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Clarion-Ledger Drops Stringfellow Column After First Lady Flap

The Clarion-Ledger dropped Eric Stringfellow's column this week. He says it is because he wrote a column about first lady Michelle Obama's visit.
Gerard Manogin

2 comments

March 11, 2010

Eric Stringfellow, who has worked with The Clarion-Ledger as a writer or editor since 1982, revealed today that the executive editor of the paper, Ronni Agnew, has dropped his column. In an e-mail to Agnew, pasted verbatim below, Stringfellow accuses Agnew of dropping his column because he revealed that the paper had killed his column about first lady Michelle Obama's visit to Jackson. Agnew's short e-mail dismissing Stringfellow is also pasted below verbatim.

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» Gov. and Dems Play Blame Game
» Major Crimes Down; Up in Some Precincts
» JFP Person of the Day: Shahid Buttar
» Unemployment Tops 20 Percent in Four Counties
» Luckett, Candidate for Gov., to Speak in Jackson Friday
» Charters and Quasi-Charters

more breaking news »

Major Crimes Down; Up in Some Precincts

Major crimes in Jackson dropped 13.6 percent last week while some precincts saw an increase from the week before.
File Photo

by Ward Schaefer
March 11, 2010

Major crimes in Jackson dropped 13.6 percent last week, according to statistics released today at a Jackson Police Department command staff meeting. Officers reported 142 total property crimes, down from 168 the week before, and 29 violent crimes, down from 30 the previous week.
read more »

» Public Works, Private Profit
» JPD Investigating Officer for Michelle Obama Comments

27 comments
» Council Steps Sideways on Civilian Review

1 comment
» Friendship Ball Promotes Dialogue, Helps Kids
» Fondren Shooting Spurs Community Meeting

40 comments
» Fisher: Hinds Supes ‘Hiding’ In Executive Session

more city news »

Unemployment Tops 20 Percent in Four Counties

Mississippi's unemployment rate hit 12 percent in January, although first-time claims dropped.
File Photo

March 11, 2010

Nearly 155,000 Mississippians received unemployment benefits in January, with the state's unemployment rate for the first month of 2010 exceeding the national average. Four counties reported jobless rates in excess of 20 percent: Holmes and Noxubee counties both reported rates of 23.1 percent unemployment; Clay County reported 21.2 percent and Winston County 20.3 percent. The ...
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» Appropriations and Pole-Dancing
» Public Works, Private Profit
» Charters and Quasi-Charters
» Banking Locally

1 comment
» Lawmakers Debate Alternate Education Track

5 comments
» Nursing Homes and Overrides

more state coverage »

Talent in Full Bloom

Caroline Herring will perform songs from her album "Golden Apples of The Sun" at Hal & Mal's March 12 at 8 p.m.
Courtesy Caroline Herring

0 comment

by Chris Nolen
March 10, 2010

Caroline Herring labored to be heard over the garbled intercom chatter of an Atlanta lawn and garden store. It seems that she has a green thumb, and it's time to get seeds in the ground. Gardening, she says, is a treasured respite from the requirements of her career, the pressures of motherhood, and the hectic cycle of recording and touring.
read more »

» [Rob In Stereo] Growing Prince’s Sound
» No Overnight Sensation
» Grafting ‘New’ Branches
» [Herman’s Picks] Vol. 8, No. 23
» Precocious Strings
» Breaking Up is Hard to Do

more music coverage »

Alt.Bride

by ShaWanda Jacome
March 10, 2010

Chrissy Valentine, 31, grew up in south Jackson and graduated from Wingfield High School in 1996. Valentine was a serious tomboy growing up, and her grandfather was her best friend in the world.
read more »

» It’s Your Party
» Valentine’s Shopping Guide
» Memory Boxes
» [Hitched] Demetria Robinson and Christopher Thomas

3 comments
» [Hitched] Katie Shelt and Mason Stewart
» For the Love of Tea

view fly! blog »

[Food Facts] Eating in the Moment

Jaci Berkopec

by Greg Williamson
March 10, 2010

Eating healthy means different things to different people. My wife and I, for example, cook nearly every meal using as many fresh ingredients as possible. For us, this is ideal, but it can’t work for everyone. People who travel a great deal, have large families or crazy work schedules have to make choices, and a larger portion of their foods will come from ...
read more »

» Real Woman, Real Plan
» Not This, Not That

0 comment
» To Thine Own Self Be True—Transcending Your ‘Types’

1 comment
» Healing Forces

19 comments
» My Inner Buddha

0 comment
» Getting Your Zen On

view bodysoul blog »

