Donna Ladd | Stories | Jackson Free Press | Jackson, MS

Back to profile

Donna Ladd

Stories by Donna

Gustav

More Housing Needed in Jackson Metro for Gustav Evacuees

Also see: Jackpedia: Hurricane Gustav to get/post vital information.

Gustav

Evacuees Saying Contraflow in Mississippi ‘a Joke'

On the Gambit Weekly blog, New Orleans evacuees are complaining that the contraflow plan fell apart in Mississippi today. "Huck" wrote:

Gustav

Barbour: ‘We're Geared Up for a Major Storm'

Also see: Jackpedia: Hurricane Gustav to get/post vital information.

Gustav

MEMA Sends 100 School Buses to Coast to Pick Up Residents

(Verbatim) PEARL – The Mississippi Department of Education has deployed more than 100 school buses for people who need to evacuate the Gulf Coast today. People living in FEMA travel …

Gustav

MDOT: Traffic Contraflow to End Sunday Night

(Verbatim from MDOT) JACKSON, MISS., --- The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) announces the following traffic information. Officially LA/MS Hurricane Gustav Contraflow operations for Interstates 55 and 59 will terminate …

Gustav

McCain Announces Scaled-Back Convention Due to Gustav

John McCain campaign manager Rick Davis is announcing now that the Republican Naitonal Convention will officially begin at 3 p.m. Monday for "business of the day," but no politics. He …

Gustav

Where Is Emergency Housing for Gustav Evacuees?

Are you fleeing Gustav and looking for housing? You can find a list of emergency shelters in Mississippi here. Print a Red Cross evacuation plan here. Here's a checklist of …

Gustav

How to Volunteer to Help Gustav Victims

If you want to volunteer to help victims of Hurricane Gustav, please see this Jackpedia page, where you can also start posting about needs for specific volunteers. If you're available …

Gustav

Deadly Storm Surges Likely for Louisiana and Mississippi

As you're tracking the storm, don't just focus on where the eye of Gustav will make landfall. As we all learned during Katrina, the storm surge is one of the …

Gustav

McCain, Palin Coming to Jackson Sunday for Gustav Face Time

The Associated Press is reporting that the McCain-Palin campaign is coming down to Gustav territory:

Gustav

Governor: Contraflow Traffic Begins 4 a.m. Sunday in State

[Verbatim] August 30, 2008—The State of Mississippi is assisting Louisiana with contraflow operations for Interstate 59 and Interstate 55. This means all lanes will be dedicated to northbound traffic beginning …

Gustav

Barbour Declares State of Emergency Due to Gustav

[Verbatim from Office of Governor] (JACKSON, Mississippi)--Today Governor Haley Barbour issued a State of Emergency for the State of Mississippi due to the threat posed by Hurricane Gustav, which has …

Tease photo Politics

Obama's Explosive Acceptance Speech: The Transcript

Even as the country spent a minute saying "who the hell is Sarah Palin," Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama is basking in the glow (and poll numbers) of a remarkable …

Tease photo Jackblog

McCain Chooses Alaska 'Hockey Mom' as Running Mate

The New York Times reports that Sen. John McCain has chosen a 44-year-old conservative, pro-life governor who called herself a "hockey mom" as his running mate:

Gustav

The Katrina Effect: National and State Politics After the Storm

Read Adam Lynch's in-depth analysis of how the inadequate response to Hurricane Katrina on Mississippi's Gulf Coast and in New Orleans—and the fact that so many people still leave in …

Politics

U.S. Attorney: 595 ‘Illegal Aliens' Arrested

[verbatim from U.S. Attorney Dunn Lampton] LAUREL, Miss.— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents executed a federal criminal search warrant yesterday at Howard Industries, Inc., an electric transformer …

Jackblog

Who Can Read This?

Why is The Clarion-Ledger in so much trouble? Here's a good hint: Top editor Ronnie Agnew's column today starts this way:

Jackblog

"USA Today: Mississippi Edition"? The ‘Nuclear Option'?

