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Obama Struggling to Find Winning Formula in Syria
With peace talks failing, Syria's government on the offensive and moderate rebels being pushed aside by al-Qaida-linked militants, the Obama administration is struggling for new ideas to halt a savage …
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OK, Class, What's Wrong With This Story?
This is the lead paragraph from a story in the Anchorage Daily News today about a state ethics investigation:
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Militants in Chechnya and North Caucasus Have Recent History of Bombings, Terror
MAKHACHKALA, Russia (AP) — Militants from Chechnya and other restive regions in Russia's volatile North Caucasus have targeted Moscow and other areas with bombings and hostage-takings, but if it turns …
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Howlin Wolf Blues Fest
http://www.wpnet.org/wolf_festival_2.htm
Howlin Wolf Blues Festival - Civic Center, West Point, Sept. 3. $15. Rev. Slick & the Soul Blues Boyz, Willie King, Richard Johnston, Blind MS. Morris, Brad Webb, Big Joe's …
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Testing Another Feature…‘Flip' Version
Scroll to the bottom of the JFP site and you'll see an image of this week's cover...up until now, clicking that image has taken you to the cover story or …
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Panel Criticizes ShamsidDeen, Democrats
A committee that oversees state judicial elections is criticizing a candidate for circuit judge in Hinds County, saying he's improperly being linked to the Democratic Party and Democratic U.S. Senate …
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An Enduring Insurance Exchange
News regarding health-care reform hovers incessantly around either defending or attacking of the so-called public insurance option, a section of H.R. 3200 that provides a government-funded insurance option for customers …
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Atmos Buying 2 Southwest Miss. Natural Gas Systems
Atmos Energy Corp. will buy two southwest Mississippi natural gas systems.
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Feds Might Buy Gulf Coast Homes
Did you guys see this? (AP) The federal government is considering buying out as many as 17,000 homes along the Mississippi coast and remaking the land into a vast hurricane …
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Episode 3: Revenge of the… Combine?
In a recent talk with Gamespot, Valve marketing director Doug Lombardi unveiled an interesting tidbit- The expansion pack for the newest entry into the Half-Life series has been renamed 'Half-Life: …
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Fritos and Football
Whether you prefer The Grove at Ole Miss, The Junction at Mississippi State, rolled into Tuscaloosa to cheer on the Tide or headed to Toomer's Corner in Auburn with a …
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Banking on PRIYDE
Sixteen-year-old Laurin Paris is using her fashion sense to get her to college.
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AP Exclusive: Nuke Officers Left Blast Door Open
Twice this year alone, Air Force officers entrusted with the launch keys to nuclear-tipped missiles have been caught leaving open a blast door that is intended to help prevent a …
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JFP Wins Awards for Feature Writing, Public Service, Commentary
The JFP got more great news Friday night when we learned that we are winning two first-place and one second-place award from the Society of Professional Journalists' southeastern division. Valerie …
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[Stiggers] Hair Stimulus
Boneqweesha Jones: "Recently, Hair Did University's Post-Secondary Education Foundation received needed funding from the Ghetto Stimulus Package. I appreciate this financial gesture from the government who responded like a good …
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City: New Water Billing System to Come Online
By R.L. NaveThe city's new water billing system, part of the controversial $91 million Siemens contract, is scheduled to go live at the end of August.
According to a city press release: "Residents will soon experience updates to their water billing as part of comprehensive upgrades the City of Jackson has initiated with Siemens through its water infrastructure improvement project. The Customer Care and Billing System (CC&B) implementation will provide the City with a modern software platform and enhanced management tools that will greatly improve the customer experience."
The new system should increase "efficiency of meter reading and water billing, eventual elimination of the need for estimated bills, and a reduced need for personnel to enter property" and "will also be able to track usage patterns, allowing the city to potentially detect leaks on a property through abnormal usage patterns. Implementation of the new system will occur in two phases."
Three key changes become effective Monday, August 31:
· Water bills will be sent MONTHLY (instead of every other month) for more timely information and more efficient budget management. Payments will be due on a monthly basis and bills paid through an automatic bank draft will be drafted every month.
· Customers will have a NEW ACCOUNT NUMBER that will need to be used for payment to be processed.
· The new bill format will be EASIER TO READ and provide more detailed account information. During the initial installation period for the CC&B, the City may need to estimate bills every other month as it verifies the system upgrade. The estimated bills will be based on an average of actual consumption from prior billing periods, and will be identified on the bill with the abbreviation (EST) immediately after the reading. Once implementation is complete, bills will begin moving to the monthly cycle and eventually will be based on actual meter reads/consumption each month.
The city continued: "Phase Two of the CC&B implementation is expected in late 2015, and will involve rolling out the system’s full capabilities so customers can experience the complete benefits of the system. This includes the ability to view water usage online, online payment options, and the ability to consolidate irrigation and residential water bills. Customers will be notified when these features are activated."
For more information on the CC&B implementation and the water infrastructure improvement project, please visit: www.jacksonms.gov/water. Customers with specific concerns about their bill should contact the City’s Water and Sewer Business Administration Office at 601-960-2000.
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To Multitask or Not to Multitask
Today, I took notes on a lecture, researched a project, text messaged a friend and chatted with another friend who lives in England. But this isn't a typical day for …
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Food
Six Easy Ways to Support Your Local Farmers
Supporting our small farmers strengthens the local economy, is better for the environment and leads to better public-health outcomes.
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Barbour to Lawmakers: Think About Online Taxes
Republican Gov. Haley Barbour, who completes an eight-year run as governor next week, addressed a joint session of the Mississippi Legislature this morning for the final time as governor. Barbour …
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Education
Fall College Instruction to be a Mix of In-Person and Online
Students in Mississippi are scheduled to return to school in August amid rising cases of COVID-19 in the state, but campus life will be a lot different than what many …
