Wednesday, October 31
State Probes Melton's Lawn Crew ... Finally
Seven months after the Jackson Free Press revealed details about Mayor Frank Melton's young lawn crew, WLBT broke the news last week that the state auditor's office has requested materials ...
The (Il)logic of ‘Illegal'
After reading my column this week, "La Nueva Estrategia del Sur," check out Lawrence Downes' hilarious and poignant column in The New York Times: "What Part of 'Illegal' Don't You ...
Endorsements, of a Fashion
The Jackson Free Press has a tradition of endorsing candidates in our election issues. And considering that we never, ever endorse based on who we think is going to win, ...
Record Crowds Turn Out for Voodoo
[Press release] More then 150,000 concert-goers turned out to Worship The Music in New Orleans ' City Park for this weekend's VOODOO MUSIC EXPERIENCE. This record-setting number for the ninth ...
The Meat Mystery
To tell it true, ground meat makes Lunch Lady nervous. Ever since a friend told her that the beef at a certain delicious fast-food place is designated Grade D by ...
Judge Not the Hairy Paw
The Fondren Theatre Workshop will take over the former Radio Shack space at Meadowbrook Mart this weekend for a production of Charles Ludlam's camp-Gothic penny dreadful "The Mystery of Irma ...
The Best In Sports In 7 Days
Men's college basketball, Wesley at Tougaloo (7 p.m., Jackson): This matchup of metro-area rivals should be more interesting than the typical season opener. … Women's college basketball, Tougaloo at Jackson ...
Willis Fires Back
Former Parchman inmate Cedric Willis is suing the city of Jackson, the police department, and officers Gerald Jones, Ned Garner, Jim Jones and Joe Wade for $36 million for wrongful ...
Clear-Eyed Optimist
Many Mississippians view former Gov. William Winter as one of the few great progressive leaders of the state. Winter is a partner at the law firm of Watkins, Ludlam, Winter ...
Voter FAQ
The only stupid question about voting is the one you don't get answered before Nov. 6. With a little help from the League of Women Voters of Mississippi's Web site, ...
Coalition Pushes for Smoke-Free Venues
Smoke-free Jackson, an anti-smoking coalition, is on a mission to have smoking banned from all Jackson businesses, including restaurants and bars, to protect Jackson's workers. Jackson City Council President Leslie ...
Melton's Budgetary Confusion
When writing an editorial, it's important to hit on a few high points. Generally, you want to relate some recent occurrence in the news to a trend that the newspaper's ...
[Stiggers] Dear Jackson Free Press Readership
As of today I am relocating to Atlanta to help take care of my mother, Mrs. Ruby Stiggers. This is something I must do because for many years "Miss Ruby" ...
I CARA, do you?
I've never been much of a volunteer. My high school required a certain amount of volunteer hours to graduate, which I completed, however grudgingly. My college sorority's charity of choice ...
[Saldaña] La Nueva Estrategia del Sur
In Mississippi's first elections since the explosive national immigration bill debate, candidates across the political spectrum are lining up to take their best shot at undocumented immigrants. It's a no-holds-barred ...
[Agnew] Voters with Disabilities
"My mom won't take me to vote, but I want to go," a young woman says to me as I take questions from her group. I ask her if she ...
Shandra Wilson
Between her son, her full-time job and life coaching, Shandra Wilson, 35, says her biggest challenge is "having time to do everything."
Mr. Washington Comes To Mississippi
Photos by Jaro Vacek and Roy Adkins
When Democrats speak of Gov. Haley Barbour, it's usually either with some degree of admiration or a great deal of venom.
The Reality Of Tort Reform
Photos by Darren Schwindaman and Roy Adkins
On Aug. 31, 1999, 73-year-old McComb obstetrician Edsel Stewart signed a pack of Prudential Life Insurance papers that he believed gave him a million dollars worth of life insurance for ...
Election 2007 - Major Races
<b><em>Governor</em>
This year, conservative voters in the state have two clear choices—Haley Barbour, the corporate conservative who helped perfect the national GOP's "southern strategy," or John Arthur Eaves Jr., a Democratic ...