Gannett blogger Jim Hopkins writes:

Things are so bad in the Gannett world (including layoffs nationwide, and 5 percent of The Clarion-Ledger staff, and dropping revenue and see-saw stock prices) that rumors are flying about …

Jackblog

Ed Peters Making a Deal with the Feds ... Or Not?

Patsy Brumsfield is reporting on the deal-or-no-deal confusion at The Daily Journal. (Hat tip to Folo.):

Jackblog

To: Employees of The Clarion-Ledger

To: Employees of The Clarion-Ledger

As you may have read in our newspaper or web site earlier today, The Gannett Company has announced a reduction of approximately 1000 jobs or 3 percent of the company …

Jackblog

Chris Joyner, Gotcha Journalist?

Meantime, I'll get Adam to try to sort it out and report back to y'all.

The Clarion-Ledger has a "big" story today that reeks of incomplete, gotcha journalism. Essentially the story is accusing David "Pops" Watkins, and perhaps others, of lying about investors in Farish …

UPDATED: Dee-Moore Families Sue County for Colluding with Klan

Read full complaint here. (PDF)

Politics

Attorney General Settles With State Farm

Attorney General Jim Hood just sent the following statement, verbatim:

Biloxi, MS-Attorney General Jim Hood announced the settlement of the state's breach of contract suit against State Farm, which was filed after State Farm refused to comply with a January, …

Jackblog

Is Clarion-Ledger Comatose at the Wheel?

I am simply astounded to see that, right this second, the top "breaking news" on the Ledger's site is this by Chris Joyner (who is about to be promoted to …

Frank Melton

Moore Demands 'Cover-up' Evidence from DA

In response to several desperate motions filed by Sharrod Moore's defense attorney requesting that the DA provide "any and all evidence in his possession regarding a police cover-up," Hinds County …

Greenwood Teen Settles Cop Suit, ‘No Pun Intended'

James Marshall, a Greenwood teenager who scuffled with a police officer in 2006, has settled his lawsuit against Officer Casey Wiggins, the city of Greenwood, Greenwood Public Schools and others …

Jackblog

No More Autopsies for Steven Hayne

Radley Balko at Reason Magazine and WLBT are reporting that Mississippi's long-time de facto medical examiner, Steven Hayne, will no longer be doing autopsies in the state. Balko writes:

Jackblog

So, When Did Barbour Have a Change of Heart on Pardons?

Hmmm. When you poke just a little at Barbour's history on and attitudes about pardoning criminals—even men like Cory Maye who shot a police officer who burst into his home …

Jackblog

Did Melton and Bluntson ‘Sponsor' Fairview Boys Camp ... or Not?

Boys II Kings Summer Camp Aims to Uplift

This morning, I Google-Newsed Frank Melton to see if anything new had happened while I was in Florida. An WLBT story summary popped up. Here it is verbatim:

Politics

Haley Barbour: ‘You Gotta Admire Obama's Nerve'

July 31, 2008 - Following are verbatim remarks by Gov. Haley Barbour at the Neshoba County Fair today in Philadlphia, Miss.:

Jackblog

Is Shoe About to Fall on Trent Lott?

Well, the man state Republicans used to adore regardless of what he did may be about to fall even harder: The Associated Press reports that State Farm attorneys are alleging …

Jackblog

Haven't We Learned Anything About Racism?

Associated Press:

One of the saddest things about society-condoned bigotry--these days against illegal immigrants--is that is always leads to violence, especially among young people who hear their elders spouting ignorance about certain …

Jackblog

Do I hear 15? Yes, we can!

Thank you one and all for making this a very special Chick Ball, for helping to save lives.

