Friday, June 29
Radio JFP Says Goodbye to Brian Johnson Today
Turn into WLEZ, 103.7 FM, today at noon for Brian Johnson's last broadcast. Yes, we'll talk about Frank Melton's latest shenanigans, and Todd will probably do weird voices. You might ...
Thursday, June 28
Young Americans Lean Left
A new poll conducted by the New York Times, CBS and MTV shows that Americans aged 17-29 lean toward the political left.
Wednesday, June 27
U.S. Attorney Dunn Lampton in Accident
The JFP's prayers go out to the U.S. attorney.
The Associated Press is reporting that U.S. Attorney Dunn Lampton was in a Jeep accident on a remote part of his property in Pike County. He is in a Jackson ...
More Glory, Less Grease
Grant Nooe knows food. He knows saté from sauté and semifreddo from shabbu-shabbu. With a handful of ingredients and a grill, he can fly you to the moon (or at ...
The Best In Sports In 7 Days
Pro basketball, NBA Draft (6 p.m., ESPN): Today is when we learn were Jackson State superstar Trey Johnson will begin his pro career.
The Merry Month Of June
Unlike many fellow Jacksonians, I actually look forward to the month of June, despite the impending heat and humidity. That's partly because it's Jubilee!JAM Month—and this year the Jackson Free ...
Allen Leaves Polarized Council
City Council President Ben Allen resigned last week, prompting a special election in Ward 1 and immediately changing the balance of power in city government. Although Allen became a Melton ...
Melton Accuses, Councilman Objects
Photos by Brian Johnson and Adam Lynch
Mayor Frank Melton suggested that City Councilman Marshand Crisler and his brother Johnny Crisler were the focus of an investigation by the FBI in an interview with WJTV last Thursday. ...
Dems Spar for House Seat
Incumbent Rep. Cecil Brown is facing Democrat challenger Stacey Webb in the August primary for District 66, which covers parts of north Jackson, in the Mississippi House of Representatives.
The Race Conversation
Race in Mississippi usually comes with many tons of baggage and several degrees of heat. Certainly, it's unusual to have the words "race" and "dialogue" on the same page, let ...
Fleming's Little Secret
The home shopping Web site Cafepress.com no longer carries women's thong underwear featuring the logo of Mississippi House Rep. Erik Fleming, D-Hinds. Up until this week, anybody looking to keep ...
Taylor and His Guns
A young man who was mentored by Mayor Frank Melton is out of jail, though he was arrested only months ago for carjacking, a felony. Michael Taylor has lived off ...
Melton and His Guns
After presiding over a trial that found Frank Melton not guilty of four felony counts related to the Aug. 26, 2006, Ridgeway incident, Coahoma County Judge Joe Webster is giving ...
Then There Were Six
An additional four staff members at Columbia Training School have been suspended with pay, bringing the total to six, according to Department of Human Services Director Don Taylor. DHS is ...
Cold Cases Bill Must Pass
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act. That legislation would authorize $10 million a year over the next decade to create ...
[Stiggers] A 'Sicko' Nation
Mr. Announcement: "On this episode of 'All God's Churn Got Shoes,' Nurse Tootie McBride and her certified nursing assistant, Nurse Tasha, are determined to beat down poverty in the ghetto. ...
[Kamikaze] Three Strikes, And You're Out
I was browsing through a copy of the Mississippi Link the other day, and I was hit with a startling reality. It was a moment of clarity like no other. ...
FBI Raids Barbour Niece
Gov. Haley Barbour's niece continues to be the object of federal scrutiny over Hurricane Katrina contracts. Last Thursday, FBI agents raided the Mississippi office of Alcatec LLC, owned by Rosemary ...
[Grayson] Stand Up To Crime
Once again, crime has the Capitol City in disarray. Like so many others in Jackson, Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon was robbed outside her home on June 9. The robbery occurred in ...
JUST IN: McAllister, Watkins Snag Standard Life
Developer David Watkins has just informed the Jackson Free Press that the Jackson Redevelopment Authority has chosen a proposal presented by him, Deuce McAllister and Historic Restoration Inc. to restore ...
We Are Family: A Klan Child Fans A Different Flame
Photos by Kate Medley
Little Shirley Seale was in her room at the back of her wood frame house when she saw flames through her window. The Natchez girl, who was 5 in 1968, ...
Phillips Group Close to Jackson Contracts?
The Jackson Redevelopment Authority has chosen a development consortium out of Dallas, Texas, with very close ties to controversial developer Gene Phillips as the developers of the Convention Center hotel, ...
Guarding White Christians
The first Seale on record was a bodyguard—at 6-foot-6 and 300 pounds, Solomon Seale guarded King Alfred the Great, who ruled as the "King of the Anglo-Saxons" from 871-899. According ...
They Got the Man They Wanted
Here's the Ledger edit-boyz' latest too-little-too-late whine about their mayor:
It is really hard to watch The Clarion-Ledger whine about Frank Melton. He is exactly the person they endorsed. His history showed that he was "rude" and "outrageous" and couldn't ...
Monday, June 25
BREAKING: Melton to Veto Payroll
Mayor Frank Melton vowed to veto an amendment City Council made to the city's payroll this morning.
The Clarion-Ledger Has SOME Nerve
It continues to astound me how The Clarion-Ledger tries to take credit for the James Ford Seale conviction, even The Clarion-Ledger had dropped the ball on the case (as had ...
Friday, June 22
BREAKING: Councilman Accuses Melton of Lying
Jackon City Councilman Marshand Crisler accused Jackson Mayor Frank Melton of lying on a WJTV interview last night. In the interview, Melton told WJTV that an FBI investigation into the ...
Unrealistic Proportions
Having a Betty Page body in a Kate Moss world
There is only one thing I hate shopping for:jeans. It seems that The Gap is the only place that caters to my body type. I have curves. I have a ...
Thursday, June 21
NBA Draft: What Was He Thinking?
From Deadspin: "This young man is Kendaris Pelton, a part-time player for Southern Miss. And by part-time, we mean that he played in seven games. And he has declared for ...
SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO
"It's clear from [the] opening track…that Ford and Shaw are in love with the shape-shifting possibilities of sound, like Daft Punk at their most hallucinogenic." – Q, June 2007. "…in ...
A-1 Pallets Files Restraining Order
Hinds County Chancery Court Judge Dewayne Thomas granted a temporary restraining order against the city of Jackson yesterday on behalf of A-1 Pallet Company.
Wednesday, June 20
Wake Up Jackson! - Phase III
Wake Up Jackson Civic Association
The organization is now registered with the Secretary of State's office. Also, we now have an address for correspondence:
A Journey of Bones
During her largely improvised closing argument, federal prosecutor Paige Fitzgerald stumbled upon one of the most poetic moments in the James Ford Seale federal kidnapping trial.
Patricia Wynn
Local artist Patricia Wynn's passion for life pervades everything she touches. Her artwork, volunteer efforts and the community in which she lives thrive under her care.
Pancake Races and Depression Herbs
Breakfast at the Bolton house was a big deal when I was a kid. Our bawling cows and squawking chickens thought it was fun to awaken at the crack of ...
As American as Burek Pie
If any grape bespeaks the sunny climes and fearless attitude inherent to California, Zinfandel does. Whether it's the bold, fruity flavors or its tendency toward a high alcohol content, Zinfandel ...
The Best In Sports In 7 Days
Pro baseball, Mississippi at West Tenn (7 p.m., Jackson, Tenn., 930 AM): The M-Braves wind down their series in lesser Jackson. If you have time, visit the Casey Jones Museum.
Southwick Must Go
Last week, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee postponed a confirmation vote on Leslie Southwick when it became clear that the committee would reject his nomination. This is at least the ...
[Stiggers] It's a Long Way Down
Philmo Jones: "When I lost my good-paying corporate job, after the Twin Towers fell on Sept. 11, a series of unfortunate events changed my life.
A Libertarian Appeal
Recently, I was involved in a political conversation in which I made a comment about the Constitution, noting how rarely politicians cite it as a document limiting governmental power. My ...
[Hutchinson] Do Blacks Kill Whites Because They're White?
A recent murder trial in Tennessee shows an aspect of violent crime in America that isn't much talked about: Whites are far more likely to be the victims and blacks ...
No. 32, May 30 - June 20
<b><em>Best Chicks Ever</b></em>
Thank you for all your hard work that resulted in the "best-ever" Chick Ball. Donna and her gang at the Jackson Free Press have truly outdone themselves this year. These ...
Obama Preaches to the Choir
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama stopped by Jackson last Friday for a public appearance at Farish Street restaurant Peaches and a fund-raising event at the TelCom Center.
Candidates Weigh in on Education
The three candidates for lieutenant governor had their first debate June 13 in Biloxi, as part of the Mississippi Department of Education Summer Conference. The debate, funded by the Mississippi ...
Bringing Back the Rod
Jackson Public School Board member Sollie Norwood is speculating on the possibility of returning corporal punishment to JPS. Norwood placed the discussion item on the June 18 JPS agenda and ...
Hands Off Farish
Mayor Frank Melton's plan to demolish almost 80 abandoned and dilapidated structures inside the Historic Farish Street District hit a speed bump June 14 after the Jackson Historic Preservation Commission ...
King Edward on the Rise
Jackson attorney and developer David Watkins touted progress on the renovation of the dilapidated King Edward Hotel June 19, predicting the project will be finished by spring 2009.
Balancing the JPS budget
Jackson Public Schools will begin its 2007-2008 year with a balanced budget, despite state mandates for more teachers and rising fuel costs.
The FBI's Turn on Frank Melton?
Photos by Jaro Vacek and Brian Johnson
The FBI has subpoenaed documents from the city of Jackson, including but not limited to the activities of Mayor Frank Melton, according to Special Assistant to the City Attorney Pieter ...
Supes Mull Prisoner Health
During Monday's regular board meeting, Hinds County supervisors discussed a potential change in medical service for inmates, which the county currently handles on its own. The meeting was open to ...
Ben Allen Resigns From City Council
City Council President Ben Allen announced his resignation from the City Council today. His resignation will be effective Friday, June 22.
The Regulator: The JFP Interview with Gary Anderson
Photos by Roy Adkins & Adam Lynch
Gary Anderson wants to be Mississippi's insurance commissioner, and he's not pulling any punches in the race. The Byhalia native knows a thing or two about politics: He worked under ...
Tuesday, June 19
What Happened to Men?
The problems are with men and the money is coming to study those problems.
Recently, the has been a resurgence within academic communities to study men and male behavior. And, when there is a surge to study something in academia, we can be sure ...
The Earliest Speech I Ever Gave
So after a jam-packed week in Seattle and then in Portland), I got up Sunday morning to drive the hour or so to a town I'd never visited to speak ...
WLBT: Robbery Suspect Arrested
More details as they develop.
WLBT is reporting that police have arrested John Wayne Mangum, 20, for the armed robbery of Councilman Margaret Barrett-Simon.
Hey Obama: Screw the Horse Race!
I returned to Jackson this week to discover that the Barack Obama campaign, assisted by local Democrats, tightly controlled his quick visit to Jackson last week. The media were allowed ...
Sunday, June 17
College World Series: Louisville 12, Mississippi State 4
Mississippi State became the first team eliminated from the College World Series when Louisville beat the Bulldogs 12-4 on Sunday in Omaha, Neb. The Bulldogs finished their eighth trip to ...
The NAMIWalks Fundraiser is back! Help me "Stomp Out The Stigma of Mental Illness"!
I am writing you today to tell you about an upcoming event that I am participating in that is both very important and very exciting to me. It is NAMIWalks ...
Friday, June 15
College World Series: North Carolina 8, Mississippi State 5
Mississippi State got off to a bad start in the College World Series on Friday night. The Bulldogs blew a four-run lead and lost to North Carolina 8-5. The Bulldogs ...
JFP Wins Top Honors for Melton Investigation, Cedric Feature, Africa Columns
The Jackson Free Press took first, second and third places in the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies Awards, which were just announced at the convention in Portland, Ore.
Thursday, June 14
College World Series: Polk Comes Out Swinging
On the eve of Mississippi State's first College World Series game since 1998, Bulldogs coach Ron Polk traded verbal jabs with the NCAA over new academic rules. The Bulldogs play ...
UPDATED: James Ford Seale Guilty On All Counts
After approximately two hours of deliberation, the jury in the federal kidnapping and conspiracy trial of James Ford Seale returned a unanimous verdict of guilty on all counts. The jury ...
Breaking: Seale Convicted
From The Associated Press:
A federal jury on Thursday convicted reputed Klansman James Ford Seale of kidnapping and conspiracy in the 1964 deaths of two black teenagers in southwest Mississippi.
Ole Miss Baseball Coach Agrees To Contract Extension
From Ole Miss Athletics Media Relations:
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss athletics director Pete Boone and head baseball coach Mike Bianco have agreed to a contract extension running through the 2011 season, Boone announced on Thursday.
Preservation Commission Rejects Demolitions
Jackson Mayor Frank Melton's plan to demolish almost 80 abandoned and dilapidated structures inside the Historic Farish Street District hit a speed bump today after the Jackson Historic Preservation Commission ...
Inside the Journey for Justice
I find myself sitting at the end of a pew, tape recorder in hand, admiring how the light shone through the stained glass windows on a sweltering day in Mississippi. ...
My Father's Hands Have Style
Honoring my Dad's most impressionable quality for Father's Day
People say you can tell a lot about a person from looking into their eyes, but with my father it is his hands that reveal his history, his nature, his ...
Wednesday, June 13
The Best In Sports In 7 Days
Pro basketball, San Antonio at Cleveland in NBA Finals (8 p.m., Ch. 16): Will this be the night the Spurs hoist their fourth NBA championship trophy?
The Road To Omaha
Mississippi State baseball coach Ron Polk insists that he doesn't read the Internet message boards where Bulldog fans have spent recent years grumbling about the legendary coach.
Jimmy Robinson
There are few faces in his community that Virden Addition Association President Jimmy Robinson does not recognize. He is the epitome of what draws a neighborhood together: a talkative nature ...
Stand By Your Man
This issue is full of men-folk: men we love and those we like, guys we've known for a while and those who are coming through town for the first time, ...
Councilwoman Robbed
Ward 7 Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon was robbed at gunpoint over the weekend. An assailant, armed with "a sawed-off shotgun" came up to her and her husband on Saturday and demanded ...
A Fire Chief At Last?
The city of Jackson may be getting a fire department chief after about two years of stalling. Jackson Mayor Frank Melton said he will be bringing Assistant Chief Vernon Hughes ...
‘It's About Ethics'
Democratic Insurance Commissioner candidate Gary Anderson signed a statement Monday pledging to refuse contributions from any insurance company, insurance company PAC or insurance company executive or corporate officer.
Hood Sues State Farm
Attorney General Jim Hood announced he is suing State Farm Fire and Casualty Company for failing to honor policies covering damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. Hood said Monday that State ...
Close Columbia Training School
This Tuesday, the Juvenile Justice Committee of the Mississippi House of Representatives heard testimony from families and experts about abuse at Columbia Training School, where eight girls were allegedly shackled ...
[Stiggers] Look Out, David Hasselhoff!
Boneqweesha Jones: "As day transitions into night, a young 'brotha' rides the mean streets of his neighborhood. With dutiful purpose, he pumps the pedals of a pink five-speed banana-seat bicycle.
[Kamikaze] Celebrate Jackson With JAM
Webster's Dictionary defines an institution as a "significant practice, relationship or organization in a society or culture." An institution is baseball on a summer's eve. It's apple pie cooling on ...
[Fainberg] Saving Our Children
America's health-care delivery system is riddled with racial and economic disparities—certainly old news. But here in the South, these words resound with a troubling new accuracy as the youngest members ...
Men We Love
With Father's Day just around the corner, the Jackson Free Press has renewed its annual tradition of honoring the men we love. They are activists, news men, politicians, espresso Dadaists ...
‘Stand Up' Acts
This Friday and Saturday, Jubilee!JAM returns to Capitol Street in downtown Jackson. National juggernauts Ludacris and The Black Crowes headline, but hometown heroes Jesse Robinson, Jonezetta, Kamikaze, Storage 24, Owen ...
Crime Plan: More of the Same
Mayor Frank Melton said he is responsible for the remarkable rise in violent crime in the city last Friday. "I am accountable for that, and the buck stops with me," ...
Dropping the Gay Bomb
Has anyone noticed the blog buzz about the military's efforts to develop a so-called gay bomb?
Here's the
JubileeJAM! Traffic Disruptions Announced
[Verbatim Release]Please help us make the public aware of the following traffic disruptions as Jubilee!JAM begins build-out for this weekend.
Tuesday, June 12
Organzations Invited to City Meeting
No, my friends, that is not a typo in the headline. Or rather, it is not my typo.
Divest for Darfur: $400,000 by June 15
The Save Darfur Coalition has a campaign called Divest for Darfur to encourage investors to withdraw their money from companies who help fund genocide in Darfur.
Monday, June 11
AG Sues State Farm
Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood announced today that he had filed a complaint against State Farm Fire and Casualty Company for refusing to cover damage caused by Hurricane Katrina.
On (NOT) Supporting Our Troops
Soldiers returning from Iraq are finding it difficult to get mental health treatment.
Day 9: Documentary Starts Court Firestorm
Defense attorneys started the morning off by raising objections to the testimony of Charles Marcus Edwards, the prosecution's star witness, based on footage shown on MSNBC this weekend of a ...
On To Oxford
Ole Miss' baseball season ended Sunday with a 7-1 loss to Arizona State in Game 2 of the super regional at Tempe, Ariz. And the game wasn't as close as ...
Sunday, June 10
James Ford Seale: A Re-Birth, of a Fashion
Now that the trial is going on, a bit of new media background on the declaration that Seale was dead has been added to the record. I just read a ...
Saturday, June 9
On To Omaha
Mississippi State defeated Clemson 8-5 on Saturday, sending the Bulldogs to the College World Series for the first time since 1998. An NCAA super regional-record crowd of 13,715 saw the ...
Friday, June 8
Bulldogs Take Game 1
Mississippi State moved within one victory of a trip to the College World Series Friday with an 8-6 victory over Clemson in Game 1 of the Super Regional at Starkville. ...
Melton Plan: Cameras and Night Court
Mayor Frank Melton addressed the city's remarkable increase in violent crime with a tour of dazzling technology at the new Technical Operations Center.
Day 8: Franklin County Editors, Past and Present
This morning, Judge Henry Wingate agreed to allow the government to show the jury a racial epithet-filled letter that James Ford Seale allegedly wrote to the Franklin Advocate on July ...
Show Me Yours, I'll Show You Mine…Style, I Mean
I want to see more style in Jackson's nightlife.
My boyfriend teases that I only go out to see cute outfits on other girls. It's true. I love dressing for a night out but I also love to see ...
Thursday, June 7
Council to Pay $50K in Ridgeway Fees?