O, What A Mess
Ole Miss defensive end Greg Hardy (the SEC leader in sacks and tackles for a loss) has been suspended indefinitely for "missing meetings, weight-lifting and other things." His mother says ...
Tuesday, October 30
BREAKING: Tyrone Lewis Promoted to Deputy Chief
[Verbatim from the mayor's office] Mayor Frank E. Melton announced today that Commander Tyrone Lewis has been promoted to the position of Deputy Chief of Training and Standards for the ...
won't you be my neighbor?
Here are some DIY ideas for improving Jackson one person, one neighborhood at a time.
As we are thinking about the upcoming elections and the changes we want to see in our city, state and world, I think that we should follow Gandhi's famous advice ...
BREAKING: Mother of George Bell Indicted
More details as they emerge.
The Jackson Free Press has confirmed that Robbie Bell, the mother of a young man accused of bludgeoning his girlfriend, Heather Spencer, to death, has been indicted in the case ...
Melton to Fire Officer for Rolling Eyes at Him?
In an interview with Howard Ballou of WLBT, Mayor Frank Melton said he plans to fire Jackson police officer Mike Braxton, who made public a police report (PDF, 1013 KB) ...
Monday, October 29
Frank Melton's $6 Million Dollar Plan
Jackson Mayor Frank Melton told a doubtful city council today that he believes his administration has located $6 million in extra reserve funds in the Department of Public Works. Melton ...
Police: Melton Contaminates Crime Scenes
WAPT is reporting that the Jackson Police Officer Association is complaining to the City Council about the mayor's disruptions in the department, and blaming his interference for low morale among ...
Eaves Launches Anti-Barbour Web site
The John Arthur Eaves campaign just e-mailed a link to a new Web site devoted to giving what they call the real story on Haley Barbour's record. The site opens ...
Meet ‘Culture,' Clarion-Ledger Style
Just clicked into The Clarion-Ledger's new "culture" blog. This is what I found as the top post, I sh!t you not:
The Mississippi Miracle
Jim Rome is talking about this as I type ...
ESPN has posted video of the fantastic final play of Saturday's Trinity-Millsaps game. Trinity won 28-24 by scoring a touchdown on the final play of the game that featured numerous ...
Cedric Willis Sues City of Jackson
Cedric Willis, who served 12 years in prison until he was exonerated last year, has announced that he is suing the city of Jackson for $36 million for wrongful arrest. ...
Sunday, October 28
Instant Replay: College Football, Oct. 27-28
Central Florida 34, Southern Miss 17: Kevin Smith and turnovers kill the Golden Eagles.
Johnny Cash Flower-Pickin Festival Nov. 2-4
I'm a big fan of the Man In Black, and so I am happy to report that something cool is happening in Starkville this weekend. The Johnny Cash Flower-Pickin Festival ...
Saturday, October 27
Full Contact? Do You Swear?
The lovely Capital City Rollergirls are going to host a session of Full Contact Musical Chairs on Nov. 10 at Hal & Mal's in the Big Room. Tickets are $10, ...
Friday, October 26
Thursday, October 25
Hornets Cut Johnson
The New Orlean Hornets waive former Jackson State basketball star Trey Johnson.
Harsh Words
This is not merely bad. This is ineptitude on a staggering, world-historical scale. … it's simply impossible to describe how awful this performance is.
better than lincoln logs
Welcome to FlyBlog, home of the hip and handy, the fun and funky.
My interest in carpentry and building probably began in the womb, since my father is the ultimate handyman. When I was growing up, he helped me design, construct and build ...
Music to Set the Spooky Mood
Say you have trick-or-treaters coming to your house this year. You have a nice outdoor speaker system and would like to really set the mood for all the little pirates, ...
Cocktails That Make You Go ‘Boo!'
To scare up a formidable Black Cat, pour 1 ounce vodka and 1 ounce cherry brandy into a highball glass over ice. Fill with equal parts Coke and cranberry juice.
Halloween Party
When you're looking for items to decorate your space for Halloween, pick a handful of pieces around which to center the rest of your décor. For my space, I picked ...