Wow. The JFP Chick Ball raised $14,000 this year ... so far ... toward a new Freedom Van for the Center for Violence Prevention. Not to be greedy, but I …

Tease photo Talk

Tracks Of Their Tears

Velma Berry lives in a brick house seven miles due west of the Mantee exit off the Natchez Trace in Northeast Mississippi. The well-kept lawn, thriving tomato plants and orange …

Jackblog

Each Jacksonian Can Help Fight Family Violence

Folks, this is a very special weekend, and each of us has the opportunity to help make a difference in the lives of abused families. We designed the Chick Ball …

JFP Chick Ball - Saturday Night!

Click here for more details on the Chick Ball.

The JFP Chick Ball is finally here. Join us from 6 to midnight Saturday night at Hal & Mal's Red Room to raise money to buy a Freedom Van for …

Jackblog

Funding Approved for Two-Way Capitol Street

Downtown Jackson Partners said today that Sen. Thad Cochran is confirming that the city will get a $3 million 20 percent matching grant in order to make Capitol Street two-way. …

Help Officer DeWayne Collier Tonight at Hal & Mal's

Attend a benefit concert tonight at Hal & Mal's from 5 to 10 p.m. for injured JPD officer DeWayne Collier who was shot last week. The $10 cover will be …

Tease photo Frank Melton

Melton and Bodyguards Arraigned; No Guns or Alcohol

Mayor Frank Melton and his two bodyguards, Michael Recio and Marcus Wright, were arraigned in a packed federal courtroom in downtown Jackson before U.S. Magistrate Judge Linda Anderson today at …

Jackblog

Lawsuits Against Melton and City Piling Up

WAPT broke the story yesterday that A-1 Pallet has (predictably) filed a $100 million lawsuit against the city, Melton and several others. So how many lawsuits has Melton brought, or …

Frank Melton

Sharrod Moore Back on Probation ... Sort Of

Dressed in a bright-orange jumpsuit with heavy chains around his hands, waist and sandaled feet, accused cop murderer Sharrod Moore won a victory this morning in Hinds County Court even …

Frank Melton

Melton Indictments: The JFP Story That Started It All

Read Adam Lynch's breaking story that first revealed Mayor Frank Melton's Aug. 26 alleged rampage on Ridgeway Street in Jackson—the accusations that led to felony indictions of Melton and his …

Jackblog

Melton Spin Machine in Full Force

It's really something to watch Melton shift into full spin mode about how the federal indictments (apparently brought by "political enemies") are not going to stop him from doing his …

Jackblog

Huh? Big Blooper in Clarion-Ledger Editorial About Melton

The Clarion-Ledger edit-boyz suffered a bit of reading miscomprehension when they wrote this false statement last night for their editorial today saying that Frank Melton should resign:

Frank Melton

‘Evil Intent': Why Frank Melton Was Acquitted the First Time

After Mayor Frank Melton and his two bodyguards were acquitted in a Hinds County court last year for the Ridgeway duplex demolition, the JFP's Brian Johnson wrote this analysis of …

Frank Melton

Archive: Investigations Involving R.J. Washington and Frank Melton

Following are links to Donna Ladd's 2008 investigative series on the murder of R.J. Washington, as well as stories about the "mysteries of Frank Melton." A list of PDFs to …

Frank Melton

DA Re-Indicts; Defense Alleges Bad Cop Work

This is an updated version of a story originally published July 4, 2008.

Jackblog

CNN: Mississippi Agencies Took Katrina Supplies

So, just how can needy victims of Katrina on the Coast be screwed once again? Barbour diverts low-income housing money, and now this? The governor should stand up and tell …

Jackson Police Officer Shot During Chase

For more, see the WAPT report here

Jackson Police Officer DeWayne Collier is in critical condition at University Medical Center after a robbery suspect shot him earlier today around 11 a.m. near the Lakewood Funeral Home on …

Middleton and Ladd Discuss Chick Ball on WLBT

More information here on the 2008 Chick Ball.

Sandy Middleton, the director of the Center for Violence Prevention in Pearl, and JFP editor Donna Ladd will appear on WLBT's noon show Tuesday to talk about the 4th Annual …