Monday, June 30
Paul Minor Appeals Bribery Conviction
The Sun Herald is reporting that attorney Paul Minor, who is serving a 12-year prison term on bribery charges Congress is investigating as a possible political persecution by Republicans, has …
Frank Melton
BREAKING: Melton Hasn't Reported Home Addition
Jackson Mayor Frank Melton has not been paying taxes on a large home addition to his northeast Jackson house for several years, according to a Hinds County Tax appraiser. "We …
Lawyers File New Appeal for Condemned Man, Citing ‘Sham'
Phelps Dunbar attorney James Craig released the following statement about the appeal of death-row inmate Dale Bishop:
Friday, June 27
FOX News is the Media Scum of the Earth
Check this out. While conservative blog-queen Michele Malkin was talking about how it's fine to criticize Michelle Obama as long as people don't take "cheap shots," FOX News was flashing …
Poll: Six Points Separate Obama and McCain in MS
Given the nearly 20 points that separated Bush and Kerry in the 2004 elections, the 6 point differential recorded by Rasmussen in its latest 2008 Presidential polling is remarkable. Sen. …
Thursday, June 26
Did MSNBC Ad "Hoochify" Michelle Obama?
Yes, I made that word up. Anyway, according to the Huffington Post, a "Hardball with Chris Matthews" ad about an upcoming segment on Michelle Obama's political image makeover was pulled …
The Medicaid Compromise?
Administrators from two hospitals that have a no-refusal policy regarding patient admittance warned House members today that a hospital bed tax proposed by Gov. Haley Barbour will force cuts in …
Baseball: M-Brave Throws No-hitter
Tommy Hanson throws the first no-hitter in Mississippi Braves history.
Basketball: Bulldogs Await Call
Jamont Gordon prospect profile
Two Mississippi State players hope to hear their names called in Thursday night's NBA Draft.
Wednesday, June 25
Feature
The Brians, Ryan and Afrika!
"Step Afrika! is back," sounded from the dark stage, echoing to the back walls of the Rose E. McCoy Auditorium at Jackson State University Saturday night.
Talk
Old Wound Still Bleeds On Farish
Money, by far, is the most daunting of the countless little plagues haunting the development of the Farish Street Entertainment District.
College Football: Trouble Dogs Johns
The case of Alabama linebacker Jimmy Johns of Brookhaven just keeps getting weirder.
Cooking
Summer Love
A friend once told me that her dad loved fresh corn so much that he would not pick an ear of corn until he had the water boiling.
Music
Making Things Spontaneously Combust
If one thing is to be said for Mississippi rock outfit Colour Revolt, it's that they're a band on the rise. As Jackson Academy students, friends formed the band Fletcher, …
Music
[Herman's Pick] Vol. 6, No. 41
It's been some time since a Sub Pop artist has been to Jackson. This Wednesday night (July 2), Los Angeles experimental duo No Age will be stopping in at 121 …
The Best In Sports In The Next 7 Days
Southern League baseball, Birmingham at Mississippi (7:05 p.m., Pearl, 1590 AM): It's Thirsty Thursday and Mosquito Awareness Night at Trustmark Park.
The Wrong Kind of Daddy
Mayor Frank Melton is at it againmaking big promises to kids who need help, while setting a very poor example for them.
Frank Melton
Jobs-Gate Continues
Jackson Mayor Frank Melton vowed to divert young people to 70 vacant positions in the Public Works Department last week and recommended the city act as a job placement agency …
Art
Tobacco Tout Out of Touch
Anti-smoking group Communities for a Clean Bill of Health released a poll this week revealing Mississippians' support for a $1 cigarette tax increase over Gov. Haley Barbour's proposed plan to …
Talk
Seeds of Community
Surrounded by brick and mortar in Casey Elementary is an organic oasis. As I approach the garden, an army of ants enters and leaves its bed only to disappear into …
Education
Dropout Dropping Off
Mississippi has a problematic history with high-school dropout rates, often ranking near the bottom of the state roster for high-school completion. But last week, the Mississippi Department of Education shared …
Levees Now or Floods Later
Steady rain across Middle America swamped cities and rural communities in Iowa this month. The flooding has killed more than 20 people since May, displaced more than 40,000 and caused …
Vol. 6, No. 41
Like Medgar, Be the Change
Like Medgar, Be the Change Forty-five years ago, Medgar Evers became one of the first in a long line of modern civil rights martyrs whose lives were sacrificed for a …
[Hales] The Spirit of Revolution
Eleanor Roosevelt once said that we have to face the fact that either all of us are going to die together, or we are going to learn to live together; …
Jacksonian
Bob Davidson
"My first love is the law. My second love is music," says Bob Davidson, 59, sitting in his office at the Mississippi Capitol Building.
