Jackson Free Press

[Balko] Justice For Johannes Mehserle

Early the morning of Jan. 1, 2009, in a now-infamous incident that dozens of cell phones captured on video and then replayed across the globe, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) …

Playing Disaster Politics

Mississippi Secretary of State Mike Chaney is disputing that Attorney General Jim Hood does not deserve credit for the recent State Farm settlement with Mississippi. Hood announced last week that …

‘I Am Emmett Till'

Hank Thomas knew he was going to die. He only questioned how. As the Ku Klux Klan attacked and bombed the bus he was riding through Anniston, Ala., with 12 …

Clinton and Palin Encourage Women Politicos

Women believe that Sen. Hillary Clinton and Gov. Sarah Palin crashed a few glass ceilings in the Nov. 4 general elections. Despite the media treating them unfairly, concentrating far too …

UPDATED: Ridgeway Tenant Denies Melton's Claim

Evans Welch disputes Mayor Frank Melton's claims that he asked the mayor for help before the 2006 demolition of the duplex he rented. Melton, who faces three felony charges for …

Leland Speed Stepping Down from MDA

[verbatim statement] Governor Haley Barbour announced today that Leland Speed, executive director of the Mississippi Development Authority since the beginning of the Barbour Administration, is returning to the private sector …

Union Leader Brenda Scott Announces Mayoral Run

Brenda Scott, President of the Mississippi Alliance of State Employees, threw her hat in the ring for mayor of Jackson on Monday. Speaking to Jackson Free Press yesterday, she promised …

Mississippi to Receive $100 Million in Microsoft Settlement

The Mississippi Legislature may have a new tool to work with in straightening out the state's fiscal woes. Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood announced at a June 11 press conference …

House, Senate Switch Roles

The Mississippi Legislature ended the $330,000 special session this week around 10 p.m. Friday night with a final package of bills intended to help rebuild the Coast. Lawmakers managed to …

The Tangled Web of Hate

The Southern Poverty Law Center counts the Council of Conservative Citizens as a "Neo-Confederate" hate group, which, like the more radical League of the South, fights for the rights of …

Legislative Update: Smokes, Schools and Parks

The House agreed with the Senate in a 120-to-0 vote to roll the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi into the Health Department. Former tobacco lobbyist Haley Barbour killed the Partnership …

CityBuzz [10.4.06]

'Allen and His Loony Squad'

Former JFD Assistant Chief Tony Davis got free rein at the Jackson Advocate two weeks ago in a vitriolic column describing Council President Ben Allen's "hidden agenda for the city …

MySpace v. Domestic Abuse

Pussy for Peace is a married 25-year-old woman from Tehran. The MySpace page she manages is a sprawling hive of women's news and thoughts with a Middle East flavor. When …

Not Enjoying Democracy

Today, the country that was founded on "no taxation without representation" contains a capital whose residents have no representation, but plenty of taxes.

The ‘Lord's Work'

In a silent but massive social shift, the Mississippi House voted unanimously to allow Medicaid to pay for home care for eligible Medicaid beneficiaries.

Fondren Makeover; Sushi and More

A new upscale sushi restaurant is set to open this December on Capitol Street. Wasabi Bistro is a collaboration between owner Lina Lynn, who also owns Ding How Asian Bistro …

Judge Ditches Post for Tea Party

Former state Supreme Court Justice Kay Cobb has suspended her duties as a substitute judge while she organizes the Oxford Tea Party.

Sweet Potato Queens Move Parade to Fondren

The annual Sweet Potato Queens Homecoming will take place in the Fondren neighborhood of Jackson, not Ridgeland, author and founder Jill Conner Browne told the Jackson Free Press today. Following …

‘There Is Sexiness In Longevity'

Dean and Ann Blackwell of Jackson are approaching their 25th wedding anniversary, and they've been together for 28 years. They have four children, aged 13 to 20. Dean had to …

Moratorium-Blocking Judge Owns Drilling Stock

Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman lifted the Obama administration's six-month moratorium on new deep-water drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. The judge, however, owns stock in numerous oil and …