CITY OF HATTIESBURG NEWS

Hattiesburg, Mississippi – Today, Mayor Toby Barker and city officials gathered at City Hall to announce several events for the upcoming Mardi Gras season. The 2024 festivities promise to be more vibrant and memorable than before, with new traditions and events being added to this year’s itinerary. A glimpse of the 2024 Mardi Gras event calendar includes: Krewe of St....

Hattiesburg, Mississippi – On Monday, January 8, 2024, Mayor Toby Barker announced the appointment of Hardy Sims to serve as the next Chief of the Hattiesburg Police Department. Under Barker’s administration, he will lead the department of more than 150 officers and civilian employees. This decision comes shortly after current Chief Peggy Sealy announced her retirement in December. Sims has...

HATTIESBURG, Miss., – During the January 2, 2024, meeting of the Hattiesburg City Council, Mayor Toby Barker gave a presentation to the council to introduce three technology initiatives for the city’s first responders: drone-supported assistance for both fire and police, as well as camera-assisted support for the police department regarding ticketing school zone violations and uninsured drivers. The first phase of the...

Hattiesburg, Mississippi – After 36 years of service to the City of Hattiesburg with the Hattiesburg Police Department, including three as the City’s first female police chief, Peggy Sealy has announced her retirement for the end of January 2024. “This role has been more than an honor,” said Sealy. “When my career began in the early 1980s, I fell in...

Hattiesburg, Mississippi – During a press conference on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, Mayor Toby Barker was joined by the Hattiesburg Alliance for Public Art and the Downtown Hattiesburg Association to unveil artwork by Hattiesburger Louisa Shows, that will be featured on the Midnight on Front Street, Hattiesburg’s New Year’s Eve Celebration poster.  Aptly titled, “Looking Up to Hattiesburg” was the...

Hattiesburg, Mississippi – On Tuesday, December 5, 2023, the City of Hattiesburg will continue with upgrades at Water Plant #1 on Hwy 42 which includes a contractor rehabilitating the 5-million-gallon underground tank that is onsite. This includes emptying, cleaning and refilling. This work is possible without interrupting water service to the city’s residents due to two additional source tanks located...

Hattiesburg, Mississippi – In mid-November, The National League of Cities (NLC) launched a 2024 Presidential Election Task Force at its annual City Summit Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. The new effort is spearheaded by 17 city leaders from throughout the country, including Hattiesburg, Mississippi’s Mayor, Toby Barker. The nonpartisan task force will advocate on behalf of cities, towns and villages to...

Hattiesburg, Mississippi – On Monday, November 27, 20230, the Hattiesburg Fire Department will begin annual testing for all fire hydrants throughout the City. This is a maintenance requirement set forth by the Mississippi State Rating Bureau that meets the state’s standards for fire protection and assesses the pressure and flow of every hydrant within the City’s purview. Each station and...

Hattiesburg, Mississippi – This morning (Wednesday, November 15, 2023), the City of Hattiesburg’s tree crew from Parks & Recreation safely took down the nearly 20-year-old Leyland cypress tree that stood next to the stage at Town Square Park. Over the last several years, including the drought conditions this past summer, the tree has sustained weather-related damage that could not be...

Hattiesburg, Mississippi – With the installation of twinkly lights throughout downtown Hattiesburg and several merchants preparing for holiday open house festivities, city officials want to make sure all residents and visitors mark their calendars for two holiday staples – the Christmas Tree Lighting on Thursday, November 30 and Midnight on Front Street, Hattiesburg’s New Year’s Eve Celebration on Sunday, December...

Hattiesburg, Mississippi – The City of Hattiesburg was recently recognized by the Mississippi Chapter of the American Planning Association for the work and adoption of the Longleaf Village in the Avenues Master Plan. The plan was recognized by the APA’s statewide chapter with the Outstanding Large Project (Over 15K) Award for the City’s innovation, engagement and promotion of planning principles....

Hattiesburg, Mississippi – On Friday, November 3, the City of Hattiesburg’s Veterans Committee and Mayor Toby Barker announced Master Sergeant Rex C. Hasty (U.S. Air Force – Retired) as the 2023 Veteran of the Year. “Our city has been selecting an outstanding citizen who has served our nation honorably in one of the United States uniformed military branches for the...