Pearl, Mississippi
Pearl is a city in Rankin County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 21,961 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area.Today, Pearl is a growing community across the Pearl River, for which the city was named, from Jackson. It is Mississippi's 13th largest city and the largest city in Rankin County.Pearl is a rarity in Mississippi cities in that it does not have a downtown square. Over the years the city has developed the old Pearl High School into a city administration building that houses city hall, Pearl Police Department, public works departments and city courts. A large auditorium-style community center was built next door. The city is in the process of turning this whole area into its downtown.[citation needed]
Becoming a city
The area was settled from the 1860s as a rural farming community close to the Pearl River. Population was sparse until the mid-1900s brought in people and industries from Jackson, Hinds county. Thereafter, growth in the area came from the urban expansion of the capital, control of flood threats from the Pearl River and accessible interstate and Jackson-Evers International Airport.On September 16, 1968, a meeting was held to discuss the incorporation of Pearl, with all but 6 of the 657 attending residents favoring incorporation. A 'Boundary Committee' proposed several different possible boundaries a little more than a month later, and the following January the community voted for a 11 square miles (28 km2) boundary that included the Pearl River to Airport Road, excluding East Jackson and all areas south of Interstate 20 except Cunningham Heights and Grandview Heights. A majority at that meeting also agreed on naming the city 'Pearl', in preference to the also-proposed 'Riverview' and 'Brightsville', and named the first mayor, Harris Harvey, and council members Jimmy Joe Thompson, W.D. McAlpin, James Netherland, Ophelia Byrd, Mack Morgan, W.L. Maddox and Bobby Joe Davis. With the Mississippi Supreme Court ruling of June 5, 1973, the incorporation could go ahead. A week later, the charter was issued, and on June 29, 1973 Governor William Winter presided over the first annual Pearl Day Celebration, with the swearing in of the city's new officials, who met for the first time on July 3, 1973.
Odds and ends
The Pearl Municipal Separate School District is created on May 18, 1976 by an Ordinance of the City of Pearl Mayor and Board of Alderman.
The first franchise by the City of Pearl for cable television to be installed was granted on July 6, 1976.
The Pearl Chamber of Commerce was formed on August 24, 1978.
Pearl voters approved a $1.5 million bond issue to construct a new junior high school on December 1, 1981.
The Rankin County campus ofHinds Community Collegeopened in Pearl on July 1, 1983.
Pearl voters approved a $ 7.5 million bond issue to construct a new high school on May 19, 1987.
An Open House was held to commemorate the official opening of Pearl's new City Hall in a renovated portion of old Pearl High School on January 15, 1992.
A new, modern equipped Community Center, next door to City Hall, is officially opened and the adjoining new Alumni Clock Tower was dedicated on June 23, 2003. The clock tower includes inscriptions of the names of graduates of Pearl High School for the period 1949 through 1989 while the high school occupied this site.
A standing room only crowd welcomed the Mississippi Braves to their new home in Pearl, Trustmark Park, a new $28 million ball park, on April 18, 2005.
A new 25,000 sq ft (2,300 m2) state-of-art library opened near City Hall on July 18, 2005.
Until 2003, Pearl had the dubious distinction of being the unofficialmobile homecapital ofMississippi. Businesses selling mobile homes lined Pearl's main corridor,U.S. Highway 80, from city limits to city limits. Pearl now has the distinction of being the unofficialpayday loancapital of Mississippi, with 28 such businesses that make payday loans lining U.S. Highway 80 from city limits to city limits. This is distinctive in that Pearl's neighbor city and the state's capital,Jacksonwith its 200,000+ residents, only has 21 within its three times the size limits.
Geography
Pearl is located at 32°16′19″N 90°6′19″W / 32.27194°N 90.10528°W / 32.27194; -90.10528 (32.271979, -90.105266).According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22.0 square miles (57.1 km²), of which, 21.8 square miles (56.5 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.6 km²) of it (1.00%) is water. Neighbors include Flowood, Brandon, Richland and the state capital Jackson.According to its 2008 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report, Pearl's drinking water comes from the Sparta Sand Aquifer via 9 wells that draw the water from it.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 21,961 people, 8,608 households, and 6,025 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,005.9 people per square mile (388.4/km²). There were 9,128 housing units at an average density of 418.1/sq mi (161.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.18% White, 16.24% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.79% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.78% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.03% of the population.There were 8,608 households out of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.0% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.05.In the city the population was spread out with 26.4% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 31.8% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.6 males.The median income for a household in the city was $37,617, and the median income for a family was $42,013. Males had a median income of $30,860 versus $24,610 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,136. About 9.2% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.3% of those under age 18 and 12.4% of those age 65 or over.
Municipal government
The City of Pearl is led by an elected Mayor and Board of Aldermen. Each serves a four-year term.Law enforcement within the city limits of Pearl is handled by the Pearl Police Department. The City has no jail facilities and instead utilizes the Rankin County Jail, which is operated by the Rankin County Sheriff's Department.Fire protection and prevention within the city limits of Pearl is handled by the Pearl Fire Department. The department currently operates four stations throughout the city.
