Monday, February 28
Protesters Clash at Capitol
Opposing rallies connected at the state Capitol Saturday as members of fair taxation group US Uncut and moveon.org, who were showing solidarity with Wisconsin union workers, faced members of the …
Scott Sisters Face Health Barrier to Transplant
Also see: The Tragic Case of the Scott Sisters
Community Events and Public Meetings
Free Tax Counseling and Filing. IRS/AIM or AARP volunteers will do electronic filing. Bring all necessary documents. Joint filers must come together. Free.
Kristin Dupard
Using a slow and measured voice, Ridgeland High School junior Kristen Dupard confidently recites "The Mother," a poem by Gwendolyn Brooks during the state Poetry Out Loud Recitation contest last …
Barbour Signs Open Meetings Law
Taxpayers will no longer pay the fines public officials incur when they violate the state's open meetings law. Gov. Haley Barbour signed the revised law on Feb. 24.
Friday, February 25
U.S. House Cuts Could Hurt Development; Women's Health
Critics say $61 billion in cuts the U.S. House of Representatives passed Feb.19 would increase teen pregnancies and hurt neighborhood restoration initiatives.
Barbour's Ed. Numbers Off-Mark
Mississippi public-education advocates fear that the state Senate may short-change school districts next year by $65 million. On the Senate agenda is a House education-funding bill approved last week; however …
George Winston
When Grammy-award winning pianist George Winston returns to Jackson tonight, he'll be using his talent to combat juvenile delinquency.
Weekend Events: Is it Spring, Yet?
Start the weekend after work today with a trip to the Arts Center of Mississippi Arts Center (201 E. Pascagoula St.) and take in "Lena Horne: Her Influences, Her Life …
Howard Industries to Pay $2.5 Million
Howard Industries faces a $2.5 million fine after pleading guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to violate immigration laws in connection with the country's largest workplace raid on …
High School Basketball Championships Begin Today at the Coliseum
The Mississippi Coliseum once again hosts the Mississippi High Basketball Championships beginning today (February 25) until March 5. Both the boys and girls championships in each classification will be decided …
Thursday, February 24
Did ICE Eschew Search Warrants in Weekend Raid?
Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance officials said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials were entering homes without search warrants and arresting undocumented immigrants during a four-day crackdown in and around the …
Barbour Taps Leslie King for Supreme Court
Leslie King, a veteran state Court of Appeals judge, will take departing Justice James Graves' place on the Mississippi Supreme Court. Gov. Haley Barbour announced yesterday that he would appoint …
Michael Barranco
Michael Barranco visited with his friend Sergio Fernandez at River Hills Club last Sunday after a weekend camping trip with his family. Fernandez says Barranco enthusiastically described his recent musical …
City of Jackson Approves Belhaven Historical Grant
The Jackson City Council voted to approve a grant application Tuesday for federal funds to put Belhaven on the National Register of Historic Places.
Wednesday, February 23
The Best In Sports In 7 Days
Doctor S sez: The MHSAA Boys and Girls State Basketball Tournament returns to the Big Barn. Even that funky smell can't ruin this tourney.
Pianos and Philanthropy
Guess who: The unassuming-looking gentleman mostly grew up in Montana but is a Chastain Warrior, because he spent his junior high days in Jackson. After he heard The Doors when …
harbingers of spring (fever)
I know, we all know, it is February 23. But who cares! It feels like April! Its so warm! And sunny!
Check out these harbingers of spring and the fever they presage!
Yoga: What It Is; What It Isn't
My personal yoga journey started at a studio in Clinton. I discovered feeling and looking healthy didn't have to involve pain or teeth-gritting abstinence from anything that tasted good. Yoga …
Creature Comforts
As I walked out of the office, a coworker said, "It's Monday, so you're going to Babalu, right?"
Come Together
I once had a client who considered himself completely uncreative. An entrepreneur with a thriving small business, Mr. Jones (not his real name) had a peculiar stance about artists: He …
To Stop Flight, Be Consistent
There is a serious disconnect right now in Jackson. Since hysterical media reports of recent weeks about continuing "white flight" out of Jackson caused, well, a degree of hysteria among …
MAEP and Museums
A showdown may be gearing up between the Mississippi House of Representatives and Gov. Haley Barbour on the use of $65 million in federal funds for public education this year.
