Parks Reopen

Parks all across the state are set to reopen this week.

Shot intro parks all across the state are set to reopen this week.

Many will follow social distancing guidelines and state mandated sanitation requirements... but regulating those orders is easier said than done.

Our cash matlock joins us live from propst park with more on the story.

Aundrea, on monday, governor tate reeves announced plans to reopen parks across the state by this coming thursday.

Some cities are taking their time deciding whether or not how to follow the governor's orders... other places like ackerman already have their parks open.

In september of 2019, ackerman unveiled a brand new recreational area dedicated to former mississippi governors j.p.

Coleman and ray mabus-- both ackerman natives.

For the past few weeks, the park has been closed..

Recently, the ackerman police department announced on their facebook page that the park is now open along with glasgow park.

"it's time for mississippi to go back to work.

It's time for ackerman to go back to work, and to not be afraid of a virus."

Mayor tim cutts says he'd be more concerned if he lived in a higher populated area.

"we're not new york city, we're not in the petri dish of the subway.

It's time for us to go to work, and what we've decided to do is open our parks, bring our people back and go to work.

That's what we do in ackerman.

We're not afraid of things.

Come to ackerman, you gone like what you see."

Cutts says enforcing social distancing at parks will be a challenge.

"we're not overly addressing that issue unless you're just hugged up on somebody, you know what i'm talking about?"

Instead, the city will be focusing on sanitization.

"wiping down things, making sure things are sanitary, but you know, the good lord pops that sun out.

That virus, if it doesn't have a host, it can't live, but we are sanitizing things."

The city even plans to open up recreational events, like the dizzy dean baseball league, for the summer.

"they're going to try and push that season, from what i'm hearing, to june and july.

So, we want everybody to know that ackerman is ready for business, so come on and bring your yougins."

Cutts says during this time, people need to get outside more.

"go to the park.

Enjoy yourself.

Stay away from other people, but throw the ball to your kid and have a ball."

Shot tag a few miles down the road in starkville, city officials say they have yet to decide whether or not to reopen their parks.