Thursday, March 11

The Boston Camerata will perform at Millsaps College, Ford Academic Complex (1701 N. State St.) at 7:30 p.m. in the recital hall. $20; call 601-974-1422. ... Stop by the JFP Lounge at Sal & Mookie's Pi(e) Lounge (565 Taylor St.) between 6 and 10 p.m. This week, meet CNN Money producer Amy Haimerl. Free; call 601-362-6121, ext. 11. ... The D'lo Trio plays Americana at the Cherokee Inn at 6:30 p.m. Free. ... The Blues at Sunset Challenge Band will perform at F. Jones Corner from 8 p.m.-midnight. Free. … “God’s Architects,” a film about divinely inspired builders, is at the Southern Heritage Cultural Center in Vicksburg at 6:30 p.m. Free. The Boston Camerata performs at Millsaps College, Ford Academic Complex (1701 N. State St.) at 7:30 p.m. in recital hall. $20; call 601-974-1422. … Belhaven University Center for the Arts (835 Riverside Drive) features the Belhaven Voices Gospel Choir and the Voices of Praise Gospel Choir of Wartburg College-Waverly at 7:30 p.m. Free; e-mail dacomposer1980@hotmail.com. … Blues at Sunset Challenge Band will perform at F. Jones Corner from 8 p.m.-midnight. Free. … Dead Irish Blues is at Fenian’s, 9 p.m.
read more »

» Friday, March 12
» Saturday, March 13
» Sunday, March 14
» Monday, March 15
» Tuesday, March 16
» Wednesday, March 17

more best bets »

Mar 11, 2010 | 07:39 PM
[Collier] The Sweetest Taboo
DrumminD21311: How old are you? Are you hot? If so, I'll take you out. See, now you don't have an excuse, you just got asked out. If you don't fall in love with me, it's your own fault!!

Mar 11, 2010 | 07:35 PM
JPD Investigating Officer for Michelle Obama Comments
DrumminD21311: I have no problem running off Republicans. I'm not bipartisan like Obama. I wouldn't want to run off BubbaT though, as he is a staunch Obama supporter. ...

Mar 11, 2010 | 07:14 PM
[Collier] The Sweetest Taboo
nac.: Baquan2000--Honestly, besides the white guy, Trey, I kissed on the band bus on the way to a football game in the 11th grade, I think I scare white men more than I do black men. I'm not ...

Mar 11, 2010 | 06:47 PM
Clarion-Ledger Drops Stringfellow Column After First Lady Flap
ladd: Stringfellow also e-mailed this commentary that he made on his JSU show Tuesday night: And now the Empty Chair. As indicated earlier in the show, the ...

Mar 11, 2010 | 06:44 PM
Clarion-Ledger Drops Stringfellow Column After First Lady Flap
ladd: The spiked column is now added above. Also, for the record, the mayor's office said before the event that the mayor was invited to participate by the ...

Mar 11, 2010 | 06:00 PM
JPD Investigating Officer for Michelle Obama Comments
Walt: Y'all leave Bubba alone. It takes time to comprehend and accept the exodous of Barry Steve and Michelle from the field to the White House or Board Room. I mean we ...

Mar 11, 2010 | 04:58 PM
JPD Investigating Officer for Michelle Obama Comments
BubbaT: Drummin- LOL Me? Support Obama? LOL Wrong. Never. I take that back, if he came up with idea or policy I could support, I probably would on that issue, but so far ...

100 recent comments »

New water park/amphitheater in Madison County?

2 comments

golden eagle wrote: The buzz for the last couple of days has centered around a possible new development in the Gluckstadt area that would include a new water park and a 15k-seat amphitheater. A water park is a great idea. After all, we have to drive to Baton Rouge, Philadelphia and Collins to get to the closest parks. Having one here would keep some of those dollars closest to home.

The ...
read more »

» Crazy Mississippi attitudes towards the budget crisis

1 comment
» What Happened to Recess?

1 comment
» Tancredo: Obama Won Because of No Literacy Test

18 comments
» Loathing Las Vegas?
» A Fresh Dose of Ignorance

1 comment
» A Venue for Young Musicians?

12 comments

more community blog »

:: topstories

[Ladd] Ain’t That Something

10 comments

by Donna Ladd
March 10, 2010

Not long ago, Todd and I were downtown to see "Groovaloo" at Thalia Mara. As we walked to the car, an obviously homeless man walked up and respectfully asked us for money. Todd did what I've watched him do so many read more »

Appropriations and Pole-Dancing
The House and Senate agreed on a major appropriation bill last week, when negotiators came to terms on appropriations bill SB 2495, which restores $82 million to the Fiscal Year 2010 budget, including $37 million slated for K-12 public education. House and Senate negotiators reached an accord after Gov. Haley Barbour sliced more than $450 million from the 2010 budget.