School Board Grows
The Jackson City Council voted Friday to confirm Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr.'s two additional nominees to the Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees.
[Stiggers] ‘My People, My People'
"Remember, Momma Church Hat: Those who endure to the end shall be saved. At least folk can ride off with a blessing by purchasing a reliable and inexpensive hybrid hoopty …
[West] More Than A Figment
Communities that don't have vibrant arts scenes aren't healthy communities. Arts are essential.
On the Record
In this new world of instant, digital and more-often-than-should-be free music, there's a group of music lovers who continue to cling to their vinyl records. These types spend hours getting …
Nails Through the Hands of God
The problem with believing in a loving God is that the world doesn't function as if such a God exists. That problem is only made worse when we inherit a …
Words Not Required
If a picture is worth 1000 words, portraits lining the walls of the Mississippi Museum of Art tell story after story after story. For many of them, the Freedom Riders, …
Power APAC Student Exhibit
Public-school systems across the nation are making budget cuts that, in some cases, completely eliminate arts programs, be they large or small. Fortunately, Jackson Public Schools and its Academic and …
Dancing Feet
Ballet Mississippi hosts its annual spring performance of "Sleeping Beauty, Act III" on May 1. Ballerinas Margaret Severin-Hansen, principal dancer with Carolina Ballet, and Nicole Graneiro of the American Ballet …
Shine a Light
What if you could actually see your own pain and that of everyone around you? That is the question at the heart of "The Illumination" , best-selling author Kevin Brockmeier's …
Waiting for the Humanities
Humanities Festival Week 2011 at Tougaloo College is a week-long cultural awareness event celebrates all things ethnic with its "The Power of the Arts and Letters" theme.
Camp Kandu, Can Do!
Since the fall of 2002, Mississippi children living with diabetes have joined together to create arts and crafts, run relay races, sing campfire songs and participate in other fun activities …
Watch and Learn
It's more than just films, says Film Threat critic Chris Gore about the annual Crossroads Film Festival.
Cover
Taking The Stage
Katrina Byrd makes it a point to get to the JATRAN bus stop early. The bus is supposed to come by at 3:30 p.m, so she gets there at 3:15 …
Watching a Revolution
Hussein Sadek has had the bittersweet experience of watching a revolution in his homeland happen while he's away. Sadek, 23, is a junior at Jackson State University, studying for a …
Farish Street Too Pricey for Some
Development of the Farish Street Entertainment District may have hit a wall of high prices, says Big Apple Inn restaurant owner Geno Lee.
Tuesday, February 22
Nola Gibson
As the director of continuing education of Millsaps College, Gibson has not only made lifelong learning an important part of her life, but she is constantly working to provide quality …
[Balko] Sticklers for Procedure
It would be difficult to cite a more shameful episode in the history of America's criminal justice system than the pedophilia panic of the 1980s and '90s. Hysteria overcame police, …
Belhaven Seeks National Historic Status
Belhaven community leaders are asking the city of Jackson to apply for grant money to help the neighborhood earn a designation on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sushi, Tattoos and Redevelopment
The Fondren neighborhood will get a long-awaited sushi restaurant in April, developer Mike Peters says. Peters told the Jackson Free Press that Fatsumo Sushi, an American-style sushi restaurant in Gulfport, …
Melvin Johnson
If you have seen an exhibit at the Mississippi Museum of Art over the last two decades, you've witnessed the hard work of assistant preparator Melvin Johnson.
Senate Passes Open Meetings Act
The Mississippi Senate passed a bill yesterday that would increase fines to public officials who violate the state's open meetings law.
Friday, February 18
Council Confirms 2 More JPS Board Members
The City Council voted today to confirm Mayor Harvey Johnson's two additional nominees to the Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees. After delaying the vote for weeks due to in-fighting, …
And the Oscar Goes To ...