Cover
A Fighting Chance?
Oct. 20, 1992. Naked Madonna is all over the dance studio. In one corner, she's straddling a fish. In another, she's kneeling in the surf and leaning against a bike.
Tuesday, June 24
Don Imus - Back at it again
Surely you've heard about Imus' latest racial episode. This time, he commented on Adam Jones (who doesn't want to be referred to as PacMan anymore). Mr. Imus made reference to …
Poll: 80% Prefer Tobacco Tax Hike Over Barbour Plan
Sources tell the Jackson Free Press that a new poll by the anti-smoking group Communities for a Clean Bill of Health finds that 80 percent of Mississippians polled preferred an …
Clothing Needed for Laid-Off Workers
The Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance is asking for donations of clothing for immigrant workers recently laid off in Scott County, possibly as a result of a new anti-immigrant law passed …
NFL: Saints Set Camp Schedule
The New Orleans Saints will report to Millsaps College for training camp on July 23.
Monday, June 23
The Sign Stealer
I don't vent very often here, but I have got to get this out of my system.
On Saturday morning, I got up at 4:30 AM to help my mom prepare for a garage sale that was to start at 6 AM. She decided to have it …
Hood Wants Execution Date for Dale Leo Bishop
[Verbatim from Attorney General Jim Hood] Jackson, MS- Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood filed a motion with the Mississippi Supreme Court today requesting an execution date for Dale Leo Bishop …
‘Oh, Please Just Shoot Me'
Rep. John Mayo, D-Clarksdale, smirked at the The Mississippi Hospital Association's recent refusal to submit a report to Gov. Haley Barbour of possible Medicaid cuts to hospitals last week. "Apparently …
Friday, June 20
State Diverting Katrina Funds Away from Housing
With 6,000 people still living in FEMA trailers on the Coast, Mississippi officials are diverting Katrina funds away from needed housing, the Associated Press reports:
Hmmmm…‘Frank Was Right'?
The Jackson Free Press received an anonymous letter (PDF) apparently sent to a variety of media and local churches this week. The letter called on churches, in particular, to do …
Will it still be called the "White House?"
If you are interested in how bad things will get, this is a pretty good indication.
The national news media is not really covering this story, but at the recent Texas GOP convention a vendor sold racist buttons with the quote "If Obama wins, will it …
Football: Jeremy Bibbs Seeks Third Chance
Jeremy Bibbs wants to play football again. Frank Melton wants to help.
Thursday, June 19
Melton Protégé Pleads
Mayor Frank Melton says he will be waiting for Michael Taylor to get out of prison, probably before he is 21. "He is too good of a kid to give …
So, Does This Mean Bennett Will Walk?
So, it is possible that Mayor Frank Melton has fibbed againthis time about the suspect in the Memorial Day shooting confessing to him on tape. The D.A. doesn't have the …
Wednesday, June 18
Monitor Melton's Mentoring
Mayor Frank Melton's eleventh-hour call this week for the city to pay $1 million for young people to work for private businesses should put a vital issue front and center …
Awards, Web Sites and Special Pubs
Every so often I've just got to catch y'all up on what's going on with the Jackson Free Pressit seems like June is often one of those months.
Fly
Swell-O-Phonic
Whatever you do, don't call Swell-O-Phonic a skate shop; and definitely don't ask owner Chane, 38, his first name (Ron).
Books
Tracking the Past
"Pelican Road" by Howard Bahr (MacAdam Cage, 2008, $25) is the story of a railroad man and his cohorts who work the rail lines between Meridian, Miss., and New Orleans.
