By Rita Howell

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks will dedicate the new headquarters building at the Charles Ray Nix Wildlife Management Area near Sardis on Thursday which has been declared “Charles Ray Nix Day” by Gov. Haley Barbour.

The facility is named for the former Panola County state senator and wildlife conservation advocate.

The public is invited to the dedication and open house at 2 p.m. This recently completed facility measures 2,470 square feet and features a community room, seating 75. The building has an office, staff bunk room, kitchen, and public rest rooms.

Speakers at the dedication will include Rep. Joe Gardner, Dr. Sam Polles, executive director of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks; Sen. Charles Pittman (ret.) from the governor’s office, and Judge Charles Pickering Sr.

The public is invited to the ceremony.  

Nix served in Mississippi senate from 1972-1988.

Nix served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War, farmed and worked with the  Batesville/South Panola Chamber of Commerce and Panola County Development Foundation from 1988-1996. He and his wife Patricia have been married for 56 years and have two sons and a daughter. They live in Batesville.

“We’re excited about the completion of this new public facility which will serve Mississippians, and especially the people of Panola County. We are grateful to Senator Charles Ray Nix for his lifetime of public service and dedication to public hunting and fishing” said Dr. Sam Polles, Executive Director, of the MDWFP.

(See related story on page A12.)

Directions to the Charles Ray Nix Wildlife Management Area: From Sardis take Highway 315 West to Old Panola Road. Turn south on Old Panola road and travel to Davis Chapel Road. Turn west on Davis Chapel Road and follow to the WMA entrance.