Jackson Free Press

JACKSON — Things seemed to return to normal after Hurricane Isaac and the three-day Labor Day weekend slowed down the capital city last week. Going into the presidential and contentious city-wide elections, controversy abounded as city, county and national political figures jockeyed for power.

In case you missed them, here are 10 local stories from the past week:

1. In a move that seemed to catch fellow supervisors and Sheriff Tyrone Lewis off guard, District 5 Supervisor Kenneth Stokes successfully proposed removing $2.5 million from the sheriff's budget to pay for raises and add to the county's cash reserves. Reporter R.L. Nave covered the otherwise uneventful meeting. Board President Robert Graham called a special meeting for tomorrow morning to reconsider the vote.
2. City reporter Jacob Fuller covers the unfolding drama over Jackson's efforts to redraw political boundaries. On Tuesday, the Jackson City Council voted 4-2 in favor of redistricting Option 1, which will fracture Ward 1's foothold east of Interstate 55.
3. Michael Clarke Duncan, an Alcorn State University hoops star and Oscar-nominated actor died at the age of 54.
4. JFP features editor Kathleen Mitchell offers a taste of Table 100 in Flowood, which prides itself on serving fresh, farm-grown produce, meat and ingredients each day. The restaurant hosted an upscale dinner event featuring the goods of seven farmers and distributors throughout Mississippi.
5. Mississippi, which recently passed a voter ID law, wondered about the implications of a spate of federal court rejections of similar laws around the country. Managing editor Ronni Monni analyzes what the court decisions portend for voter ID in our state.
6. The Jackson City Council's water/sewer ad hoc committee is reviewing a consent decree from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Environmental Quality that, if signed, would leave city taxpayers with a hefty bill to replace and repair a wide range of sewer and drainage problems across the city. Jacob Fuller delivers the story.
7. Ex-Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour once again inserts his foot in his mouth, saying he wanted Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie "to put a hot poker to (Barack) Obama's butt. Barbour later half-apologized to people who felt the comment had racist undertones.
8. Put on hold during Hurricane Isaac's torrent, the annual Backyard Brawl between the Millsaps Majors and Mississippi College Choctaws went on as planned. Millsaps hosted the game this year and was looking to end a three-game losing streak against their rivals. Did they do it? Sports editor Bryan Flynn gives the rundown.
9. Midtown, one of the city's leading neighborhoods in the arts, will soon welcome the state's first eco-friendly, sustainable affordable housing. The 16 housing units, made up of eight duplexes, include energy-efficient amenities like thermal aluminum windows, Energy Star Appliances, instant gas water heaters, insulated crawl spaces and solar-panel energy generators.
10. Mississippi has one of the nation's highest rates of West Nile infections and rates of death from the mosquito-borne disease. So far, four Mississippians have died from West Nile-related complications, according to information from the Mississippi State Department of Health. Two deaths occurred in Rankin County. With 129 total cases, which include confirmed and probable cases, Mississippi is one of four states with more than 100 cases this year.
11. Piko Ewoodzie profiles Hattiesburg chef Robert St. John, who is bringing his two successful restaurants to Jackson this week for a four-day fundraiser Sept. 9-12.

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