Thursday, August 31
Land Grant Universities Kick Off
Mississippi State will become the first of the Big 3 to open its college football season on Thursday when the Bulldogs host South Carolina (7 p.m., ESPN/105.9 FM). Alcorn State ...
Wednesday, August 30
Huh? Money to the Best Schools, Not the Worst
Can someone explain to me why we're giving extra money to the top-performing schools, and not to the lowest-performing that clearly need it the most???
The Coast's Forgotten Poor
"It was already hard to find an apartment even before the storm," Karen Peyton of Biloxi said. "Now it's almost impossible, and the rents are skyrocketing."
[Designer's Note] Joie de Ville Vivre
Five years ago, I left Jackson with all my belongings to attend university in New Orleans. While at Loyola, I had no intention of calling Jackson my home again.
Crime Summit Useful?
JSU criminology professor Jimmy Bell says the city's upcoming crime summit, planned for Aug. 31 will be different from crime summits hosted in other cities, while the ACLU is concerned ...
City Buzz
City Council President Ben Allen said last week that he wanted the city to crack down on soliciting, particularly in the downtown area. Allen said aggressive panhandling was helping drive ...
[Hutchinson] Katrina Lessons, One Year Later
For one week last September, the unthinkable happened: America's poor suddenly became the rage. The shocking and tormenting sight of thousands of poor blacks fleeing in headlong panic for their ...
[Stiggers] Broken, Busted, and Disgusted
Pookie Peterz: "Greetings members of the Ghetto Science Team Business and Economic Association! The lack of money has quenched the desires of broken, busted and disgusted individuals who sit and ...
Katrina Index
<b>Where's the Money Going?</b>
As of July, the amount of money FEMA reports it has spent in relief for hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma: $37 billion
The Next Flood
Hurricane Katrina devastated everything it touched, from Alabama to Mississippi to Louisiana, but it was New Orleans, which survived the storm only to flood over the following days, that jolted ...
Bloodwater
Capt. Louis Skrmetta didn't know what hit him in late August 2005. That weekend, as he was running a boatload of about 600 people out to Ship Island, The Weather ...
In From The Storm
Ondria Thompson, 38, and her daughter, Tia Johnson, were standing on the balcony of a looted hotel when the floodwaters came raging out of the levee and took St. Bernard ...
The Comfort of Coast Cuisine
Before I met my husband I had no idea about the simple pleasure that comes from eating an oyster po-boy and gulping down an ice-cold Barq's root beer from a ...
[Wine] What Do You Wanna Drink When You Grow Up?
You know how some of those interior-design magazines frequently feature "designer v. knock-off" stories, where one photo boasts a room full of original designs worth thousands of dollars, and another ...
Notes On Nature
I bumped into Katie Blount last week, and we started talking about a couple of previous outdoor columns, including a recent one on mountain biking. Katie doesn't mountain bike, or ...
[Music] Back To The Bar Room
Ken Edwards and Kenny Graeber, both Jackson boys, are two members of a band that has come onto the scene challenging contemporary country music. Ken Edwards and His Well Strung ...
[Band In A Box] Jonezetta
Genre: Indie/Rock/Dance Principals: Mick Parsons - Drums, Kyle Howe - Guitar, Ty Garvey - Bass, Robert Chisolm - Vocals, Guitars
Humdinga! "Use What I Got"
Dressed in a design of bold, primary colors and amateur photos, Humdinga!'s album, "Use What I Got," seems unworthy at first glance. It is an obviously homemade project that has ...
The Best In Sports In 7 Days
College football, South Carolina at Mississippi State (7 p.m., Starkville, ESPN/105.9 FM): South Carolina's Steve Spurrier, the ol' Ball Coach, has never won a game in StarkVegas. … Pro baseball, ...
Cindy Griffin
Cindy Griffin, executive director of Habitat for Humanity, has been a Jackson resident for more than 27 years. She came to the city looking for work after earning a marketing ...
Anthony Difatta gives glimpse of new artwork for upcoming show
Want to see a preview? We have it right here!
If you haven't heard much from Anthony Difatta lately, it's because he has been working night and day to prepare for SERENDIPITY, an annual art show that is held at ...
Return of the Super-Predators
Aug. 30, 2006 It begins with such promise. "Criticism (of youth) without acts of love creates arrogance, not hope," Joe Maxwell says in his piece "Super-Predators, Frank Melton and Me" ...