Hollywood rolls out the red carpet Sunday, Feb. 27, to celebrate the achievements of the motion picture industry during the past year. Despite promises of something new and better, devoted …
Animal Cruelty Bill Clears Major Hurdle
Cruelty to cats and dogs would become a felony in Mississippi under Senate Bill 2821, which the House Agriculture Committee voted unanimously today to approve. The bill to make "aggravated …
Funk Philosophy
If you didn't know better, you might have thought you'd stepped into evening service at an annual church convention rather than a program to hear an American theorist speak at …
It's The Weekend: Celebrate Spring
Ditch the office this afternoon and enjoy the early spring-like weather. Then, at 5 p.m., head to Lemuria (4465 Interstate 55 N.) at 5 p.m. where Joseph O'Conner signs copies …
Charles Barbour
Mississippi Public Service Commission candidate Charles Barbour said his run against the Republican incumbent in the August primary isn't any of his uncle's business.
Vera Johnson
"I'm pretty much a glorified driver," Vera Johnson says, referring to the time she spends chauffeuring her two children, Elisabeth, 9, and William, 5, to activities like dance classes or …
Barbour Proposes to End MPB Funding
Gov. Haley Barbour has proposed to end all state funding for Mississippi Public Broadcasting by 2016.
Thursday, February 17
Lawmakers Battle Barbour Over K-12 Budget
Mississippi Parent's Campaign Executive Director Nancy Loome praised a school funding bill the House passed yesterday, which she says adequately funds the state's K-12 education system.
Civil Rights Museum Funding Advances In House
A proposed national civil-rights museum in downtown Jackson could receive $30 million in state funds, under a bill up for consideration by the state House of Representatives. The House Ways …
Cornel West
If you ever need pointers on being a rock star academian, Cornel West is the only man you want to ask. He is Lauded in academic circles as one of …
Hood Warns of Netflix Scam
[verbatim from the attorney general's office]
Attorney General Jim Hood is warning consumers today of a recent e-mail scam targeting Netflix subscribers.
Wednesday, February 16
You Never Forget
Until he was old enough to drive, a bicycle was practically Todd Hall's only mode of transportation, but he stopped riding as he got older.
The Best In Sports In 7 Days
<b>Thursday, Feb. 17</b>
Doctor S sez: Are we seeing Rick Stansbury's final days as Mississippi State basketball coach?
Nurturing Your Little Chef
Last night my kitchen exploded. My 3-year-old daughter helped me cook dinner. She doesn't quite have all of the techniques down yet, particularly the mixing and pouring parts, which at …
Sweet, Salty, Spicy!
The best flavors are complex and surprising. It's the salty/sweet combination that has fast-food lovers nationwide dipping their French fries into their milk shakes, dunking their pretzels in chocolate and …
Celebrating the Motherland
From Morocco to Egypt, and from Ethiopia to Angola, Africa has long been a source of beauty, artistic creativity, and fashion. Whether it's a mud cloth shirt with a swirling …
Lest Ye Be Judged
I ran into a woman Sunday at Broadmeadow United Methodist Church who remembered that my mother used to sell Avon. Apparently, Mama had gone to her family's house in Neshoba …
Schools and Cigs
Charters-school advocates are looking to change the state's current law to allow charter schools to use lottery enrollment. The Mississippi Legislature passed SB 2293 last year, creating a process for …
Health for All
Alvin Poussaint's career reads like a hopscotch game across the touchstones of post-World War II African American history. Born in 1934, Poussaint earned a medical degree at Cornell University and …
Of Contracts, Broken
Over the past few weeks, the Mississippi Legislature has bandied about a few anemic attempts at strengthening laws protecting victims of domestic violence. Among them is an addition to the …
[Stiggers] It's Electric!
Mo'tel Williams: "Greetings, peace-loving people. It's your non-black ambassador here to promote a special peace tour by the Sausage Sandwich Sisters: electric-slide line-dance ambassadors for world peace and rent money."
[Kamikaze] A Jackson Reality Check
It's time for some hard truth. Some Jackson detractors may have taken my ProJack stance as blind love for our fair city. Some have accused me of selling hype over …
[Head] Smaller, Blacker, Stronger
We all have the opportunity to stand together as a multicultural Jackson that represents everything that is good.
