Democratic mayoral candidate Frank Melton announced at a March 31 catfish rally at Howard Wilson Kia on Highway 80 that, as mayor, he would be paying more attention to what he calls the “Forgotten Commercial Corridor.” The highway, once a main artery connecting Jackson with Meridian and Vicksburg, began a slow decay in the 1970s and is now considered by Melton and many residents to be a blighted area.
“Someone said, ?Frank, when you come, you need to have a plan for Hwy 80.’ I said ?I don’t think so,’ because there’s a group of people out there, both residents and business people, who have been out here for many years and for the last two years they’ve been developing a plan for Highway 80, and I promise you all if you choose me as your next mayor there will be no politics, no race and no negative influence,” Melton told the crowd of cheering supporters. “My job as mayor is to be their biggest cheerleader.”
JacksonFreePress
4/6/5
