Wednesday, March 31
Easter Bunny
Throughout my childhood, nothing other than Christmas morning made me happier than Easter Sunday. I would wake up to an Easter basket filled with hollow chocolate bunnies and other goodies, …
Easter Shopping Guide
Photos by Wrijoya Roy
Like an Easter egg, the JFP Flip book has your needs to bring the spring in your step. Open it up, and see what's inside!
Mapping Our Future
Our GOOD issue is not an easy spread to put together, but it is one of the most rewarding features we do at the Jackson Free Press. Among all the …
Ulterior Motive Behind Lawsuit Threat?
Gov. Haley Barbour may have his own reasons for threatening to sue to stop the Democratically passed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, says Dave Levinthal, communications director for lobbyist …
Police Department Saves $295,000
A 20-officer shortfall and decreased overtime in the Jackson Police Department are helping offset a $2.3 million drop in sales tax revenue this year.
Taking a Budget Break
The Mississippi Legislature put budget negotiations on pause this weekend, with plans to reconvene April 20, when the state's revenue forecast will be clearer.
Do Good, and Do Better
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. – Hebrews 10:24
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. – Hebrews 10:24
[Stiggers] Too Nasty
Mr. Announcement: "G-SPAN presents live coverage of the Ghetto Science Community Health Care Reform Clinic grand opening. The clinic is the newest addition to the Club Chicken
[Kamikaze] Wrangle the Crazies
OK, I get it. There are varying opinions on the new health-care bill. You have some who are staunchly in favor of the resolution. Others are none too fond of …
[Tatum] My Personal Easter
It's easier to gather a breeze in a basket than to totally grasp the mystery of Easter.
Good
Creating a Walkable City & Liveable Streets
Thriving cities take the focus off cars and place it on people. For a city to be liveable, city planning shouldn't solely accommodate gas-guzzling metal boxes, but should also include …
How We Live
Americans tend to think that bigger is better when it comes to building a home. The average home size in the United States has almost tripled since 1950, according to …
Learning Spaces
There are more than 132,000 public and private schools in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Change the Room, Change the World
Many people think the only thing is takes to change the world is fire in the belly and a lot of action. Not so fast. Building a sustainable community takes …
Building Bridges
Gentrification is a term that is often misunderstood, but is an important issue to address as cities go through revitalization.
Change Agents
Here is a listing of our current Agents of Change. If you know of any we missed or need to know, hit us up at Jackpedia.
Biography of a Bomb
On July 24, 1945, President Harry Truman approached Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and told him the United States had developed a "new and powerful weapon." After years of deceiving their …
Cover
Good Space
Whether it's inside our homes, at our workplaces or where we spend our free time, our environments have a big impact on our quality of life. In order to change …
Say Cheese … Cake, That Is
Every year as the temperatures rise and the Easter baskets start appearing, I find myself obsessing over cheesecakes.
Coping with a Busted Bracket
In the middle of the most exciting March Madness in recent memory, you tipped over your Abita Turbodog and nacho cheese. Your NCAA bracket, patiently researched and completed, is now …
The Best In Sports In 7 Days
Men's college basketball, NIT championship, teams TBD (6 p.m., ESPN): If Ole Miss wins on Tuesday, the Rebels will play North Carolina or Rhode Island in the title game.
Police Foundation Eyeing SafeCity Role
As the watchdog group SafeCity closes today citing financial issues, the police advocacy group Jackson Police Foundation, Inc., is contemplating a more active role in the city.
TALK Dance Goes Global
Eight dancers leap and bound across the floor, hitting the ground lightly before flying up again. A young girl effortlessly launches over the head of her partner.
Phil Reed
The soft-spoken, polite 60-year-old man enjoyed his homemade vanilla ice cream at the Fourth of July picnic in Crystal Springs. With his wry smile and informal stance, it was easy …
Unemployment Nears 24 Percent in Some Counties
Five Mississippi counties reported jobless rates exceeding 20 percent in February, with Noxubee and Holmes counties edging toward a quarter of their populations collecting unemployment benefits; the counties reported rates …
Tuesday, March 30
2011 Will Bring New Businesses Near King Edward
A sluggish economy has pushed back a completion date on the re-development of buildings across Capitol Street from the King Edward Hotel, developer Jason Goree told the Jackson Free Press …
Lee Unger
When Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. appointed Lee A. Unger to serve as the director of the city's department of administration last week, the mayor told Jackson City Council Finance Committee …
JPD Probing Irby Crash Investigation
The Jackson Police Department is conducting an internal investigation of one of its own officers' work in reconstructing a Feb. 11, 2009, car crash that took the lives of two …
[Balko] Progress and Challenges in Mississippi
Last week Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour signed House Bill 1456, which would require anyone conducting autopsies in the state to be certified in forensic pathology by the American Board of …
Jackson Behind on Census
The city of Jackson is behind the curve in returning 2010 census forms to the Census Bureau. Nationally, 46 percent of households have returned the forms, while Jackson is trailing …
Monday, March 29
House Votes to Expand Unemployment Benefits
More Mississippians could qualify for unemployment insurance under a bill the Mississippi House of Representatives passed Saturday. The Senate adjourned hours before the vote, meaning the Legislature will not bring …
Mimi's Brings Breakfast to Fondren
The growing Fondren restaurant scene has a new option for breakfast: Mimi's Family and Friends. Jackson natives Linda and Jim Burwell opened Mimi's last Friday. The Burwells live next door …
Brent Hendrixson
Millsaps biology professor Dr. Brent Hendrixson's fascination with eight-legged crawling creatures started when he was a child and is now taking him to places like Costa Rica for research.