State representation
The Mississippi Department of Corrections Central Mississippi Correctional Facility is in an unincorporated area in Rankin County, near Pearl. In 2007 the Misssissippi Highway Patrol opened a driver's license facility across the highway from the prison.The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality operates the Central Regional Office and the MDEQ Laboratory in unincorporated Rankin County, near Pearl.
Air travel
Pearl is served by Jackson-Evers International Airport, located at Allen C. Thompson Field, at the Pearl city limits in the city of Flowood in Rankin County. Its IATA code is JAN. The airport has non-stop service to 12 cities throughout the United States and is served by 6 mainline carriers (American, Delta, Continental, Southwest, Northwest, and US Airways).While technically Jackson-Evers International Airport is located in Flowood, it is city of Jackson property and Jackson is responsible for everything within the airport's defined grounds.Underway is the Airport Parkway project. The environmental impact study is complete and final plans are drawn and awaiting Mississippi Department of Transportation approval. Right-of-way acquisition is underway at an estimated cost of $19 million. The Airport Parkway will connect High Street in downtown Jackson to Mississippi Highway 475 in Flowood at Jackson-Evers International Airport. The Airport Parkway Commission consists of the Mayor of Pearl, the Mayor of Flowood and the Mayor of Jackson, as the Airport Parkway will run through and have access from each of these three cities.
Interstate highways
Interstate 55 (I-55)
Runs north-south from Chicago through Jackson towards Brookhaven, McComb, and the Louisiana state line to New Orleans. Pearl is roughly halfway between New Orleans and Memphis, Tennessee. The interstate connects to U.S. Interstate 20 in Jackson. Interstate 20 (I-20)
Runs east-west from near El Paso, Texas to Florence, South Carolina and is the main interstate to Pearl. Pearl is roughly halfway between Dallas, Texas and Atlanta, Georgia.
U.S. highways
U.S. Highway 49
Runs north-south from the Arkansas state line at Lula via Clarksdale and Yazoo City, towards Hattiesburg and dead ends at the Gulf of Mexico in Gulfport. From Gulfport going north back towards Jackson, this highway ends at Pearl where it is bypassed via Interstate 20 to Interstate 220 (I-220) to U.S. Highway 49 again towards Yazoo City. U.S. Highway 80
Roughly parallels Interstate 20. It is the main corridor through the heart of Pearl.
State highways
Mississippi Highway 25
This highway is known as Lakeland Drive in the metro-Jackson area and runs northeast towards Carthage and Starkville. Mississippi Highway 475
This highway runs from Mississippi Highway 25 in Flowood, though Pearl crossing U.S. Highway 80 and ends at Mississippi Highway 468.
Education
The City of Pearl's public schools are served by the Pearl Public School District whose Board is appointed by the City of Pearl Board of Alderman.
Colleges and universities
Hinds Community CollegeRankin Campus (state two-year college not a part of the Pearl Public School District)
Public high schools
Pearl High School (Grades 9 through 12) Built in 1989; Expansions* in 1997, 2003 and 2005
Pearl Junior High School (Grades 6 through 8) Built in 1932; Expansions* in 1982, 1989, and 2004
*Expansions include anything from adding a new wing or classrooms to adding new administrative offices, to adding a press box to the baseball field.
Public elementary schools
Pearl Lower Elementary (Grades K and 1) Built in 1932; Expansions* in 1999 and 2005
Northside Elementary (Grades 2 and 3) Built in 1970; Expansions* in 1992, 1999 and 2007
Pearl Upper Elementary (Grades 4 and 5) Built in 1965; Expansions* in 1999
*Expansions include anything from adding a new wing or classrooms to adding new administrative offices, to adding a press box to the baseball field.
Ratings
Pearl High School is currently rated a 5, which is the highest education level a school can reach in our Nation's Standard as set down by the No Child Left Behind Act, signed by President George W. Bush. Schools ratings are based on the Mississippi Curriculum Tests, which are issued every year to determine a school's effectiveness on its students.
