Jackson Free Press

Last year, the organizers of the boisterous and well-attended annual Mississippi Picnic in Central canceled it in the wake of House Bill 1523's passage.

"Any law such as HB 1523 that discriminates against even a single member of our community cannot be tolerated, and therefore we have decided to stand up for all Mississippians by canceling the 2016 picnic in the park," organizers wrote in a statement last year.

Now, the picnic that started in 1980 seems to be gone forever. The New York Mississippi Society, which runs the picnic, posted this today on its website: "The 36 years of the Mississippi Picnics has been wonderful and a positive thing for all those involved but with the competition of funding sources and the rising costs and complexity of putting this event together, The New York Society regrets to announce that there are no plans for any future picnics."

Read more about HB 1523 and its effects here.

The Mississippi Blues Marathon takes place this Saturday, January 9, 2017, throughout Greater Jackson. As a result, some streets will be closed and some intersections make take time to get across.

Verbatim from the Jackson State University public relations department:

When it comes to federal research expenditures, Jackson State University is one of only four Historically Black Colleges and Universities listed by The Center for Measuring University Performances’ top 200 research universities in the country. A joint venture between Arizona State University and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, The Center is designed to track research productivity across the United States.

“Jackson State University’s inclusion as one of the top 200 universities in the country for federal research expenditures shows the high level of productivity that comes from our brilliant faculty and staff. We are honored by this achievement which is only a glimpse of the success that emanates from our great institution,” said Dr. Rod Paige, JSU interim-president.

Ranked as #195, Jackson State University joins the three other Mississippi research universities and the state’s only medical school on the list, with Mississippi State University (#126), the University of Mississippi (#174), the University of Mississippi Medical Center (#185), and the University of Southern Mississippi (#189).

According to Dr. Loretta Moore, Jackson State University Vice President for Research and Federal Relations, “It is a privilege for Jackson State University to be listed among the premier research universities in the country. This milestone is the direct result of our dedicated and talented faculty and staff engaged in funded research.”

The universities identified in the annual report support research in a wide variety of fields, contributing to both the growth of knowledge in those areas and to the economic impact of universities on their communities. As the Center for Measuring University Performance notes in its report, “Not only do high-quality research institutions require strong financial support, they also require rigorous processes to identify the best faculty and staff, the best students and support their performance within a highly competitive national and international context.”

The following was released verbatim by the Jackson Police Department:

CORRECTION: JPD issued a correction for the street name to Newton Street, the change has been made below.

On Monday, January 2, 2017, at approx. 7:53PM, Jackson Police Officers responded to Texaco Gas Station at 3140 Woodrow Wilson regarding a carjacking. Upon officers’ arrival, it was learned that the victim was stationary at a red light near Bailey Ave. and Woodrow Wilson Blvd. when three unidentified black males jumped into his vehicle. One of the suspects was armed with a handgun. The suspects made the victim drive to another location where the victim was able to escape and seek help. The suspects took the victim’s Buick LeSabre and his personal belongings. The suspects fled the scene. The victim sustained an injury to his lower back due to being cut with a blunt object. He was transported for medical treatment and is in stable condition at this time.

On Tuesday, January 3, 2017, DART officers observed the victim’s carjacked vehicle in the area of Utica St. near NEWTON St. The vehicle was occupied by three black males. Officers initiated a traffic stop and the occupants fled the scene on foot. Officers were able to detain the three occupants after a brief foot pursuit. They were identified as Martavious Powell-18, and two unidentified juveniles. They were transported for questioning. Powell was charged with Carjacking, Kidnapping, Aggravated Assault and Armed Robbery of an Individual. The juvenile occupants were charged with Trespassing in a Stolen Auto. This incident is still under investigation.

Once again the New Orleans Saints have finished with a 7-9 record and are out of the playoffs.

The team has missed the postseason four of the last five seasons and hasn’t been able to recapture the magic of the Super Bowl season in 2009. It hasn’t been able to finish with a winning record since 2013.

As soon as the season ended, New Orleans Head Coach Sean Payton spoke with General Manager Mickey Loomis after the team’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Loomis and Payton will continue to meet this week following the end of the season.

Rumors began to swirl that the Saints would be open to trading Payton to another team if the right offer came its way. This is the second offseason that rumors of the Saints looking to shop Payton have started.

After the end of last season, New Orleans and Payton came to an agreement on a five-year contract extension worth $9 million per year. The Saints also worked a deal with quarterback Drew Brees that has him signed for next season.

Even after a disappointing year, there is hope in New Orleans. The defense suffered injury after injury and still rallied to become better as the season progressed.

Rookie defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins and rookie wide receiver Michael Thomas ended up playing well in their first seasons. The offense is still one of the best in the NFL, and Brees, who turns 38 this month, is still one of the quarterbacks in the league.

New Orleans has plenty of offensive weapons but needs to get cap room and use draft picks to continue to work on the defense. Over the Cap says that the Saints have more than $30 million to spend in cap space this offense.

The team has to make a big decision: Will it continue to chase a title with Payton and Brees, or will it begin to rebuild?

If the team can carve out more cap space and use that money judiciously, the defense can be improved quickly. A pass rusher should be the No. 1 offseason need the team should address.

The NFL is a passing league, and getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks is part of winning games. Teams that can’t get pressure normally struggle during the season.

New Orleans finished 27th in sacks this season with 30, but to be fair, the Oakland Raiders finished last in the league in sacks with 25 and still made the playoffs. Most of the teams in the postseason finished from near the top to the middle of the league in sacks.

Brees could play until he is 40 or beyond, and if he will work with the team on salary, it could help the Saints make one or two more championship runs. But will the future Hall of Fame quarterback cut the team a hometown discount? Who knows at this point.

The …