Pearl, Mississippi
Encyclopedia
Pearl is a city in Rankin County
Rankin County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 115,327 people, 42,089 households, and 31,145 families residing in the county. The population density was 149 people per square mile . There were 45,070 housing units at an average density of 58 per square mile...

, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The population was 21,961 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Jackson
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...

 Metropolitan Statistical Area
Jackson metropolitan area
The Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan area in the central region of the U.S. state of Mississippi that covers five counties: Copiah, Hinds, Madison, Rankin, and Simpson. As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 497,197...

.

Today, Pearl is a growing community across the Pearl River
Pearl River (Mississippi-Louisiana)
The Pearl River is a river in the U.S. states of Mississippi and Louisiana. It forms in Neshoba County, Mississippi from the confluence of Nanih Waiya and Tallahaga creeks. It is long. The Yockanookany and Strong rivers are tributaries. Northeast of Jackson, the Ross Barnett Reservoir is formed by...

, 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.

History

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 the state capital of Jackson
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...

 in Hinds County. Thereafter, growth in the area came from the urban expansion of the capital, control of flood threats from the Pearl River, accessible interstates and Jackson-Evers International Airport
Jackson-Evers International Airport
Jackson-Evers International Airport is a city-owned, public-use airport located in Jackson, Mississippi, five nautical miles east of the central business district of Jackson, across the Pearl River....

.

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 (28.5 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 C Atwood, 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.
  • The Pearl Municipal Separate School District was 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
    Cable television
    Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...

     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 of Hinds Community College
    Hinds Community College
    Hinds Community College is a community college with its main campus located in Raymond, Mississippi, about five miles west of Jackson, the state capital. The Hinds Community College District includes Hinds County, Claiborne County, part of Copiah County, Rankin County, and Warren County...

     opened in Pearl on July 1, 1983.
  • A Community Center is next door to City Hall. Its 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.
  • The Mississippi Braves
    Mississippi Braves
    The Mississippi Braves, or M-Braves as they are referred to locally, are a minor league baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson. The team is the Class AA affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, and plays in the Southern League. The team is owned and operated by Liberty Media, which...

     baseball team play in Trustmark Park in Pearl.
  • A 25000 sq ft (2,322.6 m²) library opened near City Hall on July 18, 2005.

Geography

Pearl is located at 32°16′19"N 90°6′19"W (32.271979, -90.105266).

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the city has a total area of 22 square miles (57 km²), of which, 21.8 square miles (56.5 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (1.00%) is water. Neighbors include Flowood
Flowood, Mississippi
Flowood is a city in Rankin County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 4,750 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Flowood is located at ....

, Brandon
Brandon, Mississippi
Brandon is a city in Rankin County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 16,436 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Rankin CountyBrandon is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...

, Richland
Richland, Mississippi
Richland is a city in Rankin County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 6,027 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Richland is located at ....

 and the state capital Jackson
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...

.

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
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 21,961 people, 8,608 households, and 6,025 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 1,005.9 people per square mile (388.4/km²). There were 9,128 housing units at an average density of 418.1 per square mile (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
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 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
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 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
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 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
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

 and Board of Aldermen
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...

. 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
Rankin County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 115,327 people, 42,089 households, and 31,145 families residing in the county. The population density was 149 people per square mile . There were 45,070 housing units at an average density of 58 per square mile...

 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
Central Mississippi Correctional Facility
The Central Mississippi Correctional Facility is a Mississippi Department of Corrections prison for men and women located in unincorporated Rankin County, Mississippi, near Pearl. The prison is the only state prison to hold female prisoners in Mississippi, in addition to minimum and medium...

 is in an unincorporated area
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...

 in Rankin County
Rankin County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 115,327 people, 42,089 households, and 31,145 families residing in the county. The population density was 149 people per square mile . There were 45,070 housing units at an average density of 58 per square mile...

, 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
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality is a state agency of Mississippi that oversees environmental quality of the air, land, and water in the state...

 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
Jackson-Evers International Airport
Jackson-Evers International Airport is a city-owned, public-use airport located in Jackson, Mississippi, five nautical miles east of the central business district of Jackson, across the Pearl River....

, located at Allen C. Thompson Field, at the Pearl city limits in the city of Flowood
Flowood, Mississippi
Flowood is a city in Rankin County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 4,750 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Flowood is located at ....

 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
Airport Parkway (Mississippi)
The Airport Parkway is a major highway development project in the Jackson, Mississippi, metropolitan area planned to connect Interstate 55 on the west, High Street in downtown Jackson, Mississippi Highway 25 , and Mississippi Highway 475 in Flowood at Jackson-Evers International Airport in the...

 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
Mississippi Highway 475
Mississippi Highway 475 runs north–south from Mississippi Highway 25 in Flowood, Mississippi to Mississippi Highway 468 in Pearl, Mississippi. In Pearl, it dead ends in the area known as Whitfield- Locales on route :From north to south...

 in Flowood
Flowood, Mississippi
Flowood is a city in Rankin County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 4,750 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Flowood is located at ....

