Published: November 18, 2009 01:46 pm      

Pilgrim's makes $41,000 utility payment to city

The city of Live Oak has received a $41,000 check from Pilgrim's Pride as partial payment on a past due utility bill.

Mayor Sonny Nobles said Wednesday the chicken processing plant owed about $72,000 for natural gas that the city supplied the plant during November 2008.

Nobles said in January that he was fearful the city would have to write the debt off since Pilgrim's filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December 2008. Nobles said he now anticipates the city receiving the remainder of the debt in the near future.

"We are hopeful that they will continue to honor their debt," said Nobles.