Story
Politics
Legislator Funded by Koch Brothers, Big Money Tells Citizen to Leave State
A freshman legislator who won his seat with the help of the banking and real-estate industries, as well as Koch Industries and Empower Mississippi, this week told a concerned citizen …
Story
City & County
Council President: City 'Hiccups' With Public-Records Response Need to End
Council President Melvin Priester Jr. wants the whole of city government, including Mayor Tony Yarber's administration, to make public records a high priority.
Story
Politics
Politicians for Sale? Egg Bowl Rivals Take Care of Lawmakers, No Report from JSU
If the Ole Miss-Mississippi State rivalry extends to Capitol expenses, the University of Mississippi is winning in the department of free tickets for state lawmakers.
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State
McDaniel: Highway Bill ‘Unfair Tax Policy,’ Would Hurt Poor, Middle Class
Three hours of heated debate, bi-partisan opposition and five failed amendments later, the last finance bill—to ostensibly fix crumbling highways, bridges and roads—passed the Mississippi Senate by four votes Wednesday.
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Business
New Madison Airport Push Potential 'Threat,' Jackson Airport Still in Committee
A new report from the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority reveals a years-long discussion about a Madison County commercial airport, as a bill focusing on the "takeover" of the Jackson Municipal …
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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 …
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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 …
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/
Entry
Councilman Stamps: Corrosion Contract is 'Unfunded Mandate' from State
By Donna LaddJackson City Councilman De'Keither Stamps, of Ward 4, says he voted against the Trilogy Engineering Inc. contract to do a corrosion study for the city last week because it is an "unfunded mandate" by the State of Mississippi—and one the taxpayers cannot afford. In two videos on his YouTube channel, Stamps said his main priority wasn't who was getting the contract, but that the State was demanding that the City suddenly pay $400,000 for a corrosion study, instead of helping the capital city.
"I know several of the subcontractors personally," he says in the most recent video (see below). The issue is I don’t want to spend $400,000 when we don’t have it. This is an unfunded mandate from the State of Mississippi. If they can help us, I’m all for it. … It’s not something we’ve budgeted for."
Stamps, who has unsuccessfully asked for an emergency declaration over the lead issue several times, says the City needs stand and/or federal assistance in order to make sure Jackson residents are safe, especially in areas where 90 percent of the water tested positive for at least trace elements of lead.
"I want to test every child in the whole city that’s in these affected areas," he said in the second video below.
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City & County
City to Begin $9 Million Operation Orange Cone Street Repairs—But Which Roads?
The Operation Orange Cone committee has given the go-ahead to begin work on several of the city’s most worn-down streets. However, it is still unclear which streets the work is …
Story
The Slate
The University of Mississippi didn't get an invite to the NCAA or NIT Tournament this season.
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Justice
Doing Juvenile Detention Right ... Finally
After a long fight against oppressive juvenile-justice policies and negligent practices in Mississippi, 2012 was a watershed year for juvenile rights in Mississippi.
Story
City & County
City Roundup: Local Control for ’Hoods, Crime’s Root Causes, Taxi Wars
In its third annual attempt, the Jackson City Council worked to approve a resolution to support a private, local fund resource for neighborhood associations to address their local issues, like …
Story
Politics
Side-by-Side Donations: Key Players in Jackson Airport ‘Takeover’ Debate
Sen. Josh Harkins, R-Flowood, and Sen. John Horhn, D-Jackson—airport "takeover" adversaries—both received campaign donations from several of the same PACs and businesses.
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City & County
As the Water Turns, City Wrestles Over Corrosion Study
One question has haunted Jackson residents since January: Is the water safe to drink?
Place
Story
Politics
Politicians for Sale? Manufacturers Association Wines, Dines and Takes Lawmakers on Quail Hunts
As pure as the election process might be, democracy has the potential to break down with the influence of money.
Story
Politics
At What Cost? Legislative Majority Tries to Slash Size of State Government
Taxpayers could get a pay raise if the Taxpayer Pay Raise Act of 2016 becomes law, but after two hours of debate last week, several senators asked, "At what cost?"
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Editor's Note
Trump’s Politically Correct Call for Bigotry, Hate
It's really hard to find a stronger sign that Donald Trump hopes to become a fascist dictator of people and thought in America, and he's playing to very ugly instincts …
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Jacksonian
Father Michael O’Brien
Father Michael O'Brien first met Hal White more than 10 years ago while O'Brien was serving as the priest at St. Richard Catholic Church in Jackson.
