Latest news with #Tupelo-based
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Orthopaedic Institute of North Mississippi merging, rebranding
TUPELO – In a blockbuster three-way merger, Tupelo-based Orthopaedic Institute of North Mississippi, Jackson-based Mississippi Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center and Oxford-based Oxford Ortho and Sports Medicine will rebrand under the Mississippi Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center name, effective Aug. 4. Following the merger, MSMOC will have 32 doctors and 33 advanced practice providers at 18 locations, creating the largest network of orthopedic specialists in the state and one of the most comprehensive in the Southeast. Founded in 1984, Mississippi Sports Medicine has locations in Jackson, Flowood, Madison, Brookhaven, Ruleville and Yazoo City. MSMOC surgeons were the first of five in the U.S. and the first in Mississippi performing outpatient joint replacements. The group performs over half the total joint replacements in the state. It has the largest orthopaedic joint center in the country, the first in the state, and it was one of the first three centers in the U.S. to perform orthopaedic joint replacements. Dr. Eric Lewis, fellowship-trained orthopedic hand surgeon at OINMS, said joining forces with MSMOC would benefit more people in the region. 'For decades, we have earned our reputation by providing exceptional, patient-focused care in Tupelo and across North Mississippi,' he said. 'Teaming up with Mississippi Sports Medicine will strengthen our statewide collaboration and expand access to cutting-edge treatments and specialized expertise for the region and people we serve.' In a press release, OINMS said its physicians and staff "remain committed to the advanced orthopedic and sports medicine care their neighbors across the region have trusted for nearly three decades." OINMS said Mississippi Sports Medicine had "built a reputation for orthopedic excellence through its clinics and fellowship programs, which have trained several orthopedic physicians in the area, and Oxford Ortho's team has been its region's leader since the 1990s. By partnering with their colleagues in Jackson and Oxford, the Tupelo team is able to extend its legacy across Mississippi and the Southeast." As the three groups merge their operations over the next couple of months, patients will continue to be seen at the same locations by the same physicians. "The name will change, but the same doctors that have been trusted by the Tupelo and North Mississippi community for decades will remain the same," the press release said. 'As someone who completed my sports medicine fellowship at Mississippi Sports Medicine, I'm excited to deepen our collaboration with the Jackson team,' said Dr. Bryan Fagan, an OINMS orthopedic surgeon. 'Together, we'll bring more innovation and specialized expertise to patients across North Mississippi.' Leading up to the launch of the new brand on Aug. 4, residents and patients will see the new name on signage, materials and communications. 'Orthopedics is a team sport,' said Dr. J.R. Woodall, a spine surgeon based in Jackson. 'I've long respected the Oxford and Tupelo teams, and this evolution will unlock new opportunities in research, education and cutting-edge care for every Mississippian.' Orthopaedic Institute of North Mississippi was born of a merger in 2018 when North East Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine and North Mississippi Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Clinic of Tupelo joined forces and moved the practice to Midtown Pointe.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tupelo officials take next step in Fairpark expansion
TUPELO — Following months of behind-the-scenes work and a silent public hearing, Tupelo officials have taken the next step in expanding the city's downtown Fairpark District. The Tupelo City Council voted unanimously among present members to approve an amendment to the city's urban renewal plan to include 17 acres south of the existing Fairpark District. This comes after months of discussion and a public hearing last month that saw no participation from the public. "What this does is adds an additional 17 acres of additional property … into the urban renewal area,' Assistant Attorney Steven Reed said, adding it made the property 'ripe for redevelopment.' The area is a 'pizza-shaped' wedge south of Fairpark, Reed said. The property sits between the Canadian National Railway line and the BNSF line on Elizabeth Street downtown. Officials said there were already prospective buyers for some of the land, but they have repeatedly declined to go into detail, calling it an economic development matter. The board has only discussed the potential development during closed-door meetings. The order also puts the acreage under the jurisdiction of the Tupelo Redevelopment Agency. The TRA owns a 5-acre lot on Fairpark Drive, a little over 4 acres with some parcels next to the 5-acre plot on Elizabeth Street and another parcel just under an acre north of the two. The process of expanding Fairpark began about a year ago. As part of the project, the council voted to enter into a contract with Tupelo-based firm Cook Coggin Engineers for engineering services related to the development project. It also contracted with Tripp Muldrow of Arnett Muldrow & Associates for a master plan for the property. The Tupelo Planning Committee previously recommended approval for the project in their meetings. The Fairpark District was established in 1999 with 50 acres designated for urban renewal development by the TRA. At the time, the city took out $22.7 million in bonds to accomplish the goal.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Yahoo
Gunshot detection system paying dividends for Tupelo police