Cover
No Small Feat
The students in John Bennetts' second-grade class are being perfect sponges. Bennetts, a teacher at KIPP Delta Elementary Literacy Academy, a charter school in Helena, Ark., is drilling the class …
Rip the Cypher: Phase One
Before stepping foot inside the North Midtown Arts Center on Millsaps Avenue, it was obvious that something was going on. More than the cars parked along the sides of the …
Bridging the Gaps
Book selling was a profitable enterprise in the oft-mythicized but very real city of Timbuktu. In the late 15th century, after the emperor Aska Mohammed's reign, the city was at …
Torn by Time
It's one of the hallmarks of humanity: being torn between hope for the future and the familiarity of the past. The Prozorof family in Anton Chekhov's "The Three Sisters" is …
Maintaining Focus
When I first saw the cover of "Ghost Light: A Novel" by Joseph O'Connor (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011, $25), I didn't know quite what to expect from the woman …
‘Bodies, Bodies'
"The Swimming Pool" by Holly LeCraw (Doubleday, 2010, $25.95) starts with this uninviting, ethereal opening line: "Bodies, bodies."
[Natalie's Note] Come Aboard the Mothership
Some radio stations only play what the big corporations want them to play, but that won't last much longer. With Pandora, Sirius and a number of other musical resources popping …
Civil Rights Museum Funding Advances In House
A proposed national civil-rights museum in downtown Jackson could receive $30 million in state funds, under a bill up for consideration by the state House of Representatives. The House Ways …
Health Reform Moves Ahead
The Mississippi Legislature is debating laws that conform to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, even as legal challenges to the act continue.
Bills to Protect Domestic Abuse Victims
After her husband physically and mentally abused her for nearly a decade, Joy Jones* realized her situation was only going to get worse. She gathered up enough courage to seek …
Paul DeBoy
Paul DeBoy's first stage was the backyard of his Baltimore, Md., home. His older brother wrote plays that DeBoy would star in, and the two would charge admission when DeBoy …
Whitwell Wins Ward 1 Council Seat
Quentin Whitwell will take his seat as Ward 1 Jackson city councilman after winning the majority of votes in yesterday's special election.
Tuesday, February 15
NAACP Asks Barbour to Condemn Klan Plate
Mississippi NAACP President Derrick Johnson is asking Gov. Haley Barbour to condemn the Mississippi Sons of Confederate Veterans' push to create a commemorative license plate for Confederate General and the …
Stadiums, Hackers and Oil
A bill the Mississippi Senate is considering could transfer control of Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium to Jackson State University. House Bill 1158, which the House of Representatives passed Feb. 10, …
Carla Palmer-Allen
Carla Palmer-Allen knows that perseverance eventually pays off. Last month, the Jackson native became the first African American to serve as president of the Jackson Association of Realtors, a 1,500–member …
Ward 1 Special Election Today
Ward 1 voters will decide today whether L. Patricia Ice or Quentin Whitwell will fill the Ward 1 City Council seat, which has been empty since Jeff Weill left in …
Monday, February 14
Cost of Flood Study Could Jump
A study examining flood control along the Pearl River could cost taxpayers twice as much, due to post- Katrina requirements, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers told the Levee Board …
Barbour Repeats Budget, Medicaid Myths at CPAC
Continuing his hints at a 2012 presidential run, Gov. Haley Barbour addressed the Conservative Political Action Committee's annual conference Saturday in Washington, D.C., with his argument for electing a Republican …
Russ Markle
Even though Russ Markle joked about growing a mustache, he knew it would involve a few challenges. His wife wasn't a fan of facial hair, and he felt he would …
Community Events and Public Meetings
Free Tax Counseling and Filing. IRS/AIM or AARP volunteers will do electronic filing. Bring all necessary documents. Joint filers must come together. Free.