Community Events and Public Meetings
UMC Blood Drive., at University of Mississippi Medical Center (2500 N. State St.). Mississippi Blood Services will take donations. Please bring ID. Call 888-902-5663. Donate at these locations and times:
Barbour Rips Media over Health Care
It's the "liberal media elite" that is to blame for passage of the health-care bill, according to Gov. Haley Barbour. Speaking on ABC's "This Week" yesterday, Barbour insinuated that media …
Sunday, March 28
Photos from "Evening of Hope"—PPS and Nicole Marquez
This was a wonderful event, including a poignant dance by Nicole Marquez, who is still recovering from an accidental fall months ago that doctors thought might mean she would never …
Friday, March 26
Jeremiah Wright: Prejudice Evident In Health Care Debate
Protesters shouting racial epithets at black lawmakers illustrates that prejudice against African Americans and the poor persist in the United States, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, President Barack Obama's former pastor, said …
Two-Way Capitol St., Water Line Repairs Closer
A massive state bonds bill, providing $2 million for converting Jackson's Capitol Street and up to $6 million for upgrading city water lines, cleared a major legislative hurdle yesterday and …
Ellen Bourdeaux
Gallery 119 Director Ellen Bourdeaux wants to foster a place for Jackson artists and improve the community. She is combining those efforts for the "Luck of the Draw" fundraiser this …
Entertainment for Good Causes Tops Weekend Events
http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/v3/images/uploads/Nicole_Marquez_2.jpg
Barbour Reaffirms Vow to Sue
In response to Attorney General Jim Hood's statement yesterday that his office needed additional time to assess the constitutionality of the health-care reform bill signed by President Barack Obama earlier …
Thursday, March 25
Hood Delays Health-Care Suit
Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood is waiting to act on Gov. Haley Barbour's request that Mississippi to sue the federal government over health-care reform. "Since the reconciliation bill will remove …
Departments Provide Temporary Budget Relief
The Jackson Police Department is reporting $684,167 in savings during the first quarter of this budget year--an improvement from the department's fiscal policies under former Mayor Frank Melton and Police …
JPD Receives New Cars, Battles Burglaries
The Jackson Police Department will be distributing 53 new marked patrol vehicles to precincts beginning next week, Assistant Chief Lee Vance announced at a command staff meeting this morning, the …
JFP Person the Day: Diana Howell
When more than 40 women showed up to try out for "The Vagina Monologues" last year, director Diana Howell knew Jackson was ready for a production of strong women sharing …
Lawmakers Attempt to Extend Session
Tempers have flared at the Mississippi capitol over the past two days as House members attempted to pass a resolution extending the legislative session. Democratic legislators in support of the …
Dr. Susan Love: Be Aware Of Your Body
The Dr. Susan Love Foundation located in Santa Monica, Calif., is a non-profit group working to eradicate breast cancer in our lifetime. Love is known worldwide as one of the …
Wednesday, March 24
Breast is Best
Becoming a mother was quite different from what I expected. I anticipated a long labor with special breathing, baths, books, walks, games, massages and music as distractions. Instead, I had …
What Should I Be Taking?
