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79-597: Born in Yazoo City, Mississippi , Barbour graduated from the University of Mississippi with undergraduate and law degrees, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. Barbour was an active Republican operative during the 1970s and 1980s, and he is often credited with building significant Republican infrastructure in Mississippi during an era when it was still dominated by Southern Democrats . He

158-538: A Clyde Kennard Day, calling for remembrance of Kennard's "determination, the injustices he suffered, and his significant role in the history of the civil rights movement in Mississippi". Barbour subsequently joined in a petition for a court rehearing of the case that resulted in the original conviction being thrown out. Barbour proved instrumental in winning state legislative support for the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum . Legislation to fund

237-477: A biofuels plant." Through his entire terms, Barbour's Commissioner of Corrections was Chris Epps , who had been appointed on August 30, 2002 by Democratic Governor Ronnie Musgrove. Republican governors Barbour and Phil Bryant reappointed Epps on January 13, 2004 and January 11, 2012, respectively. On November 6, 2014, it was revealed by federal prosecutors in the FBI's Operation Mississippi Hustle sting that Epps and

316-416: A confederate, former Republican state House member Cecil McCrory , had taken bribes from many for-profit prison operators, consultants, vendors and subcontractors for other prisoner services. The amounts Epps personally received were estimated to be at least $ 1.47 million in bribes for steering what Assistant US Attorney LaMarca estimated was $ 800 million in contracts between 2006 and 2014. Epps cooperated with

395-421: A conservative Democrat, despite an endorsement by President Ronald Reagan . During the campaign, The New York Times reported that a Barbour aide complained about " coons " at a campaign event. Barbour, embarrassed that the comment was overheard by a reporter, told the aide that he would be "reincarnated as a watermelon and placed at the mercy of blacks" if he continued making racist comments. As of 2023, Barbour

474-555: A federal district judge. Barbour soon became prominent within the Republican party running Gerald Ford 's 1976 presidential campaign in the Southeast. He also worked on the campaign of former Texas governor John Connally , who had become a Republican, for president in 1980. In 1982 Barbour was the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate election in Mississippi , but was defeated 64% to 36% by longtime incumbent John C. Stennis ,

553-399: A fire destroyed much of central Yazoo City. According to a local legend, the fire was caused by a witch avenging her death. In reality, a boy playing with matches accidentally set a house ablaze. The fire quickly spread, and three-fourths of the town was destroyed, including most of the homes. It was stopped by a canal, which saved the new courthouse (built in 1872 to replace the one burned by

632-454: A former Bush administration appointee) joined the firm. In 1998, Fortune magazine named Barbour Griffith & Rogers as the second-most-powerful lobbying firm in America. In 2001, after the inauguration of George W. Bush , Fortune called it the most powerful. The firm "is employed by several foreign countries, as well as oil and cigarette companies". Its role in advocating on behalf of

711-507: A household in the city was $ 19,893, and for a family was $ 22,470. Males had a median income of $ 26,109 versus $ 18,650 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 9,251. About 35.0% of families and 40.2% of the population were below the poverty line , including 52.5% of those under age 18 and 23.5% of those age 65 or over. The Institute of Southern Jewish Life stated that the Jewish community has been characterized by assimilation and

790-515: A posthumous pardon in the closing days of his administration. His brother Jeptha Fowlkes Barbour III was elected mayor of Yazoo City in 1968 as an independent and served until 1972. He enrolled at the University of Mississippi School of Law , receiving a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree in 1972. Subsequently, Barbour joined his father's old law firm in Yazoo City. He was also a law partner of his cousin, William H. Barbour Jr. , who later became

869-459: A proposed recognition of Confederate History Month . Barbour replied, "To me, it's a sort of feeling that it's a nit, that it is not significant, that it's not a—it's trying to make a big deal out of something doesn't amount to diddly." Barbour continued, "I don't know what you would say about slavery ... but anybody that thinks that you have to explain to people that slavery is a bad thing, I think that goes without saying." In December 2010, Barbour

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948-710: A state museum had been introduced every year since 2000, but died for various reasons. In November 2006, Barbour proposed creating a state commission to develop plans for the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. In his "State of the State" address on January 16, 2007, Barbour said the museum was "overdue, and it needs doing", The proposal won legislative approval, and a site for the museum was selected in March 2008. The project then stalled for three years, however, with museum backers listing lack of direction from

