City Council Candidate Forums Scheduled
The Mississippi Link, The Jackson Advocate and WRBJ 97.7 have planned a series of City Council forums to be held from March 26 through April 6.
Health Challenge Issued to CEOs
[verbatim] Sister Mary Dorothea Sondgeroth, O.P., President, St. Dominic Health Services, Inc. and chair for the 2009 Metro Jackson Start! Heart Walk is challenging local companies to participate in the …
Bill Delays Paroled Killer's Release
Douglas Hodgkin, convicted murderer of pregnant Ole Miss student Jean Elizabeth Gillies, will remain behind barsat least temporarilyas a result of a bill signed into law by Gov. Haley Barbour …
CARA Needs Dog Food
Community Animal Rescue & Adoption, or CARA, is in deseprate need for dog food (or the funds to buy food) for the hundreds of pups in their shelter. CARA is …
Senate Committee to Kill Override Attempt
A resolution passed by the House last month in an attempt to override Gov. Haley Barbour's rejection of $56 million in federal stimulus dollars will likely never get out of …
Legislature Sends Back-to-School Tax Break to Barbour
House Bill 348 headed to Gov. Haley Barbour's office yesterday for his signature.
Good
Annual 'Taste of Mississippi' Benefits Stewpot
This year's "Taste of Mississippi: Homegrown Hunger Relief" is scheduled for Monday, March 30, beginning at 7 p.m. at Highland Village in Jackson. More than 40 area restaurants and beverage …
Filmmaker Grant Deadline Extended
The Mississippi Film and Video Alliance (MFVA) has extended the deadline for the Emerging Mississippi Filmmakers Grant program until March 27, 2009. The purpose of the grant is to help …
Health Fair on March 28
The North Street Family Medical Clinic (953 North Street) is inviting Jacksonians to the clinic's first health fair on March 28th from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Various physicians, clinics …
Business
Take Advantage of St. Paddy's Specials
The celebration has already started, so don't miss out on the biggest city-wide party this year.
See party sites below along with a whole slew of food, drink and merchandise specials offered by local Jackson vendors, below. See the map for locations (click on it to …
Local Family Needs Our Help
The JFP has received the following e-mail about a Jackson family in need:
"The Ishakarahs, a local family of grassroots/ community artists, recently sustained major fire damage to their home on Capitol Street. In short, they are living without electricity. They need our …
Bulldogs at the Brew Pub
Why leave downtown and drive 45 minutes to go watch the game? Come over to Hal & Mal's and watch the 2009 SEC champion Mississippi State Bulldogs take on Washington …
Free Legal Clinic Today
[verbatim] Foreclosure prevention is one of several issues being addressed during the Mississippi Center for Justice FREE legal clinic on tap at the Jackson Medical Mall Thad Cochran Center on …
Childers Launches Recovery Tracker Web Site
[verbatim] Congressman Travis Childers (D-MS) (yesterday) introduced the North Mississippi "Recovery Tracker" to promote transparency and accountability during the allocation and implementation of funds provided by the American Recovery and …
Ridgeland Bans Pit Bulls
Yesterday, aldermen in the Jackson, Miss., suburb of Ridgeland joined nearby Clinton and Richland in passing an ordinance banning pit bulls. The Ridgeland ordinance also bans Staffordshire bull terriers, American …
Proposing a New Model
The Internet provides a plethora of information, making it easier to find sources of unprejudiced information about any number of subjects, and sometimes making it more difficult for those who …
Advocates to Legislature: Stop Delaying Cigarette Tax Increase
[Verbatim from Communities for a Clean Bill of Health]
Mississippi Tourism to Benefit from Tax Incentive Bill
On Tuesday, one of the bills Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour signed into law expands tourism sales tax incentives to casinos for developing resorts and tourism projects unrelated to casino activities. …
Recio Attorney Challenges Retrial
Also see: Full JFP Melton Blog/Archive/Trial Documents
Cynthia Stewart, the attorney representing Michael Recio, filed a motion (PDF) today accusing federal prosecutors of violating government policies by retrying Recio and Jackson Mayor Frank Melton. Recio is Melton's …
Mississippi Received $180 Million in AIG Bailout Bucks
Despite Gov. Haley Barbour's objections over taking federal bailout funds, Mississippi was one of six Southern states to receive $100 million or more from the American International GroupAIGbailout money, according …
Spring Break Lunch with the Mayor
[verbatim] The City of Jackson's Safe Neighborhood and Youth Development Division will host "Lunch With the Mayor in the Park" at Lake Hico Park on Thursday, March 19, 2009, from …
Senate Sends Anti-Obesity Bill to Governor
In an effort to address Mississippi's obesity epidemic, the Legislature has passed HB 1530 and sent it to Gov. Haley Barbour for his signature.
Governor Signs DNA Bill
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour signed SB 2709 into law yesterday. The bill mandates that the state preserve DNA evidence and conduct DNA testing on biological evidence.
Use Less Ink
I'm forever trying to conserve the ink in my printer so that I don't spend a small fortune on cartridges. So, when I found Ecofont, I did a little private …
Mississippi Soldiers Head Back to Iraq
This May, nearly 3,200 Mississippi Army National Guard soldiers will begin final training before shipping out to Iraq, reports WAPT.
MEMA Sends Warning to Louisiana
Emergency cottages sold to Louisiana-based Henderson Auctions are not fit for human habitation, says the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, which transferred title on 232 units to the auction house.
Legislators Make Child-Selling Illegal
A 2008 case where a Yalobusha County woman attempted to sell her granddaughter for $2,000 and a car prompted legislators to enact a law making selling children in Mississippi a …
Hinds County Names Parent of the Year
The Hinds County School District has named Pamela Clevenger 2009 Parent of the Year.
Clevenger, a Hinds Community College Chemistry and Physics Instructor and Raymond Elementary School parent, is a former high school science teacher who has taught at Hinds Community College for thirteen …
DeLaughter Requests New Trial Dates
Suspended Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Bobby DeLaughter, arraigned in federal court last month on a five-count indictment, has asked the court to reschedule some upcoming court dates so that …
Mark Your Calendar for Jackson Mayoral Candidate Events
If you're concerned about the issues facing Jackson, your best defense is an informed vote, so don't miss these upcoming mayoral events. The links below will connect you with JFP …
Lawmakers Vow to Block Stem Cell Research
Mississippi Rep. Tommy Reynolds, D-Charleston, spoke for the University of Mississippi Medical Center yesterday, saying the teaching hospital has never and never plans to do stem cell research, according to …
Mississippi Projects Funded by Federal Bill
Millions are headed to Mississippi from the federal omnibus bill signed by President Barack Obama yesterday, reports MSN Money.
Senate Removes Pre-K Funding from MAEP Bill
Nancy Loomis from the Parents' Campaign in Jackson reports that the Senate Appropriations Committee passed HB 1677 yesterday, funding Mississippi Adequate Education Program for the coming school year.
Old Capitol Green Bill on Barbour's Desk
The Mississippi Senate has sent a bill authorizing the Mississippi Development Authority to make a $20 million loan to Hinds County to Gov. Haley Barbour for his signature.
Sex Offender Bill is One of Three Recommended by Hood
[verbatim] Three bills proposed to the legislature this season by the Mississippi Attorney General's Office are now on their way to the Governor, announced Attorney General Jim Hood.
Women Will Regain Access to Discounted Birth Control
President Obama is quickly overturning some of the previous administration's health-care regulations that primarily affected women. On the president's desk now is a provision reversing a 2005 law that financially …
Governor Signs Jackson Sales Tax Bill
Wednesday evening, Gov. Haley Barbour signed SB 3268 into law. The bill authorizes the City of Jackson to impose a special 1 percent sales tax to raise much-needed revenue for …
Barbour Signs $25 Million Incentive Bill
Gov. Haley Barbour signed HB 1628 yesterday, which provides Alliant Techsystems Inc. with a $25 million incentive to expand its aerospace manufacturing plant in Iuka, Miss., according to the KTTC …
New "Dirty Dozen" Foods List Published
The Environmental Working Group, a non-profit organization that specializes in providing useful information and resources to consumers, has published their fifth edition of the now-classic "Shopper's Guide to Pesticides."
Cellular South Expands Mississippi Services
Ridgeland, Miss.-based Cellular South, the largest privately-held wireless carrier in the U.S., has announced expanded third-generation coverage in 78 cities across 26 Mississippi counties this year. The ambitious plan allows …
MDOC Refusal to Provide Info under Fire
Prison Legal News filed suit in Hinds County Chancery Court yesterday to force the Mississippi Department of Corrections to release a copy of the state's prison telephone contracts, according to …
Legislators Pass Bills Aimed at Teens
Two bills aimed at keeping Mississippi teenagers safe are on the legislative docket.
The first, SB 2280, is about driving for 15 and 16-year-old teens. The bill proposes prohibiting texting and driving by kids with learner's permits or intermediate driver's licenses, and adds …
Acupuncture Bill Goes to the Governor
The Mississippi Oriental Medicine Association reports that HB 458 unanimously passed in the Mississippi Senate today and is on its way to Gov. Haley Barbour for his signature.
Mississippi Employment Expo on March 17
If you're looking for a job, save the date: Tuesday, March 17, 2009 is the Mississippi Employment Expo at the Trademart in Jackson, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. WAPT …
Doris Shavers Killer Pleads Guilty
Henry Lee Phillips pleaded guilty today to murdering his former girlfriend, Doris Shavers, 40, on Sept. 17, 2007, as Shavers combed her 12-year-old daughter's hair before leaving for work. The …
Women and Girls HIV Community Event at JSU Tomorrow
The event will raise awareness about the prevalence of HIV/AIDS among women.
[verbatim] Jackson State University's Southern Institute for Mental Health Advocacy, Research and Training (SMHART) and the Jackson-based HIV/AIDS organization Building Bridges, Inc., will sponsor the "National Women and Girls HIV …
Legislators Consider Fire-Safe Cigarettes
A bill requiring that cigarettes extinguish themselves when unattended has the support of Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney and the Coalition for Fire-Safe Cigarettes, a group working to prevent cigarette-ignited …
SkyTel Back in the News
The former mayor of Detroit, Kwame Kilpatrick, is demanding $100 million from SkyTel, a company formerly headquartered in Jackson.
Tuesday: Hormone Replacement Seminar
Do you feel like your get-up-and-go has got up and gone? The problem could be related to declining hormones.
