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Editor's Note
Of Charles Barbour, TEDx Jackson and Decent Role Models
Simple facts about what built today's inequality are not discussed by people like Charles Barbour. They still use the same old-school scare tactics that should offend white voters because they …
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Politics
Analysis: 2015 Republican Primary May Grow Again
The recent Republican U.S. Senate race won by Thad Cochran may be a sign that Republican dominance in general elections will finally translate into GOP primaries that are larger statewide …
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City & County
10 Local Stories of the Week
There's never a slow news week in Jackson, Miss., and last week was no exception. Here are the local stories JFP reporters brought you in case you missed them.
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Business
Democrat Baria Wants Legislative MDOC Hearings
A Democratic lawmaker wants the Legislature to look deeper into the allegations of corruption that have ensnared longtime Mississippi Department of Corrections Commissioner Christopher Epps.
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Ex-Gov.: 'Tar Babies' Quip Not Meant to Offend
Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour acknowledges he used the term "tar babies" to describe President Barack Obama's policies, but says "neither the context nor the connotation was intended to offend."
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RosemaryBarbourLawsuit
In 2011, Rosemary Barbour was found to have attempted defrauding the federal government post-Katrina.
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Politics
‘This Is All A Big Game’
What a gathering it was two years ago when Terry McAuliffe got together with his buddies Bill Clinton and Haley Barbour in Horn Lake to celebrate the plant opening of …
Story
Stinker Quote of the Week: 'Literary'
If anyone is aware of the multiple, offensive meanings of the term tar-baby, it's the former governor and Yazoo City native with a history of landing in hot water over …
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City & County
MDOC Scandal Highlights Privatization Problems
With the nation's largest private prison operators earning more than $3 billion in revenue, private-prison and government watchdogs say the opportunity for the brand of corruption alleged against Epps and …
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Politics
Charles Barbour: On Kooks, Black Families and His Wife
Charles Barbour, 52, studied criminal justice at the University of Mississippi. As a city councilman, he would like to see the Jackson Police Department adequately funded but given financial oversight.
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Reeves, Bryant Giving McCrory Donations to Charity
By R.L. NaveLt. Gov. Tate Reeves will make a donation to a Mississippi charity in the amount his political campaign received from indicted Rankin County businessman Cecil McCrory.
McCrory was indicted last week along with former Mississippi Department of Corrections Commissioner Christopher Epps in an alleged bribery and kickback scheme.
A former Rankin County Republican lawmaker turned businessman specializing in corrections consulting, McCrory has donated $1,500 to Reeves over the years. Reeves will donate that amount to the Girl Scouts of Greater Mississippi, his office said today. McCrory also contributed at least $1,300 to Gov. Phil Bryant, who told the Associated Press that he would give that sum to the Salvation Army.
Several other Republican elected officials have received similar donations from McCrory, including Public Service Commissioner Lynn Posey, Transportation Commissioner Dick Hall, Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney. Former Gov. Haley Barbour and former Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck also received contributions from McCrory as well.
A search of state campaign-finance records show that Epps made two contributions totaling $225 to Gov. Ronnie Musgrove, who appointed Epps to MDOC's top post in 2003.
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Business
KiOR Files for Bankruptcy, but Not Miss. Unit
Biofuel maker KiOR Inc. has filed for bankruptcy, although its Mississippi subsidiary has not, preserving the chance that its Columbus plant could be sold quickly.
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Business
Epps, McCrory Indictment Outlines MDOC Bribery Scheme
Christopher Epps, the long-tenured commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, and former Rankin County School Board President Cecil McCrory will be arraigned later today on a 49-count indictment in …
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Indictment: Rankin County Businessman Bribed MDOC's Epps for Prison Contracts
Christopher Epps, the long-tenured commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, and former Rankin County School Board President Cecil McCrory will be arraigned this later today on a 49-count indictment …
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Epps Resigns as Miss. Corrections Commissioner
The Department of Corrections said state Corrections Commissioner Christopher Epps has resigned without giving a reason.
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MDOC's Chris Epps Resigns; Agency Looks for Temp Commish
By R.L. NaveChristopher Epps, the long-tenured commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Corrections has resigned effective today.
The letter of resignation he submitted to Gov. Phil Bryant did not state a reason for the unexpected departure nor has MDOC made one public.
The Clarion-Ledger cites "multiple sources" who confirm the existence of a federal probe, but the newspaper does not specify whether Epps is the subject of the investigation.
Epps had been the longest serving prison chief in state history.
Democratic Gov. Ronnie Musgrove first appointed Epps to lead the agency in 2002; two subsequent Republican governors, Haley Barbour and Phil Bryant, kept Epps in place.
MDOC is searching for an interim commissioner.
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Health Care
How Obamacare Went South In Mississippi
In a state stricken by diabetes, heart disease, obesity and the highest infant mortality rate in the nation, President Barack Obama's landmark health care law has barely registered, leaving the …
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City & County
Crime, JPD Big Themes for Ward 1 Hopefuls
Everyone with hopes of securing a spot on Jackson's City Council says the city has a crime problem, but opinions about how to prevent and clean up crime varies among …