Public Works, Private Profit
0 comment
If Mississippi hadn't provided $15 million in bonds and another $20 million in loan guarantees last January to Schulz GMBH to build its pipe factory, some other state would have. In today's economic market, "tax incentives" is the game state and local governments must play to lure big corporate players to put roots down within their borders.

[Editorial] Bring Development to Earth
Tea-partiers and fiscal conservatives make a lot of noise about how much citizens pay in taxes—income, property, sales and so forth—decrying any effort toward increased spending on health care or social programs.

[Stiggers] Whooty Whoot Time
Mr. Whooty Whoot Man: "Good morning! And welcome to the 'Mr. Whooty Whoot' television show. This program is brought to you by a tiny grant from the Poor Ghetto Children's Television Network. Additional funding is brought to you by the Ghetto Science Team's Community Stimulus and the Let Me Hold Five Dollars National Bank (L.M.H.F.D.N.B.).

[Your Turn] A Yankee Reporter in the Bible Belt
I drove 19 hours to get from New York to Mississippi. Nearly a dozen cans of Coke kept me from falling asleep and drifting into oncoming traffic. The only company in my Volkswagen was a bamboo plant sitting on the passenger seat. Each time I shifted gears, the plant's green leaves jolted forward.

[Collier] The Sweetest Taboo
8 comments
This past Valentine's Day I got two things: a single white rose—which every woman older than 18 received at church that day—and a card from my mother. That's it. No more. It's virtually impossible for it to have been less. That's the way things work when you're unattached.

[Editor’s Note] Happiness Worth Celebrating
2 comments
In my own relationship with an abusive man, "You're the best" turned fairly quickly into "I'm the only one who loves you," along with overt attempts to demonize my friends and isolate me.

more news »

:: jfpblogs

	White Sorority Wins Step-Off 20 comments This year, Zeta Tau Alpha won a step-off that was sponsored by Sprite. The footage was taken by an audience member, so the ...
	Help Youth Media Project! Here’s PayPal link for Friendship Ball! 2 comments It's time for another huge party in downtown Jackson. And this time, you can help the Youth Media Project grow and bring ...
	Social Media Mayhem As a 38-year-old, I am fairly new to this social media craze. MySpace was first and that was ok, but I still didn’t ...
	Anita’s 2010 Oscar Picks 2 comments The red carpet rolls out on Sunday, which happens to land smack dab in the middle of the International Documentary ...
	Bartered Souls and A Crooked Brow - Furrows’ Debut Album Review by Chris Nolen March 3, 2010 To Furrow is to, generally in a pained manner, wrinkle one’s forehead. This expression is ...
	A Place for Everyone 1 comment My husband Ray and I have been looking for ways to get involved in our community for quite some time now. It has not been ...
	Shutter Island: You Can Never Leave Shutter Island, Martin Scorsese’s suspense thriller, begins with the blast of a fog horn. It’s a warning, and I jumped in ...
	JFP on WLEZ Podcast for 2/25/10 2 comments OK, this is not really the podcast, but I'll put up a subscribe tool later today so that people can subscribe to this ...

more jackblog »

vol. 8, no 26	view "flip" version of this week's issue »
» Trust In Me It's bitterly cold and almost 11 p.m. when the white van stops under the highway bridge in South Jackson. Fifty yards from the road, there's a small campsite lit by the flames rising from an oil drum. For nearly 20 years, David "Twin" Womack has lived here, with a tent, a sleeping bag and a pair of shopping carts that he used to use to collect aluminum cans in the daytime.	» Colin Blanchard Colin Blanchard loves cycling so much that despite being hit by a car twice, he rides his bike every morning from his Belhaven home to his job at The Bike Rack on Lakeland Drive where he does bike repair and maintenance. Blanchard, 23, says that cycling is a huge part of his everyday life.

:: culture

A Legendary Tribute
"Ain't Got Long to Stay Here" is a 90-minute one-man show in which actor Barry Scott plays 12 characters with varying perspectives about the Civil Rights Movement.

» Dysfunctional Splendor

» Collection of a Lifetime

» A New Kind of Fabulous

more culture »

:: jfpsports

Records, Records, Records
“I always turn to the sports section first,” Earl Warren, the 14th chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court once said. “The sports page records people’s accomplishments. The front page has nothing but man’s failures.”

» [The Slate] The Best In Sports In 7 Days

» Ole Miss Still Searching For A Mascot

101

more sports »

:: food&drink

Luxe Leftovers
Shopping in my favorite specialty market recently, I stumbled upon an Asian foodie's grail: crispy whole Chinese-style duck. I enjoy relying on serendipity to deliver such delicacies into my path, and my prized possession rode in my lap on the way home, the way one cradles fresh eggs or delicate produce.