1027-553: A state that now has model legislation," commented Charlie Ross , the chair of the Mississippi Senate 's Judiciary Committee. The effectiveness of Barbour's tort reform efforts has been questioned. According to conservative journalist Timothy Carney, he "touts job growth down in Mississippi under his governing, and some of that is due to tort reform, but some of it is due to rank favoritism and special-interest deals more akin to Obama than Reagan — for instance, subsidies for

1106-456: A wealthy K Street lobbyist for giant corporations such as RJ Reynolds , Philip Morris , Amgen , Microsoft , United Health , Southern Company , and many others." In 1991, Barbour helped found the lobbying group now known as BGR Group , a Washington, D.C. -based lobbying firm, with Ed Rogers, a lawyer who formerly worked in the George H. W. Bush administration . In 1994, Lanny Griffith (also

1185-605: Is Yazoo County's only daily newspaper. Amtrak , the national passenger rail system, provides service to Yazoo City using the Yazoo City Station . The Amtrak station is located at 222 West Broadway. Yazoo County Airport is in unincorporated Yazoo County , 2 miles (3.2 km) west of central Yazoo City. Lynne W. Jeter of the Mississippi Business Journal said in 2001 that the county airport "may have played an important role in landing

1264-434: Is an owner of the parent company of lobbying firm Barbour Griffith & Rogers Inc., and he receives a pension and profit-sharing plan benefits from it. The lobbying firm has lobbied the state to give recovery contracts to its clients. Some of the proceeds of the firm's lobbying activities are deposited into Barbour's investment account. According to Barbour's attorney, a blind trust executed in 2004 prevents Barbour knowing

1343-462: Is still in shock. It was an act of betrayal. He has bruised the image of Mississippi and given joy to many of the inmates he’s overseen who can now say the head of the state prison system was just as corrupt as any of them." He sentenced Epps to over 19 years in federal prison. On February 8, 2017, Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood , a Democrat, announced he had filed civil cases against 15 corporations and individuals who had engaged in contracts with

1422-707: Is the county seat of Yazoo County , Mississippi , United States. It was named after the Yazoo River , which, in turn was named by the French explorer Robert La Salle in 1682 as "Rivière des Yazous" in reference to the Yazoo tribe living near the river's mouth. Yazoo City is the principal city of the Yazoo City Micropolitan Statistical Area , which is part of the larger Jackson –Yazoo City Combined Statistical Area . According to

1501-597: Is the last Republican to have lost a Senate election in Mississippi. Barbour later served as a political aide in the Reagan Administration and worked on the 1988 presidential campaign of George H. W. Bush . Before being elected governor of Mississippi, Barbour "had a long career on the national stage" and was "well-known as a Republican operative since the Reagan years". Barbour has been described as "one of Washington 's all-time mega- lobbyists ". He "was

1580-515: The Federal Correctional Complex, Yazoo City , which consists of FCI Yazoo City Low, FCI Yazoo City Medium, FCI Camp, and FCI USP Yazoo City. Diane Delaware was sworn in as the first female mayor of Yazoo City on April 14, 2014. She was re-elected to a second term on April 2, 2018. Yazoo City's current mayor is David "Mel" Starling, who was sworn in on Monday, April 11, 2022. The United States Postal Service operates

1659-509: The 1927 Mississippi River floods . Barbour was expected to be a candidate for president in 2012 , but announced he would not run in April 2011. Since retiring as governor, Barbour has resumed lobbying as a senior partner at BGR Group , which he co-founded in 1991. He has been described as "one of Washington's all-time mega-lobbyists". His clients have often included foreign governments, oil, and tobacco companies . Barbour currently co-chairs

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1738-471: The 2010 census , the population was 11,403. The most important industry in 2021 is a group of federal prisons. The community now known as Yazoo City was founded in 1824 with the name Hannan's Bluff. It was later renamed Manchester, then changed to Yazoo City in 1841. Yazoo City became the county seat in 1849. A yellow fever epidemic struck Yazoo City in 1853. During the American Civil War ,

1817-512: The Battle of Yazoo City on March 5, 1864 between the Union troops and Confederates led by Robert V. Richardson and Lawrence Sullivan Ross . The Union troops held their ground but departed the following day. The Federal forces returned again on May 19, 1864, doing more damage to the town. Yazoo City was rebuilt, but yellow fever struck and took more victims in 1878. On May 25, 1904,