Melton ‘Circus' Turns Violent
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Guests of Jackson Mayor Frank Melton allegedly beat and kicked a handcuffed man outside the Upper Level Bar and Grill early Sunday morning. The victim, Tonari Moore, is the son ...
Monday, August 28
Melton Guests Assault Upper Level Manager
BREAKING: WLBT is reporting that guests of Melton onboard the Mobile Command Center assaulted an Upper Level manager while he was in handcuffs early Sunday morning. Police arrested Tonari Moore ...
City of Jackson Prepares for the "YOUTH STATE OF EMERGENCY BASH 2006"
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
With the new school year now in full swing, the youth of the city of Jackson are preparing for yet another "state of emergency" that will take place on Saturday, ...
Friday, August 25
Barbour Overblowing Katrina Progress Claims
Read JFP's KatrinaBlog
Bill Minor takes Gov. Haley Barbour to task this week over the myth that the Coast is in such better shape a year after Katrina:
Thursday, August 24
A Louisiania Journalist on Life After Katrina
Read a piece by our new friend, Scott Jordan, of the The Independent Weekly, the Lafayette, La., alternative newspaper and a new member of the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. And ...
Wednesday, August 23
[Annual Manual 2006] Bright Lights, Big City
By day, only a skillful parallel parker can wedge into a space on the streets of downtown Jackson. Men and women in business suits stride with purpose down West Street ...
[Annual Manual 2006] Quick Meals
When I left the comforts of my mom's kitchen for a dorm room equipped with a sink, micro-fridge and microwave, I knew it was time to look out for myself. ...
[Annual Manual 2006] My Fellow Graduates
It's 2:10 p.m. You're on the Internet with MySpace, Facebook, Gmail, IM and iTunes minimized on your toolbar. It's a normal day. You woke up late, took the dog out, ...
College Football Preview 2006
Will this be the fall of our discontent? Let's face facts, Mississippi college football fans, things don't look good for the home teams. None of the state teams are picked ...
30 Under 30
Mynelle Gardens, on Clinton Boulevard, is a botanical wonderland. There are seven acres of nooks and crannies—a perfect setting for romantic walks.
Protecting Yourself (Without A Gun)
Jason Griffin, 32, knows more than your average person about self-defense. As a student of Tae Kwon Do, which literally means a method of defending yourself with hands and feet, ...
Madden, MS gets… Madden?
In other news, I'm going somewhere peaceful and uninhabited to found the city of Metal Gear.
In a heartwarming act of customer appreciation, the evil corporate suits over at Electronic Art$ (Look, I used a dollar sign instead of an S! I'm so risque.) decided to ...
Long Live The King
As attorney David Watkins stands beneath the 12-story façade of the dilapidated King Edward Hotel, he's got a glimmer on his face. He's exchanging pleasantries with James Guinn, general foreman ...
F Is For Frank
An Ole Miss student and budding entrepreneur named Mac Wadlington, 22, has created what may prove to be the accessory of the season. Wadlington ("like a heavy duck," he says) ...
CityBuzz [08.23.06]
In a national survey of American cities with more than 100,000 people, Jackson ranked the 42nd most liberal out of 236. The survey, conducted by the Bay Area Center for ...
Firefighters Reinstated, Controversy Remains
A battle between Mayor Frank Melton and five members of the Jackson Fire Department ended in a handshake last Friday. Local 87 union President Brandon Falcon announced that he, along ...
[CollegeTalk] Tuition Up, Grants Down
There's no getting around it: Tuition costs keep climbing. The State College Board voted in May to raise tuition costs at state universities by 5.5 percent—the eighth tuition hike in ...
‘MySquare' & The Joys of QWERTY
Huge news for iTunes users—an executive at movie house Lion's Gate let slip during a quarterly conference call that they've made a deal with Apple to sell full-length films through ...
Gadgets of The Week [08.23.06]
I'm partial to mobile phones with QWERTY keyboards—and the fuller the keyboard the better. (That's why, although I've recently said I was switching from a Blackberry to a Treo, I've ...
[ArtTalk] Great Expectations
Six Jackson State University graduates, who range in age from 24 to 35, share a connection: All six earned a degree in art and hope to inspire and provoke a ...
Onward I Must Go
I don't recollect ever being one in my younger age who made notoriously teenage comments like, "I can't wait until I'm grown" or "Just as soon as I leave the ...
