Jackson Free Press

Community Events and Public Meetings

Events at Fleet Feet Sports (Trace Station, 500 Highway 51 N., Ridgeland). Free; call 601-899-9696.

Jubilee JAM! 2009 Lineup Announced

The JAM folks have announced their national/regional line-up for this year's festival -- local performers are still to come. The following is verbatim from their materials:

Christopher Hitchens on Katrina and Bush's Response

The neo-cons' favorite Brit did an interview with Austrailian Broadcasting Corp. yesterday that won't fly so well with Bush supporters. Here's an excerpt, but read the whole thing:

[Isbister] What About Women Musicians?

As I left my office June 15, I had a heavy heart. Everyone was getting ready for Jubilee!JAM—the barricades were going up and parking had been a nightmare for two …

The Death of Conservatism (As We Know It)?

Conservative columnist David Brooks rethinks today's Republican Party in the cover story of this week's New York Times Magazine: "Democrats may imagine that the G.O.P. is an amalgam of fat …

David Watkins

David Watkins is an attorney who's been haunting the city of Jackson for the last half-century. Though the Fondren resident has been all over the world, he says he always …

Killing Quardious Thomas: A Castle Doctrine Case Study

The law providing immunity for Eric Williams is Mississippi's Castle Doctrine, which spells out a range of circumstances in which homicide may be justified.

• 126 comments

Jackson Convention Center: The $65 Million Question

Update: On Thursday morning, Jeff Good and Dan Blumenthal, owners of BRAVO! and Broad Street restaurants, announced that they were pledging 1% of their sales between now and the election …

One Lake, Few Alternatives: A Primer

Many of the concerns surrounding One Lake remain unresolved and, to date, the Levee Board has declined to host a public forum to take questions from the audience openly, instead …

Independent Business Week: Taking a Slice of the Pie

The American Independent Business Alliance says on its website that shopping local helps build community, shapes a neighborhood's character, gives people access to expertise on a product; and creates a …

Mutiny at the Senate: Bi-partisan Death of New Ed Formula

Twenty-six senators joined Sen. Hob Bryan, D-Amory, to kill the Republican-driven proposal to scrap MAEP, which would have replaced it with a weights-based student funding formula, which EdBuild developed and …

State Takeovers: A Fix for Failing School Districts?

When the state took control of the Hazlehurst City school district in 2008, the small rural district was in chaos and suffering from abysmal academic performance.

• 1 comment

The Faces of Travis Childers

Travis Childers, a former congressman from Booneville, hopes traditional Democratic voters and tea-party members can help him upset Republican U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran in November.

Candidates Reveal Differences at Debate

Three Republican Party gubernatorial candidates leaned heavy right on social issues, but differed slightly on some money matters at a Flowood debate sponsored by the Mississippi Tea Party.

BREAKING: Mayor Cancels Confirmation, Outrages Council

Several members of City Council were outraged today that Mayor Frank Melton abruptly cancelled the confirmation hearing of Charles Melvin, who is Melton's choice to head up the Parks and …

Barbour Still ‘No' on Federal Funds

Gov. Haley Barbour reportedly renewed his criticism of the Obama administration's economic bailout package during the National Governors Association winter meeting in Washington, D.C. this past weekend.

Who Owns ‘Local' Media?

"Did you know this was happening? Have you heard about it in the local or national news?" wrote Federal Communications Commissioner Jonathan S. Adelstein in the San Francisco Chronicle on …

Palin's $50,000 Office Makeover ... into 'Bordello' Red

Salon is reporting that Sarah Palin shocked Wasilla when she spent $50,000 from a city highway fund to re-do her mayoral office:

ABC Disgraces Itself During Debate

The world is talking today about how poorly ABC's George Stephanopolous and Charles Gibson handled themselves during last night's Democratic debate. Over on The Root, Marc Lamont Hill writes:

The Best 10 Movies of 2005

This was a great year for movies in terms of quality, though 2005 will probably be remembered by the film industry for its hugely disappointing box office grosses (it marks …