Mississippi

Mississippi is a  located in the  of the. The state takes its name from the, which flows along its western boundary.

Geography
Mississippi is bordered on the north by the state of, on the east by , on the south by and the , and on the west by  and  (across the ).

Major rivers include, , , , , and. Major lakes include, , , and. The highest point in Mississippi, part of the s of the is. Hardly a mountain, is only 806  (246 m) above sea level. The lowest point is along the shore at the Gulf of Mexico; sea level. The Mean Elevation is 300 feet (91 m) above sea level.

Most of Mississippi is part of the, and the rest of the state is made up of a section of the. The East Gulf Coastal Plain is generally composed of low hills, such as the Pine Hills in the south and the North Central Hills. Somewhat higher elevations are in the and the Fall Line Hills in the northeast. Yellow-brown soil is in the west, and a region of fertile black earth, part of the, is in the northeast. The coastline, which includes large bays at, , and , is separated from the Gulf of Mexico proper by the shallow , which is partially enclosed by Petit Bois, Horn, Ship, and Cat islands. The Mississippi Alluvial Plain, known also as the, is narrow in the south and widens north of. The region has rich soil, partly made up of silt deposited by floodwaters of the.

Areas under the management of the include:
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 * also in Vicksburg
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 * also in Vicksburg

Climate
Mississippi has a hot with long summers and short, mild winters. Temperatures average about 82 ° (about 28 °) in July and about 48 °F (about 9 °C) in January. The temperature varies little across the state in summer, but in winter the region near Mississippi Sound is significantly warmer than most of the rest of the state. The recorded temperature in Mississippi has ranged from -19 °F (-28.3 °C), in 1966, at in the northeast, to 115 °F (46.1 °C), in 1930, at  in the north. Yearly generally increases from north to south. Thus,, in the northwest, gets about 50 es (about 1,270 ) of annually and , in the south, about 61 inches (about 1,550 mm). Small amounts of fall in northern and central Mississippi, although snow is not unheard of around the southern part of the state.

In the late summer and the, the state (especially the southern part) is often affected by s moving north from the Gulf of Mexico, and occasionally impacted by major hurricanes, which can be quite devastating in coastal communities. Thunderstorms are common in Mississippi, especially in the southern part of the state. On average, Mississippi has around 27 tornadoes annually with the northern part of the state more vulnerable earlier in the year and the southern part becoming more vulnerable a little later.

Ecology
Mississippi is heavily forested, with over half of the state's area covered by wild trees (mostly, but Mississippi has an abundance of other trees) (, , , , , , and ). Lumber is a prevalent industry in Mississippi.

Early planters used slaves to build levees along the Mississippi River to divert flooding. They built on top of the natural levees that formed from dirt pushed up in flooding. As cultivation of cotton increased in the Delta, planters hired Irish laborers to ditch and drain their land. The state took over levee building from 1858-1861, accomplishing it through contractors. Planters considered their slaves too valuable to hire out for such dangerous work. Contractors hired gangs of Irish immigrant laborers to build levees and sometimes clear land. Before the war, the earthwork levees averaged six feet in height, although in some areas they reached twenty feet.

The system was expanded after the flood of 1882. By 1884 the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta Levee District was established to oversee levee construction and maintenance.

History
Mississippi was part of the Mississippian culture in the early part of the 2nd millennium AD; descendant tribes include the  and. Other tribes who inhabited the territory of Mississippi (and whose names became those of local towns) include the, the , and the.

The first European expedition into the territory that became Mississippi was that of, who passed through in 1540. The first settlement was (or ) at, settled by  in April 1699. In 1716, was founded on the Mississippi River (as ); it became the dominant town and trading post of the area. After spending some time under Spanish, British, and French nominal jurisdiction, the Mississippi area was deeded to the after the  under the terms of the.

The was  on, , from territory ceded by  and. It was later twice expanded to include disputed territory claimed by both the and. Land was purchased (generally through unequal treaties) from Native American tribes from 1800 to about 1830.

Mississippi was the 20th state admitted to the Union, on,.

