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Mississippi awards $7M from VW settlement

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State awards $7 million to emissions saving projects from VW settlement

The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality announced Thursday it was awarding $7.3 million from a 2016 Volkswagen settlement to emissions-saving transportation projects around the .

Most of the money, $5.4 million, will go to a dozen public school districts and one private school for lower-emitting diesel buses, electric school buses and charging stations. Specifically, that money will pay for 42 lower-emitting diesel buses, 12 electric buses, and 10 charging stations.

The County School District is getting the largest award amount, $1.5 million, for six electric buses and six charging stations.

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In total, Mississippi received $9.87 million out of the $2.7 Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust, a fund established through legal settlements after the Environmental Protection Agency found that the car manufacturer had intentionally programmed their vehicles to cheat emissions tests. The purpose of the money is to offset excess emissions of nitrogen oxides from Volkswagen's cars.

“The goal of the mitigation projects is the reduction of diesel emissions, specifically nitrogen oxide pollutants, which have been linked to increased ozone levels and contaminants,” said Chris Wells, MDEQ Executive Director. 

All 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia are beneficiaries of the fund. States were allocated money largely based on how many affected Volkswagen cars were registered in each state, according to the EPA.

About half of the remaining $2 million is going to three companies: Waste Management, Sysco in Jackson, and Pan Isle Inc., also known as Ship Island Excursions. Waste Management is receiving $570,000 to replace 13 diesel garbage trucks with clean natural gas vehicles.

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The Meridian Airport Authority is receiving $430,435 for new electric ground devices.

Another $330,00 is going to build 18 charging stations in seven locations around the state.

The money MDEQ awarded Thursday is in the form of a rebate, and can account for up to 70% of the 's cost. To access the funds, the recipients must complete the projects by September, 2025, and then request reimbursements.

Use the table below for a full list of projects MDEQ awarded money to on Thursday:

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Mississippi News

Warming trend for Easter weekend – Home – WCBI TV

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www.wcbi.com – Isaac Williams – 2024-03-28 04:08:29

SUMMARY: The weather in Columbus, Mississippi will be cold in the mornings but warm up in the afternoons for the Easter . Thursday will be sunny with highs in the 60s, dropping to the 30s at night with patchy frost. Friday will have highs in the 70s, and the weekend will be even warmer with temperatures in the 80s and no rain expected. Next will see warm and humid with the possibility of scattered showers and thunderstorms on Tuesday. It is still unsure if the storms will be severe.

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Two Rankin County teens arrested for shooting death of 14-year-old in Jackson

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2024-03-27 19:16:28

SUMMARY: Two teenagers from Rankin County, Maxle Mooneyham, 16, and John Foote, 17, were in connection to the shooting of 14-year-old Cameron Horne-Crook in . The suspects were charged with murder and were assisted in their arrest by Rankin County deputies and Pearl . Horne-Crook was shot multiple times on March 25 in the 3500 block of Ridgecrest . He was a student at Northwest Rankin Middle School. The names of the suspects were corrected by Jackson police in an updated announcement.

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The post Two Rankin County teens arrested for shooting death of 14-year-old in Jackson appeared first on www.wjtv.com

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Blending past, future: Redeveloping Burns Bottom

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www.wcbi.com – Shawanda Jones – 2024-03-27 19:01:33

SUMMARY: The Burns Bottom neighborhood in Columbus, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is being considered for by the Columbus Redevelopment Authority. The plan is to develop the area into a mix of commercial buildings, residential homes, and apartment spaces to meet the needs of the community, workers from the base and industrial sectors. The aims to tie together different parts of Columbus, including the Riverwalk and area. A public meeting will be held on March 28 to discuss for the project. The CRA believes this redevelopment will bring new to the neighborhood and benefit the entire community.

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The post Blending past, future: Redeveloping Burns Bottom appeared first on www.wcbi.com

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