The Best In Sports In 7 Days
Pro baseball, Mobile at Mississippi (7 p.m., Pearl, 930 AM): The M-Braves conclude their series with the BayBears.
[Music] With Eyes Closed, Follow the Music
Before the father-and-son duo opened for BB King, Joe Messina leaned over to his son Dustin and whispered "just like Fenian's." For these musical partners, the phrase means staying true ...
Into The Unknown
For me, high school was awful. I felt like I was trapped in useless classes surrounded by immature and idiotic people. Then comes senior year, when everyone pretends they have ...
[Stiggers] I Have A Weave
Boneqweesha Jones: "Welcome to Hair-Did University's School of Cosmetology fall semester orientation! I want to have an 'off the-cuff' chat with you.
[Kamikaze] Stop The Witch Hunt
Enough already! At this point we're beating the proverbial dead horse. It's one thing to do some good investigative journalism. It's another to question standing policy or programs. But it's ...
Shawna Davie
Davie blew away the crowd at the Reproductive Freedom Project rally last month with her passionate defense of a woman's right to make decisions for her body. The Jackson State ...
Tuesday, August 22
Barbour Adds Gulf Coast to Special Session
Earlier this week, Gov. Barbour announced a special session to allot corporate welfare to a North Mississippi project. After criticism that his call was ignoring dire needs on the Coast, ...
THE YO LA TENGO ‘Beat Your Ass Season Pass'
- A player streaming the full album
For those fans canny enough to preorder the new Yo La Tengo album, Matador Records is providing exclusive bonus material along with extra goodies from Yo La Tengo's upcoming 'I ...
Monday, August 21
AIDS Action in MS take "AAIM" with Arts for AIDS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
With six people dying every minute from HIV, advocacy communities all over the United States are stepping up and doing their part to educate the public about the need for ...
Sunday, August 20
Online Store Commemmorates JFD 5
Go here to see the merchandise. My inspiration came from this JFP article.
Melton Armed in Drug Havens; Violating AG Warning?
According to a WLBT report, Mayor Frank Melton was armed when he demolished a house Friday at 1616 Valley Street in Jackson. Melton told the station that he is demolishing ...
Sen. Hagel: GOP Has Lost Its Way
AP is reporting that Chuck Hagel is sounding the death knell on the Republican Party as its "evolved." Good. He's a good Republican, and should be ashamed of what his ...
Melton Hiring Felons to Work with Youth
Uh, no kidding. Did The Clarion-Ledger really just figure this out!?! The JFP has been reporting this for months now, in our Melton interviews and in other stories. Guess it's ...
Friday, August 18
BREAKING: Melton Reverses, Reinstates JFD 5
UPDATE: At a special City Council meeting this afternoon, Fireman Brandon Falcon informed City Council that he had just spoken to Mayor Melton, who asked Falcon and the other four ...
Special-Session Man Is Back!
[verbatim] GOVERNOR BARBOUR TO CALL SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE SESSION
(JACKSON, Mississippi) * Governor Haley Barbour announced today he will call a special session of the Mississippi Legislature to convene at 9 a.m. on Thursday, August 24, 2006, and deal ...
[Lott] The Tools of Peace
Not long before the terrorist attacks of September 11, and well before Hurricane Katrina, some in the national media criticized me for helping fund the construction of a new helicopter ...
Thursday, August 17
TONIGHT: Martinis and Cigars during ‘Casablanca Nights' Ball
The Jackson Free Press is a "Humphrey Bogart" sponsor of the Jackson Arts Council's big fund-raising event, The First Annual Storytellers' Ball, at the Old Capitol Inn on Thursday, August ...
David Banner Responds to the MS' Best Awards 2006
What did he have to say?
After three days of media buzz from Bet.com, MTVnews.com, Sohh.com and the free2flow.com websites, David Banner is speaking out about the 1st Mississippi's Best Awards that will take place on ...
Chief Anderson Gets Punk'd by Melton
The best quote in the story:
Here's an interesting story from the C-L today about Melton wanting to hire ex-Chief Jim Black to help at the police department.
Wednesday, August 16
Stripping Down and Dressing Up
Laura Hastings, 25, likes to have the best of both worlds—music and acting. Musical theater is her true home. "The combination of acting and singing is great," Hastings says.
So Long, Little Colorado
Riding through a 300-acre patch of hardwood wilderness in the metro area one recent Saturday morning, we could hear the buzz of insects, the rustle of a startled armadillo or ...