CONTROL Issues
As an American over the age of six, I understand that the answer to why Hollywood does anything is almost always "money."
Music
College Town Boy
"College town boy, get off your ass and do something," Dent May croons with a bit of humorous mockery and disdain.
The Best In Sports In The Next 7 Days
Pro basketball, Los Angeles Lakers at Boston in NBA Finals (8 p.m., Ch. 16): If the Celtics don't take care of business Tuesday, this game will decide who rules the …
Talk
Supervisors Split on Tax Hike
The Hinds County Board of Supervisors heard department heads' budget requests June 13. What they got was a long list of numbers that the county likely will not be able …
Education
Parents Chastise Chastain
As cars rushed by the corner of Pascagoula and President Streets June 17, it seemed like a normal day in downtown Jackson. But if you looked closer, it wasn't for …
Columbia Training School Removes Last Girls
After years of documented abuse and consequent lawsuits, Columbia Training School is finally closing its doors to troubled girls.
Talk
State Farm Pulling Policies
State Farm Insurance and Casualty Company said that it plans to pull home-insurance policies from part of the Gulf Coast. The decision leaves many current and potential homeowners, who live …
Old School Rappers Blame SouljaBoy for Killing Hip Hop
So, the latest uproar in hip hop is that Ice T and other rappers who reigned during a time when rap was extremely hard core and aggressive are blasting new …
[Sue Doh Nem] Economic Cold Front
Boneqweesha Jones: "This is your Ghetto Science Team Weather Channel, bringing you news about the weather and climate affecting financially challenged people living in economically challenged times.
[Kamikaze] Rapper's Ghanaian Delight
Faithful fans of my column knew of my now-infamous trek to the Czech Republic last summer. When I returned from what was, for me, a life-changing experience as an artist …
[Queen] Sweet Home Mississippi
I haven't always appreciated being a Jacksonian. I moved to New York City as a young girl, and it was difficult to admit that I was from Mississippi. I was …
Jacksonian
Eddie Parker
Eddie Parker's future could not look any better. Parker, 17, and a native of Flowood, is a rising senior at Murrah High School and newly elected governor of this year's …
Cover
Travis Childers Unplugged: The JFP Interview
Within 63 days, Travis Childers went from being a former Prentiss County chancery clerk to one of the biggest butt-pains the Republicans have experienced in 15 years.
NFL: Javon Walker, Is That Your Final Answer?
Javon Walker provides a credibility-straining account of what happened to him in Vegas.
Tuesday, June 17
Frank Melton
Melton's Million for Youth Jobs Fails
Even as hundreds crowded into City Hall Tuesday night, called to turn out by Mayor Frank Melton, the Jackson City Council failed to support the mayor's last-minute summer job program …
Melton Protégé History Complicated
Mayor Frank Melton says he will be waiting for Michael Taylor to get out of prison, probably before he is 21. "He is too good of a kid to give …
Farish Financial Woes 'Over'?
King Edward Hotel developer David Watkins may step in to help overcome financial speed bumps the Farish Street Entertainment District has suffered, according to Downtown Jackson Partners President Ben Allen. …
Upper Level Closed, Temporarily
Chancery Court Judge Dewayne Thomas granted the city's request to temporarily close the Upper Level nightclub on Monday, calling the club a "public nuisance." "The court finds that the activities …
Barbour: No! Don't Mingle Tobacco Taxes and Medicaid!
[Verbatim from Gov. Haley Barbour] While an increase in tobacco taxes to fund Medicaid is being talked about, no such proposal has passed either house of the Legislature during the …
Monday, June 16
Music
Oh, Doyle Rules: Jubilee!Jam
So Jubilee!Jam was off the chain, right? You spent Sunday recovering either from all the beer and noise or the regret of not showing, and now here you are at …
Ledger Staffer Swipes at Obama's Daughter
... and for what? Because she was reading during one of her father's speeches. Marcela writes:
Sunday, June 15
Visit the Civil Rights Digital Library
Would you like to be able to view actual photographs, documents and file footage from the Civil Rights Movement from one central location? Well, you can do that without leaving …
Melton Recruiting Young People; Wants $1 Million
WAPT reported yesterday that Mayor Frank Melton wants a last-minute approval from City Council for $1 million for summer youth jobs. WAPT:
Are Hillary's ‘Angry White Women' Going to Bolt for McCain?
