Unemployment Rate Jumps Again
The unemployment rate in Mississippi increased a full percentage point from April to May, inching toward 10 percent once again, according to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. That one …
Barbour Takes Top RGA Spot
In the wake of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's untimely departure from the Republican Governors Association, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour is taking over the organization's leadership. Barbour had already accepted …
No Budget ‘Disastrous' for Medicaid Patients
[Verbatim from Mississippi Hospital Association President Sam Cameron]
Because of the Governor's refusal to call a Special Session of the Mississippi Legislature, it appears the Division of Medicaid will cease to exist after midnight on June 30, 2009. …
Justice
The Tangled Web of Hate
The Southern Poverty Law Center counts the Council of Conservative Citizens as a "Neo-Confederate" hate group, which, like the more radical League of the South, fights for the rights of …
It IS the Heat
We've all heard the old saw: "It's not the heat; it's the humidity." Well, during this extended early heat wave in Mississippi, the heat really is the thing to watch …
Dems Play "Where's Waldo?" with Barbour
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour seems to be almost anywhere but in the state of Mississippi these days, a fact that hasn't escaped the attention of the state's Democratic Party leadership. …
Mississippi Soldiers Ship Out Today
The U.S. Army Reserve's 296th Transportation Company ships out today for final training in Wisconsin before heading to Iraq. The Mississippi company of 169 men and women, which was last …
Gambling Revenue Up Again
The Mississippi State Tax Commission says that winnings in the state's 30 casinos was up in May by $19.2 million more than in April, according to Forbes, but revenues are …
2009 Gulf Dead Zone May Hit Record Size
Imagine an area the size of Hinds County with virtually no life: you can't drink the water; seeds rot in the soil; and only cockroaches can breathe the air. It's …
Cookie Dough Recall Announced
Nestlé USA announced today that it is voluntarily recalling its Toll House refrigerated cookie dough products after the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control notified the company it was …
This Weekend: Mississippi Civil Rights Martyrs' Memorial
The 45th Annual Mississippi Martyrs' Memorial Service and Conference takes place this Saturday and Sunday in Neshoba County. A one-mile "March for Justice" kicks off the event, in commemoration of …
It's Time to JAM, Y'all
You might have noticed the downtown streets blocked off as you came to work this morning. But just in case you've been hiding out, been out of touch or been …
Johnson May Pull the Plug on ‘First 48'
Also see: JFP June 10, 2009 Editorial: 'First 48': This Is Transparency?
Former Justice Fights Death Penalty
Oliver Diaz says his first vote on the Mississippi Supreme Court was to "kill an innocent man." The man he's talking about is Kennedy Brewer, wrongfully convicted of the rape …
Irby Trial Postponed Eight Months
Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Tomie Green granted a continuance for Karen Irby today, postponing her trial until March 29, 2010, reports The Clarion-Ledger. Irby, 38, faces two counts of …
Cold Case Advocate to Meet with Holder
Alvin Sykes, longtime advocate for the victims of civil rights era cold cases, will meet with the nation's "top cop," U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, to discuss the Department of …
Wine to Go
Beginning July 1, that unfinished bottle of wine at your restaurant table can go home with you, thanks to the Mississippi Legislature. No more will you have to decide between …
Today: Housing Fair at the Medical Mall
You still have time to head over to the 2009 Housing Fair, sponsored by the Jackson Medical Mall Foundation, until 2 p.m. today. Included on the agenda is information about …
Kennedy: Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Beck Spread Hate
Speaking to reporters last Friday after his keynote speech at the memorial for slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers in Jackson, Robert Kennedy Jr. said some right-wing broadcast hosts feed …
CARA Reaches Out for Donations
Community Animal Rescue and Adoption, Jackson's largest no-kill animal shelter is running dangerously low on funds. The shelter is "filled to the brim with unwanted, abused and stray dogs and …
Legislators Remain Stuck on Budget
With 14 days remaining in Mississippi's 2009 fiscal year, lawmakers continue their struggle to reach a consensus on next year's budget. The special negotiating team, which consists of three House …
Jones Named Ole Miss Chancellor
The University of MississippiOle Missannounced the appointment of Dr. Dan Jones as its new chancellor yesterday. Jones succeeds retiring Robert Khayat July 1, to oversee the University, including the University's …
Murrah High Makes Top High Schools List
[verbatim] Newsweek magazine has named Murrah High School to its 2009 America's Top Public High Schools list. The schools are ranked on the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and/or …
Tonight: It's a Movie and a Benefit
Be honest. It's too hot to do much of anything but stay inside and watch a movie, right? Here's a perfect way for you to combine your love of the …
Conflict of Interest: Big Insurance and Big Tobacco
Have you ever wondered why health insurance companies don't cover smoking cessation programs? Such programs seem like a natural fit given the amount of acute and chronic disease that could …
Free HIV Testing Tomorrow
[verbatim] On Tuesday, June 16th, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the nation's largest non-profit AIDS organization, will partner with Building Bridges, Inc. to provide free HIV testing at Hinds Comprehensive Health …
Budget Impasse Will Affect Agencies
State agencies could be shutting down soon if the Mississippi Legislature can't come to an agreement on the state budget. A small contingent of lawmakers made up of three House …
Seale Appeals to U.S. Supreme Court
Attorneys for James Ford Seale, convicted in 2007 on federal kidnapping and conspiracy charges related to the 1964 killings of two 19-year-old African Americans, have appealed to the U.S. Supreme …
Supreme Court Disbars Former D.A. Peters
The Mississippi Supreme Court has permanently disbarred former Hinds District Attorney Ed Peters by accepting the law license he turned over to the Mississippi Bar Association in January. Peter's action …
Hot Stuff This Weekend
The weather isn't the only thing hot this weekend. Here are a few options, courtesy of the JFP Event Calendar, Best Bets and Music Listings.
