hinds County and be run largely by the state, with Jackson having some say, but not control over the system.
After Hurricane Katrina destroyed systems, Mississippi Gulf Coast governments formed regional water authorities and a large regional wastewater authority and it helped them pull down hundreds of millions of federal dollars to rebuild and expand. It took some doing, politically, with local governments reluctant to give up any autonomy. But ultimately then-Gov. Haley Barbour and legislative leaders sold them on the concept.
Across the country, as aging large or poorly amortized smaller systems struggle to meet regulations and finance upgrades, there’s been a realization they can’t afford it on their own. There’s power in numbers, and economies-of-scale savings for residents. Sometimes, there’s special money available for regionalization.
READ MORE: Jackson’s water system, by the numbers
Some states, such as North Carolina, incentivize consolidation. Others, such as California, force it. Kentucky has long been a leader in water system regionalization, and since the 1970s has reduced its more than 3,000 water systems to less than 800.
Some cities, such as Detroit and Harrisburg, Pa., have used regionalization to navigate water crises like Jackson’s with some success.
But for Mississippi’s capital city, the trend is going the other way — other cities or areas served by its water and sewerage have either left or are trying to. Some large institutions have dug their own wells, and others are considering it. Jackson has run regional sewage operations for Hinds, Madison and Rankin counties since 1973, but recently, West Rankin Utility Authority pulled out and has built its own new plant to serve Brandon, Flowood, Pearl, Richland and other areas.
“I have concerns this thing has finally hit bottom, and we need a change, need to move on,” said Richard White, mayor of Byram, a relatively new city bordering the capital city and served by Jackson’s water system. “… We need to be dealing with development, parks and recreation, not having to worry about our water. We’re going to move forward with our own system.”
White said being on Jackson’s water system has provided nothing but frustration for residents of the fledgling city of about 13,000 people to Jackson’s south, with water outages and boil-water notices, bills for some Byram residents double those inside Jackson and reported breaks taking Jackson weeks to repair. Plus, Byram has no representation or say in how the system is run.
State Sen. David Blount, who represents parts of Jackson and Byram, said that whatever solutions are found for Jackson’s water crisis, “It is essential for me that the people of Byram have a voice.”
“After Hurricane Katrina a lot of people in Mississippi felt like we weren’t being heard in the national conversation because so much focus was on New Orleans,” Blount said. “Obviously, the people of Jackson deserve attention, but the people of Byram cannot be forgotten in this … There are people in Byram paying more than double, and getting worse service, if that’s imaginable.”
For Byram residents and businesses further than one mile outside Jackson’s city limits, the Public Service Commission sets their rates, and they are commensurate with what Jackson residents pay. But for those within one mile — a large portion of Byram’s most populated area — the Jackson City Council sets their rates.
“That 1 mile is at double (Jackson’s) rates,” White said. “I heard from one family — they have two small children — that was getting bills for $200 a month for water … Then I’ve got other people who call me all the time and say they haven’t gotten a bill in six months.”
Byram leaders have hired an engineering firm to price a buyout of Jackson’s water pipes in the city and installing new wells and tanks and petitioned the Public Service Commission for its water independence. White said that given a green light, Byram could have its own system up and running within a couple of years. Byram already has its own sewerage. He said that given Jackson’s problems in maintaining its system, Byram would be doing it a favor by peeling off.
White said joining a regional authority with Jackson would be a nonstarter for Byram and, “That may be too much government, too, creating a new group.
“We want out.”
Clinton, Jackson’s neighbor to the west with a population of more than 28,000, has its own infrastructure issues.
To meet wastewater discharge regulations, the city needs to build a 19-mile, $97 million pipeline to the Big Black River by 2030, largely because Jackson and other areas are already discharging more treated (and sometimes untreated) wastewater than the Pearl River can handle.
Mayor Phil Fisher and other city leaders have been working on this issue for years. They have a concise plan and have secured about $25 million in funding “from several separate pots” so far and believe they have matters in hand. They hired a lobbyist to help secure funding from Congress. They are forming a regional authority with neighboring cities of Bolton and Raymond, who would face similar wastewater issues if left on their own.