When during the 1850s, Mississippi plantation owners&mdash;especially those of the  and  regions&mdash;became increasingly wealthy due to the high fertility of the soil, the high price of cotton on the international market, and their assets in slaves. The planters' dependence on hundreds of thousands of slaves for labor, and the severe wealth imbalances among whites played heavy roles in both state politics and in the support for secession. By 1860 the enslaved population numbered 436,631 or 55% of the state's total of 791,305. There were fewer than 1000 free people of color. The relatively low population before the Civil War reflected the fact that much of the state was still frontier and needed more settlers for development.

Mississippi was the second state to secede from the Union as one of the on,. During the the Confederate States were defeated.

During Reconstruction the first constitutional convention in 1868 framed a constitution whose major elements would last for 22 years. The convention was the first political organization to include  colored representatives, 17 among the 100 members. Although 32 counties had Negro majorities, they elected whites as well as Negroes to represent them. The convention adopted universal suffrage; did away with property qualifications for suffrage or for office, which benefited poor whites, too; provided for the state's first public school system; forbade race distinctions in the possession and inheritance of property; and prohibited limiting of civil rights in travel.

Under the terms of, Mississippi was readmitted to the Union on ,.

Mississippi was considered to typify the during the era of. This was not the full story, however. Because Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana contained so much bottomland which had not been farmed, away from the river settlements African Americans achieved more land ownership than expected. There developed a surprisingly high proportion of black land owners in the 1870s and 1880s. By the turn of the century, two-thirds of the farmers (in numbers) who owned land in the Delta were African American. Their clearing and development of the land made it valuable.

Disfranchisement of African Americans, a series of increasingly restrictive racial segregation laws enacted during the first part of the 20th century, and failure of the cotton crops due to boll weevil infestation resulted in the emigration to the North to other opportunities of almost half a million people, three-quarters of them black, in the 1940s.

Mississippi became a center of rich, quintessentially American music traditions:, , , , and all were invented, promulgated, or heavily developed by Mississippi musicians. Mississippi was also noted for its authors in the early twentieth century, especially and.

Mississippi was a focus of the. Through the actions and attitudes of many white politicians (Including the creation of the ), the involvement of many Mississippians in the movement, and the violent tactics of the  and its sympathizers, Mississippi gained a reputation in the 1960s as a reactionary state.

The state was the last to repeal (in 1966). It symbolically adopted the, which abolished slavery, in 1995. These amendments were still in effect in Mississippi even before their ratification there.

On, ,  hit the Mississippi coast, killing 248 people and causing US$1.5 billion in damage (1969 dollars). On, , , though a storm upon final landfall, caused even greater destruction across the entire 90 mi of  from Louisiana to Alabama.

On August 30, 2007, a report by the indicated that Mississippi is the poorest state in the country. The state had a median household income of $34,473.

Population
As of 2005, Mississippi has an estimated population of 2,921,088, which is an increase of 20,320, or 0.7%, from the prior year and an increase of 76,432, or 2.7%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 80,733 people (that is 228,849 births minus 148,116 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 75 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 10,653 people, and migration within the country produced a net loss of 10,578 people. Mississippi has the highest Black population of any U.S. state. It currently stands at about 37% of the population.


 * The 2000 Census reported Mississippi's population as 2,844,658 . The of Mississippi is located in, in the town of.

Racial makeup and ancestry
The Census Bureau considers and Hispanic ethnicity to be two separate categories. These data, however, are only for non-Hispanic members of each group: non-Hispanic Whites, non-Hispanic Blacks, etc. For more information on race and the Census, see

Until the, s made up a majority of Mississippians. Due to the, the state's African American population declined. It is the highest proportion of state population in the nation (not counting the District of Columbia). Recently it has begun to increase again, due mainly to a higher than the state average. In many of Mississippi's public school districts, a majority of students are black. Blacks are a majority in the northwestern Yazoo Delta, the southwestern, and the central parts of the state, chiefly areas where they had worked on cotton plantations and farming.

More than 98% of the population of Mississippi is native born, predominantly of  and  descent. According to the 2000 census, the largest ancestries are:
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People of ancestry form the largest demographic group in Hancock County on the Gulf Coast. The African American;, mostly in Neshoba County; and segments of the population are also almost entirely native born.