I've been having a little trouble believing that myself, but it's one of those media narratives that the cable channels can't let go. Frank Rich at the NYTimes goes ahead …
Saturday, June 14
Politics
Making Peace Over Medicaid?
http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/v3/images/uploads/McCoy2_small.jpg
Friday, June 13
JAM Continues Tonight
http://www.jubileejam.com/schedule.html
JAM continues despite the rain yesterday and warm, but thankfully drier, weather today. Sponsored in part by the Jackson Free Press. Tickets are $28 for one day at the gate. …
Thursday, June 12
NPR Listeners Dissect, Unload on Mississippi
NPR's Bryant Park Project did a piece yesterday about segregated school proms in Charleston, Miss. (a piece that was inspired by Kamikaze's column in the Jackson Free Press on the …
Wednesday, June 11
Jacksonian
Bryan Owen
Music has always been a strong force in Rev. Bryan Owen's life, thanks largely to the influence of his acoustic guitar-playing father.
Living Within Your Means
"Live within your means," a female voice forcefully asserted over the radio waves one morning as I was making the daily commute from Jackson to Clinton for class.
Bank Problems Mire Farish Project
A local bank has refused to clear Performa Mississippi LLC for loans totalling $3 million to finance Phase 2 of the development of the Farish Street Entertainment District.
Not Enjoying Democracy
Today, the country that was founded on "no taxation without representation" contains a capital whose residents have no representation, but plenty of taxes.
Talk
Medicaid Ultimatums
Legislators are digging in on both sides over Medicaid during the quiet days preceding the June 26 reconvening of the special session.
Feds Backing Down
An allegedly unjust house of cards built by the Bush administration and the U.S. Department of Justice, detailed in a Jackson Free Press cover story last week, seems to be …
Capitol
'Seismic' Dems
Mississippi Democrats showed confidence and optimism at a state convention on Saturday, and heard from speakers whose sentiments mirrored their own.
Rally Behind Farish Street
Farish Street remains an eyesore almost 10 years after Memphis-based Performa Real Estate decided to turn it into an entertainment district.
[Sue Doh Nem] First Bump of Hope
Brotha Hustle: "Get ready! Get ready! Get ready for the Hustle Summer '08 Educational Enrichment Series. Classes will be held at the Clubb Chicken Wing Multi-Purpose Complex.
[Hightower] Rabbit Hole of Voter Fraud
At last, politicians are addressing the infuriating issue of election fraud.
[Bahr] Little Flags
In the summer of '62, my grandfather was dying in the Biloxi, Miss., V.A. hospital, so Grandmother and I would ride over there every day to visit. As the city …
Music
Southern-Fried Hip-Hop
Memphis, Tenn., has always been considered a musical Mecca. From Elvis to B.B. King, the city has been linked with legendary musicians.
Jam To These Beats
ZZ Top
Jubilee!JAM Strikes Back! We've highlighted some of this year's top acts, including the most recognizable pairing of ridiculously long beards since Moses met his reflection in the Red Sea. For …
Cover
2008 Artists to Watch
Music is constantly evolving, and so is the southern landscape that produces so many young new artists. Here are eight up-and-coming musical acts to keep an eye on.
Music
Vinyl Heaven
There's nothing like the warped buzzing sound that radiates through a room just before you drop the needle down onto a vinyl record.
Music
Hometown Girl
On a rarely cool Mississippi summer evening, a congregation quietly gathers in St. Andrew's Episcopal Cathedral.
Spend the Day With Dad
Let's be honest: Dads kick ass. Who else could teach us the ways of the world (or at least those involving pyrotechnics, bikes, cards and fishing lures) so deftly and …
Fly
Kats Wine Cellar
Walking the impeccably arranged aisles of Kats Wine Cellar, one can't help but notice the descriptors: vibrant, energetic, balanced, structured, alive, elegant yet down-to-earth.
Books
Postcard to the Future
With a skinny tie and sassafras root 'round his neck, Seth Ballard Sr., the last of the Mississippi Herb Doctors, looks out serenely from a photograph on page 37.
