Congratulations to former Vicksburg Police Chief Walter Armstrong on being named the new police chief over the Natchez Police Department.

Natchez has hired a proven leader who made a lasting positive impact on the Vicksburg Police Department during his eight years as chief. Armstrong’s achievements in the past eight years include obtaining a state accreditation with CALEA for the VPD, updating outdated service weapons for all law enforcement personnel by purchasing new Glocks at no cost to the city, outfitting officers with body cameras and updating older model patrol fleet to new Dodge Chargers, among others.

Natchez has hired a proven leader whose impact in Vicksburg will be felt for years to come and laid a solid foundation for new chief Milton Moore to build upon.

4Thursday evening, the Vicksburg Warren School District approved its operating budget for 2017-18. The budget was designed around the goal of not asking for a raise in property taxes this year, and if everything does well they will hold steady at 53.58 mils.

The VWSD continues to make an investment its students, and as part of approving the budget, the VWSD board also approved the special projects planned for the 2017-18 school year. Those projects include adding junior high dance and high school bowling, football bleacher upgrades, a Vicksburg High School softball field house, a VHS baseball hitting facility and locker room upgrades. There are also plans to purchase two school buses, four driver’s education cars, new pre-K classroom setups, make an upgrade to the VHS bathrooms and program expansions at VHS, Warren Central and River City Early College.

The ability to operate within the ever-tightening revenue streams from the state and to more improvements without raising taxes continues to show the good work that superintendent Chad Shealy and finical director Shaquita Burke are doing. The students in Warren County and the community as a whole are better because of their efforts.