Entry
Francis P. Smith Qualifies for Jackson Mayor's Race
By R.L. NaveFrancis P. Smith Jr., pastor of Total Praise and Worship on Cedar Lane in south Jackson, has qualified for the race to be the next mayor of Jackson, information from the city clerk's office shows.
Smith competed as an Independent in the June 2013 general election for mayor, which late Mayor Chokwe Lumumba won in a landslide.
In an interview leading up to that contest, Smith told the Jackson Free Press: "I'm running for mayor, simply, to bring Jackson out of the slum, out of the abyss, out of the pits of hell."
Smith served as the Housing and Rehabilitation Manager for the city from 2002 through 2011 under Harvey Johnson Jr.'s administration and, later, the Frank Melton administration.
The JFP reported last year:
In that position, Smith supervised the Housing and Rehabilitation staff as they enforced city codes, executed community improvement projects, assured recipients spent Community Development Block Grants funds properly, and assisted elderly and disabled citizens with housing needs, such as roofing, electrical, plumbing and foundational repairs.
Smith is just the third candidate to officially qualify for the April 8 nonpartisan contest to replace Lumumba, who died late last month.
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[City Buzz] no. 12 December 6 - 13
Ex-jobs for Xmas Season?
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Post-Surgery, Melton Vows to Help More Kids
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Bluntson Collapsed at Groundbreaking
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No Damages Against Melton
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Yarber: Insist on Transparency in City Hall
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Frank Melton's $6 Million Dollar Plan
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Media Literacy Project: The Mouth Of Babes
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Mayor Brings Back Crime Unit, UMMC Grant
Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. reversed two of the last mayor's more controversial decisions Wednesday, announcing that he is bringing back the Crime Prevention Unit that Mayor Frank Melton eliminated four …
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Frank Melton
Melton's Intent at Issue in Trial
When Jackson Mayor Frank Melton's trial for civil-rights violations begins Nov. 12, one of the key battlegrounds will be the mayor's intent. Prosecutors must prove that Melton intentionally destroyed the …
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Demolition Down on Farish
Photos by Adam Lynch
Mayor Frank Melton announced that he intends to demolish more than 30 dilapidated homes on Farish Street, near the Church Street junction. "I'm taking them all down, and we're billing …
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Executives Run Amok
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JFP Wins 3 First-Place Reporting Awards, Second for ‘Two Lakes' Work
At its 60th annual Green Eyeshade banquet near Atlanta, Ga., Saturday night, the Society of Professional Journalists awarded the Jackson Free Press three first-place reporting awards and second-place public service …
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2009 JFP Interview with Frank Melton, Part VI: Of Alcohol and Guns
In his office in February, Mayor Frank Melton talked about many issues with the Jackson Free Press. Here is an excerpt about his past abuse of alcohol and, if true, …
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David Hampton: Must choice be governance ‘or' glitter for mayor – not both?
Style vs. substance seems to be choice politicians offer these days.
David Hampton at the Clarion-Ledger writes:
