Saturday, April 29
Friday, April 28
Oprah Crashes and Burns with Hiphop Artists 50 Cent and Ludacris
Read what 50 Cent and Ludacris have to say:
This is an interesting read, and I have to admit that from what I have seen on her shows, the artists interviewed have a point. Oprah, though I see her …
Rush Limbaugh Arrested on Drug Charges
WAPT is reporting that conservative talk darling Rush Limbaugh has been arrested:
Donna & Todd Present 'Southern Fried Karaoke'
Tonight. (Friday.) 9 p.m.-until. No cover. Hal & Mal's restaurant. Be there.
Thursday, April 27
Eagles 6, Dogs 3
Southern Miss beat Mississippi State 6-3 on Wednesday night to complete a sweep of the two-game series at Hattiesburg. A crowd of 5,177, the second-largest in Pete Taylor Park history, …
Brett Is Back (Yawn)
Brett Favre is going to play quarterback for the Green Bay Packers next season, like there was ever any doubt. Doctor S hails BF for coming back to break the …
Wednesday, April 26
Making The Nasty Good
I've been trying to ignore the pitiful looks and all-out begging from my 7th-grade Open Doors students (most of whom I taught last year as 6th-graders) all school year. I …
‘Batman' Speaks: The JFP Interview with Albert Donelson
The first time "Batman" called me, I had just arrived at Arts, Eats and Beats in Fondren. I ran into the stairwell so I could hear the soft-spoken man, 33, …
Mayoral Staffers to Respond to Ladd, Stringfellow
Three members of the Melton adminstration will visit the Charles Evers show Wednesday, April 26, at 8 p.m. to response to a discussion last week with Donna Ladd of the …
Just The Facts: A Reader's Guide to JFP Melton Interviews
The interviews with Frank Melton touch on several issues, names and events that are not explained fully in the text. Here are factual summaries about some of those issues, including …
Claritas and Hurricane Katrina
April 26, 2006 Claritas recently produced a census revealing that the Jackson metro area has taken in some 20,000 evacuees from Hurricane Katrina. This is 5 percent of Jackson's population, …
Billion Schmillion?
Jackson Mayor Frank Melton announced at the April 18 City Council meeting that about $1 billion in investments are on their way to Jackson.
The Best In Sports In 7 Days
College baseball, Millsaps vs. DePauw (10 a.m., Sewanee, Tenn.): The Majors play in the first round of the SCAC Tournament.
Arts On The Chopping Block
City budget woes have put after-school programs, funded through the Greater Jackson Arts Council, at risk. Revenue shortfalls have reached critical levels, and Mayor Frank Melton's budget revisions now jeopardize …
Melton Sues Over Own Leak
Jackson Mayor Frank Melton is suing The Clarion-Ledger for breach of contract, a story the Jackson Free Press broke on its Web site on April 18. Melton was head of …
30th Anniversary Edition "Fly Like An Eagle"
On June 27th, Capitol Records will release 30th Anniversary Edition Fly Like An Eagle by the Steve Miller Band. Fly Like An Eagle is one of the seminal rock albums …
Rocking Redhill City
Brandon indie rockers Red Hill City started their band in February 2005 and, after a year of shows, recording, mixing and remastering, recently released their 7-track CD entitled "Ill Attempts." …
Cops, Killers And Thugs
The world around you brightens into view. You're in a bathroom, somewhere. Something below you is pulsating slightly. You look down and find the corpse of a middle-aged man, and …
What We Have To Lose
It was with a great deal of concern that I emerged from reading Adam Lynch's story on the city's budget woes in last week's Jackson Free Press ("Bleak House," 4/10/06), …
[Greggs] You Total Slant
This week I was reading the news about Bush "shakin' up" the Cabinet by changing several key positions in the administration. Or rather, he decided to shuffle some people around. …
[Stiggers] Spinnin' Wheel
We return to America's favorite game show "Wheel of the Fortunate."
NAMIWalks for the Mind of America: Help me "Stomp Out The Stigma of Mental Illness"!
I am writing you today to tell you about an upcoming event that I am
I am participating for the third time because I am a member of NAMI, and I have struggled in the past with panic attacks, depression and suicide. Because of my …
Ben Barlow
After spending his first years out of college as a chef on a cattle ranch in Wyoming and a salesman in Colorado, Ben Barlow came back to Mississippi to try …
Tuesday, April 25
Orley Hood Riffs on Mayor of ‘Over There'
One of our Rankin County readers just alerted us to this lovely piece of pontification in the Rankin Ledger, courtesy of one of the "journalists" who cooed over candidate Melton …
Melton Joins Other Mayors in Effort to Curb Guns
The New York Times is reporting on the meeting of 15 mayors, including Jackson Mayor Frank Melton, in New York to figure out how to curb the flow of guns …
Monday, April 24
$11 Million Slated for Agencies, Bay St. Louis, Waveland
[Just in from Lott's office/vertim] WASHINGTON - Federal funding totaling more than $11 million is slated for Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts in Waveland, Bay St. Louis and includes federal assistance …
Sunday, April 23
C. A. Webb is proud to release his new novella DESTINY'S CHILD
Amanda, "The End Poet," hosts a poetry reading the first Saturday of
on Saturday, May 6, 2006 at 6p.m. He will be releasing preview copies of his new emotionally-charged novella DESTINY'S CHILD that evening. For details contact Amanda "End Poet"
Melton to File Another Lawsuit ... Against Donelson?
Mayor Frank Melton seems to be in a litigious mood this week. First, he filed a lawsuit against The Clarion-Ledger that many believe is frivolous (reported first by the JFP). …
Saturday, April 22
Surviving the Judas Kiss
SURVIVING THE 'JUDAS KISS' ON YOUR BUSINESS
He had worked hard for over three years. The work he had accomplished had gained him mixed reactions from those that he came in contact with. Some saw him as …
Friday, April 21
I Look Like WHO???!!!
A new (partially in beta) site, http://www.myheritage.com, offers the use of face recognition software to help in genealogical research. If you think that's interesting, they also offer a free face …
Thursday, April 20
[New Release] Chris Brown "Chris Brown"
Chris Brown — "Chris Brown" Hip, young, and fresh with an au natural touch to every song and every dance move, Chris Brown recently made his way onto the music …
Wednesday, April 19
[New Releases] Great Lake Swimmers "Bodies And Minds"
Great Lake Swimmers – "Bodies and Minds" (Misra, 2005) This album is less the kind of music you can sit down and listen to and more the kind of music …
[Music] Happy Hip-Hop
Over time, the hip-hop world has become a bit passive-aggressive when it comes to one of its main energy sources: the DJ. But young and highly ambitious go-getters like DJ …
‘I Am Not Drinking Merlot!'
I don't know if it's residual hype in the wake of the movie "Sideways," or if it's because the medical world has declared that red wine, especially from thin-skinned grapes …
No Easy Fix, Dang It
I no longer need an alarm clock. These days I can count on my body to wake me up in plenty of time to get an early start. But it's …
Not One But Many
Onion. It's almost a palindrome, a word that's spelled the same backwards and forwards, like did, dad, peep, mom. And we who enjoy sweet onions realize there's nothing oxymoronic there, …
Tony Davenport's Divine Right
"I always knew I could draw, but I didn't know what I wanted to do with it," 29-year-old Tony Davenport reflects as he looks off into the distance.
Bleak House: City Budget Goes From Bad To…Cuts
Jackson Chief Financial Officer Peyton Prospere painted a bleak picture for Jackson at the April 6 budget meeting.
Melton Draws Attention of A.G.
Attorney General Jim Hood told the Jackson Free Press that he has not opened a formal investigation into any possible lawbreaking by Jackson Mayor Frank Melton, despite headlines in the …
Leave Them Kids Alone
A new study from the National Youth Rights Association disputes the perception that teens are reckless behind the wheel. The study, which analyzed fatal traffic accidents in California from 1995-2004, …
Who Gets To Crown The King?
Melton told the Jackson Free Press that he plans to move ahead with an alternate group of investors for the King Edward Hotel renovation if work does not begin by …
Up In Smoke
City budget woes are keeping the heat on firefighters and stoking fiction between Interim Chief Todd Chandler and some firefighters.
A House Divided
Photo Brian Johnson
Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes called for the election of a new council president last week and thus the ousting of Ward 6 Councilman Marshand Crisler, who has occupied the …
Biden Buzzes, Bites and Brays
Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Delaware, will headline the April 22 Democratic Elected Officials Appreciation Dinner at the Jackson Trade Mart Building on the Mississippi Fairgrounds.
Federal Bill May Hike Insurance Bills
Attorney General Jim Hood said he was worried about a bill pending in the U.S. Senate taking insurance industry oversight away from state officials. More specifically, the legislation, authored by …
Jackson Takes Care of Business
Accounting firm KPMG of Charlotte, N.C., is listing Jackson as one of the most affordable metropolitan areas for business among 13 U.S. locations with populations between 500,000 and 1.5 million. …
The Best In Sports In 7 Days
High school baseball, MHSAA playoffs: The postseason begins. Expect a Jackson-area team to win Class 5A again. Check your local listings to learn when your favorite team plays.
Creaming The Messenger
Like so many Jacksonians, I have read Donna Ladd's interviews with Mayor Frank Melton with rapt interest. These interviews have provided an unprecedented portrait of Melton the man, and I …
[Grayson] I Was A Wood Street Girl
Typical sixth-graders aspire to become lawyers, doctors and professional athletes, but I was not your typical sixth-grader. I was raised on what came to be known as the worst street …
Just The Facts II: A Reader's Guide to JFP Melton Interviews
The interviews with Frank Melton touch on several issues, names and events that are not explained fully in the text. Here are factual summaries about some of those issues.
[Stiggers] Double-Dutch Church Bus
Rev. Cletus: "God bless ya! This is the Right Rev. Cletus, your transportation minister and car salesman, broadcasting live from Rev. Cletus Car Sales—home of the Double-Dutch Church Bus Express. …
[Kamikaze] A Wave Of The Finger
My hat is off to Cyrus Webb and ShadowPlay Entertainment for raising issues affecting the hip-hop nation recently. His Free2Flow Summit last week was an attempt to enlighten the public …
Bob Kochtitzky
Bob Kochtitzky, director of Mississippi 2020, has the gift of foresight. He can pick out warning signs years before the rest of society catches on, and he figured out ages …
Ladd's Barbara Blackmon Show Spot Re-Airs Wednesday
This show is re-airing on Public Access in Jackson Wednesday, April 19, at 7:30 p.m.
The Euston Manifesto
I signed this manifesto because, as anyone familiar with my posts knows, it reflects pretty much exactly what I've been saying again and again since 9/11. If you'd also like …
BREAKING: Frank Melton Sues Clarion-Ledger
Melton told the JFP Friday that he was planning to file a lawsuit against the paper.
April 18, 2006—Sources tell the Jackson Free Press tonight that Mayor Frank Melton has filed a civil lawsuit against The Clarion-Ledger for damages in the Hinds County Circuit Court. He …
Tuesday, April 18
Council Rejects Melton Budget; Stokes Drops Coup Effort
More details soon ...
Just got word that the City Council has rejected the Melton adminstration's new budget with its $3 increase in garbage fees. Also, Kenneth Stokes has withdrawn his coup attempt to …
Only 36% of Under-35 Mississippians Approve of Bush
The latest SurveyUSA poll is out and it shows overall job approval for Bush is at 36% in the nation; 61% of Americans disapprove of the job he's doing.
Monday, April 17
Saturday, April 15
ABC Poll: Tax System Unjust
According to an ABC Poll, nearly six in 10 Americans say that the current tax system is unjust, with 58 percent saying that the middle class bears too much of …
An Inspirational Easter Message from the Pope
Every Easter, His Holiness blesses us with profound and insightful words of hope. And despite the outcome of the recent Italian elections, which witnessed conservative prime minister Silvio Berlusconi--the Vatican's …
Friday, April 14
Glamour Shots
Well, I didn't break the camera, so I guess I'll share the pics with you. :-P
This Ain't Funny People! - Part Deux
This time, it's Fox's new reality show, "Unan1mous". I watched it a few times, and the direction the show was going bothered me immensely.
Thursday, April 13
BREAKING: Melton Responds to "Batman" Release
The man that Mayor Frank Melton admits being "obsessed" with has been released from jail tonight. He, along with brother Terrell Donelson and James Benton, were acquitted last week of …
Wednesday, April 12
June Pointer: 1953 - 2006
June Pointer, the youngest, and troubled, member of The Pointer Sisters, lost her life to cancer at the age of 52. Funeral arrangements are still being made.
ARTICLE: Cheney booed throwing out first pitch at baseball game
Yeah, I laughed a little when I read that too.
Blogger's Block
It's indecisiveness at it best, people...
Believe me, it's not that I don't have anything to blog about. I have TOO MUCH to blog about. Deciding which subjects would be best is the issue.
The Best In Sports In 7 Days
Pro baseball, Philadelphia at Atlanta (6:30 p.m., TBS/ESPN2/620 AM): The scum-of-the-NL Phillies call on the Braves.
A State of Friendship
The four talented musicians known collectively by the moniker "Charmed I'm Sure" gather in the confines of their provisional studio, secluded in the backyard of a Reservoir neighborhood. Russ Clark, …
The World Of Oblivion
Platform: XB360 | PC
A new age has arrived. It was bound to happen at some point. Yesterday's dreams of the next generation have become a reality. It wasn't abrupt, but gradual, over a …
The Gypsies of Jackson Theater
John Howell, 39, and his wife, Diana, 40, believe in the power of the stage. As co-founders of the Fondren Theatre Workshop, they've brought new and bold shows to community …
Cover
On The Road Again with Frank Melton
On Sunday, April 2, photographer Jaro Vacek and I went to Frank Melton's home on 2 Carters Grove to meet with the mayor's Mobile Command Center crew for a night …
Put The Pros On The Police Beat
As of this writing, Donna Ladd has spent at least 30 hours over two weeks with Mayor Frank Melton in interviews, phone calls, ride-alongs, press conferences and visits at his …
Gunning For Guns
In a new war on guns in Jackson, Mayor Frank Melton said Sunday that he is preparing an executive order outlawing gun shows in the city limits of Jackson.
'Batman' Acquitted; Melton 'Arrests' Own Witness
Last week saw a whirlwind of activity from Mayor Frank Melton surrounding the trial of three Wood Street Players—a group of alleged criminals that he calls his "obsession."
Students: We Want Our Black History
A clash between Murrah High School students and school administrators was diffused recently when the principal agreed to dedicate some school afternoon time and the school auditorium to the celebration …
The Golden Easter Egg
I stopped attending church years ago. I'll pause for the collective sharp intake of breath and prayer. It really had little to do with my belief in a higher power, …
You Can't Resist It–It's Electric!
G-SPAN (Ghetto-Science Public Affairs Network) presents highlights from the first annual Anegrophobia Racial Reconciliation and Diversity Conference. We now join guest speaker Dr. Coleman M'Pufu, renowned South African cultural anthropologist …
Letters
<em><b>Step Away From the Chicken Shack:</em></b>
I am interning with several adolescent populations here in Milwaukee, and many of the issues ("What's In a Gang?" March 9) touched on really resonated with what I see every …
Eddie Brown, Jr.
Chivalry is not dead, and some men still believe that real men can be gentlemen. Meet Eddie Brown Jr.
Melton Interviews, Part II Out; Ledge Suddenly Hot on Melton
Read Part II of Donna Ladd's JFP interviews with the mayor, plus a narrative of two Sunday nights in the Mobile Command Center. Online now.
Rebs Take Trophy Again
Ole Miss defeated Mississippi State 1-0 on Tuesday night in the 27th annual Mayor's Trophy Game. It was the Rebels' fifth straight victory in the series, which might have been …
Herman's Picks
Nothing screams a need for a weekend road trip or vacation like the coming of spring. Our current dissatisfactions with our daily jobs must surely stem from lone and breezy …
Tuesday, April 11
Recent CD Reviews
Adult.- "Gimmie Trouble." Adam Lee Miller and Nicola Kuperus are the brain and brawn behind Adult., a Detroit based retro-electro/dance punk unit that has released 2 LP's and several EP's …
Monday, April 10
Red Steel Screenshots!
Alright, I'm not sure if I'm allowed to do this, but I'm going to anyway. Nintendo's newest system is the Revolution, and they've been keeping it under wraps heavier than …
Velvets / Captain Beefheart DVD's Drop
Two new DVD titles in the "Under Review" Series are set for US distribution on DVD. The series will be released on April 15, 2006 and each DVD will boast …
JUST IN MONDAY: Key Witness Turns Self in to Melton
Monday, 9:30 p.m.: According to Mayor Frank Melton tonight, Christopher "Smiley" Walker turned himself into the mayor tonight and is now in custody. Melton refuses to publicly disclose Walker's whereabouts, …
Sunday, April 9
When Black Isn't Beautiful
All around us the message sent is clear: 'You have to drive or live in this to show off your success.' If you've "made it", society seems inclined to set …
C. A. Webb's first Webb Wednesday of 2006, April 12th
He has been preparing for this moment for nearly three months and now it's here...
Jackson,Mississippi's SPOKEN WORD ARTIST OF THE YEAR since 2005 (as voted by readers of the Jackson Free Press) is proud to announce that his first poetry reading of 2006 will …
Saturday, April 8
The Melton Tapes Go Live
Go hear it for yourself.
Part One of Donna Ladd's interview with Mayor Frank Melton is now live on the podcast page.
Friday, April 7
Later Guys, I'm Moving to Tamriel
Alright, I've had it with this stupid place. You can't steal silverware and weaponry and sell it at a local store, gates to hell that have to be closed to …
UPDATED: ‘Batman' and Gang Acquitted
Alleged Wood Street Players gang members Albert "Batman" Donelson, Terrell Donelson and James Benton were acquitted on charges that Albert Donelson ordered the murder of Aaron Crockett on May 10, …
Jackson 2nd in KPMG study
[Moved from forums - TS]
"A KPMG 2006 study backs up what Kaczkowski discovered for himself and ranks Jackson as one of the least-costly metro areas to do business among 13 locations in the U.S. …
Fun and Games: The Moral Matrix Test
The Moral Politics quiz is sort of like the Political Compass test, except that it focuses on more meaningful questions--and gave me what feels like a much more useful, accurate …
Thursday, April 6
McNair Locked Out
The Steve McNair era with the Tennessee Titans appears to have come to a sad and goofy end.
