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History's Return
Gov. Haley Barbour is a sucker for anniversaries, apparently. In his final State of the State address last week, the governor said that 2011—the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Rides …
The Home Front
If Morgan Freeman is Clarksdale's most recognizable resident, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Luckett may be its second. An attorney and developer, Luckett runs two of his high-profile business ventures with …
A ‘Brazen' Ballot Battle
Gov. Haley Barbour took the fight over a sample election ballot to the Mississippi Supreme Court on Friday.
Due Diligence on Biofuels
Despite a strong show of support from state lawmakers last month, Houston-based startup KiOR is still a long way from breaking ground on the three biofuel facilities it has pledged …
Hinds Judge in the Hot Seat
Houston Patton may have a busy docket as Hinds County Court judge, but he must also contend with an increasing number of cases that feature him as a defendant.
JPS Employee Raised Overbilling Concerns in 2008
Over a year ago, a Jackson Public Schools employee warned supervisors that a private tutoring company may have overbilled the district by $400,000 or more. To date, JPS has not …
Attorneys Meet over Melton Trial Rules
JFP Coverage of Defense Witness Christopher Walker
Henry Clay
Henry C. Clay III has been a part-time judge for a long time. Clay, 52, has served as a Jackson municipal court judge for the past 16 years, while simultaneously …
Jackson Announces Amnesty Days
In effort to clear thousands of outstanding warrants, the City of Jackson will waive penalties on overdue fines for two days, city officials announced today. The initiative, called "Amnesty Days," …
Fed Dollars for New Sirens?
Hinds County supervisors are applying for up to $1.6 million in federal grant money to replace the county's 67 emergency sirens. Supervisors Robert Graham, Peggy Calhoun, and George Smith visited …
UPDATE: House Rebukes Barbour on Tuition Funds
The Mississippi House of Representatives struck a combative pose Thursday, restoring $17.2 million to higher education that Gov. Haley Barbour had ordered cut in November. By a vote of 87-34 …
Week One: Education Funding
The House of Representatives struck a combative pose at its first full session, restoring $17.2 million to higher education that Barbour had ordered cut in November. By a vote of …
Traversing the Merit-Pay Thicket
Over the next five years, Oak Forest Elementary School will be on the vanguard of a nationwide experiment in school reform. The south Jackson school is one of 10 in …
Midtown Housing Development Breaks Ground
City leaders today celebrated groundbreaking on the first phase of a $3.49 million energy-efficient residential development in Jackson's midtown neighborhood. The Jackson Housing Authority is financing the project through stimulus …
'Criminalizing' Kids
Donte Thompson says he hardly learned anything in alternative school. Forbidden to talk from the moment he stepped on the school bus, Donte did what little work he received using …
Dirk Dedeaux
Dirk Dedeaux knows the cost of obesity to Mississippi taxpayers. Dedeaux, a Democratic representative from Perkinston, chairs the House Medicaid Committee, giving him a front seat to witness the economic …
Appeals Court Gives Hinds Judge Immunity
Read the court's ruling (PDF).
Killer Ribs
If you go to a restaurant called The Rib Shack, you'd better order some ribs. The Lynch Street barbecue joint just opened in late July, and I recently decided to …