 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
Interstate 55
Interstate 55 is an Interstate Highway in the central United States. Its odd number indicates that it is a north–south Interstate Highway. I-55 goes from LaPlace, Louisiana at Interstate 10 to Chicago at U.S. Route 41 , at McCormick Place. A common nickname for the highway is "double...

(I-55)
Runs north-south from Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

 through Jackson towards Brookhaven
Brookhaven, Mississippi
Brookhaven is a small city in Lincoln County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 9,861 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lincoln County...

, McComb
McComb, Mississippi
McComb is a city in Pike County, Mississippi, United States, about south of Jackson. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 13,644. It is the principal city of the McComb, Mississippi, Micropolitan Statistical Area...

, and the Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...

 state line to New Orleans. Pearl is roughly halfway between New Orleans and Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....

. The interstate connects to U.S. Interstate 20 in Jackson.

Interstate 20
Interstate 20
Interstate 20 is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I‑20 runs 1,535 miles from near Kent, Texas, at Interstate 10 to Florence, South Carolina, at Interstate 95...

(I-20)
Runs east-west from near El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...

 to Florence, South Carolina
Florence, South Carolina
-Municipal government and politics:The City of Florence has a council-manager form of government. The mayor and city council are elected every four years, with no term limits...

 and is the main interstate to Pearl. Pearl is roughly halfway between Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...

 and Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...

.

U.S. highways

U.S. Highway 49
Runs north-south from the Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...

 state line at Lula
Lula, Mississippi
Lula is a town in Coahoma County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 370 at the 2000 census.Lula was the birthplace of Dr. Ransom Myers , a renowned Canadian-based marine biologist/conservationist who published a seminal study on overfishing revealing the dramatic loss of nearly 90% of...

 via Clarksdale
Clarksdale, Mississippi
Clarksdale is a city in Coahoma County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 20,645 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Coahoma County....

 and Yazoo City
Yazoo City, Mississippi
Yazoo City is a city in Yazoo County, Mississippi, United States. It was named after the Yazoo River, which, in turn was named by the French explorer Robert La Salle. It is the county seat of Yazoo County and the principal city of the Yazoo City Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of the...

, towards Hattiesburg
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 44,779 at the 2000 census . It is the county seat of Forrest County...

 and dead ends at the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...

 in Gulfport
Gulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport is the second largest city in Mississippi after the state capital Jackson. It is the larger of the two principal cities of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. As of the...

. From Gulfport going north back towards Jackson, this highway ends at Pearl where it is bypassed via Interstate 20 to Interstate 220 (I-220)
Interstate 220 (Mississippi)
Interstate 220 in Mississippi is a loop around Jackson that provides an interstate connection for Interstate 55 and Interstate 20. The northern terminus for the route is in the northern suburb of Ridgeland, at Interstate 55 exit 104...

 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
Carthage, Mississippi
Carthage is a city in Leake County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 4,637 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Leake County....

 and Starkville
Starkville, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 21,869 people, 9,462 households, and 4,721 families residing in the city. The population density was 851.4 people per square mile . There were 10,191 housing units at an average density of 396.7 per square mile...

.

Mississippi Highway 475
Mississippi Highway 475
Mississippi Highway 475 runs north–south from Mississippi Highway 25 in Flowood, Mississippi to Mississippi Highway 468 in Pearl, Mississippi. In Pearl, it dead ends in the area known as Whitfield- Locales on route :From north to south...


This highway runs from Mississippi Highway 25 in Flowood, though Pearl crossing U.S. Highway 80 and ends at Mississippi Highway 468
Mississippi Highway 468
Mississippi Highway 468 runs from Mississippi Highway 475 in Flowood, Mississippi where it is known as Flowood Drive to Mississippi Highway 469 in Brandon, Mississippi...

.

Education

The City of Pearl's public schools are served by the Pearl Public School District
Pearl Public School District
The Pearl Public School District is a public school district based in Pearl, Mississippi .-Schools:*Pearl High School Built in 1989; Expansions* in 1997, 2003 and 2005...

 whose Board is appointed by the City of Pearl Board of Alderman.

Colleges and universities

  • Hinds Community College
    Hinds Community College
    Hinds Community College is a community college with its main campus located in Raymond, Mississippi, about five miles west of Jackson, the state capital. The Hinds Community College District includes Hinds County, Claiborne County, part of Copiah County, Rankin County, and Warren County...

     Rankin 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
No Child Left Behind Act
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is a United States Act of Congress concerning the education of children in public schools.NCLB was originally proposed by the administration of George W. Bush immediately after he took office...

, signed by President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

. 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 sports' teams have participated in and won many state and district championships such as Track & Field, Baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

, Soccer and Cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...

. 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.

Other organizations have also competed in state and district championships in Band, Choir, Dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....

, and Drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...