Green Girl
A Craftier Shade of Green
Green Girl recently found herself roaming the aisles of the fabric store. She hoped to find eco-friendly options for making a patchwork baby quilt for Junior Green Girl. She was …
Music
[Herman's Pick] Vol. 6, No. 39
It's central Mississippi's biggest outdoor music festival, Jubilee!JAM this Friday and Saturday.
The Best In Sports In 7 Days
Pro golf, U.S. Open (10 a.m., ESPN): Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are paired for the first two rounds of golf's top torture test. It's going to be very chilly …
Back from Philly, Whew
Todd and I got back yesterday from the AAN national convention in Philly (Pa., not my Mississippi hometown). It's good to be homewhere it's actually cooler than it was in …
Tuesday, June 10
College Baseball: The Polk Backlash
Former Mississippi State baseball coach Ron Polk is still pissed.
Monday, June 9
Politics
FEMA Aid in Reach
While Jackson residents may have received denial letters from FEMA in the weeks following the April 4 tornadoes and storms, they may still be able to get aid. Some residents …
Parents at Chastain Middle School are FED UP!
Kudos and accolades to the parents of Chastain Middle School who have said enough is enough. In addition to the school's embarassing administration, the students at Chastain are allegedly having …
No New Stadium in Jackson
The Clarion Ledger has a story about the recommendations from a recent study of the Veterans Memorial Stadium which suggests that we should build a new stadium.
Sunday, June 8
AltWeekly Winners Announced; JFP Walks With Two ‘Firsts'
This Saturday, the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies and Medill School of Journalism announced the winners of the 2008 AltWeekly Awards at its national convention in Philadelphia, Pa. Top winners were …
The Perils of Hillary as Veep Choice
It comes as no surprise to me that polls are showing a mixed blessing were Barack Obama to choose Hillary Clinton as his running mate, as her supporters are pressuring …
Friday, June 6
Baseball: MSU To Hire Cohen
Mississippi State is expected to announce the hiring of John Cohen as the school's new baseball coach on Saturday
Thursday, June 5
Baseball: Rebels Go In Draft
Three Ole Miss players were selected Thursday in the first two rounds of the MLB first-year player draft. Right-handed pitcher Lance Lynn was taken by the St. Louis Cardinals in …
Center for Violence Prevention In Need
The Center for Violence Prevention is in urgent need of car seats. If you have a car seat that you are no longer using or would like to donate a …
FLY Wedding
Mad Hot Matrimony
Welcome to oppressive heat, summer vacation and the wedding season! Here at [FLY], we think your wedding should be nothing short of, well fly! So we've dropped a few tips …
USM Adds 5th TV Game
You will be seeing the Southern Miss football team on TV a lot this fall.
Wednesday, June 4
Stand Up, Jackson
A local business owner said to me recently, "If they could stop the Klan, we can stop this." I looked at him, and something snapped for me, and I felt …
Crime
Seale Wants Freedom
The flawed record of Dr. Stephen Hayne was at issue when James Ford Seale took his 2007 conviction before the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals this week.
Talk
Lettuce Goes Vegan
It's not surprising that 100 people would flock to the sight of two women wearing nothing but lettuce bikinis. But last Wednesday, May 28, it seemed that the majority of …
Talk
Greenwood Officer Resigns
Amid pressures from his department, Greenwood police officer Casey Wiggins resigned from the police department on May 16.
Talk
Voter ID Out of the Court
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals took Mississippi's voter ID debate out of the courtroom May 28, overturning a ruling that would have forced Mississippians to register, or re-register …
Talk
Barbour Plays Medicaid Hardball
The legislative debate stalled over Medicaid this week, with solution reached on where to get $90 million to fund the state health-care program.
