The scramble to fund the last $500,000 of the Yazoo Diversion Canal widening project and expand animal control facilities topped the list of funding issues when Warren County supervisors met Thursday.

Private sector help was being solicited to close the funding gap on the canal project, supervisors said.

&#8220That is ongoing,” District 5 Supervisor Richard George said, adding at least one &#8220influential individual” was asked to invest money to defray the $3.9 million cost of the project, on the drawing board for more than a decade.

Another option may be a second extension of the bid by 4H Construction of Cleveland, Miss. The firm’s bid came in at $4.7 million in July, lowest of four submitted but still nearly $1 million more than the estimated work’s estimated cost. It was to have expired in December, but the company left the offer on the table until Jan. 20.

The rest of the money has been secured through appropriations from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, $1.5 million from Vicksburg via the Mississippi Development Authority and federal block grants. Warren County has supplied $164,168 through the port board.

Supervisors cited a less-than-expected amount of federal money from the Corps as the chief reason for the latest delay and openly hoped for either they or the city to provide extra funds for the widening project, both of which are not likely.

&#8220We don’t drive this wagon,” George said. &#8220All we’re doing is hanging on the tailgate hoping we don’t fall off.”

The canal extends from the Mississippi River past City Front to the E.W. Haining Industrial Center and Vicksburg Harbor. If widened, it could handle larger tows, increase efficiency for harbor industries and lower expenses.

As for the animal shelter, members of the Vicksburg Warren Humane Society were given the supervisors’ blessing to continue consulting with architect Paul Ingram about the shelter on U.S. 61 South.

&#8220We need to build something now,” said the organization’s president, Georgia Lynn.

Kennel space at the society’s 1,800-square-foot building is overcrowded because of calls to pick up strays in accordance with the county’s animal-control law.

Lynn said the last count of dogs and cats in the shelter was at least 120.

An addition would triple kennel space inside, Lynn said, and bring it closer to the &#8220state-of-the-art” facility she reiterated is needed to adopt out and pick up stray animals.

Supervisors left open the possibility of filing local and private legislation during the current legislative session to increase the $125,000 in funding provided the shelter.

As for combining shelter operations with the city of Vicksburg, Lynn said she and the society board &#8220agree it’s a good idea” but that continued disagreements about location and funding between the city and county have stood in the way.

&#8220It’s not about people. It’s about the animals,” Lynn said.

The board also weighed in on painting completed on the outside of the entrance to Chancery Court. A color scheme of salmon and sea green are dominant, with a new coat of black around the doorway.

While still favoring a new paint job for much of the courthouse interior, supervisors wanted more subtle colors.

&#8220I just don’t like it,” District 1 Supervisor David McDonald said. &#8220I’d like to see more yellow in there.”

The panel left the session agreeing on a scheme of frosty yellow on the wall and a lighter shade of green on the ceiling.