Although some ethnic Chinese were recruited as indentured laborers from Cuba during the 1870s and later 19th c., the majority immigrated directly from China to Mississippi between 1910-1930. While planters first made arrangements with the Chinese for sharecropping, most Chinese soon left that work. Many became small merchants and especially grocers in towns throughout the Delta.

According to recent statistics, Mississippi leads the country in the growth of immigrants.

Obesity
For three years in a row over 30 percent of Mississippi's residents have been classified as obese. In the most recent (2006), 22.8 percent of its children were also classified as obese.

Gay and lesbian community
In response to a murder and anti-gay legislation to ban same-sex couples in the state from adopting children, a statewide gay rights organization was formed in March of 2000. First called the Mississippi Gay Lobby, it changed its name in 2001 to the more inclusive.

Of Mississippi’s same-sex couples, 41% have one or more child. This figure is higher in Mississippi than in any other state. Further, Mississippi has a larger percentage of African-American same-sex couples among total households than does any other state. Additionally, Mississippi ranks number 5 in the nation in the percentage of Hispanic same-sex couples among all Hispanic households. Mississippi ranks number 9 nationally among states with the highest concentration of same-sex couples who are seniors.

In, Mississippi voters approved a state constitutional amendment banning. The amendment also prohibited Mississippi from recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other states and countries, where it may be legal.

Economy
The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that Mississippi's total state product in 2003 was $72 billion. Per capita personal income in 2005 was $33,569, 50th in the nation (ranking includes the District of Columbia), but the cost of living in Mississippi is one of the lowest in the country. In contrast to one of the lowest per capita income rates in the United States, Mississippians consistently rank as one of the highest per capita in charitable contributions Generosity Index

Mississippi's rank as one of the poorest states is related to its dependence on agriculture before and after the Civil War, a failure to build railroads to link its towns and river cities, the segregation and disfranchisement of African Americans after the war, and its refusal for years to build human capital by educating and encouraging abilities of all its citizens. Before the war, Mississippi was the fifth-wealthiest state in the nation. Slaves were then counted as property and the rise in the cotton markets since the 1840s had increased their value. More than half the population of Mississippi was enslaved in 1860, with the overwhelming number of them African Americans. In non-slave states, human capital was not included in estimates of wealth. Further, Mississippi's antebellum wealth rank should not be compared with today's GDP rank, which is an estimate of income. Wealth and income are separate concepts.

The war cost the state 30,000 men. Changes to the labor structure and an agricultural depression throughout the South caused severe losses in wealth to the planter class. In 1860 assessed valuation of property in Mississippi had been more than $500,000,000, of which $218,000,000 was estimated as the value of slaves. By 1870 the remainder of assets had decreased in value to $177,278,890.

Poor whites and landless freedmen suffered even more from poverty in the early postwar years. The constitutional convention of early 1868 appointed a committee to recommend what was needed for relief of the state and its citizens. The committee found severe destitution among the laboring classes, with 30,000-40,000 people in distress.

Union troops left widespread destruction in their wake. It took years for the state to rebuild levees damaged in the widespread battle of Vicksburg and this took much available capital. The upset of the commodity system impoverished the state after the war. By 1868 an increased cotton crop began to show possibilities for free labor in the state, but the crop of 565,000 bales produced in 1870 was still less than half that of 1860.

It was not until after the flood of 1882 that the state created the Mississippi-Yazoo Delta District Levee Board and started successfully achieving longer term plans for levees in the upper Delta.

The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 caused massive flooding of 27,000 square miles throughout the Delta and millions of dollars in property damages. With the Depression coming so soon after the flood, the state suffered badly during those years. Tens of thousands of people left for jobs and chances elsewhere.

The legislature's 1990 decision to legalize casino gambling along the Mississippi River and the Gulf Coast has led to economic gains for the state. An estimated $500,000 per day in tax revenue was lost following 's severe damage to several coastal casinos in August 2005. Gambling towns in Mississippi include the Gulf Coast towns of, and , and the Mississippi River towns of  (the third largest gaming area in the ), ,  and. Before Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, Mississippi was the second largest gambling state in the Union, after and ahead of.