State Paid 9,300 People in Error
Mississippi's Medicaid program paid Part B Medicare premiums for approximately 9,300 ineligible people, possibly since 2003, according to WAPT. Those payments were made after the state determined the recipients were …
Minority Contractors Win Arbitration Award
[verbatim] An American Arbitration Association panel awarded minority contractor Fish & Fisher $1,283,351 in a dispute with white owned L & T Construction. The dispute arose over work performed by …
Jackson Uniting to Retire Johnson's Debt
A group of diverse citizens who supported varied candidates in the recent mayoral elections in Jackson are putting aside their differences and joining together to help retire the accumulated campaign …
UMC Closing School for Autistic Children
The fate of Jackson's autistic children will be in the hands of the public schools this fall, raising concerns for parents, according to a report from WLBT. Last week, parents …
Mississippi Energy Policy Institute Formed
Gov. Haley Barbour has announced the formation of a group dedicated to coming up with energy policy for the state. The group, the Mississippi Energy Policy Institute, will be part …
Suspect in Holocaust Museum Shooting is White Supremacist
The Associated Press is reporting that a shooter opened fire in the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., just before 1 p.m. today, fatally wounding a security guard before he was …
Thoreau's Fire
True story: On April 30, 1844, Henry David Thoreau began the fire that eventually burned 300 acres of forest outside his home in Concord, Mass. He was never prosecuted for …
Fiat Signs Deal with Chrysler
When the US Supreme Court told plaintiffs yesterday that they did not prove the court needed to intervene, they removed the final obstacle for the company's partial sale to Italian …
Barbour Talks Party Line on Cap & Trade
In a speech yesterday at the Southern Growth Policies Board, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour repeated the GOP's party line about the Obama administration's proposed cap and trade energy policies, repeatedly …
Board of Ed Names Interim Replacement for Bounds
The Mississippi Board of Education has named an interim education superintendent to replace Hank Bounds, who is the preferred candidate for the post of higher education commissioner, a position overseeing …
Signs Point Cautiously to Recession's End
Slowing job losses is one sign of the economy's impending recovery. The bottom is just ahead, according to economists, which means things will start looking up soon.
Governor Leads Southern Energy Conference
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour joins Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens today in Biloxi to lead a two day energy summit titled "Southern Energy: Abundant, Affordable and American." according to the …
Ward 1 Voters Stayed Consistent: No to Johnson
Voting patterns in last Tuesday's general elections tell a story about Jackson: Citizens were tired of voting, and the city's whites and blacks don't necessarily agree on who should be …
Working for the Weekend?
It's hard to believe that it's the first weekend in June, isn't it? If you're looking for things to do, places to go and people to see, though, this is …
Brown: Governor Will Cut School Funding
State Rep. Cecil Brown is warning that Mississippi's children will be the ultimate losers in the current budget battle if the governor gets his way. In an e-mail sent to …
FEMA Offers Hurricane Victims Trailers for $1
Four years after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck the Gulf Coast, and a month after the Federal Emergency Management Agency said it was going to end its temporary housing program …
Budget Stalled Again
Mississippi lawmakers failed yet again to come up with a budget for the 2010 fiscal year. A small budget committee has been working overtime to come to an agreement, but …
Flu Cases Now at 50
The Mississippi State Department of Health reports that the number of confirmed H1N1 swine flu cases in the state hit 50 yesterday. The bulk of the cases remain on the …
Mississippi Lags in Internet Access
In a report released yesterday, Mississippi has the lowest rate of Internet access in the U.S., with 52.8 percent of households connected. The report, from the U.S. Census Bureau, shows …