Cornbread Connection
When I first came to Mississippi, I faced college cafeteria lines of steaming fried chicken, fried green tomatoes, fried okra and grits, and I felt very lost. Then, at the ...
Chaos and Perseverance
It's the movie that we all knew was coming. From the day of the September 11th attacks there was talk that it would one day be the next disaster blockbuster, ...
[Music] Pushing The Beat
At 8 years old, Rickie Adams fell in love while pecking on a keyboard. His love for music, particularly hip-hop, continued to grow while he shadowed an older cousin who ...
[Band In A Box] Hypnotic Chickens
Date Formed: 2001
Principals: Paul Tucker-vocals/guitar; Pat Cochran-guitar; Chet Hix-bass; Larry Morrisey-drums; with: Bobby Anderson-guitar/vocals; Brad Walker-bass.
The Best In Sports In 7 Days
Thursday, Aug. 17
Pro football, Kansas City at New York Giants (7 p.m., Ch. 40): Here's your chance to see ex-Rebel Eli Manning in action.
I Am Not Afraid
Hanging on a wall, in a studio in Flora, Miss., designed especially for her by the renowned architect Samuel "Sambo" Mockbee, is one of the most beautiful paintings in Lea ...
U.S., and Flowood, Industry Fights for Fair Trade
America is a wasteful society. Think of the last time your coffee maker broke. Did you fix it, or toss it and get another one? Chances are, you set it ...
Barbour Flaunting Phantom Surplus
State legislators are accusing Gov. Haley Barbour of misrepresenting the condition of the state budget.
Rainbow Businesses Hopeful
Computer Co-op Office Manager Charlotte Lundemo said she was optimistic after a Monday Ward 7 meeting on flooding problems plaguing Rainbow Grocery and connected businesses in Fondren Plaza. Lundemo and ...
Clock Ticking On Commerce Street
John Lawrence, president of Downtown Jackson Partners, said developers have big plans for a section of Entergy-owned territory along Commerce Street, in downtown Jackson, and urged council members to work ...
Where The Streets Have No Name
I've flown to Chicago twice in a month to give writing workshops at Northwestern's journalism school, and each time I've been swept up in a wave of compassion and love. ...
[Greggs] As I Lay Tanning
Saturday afternoon I spent most of the day lying beside a pool, holding a pina colada and desperately wishing I was near a beach.
[Stiggers] Church Pianists Gone Bad
Boneqweesha Jones: "This is Boneqweesha on the scene for Ghetto Science News, bringing you live coverage of the seizure of Crunchie Burga World by disgruntled customer and retired jazz/funk pianist ...
No. 48 August 16 - 23
<b>An Open Letter to Mayor Melton and City Council</b>
It is 11:01 p.m., Aug. 4, 2006—that makes it about two hours ago that I was mugged on Morningside Drive in Belhaven Heights, about two blocks from my house on ...
Melissa Adkinson
Melissa Adkinson, 36, originally from Cleveland, Ohio, relates easily to the majority of clients she helps. She works as a case manager at the Good Samaritan Center, a non-profit organization. ...
Goliath Blunders, Passes Buck
The city is headed to court with The Clarion-Ledger over public records, where the city faces likely defeat. The city's violations of the Public Records Act are numerous.
Meet George Allen, the Republican Party's Great White Hope
The leading conservative 2008 Republican presidential candidate is scarier than George W. Bush.
Tuesday, August 15
WLBT Consumer Report Snares JFP Classified
We were embarrassed to learn that one of the classified ads discussed in WLBT's 3 on Your Side story last night ran in the Jackson Free Press. WLBT didn't mention ...
Transcript of Melton Interview About Firefighters
Verbatim interview with Frank Melton conducted by JFP Managing Editor Brian Johnson on Tuesday, Aug. 15. Any use of of quotes from this interview without express attribution to the Jackson ...
Monday, August 14
City Suspends Firemen Over JFP Reports
Both The Clarion-Ledger and the Associated Press have now reported on the Aug. 9 letter Assistant Fire Chief Charles Anthony Davis wrote Firefighter Sidney Johnson demanding documentation substatianting "allegations" Johnson ...
COLOUR REVOLT EP TO BE RE-RELEASED ON SEPTEMBER 12
Good news everyone, thanks to our friends at Tiny Evil, an imprint of Interscope Records, the Colour Revolt EP will be re-released in stores nationwide on Tuesday, September 12. Mark ...