On, , Governor signed a bill into law that now allows casinos in Hancock and Harrison counties to rebuild on land (but within 800 feet of the water). The only exception is in, where the new law states that casinos can be built to the southern boundary of.

Mississippi collects personal in three tax brackets, ranging from 3% to 5%. The retail rate in Mississippi is 7%. Additional local sales taxes also are collected. For purposes of assessment for es, taxable is divided into five classes.

Mississippi's balance of payments
Mississippi is highly dependent on the Federal government. It depends on donor states such as New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and California for its fiscal well-being. In Fiscal year 2004, Mississippi paid $11.5 Billion dollars in taxes to the Federal government but received $22.3 Billion dollars back link Amount of Money given and returned to the Federal Government by states. This means that for every $1 dollar Mississippi taxpayers give to the Federal government, they get $1.71 back.

Mississippi is among the states that are the greatest beneficiaries of Federal government programs, including agricultural subsidies.

Some state critics suggest Mississippi should take advantage of Federal spending by increasing Medicaid spending. For example, if Mississippi were to spend $1 on Medicaid, then the Federal government would give it $3.50 for every dollar spent link Study of imbalance of payments to the Federal Government and what states do or don't do. In contrast, if New York spends $1 on Medicaid, the federal government would only give them $1. This is in part because Medicaid funding formulas are based on per capita income and not the number of people who live in poverty. This policy has been criticized by politicians such as Senator Dianne Feinstein, whose state has a large number of people living in poverty link and has been pointed out by the General Accounting Office link Medicaid Matching Funds Study. Mississippi limits spending on social services and anti-poverty programs link Mississippi Poor leave welfare but for what?

Despite politicians' rhetoric and criticism of the current system, it is true that Mississippi would lose a lot if it weren't for Federal payments, including agricultural subsidies. In fact certain states have the most to gain. As a result Mississippi has a low tax burden. Due to its high sales tax that applies to even groceries, it has been ranked closer to middle of the pack rather than in the Top 15 or so link Mississippi tax burden. Alabama has a similar situation to Mississippi link Alabama Tax Burden.

It should be noted that this policy is favored by people who favor increased social spending as long as a lot of money is being spent (i.e., is the state spending as much money as it could and should be spending since federal formulas favor it). Some states tend not to spend the money that they could spend even though funding formulas are favored for it. Mississippi tends to limit benefits due to the fact that despite the formula, it is still a poor state. Unlike other states, Mississippi's funding formula is based on lower per capita income.

Road
Mississippi is served by eight :

and fourteen main :

as well as a system of. Two further interstate highways are proposed: and.

For more information, visit the Mississippi Department of Transportation website.

Rail
provides scheduled passenger service along two routes.

's subsidiary provides north-south service.

The has an east-west line across northern Mississippi.

provides east-west service in the middle of thee state and north-south service along the state line.

provides service in the extreme north and southeast, while has a line along the Gulf Coast.

Major lakes

 * - 19,550 acres of water; constructed and managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Vicksburg District
 * - 35,000 acres of water; became operational in 1954; constructed and managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Vicksburg District
 * - Named for, the 52nd ; 33,000 acrs of water; became operational in 1966; constructed and managed by The Pearl River Valley Water Supply District, a state agency; Provides water supply for the ; Commonly referred to by locals as "The Rez"
 * - 98,520 acres of water; became operational in October 1940; constructed and managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Vicksburg District

Air
The following airports in Mississippi currently have scheduled air service:


 * , serving //
 * , serving
 * , serving
 * , serving
 * , serving
 * , serving

Of these airports, Gulfport-Biloxi, Jackson and Tupelo are the only airports to have daily scheduled service to multiple destinations; the remaining airports only have non-stop service via commuter aircraft to either ' at  or ' hub at.

Northwestern Mississippi is also served by.

Law and government
As with all other and the federal government, Mississippi's government is based on the. Executive authority in the state rests with the Governor, currently (Republican). The, currently Amy Tuck (originally elected as a Democrat, she switched to the Republican Party in 2002), is elected on a separate ballot. Both the governor and lieutenant governor are elected to four-year terms of office. Unlike the federal government, but like many other U.S. States, most of the heads of major executive departments are elected by the citizens of Mississippi rather than appointed by the governor.

