Two disasters - one far away, one at home - had a big impact in the Delta in 2001, as the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the February tornado lead the list of the year's top stories.
Those two stories tied for the top spot in a vote by Commonwealth staff members.
The Sept. 11 attacks in New York and Washington had an impact, direct or indirect, on many residents of this area.
Melissa Gale Hodges, daughter of Lewis Hodges of Greenwood, was in the World Trade Center about 10 floors below where the second plane hit but narrowly escaped. Dr. Olujoke Brimah, the wife of Greenwood doctor Hamza Brimah, was in charge of admitting patients at North General Hospital in Upper Manhattan.
Toby Gammill, an attorney and former Greenwood resident, was at the Nassau County Courthouse in Long Island on the day of the attacks. Pilot Lee Wall was forced to reroute his plane that day.
Others from the Delta were stuck in various locations around the country after air travel was suspended. Churches held prayer services, community groups sent donations and messages of support, and Mississippi Printing Co. printed thousands of "God Bless America" flag posters.
Those with military personnel in their families also have watched as the United States has gone to war.
The tornado, which hit Feb. 24, touched down near Humphrey Highway and continued through Johnson Subdivision and across U.S. 82 near the Leflore/Carroll county line.
It did $2 million worth of damage to more than 60 structures, but there were no injuries or deaths. Bussey's Western Store was destroyed, and Ferguson Bros. Construction and other buildings were heavily damaged.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency set up an emergency response center to help storm victims. County workers were kept busy cleaning up the debris, and the Red Cross pitched in as well.
The event also raised residents' awareness about storm safety, and after the county was declared part of a disaster area, many applied for grants to help them install shelters.
Other top stories of the year:
3. Milwaukee Electric Tool. In October, the company announced that it would move most of its production from its Brookfield, Wis., plant to Greenwood. It will occupy the building that formerly housed Takata Inc. Thirty employees will start assembling tools Wednesday, and thirty more will begin work Jan. 14. The company plans to reach its goal of 200 employees early next fall.
Incentives from the state's Growth and Prosperity (GAP) program, enacted by the Legislature last year, were given part of the credit for enticing the company to locate here. Milwaukee Tool already has plants in Jackson and Kosciusko and a distribution center in Olive Branch.
4. February shootings. Three Greenwood residents were killed and two others injured in violent incidents between Feb. 19 and Feb. 21. Accardo Willis and Maurice Lawrence, both 19, were wounded in shootings Feb. 19 at the corner of Main and Gibbs streets. The three killed were Billy Gillion, 16, and Sammie Purnell, 23, who were shot Feb. 20 at the corner of Fulton and Gibbs streets, and Earnestine Strong, who was shot in her home on Palace Street two days later. The incidents remain under investigation.
5. Plant closings. More than 500 jobs were lost from two plant closings announced in late January. First, Uniek Inc. announced it would move one of its two Greenwood plants to Wisconsin, where the company is based. The plant, which employed about 250 people, made plastic picture frames, photo albums and craft materials.
The decision was made to consolidate the two facilities and cut costs because the Wisconsin plant already produces plastic items. Uniek's other Greenwood plant, which makes wood items, was allowed to remain. Uniek's Greenwood operation was known as National Picture & Frame Co. before Uniek acquired it last year.
A few days after Uniek's announcement, Baldwin Piano & Organ Co. revealed plans to shut down its Greenwood plant, which had been operating since 1964. The closure resulted in the gradual elimination of 275 jobs. Company executives said Baldwin was losing money because of foreign competition and could no longer afford to keep the Greenwood facility open. In June, the Ohio-based company filed for bankruptcy, holding up the distribution of employee benefits.
6. Greenwood Middle School opens. The city's newest school, serving about 450 seventh- and eighth-graders, began work in August under the leadership of Principal Robert Sims. The school has earned praise for its open, modern design as well as its computer labs and other educational facilities. Construction on the $8 million building, which began in March 2000, was completed this summer.
7. Viking Range Corp. buys the Hotel Irving. In February, Viking completed the acquisition of the downtown landmark and some adjoining property with plans to open a 50-room luxury hotel on the site. The facility, managed by Jondi Brackeen, is scheduled to open in October 2002. Architect Stephen Perkins of Washington, D.C., is helping with the interior design.
8. Heartland Catfish, the John Richard Collection and America's Catch expand. Even as some industries were forced to close, other facilities grew. Heartland Catfish added 55,000 square feet to its processing plant near Itta Bena, creating 180 jobs. The John Richard Collection acquired the building formerly occupied by Baldwin, with plans to add new product lines and jobs. At America's Catch, a 25,000-square-foot expansion created 52 jobs.
9. Voters elect to keep state flag. In April, Mississippi voters went to the polls to select between the 1894 state flag, which features the Confederate battle emblem, and an alternative design with 20 stars on a blue square. The Confederate emblem had been controversial because some see it as a reminder of slavery, while others say it represents Southern heritage.
Statewide, the flag with the Confederate symbol won by a margin of nearly 2-to-1. In Leflore County, 54 percent of the voters preferred the new design, and 46 percent wanted to stay with the old one. In Carroll County, nearly 75 percent voted to keep the existing design.
10. Natural-gas prices. Gas customers vented their frustration last winter as natural-gas bills skyrocketed. The increasing bills affected budgeting in the school districts, governments and other entities. Mississippi Valley Gas and other providers, flooded with complaints, responded that they were not gouging their customers and that the cost of the gas was out of their control. They also set up systems to help people who had trouble paying their bills. Wholesale prices later fell, and with milder weather predicted this winter, bills were not expected to be as high.