Attorneys for Jackson police detectives Michael Recio and Marcus Wright are asking for $50,000 in compensation from the city, according to Councilman Leslie McLemore.
Skatepark Rockin' ‘n Rollin'
Skateboarding legend Mike Vallely is scheduled to perform at Doc*36 Skatepark (931 U.S. 80 West, Dock 36, Jackson) on Sunday, June 10 at 6 p.m. First, Vallely and his band ...
Wednesday, June 6
King James Just Like Mike
From Slate: LeBron James has led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals, which start Thursday at San Antonio (8 p.m., Ch. 16). And the NBA's newest superstar looks more ...
Steve Rozman
Steve Rozman, 66, is leading the charge for civic engagement and social responsibility at Tougaloo College, around the state and across the nation.
The Truth Can Hurt
A reckoning happened last week in the James O. Eastland Federal Courthouse in Jackson. A lot of truth came out before anyone ever took the stand to testify in the ...
Melton Mismanagement Hits the 'Bottom Line
This week, city officials finally handed in their budget revisions to the City Council, detailing cuts that will be made to city departments in order to reconcile a nearly $4 ...
[Stiggers] Dig Deep
Ernest "Monday Night Football Head" Walker: "It looks like U.S. troops will be overseas a little while longer. Meanwhile, questions that reflect uncertainty loom in the thoughts of wondering poor ...
[Davis] Secret Holds And Open Government
Congress is on the verge of having a single member derail the most meaningful reform in years of the federal Freedom of Information Act.
[Gregory] Do-overs
I work with kids daily in my "grown up" job. Sometimes, these daily interactions cause the strongest desire for a glass of wine that I've ever had. Sometimes, these interactions ...
Summer Arts Preview
A sweltering Mississippi summer is the perfect time to find something creative to do to get your mind off the heat and humidity–preferably, something indoors, at least until the sun ...
From The Ancient To The Avant Garde
The importance of art in Mississippi has been steadily growing, and the new Mississippi Museum of Art, scheduled to open June 9, is a landmark event in the history of ...
Pencils, Snakes, And Cowboys
Photos by Jason Triplett
Jayson Triplett, Starkville-based artist and one half of roots-rock duo Superstar Donkey Donkey, has a child's imagination with a grown-up's sophistication. Triplett discussed his creative beginnings, the importance of street ...
Summer Movies Sizzle
One of the best things to do to avoid the Mississippi heat is to sit in an Antarctic-chilled movie theater in a bucket seat with a big, buttery, unhealthy bucket ...
The Museum Reborn
Photos by Roy Adkins
When museum director Betsy Bradley walked me through the new Mississippi Museum of Art building in February, the mostly finished museum felt like a chrysalis—placid and even ordinary on the ...
Girls Shackled, Abused at Columbia
June 5, 2007 This story appears in this week's print edition of the Jackson Free Press. Eight adolescent girls were shackled, some of them for more than a week, at ...
Tuesday, June 5
Day 5: Of Guns and Freedom
By his own admission in court on Tuesday, it was Charles Marcus Edwards who first fingered Henry Dee. The young man who lived near him had come back to Chicago ...
Our Broken (Mental) Health System
This is a first in a series of columns and comments on mental health in Mississippi.
Monday, June 4
Mayor Presents Budget Revisions
After months of delays, the mayor's administration finally handed over budget revisions to address the city's $3.9 million budget shortfall.
Embrace the Pale
I don't think skin cancer would flatter me. I'm using sunscreen.
My grandmother died of skin cancer before I was old enough to remember her. She was absolutely gorgeous. She had smooth milky skin, green eyes, and beautiful curly black hair. ...
Saturday, June 2
JPS Board Chooses Bond Manager
After a month of legal and procedural battles, the Jackson Public School Board awarded management of $122 million of a $150 million bond to Preferred Management Group and California-based Jacobs ...