Mississippi is one of only five states that elects its state officials in odd numbered years (The others are, , , and ). Mississippi holds elections for these offices every 4 years in the years preceding Presidential election years. Thus, the last year when Mississippi elected a Governor was 2003; the next gubernatorial election will occur in 2007, with future gubernatorial elections to take place in 2011, 2015, 2019, etc.

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Legislative authority resides in the, composed of the and. The lieutenant governor presides over the Senate, while the House of Representatives selects their own Speaker. The state constitution permits the legislature to establish by law the number of senators and representatives, up to a maximum of 52 senators and 122 representatives. Current state law sets the number of senators at 52 and representatives at 122. The term of office for senators and representatives is four years.

(See: .)

Judicial branch
Supreme judicial authority rests with the state Supreme Court, which has statewide authority. In addition, there is a statewide Court of Appeals, as well as Circuit Courts, Chancery Courts and Justice Courts, which have more limited geographical jurisdiction. The nine judges of the Supreme Court are elected from three districts (three judges per district) by the state's citizens in non-partisan elections to eight-year staggered terms. The ten judges of the Court of Appeals are elected from five districts (two judges per district) for eight-year staggered terms. Judges for the smaller courts are elected to four-year terms by the state's citizens who live within that court's jurisdiction.

Federal representation
Mississippi has two U.S. senators, currently  and  (Republican).

, the state has four in the U.S., currently  (Republican),  ,  (Democrat), and  (Republican).

(See: )

Mississippi has 82. Citizens of Mississippi counties elect the five members of their county Board of Supervisors from single-member districts, as well as other county officials.

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Federal politics
Mississippi, like the rest of the, long supported the. The policies of, which included federally appointed governors, led to white Southern resentment toward the Republican Party. Following the, federal troops enforcing the provisions of Reconstruction were pulled out of the South. The Democratic Party regained political control of the state, using methods designed to suppress black voter turnout, which had understandably favored Republican candidates. In 1890 the Mississippi legislature was the first in the South to use a law to prevent freedmen from voting. After the law was declared unconstitutional, the state passed bills requiring voters to pay a and pass s as created by local boards. By 1900 these measures effectively disfranchised the vast majority of African Americans in the state. Not until 1966, following the passage of the Federal, would most African American men, and by then women, have the change to vote.

For 116 years (from 1876 to 1992), Mississippians only elected s. Over the same period, the Democratic Party dominated  state and federal elections in Mississippi. However, since the 1960s the Republican Party has become competitive in statewide elections. In recent years, it has become dominant in the state's federal elections, carrying the state's electoral votes in every election since 1980. was the last Democratic nominee to win in Mississippi, when he narrowly carried the state in 1976 by only 2 percentage points. Mississippi has elected Republican nominees 9 out of 11 times in presidential elections since 1960.

State politics
On some social issues, Mississippi is one of the more states in the US, with religion often playing a large role in citizens' political views. Liquor laws are particularly strict and variable from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Liquor sales are frequently banned on Sunday. Many cities and counties allow no alcoholic beverage sales ("dry"), while others allow beer but not liquor, or liquor but not beer. Some allow beer sales, but only if it is not refrigerated. In 2001, Mississippi banned adoption by same-sex couples and banned recognition of adoptions by same-sex couples which were done and recognized in other states or countries. In 2004, 86% of voter turnout amended the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage and ban state recognition of same-sex marriages which were done and recognized in other states and countries. At the same time, Mississippi has been one of the more innovative states in the country, having been the first state to implement a sales tax and the first state to pass a. Also, Mississippi has more African American elected officials than any other state in the United States. Mississippi is one of only a few states to have the possession of  to a degree in that possession of 30 grams or less of marijuana is punishable by a fine of $100 - $250 for the first offense with no jail time..

