Jackson Free Press

Wayne Lewis, a Jackson native and longtime resident of Ward 6, called the Jackson Free Press office today to announce that he is entering into the election for the Ward 6 City Council seat. He also emailed the following verbatim biography:

A native of Jackson, MS. Wayne L Lewis was born and raised in the Shady Oaks Subdivision. He has lived in Ward 6 for the past 19 years. A product of the Jackson Public Schools, Lewis received his Bachelors of Science in Business Administration from Mississippi College in Clinton, MS and a MBA from Millsaps College Else School of Management.

He has served in various leadership roles in the faith based community impacting the lives of families while serving the public as a Jackson Police Office for many years. He is currently employed at Eaton Aero- Space with 17 years of service. He is the Founder of Rhema Word Ministries where he serves as Senior Pastor, and uses this ministry to give back to the community and youth around the city by sponsoring youth initiative programs, including sporting events in Ward 6, where he volunteers to serve as Coach, mentor and counselor for Little League Baseball teams.

Lewis has a wealth of leadership experience from the manufacturing industry and faith based arenas. He has a passion for the youth of the community and gives of himself to take an active role to impact their lives, where he will continue to serve his community as a servant of the people. Wayne Lewis is well connected to Ward 6 where he and his wife, Roberta Lewis are raising two boys.

• Former JPD Officer • Lived in Ward 6 for 19 years • Pastor / Teacher • Wayne Lewis, BSBA, MBA

Three Mississippi businesses that are participating in the If You're Buying, We're Selling sticker campaign are currently demanding that the American Family Association retract statements that accused them of discriminating against Christians. The three businesses include The Golden Growler, The Keg and Barrel, and La Finestra.

The AFA issued a news release on its website Monday that stated:

"Ironically, this sticker represents the very promotion of discrimination…against freedom of religious convictions. Businesses that display this sticker believe Christians should be forced, by law, to embrace homosexuality and deny their faith in personal business practices."

The entire news release can be read on the AFA's website: http://action.afa.net/item.aspx?id=2147545307.

Attorney Alexander Ignatiev of Hattiesburg, who represents the three businesses, issued the following statements in a cease and desist letter to AFA President Timony Wildmon on Wednesday:

"These statements are defamatory and actionable per se under the laws of the State of Mississippi, because they accuse my clients of unlawfully discriminating against persons in violating of the 14th Amendment and the Civil Rights Act of 1965, a felony . . . subjecting my clients to a penalty of up to ten years in prison. They are also materially false, and provably so, in connection with my clients, The Golden Growler, The Keg and Barrel, and La Finestra. These statements have been published with actual malice, which means that they have been published with reckless disregard for truthfulness, or with actual knowledge of their falsity, which removes any First Amendment protection from those statements."

Ignatiev is demanding that AFA remove the "materially false, reckless, unprotected statements" from the release within 7 days.