Over eight days in June, GlobalFoundries and Micron each doubled down on their commitments to the Empire State at Upstate locations about 140 miles apart.
A Mississippi State University Choctaw Preview Day in April 2022 ended with stickball practice at The Junction in the heart of the MSU campus in Starkville.
Photo by Michaela Parker courtesy of MSU Extension Service
Early this month, John Hendrix, economic development director for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (MBCI) since 2005, was awarded the 2025 Chris Thompson Economic Development Professional Excellence Award by the United South & Eastern Tribes, Inc. His many accomplishments include participating in more than $100 million in community development financing initiatives to develop new assets on Tribal lands; securing more than $20 million in grant funding from 12 different public and private funders; securing $6 million in grant funding to develop a new Advanced Workforce Training Center that will build Tribal member capacity in vocational/technical, healthcare, digital fabrication, and computer/IT skills; and leading the effort for MBCI to become the first community in Mississippi to achieve TVA’s Rural Certified Community status.
The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, under the leadership of Tribal Chief Cyrus Ben, is the only federally recognized Tribe in the State of Mississippi. “With over 11,000 members, Choctaw lands cover over 35,000 acres in 10 counties,” said a release from MBCI. “Providing permanent, full-time jobs for over 5,000 Tribal and non-Tribal employees, the Tribe is a major contributor to the state’s economy, generating $1 billion in economic impact.” Former Site Selection Assistant Editor Lindsay Lopp talked to Hendrix about that impact for this piece published in November 2023.
Some projects emerge from the steady thrum of activity to become truly transformational moments for a company and a community. Liebherr Group in Tupelo and Avid Boats in Amory are two such projects in the Magnolia State.
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The Fraser Institute in Canada has released its annual Mining Investment Attractiveness Index, based on a survey sent to 2,289 mining-related companies around the world. Finland (up from No. 17), Nevada and Alaska top the rankings, followed by Wyoming, Arizona and Sweden. The 350 companies that participated in the survey reported exploration spending of US$5.9 billion in 2023 and US$6.0 billion in 2024, the Institute stated.
A separate Policy Perception Index in the 90-page report found the Republic of Ireland in first place, followed by Finland, Saskatchewan, Nevada and Wyoming. Detailed tabs in the full index data spreadsheet enable sorting by various parameters and by world region.
PHOTO OF THE DAY
Photo by Hufton+Crow courtesy of BORD and v2com newswire
The Sauska Tokaj winery, designed by BORD Architectural Studio and completed in 2024, appears to float above the vineyards in the UNESCO-protected Tokaj-Hegyalja wine region in northeastern Hungary (“hegyalja” means “foothills” in Hungarian).
“The volcanic terrain and continental climate of Tokaj have created ideal conditions for viticulture for centuries, even before the Hungarian Conquest,” says the studio in a release. “Villages were established in the valleys, and winemaking took place in cellars carved deep into the volcanic rhyolite tuff. For generations, the region was best known for its legendary aszú, a sweet, oak-aged wine that became a symbol of Tokaj. During the socialist era, mass production overshadowed craftsmanship and innovation. However, following the political transition, the region began a new chapter. Since the early 2000s, modern wineries and a growing tourism scene have breathed fresh life into Tokaj, even though infrastructural development is still catching up.”
“What I create should not touch the untouchable — it should float or sit, like a sphere on an unidentifiably tiny surface,” said head architect Péter Bordás of the structure on the southern slopes of Padi Hill. “The goal is to create a seemingly implausible structure, one that is there, yet physically independent of its surrounding environment.”
