Vicksburg receives kudos in retirement magazine

Vicksburg is profiled in Where to Retire magazine January/February 2009 issue as one of the nation’s best cities when it comes to having a below-average tax burden on retirees aged 65 years and older.

“Vicksburg lures retirees with a rich Mississippi River heritage, state tax exemptions of retirement income, mild winters and casinos,” said Where to Retire Editor Mary Lu Abbott.

Each year, an estimated 700,000 Americans move to new towns to retire.

Abbott said retirees should consider the total tax impact the cities in which they are considering retiring in, as well as other factors such as cost of living, recreational opportunities, climate and health care before making a move.

Vicksburg is one of 21 Mississippi Certified Retirement Cities. To qualify, each town must pass a three-month screening process by Hometown Mississippi Retirement, the state’s official retiree attraction program.

Vicksburg was given the designation about 10 years ago.

The Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce must pre-sent four events with a focus on seniors throughout the year to maintain accreditation.

Opened in 1999, the Vicksburg Senior Citizens Center on South Street was recently renovated and is open to all residents aged 50 and over.

For more information, visit www.wheretoretire.com.

MVD commander to speak at next chamber luncheon

Brig. Gen. Michael J. Walsh, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Mississippi Valley Division, will be the guest speaker at the December luncheon for members of the Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce.

The event is set for noon Wednesday at Vicksburg Convention Center. The cost is $12 per person or $96 per table of eight.

For information or reservations, contact Veronica Wallace at vwallace@vicksburgchamber.org or 601-636-1012.

Vicksburg farmer elected to board

Local cattle and hay farmer Mark Chaney has been elected to the board of directors of the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation.

He will represent District 14, which includes Warren, Hinds, Issaquena, Sharkey and Claiborne counties, working to support farmers and improve agriculture in general, Chaney said.

Though retired, Chaney owns a farm of about 400 acres in Bovina, where he raises beef cattle and hay. He also runs his late grandfather’s farm in Newton County, which consists mostly of pine forests.

A native of Warren County, Chaney served in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1972 to 1976, as well as two terms as chancery clerk.

He has also served on local school boards and the Governor’s Counsel on Alcohol and Drug Abuse.

Chaney and his wife, Kathryn, are the parents of four sons and a foster daughter.