Jackson Free Press

The Clarion-Ledger is reporting that Mississippi Tea Party vice chairman Mark Mayfield appeared in a Madison County court for his alleged participation with a story to that continues to roil the Mississippi Republican primary for U.S. Senate.

Mayfield, an attorney in Jackson, was arrested today along with an unnamed suspect, but charges were not released, the paper reported. (Clarion-Ledger political editor Geoff Pender later tweeted from court that Rick Sager, a soccer coach in Laurel, is the other individual arrested)

Mayfield may be familiar to readers of the Jackson Free Press for his participation in a 2012 interview in which then-president of the Central Mississippi Tea Pary Janis Lane said that America took a wrong turn when women gained the right to vote.

Mayfield quietly exited the interview as Lane began her anti-woman rant, but he had some harsh words for sitting U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran.

In response to a JFP question about whether Congress's core function is to bring federal dollars to their home districts, Mayfield said:

"They sure think it is. We've got a senator up there right now—Thad Cochran—who's just as guilty as anybody. He's probably the worst one up there in terms of pork-barrel legislation."

Mayfield said he was apolitical for much of his life "until I saw the direction we started taking with the bailouts, the stimulus, TARP, Obamacare--you name it--this endless, mindless overspending and over-borrowing."

He added that he believed certain Tea Party principles could attract more African Americans, among them, he said: "Jobs and economic development. Things like giving voters a choice on where to send their kids to school. They don't have to keep sending them to a failing public school. We want to give them the option of sending them to a successful charter school or perhaps look at vouchers where they can send them to a successful private school."

McDaniel's camp has maintained that the state senator had nothing to do with the blogger who allegedly photographed Cochran's bedridden wife, Rose, and released a statement about the arrests of Mayfield and Sager.

"As we have said since day one, the violation of the privacy of Mrs. Cochran is out of bounds for politics and is reprehensible. Any individuals who were involved in this crime should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," McDaniel said

Mayfield later posted bond, the Ledger reported.

VERBATIM STATEMENT: Seventh Mississippi city to pass diversity resolution recognizing the role LGBT people play in thriving communities

WASHINGTON – Tonight, Waveland, Mississippi unanimously passed an anti-discrimination resolution recognizing the dignity and worth of all city residents - including those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT). Waveland becomes the seventh Mississippi city to pass such a resolution and joins Starkville, Hattiesburg, Greenville, Magnolia, Bay St. Louis and Oxford.

“This is another important step forward to ensure that all Mississippians are treated equally and with respect and dignity,” said Human Rights Campaign (HRC) President Chad Griffin, a native of Arkansas.

Public opinion on equality in Mississippi is far ahead of law in the state. A poll conducted last summer found that 64 percent of residents back workplace non-discrimination protections for LGBT employees and nearly 60 percent of Mississippians under the age of 30 support marriage equality.

“The approved action is important for the people of Waveland. This sends a strong message throughout Mississippi that LGBT citizens are welcome in our fantastic city,” said Mayor David Garcia. “We are proving to the country that our city is on the right side of history.”

Just last month, HRC launched Project One America, an unprecedented effort to expand LGBT equality in Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas. This summer, HRC Mississippi will open office space in Jackson staffed with a statewide director, community organizer, and faith organizer. The community-based program will focus on changing hearts and minds, gaining enduring legal protections and building more inclusive institutions from the church pew to the workplace.

For details on Project One America in Mississippi, visit http://www.hrc.org/states/mississippi

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

Pearl Jam just announced some 2014 tour dates. Looks like Eddie Vedder and company will hit the FedEx Forum in Memphis in October after playing the Austin City Limits Festival. Go here for the full skinny.

There are some heavy hitters on this week's new releases:

Coldplay - Ghost Stories (Adult Alternative Pop/Rock)

The Roots - ...And Then You Shoot Your Cousin (Alternative Rap)

Conor Oberst - Upside-Down Mountain (Adult Alternative Pop/Rock)

Oasis - Definitely Maybe [Deluxe Edition] (Alternative Pop/Rock)

Miles Davis - Take Off: The Complete Blue Note Albums (Cool Jazz)

Jolie Holland - Wine Dark Sea (Alternative/Indie Rock)

Brantley Gilbert - Just as I Am (Contemporary Country)

Yann Tiersen - ∞ (Infinity) (Film Score)

R.E.M. - Complete Rarities I.R.S. 1982-1987 (Alternative Pop/Rock)

R.E.M. - Unplugged 1991 & 2001: The Complete Sessions (Alternative Pop/Rock)

Archie Bronson - Outfit Wild Crush (Indie Rock)

Billy Joel - A Matter of Trust: The Bridge to Russia (Contemporary Pop/Rock)

Trans Am - Volume X (Alternative/Indie Rock)

Afrojack - Forget the World (EDM)

The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band - Goin' Home (Modern Electric Blues)

Mr. Scruff - Friendly Bacteria (Funky Breaks)

Phillip Phillips - Behind the Light (Adult Alternative Pop/Rock)

Comet Control - Comet Control (Alternative/Indie Rock)

Plaid - Reachy Prints (Techno)

Pujol - Kludge (Indie Rock)

John Doe - The Best of John Doe This Far (Roots Rock)

Smoke Fairies - Smoke Fairies (Alternative/Indie Rock)

Syd Arthur - Sound Mirror (Neo-Psychedelia)

Chatham County Line - Tightrope (Bluegrass)

Bo Ningen - III (Alternative/Indie Rock)

FKA Twigs - EP2 (Indie Electronic)

Les Big Byrd - They Worshipped Cats (Indie Rock)

Hank Thompson - Songs for Rounders/At the Golden Nugget (Bakersfield Sound)

Hank Williams - The Garden Spot Programs, 1950 (Honky Tonk)

Bottin - Punica Fides (Left-Field House)

Hollis Brown - Gets Loaded (American Trad Rock)

Hedley - Wild Life (Punk-Pop)

http://jacksonfreepress.com/users/photos/2014/may/21/17515/

First, August Alsina skipped out on a concert in Jackson—and possibly lost hundreds, if not thousands, of local fans in the process. Now it looks like Lil Boosie won't make it to Gulfport.

Recently freed from prison, Boosie had planned a concert for a Gulf Coast neighborhood baseball park, but was denied a noise variance permit.

Promoters said they would ask the local band of hip-hop aficionados otherwise known as the Gulfport City Council to reconsider.

The Sun Herald (http://bit.ly/TpIIxv ) reported that the promoters pointed to Boosie shows across the South in his native Louisiana as well as Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Arkansas.

"Mississippi is the only place he hasn't been able to play," said Walter Malone of Gautier, owner of Magnolia Vivid Productions, the company trying to produce the show, of the Baton Rogue-born Boosie.

It's been rough going for Louisiana rappers and the Magnolia State as of late.

Over the weekend, New Orleans' August Alsina pulled out of a show at the Mississippi Coliseum. Promoters of that concert claim that they held up their end of the deal, but that Alsina pulled out at the last minute.

In a "public-service announcement" posted on Instagram late Friday Alsina said only that "there was a mixup with the date and venue" as the reason he wouldn't be doing the show, but that he looks forward to coming to Jackson during his summer tour.

Apparently, the date-and-venue mixup was that Alsina actually wanted to go to Yo Gotti's birthday party in Atlanta and ride around in a Lamborghini the same night as the Jackson show.

Update: The Sun Herald is reporting that the Gulfport City Council has denied promoters of the Lil Boosie concert the zoning variance they sought to move ahead with the show.