We all could use a little boost of nutrition in our lives. Between balancing a hectic schedule of work, family and community responsibilities, nutrition is often left to the local …
Present to My Presence
"It's a lot easier to ride a horse in the direction that it's going," I said to the seven people sitting across from me. It was my regular Wednesday night …
Beauty All Over
On Saturday, Aug. 30, 2008, the superintendent of Nicole Marquez' apartment building in Harlem found her unconscious and bleeding on the bottom of the structure's airshaft. Barely alive, Marquez had …
Not the Usual Self-Help Book
I am generally not one for reading self-help books, but I loved this one. The book cover for "The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing …
Dining on Dumplings
The layman's term for gyoza (gyoh-ZUH) is potsticker, those little meat-filled dumplings you can order steamed or fried as an appetizer at your favorite Asian restaurant. Gyoza originated in China …
Taste of Mississippi Benefits Stewpot
The Southeast Tourism Society says it's a Top 20 Event, but for Jacksonians, the 22nd Annual "Taste of Mississippi: Homegrown Hunger Relief" means fellowship and good food from Mississippi chefs, …
The Best In Sports In 7 Days
Men's college basketball, NCAA Tournament (6 p.m., Ch. 12): The Sweet 16 begins with the East and West Regional semifinals
For Those We Love
We buried my cousin Anita last week. She was a beautiful, saucy blonde who used to tag around her brother Martie and me back on Fork Road in Neshoba County. …
The High Cost of Calories
A state tax on sodas, sponsored by Rep. John Mayo, D-Clarksdale, was effectively dead on arrival at the state Legislature this year, given the difficulty of passing any revenue measure …
Young Gun: Toby Barker
At 28, Toby Barker first-term representative, looks closer in age to the blue-blazered pages ferrying bills across the House floor than he to some of the more grizzled legislators around …
Bonds, Boards and the School for the Blind
Ah, spring—the season when a state lawmaker's mind turns to money. The Mississippi Legislature spent most of last week considering appropriations bills; lawmakers had until Friday to concur or invite …
Bluster Isn't Enough, Governor
Earlier this week, Gov. Haley Barbour announced that he would sue the federal government over the new health-care law the U.S. Congress passed March 21. In his usual windy style …
[Stiggers] Rabid Race Mixers
Mr. Announcement: "On this episode of 'All God's Churn Got Shoes,' members and supporters of Operation White Backlash have organized a Tea Party protest rally and barbeque outside the offices …
[Hutchinson] An Ugly Glare
The throng of angry whites jeered, catcalled and spat out borderline racial insults at the small group of mostly black protesters. The charged racial confrontation happened March 14, 2010, in …
A Story That Deserves Telling
When three white men invaded the home of an African American family in rural Attala County, the nation saw much of the story through the eyes of Billy McMillan, a …
Cover
‘Killing Ourselves with Convenience'
On a Sunday afternoon at Lumpkin's BBQ on Raymond Road, a predominately African American crowd dressed in formal suits and dresses fill their plates from a buffet line. The restaurant's …
Cover
How to End Obesity: Components of the "Let's Move" Program
How do you think we could solve the obesity problem? Here are some ideas that could help with the fight.
Health Reform: What's In It?
President Barack Obama enjoyed rising approval ratings Tuesday as he signed a historic health-care bill the U.S. House of Representatives passed late Sunday without a single Republican vote--the same health-care …
MIRA Leading Census Effort
Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance President Bill Chandler says his organization will be working full time to make sure Mississippi's Latinos are counted in the 2010 census.
John Yu
When John Yu was a student at Jackson's Chastain Middle School, he witnessed firsthand the effects that bullying can have. A boy in one of his classes brought a revolver …
Building to be Named for Slain Civil-Rights Workers
The Mississippi House debated yesterday over naming the new FBI field office building in Jackson for three slain civil-rights workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, reports the The …
Tuesday, March 23
School Board Violated Lesbian Student's Rights, Judge Says
A federal judge ruled today that the Itawamba County school board violated Constance McMillen's free speech rights when it canceled a prom after she asked permission to bring her girlfriend …
Council Mulling JATRAN Consent Decree to Help Disabled
The Jackson City Council may approve an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice on making city buses more accessible to the disabled at its 6 p.m. meeting tonight.
[Balko] Pre-Crime Policing
To hear them tell it, the five police agencies who apprehended 39-year-old Oregonian David Pyles early on the morning of March 8 thwarted another lone-wolf mass murderer. The police "were …
Legislators Want Session Postponed for Education Funds
The Mississippi Legislature should suspend negotiations on the 2011 budget for three weeks until lawmakers know whether the state will receive an additional $150 million in federal money, Rep. Cecil …
Angela Stewart
Angela Stewart knows that preserving the past through sharing stories---especially about women and civil rights--is essential for changing the future.
Jeff Weill Announces Run for Judge Seat
Ward 1 Councilman Jeff Weill, who turns 53 tomorrow, is announcing this morning that he will run for the seat of Hinds County Circuit Judge Swan Yerger this year. Yerger, …
Barbour to Challenge Health Care Reform
Gov. Haley Barbour yesterday asked Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood to challenge the constitutionality of the health-care reform legislation passed by the U.S. Congress on Sunday. If Hood refuses to …
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
College baseball
Southern Miss vs. Ole Miss (6:30 p.m., Trustmark Park, Pearl, 97.3 FM)Men's college basketballNIT, Texas Tech at Ole Miss (6 p.m., Oxford, ESPN, 97.3 FM)Women's college basketballNCAA Tournament, Mississippi State …
Monday, March 22
Mal's St Paddy's Parade Photo Gallery #2
The second gallery by Kip Caven of the St. Paddy's Parade features nearly 100 photos of fun-loving Jacksonians.
Mal's St Paddy's Parade Photo Gallery #1
Album #1 of photos taken on Saturday March 20, 2010 in downtown Jackson by Kip Caven for LoungeList.com.
Lawmakers to Rally for Education Funds Tomorrow
House Education Committee Chairman Cecil Brown, D-Jackson, will lead a rally in support of education funding tomorrow in the rotunda of the state Capitol at 11 a.m. The rally comes …
Show to Go On Without Sweet Potato Queens
Mal's St. Paddy's Parade founder Malcolm White told the Jackson Free Press today that he has not spoken to Sweet Potato Queens founder and author Jill Conner Browne about her …
Mosque Construction Planned in April
The Mississippi Muslim Association will break ground on a mosque off Highway 51 in Madison next month, following the approval of a 3-to-2 vote by the Madison County Board of …
Community Events and Public Meetings
11:30 a.m., Stress Presentation, at Jackson Medical Mall (350 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave.), in the Community Meeting Room is presented by the Jackson State University chapter of the Master of …
Martha Bergmark
When Martha Bergmark left a turbulent Mississippi in the 1960s, she had no plans to return. But at the top of a successful law career in Washington, D.C., she decided …
Thompson Provides State's Only Yes on Health-Care Reform
Of Mississippi's three Democratic representatives to the U.S. House, only Bennie Thompson of the state's second congressional district voted for H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Rep. …
Sunday, March 21
Haley Barbour: Heath Reform ‘Crammed' Down Americans' Throats
Also see: Immediate Effect of Health-Reform Bill
Shortly after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the historic health-reform bill, Gov. Haley Barbour released the following statement, verbatim:
Saturday, March 20
It's Easy Being Green
Knowing that I am a soon-to-be true Jacksonian and Fondrenite is truly a dream come true. The excitement and anticipation running through my veins has been like a shot of …
Friday, March 19
Barbour Leads Anti-Health Reform Rhetoric
Gov. Haley Barbour and other opponents of health-care reform are making final efforts to derail an upcoming House vote on the Senate health-care package this Sunday.
St. Paddy's A Boon for the City
The roughly 70,000 visitors who will descend on Jackson this weekend for Mal's St. Paddy's Parade will bring more with them than green clothing and a strong thirst. The parade, …
Events: Green and More Green This Weekend
It's time for Jackson's biggest citywide party, all centering on Mal's St. Paddy's Parade, which steps off at 1 p.m. Saturday at State and Court streets in downtown Jackson. Even …
Charly Abraham
Charly Abraham knows how to throw a party and for the past 22 years, he has proved just that as the main organizer for Mal's St. Patty's Parade.
Bill Adds Teeth to Stalking Law
Sitting on Gov. Haley Barbour's desk this morning awaiting his signature is a bill designed to give Mississippi's stalking laws some bite. House bill 1309 revises and strengthens the definition …
Thursday, March 18
City Works to Cover $2.3 Million Shortfall
The city will look at savings within each department to cover a potential $2.3 million *shortfall in sales tax estimates for fiscal year 2010, Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. told council …
Mims: Budget Holds No Cuts to City Services
Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. will deliver a presentation to the city council at an afternoon committee meeting today that will entail a plan to cover budget shortfalls without cutting …
Jackson Police Battling Burglaries
Jackson police reported 226 crimes last week, up from 177 the previous week, according to crime statistics released at a Jackson Police Department command staff meeting this morning. Officers reported …
Keisha Varnell
When Keisha Varnell walks down the hallways of Lanier High School, she remembers what it was like to face peer pressure but admits today's students have it a lot harder. …
Mississippi to End HIV Segregation in Prisons
State Corrections Commissioner Christopher Epps announced yesterday that Mississippi will end its practice of separating male HIV-positive prisoners from other inmates beginning in May, reports WDAM. Mississippi currently houses 152 …
Wednesday, March 17
The Best In Sports In 7 Days
Men's college basketball: CIT, Southern Miss at Louisiana Tech (7 p.m., Ruston, La., 1180 AM/103.3 FM): You knew that if they kept creating postseason tournaments, the Golden Eagles would finally …
Irish I was in the Land of Malcolm
In 1983 Jacksonian Malcolm White was the manager of the George Street Grocery (now Ole Tavern) when he had the idea to start a fun, anything-goes parade for the community. …
Steer Clear of the Clover
With St. Patrick's Day upon us, I found myself asking the same question I ask every year: At what point did St. Paddy's become a green Mardi Gras? By the …
Go Green: Help the Kids
Being more Irish than the Irish themselves isn't the only reason for thousands of people in Mississippi to make their way to Jackson for the 28th annual Mal's St. Paddy's …
Makin' a List
I remember it like it was yesterday. It was the '02 Mal's St. Paddy's Parade. I went against my better judgment and wore the two-inch platform flip-flops I had ordered …
The Perfect Reuben
Swiss cheese melts atop the chunks of roasted corned beef. Under the buttery grilled marble-rye bread, Thousand Island dressing and sauerkraut mingle majestically. I take the first bite. Sweet tangy …
Guinness and Grits
For the past 13 years, I have marched with the O' Tux Society in Mal's St. Paddy's Parade, save for one when I had to attend a Boy Scout camping …
What's a Throw?
I have family all over Louisiana, so Mardi Gras usually happens for me every year. It has trained my hand to only procure the best of the throws.
Mal's St. Paddy Primer
If you're new to the Mal's St. Paddy's Parade, here are a few facts about the main players.
The Beerin' O' the Green
This March 17, as Americans once again celebrate a foreign holiday with more gusto than the originating country, Jackson will run amok with green clothing, green food, green clovers, green …
Acting Sweet Potato Queenly
Natalie Long, a 33-year-old unofficial Sweet Potato Queen wannabe, is geared up and excited about this year's Mal's St. Paddy's Parade. The Mississippi State grad and Bogue Chitto native has …
Medical Examiner Bill Sent To Barbour
The Mississippi Legislature has passed a bill that would require state medical examiners to be certified forensic pathologists. The House of Representatives today approved Senate changes to House Bill 1456, …
He Drank, She Drank
Follow the opinions (and amusement) of two connoisseurs of fine liquor and spirits.
Thinking ‘Locals' First
It's hard to believe Mal's St. Paddy's Parade—and the attendant celebrations both downtown and elsewhere—are already upon us. It doesn't seem like it's been long enough since the Great Snowman …
One Lake Instead of Two?
The Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District Levee Board is pressing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to take seriously a lake plan to coincide with a Corps-preferred …
Strangulation, Security and Suffrage
Both chambers of the state Legislature spent the past week considering bills from the opposite chamber. The House amended Senate Bill 2923—a bill that expands domestic assault to include strangulation …
Free Speech or Bad Behavior?
A recent Jackson Police Department internal investigation is a prime example of the wild world of free speech in the Internet era. On March 10, the department released a statement …
‘Good Enough' Isn't
Mississippi has not had a state medical examiner for the past 15 years. To fill that hole, the state has relied mainly on Dr. Steven Hayne, a decision that has …
[Stiggers] Vicious Whack
Boneqweesha Jones: "Live from the new Hair Did University television studio, it's time for 'Qweesha Live: 2010 Edition.'
[Kamikaze] A Work in Progress
You'll have to excuse me. I'm writing this column in somewhat of a sleepy haze. You see, sleep has devilishly escaped me for the past few days. I wish it …
[Moore] My Life as a Tree
My life was as normal as it could be my first half-century.
Cover
St. Paddy's Party Plan
St. Patrick's Day is officially March 17, but in Jackson, the party only starts then, with goings-on around town right through Sunday.
The Secrets of War
In "The Surrendered" (Riverhead, 2010, $17.79), Chang-rae Lee tells a story of love, loss and sacrifice with a deceptive ease that will hook readers from the first sentence and hold …
[Pass The Mic] Auto-Tune: A Rant
There once was a local television commercial with cute children singing "This Little Light of Mine." One of the cutest things about children singing is the fact that they are …
[Herman's Picks] Vol. 8, No. 27
It's spring break in Jackson, and that means the Sweet Potato Queens are here, ready to show off their greenery for Mal's St. Paddy's Parade on Saturday. After the dreary …
Lesbian Teen Fights for Prom
Constance McMillen unwraps a Super Sonic Burger from a bag full of tater tots at her kitchen table in Fulton. Her long, dark hair is curled, and her face is …
Revenue Estimates Down, Barbour to Announce Budget Cuts
With newly revised revenue estimates projecting a slow recovery for the state economy, Gov. Haley Barbour is preparing to cut an additional $41 million from the state budget for this …
St. Patty's Sched
St. Patrick's Day is officially March 17, but in Jackson, the party only starts then, with goings-on around town right through Sunday. Make sure to check jfpevents.com for lots more …
Stan Leflore
When defining his role in the renaissance of downtown Jackson, Stan Leflore, 56, feels he is as much a pioneer as his great, great, great-grandfather, Louis LeFleur, the French-Canadian explorer …
Barbour Signs Strip Club Bill
Gov. Haley Barbour signed a bill on March 15 giving rural counties authority to regulate strip clubs. House Bill 170 demands supervisors publish and post notice of any proposed ordinance …
Baria: Barbour's Wind Pool Veto Raises Rates
Sen. David Baria, D-Bay St. Louis, successfully added an amendment to a bill by voice vote yesterday that continues the state's annual $20 million payment to the Mississippi Windstorm Underwriting …
Tuesday, March 16
Jackson Chamber Eyeing Independence
The Jackson Chamber of Commerce, a subsidiary of the metro-area Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership, is planning to become an independent body to better advocate for the city's economic interests. A …
[Balko] The Other Broken Windows Fallacy
One of the central themes of the critically acclaimed HBO series "The Wire" was the pressure politicians put on police brass, who then apply it to the department's middle management, …
Roderick Holmes
When Jackson Police Department Officer Roderick Holmes responded to an alarm call at Calvary Baptist Church in January, his training and skills came into play in apprehending a man who …
Horne LLP Under Fire Again
Jackson accounting firm Horne LLP faces criticism for the second time in two months after a Feb. 18 audit by the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General reported …
Silver Alert Legislation Awaits Barbour's Signature
Keeping our parents and grandparents safe is the goal of a Mississippi House bill creating a Silver Alert system. The system, based on Amber Alerts for children, will allow family …
Monday, March 15
Eddie Fair Requests Pay Raises; Supes Deny
With budget concerns in mind, the Hinds County Board of Supervisors denied pay raises requested by county Tax Collector Eddie Fair in a meeting this morning, while approving the hiring …
Evelyn Gandy
When Rep. Alyce Clarke, D-Jackson, considered running as the state's first female African American representative in the late 1980s, she received encouragement and advice from Evelyn Gandy.