. The school's band is a worldwide known band. They performed in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, often shortened to Macy's Day Parade, is an annual parade presented by Macy's. The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States along with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, and four years younger than...

 in 1999. They won the 2008 Mississippi Indoor Percussion and are 2009 and 2011 5A state champions. They are the Pearl Pirate Band and have a partial reputation for performing at theme parks such as Disneyworld and Six Flags.

Private schools

  • Faith Academy - Grades Pre-kindergarten though 8 (served by the Mississippi Private School Association
    Mississippi Private School Association
    The Mississippi Association of Independent Schools is a consortium of schools in Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas. It is responsible for accreditation of its member private schools as well as governing athletic competition for its member schools....

    )
  • Park Place Christian Academy - Grades Pre-kindergarten through 12. PPCA graduates its first senior class in May 2012.

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 several United States Specialty Sports Association
    United States Specialty Sports Association
    The USSSA is a volunteer, sports governing body, non-profit organization based in Kissimmee, Florida. It was founded in 1968, originally in Petersburg, Virginia....

     Regional 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 miles (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

  • Tommy Aldridge
    Tommy Aldridge
    Tommy Aldridge is a veteran heavy metal and hard rock drummer. Aldridge is noted for his work with numerous bands and vocalists, most notable being Black Oak Arkansas, Pat Travers Band, Ozzy Osbourne, Gary Moore, Whitesnake, Ted Nugent and Thin Lizzy.Self taught, Aldridge was inspired by Cream,...

     - drummer
    Drummer
    A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...

  • Richard Barrett - lawyer, white supremacist, skinhead leader.
  • Justin Jenkins - NFL Buffalo Bills
    Buffalo Bills
    The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

     player
  • George Kersh
    George Kersh
    George Kersh is a former world-class runner and current high school running coach.-High school:While running for Pearl High School Kersh broke the national high school record twice in the 800m, with a best time of 1:46:58 on June 13, 1987. The record was broken in 1996 by Michael Granville of...

     - athlete
  • LeAnn Rimes
    LeAnn Rimes
    LeAnn Rimes is an American country/pop singer. She is known for her rich vocals and her rise to fame as an eight-year-old champion on the original Ed McMahon version of Star Search, followed by the release of the Patsy Cline-intended single "Blue" when Rimes was only age 13, resulting in her...

     - singer
  • Taylor Smith
    Taylor Smith
    Taylor 'Rustipher' Smith is a junior outfielder on the University of Washington's Division I softball team. She was a member of the team that won the NCAA 2009 softball national championship in Oklahoma City.-Personal life:...

    - American Rapper, Football player
  • Ty Tabor
    Ty Tabor
    Ty Tabor is the lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-lead vocalist for the progressive metal band, King's X....

     - singer, guitarist for King's X
    King's X
    King's X is an American hard rock band that combines progressive metal, funk and soul with vocal arrangements influenced by gospel, blues, and British Invasion rock groups. The band's lyrics are largely based on the members' struggles with religion and self-acceptance...

  • Eric Washington
    Eric Washington
    Eric Maurice Washington is an American basketball player.He was selected in the 1997 NBA Draft as the 48th overall pick by the Orlando Magic, and appeared for the Denver Nuggets during two seasons, from 1997 to 1999...

     - former NBA player

Professional sports


The Mississippi Braves
Mississippi Braves
The Mississippi Braves, or M-Braves as they are referred to locally, are a minor league baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson. The team is the Class AA affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, and plays in the Southern League. The team is owned and operated by Liberty Media, which...

or M-Braves, a Class AA minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...

 affiliate of the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....

 moved from Greenville, South Carolina
Greenville, South Carolina
-Law and government:The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976.-History:The area was part of the Cherokee Nation's protected grounds after the Treaty of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War. No White man was allowed to enter, though some families...

 to Pearl before the 2005 season. The M-Braves play in the Southern League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...

. The team had their first game in the brand new Trustmark Park
Trustmark Park
Trustmark Park is the home of the Mississippi Braves, Class AA affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and is located in Pearl, Mississippi, USA. The ballpark, which opened April 18, 2005, has capacity for nearly 7,500 fans. There are 5,500 chair-back seats in the reserved seating areas. The grass berm...

 on April 18, 2005, losing to the Montgomery Biscuits
Montgomery Biscuits
The Montgomery Biscuits are a minor league baseball team based in Montgomery, Alabama. The team is the Class AA affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays and plays in the Southern League. The 2004 season was the team's first in Montgomery...

.

High profile crime

  • On October 1, 1997, Luke Woodham went on a shooting spree that ended at Pearl High School
    Pearl High School shooting
    The Pearl High School shooting was a school shooting that took place on October 1, 1997 at Pearl High School in Pearl, Mississippi. The gunman, 16-year-old Luke Woodham , killed two students and injured seven others at his high school...

    , killing three and injuring 7.

  • White supremacist, Richard Barrett was found dead in his home on April 22, 2010 after his house was reported on fire. After discovering that Barrett had been stabbed, the death was ruled a homicide.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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