Jackson Free Press

This year, for its 33rd annual St. Paddy's Day Parade, Mal's St. Paddy's Parade is changing its name to Hal's St. Paddy's Parade in honor of the late Hal White. Proceeds from the event, held March 19, will benefit the Children's Heart Center at Batson Hospital for Children.

This is a full, verbatim release from the UMMC Division of Public Affairs:

Mal’s St. Paddy’s Parade is changing its name to Hal’s St. Paddy’s Parade & Festival in memory of Hal White, brother of parade founder Malcolm White and half of team that opened the well-loved Jackson restaurant and venue Hal & Mal’s.

The parade is set for March 19 in downtown Jackson. A supporter of Batson Children’s Hospital for decades, the event raised more than $25,000 for the hospital in 2015, a year when a downpour threatened to dampen the fun.

“I wanted to rename the parade to honor my brother,” White said. “The theme of the 2016 parade is ‘Hal-lelu-Y’all,’ in keeping with remembering Hal.”

Hal White died after suffering an aneurysm in 2013 at 64.

“Hal absolutely loved the parade,” White said. “He and I started the O’Tux Society, and Hal didn’t even live in Jackson at the time. He’d come march in the parade every year.”

Grand marshal of the parade this year is the Rev. Mike O’Brien, pastor of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Canton who served more than 12 years at St. Richard Catholic Church in Jackson.

“He’s Irish,” White said, “and he was Hal’s priest for years. He baptized Hal’s granddaughter and said Hal’s (funeral) mass.”

O’Brien remembers Hal White as being “a good, solid family man, a guy who was comfortable being in the background and a man who was a very good father and a good husband. He took a great interest in whatever his children were doing and was very close to them and to his wife, Ann, too.”

Being named as grand marshal was “a great surprise,” O’Brien said, “but I am from Ireland.”

Guy Giesecke, CEO of Children’s of Mississippi, the umbrella organization for Batson Children’s Hospital and all pediatric care at UMMC, said the annual parade and festival has been a benefactor to the hospital for decades.

“This annual event, one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the U.S., is a showcase for music and entertainment in Mississippi,” he said, “but it also generates thousands of dollars for the state’s only children’s hospital, showing that this is a festival with a mission. We thank all those who have contributed over the years and this year.”

The fun begins March 18 with the Marching MAL-Function and Second Line Stomp, then starts with a bang March 19 at the Fleet Feet Sports St. Paddy’s 5K, a benefit for the Children’s Heart Center at Batson Hospital for Children.

Registration is open and will continue online until March 16 at www.fleetfeetjackson.com. Coloring contest, age group awards, team competitions, team prizes for best costumes, and most money raised for the …

Roy McMillan has died after a long illness, the Clarion-Ledger reported.

Frequent visitors to Fondren know McMillan as the brash, fedora-wearing, fetus-sign waving anti-abortion protester near the Jackson Women's Health Organization.

A bit of history on McMillan:

In 1995, a federal court ordered McMillan to stay 50 feet away from the clinic for violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, enacted in 1994 after Dr. (David) Gunn's murder in Pensacola. According to court records, on May 3, 1995, McMillan made his hand into the shape of a gun and told clinic employees: "Y'all look like a bunch of birds on a telephone wire waiting to be shot off by a man with a shotgun...Pow, pow, pow, pow."

McMillan pickets the clinic each day they see patients by displaying signs that carry pictures of fetuses and messages equating abortion to genocide. He and his wife, Beverly, an OB/GYN and former abortion doctor, also oppose all hormonal birth control including the pill and the morning-after pill.

He told the Jackson Free Press that meeting Beverly in 1982 is how he became involved in the pro-life movement.

JFP reporter Casey Parks wrote of McMillan: "He was reluctant to even join the mission. He thought Beverly was cute and smart when he saw her speak, though, so he asked her on a date. She thought he was charming, and they quickly married.

The pro-life movement inundated the husband's life as the wife spent most of her weekends speaking around the state. He joined the pro-life movement rather halfheartedly—he agreed to oversee one of the pro-life publications. His master's in journalism from Columbia University would come in handy, he thought, and besides, he wanted nothing to do with sidewalk counseling or protesting. When a colleague suggested that Roy go out to the clinic to take some action photos, Roy got a little nervous."

http://jacksonfreepress.com/users/photos/2016/jan/21/24204/

Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann has announced several revisions to Mississippi election laws that will bring our code up to date with current elections procedures and technology. Some of the changes include tightening down campaign finance disclosure laws for political committees and moving Mississippi's presidential primary vote day to the first Tuesday in March. See full list of changes reproduced below from the Secretary of State's press release:

• Modernized Criminal Penalties: consolidates all election crimes in Chapter 13, Title 97 of the Mississippi Code; updates penalties to match fines and sentences applied to other felonies and misdemeanors

• Online Voter Registration: modernizes and streamlines Mississippi's voter registration system; brings Mississippi in line with over half the United States which allow for online registration; will allow US citizens who are Mississippi residents who possess a Mississippi driver's license or DPS issued identification card to register electronically; will help eliminate errors and reduce costs of paper registrations

• Pre-Election Day Voting: creates a 21 day no excuse voting period for citizens to cast their ballot before election day; voting will be conducted only at the County Courthouse during the pre-election voting period; any registered voter may cast a final vote during the pre-election voting period; eliminates the need for in-person absentee voting

• Financial Disclosures to Voters: moves deadline for political committees to file a statement of organization from 10 days after receiving or spending funds to 48 hours after spending or receiving funds; increases transparency by requiring filers to itemize payments made to credit card issuers, banks, or online payment portals; places sanctions on political committees that failed to make required filings with the Secretary of State

• Presidential Primary: moves Mississippi's Presidential Preference Primary from the second Tuesday in March to the first Tuesday; will make Mississippi have a stronger voice in choosing the presidential nominees

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services made the following announcement:

Since Open Enrollment began on November 1, about 8.8 million consumers signed-up for health coverage through the HealthCare.gov platform or had their coverage automatically renewed, including 97,909 Mississippi. Today’s enrollment snapshot includes the number of people who selected a plan or were automatically reenrolled within local media markets. This localized data provides another level of detail to better understand total plan selections within local communities. As of January 16,

9,186 consumers in the Biloxi-Gulfport local media market area selected or were automatically enrolled in a plan 13,046 consumers in the Columbus-Tupelo-West Point local media market area selected or were automatically enrolled in a plan 6,748 consumers in the Greenwood-Greenville local media market area selected or were automatically enrolled in a plan 38,481 consumers in the Jackson, MS local media market area selected or were automatically enrolled in a plan

“As expected, consumer interest is beginning to increase again as we near the deadline for 2016 coverage,” HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell said. “We know we have more work to do and as we count down to the January 31 final deadline, we’re focused on making sure consumers understand that they must act soon to find affordable health coverage and avoid the fee for choosing to not have health insurance in 2016. Consumers should know that we’re here to help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”

Open Enrollment for 2016 coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace began Nov. 1, 2015, and runs through January 31, 2016. Consumers who enroll by January 31 will have coverage effective March 1. Having health insurance when you can afford it is now the law. If someone chooses not to buy health insurance and could afford to do so, they are at risk of paying a fee of $695 or more. Consumers are encouraged to visit HealthCare.gov to review and compare health plan options and find out if they are eligible for financial assistance, which can help lower monthly premiums and reduce out-of-pocket costs.