Person of the Day
Dan Blumenthal
Fast cars have been a passion for Dan Blumenthal since he was a little kid. He inherited the bug from his father, and was reading Road &Track magazine at age …
Hood: Governor's Vetoes Improper
Two of Gov. Haley Barbour's recent budget vetoes violate the Mississippi constitution, according to Attorney General Jim Hood. The non-binding opinion points out that the constitution does not allow vetoes …
Wife Says Pickering's Affair Ended Career, Two Marriages
Leisha Jane Pickering, estranged wife of former Republican U.S. Rep. Charles "Chip" Pickering, filed a complaint in Hinds County Circuit Court this morning against Elizabeth Creekmore-Byrd for alienation of affection. …
Additional Shot Required for Mississippi Students
Students enrolled in Magnolia State schools will need to have had two chicken pox vaccines when they begin classes this fall. Known as the varicella vaccine, the requirement was waived …
Perkins Named Johnson's Chief of Staff
BREAKING NEWS: Mayor Harvey Johnson's office has confirmed that Sean Perkins, 35, formerly a branch manager for Regions Bank and director of 100 Black Men, has been named as the …
Chris Mims
Director of communications is one of the first administrative positions that Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. filled when he took office earlier this month. His choice for the job was Jacksonian …
Sports
Sports Hall of Fame to Induct Six in 2009
The Mississippi Sport Hall of Fame is inducting six new members at a banquet to be held at the end of the month.
Judy Lewis
Mississippi Public Broadcasting's board of directors unanimously appointed Judy Lewis, 59, as its new executive director last week. Lewis, a native Mississippian from Morton, holds a doctorate in higher education …
Mississippi Swine Flu Cases Over 200
The Mississippi State Department of Health reports that H1N1 flu, known as swine flu, continues to spread rapidly in Mississippi. Since the first confirmed case May 15, the count has …
Some Soldiers Ineligible for GI Benefits Under New Bill
For many people, having access to GI benefits after serving their country is a primary factor behind joining the service. But some guard members are finding out that they're not …
New Club, King Edward to Open Downtown
Even in the midst of an economic downturn, enterprising entrepreneurs take advantage of opportunities. A new downtown club and the reopening of a venerable Jackson landmarkafter decades of abandonment and …
Amani Floyd
For students at Jackson's Bailey Magnet School, Amani Floyd's dedication as a teacher has paid off well. Floyd, a student in the Mississippi Teacher Corps program at the University of …
New Orleans Frequently Downgrades Rape Charges
In the wake of the much-touted FBI Uniform Crime Rankings for violent crime, the way New Orleans police report rapes highlights the reasons why the FBI warns the media against …
Leaks Caused JPD to Dump Sergeant Exams
Civil Service Commission members said questions from the Jackson Police Department's recent sergeant's exam might have found their way to the officers prior to testing, causing the city to trash …
Jerzy Leszczynski
Jackson State University professor Dr. Jerzy Lesczcynski is one of 22 educators in the nation to receive the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring. President Barack …
Special Session Agenda: Utility Watchdog Agencies
The Mississippi Legislature is back in Jackson this morning for another special session, this time to decide the fate of the state's utility watchdog agencies. Lawmakers were unable to get …
Beth Kander
In response to the news that state Sen. Lydia Chassaniol was the "surprise speaker" at the recent Council of Conservative Citizens meeting in Jackson in June, Jackson playwright Beth Kander …
Public Safety Forum Tonight
Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. and his transition team will hold a public forum tonight at 6 p.m. on the subject of public safety. The forum will take place in …
Mississippi Port Expansion Project Begins
Today at 2 p.m., the Mississippi State Port Authority at Gulfport will hold a ground-"making" ceremony, kicking off a $570 million expansion project. Gov. Haley Barbour, who diverted the funds …
Parting The Curtain
Mississippi Values: It sounds innocuous, even noble; yet under the pens of Alex A. Alston Jr. and James L. Dickerson, the phrase takes on an ominous ring. Magnolia State residents …
Mississippi Special Session Starts Friday
It's official: Gov. Haley Barbour has called state lawmakers back to Jackson for another special session to deal with the 2010 state budget. The session begins on Friday, July 10, …
Report Predicts Slow Recovery for Mississippi
The June 2009 issue of the "Mississippi Economic Review and Outlook," a twice-yearly report authored by Marianne Hill, senior economist for the Institutions of Higher Learning, says the state's recovery …
Landfall Hurricanes Likely on Mississippi Coast
Since 1900, 16 hurricanes have hit the Mississippi coast, nine of them category 3, 4 or 5, making them "major" storms. That means that of the 40 total Gulf hurricanes …
Bluntson is Jackson City Council President
With a unanimous vote from the new Jackson City Council, Ward 4 Councilman Frank Bluntson was installed as council president this afternoon, with Ward 5 Councilman Charles Tillman as his …
Barbour to Testify Against Clean Energy
Today, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee begins major hearings exploring how to reduce global warming and build a clean energy economy. The Waxman-Markey bills and related legislation is …
Music Awards Honor Local Artists
The 35th annual Jackson Music Awards, hosted by WLBT sports anchor Rob Jay, recognized a talented selection of Jackson's finest musicians and entertainers last night at the Jackson Marriott downtown. …
Economy Blamed for Postponing Mayor's Meeting
Organizers for the Gulf Coast Black Mayor's Conference, originally scheduled for July 12–15 in Baton Rouge, are pointing to the recession for postponing the meeting, according to the Sun Herald. …
Mississippi Opens New Burn Center
Crossgates River Oaks Hospital in Brandon opened the doors of the first burn center in the state since 2005, when a Greenville facility closed its doors, reports WLBT. With the …
Jackson Music Awards Tonight
Join the fun at the 35th Annual Jackson Music Awards tonight at Marriott Hotel starting at 6 p.m. Tonight's program, "Music, Its Magic," honors the best of Southern soul and …
Hood Says Power Companies Forced PSC Shutdown
Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood and power industry watchdogs suspect power companies shut down a state regulating agency expressly to remove a new means of regulation from the table.