Engineers Want Lower Lake Plan on Table
An engineer urged the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District Levee Board last week to press the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to approve a lake plan to …
Community Events and Public Meetings
8:30 a.m., Stimulus Funding Opportunities Conference, at River Room Conference Center (100 Ridge Drive, Flowood). The Mississippi Development Authority will host a conference to explain opportunities for Mississippi-based certified minority …
Seale Conviction Upheld Again
Also see: JFP investigative archive/timeline of Dee-Moore case
Hinds Officials Seeking Pay Raises
Two Hinds County officials are requesting salary increases for selected employees, despite a tight county budget. Tax Collector Eddie Fair and County Attorney Sherri Flowers are scheduled to request the …
Friday, March 12
ACLU Fights Prom Cancellation
To help protect teen Constance McMillen's decision to bring her girlfriend to the prom, the Mississippi ACLU will file an injunction next week to prevent the Itawamba County School District …
Can Cannon Nissan Revive I-20 Corridor?
Michael Joe Cannon sees opportunity to revive business in the Interstate 20 corridor that parallels Raymond Road in Jackson, recently backing up his beliefs by opening a new Nissan dealership …
Weekend Events
Start the weekend off by heading to the Jackson Community Design Center at 5:30 p.m. for "Cross-Pollinate: A Speaker Series." Shahid Buttar, of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee in …
Derek Emerson
Of all the dishes that Walker's Drive-In serves to its customers, Chef Derek Emerson says that tuna is his personal favorite. "It has to do with the way I created …
Luckett Touts Bio-Fuels, Education at Jackson Forum
Investments in early childhood education and alternative energy can spur Mississippi's economy, Clarksdale attorney and 2011 candidate for governor Bill Luckett said during a speech at Koinonia Coffee House in …
Ceara Sturgis' Mother Speaks Out on Prom Cancellation
Veronica Rodriguez, the outspoken mother of Wesson Attendance Center student Ceara Sturgis, a lesbian, says that the Itawamba School District is mistreating senior Constance McMillen by cancelling the high school …
Luckett to Speak in Jackson Friday
Clarksdale attorney and 2011 candidate for governor Bill Luckett will speak at Koinonia Coffee House in Jackson Friday morning. Luckett, who announced his candidacy in September, is the featured speaker …
Thursday, March 11
Clarion-Ledger Drops Stringfellow Column After First Lady Flap
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, Ronnie Agnew, has dropped his column. …
Gov. and Dems Play Blame Game
Gov. Haley Barbour and House Democrats are blaming each other for the Legislature's failure to re-authorize the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, an agency that provides workforce services and dispenses …
Major Crimes Down; Up in Some Precincts
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 …
Shahid Buttar
As a college student in Chicago, Shahid Buttar sometimes would fish his next meal out of a trashcan. Often sleeping on the streets or couch surfing, Buttar found solace in …
Unemployment Tops 20 Percent in Four Counties
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 …
Luckett, Candidate for Gov., to Speak in Jackson Friday
Clarksdale attorney and 2011 candidate for governor Bill Luckett will speak at Koinonia Coffee House in Jackson Friday morning. Luckett, who announced his candidacy in September, is the featured speaker …
Wednesday, March 10
Alt.Bride
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 …
It's Your Party
Other than the props, traditional bachelor or bachelorette parties are essentially the same for men and women. Women have tiaras and tacky boas, and the guys have … well, the …
Eating in the Moment
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, …
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 …
The Best In Sports In 7 Days
MLB baseball, exhibition, Atlanta vs. N.Y. Yankees (6 p.m., CSS): The Braves battle the defending champ Yankees, who should implode any minute now.
[Ladd] Ain't That Something
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 …
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 …
Public Works, Private Profit
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. …
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 …
[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 …
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 …
[Collier] The Sweetest Taboo
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 …
Cover
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 …
Charters and Quasi-Charters
The Mississippi Legislature's wrangling over charter schools intensified yesterday when the House of Representatives passed a bill that would authorize "innovative schools" but voted down a provision for actual charter …
Banking Locally
Joe Magee, 59, is a third-generation poultry and cattle farmer. His farm, located just outside Mendenhall, produces a little more than half a million chickens and around 100 head of …
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 …
Talent in Full Bloom
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 …
[Rob In Stereo] Growing Prince's Sound
Prince recently released his newest single, "Cause and Effect," (Youtube link) which is predictably tame and in keeping with the trend of his singles in recent years. It is appearing …
JPD Investigating Officer for Michelle Obama Comments
The Jackson Police Department is conducting an internal investigation of one of its officers for "conduct unbecoming of an officer" during First Lady Michelle Obama's visit last week, according to …
Monsanto Breaks Ground on Corn-Breeding Station
Flora, Miss., was the site yesterday of a groundbreaking ceremony for the Monsanto Company, producer of 90 percent of the world's genetically engineered seeds. The new $2.4 million, 26,000-square-foot facility, …
Tuesday, March 9
Council Steps Sideways on Civilian Review
The Jackson City Council approved a resolution today that represents an intermediate step toward establishing some form of civilian oversight of the Jackson Police Department. After months of deliberation in …
Entergy Customers Facing Rate Increase
Mississippi Public Utilities Staff Executive Director Bobby Waites says Entergy customers can expect a $10 million to $12 million rate increase this year.
