LAUREL —
The Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office will accept bids through Friday for Laurel’s Sunset Gardens Memorial Park and three other cemeteries it was named Receiver of in August 2009.
The sale of the properties follows a nearly year-long process by the Secretary of State’s Office to get the finances in the cemetery in order. Don Middleton, former owner of the property, was sentenced to 12 months in jail, plus a $1,800 fine for failure to file cemetery records.
Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann said a $500,000 debt against the cemeteries was released for no money. However, a $8,985.13 federal tax lien will have to be paid by the purchaser.
Hosemann said he didn’t know if someone would bid on all of the properties or just a particular cemetery.
“We will ask for the successful bidder to provide information as to financial stability,” he said. “We will follow up from our office to ensure the low bidder is financially able to continue the perpetual care of the cemetery in operating the way people would expect it would be.”
Hosemann said the low bidder would be awarded said cemetery “as quickly as possible” after a due diligence process.
“Any funds that we receive in excess of any tax lien will go to the perpetual care fund,” he said.
The bids will be opened Monday morning in the Secretary of State’s Office.
Local News
Bid process ends Friday for Laurel’s Sunset Gardens
- Local News
-
-
Get ready for control burns in the area
Area motorists and residents may notice a lot of smoke coming from some of the county’s heavily wooded areas in the coming weeks.
-
Officials pleased with Chancellor’s appointment
At 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, Lance Chancellor became the new executive director of the Jones County Emergency Management Agency.
-
Heidelberg has a new police chief
A longtime Jasper Countian has been named the head law enforcement official in this Jasper County town.
Huey Powe is now the Police Chief for the Town of Heidelberg. -
Annual Rotary Club Spaghetti dinner Saturday
The Laurel Rotary Club will conduct its annual Spaghetti dinner this weekend at the YWCO.
-
American Red Cross looking for local volunteers
The East Central Mississippi Chapter of the American Red Cross is looking for a few good men, women, boys and girls to join its team of disaster volunteers.
-
Officials put a name with scammer
Jones County officials have now released the name of a man they are seeking in connection with a recent fire scam in the area.
-
Family barely escapes mobile home fire
In the early morning hours of Tuesday, a family of five was awaken by the smell of smoke quickly filling their 28 x 70 doublewide mobile home located at 39 Ellisville Junction Road in Jones County.
-
Farewell and Hello
Well-wishers from near and far gathered in Laurel to say farewell to longtime Jones County Emergency Management Executive Director Don McKinnon, while his replacement — a familiar face among emergency officials — was welcomed earlier in the day Tuesday.
-
Cobb’s bond set at $250K
A $250,000 cash bond has been set for a 19-year-old Jones County man jailed at the Jones County Adult Detention Center in connection with a vicious attack on a woman in the Sharon Community.
-
Laurel man has given over 33 gallons of blood
Local residents gave blood Tuesday at Laurel City Hall as a part of the City of Laurel’s blood drive.
- More Local News Headlines
-