“Congress appears to prefer an authority rather than Raymond and Bolton just feeding into Clinton,” Fisher said. “You need a coordinated effort that makes sense and answers a bigger need. From Bolton’s and Raymond’s perspective, they need an authority, they could never come up with the match for any of this, and even Clinton’s too small for that. Coming together allows us a chance to work as a group and plan, and then Congress looks at that with a lot more enthusiasm than if Raymond just showed up and said (environmental regulators) have an issue and we need money and put it together really quick.”
Fisher said he believes Clinton’s detailed, long-range planning for the project and using a regional approach will allow the project to move forward, including with help from a state infrastructure matching program.
And instead of looking at the large wastewater project as a problem, Fisher said it’s an opportunity for Clinton and surrounding areas.
“That’s going to be 19 miles one way to the Big Black, paralleling I-20,” Fisher said. “So going both ways, that’s going to be 38 miles of mostly unused land that that can be converted to residential, commercial, retail development. All it’s lacking is water and sewer. We have trucking, rail, the port in Vicksburg and if Hinds County would ever build it we’ll have air. This land along I-20 could become the largest and most valuable economic development area maybe in the Southeast.”
Fisher said at least one small rural water association has expressed interest in joining in with the authority’s sewerage and he believes others would follow suit and, “I envision one day all coming together under one water association.”
But not with Jackson.
Fisher said that, given Jackson’s water and sewage problems, it wouldn’t make sense financially or politically for Clinton to join in with its larger neighbor.
“I think I would be run out of town if I made that proposal,” Fisher said. “The only way I could see anyone joining an authority with Jackson would be if they had an equal number of votes on running it, no matter their size.”
But Fisher said it’s in Clinton’s — and the entire state’s — best interest for Jackson’s water and sewer issues to be resolved.
“Nationwide, people don’t know that Jackson and Clinton have two separate systems,” Fisher said. “… Last year, Jackson was No. 1 in murder rate per capita. People are seeing the water crisis now. It makes it difficult for surrounding cities to go out and make a good story. Jackson needs to fix its problems, quit finding excuses or finger pointing or getting up at a press conference and criticizing others.”
But Fisher, whose city has for years used a private company to manage some sewer operations but still owns the system, provided a warning to his neighboring city about full-scale privatization.
“If you sell your system, they’ll buy it, but the hook is, you get money up front and they won’t change the rates for five years, but then it’s Katy bar the door,” Fisher said. “Then, you’ll have the legislative mindset with city leaders: ‘Hey, I didn’t raise your rates, they did.’ Everybody elected will have something to hide behind, but at the end of the day the city loses control over rates.”
At least publicly, the only common denominator idea for fixing Jackson’s water crisis mentioned by Gov. Tate Reeves, Lumumba and others is privatization, at least of operations and maintenance of Jackson water. But privatization comes with a cost, usually borne by water customers.
Studies have shown that privatization can leave residents with higher water bills, poor service and loss of control to fix problems. One study by the nonprofit Food and Water Watch recently showed investor-owned utilities typically charge 59% more for water and 63% more for sewer service than government utilities.
Nationwide, many cities that turned to privatization years ago are now ending their contracts, taking their utilities back over and partnering with neighboring communities.
Mayor Lumumba has said he has talked with a company about contracting out operations and maintenance of the system, but is adamant he doesn’t want the city to lose ownership or major control of the system. He has in the past accused state leaders of wanting to use privatization as a power and money grab against Jackson, and he said private companies don’t do work out of benevolence, but “They want to extract a profit from you.”
He has also expressed skepticism about joining a regional authority.
Some leaders and pundits have discussed an outright state takeover of the system, but legally and politically that would be arduous, and as some have pointed out, the state has no real expertise in running a water system or manpower on hand to do so. As one observer recently put it, that would be “like getting a D student to do your homework for you.”
Another option proposed has been a temporary receivership, perhaps overseen by the Public Service Commission until problems are resolved.
Jackson’s legislative delegation hasn’t endorsed a specific solution, but most share Lumumba’s opposition to the city losing ownership or control of its system.