[Balko] 4.5 SWAT Raids Per Day
During the last six months of 2009, police deployed SWAT teams oyed 804 times in the state of Maryland, or about 4.5 times per day. In Prince George's County alone, …
Beau Phillips
A former Tupelo police officer, Beau Phillips knows how difficult it can be to support a family. After working a 12-hour night shift, he would often change his uniform and …
Hood Warns of IRS E-mail Scams
Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood issued a consumer alert yesterday warning taxpayers of an e-mail scam where the perpetrators pose as official Internal Revenue Service e-mailers to obtain personal and …
Monday, March 8
Voter ID Poised For 2011 Vote
Mississippians will vote next fall on a constitutional amendment to require photo identification at the polls. In a press conference this afternoon, Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann accepted petitions for …
Court to Review Panel Decision on Global Warming Suit
A recent U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals decision could undermine Gulf Coast resident's efforts to hold oil companies responsible for causing global warming and contributing to Hurricane Katrina's damage.
Daniel Fuller
Forest Hill High School teacher Daniel Fuller was teaching Advanced Placement literature last week, when Jackson Public Schools District Superintendent Lonnie Edwards, faculty members and several TV camera crews entered …
Community Events and Public Meetings
8:30 a.m., MINCAP Business Session, at Jackson Medical Mall (350 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave.). The group will meet in the Community Meeting Room. Open to the public. Call 601-982-8467.
Lawmakers Debate Alternate Education Track
General classroom goals for high-school students, in Mississippi and elsewhere, emphasize pushing kids toward four-year college degrees. Some Magnolia state lawmakers are now looking at introducing a career-track curriculum for …
Sunday, March 7
White Sorority Wins Step-Off
This year, Zeta Tau Alpha won a step-off that was sponsored by Sprite. The footage was taken by an audience member, so the camera angle is a little off, but …
Friday, March 5
Open Meetings Law Facing Death
Sen. David Baria, D-Bay St. Louis, said he is disappointed with House members for weakening his open meetings act this week. In its original form, Senate Bill 2373 would have …
Heather Henson
When Heather Henson was a young girl, she would spend her time creating art projects inspired by her father Jim Henson's magical creatures and movie sets.
Neighborhood Grill to Replace Tye's
For the past two years, Tye's Restaurant and Bar in the Plaza Building on Congress street served as an after-work meeting place for professionals and fine-dining favorite among locals.
Help Youth Media Project! Here's PayPal link for Friendship Ball!
It's time for another huge party in downtown Jackson. And this time, you can help the Youth Media Project grow and bring kids from throughout the metro together in a …
Jackson Kicks Off the Great American Cleanup
Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr., and representatives from Keep Jackson Beautiful and Transformation Jackson kick off a campaign to beautify the city this morning. Great American Cleanup volunteers will meet tomorrow …
Thursday, March 4
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 understand what was so addictive about social …
Fondren Crime Meeting Turns to ‘Healing'
A standing-room-only crowd gathered at Sneaky Beans coffee shop on Tuesday evening to voice concerns about crime in the Fondren neighborhood and to hear crime-prevention tips from law enforcement officials. …
Wins, Losses for School Appropriations
The House and Senate agreed to restore about $37 million to K-12 education in a this week following Gov. Haley Barbour's veto of a budget reconciliation bill that would have …
Mary Hill
When Mary Hill found out first lady Michelle Obama was coming to Jackson, she rolled up her sleeves and started getting ready.
Lawmakers Attempt to Restore $82 Million to 2010 Budget
The Mississippi Legislature has sent a second budget reconciliation compromise to Gov. Haley Barbour, this time restoring $82 million of the cuts the governor has made this fiscal year. Barbour …
Jackblog
Anita's 2010 Oscar Picks
The red carpet rolls out on Sunday, which happens to land smack dab in the middle of the International Documentary Challenge (www.docchallenge.org). For me, that means it will be a …
Wednesday, March 3
Obama Energizes Students
For several hours the students at Brinkley Middle School waited anxiously inside their school's auditorium for First Lady Michelle Obama to enter the building this afternoon. When Obama arrived, along …
Happiness Worth Celebrating
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 …
Friendship Ball Promotes Dialogue, Helps Kids
This Saturday, Jackson 2000, a nonprofit established to improve race relations will host the 10th annual Jackson Friendship Ball, a celebration of the work of non-profits and individuals working to …
Nursing Homes and Overrides
Last week was all about passing budget bills, with the House and Senate considering a huge list of appropriation legislation funding various state agencies.
