Hattiesburg, Mississippi – Mayor Toby Barker has been honored with the Mississippi Tourism Association’s (MTA) Governmental Tourism Leadership Award, recognizing his significant contributions to Hattiesburg’s tourism growth and development. Since taking office in 2017, Barker has prioritized tourism as a key driver of economic development. His collaborative efforts with Visit Hattiesburg and the Hattiesburg Convention...
Hattiesburg, Mississippi – On Friday, September 13, the Hattiesburg City Council voted 4-0 to approve a $163.5 million budget for Fiscal Year 2025. “We are grateful to the Hattiesburg City Council for their work and collaboration in delivering another structurally balanced budget for Fiscal Year 2025,” said Mayor Toby Barker. “This budget maximizes the lean...
Hattiesburg, Mississippi – Fire Station 1, located at 810 Main Street, will temporarily reassign its crews and equipment starting today as a new HVAC system is installed. The Hattiesburg City Council approved the $293,000 project on July 2, 2024. During this installation, the station’s two fire apparatuses, Ladder 1 and Engine 1, will be temporarily...
Hattiesburg, Mississippi – On Thursday, August 29, 2024, Mayor Toby Barker and City of Hattiesburg officials dedicated the Public Safety Complex in honor of former Mayor Johnny L. DuPree. The ceremony marked the renaming of the state-of-the-art facility, which first opened its doors on September 27, 2022, at the corner of Hall Avenue and Edwards...
Hattiesburg, Mississippi – On Monday, August 19, 2024, Mayor Toby Barker announced a $1,574,496 grant from the Mississippi Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) Strategic Multi-Modal Investments Fund to improve an existing taxiway and to construct a new taxiway at Hattiesburg’s Bobby L. Chain Municipal Airport. The project, which includes a $334,989 match from the city, will result in...
It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of Bennie Sellers, who served as the City of Hattiesburg’s Director of Public Services and City Engineer for two decades. Sellers, who was appointed by Mayor Ed Morgan in 1990, played a pivotal role in shaping our city’s infrastructure until his retirement in 2010. Sellers’...
Hattiesburg, Mississippi – On Thursday, July 11, 2024, Mayor Toby Barker announced the appointment of John Austin Arender as the City of Hattiesburg’s chief communications officer. Arender has served as the city’s deputy communications officer since January. His former roles include working as director of video production at Noble Motive and media director of The...
Hattiesburg, Mississippi — As the Highway 49/Midtown MDA EDH grant project reaches its final phases, the City of Hattiesburg announces the opening of two new intersections on U.S. Highway 49 near Forrest General Hospital. The intersections and traffic signals at Camp Street and Adeline Street will be fully operational starting at 5 a.m. on Tuesday,...
Hattiesburg, Mississippi—On Friday, June 28, the Hattiesburg City Council held a special meeting to review the Fiscal Year 2023 audit by Topp, McWhorter, Harvey, PLLC. The council approved the audit with a 4-0 vote. This audit marks the ninth completed since 2017, with three conducted within the first 17 months of Mayor Toby Barker’s administration....
Hattiesburg, Mississippi – On Tuesday, June 18, 2024, the Hattiesburg City Council approved renaming the Hattiesburg Community Arts Center to the Rebekah Stark Johnson Community Arts Center. The building is located at 825 Main St in the former Hattiesburg American newspaper building. The Community Arts Center, established in 2019, serves as a hub for local...