Extracurricular programs
The Pearl Junior High School and Pearl High School athletic teams compete in football, baseball, soccer, track & field and softball. The school's mascot is the pirate.The teams have had many state championships in sports such as Track & Field, Baseball, Soccer and Cheerleading. The high school has also won state championships in Band, Dance, and Drama. For the past 5 years Pearl High School has won the 4-A State Championship in Soccer. The football team has won numerous district titles, its latest being in 2008.The school's band is a worldwide known band. They performed in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1998. They won the 2008 Mississippi Indoor Percussion and 2009 5A state champions. They are the Pearl Pirate Band and have a partial reputation of going to theme parks, such as Disneyland and Six Flags
Private schools
Faith Academy - Grades Pre-kindergarten though 8 (served by theMississippi Private School Association)
Park Place Christian Academy - Grades Pre-kindergarten through 11
Recreation
Pearl is home to many parks and recreational facilities.Center City Complex - softball, baseball, soccer, and offices of the Parks and Recreation Department (has been the site of severalUnited States Specialty Sports AssociationRegional and National Tournaments)
Pearl Activity Center (Old Boys Club) - baseball, meeting room, and gymnasium
Bright Park - A 2/3 mile physical fitness walking trail through nature and picnic areas
City Park - A family recreation area which includes, picnic areas, reserveable pavilion, children's playground, tennis courts, basketball court, and covered stage
Jenkins Park - A family recreation facility, children’s playground, picnic areas, pavilion, 1/2 mile walking trail, and softball field
Old Library Walking Trail - A 1/4 mile walking trail
Henry F. Shepherd Field Walking Trail - A 1/4 mile walking track around the old Pearl High School football field
Center City Walking Trail - A 1-mile (1.6 km) walking trail winding through the scenic wooded terrain
Pearl Municipal Golf Course - An 18 hole public golf course with a Club House and short order restaurant
Noteworthy natives
Brittany Thornton Evans-Dancer/Performer/Cheerleader- Known to Pearl, MS natives her whole life as an excellent dancer & performer, Brittany became one of our nation's sweethearts in 2008 when she auditioned for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, making the 2008-2009 DCC team. Brittany went on to try out and make the DCC squad for the 2009-2010 season, and is 2nd team leader this currently for the 2010-2011 tryout season. CMT covers the DCC tryouts each year on their network and Brittany has been featured on the show for the past two seasons. Brittany is married to her childhood sweetheart and Pearl native, Blake Evans.
Blake Patrick- American Soccer player and Coach
Taylor Smith- American Rapper, Football player
Tommy Aldridge-drummer- Born August 15, 1950 and raised in Pearl (most bios sayJackson, Mississippibut that's because people associate Pearl with the Jackson metro area), Aldridge became a hard rock drumming legend. He was entirely self-taught on drums. By the early 1970s, Aldridge had joined up with up-and-coming Southern rockersBlack Oak Arkansas, playing on a total of nine albums from 1972 through 1976 and touring the U.S. nonstop. It was around this time that Aldridge developed the double-bass drumming technique that would soon be copied by countless other drummers, especially those in thrash metal bands in the 1980s. Throughout his career Tommy has been regarded as a double bass drumming pioneer. Alrdidge has amassed impressive drumming credits, having played drums for many famous artists. He spent 1978 to 1981 signed with Canadian blues-rock guitaristPat Travers, and recorded five albums with him. His other most noteworthy credits include having played withOzzy Osbourneon theDiary of a Madmantour and on the albumsSpeak of the Devil(1982),Bark at the Moon(1983) and onTribute(1987),Whitesnakeon theWhitesnakeself-titled album tour and on the albumsSlip of the Tongue(1989) andLive: In the Shadow of the Blues(2006),Thin Lizzyon the albumOne Night Only(2000),Motörheadon the albumMarch ör Die(1992) andTed Nugenton the albumFull Bluntal Nugity(2001). He playsYamaha drums, a company he has been with for more than 20 years. He currently resides inSanta Barbara, California.
George Berry, Sr.-artist
George Kersh-athlete- In 1987, George Kersh dominated the high school 800 m. On June 13, 1987, the senior from Pearl High School broke the national high school record twice, ultimately lowering it to a then-best of 1 minute 46.58 seconds. Kersh still owns four of the top 10 all-time high school 800 m times, his slowest being 1:47.84). From 1987 to 1994, Kersh earned seven U.S. top 10 800m rankings; his highest ranking being second in 1990 and 1991. His best of 1:44.00, set on June 24, 1992 in New Orleans at the Olympic Trials, ranks him 11th on the American all-time list. In that race, Kersh finished a heartbreaking fourth place behind Johnny Gray (1:42.80), Mark Everett (1:43.67), and Jose Parilla (1:43.97) to just miss a trip to the Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain.
LeAnn Rimes-singer
Ty Tabor- singer, guitarist forKing's X
Eric Washington- formerNBAplayer
Justin Jenkins-NFLBuffalo Billsplayer
Professional sports
The Mississippi Braves or M-Braves, a Class AA minor league baseball affiliate of the Atlanta Braves moved from Greenville, South Carolina to Pearl before the 2005 season. The M-Braves play in the Southern League. The team had their first game in the brand new Trustmark Park on April 18, 2005, losing to the Montgomery Biscuits.
Pearl High School shooting
On October 1, 1997, 16-year old Luke Woodham stabbed his mother to death. He then took a rifle to his school, Pearl High School. He shot and killed his ex-girlfriend and another student while maiming another seven. Six other boys were later arrested for allegedly conspiring with Luke in the school shooting, although all save one were cleared of all charges. The assistant principal of Pearl High, Joel Myrick, pulled a gun from his truck, intercepted Woodham and held him until police arrived. Woodham will be eligible for parole in 2046, when he is 65 years old.
