Gulfport mayor proclaims Suicide Prevention Month; city honors Postal Service anniversary and lists fall events

Mayor Hugh D. Keating opened the Gulfport City Council meeting by reading a mayoral proclamation designating September 2025 as Suicide Prevention Month, citing national trends and urging residents to learn warning signs and seek help. "I, Hugh D. Keating, Mayor of Gulfport, do hereby designate September 2025 as Suicide Prevention Month on behalf of the city of Gulfport," he said.

The council also presented a proclamation honoring the United States Postal Service on its 250th year of service. George Collins, president of the Mississippi Postal Workers Union, and Dwayne Boggs, plant manager at the Gulfport postal facility, accepted the proclamation and presented the mayor with commemorative stamps and a pin honoring the anniversary.

Mayor Keating used the meeting to promote several upcoming community events, including the Gilford (Gulfport) Arts Festival (Saturday), a Heart Walk in Jones Park, and the 'View the Cruise' car-show events in early October — noting the cruise events' significant economic impact for the coast and asking residents to attend.

Next steps: Council encouraged residents to participate in awareness activities for Suicide Prevention Month and community events; the administration did not announce specific new local suicide-prevention programs at the meeting.