Category: Updates
The Hole Has A New Name
We renamed the city park on Caprock Cove Jerry Street Field, you may remember it has been called “The Hole” for years.
In the 80’s the park was used for church league softball games. Jerry was killed in a car wreck in 1986 after the high school prom.
Jerry was very active in the church league and played for Greenbrook Baptist Church and was loved by many in the neighborhood.
It was a privilege for all of us on the Board of Aldermen to make this change.
Happy 44th Birthday City of Southaven
The best city in Mississippi to live in. Thanks to all the Mayors and Board members that help make us the great city we are…
New Neighborhood Watch Signs
2 Million Dollar Investment Coming To Cherry Valley Park.
We are building a new bike track and skate park at Cherry Valley park as part of my hard work to revitalize our neighborhood parks.
The skate park will be larger than the old we had on Rasco and the new bike track will be one of the new “Pump Tracks” with slops and banked asphalt tracks to increase speeds. It’s the latest trend in bike tracks. We will also be updating the lighting and putting in a new playground.
The park will have cameras and gates and will close at sunset when not in use.
This is over a 2 million dollar investment in our ward and the west side of Southaven. #hootsworkingforyou
Southaven Appoints New Police Chief
Our New Police Chief Brent Vickers…
Law Officers Appreciation Day
Thank you for your service…
Southaven Police Chief Macon Moore retires
Chief Moore, thank you for 34 years of protecting our community…
Merry Christmas
Marie and I made a visit to the Southaven Police Department and Southaven Fire Department today with homemade candy and cookies. Wishing all of our Police and Fire folks a Merry Christmas…
New Business Coming To Main Street
Southaven this week approved an application for a tax incentive for a renovation project at 920 Stateline Road. The former El Patron Mexican restaurant building will be rehabbed and turned into an American Deli.
Planning Director Whitney Choat-Cook said the developers have been working with her office and the fire department to come up with a renovation plan to repurpose the structure rather than tear it down.
“It has been determined by the fire department that it can be renovated as opposed to being torn down,” Choat-Cook said. “That is the option they would like to go with.”
Chiat-Cook said developers will make use of credits under the city’s West End Tax Incentive Program to make interior structural improvements, have new roofing, new exterior painting, landscaping, and a resurfaced parking lot.
“It looks like this is about a $500,000 investment,” Choat-Cook said.
Mayor Darren Musselwhite said the investment represents another success story in their efforts to revitalize the original business district. He recently announced a new push by the city to stir up interest among developers and property owners to invest in the downtown area.
“Here we go, one by one” Musselwhite said. “It doesn’t happen overnight, but we have our incentive package that we are really trying to step up and market even more. We had the Wendy’s a few years ago. This building has been so many things over the years, so to have this kind of investment here is so good for our original business district and the West End. I just want to publicly thank the investors for doing this. We welcome American Deli there.”
Chiat-Cook said they had other developers look at the building before, but none wanted to put the kind of money into the building that it would need.
“There is a lot of work that needs to be done there,” Choat-Cook said. “Before this one even came into play, we had several others look at this but not wanting what was going to be required by the fire and building department. It’s an overhaul. It’s everything from new windows. There is a massive amount of plumbing and HVAC that has to be done. The parking lot is a mess. There is no landscaping. They have already taken off the front portion of the building so they can open it back up. It was a disaster in the interior.”
Choat-Cook said developers actually started working heavily on it prior to talking to her office. They put a stop on it to meet with the developers to see if the building was even worth saving.
“One of the investors has another business on Southview St. right behind it,” Choat-Cook said. “He found an outside investor to go in on it with him because he wanted to revamp it and make it an area for his employee to go. So it is a local investment.”
Musselwhite said it is a very worthy project and will add a lot to the area. American Deli specializes in burgers, wings, sandwiches, salads, subs, and gyros and has over 200 locations nationwide.
“And every incentive allowed by state law is in place to bring business back to our original business district,” Musselwhite said. “I think it is a great thing .”
Thank You For Your Service
Halloween Treats
I will be passing out Moon Pies Halloween Night as I’m patrolling the neighborhood with the Neighborhood Watch. Our children really are Awesome and Number 1 in my book…
Brookhaven Park Gets A $ 100,000 Make Over
New playground equipment looks fantastic at Brookhaven’s Neighborhood Park. This is a $ 100,000 dollar investment in our neighborhood and will bring fun into our kids lives for years to come. The new walking trail is being used everyday… #hootsworkingforyou.