Focus on the Blatant Criminals
Hinds County Chancery Court Judge Dewayne Thomas may offer a decision on the city's temporary restraining order against the Upper Level Club this week, possibly paving the way for a …
[Sue Doh Nem] 'Deeper In Debt
Nurse Tootie McBride: "Members of the financially challenged community: We're gathered today, across from Mr. Habib's Convenience Store and Gas Mart, to speak out against the domino effect of rising …
[Kamikaze] Entertaining and Non-Threatening
Who dares hurl stones at the throne? The seemingly impenetrable vessel has taken on some water, and all hands are on deck with buckets. The Empress of All Media is …
[Hutchinson] White Women Are Punishing Obama
What started as a trickle of puzzled queries on Oprah's message board when she touted Sen. Barack Obama in October 2007 eventually turned into angry complaints from many white women …
Jacksonian
Jason Thompson
"Time waits for no man. / Time takes from those who walk slow along the wrong road." With a multi-talented personality, Jason speaks on his working with the youth, organizing …
Cover
Secrets & Lies: GOP Accused of Political Prosecutions
Prosecutions of a Mississippi Supreme Court justice and a wealthy Gulf Coast attorney are at the center a spectacular congressional investigation of political prosecution.
What to Throw at the Happy Couple
The theory that tossing rice at wedding send-offs is harmful to our feathered friends is nothing more than a silly old bride's tale. But while it may not pose a …
Shower Gift Guide
The words "bridal" and "shower," when paired together, are known to strike fear in the hearts of many aisle-bound women and men. No matter what lingerie and cookware parties your …
Wedding Centerpieces
Centerpieces and gifts should be the farthest thing from a bride and groom's mind while they are planning their big day, and they certainly shouldn't break the bank. There are …
Amid Investigation, DOJ Drops Sentence Appeal For Siegelman
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a motion this week with the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals asking that their earlier appeals of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman's sentences …
Books
No Safety Here
I wanted to like this book. I wanted to like this book about sticky Louisiana summers, lifelong friendships, severe Southern mamas and the vapid allure of Los Angeles.
Theater
Nostalgia Never Gets Old
This weekend at New Stage Theatre, a new generation of theater-goers will be initiated into the simple delights of "The Fantasticks," the Old Faithful of musical theater.
Music
The Pride of the Alamo
When she was about 12 years old, Dorothy Moore's aunt would take her to the Alamo Theatre on Farish Street every Wednesday night to sing in Jobie Martin's talent show. …
Music
[Rob In Stereo] Reinventing a Legend
When a music icon decides to break back into the mainstream, the popular strategy is to enlist a hot producer who can help update his or her sound for the …
The Best In Sports In The Next 7 Days
Pro basketball, Los Angeles Lakers at Boston in NBA Finals (8 p.m., Ch. 16): The Celtics and Lakers meet in the Finals for the first time since 1987. It's about …
Lay Off Hillary
Let up on the woman and give her some time.
Clinton is getting flack for not being more gracious at her speech. Has anyone ever wanting something really bad and worked non-stop only to not get what they had hoped …
Tuesday, June 3
Out With the Old: Obama Clinches
Finally, we can get that Clinton baggage off our backs and move on. The Associated Press says Obama has "effectively" clinched the nomination. Big sigh of relief. Out with the …
UPDATED: Council Denies Emmerich Airport Board Slot
The push by Mayor Frank Melton and three members of the Jackson City Council to place Northside Sun owner and publisher Wyatt Emmerich on the board of the Jackson Municipal …
AG Web site Tracks Fraudulent Contractors
[verbatim statement] Jackson, MS-Mississippi consumers can now track fraudulent contractors through a new website of the Office of the Attorney General. Mississippians can now go to http://www.agjimhood.com and find a …
McCain's Controversial Supporter to Speak in Jackson
The Associated Press is reporting that an extremist Texas televangelist who has embraced presidential candidate John McCain is coming to Jackson to speak. Rev. John Hagee, who said on NPR …
Koinonia Coffee House To Hold Grand Opening on June 6
As the Jackson Free Press alerted you in our Young Influentials issue several weeks ago, Koinonia Coffee House is about to open in West Jacksonthis Friday. We urge everyone to …
Dem Race is Psych 101.
Gender and Hillary Clinton
The key to understanding the fight between Hillary and Barack is not in the political science department, but next door in the psychology building.
Sunday, June 1
When Not to Trust Your ‘Gut'
Maureen Dowd's column today talks the uninformed George Bush revealed in his former press secretary's new bookand the problem with "trusting your gut" when it is filled with ignorance:
