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Education
Conservative Legal Group Enters the Charter School Lawsuit Fray
A conservative legal group is intervening in the Southern Poverty Law Center's lawsuit challenging the state's charter-school law.
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Tough Talk Between Russia, Ukraine Heats Up Crimea Stalemate
Ukraine put its troops on combat alert Thursday along the country's de-facto borders with Crimea and separatist rebels in the east amid an escalating war of words with Russia over …
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Person of the Day
Michael Phelps
It didn't take Michael Phelps long to work on cementing his legacy as an Olympian. He was voted by teammates to be the flag bearer in the opening ceremony as …
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Ukraine Puts Troops Along Crimean Border on Combat Alert
Ukraine's president ordered the army to be on combat alert Thursday on the country's de-facto border with Crimea and on the front line in eastern Ukraine following Moscow's accusations that …
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Officer Who Killed Librarian Resigned from Another Agency
The officer who shot and killed a 73-year-old retired librarian during a police "shoot/don't shoot" demonstration in Florida was accused of using excessive force with his police dog and resigned …
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Prosecutor: Officers Made Up Shooting Story; Both on Leave
A Missouri prosecutor has dropped charges against a man who was accused of trying to shoot a police officer to avoid arrest, saying he thinks the two officers who were …
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Cover
College Football Preview 2016: Small Schools
Alcorn had a rough start last season with a 69-6 blowout loss to Georgia Institute of Technology. ASU bounced back with four straight wins by an average 34.5 points per …
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College Football Preview 2016: The Bigs
Fans hoped that Jackson State would turn things around after Harold Jackson's first season ended with a 5-7 record. The Tigers had plenty of talent returning and should have gotten …
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Car Hits Protester in Ferguson, Shots Ring Out
Gunshots rang out but apparently hit no one after a car struck a protester during a peaceful demonstration in Ferguson, Missouri, on the second anniversary of Michael Brown's death.
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Trump, on Defense, Blames Media for Second Amendment Flap
On the defensive once again, Donald Trump is blaming faulty interpretations and media bias for an uproar over his comments about the Second Amendment. He's insisting he never advocated violence …
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Jacksonian
Saahdiq Charles
There is no doubt that Madison Ridgeland Academy football player Saahdiq Charles is athletic. At the Nike+ Football The Opening's finals, Charles ran 5.21 seconds in the 40-yard dash, which …
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Civil Rights
Keep Breaking the Glass Ceiling
A couple of weeks ago, I posted something to Facebook that I thought could possibly get some political backlash from my conservative friends and family: "Regardless of politics, the fact …
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City & County
The City’s State: Yarber’s ‘Momentum’
Mayor Tony Yarber's promise for the City of Jackson centers around the one word he repeated during his "State of the City" address Tuesday night, Aug. 2: momentum.
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Crime
DA Files: ‘Too Sweet’ Reverend, Old Faces Back in News
Names of men who were involved in the late and controversial Mayor Frank Melton's universe keep popping up in the convoluted accusations encircling Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith.
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JFP Interviews
Debra Gibbs: ‘I’ve Been a Leader’
The oldest of five, Debra Gibbs says she has always been an independent woman. She was born and raised in Gulfport but moved to Jackson on her own after graduating …
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Food
Growing Organic
Like his vegetables—mostly heirlooms but also creative hybrids of familiar things—Taylor Yowell's livelihood and life itself is one grown through cultivating a wide range of unusual experiences and bringing them …
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Music
SOUL Searching
New Orleans' rich musical history has long been one of the signature facets of the Crescent City and a big draw for tourists. But for saxophonist Calvin Johnson, bandleader of …
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NFL and Saints Camp News
By bryanflynnUnless you live without Internet, by now, you probably know that the first NFL Preseason game between the Indianapolis Colts and Green Bay Packers was cancelled due to poor field conditions. While it does hurt the NFL to have its first game of the year cancelled, it isn’t the end of the world.
This is not the first preseason game to be cancelled, but it is the first Hall of Fame game to be called off.
In 1995, a preseason game between the Houston Texans and the San Diego Chargers was cancelled due to turf problems with the Astrodome. This is the first game in NFL history to be cancelled due to field conditions.
The Colts and Packers weren’t even the second preseason game to be cancelled. That honor goes to the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens in 2001. This game was also cancelled due to field conditions because the same field was used for both baseball and football.
The Hall of Fame game is played on essentially a high school and Division II football field. Ideally, that is not the type of field you want to play a professional football game.
It didn’t help that the field was used for events all during the Hall of Fame weekend. When using an overworked field, it’s just a matter of time before problems start happening.
If the field couldn’t be safe for play during the one weekend the NFL needs it, maybe the game should have been moved to Cleveland, Ohio, which is an hour away from Canton, Ohio, where the Hall of Fame game is played each year.
The field is adjacent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and is named Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium after New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson. In 2014, Benson donated $11 million to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, with $10 million going to a new field.
Speaking of the Saints, Drew Brees is having one of the roughest camps of his career. The future Hall of Fame quarterback has thrown seven interceptions during team drills through the first nine days of camp.
Last year, the Saints and Brees were deep into training camp before he threw his first pick. Hopefully, he is getting all his interceptions out of the way now, so he throws just a few during the season.
The only reason this story about Brees throwing picks in practice is a story because it is a future Hall of Famer throwing interceptions. The Saints have a young receiving unit, so all the interceptions are not Brees’ fault.
This story doesn’t mean much unless he keeps throwing interceptions during preseason games. It will really gain legs if he begins throwing picks in bunches during the regular season.
Speaking of the Saints receivers, youth won out over experience when New Orleans cut wide receiver Hakeem Nicks on Aug. 8. The former New York Giants receiver hoped that New Orleans …
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City & County
JPS Dads Make the Million Father March
Early this morning, a handful of bright-faced elementary-school students and their tired but happy-looking dads participated in the Million Father March from Jackson Public Schools' Enoch building to Poindexter Elementary …
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Person of the Day
Donte Moncrief
Former Indianapolis Colts running back Zurlon Tipton and current wide receiver Donte Moncrief were more than just teammates. The two players were good friends who often spent time off the …