Southaven Alderman Hoots wants “In God We Trust” returned to car tags
DeSoto Times Tribune story
Southaven Alderman Charlie Hoots announced today he is opposed to the new Mississippi car tag design that removes the words “In God We Trust”.
Hoots said, “My ward, state district 20, and our state as a whole are made up of mostly God fearing, God trusting Mississippians who should be allowed to continue to express their faith on the vehicles they drive, and on the tags their hard earn dollars fund”
Hoots continued, “In understanding that a small minority may seek to have a tag without this language that an option should be offered to them, just as offered in neighboring Tennessee. Far too often, we hear we should silence our beliefs to appease others. This must end, and restoring the language that honors our God on our vehicles is a great issue to start taking our voices back with. “
Hoots shared he is glad to see the brown design retired, though, and congratulates the winner of the new design that highlights our beautiful magnolia.
The Dept of Revenue changes tag designs every four years- 2019 was the first year they included the language “In God We Trust”.
Hoots vowed that addressing this issue and ensuring In God We Trust is restored will be his first action if elected
The two-term Southaven Alderman is running for the new house district 20, which includes Southaven and Olive Branch in the north part of DeSoto County.
The Republican Primary election is August 8th, 2023.
HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION ENDORSES CHARLIE HOOTS
The Home Builders Association of Mississippi has endorsed Charlie Hoots his bid for the Mississippi House of Representatives (District 20).
Pat Nelson, Executive Vice President of The MS Home Builders Association, traveled to Southaven to officially make the endorsement.
“Charlie has always supported builders in Mississippi, and we are proud to support him, he has a passion for Mississippi and DeSoto County” Nelson said.
The two term Southaven Alderman is running for the new house district 20 that includes Southaven and Olive Branch in the north part of DeSoto county.
“I am so honored to have their faith and support and I plan on working hard to make sure Mississippi stays a great place to work, live and raise a family,” said Hoots.
“One of my main objectives is ensuring DeSoto county receives the adequate, and fair, share of state funding- this funding will strengthen our quality of life and infrastructure and indirectly benefit the construction industry, an industry that is vital to all local economies” Hoots continued.
The Home Builders Association of Mississippi (HBAM) is a statewide trade organization affiliated with local home builders which assists in “Building a Better Mississippi” by promoting, advancing, and protecting the housing industry.
The Republican Primary election is August 8th, 2023.
Smoother Ride Coming to Ward 2
Street paving starting in the neighborhood this week. We have quite a few streets being done this year. The city has spent several Million dollars on street paving in our ward since I have been in office… #hootsworkingforyou
Hoots begins campaign for State Representative
Story from DeSoto County News
Hoots has officially qualified to be on the ballot and now he starts the campaigning, as Southaven Alderman Charlie Hoots has announced his candidacy for state Representative.
Hoots, who represents Ward 2, is running in the Republican primary for the newly-drawn District 20 House seat.
Hoots, who was a photojournalist for WREG-TV for more than 30 years, today works as Executive Director for the Mississippi State Parks Foundation, a statewide nonprofit where he works with businesses and legislators to raise money to help restore Mississippi’s state parks.
He also founded and today coordinates the Colonial Hills Neighborhood Watch program.
During his time as aldermen in Southaven, Hoots has been part of a board that has delivered millions of dollars of investments in infrastructure, increasing police and fire budgets to add additional personnel and locations to enhance public safety, and economic development through tax incentives to businesses.
“As alderman- my record speaks for itself: it shows I’ve effectively led on the issues – particularly in ensuring my Ward received our share of resources,” Hoots said. “It shows I’ve held true to the values we share. Unfortunately, we don’t have that in Jackson right now and we must change that.”
District 20 is a new district that came about due to redistricting. It runs on the west from the Southaven Colonial Hills neighborhood along the state line into Olive Branch to U.S. Highway 78, and down to Church Road and state Highway 305. It includes Carriage Hills, Greenbrook North, Ansley Park, Summerwood, Country Place, Eastover and The Cherokee Valley subdivisions.
The election will be decided in the Republican primary on Aug. 8, as there is no Democrat challenger in the November general election.Hoots has a website, http://www.charliehoots.com/, where more information is available.