Story
City & County
Shorting MAEP Basically a Tax Hike
Dr. Cedrick Gray, the superintendent of Jackson Public Schools, seems to be proving tight-fisted Mississippi lawmakers right when they say it doesn't necessarily take throwing money at schools to improve …
Story
Politics
Court Spat Ensnares Defendants, Taxpayers
The list of cases Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Jeff Weill has taken from the county public defender's office and assigned to private attorneys has swelled to more than 60 …
Story
City & County
Proposed Capitol Street Lofts Get Tax Credits
Plans to spruce up what many people consider to be an eyesore across from the King Edward are finally a go.
Entry
Two Charter Schools in NOLA Closing
By Todd StaufferLooking for evidence that charter schools don't offer a panacea for education because they're "run-like-a-business" solutions for education?
The churning waters of economic reality are bubbling over in New Orleans this spring; two schools, Miller-McCoy and Lagniappe Academies are both facing failure of their management, resulting in a great deal of turmoil for parents and students.
Interesting in the Lagniappe Academies case, the problem seems to be so dire that they may have to close the school early this year to "save money."
“I’m going to suggest that the school closes post state testing to save…money,” Bishop said.
Bishop said he recently learned the board may not have been receiving truthful information about the school’s finances and other matters from leadership. McCormick assumed leadership after CEO Kendall Petri and Chief Operating Officer Ninh Tran left mid-March. He said ending the year early could save the organization money and give the leadership the time needed to shut down the campus.
It sounds like the plan now is for management to give up completely and hand the school over to teachers.
The room broke out in applause when the board voted to put teachers in charge. Many members of the audience also voted ‘aye’ when the board voted on a motion calling for McCormick to resign by Friday.
Now, clearly, New Orleans has even greater challenges than Jackson when it comes to its schools and the failed school district they're trying to piece back together. But it does seem to offer some interesting case-studies for what happens when charters implode.
Story
Biz Roundup
New Chef at Anjou, SBA Small Business Awards and Mississippi Nutrition Program
Anjou Restaurant (361 Township Ave., Ridgeland) proprietor Anne Amelot-Holmes recently brought a familiar face into her restaurant's kitchen: her father, Christian Amelot.
Story
Obama Offers Iraq $200M in Humanitarian Aid
President Barack Obama pledged $200 million in humanitarian aid to Iraq Tuesday to help those displaced by Islamic State militants, an offer of assistance that appeared to fall short of …
Story
Hamas Consolidates its Grip on Gaza as Reconstruction Stalls
Eight months after a ruinous war with Israel, the reconstruction of Gaza has barely begun, and the Islamic militant group Hamas remains entrenched despite expectations that it cede some of …
Story
Senate Committee to Challenge Obama with Vote on Iran Bill
In a direct challenge to the White House, a Senate committee is to vote on a bill that would give Congress a chance to weigh in on any final nuclear …
Story
New Rules Proposed as 5-Year Anniversary of Oil Spill Nears
A week shy of the fifth anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the Obama administration proposed new regulations Monday aimed at strengthening oversight of offshore oil drilling equipment and …
Story
Crime
Upon Further Review: Inside the Police Failure to Stop Darren Sharper's Rape Spree
Darren Sharper's rampage of druggings and rapes could have been prevented, according to a two-month investigation by ProPublica and The New Orleans Advocate based on police records in five states, …
Story
Person of the Day
David Rae Morris
In the time I've known him, David Rae Morris has turned himself into an accomplished filmmaker who makes places and people in our state come alive in a way I …
Story
Books
Fitness from the Page
Jackson-based public health practitioner and advocate Getty Israel might be a newcomer to long-form writing, but in many ways, her first book has been in the works since she was …
Story
US Plans for Anti-Islamic State Training Drawing Skepticism
The fight against the Islamic State group received a jolt of energy when the United States and Turkey sealed a pact to train and arm Syrian rebels. Two months later, …
Story
Hillary Clinton to Announce Presidential Campaign on Sunday
Hillary Rodham Clinton will end months of speculation about her political future and launch her long-awaited 2016 presidential campaign on Sunday, according to people familiar with her plans.
Story
City & County
2 Women to be Sentenced in Slaying of Mississippi Black Man
Two young white women, part of a group who repeatedly searched Mississippi's capital city for black people to attack, are scheduled to be sentenced Thursday.
Story
Film
James Alexander Warren
A few names come up whenever Jacksonians discuss local filmmakers, but few are as common as James Alexander Warren.
Story
VA Makes Little Headway in Fight to Shorten Waits for Care
A year after Americans recoiled at new revelations that sick veterans were getting sicker while languishing on waiting lists — and months after the Department of Veterans Affairs instituted major …
Story
French Network's Broadcasts Hacked by Group Claiming IS Ties
Hackers claiming allegiance to the Islamic State group seized control of a global French television network, simultaneously blacking out 11 channels and taking over the network's website and social media …
Story
Dollar May be Next Screw for US to Tighten on North Korea
A bill now making its way through the U.S. Congress — and being watched closely in Pyongyang — is designed to shut off North Korea, and anyone who deals with …
Story
Baltimore Police Often Surveil Cellphones Amid US Secrecy
The Baltimore Police Department has an agreement with the U.S. government to withhold certain information about secretive cellphone surveillance technology from the public and even the courts, according to a …