Sculpting the Gourd
I have carved pumpkins since I was a child. As kids, my sister and I carved the typical triangles and jagged mouth for a traditional jack-o'-lantern. A few years in ...
State Investigates ‘Lawn Service' Contracts
Better late than never. It looks like the state and the media are finally playing catch-up on investigating the city's allocation of money to Frank Melton's "lawn service" contracts to ...
BREAKING: City Council Has Standing Against Mayor
The Mississippi Supreme Court ruled today that the Hattiesburg City Council has standing to seek a writ of mandamus against Mayor Johnny DuPree.
Wednesday, October 24
Fly: Mean, Green Halloween
This Halloween as you walk through your neighborhood after dark, flashlight in hand, think about what you are using to power that flashlight. If you have not yet made the ...
Fly: Recipes For The Plug-In Cauldron
Halloween lore has it that witches stirred potions in their cauldrons constantly, breaking rhythm only to wipe dripping saliva from the corners of their mouths with wart-covered hands, or to ...
Fly: Spooking
Mississippi
Candlelight Ghost Tour of Cedar Grove Mansion (Vicksburg), Oct. 26-31, 5-10 p.m. $6 adults, $4 children. 601-661-6100.
Fly: Halloween Pet-Cessories
Dressing your pet for All Hallows' Eve has never been easier with the wealth of retail stores and Web sites dedicated to the "chi chi" canine or feline. Indeed, some ...
Rocky Horror Picture Show Virgin's Guide
In Rocky Horror Picture Show parlance, a "virgin" is anyone who's never seen RHPS (that's "Rocky Horror Picture Show," the movie) in a theater. Seeing it on TV doesn't count ...
Fly: Come Fly With Us
Welcome to Fly, the seasonal supplement to your Jackson Free Press fix, designed especially for the hip and handy, and those who wish they were. Flip through Fly for hot ...
U.S. House Probing Diaz, Minor Prosecutions
The idea that the prosecutions of Justice Oliver Diaz and attorney Paul Minor may have been politically motivated by a George Bush administration is gathering steam in the nation's capitol, ...
The Best In Sports In 7 Days
Junior college football, Hinds at Pearl River (7 p.m., Poplarville): It wasn't so long ago that these teams seemed to meet in the state title game every year. Both will ...
Ed Blount
Ed "The Prezs" Blount, 38, wants to form a new type of neighborhood association. Working as a bartender at the Upper Level by night, and driving a Head Start school ...
Real-Life Horror Stories
John Grisham says Haley Barbour should sign a moratorium on executions in Mississippi. "Absolutely. If I had my way, we'd stop all of them," Grisham said.
Strike Three For Melton
Mayor Frank Melton has backed out of his tax proposals for the third time since he became mayor in 2005. City Attorney Sarah O'Reilly Evans told the city council on ...
Eaves Pushing For Prayer
In a Tuesday press conference at the state Capitol, Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Arthur Eaves introduced a plan to legally re-introduce prayer into public schools.
Jackson Resident Claims Racism
Jackson resident Robert Shoulders is suing Utility Constructors Inc. and its owner Terry Lovelace for racial harassment.
The AG's Race: Hoodwinking the Voters?
The race for attorney general is boiling down to two relevant choices: Do voters want a state lawyer who tries to distance himself from lawyers, or a lawyer who embraces ...
Mystery Ballots
Leading up to Election day, we've heard a lot of semi-hysteria regarding voter fraud in Mississippi. Certain politicians have latched onto this chimera as the wedge issue for 2007, while ...
[Stiggers] Thin Line Between Love and Hate
Mo'tel Williams: "It's the showdown round of Negro-Rigged Jeopardy! Contestants are anxious to answer questions in the category 'African Americans: Love or Hate.' First question:
[Kamikaze] When Will They Learn?
It's another "biting-off-our-nose-to-spite-our-face" episode in the city of Jackson. I just read that rapper-turned-author C-Miller (formerly C-Murder)—brother of the "great opportunist" Master P—was in town to promote a new work ...
[Tucker] The Mean Season
Well, I guess it's official: The Mean Season is upon us.
