On Dec. 29, Mayor George Flaggs Jr. formed the High Water Response Team Committee to coordinate the city’s response to flooding from a 50.5-foot flood crest predicted to hit Vicksburg Jan. 15, and in response to the efforts being made to help those in need the Vicksburg Housing Authority on Friday said they have 10 vacancies that will be made available for people who are displaced by the rising water if the a state of disaster is declared. People who have to evacuate their homes and need somewhere to live temporarily should call city housing director Gertrude Young at 601-634-4520 and fill out an application to get a Federal Emergency Management Agency case number. Others helping in the flood effort were seniors and some alumni from St. Aloysius. Turning out on Wednesday, the volunteers assisted city workers by loading sandbags to protect the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley Depot. SAHS theology teacher, Joan Thorton, said the city called the school and asked for volunteers and the seniors who do a senior service project chose to help.

Other affirmative activities in Vicksburg that should be noted this week include:

• Vicksburg was selected as one of only two sites in the country to host the Thurgood Marshall College Fund’s $5.7 million initiative, the Vivian Burey Marshall STEM Pilot Initiative. Named in honor of Justice Thurgood Marshall’s first wife, the VBM will engage students in under-represented and disadvantaged populations in Vicksburg and Baltimore, Md., in science, technology, engineering and math education – leading to both STEM literacy and an increase in the participation in the STEM workforce by leveraging existing relationships between local Army facilities and Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

• The Board of Mayor and Aldermen Friday approved a $42,000 contract with The Retail Coach, a national retail consulting, market research and development firm, to help the city board improve the city’s retail business. Mayor George Flaggs Jr. said the company will be paid using a portion the $173,000 of the city money raised from an auction of surplus equipment in December. According to Retail Coach’s website, the company specializes in working with local government, chambers of commerce and economic development organizations to develop retail recruiting strategies “that better enable communities to maximize their retail development potential.”

• The dedication of the Vi Krisker Rain Shelter at the Clear Creek Golf Course was held Wednesday during a morning luncheon that was part ceremony and part birthday party for a woman who left a lasting impression on Vicksburg’s golf scene. The shelter was built in Krisker’s memory after she had talked for years about getting the shelter built. Krisker died in December 2014 at the age of 99. The shelter became a reality over the past year through the efforts of the Clear Creek Ladies and Men’s Golf Associations, who raised the money for materials and then built the shelter with volunteer labor.

• The Viking soccer team outscored Vicksburg and Greenville 19-0 in sweeping their first two home games of the season Friday and Saturday. The blowouts allowed Warren Central the opportunity to let everyone on the team get some playing time and iron out a few wrinkles before they go on the road Tuesday to play Clinton for the Division 4-6A championship. Warren Central (13-2-1, 1-0 Division 4-6A) has now won seven consecutive games and allowed one goal in that stretch.