Major cities and towns


Mississippi City Population Rankings ( estimates as of 2005)

1.     (177,977) 2.      (72,464) 3.        (50,209) 4.   (47,176) 5.      (39,968) 6.     (38,840) 7.    (38,724) 8.        (35,930) 9.   (27,964) 10.      (26,932) 11.     (24,425) 12.     (21,000)

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Education
Until the era, Mississippi had only a small number of schools and no educational institutions for blacks. The first school for blacks was established in 1862, and a system of was started in 1870, but as late as the early 20th century, there were few schools in  areas. Blacks and whites attended separate s in Mississippi until the 1960s, when they began to be integrated following a 1954 ruling that racially segregated public schools were. In the late 1980s, the state had 954 public elementary and s, with a total yearly enrollment of about 369,500 elementary pupils and about 132,500 secondary students. Some 45,700 students attended s. In 2004, Mississippi was ranked last among the fifty states in academic achievement by the 's Report Card on Education, with the lowest average scores and spending per pupil in the nation.

Colleges, universities and community colleges
(see: )

Music History
Mississippi has been historically significant in the development of the, especially the Delta region. Mississippi blues greats include:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and. , a white guitarist/singer/songwriter, known as the "Godfather of Country," also played a significant role in the development of the blues. He and Chester Arthur Burnett were friends and mutual admirers of each others' music, and it is rumored that it was Rodgers who gave him the nickname that he became known as, Howlin' Wolf. This friendship and respect is an important example of Mississippi's musical legacy. While the state has had a reputation for being the most racist in America, a claim that is not without justification, it also played a significant role in the integration of American music, combining the musical traditions from Africa with the musical traditions of white Southerners, a tradition that is largely rooted in Celtic music.

The, now being implemented, is dedicating markers for historic sites such as 's Riverside Hotel where died after her auto accident on. The Riverside Hotel is just one of many historical blues sites in Clarksdale.

The is located in Clarksdale and is visited by people from all over the world. Close by is and Madidi, a blues club and restaurants co-owned by actor,.

Mississippi has been fundamental in the development of American music has a whole. was a native of Tupelo, Mississippi, and country music, while its origins lie more in Tennessee than Mississippi, found its first superstar in, a native of Meridian. From famous band  to famous  singer, Mississippi has a long and proud music history.

(see: )

Famous Mississippians
Mississippi has produced a number of notable and famous individuals. From actors, , , , , and  to National Football League greats , , , , , and  to authors , , ,  and  to business leaders  (founder of ) and  (founder and former President and CEO of ). Actors, artists, astronauts, authors, cooks, musicians, sports figures and more, Mississippi has contributed significantly to America's culture.

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Miscellaneous topics
Children in the United States often count "One-Mississippi, two-Mississippi" during informal games such as to approximate counting by seconds.

The gets its name from a 1902 hunting trip to  by President  in which he refused to shoot a captured.

In 1936, of Rush Hospital in performed the first bone pinning in the United States. This led to the development of the "Rush Pin", which is still in use to this day.

The first woman Federal judge in the United States was Burnita Shelton Matthews of the Burnell community near. She was appointed by on October 21, 1949.

The first human lung transplant was performed in 1963 by Dr. James D. Hardy of the in. In 1964, Dr. Hardy performed the first heart transplant, transplanting the heart of a chimpanzee into a human, with some success. The heart continued to beat for 90 minutes.

Former astronaut and administrator of  is from. Educated in Mississippi and, Truly was in charge of reforming NASA (1989 to 1992) in the era immediately following the. He was the first former to head NASA.

The world-renowned takes place in  every four years.

was invented in in 1898 by Edward Adolf Barq, the namesake of.

The pledge to the State of Mississippi flag: "I salute the flag of Mississippi and the sovereign state for which it stands with pride in her history and achievements and with confidence in her future under the guidance of Almighty God."

Several warships have been named in honor of this state.

is home to one of two Mississippi-based professional ice hockey teams, the. The Sea Wolves are a minor league team based at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. The 's 1998-1999 Kelly Cup Champions return to the ice for the 2007-2008 season after a two-year hiatus due to Hurricane Katrina damage in 2005 at the Coliseum.

hosts the of the, who changed their name from the Memphis Riverkings after an online fan vote to select a new team name.