1896-750: The Republican National Committee (RNC). In 1994, during his tenure as RNC chair, Republicans captured both houses of the United States Congress , taking the House of Representatives for the first time in 40 years. In 1997, Barbour retired from his position as chairman of the RNC. After two decades in Washington, D.C., Barbour announced his intention to run for governor of Mississippi in 2003. On August 5, 2003, Barbour won

1975-675: The White Citizens' Council movement in reaction to the demands for racial integration by the Civil Rights Movement . The Blackhawk rally was hosted by the Council of Conservative Citizens (CCC). A photograph of Barbour with CCC members appeared on the CCC webpage, and some commentators and pundits demanded that Barbour ask for his picture to be removed from the site, but Barbour refused. Barbour stated that "Once you start down

2054-438: The 2005 budget drastically reduced coverage for 65,000 individuals classified as Poverty-Level Aged and Disabled (PLAD), most of whom qualified for the federal Medicare program, and also significantly limited prescription drug coverage. However, the same budget increased the percentage of Medicaid prescriptions that are for generic drugs. In 2005, the state was budgeted to spend a total of $ 130 million less on Medicaid than in

2133-518: The 2008 fiscal year budget, for the first time since its enactment in 1997, the state fully funded the Mississippi Adequate Education Program. Building on a 2002 tort reform bill passed by his predecessor, Barbour also introduced a new tort reform measure that has been described as one of the strictest in the nation. Barbour rarely made a speech during his gubernatorial campaign without mentioning this subject and

2212-747: The Branan Medical Corporation; On May 18, 2017, Hood announced that the state had quickly settled the first suit for two million dollars. The defendant was Alere Incorporated, which had purchased the Branan Medical Corporation. Ten lawsuits in bribery schemes remained pending. Those have accused at least 10 individuals and 11 out-of-state corporations of using so-called "consultants" to gain more than $ 800 million in Mississippi prison contracts. On January 24, 2019, Hood announced his actions had recovered $ 27 million from those vendors against which he had filed suits. Management and Training Corporation paid $ 5.2 million. GEO Group paid $ 4.6 million, with

2291-761: The Confederate ironclad CSS Arkansas was completed at a makeshift shipyard in Yazoo City after the Confederate loss of New Orleans and Memphis . During her short career, the Arkansas challenged the Union navy's control of the Mississippi River and helped avert the early fall of Vicksburg . On May 21, 1863, as a Union fleet steamed up the Yazoo River, the Confederate forces burned down

2370-588: The DUI killing of Charity Smith. On January 11, a Mississippi judge temporarily blocked the release of 21 inmates who had been given pardons or medical release. Attorney General Jim Hood argued the Mississippi Constitution says any inmate seeking a pardon must publish their intentions at least 30 days prior to the hearing in a newspaper in or near the county where the person was convicted. Hood also criticized Barbour for failing to notify or speak with

2449-612: The Immigration Task Force at the Bipartisan Policy Center . Barbour was born in Yazoo City, Mississippi, where he was raised as the youngest of three sons of Grace LeFlore (née Johnson) and Jeptha Fowlkes Barbour, Jr. Haley's father, a lawyer, died when Barbour was two years old. Barbour's father was a Circuit Judge who had an inmate, Leon Turner, assist him after Judge Barbour became ill. As governor, Haley later gave Turner, who had helped raise him,

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2528-595: The KKK, and referred to the Councils as "an organization of town leaders". Barbour continued in his defense of the Councils, saying, "In Yazoo City they passed a resolution that said anybody who started a chapter of the Klan would get their ass run out of town. If you had a job, you'd lose it. If you had a store, they'd see nobody shopped there. We didn't have a problem with the Klan in Yazoo City." Barbour's statement did not address

2607-485: The MDOC and Epps, seeking damages and punitive damages. He stated, "The state of Mississippi has been defrauded through a pattern of bribery, kickbacks, misrepresentations, fraud, concealment, money laundering and other wrongful conduct." He continued, "These individuals and corporations that benefited by stealing from taxpayers must not only pay the state's losses, but state law requires that they must also forfeit and return

2686-585: The Republican gubernatorial primary over Canton trial attorney Mitch Tyner. Barbour's campaign manager was his nephew Henry Barbour. During the campaign, a controversy arose when Barbour chose to speak at the Blackhawk Rally, a fundraiser for the Blackhawk "council school" in Blackhawk, Mississippi . Such "council schools", also referred to in Mississippi lexicon as " academies ", were established by

