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The Year In News
This year will be over in a few hours. Here's a look back on some of the big news events of 2010 in Jackson and Mississippi.
Pre-K: An Ounce of Prevention
Little Samaritan Montessori is an unusual sight in Jackson's Midtown neighborhood. In an area with high rates of vacancy and a declining population, Little Samaritan represents the future. The child-care …
Highway 80 Gets Scrutinized, Organized
After declining slowly for decades, the Highway 80 corridor in south Jackson is poised for a rebirth. The Jackson Redevelopment Authority is looking to have the corridor designated an urban …
Laid-Off Teachers Hurting Education
Mississippi's public education system faces a difficult future, given persistent funding troubles, state Sen. David Blount, D-Jackson, said today. Speaking at the Jackson Chamber of Commerce's Friday Forum at Koinonia …
Jackson Police Battling Burglaries
Jackson police reported 226 crimes last week, up from 177 the previous week, according to crime statistics released at a Jackson Police Department command staff meeting this morning. Officers reported …
Advocates Urge Proactive Approach to Homeless
Addressing homelessness in Jackson will require the active participation of communities, especially in the areas near downtown, the city's Homeless Program Coordinator Heather Ivery said today.
College Board Loosens Firing Rules
Facing steep budget cuts this year and a bleak outlook for the next two years, the state College Board gave initial approval yesterday to a policy change that would allow …
City Purchases 311 Software
The Jackson City Council yesterday approved the purchase of two software packages that will allow citizens to make and track complaints and requests related to city services online. The two …
Mark Chinn
Yes, he's a divorce lawyer, but if Mark Chinn has his way, that job description will sound less like a slur and more like an honor. Chinn, 56, wants to …
Filming, Cupcakes and Marketing
Filming for DreamWorks Studios' "The Help," the adaptation of Jackson native Kathryn Stockett's bestselling debut novel, has largely taken place in Greenwood, but the production is coming to Fondren Sept. …
Hinds Seeks $6 Million Fines
Lack of personnel and technology is preventing Hinds County from collecting over $6 million in outstanding fines, county supervisors learned at a work session yesterday. A discussion on improving the …
JPS Facing $9M Budget Hole
The Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees met yesterday to address a possible $9 million budget shortfall for the upcoming school year. With lower tax collections, rising debt-service obligations and …
JPD Building Habitat House, Battling Burglaries
The Jackson Police Department is adding construction to its list of responsibilities. Along with the Jackson Fire Department, JPD will contribute volunteers to the construction of a Habitat house on …
JRA Mulls ‘Union Market' Downtown
The city is soliciting community input on an empty storage space across from the King Edward Hotel in downtown Jackson that could become an open-air market, dubbed "Union Market," Jackson …
Melissa Dearman
Baker Elementary School is getting kids excited to read. The south Jackson elementary school recently won "School of the Year" honors from America Reads Mississippi, a literacy program that brings …
Barbour Names Commission on School Consolidation
Gov. Haley Barbour announced yesterday the formation of an advisory panel on school consolidation, one of the more controversial suggestions from his November budget recommendations. Composed of state and local …
Leslee Foukal
Leslee Foukal has high hopes for the section of Fondren west of State Street.
Teachers Fire Back at Film
In "Waiting for 'Superman,'" the provocative new documentary on America's education system, the trick is that the titular superhero doesn't exist. It argues that no single force will rescue the …
Edwards To Address Book Controversy
Jackson Public Schools Superintendent Lonnie Edwards is holding a press conference this afternoon to address controversial book purchases at his former school district. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has reported that several …
MDE Submits Proposal to Makeover State Schools
On June 1, the Mississippi Department of Education sent a 500-page Race To The Top proposal to radically transform the state's educational system to Washington, D.C. Mississippi's entry in the …