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Education
Public-Ed Foes Swooping In to Block Ed Funding
The war is on against public-education funding with large political advocacy groups and GOP donors' dollars pouring into anti-Initiative 42 Political Initiative Committees (PICs).
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Politics
Sharon Brown: A Woman on a Mission to Change the State Flag
Sharon Brown isn't waiting for the Legislature to start the process to change the Mississippi flag.
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Business
Bus Union Decries ‘Outsourcing’ of JATRAN
With the City of Jackson in the middle of a marketing blitz for recent and proposed changes to the capital city's mass-transit service, JATRAN, a chorus of discontent is growing …
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JFP Interviews
Bailey: Energy Security and Diversity Vital
When listening to Brent Bailey extol the virtues of alternative energy, biofuels and improved efficiency standards, it's easy to forget that he's a Republican running for the Mississippi Public Service …
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Theater
Do the Time Warp
For the Oct. 1 Fondren's First Thursday, you may have noticed Fondren Theatre Workshop players dressed in black 50s-style clothes, singing and dancing on Salsa Mississippi's portable dance floor.
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City & County
Lawsuit: City of Jackson Running a 'Debtors' Prison'
Equal Justice Under Law, a public-interest law firm in Washington, D.C., and the MacArthur Justice Center at the University of Mississippi School of Law, says the City of Jackson is …
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Humanist Group Says Rankin County School District Violated Establishment Clause (Again)
By adreherThe Rankin County School District is under fire for one teacher's disparaging comments against atheism. The American Humanist Association's legal center sent the district a letter on Tuesday detailing a complaint from a student and her parent that said the student's history teacher, who is also a pastor at a Baptist Church, has made several jabs at atheism in comments made in class throughout the year.
Northwest Rankin High School, where this history teacher teaches, has had trouble with the First Amendment before. A few months ago, the district came to a settlement with a former student who sued and won after she was forced to attend a blatantly Christian assembly during school hours.
The letter is not a lawsuit, but it asks the district to comply with the Establishment Clause and provide written notices to all faculty reminding them to not make remarks "promoting religion and disparaging atheism." The American Humanist Association has asked for a response from the district within a week. The seven-page letter details parts of the Constitution and legal history that could be argued to prove the teacher's comments unconstitutional.
Monica Miller, an attorney at the association's legal center wrote, "Good faith is not a defense to contempt and you are court-ordered to ensure that your employees are complying with the Consent Decree and Establishment Clause."
The American Humanist Association provided counsel to Magdalene Bedi, the Northwest Rankin High School student who sued and won after being forced to attend a Christian assembly in 2013. The district must pay damages to Bedi for additional violations since they violated two consent decrees after she filed her original lawsuit.
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Business
Downtown Y Dropping Basketball, Raising Funds to Stay Alive
Jackson's downtown YMCA is undertaking a life-saving effort involving major renovations, reinvestment, and downsizing of the facility's financially draining programs and activities.
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Biz Roundup
Hello Fondren Fro-Yo, Tom Ramsey's Next Move and School of Music
La Finestra's lease recently ran out, and owner Tom Ramsey has chosen not to renew it. The restaurant will serve its final meal on Sunday, Oct. 18.
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Art
Richard Grant
In his latest work, "Dispatches from Pluto: Lost and Found in the Mississippi Delta", Richard Grant delves into a region that's foreign but not at all far away.
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Education
Web of National, State PACs and PICs Fight Initiative 42
As the November election draws near, large political advocacy groups and Republican donor’s dollars are pouring into anti-Initiative 42 Political Initiative Committees (PICs), mainly the KidsFirst and Improve Mississippi committees. …
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Politics
Inside Stacey Pickering's Garage
State auditor candidate Joce Pritchett's campaign has launched a new website, pickeringsgarage.com, detailing allegations against the incumbent auditor, Stacey Pickering, that he used campaign finances to pay for a garage …
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La Finestra to Serve its Final Meal Oct. 18
La Finestra in downtown Jackson will serve its last meal on Sunday, Oct. 18.
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City & County
Alleged Domestic Attack Prompts Police Chase, Crash
A suspected domestic-violence situation prompted a high-speed police chased that ended with a six-car collision in downtown Jackson today.
Place
Islander Seafood and Oyster House
(In the former Sportman's Lodge location) • Raw bar for fresh oysters, shrimp buckets, mussels, crab, and more... • Great Steaks and Burgers • Pob'Boys, Pastas, Salads • Beach Vibe • Jimmy Buffet Tunes • Daily lunch specials • HAPPY …
