Story
Private Lives are Exposed as WikiLeaks Spills its Secrets
WikiLeaks' global crusade to expose government secrets is causing collateral damage to the privacy of hundreds of innocent people, including survivors of sexual abuse, sick children and the mentally ill, …
Story
S. Korea, US Start Drills Despite N. Korea's Nuclear Threat
South Korea and the United States began annual military drills Monday despite North Korea's threat of nuclear strikes in response to the exercises that it calls an invasion rehearsal.
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State
Jackson Teens Can Treat Substance Abuse, Learn to Set Goals in Jackson
Mississippi Children's Home Services has launched a substance-abuse program for young people age 12 to 17 in the Jackson metro area.
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Story
Iran Acknowledges Russia Using Its Air Base to Strike Syria
In a move that could reverberate across the Middle East, Iran confirmed Wednesday that Russia is using its territory to launch airstrikes in Syria even as a second wave of …
Story
State
Twists, Turns, Rats and Secret Tapes
Who's ratting out the district attorney? That's just one of many questions swirling around Attorney General Jim Hood's arrest and investigation of Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith.
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Cover
Beyond Detention: Exploring Smarter, Cheaper Alternatives to Locking Kids Up
"He's out on the street. He comes home sometimes. He has that little anklet, he doesn't care. It makes no difference to him. He's afraid of nothing." The mother of …
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City & County
Christopher Butler Arraigned for Having Pre-paid Tracfone in Hinds Jail
Christopher Butler, the Jackson man in the middle of Attorney General Jim Hood's investigation of HInds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith, was arraigned today for having an illegal, pre-paid …
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State
AG Hood Using Secret Tapes, Confidential Informants Against DA Smith
Attorney General Jim Hood revealed in court filings Friday that his office is using both confidential informants and secret recordings of the Hinds County district attorney in its quest to …
Story
Trump to Call for New Ideological Test for Admission to US
Donald Trump on Monday will call for a new ideological test for admission to the United States, vetting applicants on their stance on issues like religious freedom, gender equality and …
Story
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 …
Story
US Government Won't Reclassify Marijuana, Allows Research
The Obama administration will keep marijuana on the list of the most dangerous drugs, despite growing popular support for legalization, but will allow more research into its possible medical benefits, …
Story
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.
Story
Poll: Young Americans Fear US, Foreign-Inspired Extremists
The threat of violence by people inspired by foreign extremists invokes fear in a majority of young Americans across racial groups. But for young people of color, particularly African-Americans, that …
Story
Nevada Mourns Loss of 1st Black Woman to Earn College Degree
Nevada's two major universities are mourning the loss of the first black woman to earn a college degree in the state at a time when most of the nation was …
Story
Civil Rights
FBI Agent: Police Abuse, Modern Slavery, Corruption Still Priorities
Jeffery Artis, special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, spoke to a small gathering at the former Koinonia Coffee House today about the role the department played in the …
Story
City & County
Cops, Community Separation Still Tangible
Members of the community, including law-enforcement leaders, met July 28 at Murrah High School to participate in Mayor Tony Yarber's "Us and Them" forum focusing on the relationship between the …
Story
State
No Permits Yet Under Church-Carry Law in Hinds County
In the spring, the Mississippi Legislature passed a bill allowing registered church-going folk to form security teams of permitted individuals with concealed weapons, including immunity for the teams' use of …
Entry
Jaguars Honor Former JSU Star Jimmy Smith
By bryanflynnThe Jacksonville Jaguars are adding former star wide receiver Jimmy Smith as the sixth member of its ring of honor, Pride of the Jaguars.
The five other honorees in Pride of the Jaguars are former owners Wayne and Delores Weaver, the franchise's first-draft-pick offensive tackle Tony Boselli, running back Fred Jackson and quarterback Mark Brunell.
Smith retired suddenly in May 2006, but the former wide out’s legal troubles, which include drug and weapons charges, made it hard for the team to recognize him.
Early in his career, Smith was the perfect example of a player who overachieved and overcame adversity nearly every step of the way.
At Callaway High School in Jackson, Miss., he was a standout receiver who didn’t get any looks from Division I schools. He did get offered a scholarship to Jackson State University and made the most of that opportunity. He finished his time with the Tigers with 110 catches, 2,073 yards and 16 touchdowns. The smooth wide receiver graduated with a degree in business management.
The Dallas Cowboys drafted Smith in the second round with the 36th overall pick in the 1992 NFL Draft. Injuries hindered his play for most of his time in Dallas. In his rookie year, Smith broke his leg and missed all but seven games, and he didn’t record a catch in the entire season.
In his second season with the Cowboys, Smith was expected to become the third wide receiver before he was forced to have an emergency appendectomy in August 1993. He missed the entire season after developing a post-surgery infection that nearly cost him his life.
The Cowboys released Smith in July 1994 when he refused to take a pay cut. He signed with the Philadelphia Eagles but didn’t make their roster.
After being out of football for the entire 1994 season, Smith’s mother sent a folder of his newspaper clippings to then Jacksonville head coach Tom Coughlin. This earned Smith a tryout, and the team signed him in February 1995.
In his first season in Jacksonville, Smith caught 22 passes for 288 yards and three touchdowns. In 1996, he scored 1,244 yards on 83 receptions and seven touchdowns, beginning a streak of seven straight seasons with more than 1,000 receiving yards.
Smith played in all every Jacksonville game from 1995 to 2002 and became one of the top wide receivers in the NFL. In 2003, he only played in 12 games, as he received a four-game suspension for violating the league's substance-abuse policy.
The 2003 season saw Smith fail to reach 1,000 receiving yards. He only caught 54 passes for 805 yards and four touchdowns. He then bounced back in the 2004 season to catch 74 passes for 1,172 yards and six touchdowns.
In his last season in the NFL, Smith garnered 1,073 receiving yards on 70 catches with six touchdowns. His retirement in May 2006 shocked many fans. He denied rumors of facing a …
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Prosecutors Drop All Remaining Charges in Freddie Gray Case
Prosecutors on Wednesday dropped all remaining charges against the three Baltimore police officers who were still awaiting trial in Freddie Gray's death, blaming police for a biased investigation that failed …