Barbour Blames Media for Toyota Woes
In 2007—before the economy tanked—Mississippi lawmakers and Gov. Haley Barbour approved a $293.9 million incentive package to persuade Toyota Motor Corp. to build a factory in Blue Springs, Miss., near …
Get Serious About Flooding
The area got good news last week when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced it is recommending that FEMA certify existing Pearl River levees as capable of withstanding most …
[Stiggers] Future Paradise
Rudy McBride: "This may sound weird, but an epiphany came to me. It happened while I was doing some paperwork and listening to the 'Good Morning Ghetto' Drive Time Morning …
[Kamikaze] Take It Back
Being a born and bred Jacksonian, I can say I've lived on every "side" of this city. I've seen the good and the bad up close, met some treasures, and …
[Eady] Our Students Deserve Better
Three young boys waited on a wooden bench in a brown-paneled office on the hot May day. Anton stretched his legs out and slouched back, his face blank and eyes …
Art
The Commons: Continuity of Love
Under the quiet gaze of an oversized bronze statue of Eudora Welty, a friendly but insistent workman keeps asking Jonathan Sims what to do about the dishwasher. Sims can't answer …
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
New Stage Theatre brings theater-goers another southern comedy with "Dividing the Estate" by Horton Foote. Set in Harrison, Texas, the play portrays the Gordon family and its struggle to hold …
Collection of a Lifetime
Art lovers Herb and Dorothy Vogel celebrated their engagement by purchasing a vase by Pablo Picasso. Soon after they were married, the couple acquired a metal sculpture by American artist …
A New Kind of Fabulous
Lynn Nottage's "Fabulation or The Re-Education of Undine" is a dark comedy about an African American businesswoman, Undine, who falls from the New York City high life back to Brooklyn …
Bartered Souls and A Crooked Brow - Furrows' Debut Album Review
To Furrow is to, generally in a pained manner, wrinkle one's forehead. This expression is so pronounced that the bunched skin resembles the parallel farming trenches, from which, the verb …
Lessons of the 1979 Easter Flood
Part 3 in a series
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recommended last week that FEMA re-certify the levees protecting the Hinds and Rankin County edges bordering the Pearl River, despite the fact that the …
Target: Dating Violence
When Brittany started dating Jack (not their real names), she was involved in her high school's athletic program, spent time with a large group of male and female friends, and …
No Overnight Sensation
It's unfair to call The Overnight Lows' "City of Rotten Eyes" a debut. It's more a culmination--a mail bomb packed tightly with a decade's worth of hand-scrawled show flyers and …
[Mott] Happiness Worth Celebrating
For too long in Mississippi, the legal community--police, lawyers and judges--have seen domestic abuse as a problem best dealt with at home. Women bring violence on themselves, the thinking goes; …
Hate Groups Up by 244 Percent
The Southern Poverty Law Center, which has documented extremist groups in the United States for decades, yesterday released its annual report on the number of active hate groups in the …
Jason Goree
At first sight, Jason Goree looks as if he is all about business. As he flops in his brown executive chair, a picture of his wife, Khylah, and 3-year-old son …
A Place for Everyone
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 an easy task. I am …
Tuesday, March 2
Fondren Shooting Spurs Community Meeting
A recent armed robbery and shooting in Fondren has some area residents up in arms. A community meeting, advertised on Facebook as "Take Back Our Neighborhoods," is scheduled for 6 …
Johnson Attending Obama Visit
City of Jackson Spokesman Chris Mims confirmed today that Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr., was invited to attend first lady Michelle Obama's personal visit to the city on Wednesday. Obama …
[Balko] Is Texas About to Execute Another Innocent Man?
Henry Watkins "Hank" Skinner was supposed to be executed tomorrow, but last Tuesday a Gray County, Texas, district court judge pushed the date back one month, to March 24. Skinner …
Helen LaKelly Hunt
Women's activist Dr. Helen LaKelly Hunt believes that Christianity and feminism go hand in hand, and is using that idea to advance women's rights.
Animal Cruelty Bill to Die
Today is the last day committees in the Mississippi Legislature can act on bills presented by their colleagues across the hall. Effectively, that means any bills stuck in committees not …
Monday, March 1
BREAKING: Writer Barry Hannah Dies of Heart Attack
The Jackson Free Press has learned from sources in Oxford, Miss., that author Barry Hannah, 67, died of a sudden heart attack in his home there today. He was working …
Fisher: Hinds Supes ‘Hiding' In Executive Session
Hinds County Supervisor Phil Fisher accused his fellow supervisors today of evading public scrutiny by relegating two potentially inflammatory decisions to executive session. In a closed session during its meeting …
Obama Appoints Mason to Federal HBCU Board
President Barack Obama announced Friday that he wants Jackson State University President Ronald Mason Jr. on the President's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The board exists …
Community Events and Public Meetings
"Support Haiti Relief" Show at Bryant Galleries (3010 Lakeland Cove): 50 percent of all sales from the Haitian collection will go to the American Red Cross Haitian Relief Fund. Free …
Bill Ellison
Bill Ellison remembers the excitement and energy he felt when he played trombone in the band at Bailey Junior High School. That passion propelled him to spend his career performing …
First Lady to Visit Jackson
Earlier this month, first lady Michelle Obama announced a campaign to solve childhood obesity in America. It only makes sense, then, that she would visit the capitol of Mississippi—the most …
Jackblog
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 anticipation of sinister horrors. The loud thrumbling of music …