2765-799: The Texas Republican gubernatorial nomination. On March 3, 2010, Barbour and his wife participated in events with First Lady Michelle Obama , promoting the Let's Move! anti-obesity campaign. In March 2011, Barbour drew criticism for his role in allowing the release of a convicted killer eight years into a 20-year sentence. In prior years, Barbour had used his powers as governor to release five other killers. On his last day as governor in 2012, Barbour granted pardons, clemency, or early release to 203 people convicted of crimes, including murder, rape and armed robbery. Barbour's actions included 19 people convicted of murder. Pardons by governors are not uncommon;

2844-575: The Union forces) and 10 antebellum homes nearby. The town took almost two years to recover. In 1915, the Orr Modern Motor Car Company was founded in Yazoo City by G.A. Wilson and C.D. Orr, with capital of $ 2,000,000 (equivalent to $ 60,236,842 in 2023). Despite its name, the company was focused just on making Orr's innovative worm drive and assembled only one automobile as a prototype. Not long after, Orr shut its doors. The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 did much damage to

2923-795: The Yazoo City Post Office. Yazoo City is served by the Yazoo City Municipal School District ; Yazoo City High School is the public school of this district. Yazoo County High School , outside of the city limits and a part of the Yazoo County School District , does not serve areas in the Yazoo City city limits. The three private schools are Thomas Christian Academy (Pre-K–12), Manchester Academy (Pre-K–12), and Covenant Christian School (K–6th grade). WBYP and WYAZ , both FM, are two local radio stations. The Yazoo Herald

3002-607: The ballot laws. In April 2009, Barbour joined a conservative policy group to discuss Republican policies in town hall meetings. The group also included former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney , former Florida Governor Jeb Bush , Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal , and Senator John McCain . On June 24, 2009, Barbour assumed the chairmanship of the Republican Governors Association , succeeding South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford . On October 29, 2009, Barbour endorsed Texas Governor Rick Perry for

3081-691: The beginning of his re-election campaign at a series of meetings across the state on February 12, 2007. During his campaign, Barbour signed the Americans for Tax Reform " Taxpayer Protection Pledge " and vowed not to institute any new taxes or raise any existing ones. Barbour defeated Frederick Jones in the Republican primary on August 7 and Democrat John Arthur Eaves Jr. in the November general election. Barbour has faced considerable "in-state criticism for his approach to racial issues". Mississippi state Representative Willie Perkins has "compared Barbour to

3160-530: The capital city of Jackson, 40 mi (64 km) away. The Governor of Mississippi, Haley Barbour , toured the area in a National Guard helicopter and held a news conference on the disaster at 3:30 pm. The tornado and the aftermath were shown in an episode of the Discovery Channel series Storm Chasers , and several YouTube videos show considerable detail and descriptions. On November 29, 2010 around 8:05 pm local time, Yazoo City

3239-521: The city was 28.73% White, 69.68% African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 0.23% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 7.47% of the population. Of the 4,271 households, 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.5% were married couples living together, 32.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were not families. About 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.4% had someone living alone who

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3318-525: The city. As of the 2010 United States Census , there were 11,403 people living in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 82.0% Black, 16.1% White, 0.1% Native American, 0.5% Asian and 0.5% from two or more races. 0.7% were Hispanic or Latino of any race. As of the census of 2000, 14,550 people, 4,271 households, and 2,968 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,349.2 inhabitants per square mile (520.9/km ). The 4,676 housing units averaged 433.6 per mi (167.5/km ). The racial makeup of

3397-466: The composition of his investments in order to eliminate any conflicts of interest . Barbour has also received criticism from some Mississippi Democrats for his refusal to approve a bill to increase the cigarette tax and decrease the grocery tax passed by the Mississippi House of Representatives during his first term as governor. Mississippi currently has the third-lowest cigarette tax and

3476-528: The controversy surrounding his Weekly Standard interview. Jamie Scott suffered from kidney failure while in prison, and requires a donated organ , which her sister Gladys had volunteered to provide. Barbour's decision to release the Scott sisters, however, was contingent upon her consent for the promised organ donation by Gladys Scott, which critics argued amounted to coercion and raises questions of medical ethics . The sisters were released in 2011, but by 2018