Saturday, August 12
Medieval Music Ensemble presents The Medieval Tale of Tristan and Isolde
Mississippi Academy of Ancient Music presents Istampita Sat., Jan. 20, 7:30 p.m. This Texas ensemble performs the medieval tale of Tristan and Isolde as told by Marie of France, in ...
Friday, August 11
Supernatural Powers: Melton on the ‘State of the City'
*Web exclusive*
Mayor Frank Melton's State of the City address at the Alamo Theatre on Farish Street on Aug. 11, 2006, opened with great pomp as a Jackson Police Department color guard ...
Former JFP Intern Starts New Orleans Magazine
From Jessica Kinnison, one of our favorite former interns, and Jackson Prep graduate:
I am writing on behalf of Voix du Vieux / Voice of the Quarter, a New Orleans based monthly publication that serves as a forum for painters, photographers, poets, fiction ...
Melton Plans Quick ‘State of the City' at the Alamo
Mayor Frank Melton says he only plans to talk for 30 minutes Friday morning on the "state of the city." The Clarion-Ledger reports:
Thursday, August 10
Clueless in Condi-land? U.S. Endgame in Lebanon?
Here's more food for discussion on Lebanon, from Michael Young at Reason mag, who is also the opinion editor of the Daily Star newspaper in Lebanon:
THE DECEMBERISTS hit New Orleans with New CD "THE CRANE WIFE"
THE DECEMBERISTS' "THE CRANE WIFE" OUT OCTOBER 3! NORTH AMERICAN TOUR KICKS OFF OCTOBER 17. — The Crane Wife, the Capitol Records debut from the Decemberists, will be released on ...
Chad Vader, Day Shift Manager
In the spirit of yesterday's YouTube video link (and in homage to an old alias of mine--Ironghost will remember), I bring you the saga of Chad Vader, Day Shift Manager. ...
Wednesday, August 9
City's Murder Rate Soars
The latest ComStat reports (June and July) show 26 murders for this year versus 15 for the same period last year, an increase of 73.3 percent. In fact, murder now ...
Problems of The Spirit
You may have read all of William Faulkner's novels, or maybe his tangled, modernist prose was too much. No one ever said Faulkner was easy. But the truth is that ...
Shaking The Image
Jackson Public Schools may have decaying buildings, overcrowding and infrastructure concerns, but architecture and aesthetics are nothing compared to the mental image the system has to battle daily.
$150 Million or Bust
Jackson voters will have the chance to approve a $150 million bond this November when they go to the polls. It's the first of this size ever in Mississippi, but ...
Soft Drinks and Soft Bellies
Mississippi Department of Education board members last month voted to forgo a school vending policy banning all soft drinks—even diet versions—in favor of a national plan devised by the Alliance ...
Myth vs. Reality: Myths Plaguing Public Education In Mississippi and Why They Are Not True
Myth 1: More than 60 percent of the state budget is spent on public education.
Win2Mac Gaming and Open Source Kids
Only Apple can make something called the Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC) the sexiest tech-marketing showcase of the summer, but it looks like it'll happen, with a keynote by Steve Jobs ...
Gadgets of The Week
There can't possibly be a better time than back-to-school week for students (of all ages) to hit up their parents or loved ones for a laptop. After all, they do ...
[Wine] Off The Beaten Path
In most aspects of our lives, we tend to stick to what we know. When shopping for wine, most of us would much rather buy what we're familiar with rather ...
The Crunchy Whiskered Fish
When my brother and I were young, there was a period of about two years where he would eat nothing but Campbell's Tomato soup and crackers. There might have been ...
[Music] Radio Rock Takes Center Stage
"I want 'Mississippi Happening' to facilitate the success of every rock musician in Mississippi," says Daniel Johnson. "That's its whole point."
Dr. Earl Watkins
During the first week of the school year, JPS sees more activity than a dog corpse lying on an anthill. Incredibly, though, JPS Superintendent Dr. Earl Watkins still managed to ...
A Broken System Expands
Hinds County Supervisors surprised some onlookers at the Aug. 7 supervisors' meeting by producing more money for the Raymond Detention Center. Supervisors voted 4-to-1 to approve $481,000 to expand the ...
Jackson's PR Problem, Part Two
As I read Clarion-Ledger Executive Editor Ronnie Agnew's recent opinion piece, "Law Firm, CPA Move Just Plain Business," it occurred to me that his column seemed to be missing a ...