Todd's New Book Is Out!
JFP Publisher Todd Stauffer's new book, "How to Do Everything with Your Web 2.0 Blog," is out! You can order the book online at Powell's and other outlets. It should ...
Shrinking JPD Springs a Sex-Toy Sting
So, the city can manage to find money to do sting operations in order to seize dildos. What a relief. Clarion-Ledger is reporting:
Tuesday, October 23
Ladd Profiles Frank Melton in Reason Magazine
JFP Editor Donna Ladd writes about Mayor Frank Melton's shenanigans for Reason Magazine. The piece starts:
It's Best Of Time Again!
Alrighty all you proud Jacksonians. It's time once more to vote for the Best of Jackson. The first 2008 ballot is scheduled to appear in next week's issue (Oct. 31) ...
My Story on Melton in Reason Magazine
Read the piece.
The libertarian Reason magazine today published a piece they asked me to write about Frank Melton and his shenanigans to date. Check it out here (note that a couple of ...
Going away party for John Lawrence and Melody McAnally
And hey, Memphis is just a bigger version of Jackson anyway, right?
John Lawrence was mentioned in the story last week about Jacktoberfest -- the "teach a man to fish" guy who was a driving force behind Jubilee!JAM and Jacktoberfest. He is ...
Shame on Us
I literally shouted expletives at my TV yesterday morning as I drank my coffee and watched the morning news. In an appalling display of hypocrisy, first lady Laura Bush landed ...
JFP, Other Alts Stand with Phoenix New Times
The Jackson Free Press is proud to stand up today, alongside our sister papers in the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies against the efforts of elected officials in Phoenix, Ariz., to ...
Monday, October 22
Ledger Publishes Old News on Michael Taylor
Oddly, The Clarion-Ledger today published a news story about Frank Melton's young friend, Michael Taylor, pointing out that new D.A. Robert Smith will have a conflict prosecuting him. This is ...
Icky: ‘Heritage' Operative on Barbour's Staff
Just when you thought that the past was another half-mile behind us, something like this comes to light. The Associated Press reported:
ARTICLE: The Smoking Scourge Among Urban Blacks
Why do more than half of poor, young blacks smoke cigarettes, mainly Newport menthol cigarettes, and flavored cigarillos like Black and Mild, something I never heard of until I had ...
Legislative Black Caucus Foils Plan to Unseat McCoy?
Rep. George Flaggs, D-Vicksburg, told the Jackson Free Press Friday that the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus adopted a position on Thursday against the candidacy of Columbus Rep. Jeffrey Smith's run ...
Sunday, October 21
Instant Replay: College Football, Oct. 20-21
Southern Miss 33, Marshall 24: The Golden Eagles, powered by Damion Fletcher's three touchdown runs, move into a tie for first place in the CUSA East.
With Due Respect, Mr. Agnew ...
It's hilarious that The Clarion-Ledger is trying to position itself in front of the FBI investigation of Frank Melton even though they have followed, if they even bothered to do ...
Friday, October 19
Major League Hijinks
Doctor S knows that it's football season, but the news out of major league baseball is just too good:
JacktoberFest Today: Bands, Beers and Brats
Jacktoberfest was conceived in the near-death experience of another Jackson music fest tradition: Jubilee!JAM. "It was in the wake of a JAM meeting, where the Board had voted to put ...
Instant Replay: College Football, Oct. 18
North Alabama 28, Delta State 17: The Lions hand the Statesmen their first loss of the season. UNA is the last unbeaten team left in the GSC.
Thursday, October 18
The Melton Tapes: Donna Ladd's Interviews with Frank Melton
In spring 2006, Mayor Frank Melton broke his 14-month silence toward the Jackson Free Press, after refusing to give an interview to the newspaper after critical coverage of his campaign ...
Melton Announces Progress: ‘Crime Is Down'
Jackson Mayor Frank Melton released this statement (PDF, 257 KB) yesterday touting "progress" in the City of Jackson.
Mayor Re-instates, Discredits JPD Promotion Exams
Jackson Mayor Frank Melton announced today that the police department will again administer police officer promotion exams to officers currently serving in acting sergeant and lieutenant positions because the city ...
Does This Make Sense?
The Clarion-Ledger has a story about D.A.-elect Robert Smith not showing up for a docket call and needing to resolve his pending cases before he takes office in January. The ...
Wednesday, October 17
The Politics of Voter ID
Photos by Adam Lynch and Kate Medley
Candidates tend to look for issues to separate themselves from their opponents. It's a tough order in conservative Mississippi, where many nominees on both sides of the political spectrum agree ...
31 Pounds of Cheese
When most people bust out statistics like "the average American eats more than 31 pounds of cheese each year"—give or take a few pounds, depending on your source and the ...
Dreaming Through Adversity
"What happens to a dream deferred?" asks Langston Hughes in his poem "Harlem." "Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?/Or fester like a sore—/And then run?"
The Best In Sports In 7 Days
College football, Delta State at North Alabama (7 p.m., Florence, Ala., CSS/930 AM): Something has to give when the GSC's last two undefeated teams meet on Thursday night.
Jim Kopernak
As I approach the industrial-looking Old House Depot on Monroe Street, I hear the robust sound of Ella Fitzgerald's voice. Jim Kopernak, 61 (but looking 10 years younger), emerges from ...
The Good Book and Politics Don't Mix
Mississippians are viewed as a "different breed" for a number of good reasons: our take on the second person plural, the affinity toward things like sweet tea and caramel cake, ...
Council Blocks Pay Raises for Bodyguards
On Monday, the Jackson City Council halted Mayor Frank Melton's scheme to use drug-seizure money to fund recent police salary raises. The administration proposed taking $192,101 from the $400,000 drug-forfeiture ...
Debate Highlights Party Loyalties
Photos by Adam Lynch
Republican State Auditor Phil Bryant and Democratic Rep. Jamie Franks sparred before a modest crowd of about 200 at Biloxi's Saenger Theater last Wednesday. The event was more a locked-down ...
Don't Blame (It All on) Melton
Leland Speed, whose family enthusiastically supported Frank Melton in his mayoral run, is going around saying something amusing about the beleaguered mayor in recent days as rumors fly about possible ...
[Stiggers] Somebody's Watching Me
Crunchie Burga World CEO: "Welcome fellow Crunchie Burga World employees to a farewell banquet honoring the hard work and dedication of Miss Wanda, our beloved part-time senior greeter and fry ...
No. 38, October 17
<b><em>Too Crazy to Make Up</b></em>
The words that fall out of our government representatives' mouths are sometimes just too incredible to be made up.
[Dickerson] How Much Justice Can You Afford?
Have you ever purchased an insurance policy, confident that your check (and the insurance agent's pledge that "you're now covered") would be enough to protect you?
What's In A Label?
Photos by Katrina Hercules, Jaro Vacek, Darren Schwindaman, and Nate Glenn
It's a Thursday evening in late August. For some reason, the AC's on the fritz, but who cares? Hal & Mal's Red Room is slammed. Through open doors, overflow—sound and ...
Little Big Store picnic this Sunday, Oct. 21
The Little Big Store's monthly backyard picnic is this Sunday, October 21. All ages, free, bring your own food/pets/kids. These are cool, unique opportunities to get the family out of ...
Tuesday, October 16
Cops Vow to Air Dirty Laundry
The day after City Council refused to fund the promotions of Mayor Frank Melton's bodyguards, a local police union said today that talks with the mayor about the appointments were ...
Monday, October 15
Melton: Who, Me?
"I don't know anything about that. I can't imagine what I've done," Melton said.
The Jackson rumor mill is on overdrive today about federal indictments of Mayor Frank Melton coming down in the wake of an FBI investigation that pulled several members of his ...
Wake Up Jackson meeting this Thursday, October 18, at 6:00 PM
The meeting will be at the ACLU Mississippi office at 964 N. Jefferson Street, which is next to Fenian's Pub.