“I was actually having a conversation at lunch today about regionalization,” Rep. Chris Bell, D-Jackson, said last week. “I’m not sure if that’s the best route. I’m still researching it … But that’s an issue, anyone wanting to work as a region. Didn’t Rankin County just come off of our sewer? That’s another blow, $3 million to $5 million. You’ve got Byram wanting to leave. I’m hearing the Country Club of Jackson is trying to do its own water well, and Jackson State. Honestly, the attitude of those folks out there is they don’t want anything to do with us in the first place, and the only way they would join us is if they have a majority of board members — and that would be an entire fight all over again.”
“If there is any private company brought in, I would still support the city owning it,” Bell said. “At the end of the day, if it makes sense for someone to run it under contract, that’s one thing. But just having the state take over… .”
State Sen. John Horhn, D-Jackson, said he’s mostly been focused on resolving the current emergency with water, and that any talk of long-range solutions “is in the very early stages.”
“Whatever we do has to be inclusive and well thought-out and very deliberate,” Horhn said. “… I lean towards the city being able to hold onto its assets, but it’s very clear it needs to outsource operations. The mayor himself has let it be known he’s been in contact with a third-party administrator”
As for creation of a regional authority to run the system, Horhn said, “All that’s above my pay grade. But I favor the city being able to retain ownership of its assets.”
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Jackson’s troubled water system failed in late August, leaving about 250,000 people served by the system with little or no water pressure for several days.
Though pressure has been restored city-wide, the drinking water supply is still not safe to drink. Meanwhile, the city has been under a federal consent decree since 2013 because of its failing and unsafe sewer system.
With state and federal leaders at the table discussing long-term solutions to the Jackson’s water and wastewater systems, many are first trying to determine the full extent of the systems’ problems.
Each year, the city of Jackson is required to file financial reports to its bond debt holders. These reports contain a great deal of information about the state of the systems.
Jackson’s water and sewer debt is rated as “junk bond,” and the city, along with Newark, N.J., is one of very few large municipal systems not rated as investment grade debt. The city has about $191 million in revenue bond debt outstanding.
The city made its financial reports for debt holders last year, with data through Sept. 30, 2020, but is behind on filing this year.
Some highlights of the reports:
The city water system covers about 150 square miles and serves a population of about 250,000 people in Jackson, Byram and other parts of Hinds County. The city also supplies water to the Nissan Plant and its suppliers near Canton through a contract with the state.
The city operates three wastewater treatment plants and provides sewer services to Jackson, as well as to parts of Hinds, Rankin and Madison counties.
In 1973, the Jackson Metropolitan Regional Water Quality Management Plan was adopted for Hinds, Rankin and Madison counties. Jackson has a contract with the city of Ridgeland for sewerage, with Ridgeland having contracts with other entities in Madison County for sewage treatment.
After many years of Jackson treating western Rankin County’s sewage, the West Rankin Utility Authority has built its own new plant to serve Brandon, Flowood, Pearl, Richland, the Jackson Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport, the state hospital and other areas. This will mean a loss of up to $3 million to $4 million a year for the Jackson sewer system.
(Year: water customers/sewer customers)
(As of Sept. 30, 2020)
(As of 2020)
About 11% of Jackson’s water customers are outside its city limits.
(As of 2020)
Jackson has two main sources of water for the system: the O.B. Curtis surface water treatment plant that draws from the Ross Barnett Reservoir, completed in 1993, and the Fewell Plant, originally built in 1914 and most recently upgraded with a $12.4 million project in 2008, which draws water from the Pearl River.
The city also has two ground water well systems. In 2014, with the completion of the Maddox Road Booster Station, all city customers began receiving drinking water from surface treatment (from the reservoir and river). But due to an emergency with pressure loss in 2015, the ground water system was reactivated and remains in use.
In 1997, the city commissioned a water and wastewater master plan, according to disclosures the city must make to water system bond holders. It called for $375 million in capital improvements to the system by 2012. This included $180 million for the water system and and $195 million for wastewater.
Since then, through 2021, the city has completed or begun projects totaling $148 million for water and $76 million for wastewater.
In March 2013, the city entered into a consent decree with the EPA and MDEQ on its wastewater, which requires upgrades originally estimated to cost $400 million over 17.5 years. In 2013, the cost was estimated at $800 million. Last year, city and state officials said the consent decree capital costs for the sewer system are estimated at $945 million.
