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The Charms of Frank Melton
Mayor Frank Melton and I disagreed on many things, especially the way he ran the city and his style of "crime-fighting," but we met in the middle on a few …
May 14 Mayoral Debate at JSU: Crisler v. Johnson
Send your questions now for the May 14 mayoral debate between Democratic nominees Councilman Marshand Crisler and former Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. at the Rose McCoy Auditorium on the Jackson …
Council Selects McLemore Interim Mayor, Angers Stokes
In an emergency meeting held at 4 p.m. today, the Jackson City Council voted 5-to-1 to appoint Ward 2 Councilman Leslie McLemore as interim mayor after Mayor Frank Melton succumbed …
City Council Calls Special 4 p.m. Meeting to Select Interim Mayor
NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE
Verbatim:
UPDATED: Mayor Frank Melton ‘Still Alive,' Spokeswoman Says
UPDATE 12:10 P.M.: City spokeswoman Goldia Revies has released the following statement: "Mayor Frank E. Melton is still resting and will undergo tests today at St. Dominic Hospital. More information …
Zata|3 Survey Results ‘Dead On'
Verbatim from Brad Chism of Zata|3:
Our public service project has concluded. As you can see below, our numbers were better than the Mason-Dixon poll and better than the Southern Research poll commissioned by the Clarion …
Returns: Harvey & Crisler Neck-and-Neck, Melton Third
With 85 percent of the vote in for the Jackson's mayoral race, Harvey Johnson and Marshand Crisler are tied with 27 percent, with Mayor Frank Melton in third place with …
BREAKING: Melton Rushed to St. Dominic; Sources Say ‘Unresponsive'
May 5, 2009—WAPT and other sources are reporting that Mayor Frank Melton is en route to St. Dominic in an ambulance. May be in cardiac arrest; "unresponsive," according to scanners …
Johnson Says Data Prove Crime Dropped While Mayor
Verbatim from Harvey Johnson:
JACKSON, Miss. (May 4, 2009) – Harvey Johnson, Jr. will attend The SafeCity Take a Tasty Bite Out of Crime event this evening at Highland Village. Johnson is committed to …
New Zata|3 Poll Shows Crisler and H. Johnson Tied
Full JFP Coverage of 2009 City Elections
JFP Endorsements
Told You: Ledger Doesn't Endorse; ‘Unendorses' Melton Four Years Late
Turns out we were right: The Clarion-Ledger today did not endorse a candidate for Jackson mayor in Tuesday's primary—but finally came out and said that it was wrong about Frank …
Is this guy still a Northside Sun columnist?
SUBJECT: FACT: "SWINE FLU" CASUALTY IN USA WAS A VISITING MEXICAN...NOT USA CITIZEN!!!
I just just got this e-mail from someone who clearly is out to tar Mexicans with the swine flu; he also sent it to media around the country, sending a …
Harvey Johnson Leads in New Mayoral Phone Survey
Verbatim from Brad Chism:
Friends, Below is a topline from the survey yesterday. Further below is a repeat of the explanations and qualifiers-these are important. From the blog traffic it appears that some don't …
2009 JFP Interview with Frank Melton, Part VI: Of Alcohol and Guns
In his office in February, Mayor Frank Melton talked about many issues with the Jackson Free Press. Here is an excerpt about his past abuse of alcohol and, if true, …
Submit Questions, Get Tickets for April 23 Mayoral Debate Now!
The Jackson Free Press is a sponsor of the April 23 debate featuring Democratic candidates for mayor of Jackson at the Jackson Convention Complex. You can watch a feed of …
Help with Chick Ball Cause: Shop for Clearance Easter "Chicks"!
A simple and cheap way to help the Chick Ball cause this year is to head to the closest discount store (Target, etc.), drugstore, craft sore or decoration outlet this …
Former DA: Harvey Johnson Can ‘Stop Stampede'
Former Hinds County District Attorney Faye Peterson confirmed this morning at a press conference that she will drop out of the mayoral race due to family concerns. She endorsed former …
BREAKING: Mississippi Minority Contractors Sue Toyota
[Verbatim statement tonight:] Jackson, MS (March 31, 2009). Jackie Williams and Renna Fisher, African American principals of Fish & Fisher, a ten-year old construction company, have filed a civil racial …
Melton: Tyrone Lewis to be New Chief
Keeping in mind that today is April Fool's, and anything could happen, Jackson Mayor Frank Melton told the Jackson Free Press earlier today that he is planning to announce at …
The 2009 JFP Interview with Frank Melton, Part V: To the DEA?