Oxford Cop Killer Pleads Down to Manslaughter
The Clarion-Ledger is reporting:
Sunday, October 14
VIDEO: Bob Ross - Why I Don't Paint People
This YouTube tribute to Bob Ross captures the essence of who he was as an artist and a person.
Saturday, October 13
Libertarian Magazine Probes State Medical Examiner
Over the last week, an investigative story in Reason magazine by Radley Balko probing Mississippi medical examiner Steven Hayne has attracted national attention, even drawing an editorial in the Wall ...
Friday, October 12
Instant Replay: College Football, Oct. 11
Delta State 35, Valdosta State 31: The Statesmen move atop the GSC standings with a stunning victory over the Blazers.
Get the Lead Out
According to a recent ABC News report, several brands of lipstick contain lead, including popular brands such as Cover Girl and L'Oreal:
And the Nobel Peace Prize goes to…
...Al Gore, who is sharing it equally with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Thursday, October 11
Mychal Bell back in jail
He has to spend 18 months in a juvenile facility for violating his probation. However, the charges are old and weren't brought up until now, so Sharpton and others see ...
High Anxiety At JSU
This week's Jackson State at Southern football game at Baton Rouge seems to have an unusual amount of pregame drama. First, JSU coach Rick Comegy said he had heard about ...
Doris Shavers' Family: Melton Lied
Shalandria Shavers, the 21-year-old daughter of domestic-violence victim Doris Shavers, and James Hopkins, Shavers' brother, served notice today to the city of Jackson and Mayor Frank Melton of a wrongful-death ...
Bob Mould News
Anti- is pleased to announce the signing of living legend and alternative rock trailblazer Bob Mould. Mould's vital new studio album, District Line – the latest in his esteemed, twenty ...
Thirteen-story Ridgeland High Rise Passes 4-3
The Ridgeland Board of Aldermen voted 4-to-3 in favor of the construction of a 13-story office building. Ridgeland codes currently limit building heights to four stories, so developer Buster Bailey ...
Learn Something New
Every so often, I come across something really useful on the Internet that isn't trying to sell me anything. If you're like me, it's even better if it tells me ...
Federal Grand Jury Probing Frank Melton?
The Jackson Free Press has gotten reports over the last week that people high up in the Melton administration are appearing before a federal grand jury this week to testify ...
Wednesday, October 10
Lazy Bum Off the Couch!
Let's backtrack to Jan. 1. You swore you'd stick to your diet and finally rid yourself of that layer of fat that has come between you and your two-piece for ...
A Comfortable Trust
As the recipient of dozens, perhaps hundreds of massages, one of the first things I always "look" for is the personal energy a masseuse projects. I've had therapists who were ...
My Big Fat Problem
At 6 every morning I awake to the sound of the alarm. Most days I groggily get out of bed and go about the daily routine of getting my son ...
You Are What You Eat
Learning how to cook is always such a hit-and-miss experience. It requires patient and tolerant people who are willing to wait long, hungry hours while you figure out just how ...
The Best In Sports In 7 Days
College football, Delta State at Valdosta State (7 p.m., Valdosta, Ga., CSS/930 AM): The Statesmen and Blazers are both undefeated heading into their annual grudge match. … Pro baseball, Colorado ...
Dexter Morton
After 14 years of driving trucks and training other people to drive trucks, Dexter Devon Morton left the road with a 46-inch waistline and weighing 360 pounds. Today, Morton, 38, ...
Good Times with Recio & the Gang
Michael Recio was big and hulking and provided decent cover for a reporter who wasn't used to walking up to people's homes unannounced in the middle of the night. I ...
Man of Iron
As a young boy, Shad Ireland wanted to be a professional athlete when he grew up. But at the age of 10, he was diagnosed with Membranoproliferative nephritis, which causes ...
'Blue Dot in a Red Sea'
Democracy for America Chairman Jim Dean endorsed Democratic candidate Gary Anderson for Mississippi Insurance Commissioner last week during a visit to Anderson's campaign headquarters.
ACLU Worker Arrested For Observing Police
Police arrested ACLU Field Coordinator Brent Cox for surveying a police interdiction last month, though Cox said he was fulfilling his constitutional duty in observing the activity.