Jackson’s troubled water and sewerage system has faced litigation, consent decrees, fines and reprimands from various regulatory and other entities.
In 2010, after violating environmental regulations for its Savanna Street Wastewater Plant, the city paid a civil penalty of $240,000 in four installments of $60,000 and pledged make improvements. In 2012, the city paid a fine of $22,500 for sewage violations from its Presidential Hills plant.
In 2013, the city and EPA entered a consent decree in federal court over violations of the Clean Water Act and state pollution control laws. The city has paid a civil penalty of nearly $438,000 and agreed to make improvements, only a portion of which have been done.
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State Auditor Shad White recently released a report that detailed the costs associated with
“fatherlessness” in homes and communities across Mississippi. The report attempts to correlate issues like crime, teen pregnancies and unemployment with the influence of an individual father in a child’s life.
In six pages, the state auditor tries to communicate that having “engaged” fathers in more children’s lives would not only create better individual outcomes for the children, but also save Mississippi taxpayers money. Unfortunately, the auditor’s report—regardless of his intent—is irresponsible and places blame on individuals rather than taking a hard look at systemic solutions that can help support Mississippi families and communities who face incredible daily challenges.
New data the Annie E. Casey Foundation released reflect that Mississippi ranks 48th overall among states in child outcomes, 49th in economic well-being and 50th in health. Currently, the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world with approximately 437 prisoners per 100,000 people as of 2019, data from the World Population Review show. In terms of incarceration rate per 100,000 people, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Mississippi have the highest rates—680, 639 and 636—respectively.
Click on the image to view the full pdf. Courtesy Annie E. Casey Foundation
Currently, present and former Mississippi leaders are at the center of an investigation involving TANF funds going to millionaire athletes instead of families and individuals who desperately need support. On Aug. 15, 2022, Gov. Tate Reeves ended the Rental Assistance for Mississippi Program, or RAMP, that was helping many hardworking families across the state keep up with rent payments.
Is the “fatherlessness” issue the state auditor speaks of so specific to Mississippi that it would
cause the state to consistently rank at the bottom regarding child outcomes?
Is this problem so specific to the state that it would cause Mississippi lawmakers to pass laws enabling the state to incarcerate more people per capita than any other place in the world?
Did “fatherlessness” play a role in those at the center of the largest welfare scandal in Mississippi’s history?
State Leaders Should Highlight Immediate Solutions
The importance of leadership is
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Mississippi public school enrollment is set to steadily shrink. In 2007, Mississippi had 46,455 births, about 127 per day. In 2019 the number had fallen to 36,634, just over 100 per day. Add to that the fact that Mississippi’s public school enrollment declined more than any other state’s since the pandemic began.
In the Fall of 2019 American public school enrollment stood at 50,796,445 students, as it turned out, a peak likely not to be revisited in our lifetimes. Between a national baby-bust that commenced in 2007 and a COVID-19 accelerant, peak district enrollment lies in the past, and adjustments will be necessary.
The National Center for Education Statistics projected public school enrollment trends by state for the 2021-2030 period. The future is coming fast.
