Photo
Story
City & County
Clergy, Bomgar Call for End to Mass Incarceration, Private-Prison Reform
Rep. Joel Bomgar, R-Madison, stood with an interdenominational Christian group of clergy Wednesday at the Capitol, saying that mass incarceration serves none of his beliefs as either a Christian or …
Photo
Photo
Story
Person of the Day
Erick Dampier
Today marks the first day of the 2016 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, but viewers won’t find any teams from our state in the Big Dance. That wasn’t the case 20 …
Photo
Story
St. Patrick's Parade Kicks Off in NYC, Gay Groups Included
The nation's largest St. Patrick's Day parade kicked off Thursday in New York City, and for the first time in decades, gay activists are not decrying it as an exercise …
Entry
Big Freedia Pleads Guilty to Section 8 Fraud
By micah_smithOnly a few weeks after Big Freedia resolved her battle with Hattiesburg over a wrongly cancelled performance, which is now back on, the New Orleans hip-hop artist has become embroiled in a battle of a different kind.
On Wednesday, March 16, Freedia pleaded guilty to the theft of about $35,000 in Section 8 low-income housing vouchers from 2010 to 2014, New Orleans TV station WWL reports. Officials released her on a $25,000 bond, with her sentencing scheduled for Thursday, June 16. Freedia now faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine in addition to the value of the vouchers.
According to WWL reporter David Hammer, federal prosecutors repeatedly referred to Freedia, a prominent member of the LGBTQ community who identifies as a woman, in masculine terms, as her legal name is Freddie Ross Jr.
U.S. District Judge Lance Africk, on the other hand, first asked Freedia how the court should address her and chose to refer to her as "Ms. Ross" despite her statement that she had no preference.
Freedia admitted to the court that from February 2011 to December 2014, she received $695 per month in federal housing vouchers by claiming only $12,000 to $14,400 in assets annually, well below the $21,700 to receive Section 8 assistance.
When Africk asked if Freedia understood that her crime went far beyond financial oversight, she said that she did and accepted full responsibility.
As of press time, Big Freedia hasn't made any statement to suggest that her legal situation will affect her performances at Martin's Restaurant & Bar in Jackson on Thursday, March 24, and at the Dollar Box Showroom in Hattiesburg on Friday, March 25.
http://jacksonfreepress.com/users/photos/2016/mar/17/25005/
Photo
Story
SeaWorld to Stop Breeding Orcas, Making Them Perform Tricks
Finally bowing to years of public pressure, SeaWorld announced Thursday that it will immediately stop breeding killer whales and making them perform crowd-pleasing tricks at its theme parks.
Story
SUNSHINE WEEK: Amid Push for Transparency, Few Colleges Reveal Investments
Colleges and universities are under growing pressure from Congress and campus activists to reveal financial investments made through their endowments, but most institutions are standing firm against the idea.
Story
Lawmaker: Michigan Governor Responsible for Flint Crisis
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder is responsible for lead contamination in Flint, Michigan's water supply, and would likely face criminal charges if he were running a business, a Democratic lawmaker said …
Story
Survey: More Acceptance of Social Changes, Except Divorce
Americans are more accepting of gay relationships and couples living together before marriage—but they've grown less comfortable with divorce, a new survey shows.
Story
Mississippi Senators Preserve Chance for Road Funding
Opponents are still heaping scorn on an empty vessel of a transportation funding package, but the bill remained alive Wednesday after the Mississippi Senate passed it 34-13.