Eaves' Health-Care Plan Touches Nerve
Photos by Kate Medley, Roy Adkins, & Adam Lynch
Brookhaven resident Washuma Murphy faces more than $3,500 in medical bills every year, without the benefit of medical insurance. Doctors diagnosed her 12-year-old son, Devon Murphy, with Sturge-Weber Syndrome at ...
Recio Promotion Insult to JPD
Last week Mayor Melton appointed his bodyguard, a 15-year police officer with little supervisory experience, to the position of assistant chief, granting him a $31,000 raise and, presumably, a considerable ...
[Stiggers] Somebody's Watching Me
Grandpa Pookie: "Welcome to the first annual Ghetto Neighborhood Safety Fair, Picnic and Disco—organized by the Ghetto Science Team Neighborhood Protection Agency, Aunt Tee Tee Hustle, Nurse Tootie McBride, Senior ...
[Kamikaze] Lapel Pins of Our Countrymen
America needs an enema. Symbolic "patriotism" is blocking the very strides that we are supposed to be making as a "progressive" country. It is giving us mental constipation. Real action, ...
[Mott] Fake It 'til You Make It
"A governor, a senator and then me. I think I may be the comic relief," I quipped before my brief statement at the Fourth Annual Interfaith Dinner on Oct. 4. ...
Chicken Little & My Sauconys' Marathon
Last January, I snuggled under a warm velour throw on my plump sunroom sofa, with junk food and remote within arm's reach. Dozing off, I congratulated myself on excellent "no-moving-except-to-switch-TV-channels" ...
Random Wellness: Try This At Home
1. Valerian might be a great sleep aid, but use it in moderation. Long-term use overstresses the adrenal glands.
Eaves Makes Front Page of NY Times
In a story headlined In Mississippi, Democrat Runs in G.O.P. Lane, reporter Adam Nossiter explores John Eaves' run to Haley Barbour's right on social and religious issues:
Noose Found on Door of Black Columbia Professor
Well, if anything, the Jena 6 situation is going to expose the racism and bigotry in our midst—all of our midst. And that is a damn good thing. We've got ...
Feds Might Buy Gulf Coast Homes
Did you guys see this? (AP) The federal government is considering buying out as many as 17,000 homes along the Mississippi coast and remaking the land into a vast hurricane ...
Tuesday, October 9
Barbour Attacks Eaves for Suing the Military; Eaves Responds
In recent TV ads, Gov. Haley Barbour feigns outrage at his opponent for suing the military as a trial attorney. Eaves responds in an e-mail and TV spot that indicates ...
He Fired a 9mm and They Didn't Check His Background?!?
What!?! Just because a man is a "homeowner" firing at apparent "thugs" with his semiautomatic, the JPD doesn't check his background? Good Lord. There goes another Clarion-Ledger front-page hero.
JFP Registration Announcement
If you have registered for the JFP site recently, please go try your user name and password to see if you've been approved (you may not get an e-mail back ...
Monday, October 8
NAMIWalks 2007: another successful year!
Our team raised $129.93, and my T-shirt design won 3rd place. Also, two team members won door prizes. What a great day!
Sunday, October 7
Mea Culpa from Ledger's Hampton ... Sort of
But notice that his only solution to the problem of newspapers' decreasing coverage of "complex" political issues is finding more bloggers for the Ledger's site. Sigh; it's sad to watch ...
Saturday, October 6
"State of the Nation" Art and Performance Festival Starts Today
"State of the Nation" Art and Performance Festival Oct. 4-6, starting at 7 p.m. every night at the F.D. Hall Music Center at JSU. Featuring Teo Castellanos, Uprooted: The Katrina ...
Friday, October 5
Thursday, October 4
Lobbyist: Barbour Has No Ties to Firm
Bobby Harrison is reporting in the Daily Journal that Lanny Griffith has issued a statement about Haley Barbour's current status with his (former?) lobbying firm.
GAO: FEMA Favored Mississippi Over Louisiana
The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office has confirmed that FEMA favored Mississippi over Louisiana after Katrina, concurring with the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general who criticized FEMA for awarding "the ...