[Spirituality] Children of Abraham
This past May, along with 16 other Mississippians, I participated in a 10-day tour of Turkey at the invitation of the Institute for Interfaith Dialogue, an organization composed primarily of ...
No. 47 August 9 - 16
<b>It Will Not Be Difficult, Mein Fuhrer</b>
I think we should pass a national law—or maybe this falls under states' rights—enforcing a uniform dress code. All citizens will only be allowed to wear khaki pants, a choice ...
School Is Back, Parents Are Glad
The highlighted square of August 17 glows on my calendar, outshining all other dates like a beacon of light leading lost souls to their salvation. I'm not alone. The promise ...
[Stiggers] Ball of Confusion!
Miss Doodle-Mae: "Greetings Jo-Jo's Discount Dollar Store customers! I'm your friendly cashier and security guard reminding financially challenged citizens about the Jo-Jo's Back-to-School Daze Sale Bonanza!
Jacob Roth and Dave Molina
Jacob Roth, 26, a graduate of the University of Michigan from Detroit, and Dave Molina, 23, a graduate of Amherst College who is from Ohio, came to Jackson in 2005. ...
Sheriff to Deputize Two of Jackson's ‘Finest'?
The Clarion-Ledger is reporting:
The Morning After…Once Again.
In this Reuters article, Barr Pharmaceuticals tries once again to make Plan B (or "The Morning After Pill) available over the counter...
Herman's Picks
The biggest news in local nightlife this week has to be the return of the super size club in the old Headliner's location on Ridgewood Road, just south of County ...
You're Going to Helena
I have some long-term ideas about a new direction for this blog. This isn't it, but some things are entirely too clever not to share.
Tuesday, August 8
Seen the Tesla Roadster, Yet?
And...it'll only set you back about $85,000 when it's available in Fall 2007.
America's newest car company was founded in...Sillicon Valley. Tesla Motors is a new auto company founded by a group of dot-com millionaires who, well, basically wanted to build themselves an ...
So, What Were They Expecting?
Brandon, Pearl schools off to smooth start
Am I the only one who thinks it's weird for The Clarion-Ledger to start off its back-to-school stories with proclamations such as the following, leading the front page today:
Fear of a Brown Planet?
Over at Reason mag, David Weigel is calling out immigration hawks ... for racism?
Overkill: The Rise of Paramilitary Raids
The Cato Institute—made up of pesky libertarians who take on both "sides"—has released a report by Radley Bilko on the rise in popularity of paramilitary drug raises—and their dangers and ...
Congratulations to Kamikaze—-PATIENTLY WAITING: MS Winner!
Jackson's own Hiphop heavyweight Kamikaze took home the MISSISSIPPI award at the Ozone Magazine Awards over the weekend.
74-YEAR-OLD, MISSISSIPPI-BORN BLUESMAN RELEASES NEW ALBUM TODAY
The comeback continues. Today, Cat Head Presents of Clarksdale, Mississippi releases Round Two -- the second comeback album by Mississippi-born bluesman Big George Brock. Round Two is the follow-up to ...
Monday, August 7
[Lott] The Elephant in the Room
I'm among a growing number of Americans believing we must frankly acknowledge we're in a war with Muslim extremism. To deny that Muslim extremism is a worldwide problem, denies the ...
Clarion-Ledger on the 'Saddened But Perhaps Wiser' Melton
The Clarion-Ledger editorial boys weigh in today with another brillliant screed about crime. The guys–who are now into community-style policing now that the mayor/chief who were into it, too, are ...
Christian Science Monitor on Melton and Race
The Christian Science Monitor just ran a piece about Frank Melton called Mayor's tough tack on crime stirs up racial sensitivities:
Saturday, August 5
What A Maroon
Stewart Mandel, SI.com's college football columnist, cracked on Mississippi State's uniforms recently, calling them the ugliest unis east of Oregon. Texas A&M and Virginia Tech (which also has orange in ...
Friday, August 4
Meeeeeeeetttt Mr. Deuce!
Here's our latest little rescue darling, Little Mister Deuce. He's staying in the office with us right now, home at night, and really needs a good home. He's loving, and ...
ARTICLE: Gambling Hot Spot Found in the Brain
Imagine all the help that compulsive gamblers could receive with these findings. People with bipolar disorder could benefit as well. Awesome news!