‘Free Speech' Moment at Bush Event
God bless this guy.
Someone got past the guards who keep Bush's public audiences W-friendly, stood up in a balcony with a microphone and offered a moment reminiscent of Norman Rockwell's "Freedom of Speech," …
Wednesday, April 5
The "Free2Flow" Hiphop Summit this Saturday
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT CONCERNING FREE2FLOW SUMMIT. For everyone who is making plans to attend the Free2Flow Summit on Saturday, I have some important news for you. The event was in the …
Batman and Melton Return
A showdown of sorts between District Attorney Faye Peterson and Mayor Frank Melton occurred on Monday in Circuit Court Judge Bobby DeLaughter's courtroom, during motions in the trial of alleged …
Just the Facts: A Reader's Guide to the Melton Interview
Donna Ladd's interviews with Frank Melton have been conducted in several meetings since March 23 in his office in City Hall, his home and around the streets of Jackson in …
Sunday In The Parking Lot With Bullets
A night of cruising went wrong Sunday night for two 21-year-old identical twins from Flora, when a bit of boisterous gun play left one of them dead and the other …
Welcome Home, ‘Ssippi
He calls himself Christopher "Ssippi" Wessman. An L.A. painter, cello player and bassist is back in town. Ssippi, a Jackson native, is here for a show to display his recent …
Renting South Jackson?
The Melton administration's conflicting opinions of proposed Jackson subdivision development projects have some South Jackson residents in a fury.
Training Schools Flunk
Students are prescribed anti-psychotic medication at 16 times the number of diagnoses, and mental health evaluation and counseling remain "grossly inadequate." These are but a few of the many ongoing …
The Mirror Within
Recently, I saw a marquee at a local retail establishment that read: If you want to correct your child's behavior, correct her example—you.
Jackson, ‘A Nice Stop'
It was fun while it lasted. Metro Jackson had two professional baseball teams in 2005, the Jackson Senators and the Mississippi Braves. Only the M-Braves are back this season. Sure, …
The Tastes of Spring
It's officially spring! Everything is starting to bloom, the grass is getting greener, the temperature is warming up, and I'm getting thirsty. This is the perfect time of year to …
Who Are The Conservatives?
Attend, if you will, to these numbers on discretionary spending in the first five years of two-term presidents.
The Best In Sports In 7 Days
Pro baseball, Huntsville at Mississippi (7 p.m., Pearl, 930 AM): The M-Braves' season opens in the T-P's friendly confines.
The World Of Oblivion
Platform: Xbox360 | PC
A new age has arrived. It was bound to happen at some point. Yesterday's dreams of the next generation have become a reality. It wasn't abrupt, but gradual, over a …
Why Buy Jackson?
Once again, an abundance of commentary has surfaced regarding the decline of Jackson, along with the local pundits' sometimes eccentric explanations of the Capitol City's current afflictions.
[Stiggers] Y Tu Abuela Tambien
Nurse Tootie McBride speaks to immigrant workers during a special missionary trip at the United States/Mexican border.
Mississippi: Stop Honoring White Supremacists
There's an ongoing debate over whether to recommission the Jackson-Evers International Airport as the Medgar Evers International Airport, but I'm more worried about the names that we're already commemorating.
[Kamikaze] Hamster On A Treadmill
I've been intrigued reading some of the posts on the JFP Web site in response to the New York Times story "Plight Worsens for Black Men." Although I didn't need …
Ebony Gee
"There's nothing to do in Jackson." This is one of the most common complaints and misconceptions echoed all-around our bold new city, and Ebony Gee, 23, grows more determined to …
Tuesday, April 4
Now Online—The JFP Interview with Frank Melton
The wait is over. Almost. Frank Melton's JFP Interview. Part I.
Jackson Assoc. of Black Journalists Community Workshop
This message is from Joyce Brewer, the President of the Jackson Assoc. of Black Journalists:
Don't miss this upcoming media workshop where you can meet the journalists who cover the Jackson area.
Former D.A. Ed Peters to Prosecute Nudity Cases
Just in/verbatim from city:
At the request of the City Attorney, Sarah O'Reilly-Evans and pursuant to court order, former Hinds County District Attorney Ed Peters will begin prosecution of the January 29th cases involving …