In this long excerpt of JFP editor Donna Ladd's interview with Frank Melton in February, he talks about why he's running for re-election, dying with dignity, the City Council, his …
The 2009 JFP Interview with Frank Melton, Part IV: The Kids
In his long Feb. 26 interview with Jackson Free Press editor Donna Ladd in his City Hall office, Mayor Frank Melton turned the topic to the young men in his …
Fortune and CNN Money Stories on Farish and ‘Indie Jackson'
Enjoy. And pass the word.
Word went around last week that JFP friend Amy Haimerl had done a piece about Jackson, and Farish Street, for Fortune Small Business. The story is now published here on …
Sunshine Week, Part II: How to Demand More Open Gov't
1. Government workers who ask "why do you want to see THAT?" (It's none of their business.)
This is the week when media love to talk about "sunshine" and openness in government. (See my earlier blog post about how The Clarion-Ledger mangled their sunshine story earlier this …
Wait a Minute!?! We tweeted a federal trial in February!?!
Follow the JFP's tweets here.
The Society of Professional Journalists is making a big deal out of a Wichita reporter for "pioneering" the use Twitter to cover a federal trial in March. Not so fast. …
St. Paddy's Weekend in Jacktown Starts Right Here and Now
It's here! It's the week we all party like the Irish. The JFP has gathered all the details in one place for you; pick up the huge print edition this …
The 2009 JFP Interview with Frank Melton, Part III: Money & Taxes
In Part III of his Feb. 26 interview with JFP editor Donna Ladd, Frank talks about his finances, including his property-tax troubles.
Melton to Democratic Party: ‘Go to Hell' (Updated)
Mayor Frank Melton told the Jackson Free Press Tuesday that the Jackson Municipal Executive Democratic Committee can "go to hell" for disqualifying him to re-run as a Democrat in the …
Gross: Why Obama Should Ignore the Dow
Newsweek business columnist Daniel Gross explains why investor ire at Obama about the stock market's ups and downs is misplaced. And he advises Obama to ignore the naysayers and stay …
Is The Clarion-Ledger Intentionally Misleading on Open-Records Law?
Or, is it woeful ignorance of the law? Either way, the corporate newspaper isn't making government transparency any better as Sunshine Week opens to publish articles such as this one …
Emmerich's Clarksdale Paper Now Twice a Week
Clarksdate Press-Register publisher Ed Nichols announced this week that the newspaper, owned by Wyatt Emmerich of Jackson, will only publish two days a week going forward. Subscribers will get a …
2009 JFP Interview with Frank Melton, Part I: Health
The day after Mayor Frank Melton got a reprieve from prison due to a hung jury, he held a brief press conference in City Hall to talk about his plans …
Gannett Stock Plunges 24% Today; Down to $2.22 Share
The Gannett Corp., owner of The Clarion-Ledger, a newspaper in Mississippi, took a dramatic hit in the stock market today as its stock price plummeted 24 percent in one day, …
Melton Came Within Two Votes of Conviction
Within days of coming within two votes of going to federal prison, Mayor Frank Melton revealed to the Jackson Free Press last Thursday for the first time publicly that he …
Krugman: Obama's Budget Is 'Very, Very Good'
Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman writes in his New York Times column that President Obama is taking the country in the right direction in his new budget:
Baggy pants are out! Men's butts are back!
At least so sez The New York Times. Can't say I mind this trend.
BREAKING: Mayor Frank Melton Running for Re-election
In an interview in City Hall today, Mayor Frank Melton broke the news to the Jackson Free Press that he is going to run for re-election as mayor of Jackson. …
'Live & Learn': Melton Faces the Effects of His Actions
On the first day I showed up to cover the federal trial of Mayor Frank Melton and his ex-bodyguard Michael Recio in downtown Jackson, the mayor sidled up to me …
Transcript of Frank Melton Remarks in Short Press Conference Wednesday
JACKSON CITY HALLMayor Frank Melton called a press conference for 10 a.m. today to address plans for Maple Street Apartments, "new and ongoing economic development iniatives" and "continued/long-term focus on …
Did Bobby Jindal Really Just Diss Monitoring for Volcanoes!?
In his response to President Obama's speech, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal just criticized the president's stimulus package for providing funding for monitoring volcanoes. On the surface, that's sounds like an …
FBI Recovers 48 Kids in 29-City Prostitution Sting, Including Jackson
Feb. 23, 2009The FBI announced today that it has recovered 48 children in Operation Cross Country III, which targeted child-prostitution networks in 29 cities, including Jackson. Per an FBI statement …
I Call Him 'Mr. Melton'
Well, it's kinda good to finally see a mea culpa column of sorts from David Hampton on his paper's endorsement of Frank Melton, or "Frank" as he and others over …
Jury Complaint: ‘Curious and Serious' Development
- Listen to MC law professor Matt Steffey on today's events
Jury Deliberations Resume 9 a.m. Saturday
Kenya Hudson's Melton-Recio trial photos here.