City Issues Boil Water Notice for Some Areas
The City of Jackson issued a precautionary boil-water advisory yesterday after a loss in water pressure for the following areas:
Friday, February 11
Edwards to Argue for Job In March
Next month, Jackson Public Schools Superintendent Lonnie Edwards will have a chance to win his job back. Edwards has appealed the JPS Board of Trustees Dec. 7 decision not to …
Former JSU President Reflects on Shootings
Former Jackson State University President John Peoples, Jr. described with painful detail the 1970 shootings he witnessed at Jackson State University that resulted in the deaths of two students during …
Jim Wilkirson
Jim Wilkirson has gone to extreme lengths to ensure that adults stop acting their age. As the special events coordinator for the Mississippi Children's Museum's "Ignite the Night" gala, Wilkirson …
It's The Weekend: Show Some Love
With Valentine's Day approaching and the weather warming up a little, this weekend is perfect for getting out and spending time with that special someone. Tonight, head to Salsa Mississippi's …
Funds Available For Community-Based Lenders
The U.S. Small Business Administration will accept applications starting Feb. 15 for lenders through its Small Loan Advantage program. The agency is also launching its Community Advantage program to increase …
Thursday, February 10
On Feb. 15, Vote Ice for Ward 1
The Jackson Free Press' readership is diverse in many ways, and we get criticized from the left and right for editorial stances and endorsements. Our editorial board believes in groups …
Mississippi Lawmakers on Smoking, Sex-Ed and Kicked Cats
Today is the deadline for Mississippi legislators to take floor action on all bills originating in their respective chambers, and the House and Senate passed several bills yesterday and this …
JPD Addresses Wingfield Shooting; New Officers
During this morning's Comstat meeting, Jackson Police Department officers were still gathering information about a 16-year-old Wingfield High School student who police took into custody after he allegedly discharged his …
Ken South
Ken South takes pleasure in seeing the annual Mississippi HeARTS Against AIDS benefit grow. The benefit, which takes place Saturday at Hal & Mal's, features a silent art auction, live …
U.S. Jobless Claims Drop Again
Claims for U.S. unemployment benefits dropped to its lowest level since 2008 last week, the U.S. Labor Department reported yesterday.
Wednesday, February 9
The Best In Sports In 7 Days
Doctor S sez: That was an awesome weekend of English Premier League games, huh? That Super Bowl was pretty good, too, I guess.
From the Heart
Some men are wonderful gift-givers, while others need a little help. Women are complicated creatures and finding the right Valentine's gift for us can be challenging. We'll let you in …
Hungry for Love
If your family is like mine, the economy has caused you to tighten your purse strings. Add a new baby to the mix, and well, going out on Valentine's Day …
Love Drinks
This Valentine's, people will be celebrating feelings of joy and happiness, as well as little ways just to say "I Love You". If you followed the recipes in Hungry For …
Love Thyself
Valentine's Day was originally conceived as a way to express gratitude for our beloved companions with small tokens of affection—so it's also completely appropriate to reserve the day to take …
Facing the Truth
On Friday night, I made the road trip to my aunt and uncle's Flowood home to finally see "Mississippi ReMixed," a documentary by Jackson native Myra Ottewell who examines her …
untitled
My entire life is pretty much a "staycation." I live downtown, where there's always something happening nearby. I know a lot of really interesting people, and Jackson has a lot …
Not Without A Fight
Jackson Public Schools Superintendent Lonnie Edwards won't go quietly. Edwards announced Feb. 5 that he would appeal the JPS Board of Trustees' decision to let his three-year contract expire with …
Immigrants, Lawsuits and Juvenile Justice
Three bills targeting the state's immigrant population survived the Senate Judiciary A Committee last week.
Nathan's Law Struggling
On a cold afternoon two weeks before Christmas in 2009, Laurel resident Lori Key stood outside her home like she did every day and waited for her son, Nathan, to …
[Stiggers] ‘There is a Season'
Brother Hustle: "Another season is here, and it makes me reflect on the words wise ol' King Solomon wrote thousands of years ago: ‘To everything there is a season, and …
The Secession Bandwagon
It seems Mississippi Sen. Joey Fillingane, R-Sumrall, is out to prove an election-year point by appealing to the most extreme fringe of the far right.