Thursday, August 3
King Edward Hotel a Go
A memo released by David Watkins today says that construction on the King Edward Hotel has begun. Has the threat of implosion finally passed?
At Least They Didn't Make Him Eat Yellow Snow
In case you ever wonder what happened to former Ole Miss running back John Avery, here's your answer: He's hazing public relations interns in Canada. Avery, who now plays for ...
Wednesday, August 2
My Malignant Neighbor
Connie Davis says a constant nosebleed has plagued her ever since she moved with her family to Columbus from Tupelo when she was 10. She also complains of skin infections ...
Road Strip
It was the first time I had ever seen an entire trunk full of beer. I take that back. It was the second time I'd ever seen a trunk full ...
A Mystery That Hits The Spot
"Well, every good road trip needs a little mystery," or so I reasoned with my traveling companion, unable to avert my gaze from the giant billboard looming ahead. The sign ...
Picture Perfect
Thousands of picture postcards lie in a crate at the end of my bed. From California to New York, Texas to the Black Hills of South Dakota, I have thousands ...
Home Cookin'—Tuscan Style
Here's what you need to do, just as soon as you've read this interview with former Jacksonian Elaine Trigiani—call up The Everyday Gourmet at 601-977-9258 and Bravo! at 601-982-8111 to ...
[Music] From Greece to Ocean Springs
Dimitri, the bus driver, turned sharp curves dutifully without his pink tie or black gelled hair slipping out of place, and we safely traversed the abyss where ancient Spartans dropped ...
[Music] Pink Cashmere and Go-Go Boots
You may have seen MeLinda Ledbetter performing at any of the various open-mic nights around town. Or you might have experienced her bluesy vocal stylings alongside Mike and Marty, at ...
The Best In Sports In 7 Days
Extreme Sports, X Games (8 p.m., ESPN): The Flying Tomato is among the stars competing in the world's gnarliest sporting event. X continues through Sunday on ESPN and Ch. 16.
Take the Alero and Run
Since Melton became mayor in 2005, he has placed several suspects or witnesses under what he calls "protective custody," including Vidal Sullivan and Christopher Walker. Now, Michael Chapman, of Newton, ...
Who Was That Badged Man?
Melton learned recently that people outside of Jackson get nervous when civilians pose as licensed law enforcement officers. Staff members at the office of U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson report that ...
Coming After Bad Numbers
Mayor Frank Melton threatened to "come after" the ACLU of Mississippi Tuesday and threw out vastly inflated crime numbers to justify his methods, after the group accused him of racially ...
[Editor's Note] On The Road Again
Cartoon: Brokaw Discovers Hip-Hop
Youth Curfew A Bad Idea
Mayor Melton's state of emergency is over, but a youth curfew ordinance still remains on the books in Jackson. If the City Council is serious about combating juvenile crime, it ...
[Stiggers] Angry Young Men
Bubba Robinski: "I want to thank the Ghetto Science Television network for allowing me to have my first Bubba's Kids Back-to-School Breakfast Program Pre-Labor Day Telethon—sponsored by L.M.H.F.D. National Bank, ...
[Kamikaze] Don't Just Get Mad
Everybody's got an opinion. Some folks are mad. Some folks are indifferent. A lot of folks didn't even see it. I'm talking about Tom Brokaw's exposé on Jackson. Those damn ...
[Natchezinian] Regina Charboneau
Yes, they eat biscuits and listen to blues in San Francisco. Thanks to Regina Charboneau, that is. The Biscuits and Blues nightclub, started in 1995, is one of the several ...
No Name Calling At Neshoba
The Neshoba County Fair has been a hot spot for political unrest ever since Sen. James K. Vardaman compared blacks to "hogs." It's the only place in Mississippi where a ...
Tuesday, August 1
Did Clarion-Ledger Columnist Plagiarize?
Update, Aug. 2, 2006—Today, The Clarion-Ledger published a statement (see below in Comments) saying that Courtney Taylor's work will no longer appear in the newspaper. We guess that answers the ...
Ledge: Just Fill the Jails with Juveniles!
Anyone think The Clarion-Ledger has any friggin' clue about what causes crime? It's as if they refuse to read the vast piles of research about juvenile crime, instead focusing on ...
ACLU to Challenge Mayor's Tactics in Town Hall Meeting - Aug. 1
Please join the ACLU of Mississippi, the Jackson Free Press, the Magnolia Bar Association, the NAACP and the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement in a special town hall meeting to address ...