McNair: The Darker Side of the Dream
Former National Football League Most Valuable Player Steve McNair lived what many would see as a dream life. Born in the Mississippi town of Mt. Olive, McNair began his football …
McNamara Dead at 93
Robert McNamara, U.S. Secretary of Defense under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, died this morning at his home in Washington, D.C. He was 93.
Second Special Session Starts Friday
Gov. Haley Barbour plans to call a second special session of the Mississippi Legislature for Friday, reports NEMS360. The session, which will begin at 10 a.m., will deal with funding …
It's a Capital 4th
You won't have to look far for activities this Independence Day weekend. Today, start your holiday by celebrating the inauguration of Mayor Harvey Johnson Junior. The activities began early with …
Utility Watchdog Employees Furloughed
Among the budget bills that failed to get to the governor's desk earlier this week were appropriations to fund the Public Service Commission and the Public Utilities agency. Without funding, …
Governor Vetoes Appropriations
Gov. Haley Barbour has vetoed a number of appropriation bills and parts of bills, leaving some doubt as to what the next steps will beor even whether there are next …
Johnson Welcomes Public to Inaugural Events
Tomorrow, July 3, marks the official inauguration for acting Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr., with public events starting as early as 8 a.m. and continuing throughout the day until midnight. …
Mississippi No. 1 in Obesity, Again
At 44.4 percent of children and 32.5 percent of adults, Mississippi leads the nation in obesity. According to the 2009 edition of "F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are …
Dee, Moore Lawsuit Goes Forward
Read the JFP's Dee-Moore archive here for background and complete stories.
Welcome to FY 2010: Where's the Budget?
At around 8 p.m. last night, the Mississippi House approved a $60 million hospital tax promoted by Gov. Haley Barbour to fund the state's Medicaid program, after a nearly two-and-a-half …
Medicaid Agreement Reached
Around 11 p.m. last night, House Speaker Billy McCoy, D-Rienzi, announced from the House floor that the special budget committee has reached an agreement with Gov. Haley Barbour on the …
Lawmakers Pass Another Tobacco Tax
After years of not raising taxes on cigarettes, yesterday Mississippi lawmakers approved the second cigarette tax hike this year. Even more surprising, Gov. Haley Barbour, a former tobacco lobbyist who …
Millsaps Named ‘Best Buy'
[verbatim] Millsaps College is one of only 24 private colleges nationwide and the only college in Mississippi named a "Best Buy" in the 2010 edition of Fiske's Top Financial Finds …
Hood Provides Microsoft Settlement FAQs
Subsequent to Mississippi's $100 million anti-trust settlement with software giant Microsoft June 10, Attorney General Jim Hood has posted a list of frequently asked questions on the Attorney General Web …
Johnson to Hold Public Forums
As part of the incoming mayor's transition to Jackson's top spot after his July 3 inauguration, Harvey Johnson Jr. and his transition team will be holding a series of public …
[Evans] A New Model for Cutting Medical Costs
Word is that Harvard Professor Dr. Atul Gawande's article on McAllen, Texas, is required reading in the White House. Published in the June 1, 2009 issue of The New Yorker, …
Making Weekend Plans?
It's Friday, y'all, and you know what that means: It's time for weekend planning. As always, the Jackson Free Press is here to let you know what's happening, who's in …
Governor Adamant About Port Expansion
Despite pleas to reconsider his earlier decision to divert money from funds designated for rebuilding housing on Mississippi's Gulf Coast, Gov. Haley Barbour told reporters yesterday that he's not changing …
Governor Chides Lawmakers for Unfinished Business
Gov. Haley Barbour took time off from nationwide GOP fundraising efforts to announce that he has no plan to call a special session to address the state's non-existent budget just …