[Head] Hazardous Civility
In 2009, I spent 48 minutes on Paul Gallo's SuperTalk radio show. I wanted to persuade Gallo to help me expose the mainstream resurgence of the Council of Conservative Citizens, …
Cover
Live, Work, Love
Some relationships work because both individuals have the freedom to attend to their own agendas throughout each day. What happens, though, when couples live and work together? More so than …
Keep The Fires Burning
Being romantic once you have children can be nearly impossible. Going on a date with your spouse can require so much preparation that it may seem easier to stay at …
Local Love
My favorite love song is Stevie Wonder's "For Once in My Life." The song is a constant reminder of how lucky I am to have a wife who loves and …
The Candy Heart: A History
"Be Mine," "Kiss Me," "Sweet Pea," ... "Tweet Me." Sweethearts Conversation Hearts have been one of the most popular American ways to say "I Love You," on Valentine's Day since …
‘Will You Marry Me?'
When it comes to marriage proposals that are pure genius, I have just one word for you: speakerphone. That's right ladies and gents, Mr. Romantic here proposed to his lovely …
Single and 30
Four years ago, while casually walking in the mall, a familiar voice yelled my name. I turned and saw a high-school friend. We said our hellos and, in a surprised …
To Die or Not To Die (for Love)
I have a problem with Bruno Mars. More specifically, I have a problem with the music producers and executives who heard his lyrics and instantly thought, "hit record," and with …
Off Kilter Love
The best part about the Valentine's Day season is the music. Popular culture has provided us with an endless number of songs that deal with love, given the fact that …
Local Art, Open HEARTS
Where can a potential art buyer find pieces from Bewey Bowden, Jason Anderson, Tony Davenport and Stephanie Marie Robertson, to name a few, under one roof? A pop-up art gallery, …
The Reel Oxford
Every year, Oxford, Miss., holds a festival that reels filmmakers and movie buffs into a uniquely authentic southern experience. One can see firsthand William Faulkner's and other extraordinary Mississippi artists' …
For the Love of Reading
Sometimes, it is relaxing to be caught up in the thrill of someone else's love story rather than the drama of your own. Love stories are not only written for …
Tugging the Harp Strings
Music is an undeniable part of Mississippi's culture, so much so that the state brands itself the "Birthplace of America's Music." Mississippi transplant Kristi Flake wants to add another element …
Films of Love
Ah movies. The perfect snuggle-up time on the couch (or just to please your significant other). Dripping full of drama, heart-breaking (and love-making) tear-jerkers that can make even the most …
Sales-Tax Commission Needed for Jackson?
City leaders have only one major request this legislative session, but that doesn't mean they'll get it. Jackson lawmakers are pushing to revise a 2009 sales-tax bill that offered a …
Mississippi a CO2 Dump?
Mississippi would become a reservoir for carbon-dioxide storage under Senate Bill 2723 and House Bill 1098--both of which survived their respective Oil, Gas and Other Minerals committees this month.
Parveen Kapoor
An Indian man with a medium build, dressed in a mauve polo shirt, khaki pants and a black apron, carries white napkins and silverware while he serves five customers in …
House Stalls on Domestic Violence GPS
Monitoring domestic violence suspects out on bond is apparently a controversial issue in the Mississippi House of Representatives. The House spent most of yesterday tackling an unofficial list of non-controversial …
Tuesday, February 8
Wyatt Emmerich's ‘Welfare' Chart Dissected by The New Republic
With a hat-tip to Jay, we bring your attention to the story From Mississippi to ‘The Corner': A Tale of Right-Wing Wrongness, where our star is none other than Northside …
Council: Metrocenter or Bust; Only Residents Allowed
Only Jackson residents will be able to serve on the city's boards, commissions and authorities, the Jackson City Council voted 4-to-0 today.Currently, the mayor appoints potential board members, and the …
More Art, Crafts, Cannoli, Retail
A children's fountain, outdoor dining, garden rooms, performance stage and expansive art installations are just a few of the design elements The Art Garden at the Mississippi Museum of Art …
[Balko] The Anti-Cop Trend That Isn't
Between Jan. 20 and Jan. 25, 13 police officers were shot in the U.S., five of them fatally. Two officers in St. Petersburg, Fla., were killed while trying to arrest …
Dowell Taylor
Jackson State University Director of Music Technology Dowell Taylor faces a hefty challenge: He has 48 hours to pull together Jackson Public Schools' annual All-City High School Band Festival.
Everybody Deserves Smoke-Free Air
Everybody deserves smoke-free air. Pediatricians have first-hand experience about what happens when children and babies breathe second-hand smoke.
