Jackson Free Press

Eric Stringfellow at the Ledger writes:

Shortly after his ouster as Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics director, Frank Melton pondered his future over lunch.

The former television executive admitted his heart was in law enforcement, but Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. and others had ignored him. "Guys like me need a reason to get up in the morning," Melton said.

Melton's decisive victory Tuesday was a huge step toward his likely next challenge: Running the city of Jackson.

Melton's remaining obstacle is Republican Rick Whitlow, a former television journalist who also worked in public relations at the state Department of Human Services. The two will face off in the June 7 general election.

Just as striking as Johnson's ouster was Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth I. Stokes' triumph. Stokes trounced three challengers to win a fifth term. Two other incumbent council members were headed into runoffs.

Election results suggest that voters have different standards for mayors and City Council members.

Full article here.

Previous Comments

ID

137443

Comment

I read this article already (my mom bought the paper, not me, and she just buys it on Wednesday for the sales ads), and I felt a little queasy afterwards. There was a lot of going back and forth in this article, just like a ship tossed at sea, which is why I got nauseous. He says Stokes is in, Brown is out, Cook is in, Moore is out. Then he ends with: "But more than anything, hope has returned to Jackson." I just don't think that there was no hope at all before May 3. He probably shouldn't have said that.

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2005-05-04T21:11:03-06:00