Public School Enrollment Projections by State, 2022 to 2030 (Source: National Center for Education Statistics):
Fall 2022Fall 2023Fall 2024Fall 2025Fall 2030Change from 2022-2030 Alabama753,900756,100757,500755,600740,400-1.80% Alaska133,100133,400133,400133,100128,500-3.50% Arizona1,144,4001,149,1001,152,3001,152,4001,155,0000.90% Arkansas497,600498,700499,600497,500487,700-2.00% California6,005,3005,934,9005,854,8005,786,2005,425,900-9.60% Colorado883,200875,800867,100857,300817,300-7.50% Connecticut512,300509,100505,400500,500475,600-7.20% Delaware141,500141,900142,300142,100137,600-2.80% DC98,00098,90099,50099,30094,700-3.40% Florida2,814,6002,806,0002,791,0002,775,8002,704,600-3.90% Georgia1,738,1001,723,0001,707,2001,686,6001,606,600-7.60% Hawaii177,200175,000173,200170,900158,900-10.30% Idaho314,300315,000315,400314,700312,000-0.70% Illinois1,924,0001,919,6001,914,1001,897,5001,800,900-6.40% Indiana1,051,4001,052,1001,050,3001,045,6001,017,800-3.20% Iowa521,500521,700520,700518,300505,900-3.00% Kansas484,500480,700476,200470,300440,300-9.10% Kentucky665,700661,800657,500650,900626,500-5.90% Louisiana705,000702,100699,600694,600671,700-4.70% Maine173,000171,600170,300168,700161,800-6.50% Maryland903,100902,100900,800895,800859,700-4.80% Massachusetts927,200923,200920,100913,700879,900-5.10% Michigan1,427,6001,418,9001,409,2001,395,8001,329,900-6.80% Minnesota902,200908,300912,800913,100903,1000.10% Mississippi429,800420,800412,000401,500364,700-15.10% Missouri882,700873,100862,100848,500792,200-10.30% Montana147,400146,600145,200143,700136,800-7.20% Nebraska334,400334,900335,100336,100329,200-1.60% Nevada494,300494,000492,400489,400476,300-3.60% New Hampshire165,900163,200160,500157,600144,600-12.80% New Jersey1,393,0001,388,2001,382,3001,372,0001,307,600-6.10% New Mexico311,400305,200299,100292,100263,700-15.30% New York2,613,0002,592,7002,573,0002,547,0002,399,100-8.20% N. Carolina1,545,0001,545,6001,545,4001,541,5001,524,800-1.30% N. Dakota120,400121,700122,600123,000123,5002.60% Ohio1,670,3001,669,4001,666,1001,657,5001,599,400-4.20% Oklahoma717,300719,600719,200715,900692,900-3.40% Oregon584,300581,900577,800571,700538,900-7.80% Pennsylvania1,712,9001,710,1001,705,2001,694,8001,626,600-5.00% Rhode Island139,500138,400137,500136,000130,200-6.70% S. Carolina790,300792,100792,400789,300772,200-2.30% S. Dakota145,500146,700147,200147,200145,8000.20% Tennessee1,014,1001,018,8001,022,0001,023,3001,029,9001.60% Texas5,495,1005,481,2005,469,3005,442,3005,311,300-3.30% Utah710,700718,700724,600727,900742,9004.50% Vermont83,60082,50081,50080,30074,600-10.80% Virginia1,254,3001,243,9001,235,2001,224,0001,177,500-6.10% Washington1,096,9001,092,7001,086,6001,077,2001,033,500-5.80% West Virginia249,100243,400237,600231,000202,400-18.70% Wisconsin840,500835,400829,100820,200780,200-7.20%
American public-school enrollment grew for 30 years after 1990. Adjusting to the new reality won’t be easy. Mississippi faces the third-largest projected decline in enrollment. In theory, school districts would simply retire low-enrollment school
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Ashton Pittman Award-winning Senior Reporter Ashton Pittman, a native of the South Mississippi Pine Belt, studied journalism and political science at the University of Southern Mississippi. Previously the state reporter at the Jackson Free Press, he drove national headlines and conversations with award-winning reporting about segregation academies. He has won numerous awards, including Outstanding New Journalist in the South, for his work covering immigration raids, abortion battles and even former Gov. Phil Bryant’s unusual work with “The Bad Boys of Brexit” at the Jackson Free Press. In 2021, as a Mississippi Free Press reporter, he was named the Diamond Journalist of the Year for seven southern U.S. states in the Society of Professional Journalists Diamond Awards. A trained photojournalist, Ashton lives in South Mississippi with his husband, William, and their two pit bulls, Dorothy and Dru. Follow on Twitter @ashtonpittman. Send tips to [email protected] All Posts
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From September 15, 2022, to October 15, 2022, America celebrates the achievements and contributions of outstanding Hispanic Americans who have enriched this nation. Laurel School District salutes all of our Hispanic students, parents, faculty, and staff who have positively influenced our Tornado Nation during the last two decades.
Del 15 de septiembre al 15 de octubre, Estados Unidos celebra los logros y contribuciones de destacados hispanoamericanos que han enriquecido a esta nación. El Distrito Escolar de Laurel saluda a todos nuestros estudiantes, padres, profesores y personal hispanos que durante las últimas dos décadas han tenido una influencia positiva en nuestra Familia Tornado.
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