Monday, February 7
Barstool Quarterbacking
A weekend of cocktails, friends...oh, and I think there was a football game.
Investigation: Medical Examiners Put Living at Risk
In detective novels and television crime dramas like "CSI," highly trained medical professionals equipped with the most sophisticated tools of 21st-century science staff the nation's morgues. Operating at the nexus …
Supes Scrutinize Elections Employee
The Hinds County Board of Supervisors voted today to extend the contract of a county Elections Commission worker whose employment has stirred controversy. Supervisors voted 3-0 to extend voting-machine technician …
A.M.E. Logan
Remaining fearless and determined even into her late 90s, civil rights activist A.M.E. Logan would frequently attend community meetings and drive herself around Jackson delivering Avon products to her clients.
Community Events and Public Meetings
Community Blood Drives. The Mississippi Blood Services Donor Coach will be in the parking lot. Donors must be at least 17 (16 with signed parental consent), weigh at least 110 …
Supreme Court Grants Death Row Inmate Reprieve
Read the court's decision (PDF)
Friday, February 4
Ice Leads To Five-Hour Gridlock on the ‘Stack'
On a day that many Jacksonians suffered long commutes, Rodney Cuevas still had an exceptional evening. Cuevas left his job at the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality for his home …
Senate Passes Total Texting While Driving Ban
The Mississippi Senate wants to expand a ban on texting while driving to include everyone in the state.
Edward Dacus
Although Edward Dacus has only had his new title of Mississippi Opera Chorus Master since Jan. 26, he has not wasted any time starting new opera projects. Dacus, who is …
Mississippi Players in the Super Bowl
Mississippi has provided the NFL with its fair share of players. In Super Bowl XLV, the Magnolia State is represented by Mike Wallace of the Steelers and Donald Lee and …
It's The Weekend!
With Valentine's Day rapidly approaching, brave the weather and head to circa (2771 Old Canton Road) for Valentine's Date Night tonight at 5 p.m. for inspiration and gifts. The Jackson …
Bill Targets Barbour's Jet Use
The Mississippi House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday that would limit the use of state-owned aircraft to official business only. The bill comes after concerns from lawmakers that Gov. …
Mark Kelly at National Prayer Breakfast - Good Can Come From Tragedy
Here's the whole thing... around 1:36:50 is when Kelly talks about being an astronaut:
Caught in traffic yesterday (I was out trying to find salt for our steps in the ice) I heard Mark Kelly's speech at the National Prayer breakfast. (Obama also gave …
Thursday, February 3
A Mixed Bag for Mississippi Children
By many measures, children in Mississippi are worse off than kids in most other states, but Mississippi shows some bright spots. The Annie E. Casey Foundation's annual "Kids Count" report …
Sweet Potato Queen's Fondren Parade Set
Standing next to a pink port-a-potty decorated with a sequin-clad Sweet Potato Queen, author and boss queen Jill Conner Browne officially announced Fondren's Zippity Doo Dah Parade this morning.
Christy Henderson
Artist Christy Henderson has been busy creating artwork and jewelry that explores the theme of love for Valentine's Day.
MEMA Urges Residents to Prepare for Winter Weather
<i>Verbatim statement from MEMA:</i>
PEARL--The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency wants residents to prepare for the possibility of winter weather Thursday and Friday. The National Weather Service predicts rain, sleet, freezing rain and snow are …
Wednesday, February 2
Jackson State Gets 16 commitments On National Signing Day
National signing day for high school football arrived with all the excitement of Christmas for college football coaches. Starting early this morning recruits could make a decision on where to …
The Best In Sports In 7 Days
Doctor S sez: It's Super Sunday, y'all. I'm super, thanks for asking.
The Duel in Dallas
After months of hot practices, two-a-days, preseason games, 16 regular-season games and battles against injuries, only two teams are left standing on the verge of immortality.
The Super Bowl Menu
Recipes by Tom Ramsey
I admit it: For me, the Super Bowl is all about the commercials and the food. Last year's singing E*Trade babies had me laughing for days.
Football Cocktails
No matter which side you cheer, these recipes will score the winning touchdown with your crew.
