HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) - A south Mississippi city is demolishing part of a church pastored by a man now in federal prison.
WDAM-TV reports that Hattiesburg began Monday knocking down a decayed building at Mount Carmel Baptist Church. The city is paying a contractor $340,000, with work expected to take 45 days.
City officials blocked a street adjoining the building in July, saying they feared for the safety of passers-by.
The Rev. Kenneth Fairley, Mount Carmel’s pastor, entered prison in February after being convicted of skimming federal money from a housing rehabilitation program. A political ally of former Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree, Fairley is appealing his conviction.
Fairley is imprisoned in Louisiana and scheduled for release in September 2019. Fairley was fined $30,000 and ordered to pay $60,000 in restitution to the federal government.
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Information from: WDAM-TV, https://www.wdam.com
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