Longtime reporter for The Vicksburg Post John Surratt will be hanging up his notepad and pen at the end of December after 44 years in the newspaper industry, 12 of which he served in Vicksburg.

During Friday’s meeting of the Vicksburg Board of Mayor and Aldermen, Mayor George Flaggs presented Surratt with a proclamation honoring his years of service to the area.

“Congratulations to The Vicksburg Post news reporter, John Surratt, on his retirement,” Flaggs posted, along with a photograph of himself, Surratt, and Aldermen Michael Mayfield and Alex Monsour, on social media. “Thank you for your years of service to the City of Vicksburg.”

Surratt, a native of Houston who was raised in Baton Rouge, graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree in general studies. He has worked as an editor, reporter, and photographer for newspapers in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post staff since 2011 and covers city government. He and his wife attend St. Paul Catholic Church and he is a member of the Port City Kiwanis Club.

Surratt is also a Mississippi Press Association Bill Minor Award recipient. He enjoys reading about Civil War navies and the European Theater in World War II.

Surratt’s longtime colleague Jan Griffey said his presence in both the newsroom and reporting in the field will be missed by many.

“John is a rare breed,” Griffey said. “An old-school journalist who doggedly adheres to the ethics of community newspapers, which are always seeking and reporting the truth. He also has been a cheerleader whenever possible for this community he loves, and has taken it to task when necessary. They don’t make them like John any longer. It was my honor and pleasure to work with him at The Vicksburg Post. Its readers will no doubt miss him sorely.”

Catherine Hadaway, publisher of The Post, thanked Surratt for his many years of service to The Vicksburg Post and the newspaper industry in general.  

“John has been an integral part of The Vicksburg Post newsroom and operation for over a decade,” she said. “His deep knowledge of Vicksburg and Warren County and love for and knowledge of community journalism will be sorely missed. His friends at The Post will also miss him, his sense of humor, and his love of Mardi Gras and LSU football. We wish him the best in this next chapter. He has served the Vicksburg community well and his retirement is very well deserved.”

Surratt’s last day at The Post will be Fri., Dec. 29.