New Year's All Over Again
The Chinese New Year is Feb. 3, and it's the Year of the Rabbit. What does that mean? It's a welcome year, according to Chinese astrology, after the tumultuous Year …
Of Truth and the Shortest Month
I admit it: I've never been Black History Month's biggest fan. Let me put that another way: I don't like how media tend to treat Black History Month. Too often, …
BP Claims Process Compromised?
Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood asked a federal judge last week to oversee Gulf Coast Claims Facility pay-outs to individuals the 2010 BP oil spill disaster injured.
Immigrants, Medicaid and Abortion
The House took up a controversial bill demanding that state and local law-enforcement officials request proof of residency status from civilians they suspect are undocumented immigrants. The version of Senate …
Caring for Criminals
Inmate medical care is an unpopular business, at least in Hinds County. The Hinds County Board of Supervisors learned that lesson the hard way in January, when it found itself …
Turn Down the Politics
With nearly two weeks before the Jackson City Council special election to replace former Ward 1 Councilman Jeff Weill (who left to serve as a Hinds County judge), candidate Quentin …
[Stiggers] Thriving in the Ghetto
Welcome to the Ghetto Science Team's Super Bowl XLV Tailgate Viewing Party and Disco Business Strategy meeting. I hope my fellow business associates are ready to provide lots of entertainment, …
[Kamikaze] Jackson Schools in Crisis
I am a proud product of Jackson Public Schools. I spent nine years in that system. My mother was a long-time educator in JPS. My brother currently teaches in JPS. …
[Parshall] Firestorm Misses the Point
The blood libel remains a potent bogeyman in anti-Semitic rhetoric around the world.
Mississippi Gal, Louisiana Bluesman
The neon signs from the neighboring buildings reflected a soft pink glow on the concrete and illuminated Guitar Lightnin' Lee's face, as he stood in front of the Hi Ho …
Melding Realty with Fiction
As you know, it's cold outside. So why not stay inside (where it's warm) with a few good books?
39 Steps to Mystery
I didn't see any birds, and a psycho didn't attack me, but I did look through a rear window to see the footprints of 39 steps at New Stage Theatre …
Baring it All
Tony B gazes at the viewer with intent and mystery. His bare body is turned at a sideways stance as if he is trying to conceal a secret. Mary B …
Delta Music
This past weekend, I attended Delta Night at Hal & Mal's, sponsored by Delta State University's Delta Music Institute. There is so much to know about the DMI. Open since …
Timothy Fizer
The front door of F. Jones Corner bursts open around 4 a.m. on a Friday, and Timothy Fizer emerges, holding a drunken man's arms behind his back as the man …
Lawmakers Tackle Critter Cruelty
For proponents of a felony animal-cruelty law in Mississippi, state Rep. Greg Ward, D-Ripley, seems like the biggest obstacle to success. Last year, when a Senate-approved bill to make the …
Ward 1 on Ice
Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance Legal Project Director L. Patricia Ice waited until the last minute to enter the race for the vacant Ward 1 council seat. Ice barely managed to …
February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month
The Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence is honoring National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention month by promoting healthy youth relationships to prevent teen dating violence.
Tuesday, February 1
Cover
War On The Poor
Congress Embraces a New Southern Strategy
It was 7:30 in the morning, and the smallest beneficiaries of the Richard Brandon Head Start Center at 5920 N. State St. followed their young parents into the mass of …
Group Forms to Save Fondren Strip
An online petition asking developer David Watkins to preserve a 1938 strip of Fondren businesses on North State Street has gained the support of 189 people. Watkins proposes to tear …
[Balko] Cops Beat Unarmed Future Cop
A year ago this month, Jordan Miles, an 18-year-old music student at Pittsburgh's Creative and Performing Arts High School, was walking to his grandmother's home in the city's Homewood neighborhood …
Fondren Business Shuffle, Nightclub Reopens
The Orange Peel is moving. Owner Kristin Tubb says the Fondren consignment shop will open in its new location, at 422 Mitchell Ave., on March 10. As Fondren's retail and …
Peppy Biddy
When actors auditioned for a role in New Stage Theatre's "39 Steps," director Peppy Biddy warned them that the play would be like running on a treadmill at its highest …