TUPELO – Instead of worrying about the long arm of the law, Tupelo criminals now have to consider its long ear. For the last two years, the Tupelo Police Department has been using a system that can not only detect gunshots but can also pinpoint their location. And just how accurate is the FireFly system? Extremely accurate. Derek Schulte, the FireFly program manager for Tupelo-based Hyperion, said the system is designed to both detect and geolocate gunshots. It will also determine if a noise was, in fact, a gunshot. Schulte said if the system rates a location with high confidence, you should be able to find spent shells casings within a 15-foot radius. Police say it is usually more accurate than that. 'After we get a notification, you can go out to the point on the map and look around where you're standing and find shell casings,' said Capt. Doug Mansell, TPD public information officer. The system Tupelo uses is based on a military version of FireFly that can detect small-arms fire, rocket/mortar fire and unmanned aircraft systems (military drones). The law enforcement version of FireFly utilizes a series of sensors to detect the signature sound of a gunshot and record it. '(The sound) needs to be heard by a minimum of three sensors to be able to geolocate,' Schulte said. 'Then, it will try to determine if it thinks the sound is gunfire. The whole process only takes five to 10 seconds.' That allows officers to be dispatched much quicker than if they had to wait on witnesses to call 911. The system assigns each recording with a confidence level, which helps determine if it was actually gunfire and not an audibly similar sound like a car backfiring. A human ear listens to every recording before officers are dispatched to a location. The loud noise might be a garbage truck dropping a dumpster, or a roofing crew using a nail gun being put to a roof on a nearby house. By listing some sounds as not gunfire, the system can fine-tune its algorithms to improve accuracy. TPD is using FireFly as another tool to help solve crime. It is used routinely in investigations into shooting incidents within the city limits. That includes the late January arrest of a man who had a Glock pistol which had been converted to fully automatic fire. FireFly recorded the sound of the man firing dozens of rounds and led police to his location in southeast Tupelo. 'I wish we had this when I was an investigator,' said Sgt. Kevin Parker, TPD public information officer. 'You can play it in court and confirm what happened.' Mansell said FireFly adds another layer of evidence to an investigation. Since it provides a timestamp of when a shooting occurred, it can also be used to eliminate suspects in conjunction with the department's blue light cameras and private surveillance videos. 'If video captures someone on the other side of town at the time the shots were fired, then we can eliminate them and move on with the investigation,' Parker said. FireFly is actually marketed to the police departments of cities much larger than Tupelo. Phoenix, Arizona, is the biggest customer, with more than 300 sensors. Dallas, Texas, is a new customer and Chicago, Illinois, is considering the system. The high cost of the FireFly system effectively eliminates Tupelo from the regular customer base. Tupelo benefits from the fact that Hyperion is a hometown company and serves as a test bed. The setup is a win-win for both the city and the industry. Since Hyperion actually owns all the sensors in Tupelo, they are free to make changes and install upgrades. They can test new setups in real time and real-life situations. And the city benefits from pricey crime fighting tools without putting an extra burden on the taxpayers. 'Colorado Springs, Colorado was our previous test bed, but if there was a problem, it was just too far away,' Schulte said. 'We wanted a test bed location that was close enough that we could try new things. Tupelo let us set up.'
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City effort to expand Fairpark district continues
TUPELO — With their eyes on further growth in downtown Tupelo, city officials are moving forward with the next step to see the Fairpark District expanded. The Tupelo City Council voted unanimously to approve a resolution for planned expansion of the Fairpark urban renewal district, setting a public hearing on the matter for the first meeting of April, coincidently the same day as municipal election primaries. 'Back in 2023, we acquired 17 acres along Elizabeth Street…. Since that time, it has been the desire of the administration, and we've shared with council in the past, to include that area … in the urban renewal area,' Assistant City Attorney Stephen Reed said. 'There are several things this resolution does, but it will be brought up again at the April 1 meeting.' As of now, the city owns the 16-acres south of Fairpark that it hopes to rehabilitate. It is located between the Canadian National Railway line and the BNSF line on Elizabeth Street downtown. Reed said the Tupelo Planning Committee will draft a final recommendation for the district's future during its March meeting. The city previously entered a contract with Tupelo-based firm Cook Coggin Engineers for engineering services related to the development project. Through the Tupelo Redevelopment Agency, the city hopes to market and sell the plot. This renewal designation affords the acreage certain local tax abatement benefits. City officials previously mentioned there was a prospective buyer for the property. City Attorney Ben Logan said the city was in negotiations as of Wednesday but he could not give details. Before Tuesday night's decision and before tapping Cook Coggin, the city entered a contract with Tripp Muldrow of Arnett Muldrow and Associates, for a master plan for the property, and a $4,500 contract with Cook Coggin Engineers, Inc., for environmental studies of the property. Muldrow assisted in the establishment of Fairpark decades ago. Ultimately, Logan said, the city will turn the land over to the TRA. The TRA also owns multiple other plots in Fairpark, a 5-acre lot on Fairpark Drive, a little over 4 acres with some parcels adjacent to the 5-acre plot on Elizabeth Street, and another parcel just under an acre north of the two. The Fairpark District was established in 1999 with 50 acres designated for urban renewal development by the TRA. At the time, the city took out $22.7 million in bonds to accomplish the goal.