3555-506: The entire Delta, but Yazoo City was restored and is now protected by an effective flood-prevention system. A strong tornado, rated EF4 on the Enhanced Fujita scale and with a path width of 1.75 mi (2.82 km), hit Yazoo County on April 24, 2010. Four people were killed in the Yazoo City area, and a number were seriously injured; four of the victims were airlifted to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in

3634-556: The entire amount of the contracts paid by the state. We are also seeking punitive damages to punish these conspirators and to deter those who might consider giving or receiving kickbacks in the future." Defendants in the bribery cases included Management & Training Corporation ; The GEO Group , Inc.; Cornell Companies , Inc.; Wexford Health Sources , Inc.; Global Tel*Link Corporation; Health Assurance, LLC; Keefe Commissary Network, LLC of St. Louis; Sentinel Offender Services , L.L.C.; AJA Management & Technical Services, Inc., and

3713-435: The families of victims before granting the pardons. He responded to criticism of his actions, saying that 90% of those involved had already been released from prison, many years earlier; he acted in order to allow them to find employment, get professional licenses, vote and hunt. He also stated that in 90% of the cases his decision was based on recommendations of the parole board. Yazoo City, Mississippi Yazoo City

3792-445: The firm remained one of DC's top 25, but had seen revenues drop both in 2009 and in 2010. As of 2011, Barbour continued to "collect payments from BGR through a blind trust, which was recently valued at $ 3.3 million". In early 2014, Barbour and his nephew, Henry Barbour, formed a Super PAC named Mississippi Conservatives, which supported the successful reelection campaign of Senator Thad Cochran . In 1993, Barbour became chairman of

3871-653: The general election on November 4, 2003, with 53 percent of the vote to Musgrove's 46 percent. Barbour became just the second Republican governor elected in Mississippi since Reconstruction , the first being Kirk Fordice . Barbour took office in January 2004. Barbour has been praised for translating his lobbying skills into success at winning over a legislature dominated by Democrats. Barbour has called several special legislative sessions to force an issue. Writing for Reason magazine in February 2011, Damon Root expressed

3950-417: The governor's office and Barbour's refusal to spend $ 500,000 in museum planning funds as part of the reason why. Barbour also declined to name a museum commission to oversee the final push for funding and construction. Following controversy over Barbour's statements on White Citizens' Councils , the governor again declared his complete support for construction of the museum, in what many political observers felt

4029-413: The highest grocery tax—while being the poorest state in the country. He stated that the lack of revenue generated after the tax swap would quite possibly result in bankrupting the state government, which was already fragile due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. The House of Representatives could produce no figures to dispute this assertion. Also, in his successful 2004 campaign, Barbour ran on

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4108-447: The issue in this case is the number of pardons compared to former governors. Previous governor Ronnie Musgrove issued only one pardon, for a man convicted of marijuana possession; Governor Kirk Fordice , who preceded Musgrove, issued only two full pardons for convicted murderers. Harry Bostick, whom Barbour pardoned, had been convicted of DUI three times, and at the time of his pardon was being held for (and subsequently pleaded guilty to)

4187-540: The junctions of U.S. Routes 49 , 49E , and 49W , and MS Highways 3 , 16 , and 149 , on the banks of the Yazoo River , near the Panther Swamp National Wildlife Refuge . U.S. Route 49W provides a fairly direct link between Yazoo City and Belzoni . The old highway segment, renamed Mississippi Highway 149 , passes through Panther Swamp National Wildlife Refuge and the communities of Louise and Midnight before reconnecting with

4266-496: The loess bluffs that characterize most of eastern Mississippi). According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 10.9 sq mi (28 km ), of which 10.8 sq mi (28 km ) is land and 0.1 sq mi (0.26 km ) (1.19%) is covered by water. As of the 2020 United States Census , there were 10,316 people, 3,670 households, and 2,050 families residing in

4345-472: The named defendant being Cornell Companies, which had been merged with GEO in 2010. Wexford Health Sources paid $ 4 million. Keefe Commissary Network paid $ 3.1 million. $ 3.1 million was paid by C.N.W. Construction Company. $ 750,000 was paid by CGL Facility Management, which provides maintenance services. $ 32,188 was received from AdminPros LLC, a Medicaid billing service. Insurance agent Guy E. "Butch" Evans paid $ 100,000. The evacuation order for Hurricane Katrina

4424-455: The new US 49W at Silver City , 7 mi (11 km) south of Belzoni. The new highway makes the town of Carter so near, it might be considered for annexation by Yazoo City. Two bridges now cross the Yazoo River at Yazoo City. The section of MS 3 in Yazoo City is called Haley Barbour Parkway. Barbour , the former governor of Mississippi, grew up in Yazoo City and has a home on Wolf Lake, a lake north of Yazoo City. U.S. Route 49 (part of which

4503-447: The opinion that Barbour supports farm subsidies , corporate welfare , and eminent domain . When he took office, the state of Mississippi had run a $ 709 million budget deficit for the 2004 fiscal year. With bipartisan support, and without raising taxes, Barbour implemented a plan called Operation: Streamline to cut the budget deficit in half. He accomplished this largely by reducing spending on social services, most notably Medicaid ;

4582-507: The platform that he would veto any tax increase. In May 2009, Barbour followed the State Tax Commission's recommendation and signed into law the state's first increase since 1985, from 18 cents to 68 cents per pack. The tax is estimated to generate more than $ 113 million for the year that begins July 1, 2009. Barbour announced on February 8, 2007, that he would seek a second term as Governor of Mississippi . Barbour announced

4661-439: The previous year. This trend continued in the state budget for the 2006 fiscal year. After a long special session, the legislature approved a budget that featured more social service cuts but also increased educational spending. With tax revenues higher than expected during the 2006 fiscal year, due in large part to increased sales tax revenues in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the state achieved its first balanced budget in years. In

4740-483: The prosecution and wore a wire for a substantial amount of time before their indictments were made public. Before federal Judge Henry Travillion Wingate pronounced his sentence in July 2017, Epps asked forgiveness of the many he had harmed. He said, "It comes back to greed. I made some stupid mistakes I will regret for the rest of my life." Judge Wingate characterized Epps' conduct as, "staggering." He continued, "Mississippi

4819-574: The public, and provide "a central decision-making point for when things get balled up or go sideways, which they do", as Barbour says. While the reconstruction process does not dictate how localities should rebuild, Barbour has touted New Urbanist principles in constructing more compact communities. "They have the chance to build some things very differently," he says. "The goal is to build the coast back like it can be, rather than simply like it was." Barbour has been accused by Bloomberg News of personally profiting from Hurricane Katrina recovery. Barbour

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4898-486: The requisite 3-10 years. This is what's often referred to as ' amnesty .'" "As part of that work, Barbour's firm arranged meetings and briefings with 'Senators, members of Congress and their staffs, as well as Executive Branch Officials in the White House, National Security Council, State Department, and Immigration & Naturalization Service'. Barbour's firm charged Mexico $ 35,000 a month, plus expenses." As of 2010,

4977-461: The role of the white supremacist Council in publicly naming and blacklisting individuals who petitioned for educational integration and how it used political pressure and violence to force African-American residents to move. This led to a considerable outcry in which critics such as Rachel Maddow accused Barbour of whitewashing history. In response to criticism, Barbour issued a statement declaring Citizens' Councils to be "indefensible." In what

5056-547: The shipyard to keep their foes from capturing the vessels being built there. The Federal forces then burned down the sawmill and lumberyard before withdrawing. After their capture of Vicksburg in July 1863, another Union raid briefly occupied Yazoo City, but this time the Union ironclad USS Baron DeKalb was sunk by a mine. Federal troops occupied the town in September and again in October 1863. Another occupation resulted in

5135-504: The slippery slope of saying, 'That person can't be for me,' then where do you stop? ... I don't care who has my picture. My picture's in the public domain." Barbour's Democratic opponent, then-governor Ronnie Musgrove, declined to be critical, stating that he had also attended Blackhawk rallies in the past, and would have done so that year except for a scheduling conflict. Historically, both Democrats and Republicans have participated in Blackhawk rallies. Barbour defeated incumbent Musgrove in

5214-539: The southern Democrats who preceded him", saying: "As far as I'm concerned, he has never done anything as a governor or a citizen to distinguish himself from the old Democrats who fought tooth and nail to preserve segregation." In 2006, he declined to posthumously pardon Clyde Kennard , an African-American civil rights pioneer, after evidence was presented that Kennard had been falsely convicted of burglary in Hattiesburg, Mississippi in 1960. Instead, Barbour designated

5293-589: The tobacco industry has been particularly prominent. BGR also "lobbied on behalf of the Embassy of Mexico in 2001 to promote a bill related to Section 245(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act . This provision would have provided a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants in the United States, through family connections or job skills, without a requirement that they return to their home country for

5372-429: The transplant had not occurred because of other medical conditions suffered by the intended recipient. In September 2008, some Democrats accused Barbour of trying to influence the outcome of the 2008 Senate race by placing the candidates at the bottom of the ballot. Since Mississippi electoral law mandates the placing of federal elections at the top of the ballot, Barbour was ordered by a circuit court to comply with

5451-463: Was "small, but influential". 44 Jews lived in the community in 1878, but a flood of the Mississippi River in 1882 meant that additional Jews displaced by the flood came. There were 61 Jews in the city by 1937. The Jews in the community did not create a congregation, and the nearest houses of worship were, in the mid-20th century, in Jackson and Greenwood . The Federal Bureau of Prisons operates

5530-450: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.49. In the city, the population was distributed as 29.0% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 17.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 112.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.9 males. The median income for

5609-401: Was able to convert political support into law, overcoming the resistance of House Democratic leaders, who argued that further legislation would disenfranchise people with legitimate complaints against corporations. Barbour then embarked on a "tort tour" to encourage other states to follow Mississippi's lead. "We've gone from being labeled as a judicial hellhole and the center of jackpot justice to

5688-530: Was an attempt to dampen criticism over his remarks as well as to disassociate himself from Mississippi's racially intolerant past. The museum secured $ 20 million in funding from the Mississippi Legislature in April 2011 after Barbour personally testified in favor of its funding. During an April 11, 2010, appearance on CNN , host Candy Crowley asked if it had been insensitive for Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell to omit mentioning slavery in

5767-495: Was characterized by a concerted effort at evacuation, tough-minded talk on looters and an unwillingness to blame the federal government. His response was likened, favorably, to that of Rudy Giuliani in the wake of the September 11 attacks . Barbour credited the government workers who helped southern Mississippi to cope with the hurricane. Barbour was praised by the coast's citizens as a strong leader who can communicate calmly to

5846-520: Was formerly U.S. 49E) through Yazoo City is named Jerry Clower Boulevard, after the famous comedian, a former resident of Yazoo City. Yazoo City is also known as the "Gateway to the Delta" due to its location on the transition between the two great landforms that characterize the geography of Mississippi (the western part of the city lies in the Mississippi Delta and the eastern part lies in

5925-569: Was interviewed by The Weekly Standard magazine. Asked about coming of age in Yazoo City during the civil rights era, he told the interviewer regarding growing up there, "I just don't remember it as being that bad." Barbour then credited the White Citizens' Council for keeping the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) out of Yazoo City and ensuring the peaceful integration of its schools. Barbour dismissed comparisons between White Citizens' Councils and

6004-431: Was issued by local officials more than 24 hours before it hit, and Mississippi activated 750 National Guard troops as of August 29, the day of the hurricane. On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck Mississippi's coast, killing 231 people, devastating the state's $ 2.7 billion-a-year casino industry and leaving tens of thousands homeless. (see Effect of Hurricane Katrina on Mississippi ). Barbour's response

6083-434: Was speculated to be an attempt at damage control just days after the interview, Barbour suspended the prison sentences of Jamie and Gladys Scott , two African American women who each received two life sentences resulting from a 1993 mugging in which the two women allegedly conspired to steal what amounted to $ 11. Barbour has denied that there was any connection between the suspension of the Scott sisters' prison sentence and

6162-446: Was struck by two EF2 tornadoes: the first one tracked 3 mi (4.8 km) southwest of town. The second went right through downtown causing significant damage to several buildings. A high-end EF1 tornado passed through the southeast side of the city on May 2, 2021. Multiple mobile homes were destroyed and trees, power lines, and homes were damaged. Yazoo City is located 40 mi (64 km) northwest of Jackson at

6241-430: Was the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in 1982 , but lost to incumbent Democrat John C. Stennis . In 2003, Barbour became the second Republican governor of Mississippi since Reconstruction when he defeated Democratic incumbent Ronnie Musgrove . As governor he oversaw his state's responses to Hurricane Katrina and the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill , the state's two most damaging environmental disasters since

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