» Nice and Slow

» My Hero the Gyro

» Party Food, New Orleans Style

» Bowl of Red

more food & drink »

Michelle Obama visits Jackson

First Lady Michelle Obama (3.3.10) (WPB) (45 Of 97)

view this gallery | view all galleries

Jackson 2000 Friendship Ball - 3/6/10

Find more photos like this on LoungeList: Jackson’s Local Social Network

Photos from the Jackson 2000 Friendship Ball honoring Bishop Duncan Gray and Dr. Aaron Shirley. Proceeds benefit projects administered by Mississippi Youth Media Project, Parents for Public Schools - Jackson Chapter, and 100 Black Men of Jackson. Photos by Kip Caven.

:: recentcomments

Mar 11, 2010 | 03:08 PM
JPD Investigating Officer for Michelle Obama Comments
DrumminD21311: I guess BubbaT really does support Obama after all. We appreciate your support for the cause BubbaT.

Mar 11, 2010 | 03:01 PM
JPD Investigating Officer for Michelle Obama Comments
Mark Geoffriau: I can't imagine the relevance of Michelle Obama's weight (nor the weight of BubbaT's wife), but I'd be incredibly surprised if she was 120-130 ...

Mar 11, 2010 | 02:57 PM
The Commons: Continuity of Love
ladd: Agreed, deltabelle. The Commons' needs are crystal clear from this story. With any luck, they will now get the help they need.

Mar 11, 2010 | 02:33 PM
JPD Investigating Officer for Michelle Obama Comments
justjess: You know ButtaT the description you gave of your wife fits that of The First Lady, Mrs. Michelle Obama. She weighs around 120/130, has beautiful hair, has all ...

Mar 11, 2010 | 02:26 PM
JPD Investigating Officer for Michelle Obama Comments
baquan2000: Drummin D - that is a very interesting angle you provided on that, I couldn't agree with you more, in regards to negativity thrown towards the Obama's.

Mar 11, 2010 | 02:12 PM
JPD Investigating Officer for Michelle Obama Comments
BubbaT: DrumminD- actually I more impressed with a woman who has reddish blond hair,120lbish,got all her teeth,and a mother of 2 fine girls,very intelligent and strong ...

Mar 11, 2010 | 01:22 PM
JPD Investigating Officer for Michelle Obama Comments
DrumminD21311: One awesome thing about the Obamas that nobody comments on is that they are excellent bigot magnets. Wherever they go and whatever they do, the bigots ...

Mar 11, 2010 | 01:14 PM
JPD Investigating Officer for Michelle Obama Comments
DrumminD21311: Doesn't surprise me. I'm surprised it took so long for the comments to surface, and that there are not more! I'm sure most well-mannered hospitable ...

Mar 11, 2010 | 12:29 PM
[Collier] The Sweetest Taboo
baquan2000: Lori G - it's funny you brought the "business" photo up!? Me and my co-worker were just talking about guys that have done that @ that work place? It is shocking on how many fella's ...

Mar 11, 2010 | 12:09 PM
JPD Investigating Officer for Michelle Obama Comments
justjess: INTELLIGENCE: Just from a simplistic point of view, the word means one's ability to learn, to understand or to deal with new and trying situations. It is ...

Mar 11, 2010 | 12:06 PM
[Collier] The Sweetest Taboo
Lori G: Nat- Good Luck out there! I dated online for a while about five years ago. Both Match.com and Ehar-Money. Match.com matched me with a married man that said he wasn't married. And ...

Mar 11, 2010 | 11:33 AM
JPD Investigating Officer for Michelle Obama Comments
RobbieR: NewJack, shouldn't you embrace the diversity of BubbaT's opposing viewpoints, instead of asking him to leave the JFP and head to the CL. Doesn't sound very ...

Mar 11, 2010 | 11:07 AM
[Collier] The Sweetest Taboo
baquan2000: Nac - my recommendation, consider dating outside your race. Chris Rock said it best, "brotha's been dating outside their race for years." I dated everything in the book, had some ...

100 recent comments »

Clarion-Ledger Drops Stringfellow Column After First Lady Flap

Major Crimes Down; Up in Some Precincts

Unemployment Tops 20 Percent in Four Counties

Talent in Full Bloom

Alt.Bride

[Food Facts] Eating in the Moment

Thursday, March 11

New water park/amphitheater in Madison County?

[Ladd] Ain’t That Something

vol. 8, no 26

Michelle Obama visits Jackson

Jackson 2000 Friendship Ball - 3/6/10

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