All results / Stories / Ward Schaefer
City Eyes Open-Government Technology
Jackson doesn't have a reputation for being a particularly tech-savvy place, but this fall, city government will begin changing that image. City hall is poised to adopt two new technologies …
Businesses Gear Up for Sales-Tax Holiday
For the second year in a row, the Mississippi Department of Revenue is holding a sales tax holiday in time for back-to-school shopping. From 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 30, …
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 …
Wicker Leading Musgrove By 11 In New Poll
The latest Rasmussen poll doesn't look good for Ronnie Musgrove. Rasmussen has him trailing Roger Wicker by only two points, 47 to 49 percent, in early October. Now they're putting …
The Kid In the Picture
When brothers Joel and Ethan Coen filmed "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" in Canton 10 years ago, they gave many Jackson-area residents their first—and in some cases, their only—taste of …
Cover
No Small Feat
The students in John Bennetts' second-grade class are being perfect sponges. Bennetts, a teacher at KIPP Delta Elementary Literacy Academy, a charter school in Helena, Ark., is drilling the class …
Candidate
The JFP Interview With Dave Dennis
In 1995, then-Mississippi Gov. Kirk Fordice announced his re-election campaign from the Gulfport home of Dave Dennis. Dennis had a lot in common with the governor. Both made their fortunes …
Business
Open For Business: Starting Small
Jacqueline Wells dreams of making films. That's why she's sitting in an office in an old shopping mall on Ellis Avenue, flanked by two portable fans compensating for the office's …
Cover
Shades of Gray
On the evening of Oct. 27, the mayor of McComb, Miss., was in the city's board room, arguing with his city attorney about fractions. The mayor wanted to block a …
Plans for Tunica Hybrid Plant Move Forward
A start-up company that is seeking to build hybrid cars in Tunica County is moving forward after settling a lawsuit with a former business partner. According to court documents, Southaven-based …
Jackson Major Crimes Down Again
Major crimes decreased again last week in Jackson, according to statistics released today at a Jackson Police Department meeting. The city's overall major crime rate was down 13 percent from …
Money Games
Mississippi leaders experienced a rare moment of agreement last month on the frequently rancorous topic of education funding.
Frank Melton
A-1 Pallet Files Suit
A little more than a year after Jackson Mayor Frank Melton began publicly calling for the demolition of the A-1 Pallet recycling plant on Mill Street, the company's owners are …
Hayne Reviewing Hinds Autopsy
Steven Hayne may have built a name--and notoriety--for himself with prosecution-friendly autopsy testimony, but it was a defense request that may bring him into a Jackson murder case as an …
Scott Sisters' Clemency Momentum Growing
Support for imprisoned sisters Jamie and Gladys Scott is growing as an anticipated deadline for their clemency petition nears. The sisters, who are in the 17th year of their double …
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.
Mississippi Lawmakers Split on Tax Cuts
Mississippi Sens. Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker will likely side with their Republican colleagues Saturday in blocking a return to pre-Bush-era tax rates for wealthy Americans that the U.S. House …
Judge Sets Rules For 'Inflammatory' Melton Trial Evidence
A federal judge heard arguments Friday on admitting evidence in the civil rights trial of Mayor Frank Melton and his former police bodyguard, Michael Recio. Most of the five-hour hearing …
Woodward Execution Date Set
Attorney General Jim Hood is asking the state of Mississippi to execute two death-row inmates, the first since 2008. Hood's office submitted requests to the Mississippi Supreme Court last month …