Wednesday, October 3
Instant Replay: College Football, Oct. 3
Rice 31, Southern Miss 29: The Owls upset the Eagles (20-point favorites) in C-USA's Battle of the Birds. Talk about an ugly-ass loss.
Eco-Campus
On cold Virginia evenings at the College of William and Mary, mittened passers-by on the sidewalk below my second-story dorm room window could see me wearing my favorite lightweight striped ...
The Best In Sports In 7 Days
Junior college football, Copiah-Lincoln at Hinds (7 p.m., Raymond): Both of these teams are in desperate need of a win. … Pro baseball, New York Yankees at Cleveland in AL ...
Larry And Dee Nixon
Shortly after relocating to Jackson from South Carolina, Larry and Dee Nixon established the Cure Sickle Cell Foundation to raise awareness of SCD and support families affected by the disease.
Crossing Gallatin
So the JFP celebrated its fifth birthday a couple of weeks ago. I have long exercised the privilege of celebrating my birthweek and birthmonth, rather than just a flimsy day, ...
JPS Moves Ahead in Bond Projects
Minority make-up was the point of interest for school board members in an Oct. 1 special meeting of the Jackson Public School Board. The meeting, which ran into the wee ...
City Pulls $3 Mil From Reserves, May Need More
Jackson Mayor Frank Melton and the city administration got their wish from the council in a 3-to-2 vote in favor of raiding $3 million from the city's $7 million budget ...
Innocence Project Comes to Mississippi
The Mississippi Innocence Project is looking to put down permanent roots in Mississippi and is kicking off its effort through an Oct. 22 fund raiser. Award-winning novelists John Grisham and ...
Bishop Phillip Coleman: R.I.P.
Bishop Dr. Phillip Coleman, Sr., Th.D., pastor of Greater Bethlehem Temple Apostolic Church, died Tuesday from cancer. He was 81.
Lawyers Needed
Herding cats. That's the unwritten job description for soft-spoken Shirley Williams, executive director of the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project. Formed in 1982, the MVLP is one of a handful of ...
Good News for Victims
Announcing some good news on the domestic violence front, Attorney General Jim Hood says that the Domestic Violence Division has made significant progress in educating the state's law enforcement, judges ...
It's Time to Save Lives
Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which started Monday, has taken on a new urgency this year. Given the recent spate of domestic murders in Jackson that might have been prevented, it's ...
[Stiggers] Common Trauma Ward
Judy McBride: "Allow me to provide you with a glimpse of mental-health conditions seldom recognized by the general public. Let's take a brief journey through Ward 6 and 3/5, also ...
[Hightower] Inescapable TV Ads
I yearn for the good ol' days when a TV was a device under my control. It sat quietly in my home, doing nothing until I beckoned it to perform. ...
[Dickerson] Can You Handle the Truth?
For a long time, I wanted to ask President Bush why, if the Dixie Chicks knew there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, he couldn't figure it out ...
Beat It? The JFP Interview With Michael Jackson Chaney
Photos by Roy Adkins
Michael Jackson wants to be your insurance commissioner. Yes, Sen. Michael Jackson "Mike" Chaney is running for Mississippi Commissioner of Insurance on the Republican ticket, and facing Democrat Gary Anderson, ...
Tuesday, October 2
Hood: State Auditor Disrupted Beef Plant Sting
Attorney General Jim Hood confirmed Monday that State Auditor Phil Bryant had interrupted investigative efforts to obtain evidence against beef-plant owners. Hood's written statement to the media came after lieutenant ...
Monday, October 1
Theater of the Beef-Plant Absurd
Can we just call the beef-plant debacle what it is: a foolish bipartisan embrace of a corporate-welfare scheme gone awry? Both Dems and Republicans pushed for it, and Barbour wrote ...
Jamie Franks: ‘I'm Being Attacked'
Jamie Franks today sent out an e-mail to supporters, responding to the state (and national?) Republican Party's "liberal"-baiting campaign—"Too Liberal for Mississippi"—against him. Here is Franks' verbatim statement:
