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Politics
A Bi-Partisan Mutiny Over Roads and Bridges
Lightning flashed outside as storms gathered inside the Mississippi Capitol late the night of Monday, March 27, a pivotal deadline day for budget legislation.
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Crime
The DA’s Puzzling Accusations
A week after Special Judge Larry Roberts ordered files unsealed in the wide-ranging charges against Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith for allegedly improperly trying to help a defendant, …
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JFP Interviews
Kennedy: ‘Caring, Capable, Committed’ to District 72
Theresa G. Kennedy can't go far for long before coming home to Mississippi. She has never lived out of the state for more than a year, on purpose, she says.
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Civil Rights
The Right to Pre-Trial Justice for All?
Scott County law enforcement officers arrested Joshua Bassett on Jan. 3, 2014, under a warrant for grand larceny and possession of meth. Bassett could not know then that he would …
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Environment
A 50th Anniversary Few Remember: LBJ's Warning on Carbon Dioxide
This week marks the 50th anniversary of the first presidential mention of the environmental risk of carbon dioxide pollution from fossil fuels.
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National
Lethal Rejection: Will the Supreme Court's Lethal Injection Review Kill the Death Penalty?
If the nation's top court strikes down Oklahoma's lethal injection procedure, what would it mean for the death penalty? We've asked the experts what you need to know.
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Politics
'Religious Freedom,' School Voucher, Drug Testing Bills Pass on Big Deadline Day
Despite their best efforts to whip up enough votes for passage, supporters of the controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act, or RFRA, proposal had to change course late Wednesday, just before …
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Music
M. Ward: A Modern Spin on an Older Time
To admirers of folk music, M. Ward might be as profound an innovator as Steve Jobs is to techies.
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Education
Rankin Schools Paying for Religion Violation
Magdalene Bedi, a junior at Northwest Rankin High School in 2013, didn't subscribe to an institutional religion, but considered herself spiritual—and not an atheist.
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Fly
Ring in the Jackson New Year
2018 has flown by fast, and 2019 is fast approaching. Celebrate the new year with these events from local businesses, restaurants and people.
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Art
Love, Life and Local Events
This Valentine’s Day, celebrate by supporting local businesses and restaurants, and attending local events.
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City & County
City Council Rejects Garbage Collection Contract Twice Citing Confusion, Bad Timing
The City of Jackson has until Sept. 30 to get a new garbage-collection contract after the city council voted twice in two weeks—Aug. 9 and 19—against approving the agreements that …
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City & County
‘Another Layer of Objectivity’: City Opts for Blind Evaluation of Garbage Disposal Contract Proposals
The City of Jackson has opted for blind evaluation of garbage-disposal technical proposals to guard against claims of unfairness, City officials said at the town hall held at Fondren Church …
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MAY 6TH, 2013/IT'S ALL OVER BUT THE VOTING. FOR AT LEAST TWO WEEKS.
By Dominic-DeleoThis mayoral race has always been about whether or not the voters want to fire Mayor Johnson. My assessment has always been that while they are contemplating doing so, they first want to see what and who their alternatives are. Voters are essentially conservative by nature (not necessarily by politics), and the incumbent they know will often be preferable to an exciting or intriguing but ultimately unproven replacement ( See Mayor Melton). Usually, things have to be pretty bad for voters to make that decision to fire the incumbent. Statistically, at the federal level congressional incumbents get reelected at a 90% rate, and nationally the municipal rate is near 80%. As a study of incumbency in municipal elections in the United States puts it: “It is virtually always better to be an incumbent than a challenger in American elections.”
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Politics
Espy Says Ford Allegations ‘Credible’ as Gov. Patrick Endorses Him
Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick announced his support for Democrat Mike Espy’s candidacy in Mississippi’s U.S. Senate special election at a Hattiesburg press conference on Saturday.
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September 21 Music Releases
At long last, the JFP weekly music releases are back!!! After several weeks of scant releases, the various record labels comprising this list have inundated the market. In fact, there …
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Damned If We Don't
The weekend Katrina hit, Kate Medley and I were in the Natchez area finishing research and art for the package of stories that you'll read in this issue. This time …
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Bluntson Threatens Legal Action Against Mayor
Jackson City Council President Frank Bluntson said yesterday that he would take legal action against Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr., if necessary, to obtain the names and salaries of all city …
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Johnson Announces Raises; More Public Safety
Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr.'s proposed budget address resembled an Oprah Winfrey talk show yesterday when he announced that all city employees will receive a 2 percent raise on Jan. …
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Off To The Woods
Jackson Mayor Frank Melton is off to the woods of Jefferson Davis County with about 40 young men this week.
