Story
City & County
Siemens Rep: Water Billing Glitches Result of Backed-up 'TO-DOs'
Siemens representative Frank D. Gagliardi spent most of his presentation to the Jackson City Council's Budget Committee Monday scribbling notes in the margins of the paper on the podium before …
Story
Teacher Sick-Outs Close Most Detroit Schools for a 2nd Day
Nearly all of Detroit's public schools were closed for a second consecutive day Tuesday after hundreds of teachers called out sick over concerns that many may not get paid if …
Story
Press Freedom Day: Journalists Keep Working Despite Threats
Somali journalists frequently receive threats, with many being killed. But police rarely investigate them or adequately protect reporters, according to Human Rights Watch, which on Tuesday marked World Press Freedom …
Story
Mississippi Seeks More Computer Science Teaching in Schools
Greene County School Superintendent Charles Breland sees the need for more Mississippians trained in computer science.
Story
Education Secretary Calls for Repeal of 2 Transgender Laws
Laws in North Carolina and Mississippi that restrict the rights of transgender Americans are hateful and should be repealed, Education Secretary John B. King Jr. said Monday.
Entry
The Saints' Draft Graded, Other Mississippi Players Drafted
By bryanflynnMonths of preparation and work are over for NFL scouts as the 2016 NFL Draft wrapped up over the weekend. But that doesn’t mean the work ends for the players who are just beginning their professional careers.
To be honest, it is fun to make judgments about how well a team drafted, but in reality, it will be a couple of years before we really know how well a team did. That’s not going to stop me from trying to look to the future to see how this class shapes up for the New Orleans Saints and the other players drafted from Mississippi universities.
First, let’s take a look at the Saints draft.
New Orleans’ dreadful defense has been the biggest reason for lack of success. Last season, the Saints gave up an NFL worst of 29.8 points per game. It’s hard to win when every game becomes a shootout.
Part of the reason for that was the Saints gave up a NFL worst 4.9 yards per rush and 8.35 yards per pass. Again, it is hard for a defense to get off the field or win games when the opposing offense is in second and third down and short on every drive.
New Orleans had to use this draft to fix the team’s defensive ills if it wanted to make the most out of quarterback Drew Brees' final peak years. The Saints delivered on defense with first round and 12th overall pick draft pick, Sheldon Rankins out of the University of Louisville.
Rankins should be a run-stuffing interior lineman who can also become a stud pass rusher in sub packages.
A note on sub packages: You will hear that phrase a good bit in today’s NFL. It's when defenses get into their nickel-and-dime defenses.
This pick will be a success if Rankins helps improve a defense that gave up 129.8 yards per game, which was second worst in the NFL behind the Philadelphia Eagles. Winning on first and second down should help the Saints get off the field on third down.
The Saints selected wide receiver Michael Thomas out of Ohio State University in the second round with the 47th pick. This should be the replacement for Marques Colston.
Thomas is a big-body receiver, can make catches in traffic and should be a force in the red zone. He should help take some of the coverage from Brandin Cooks and help get Willie Snead open for more catches.
An extra note on Thomas: His uncle is former NFL wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson.
New Orleans went back to defense with its second of two second-round picks when the team traded with the New England Patriots to get Vonn Bell, also out of OSU, with the 61st pick. Bell has the abilities to cover like a corner, but he plays safety.
This pick will work in sub packages, as Bell can be used to cover a team’s slot receiver. …
Story
City & County
Stokes Wants Gun Discharges in City to Bring Increased Jail Time, Larger Fines
Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes will introduce an ordinance to make discharging a weapon within the city limits punishable by jail time and mandatory fines tomorrow during the regular meeting …
Story
LGBT
Hundreds Rally to Repeal HB 1523, State Faces Deadline Today Before Lawsuit
Hundreds of protesters, from around Mississippi and even out of the state, marched alongside several state lawmakers from the Capitol to the governor's mansion on Sunday afternoon, waving flags and …
Photo
Story
Person of the Day
Laremy Tunsil
Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross says his latest shake-up of the organization paid off in the draft, including unanimity about the risky decision to take Ole Miss tackle Laremy Tunsil.
Story
Virginia GOP Lawmakers to Sue Over Felons' Voting Rights
Republican lawmakers in Virginia will file a lawsuit challenging Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe's decision to allow more than 200,000 convicted felons to vote in November, GOP leaders said Monday.
Story
Protests Disband After IS Group Carries Out 2nd Iraq Bombing
Anti-government protesters disbanded at least temporarily Sunday from the heavily fortified Green Zone they had stormed a day earlier after the Islamic State group carried out its second major attack …
Story
LGBT Rights Protesters Vow to Keep Fighting Mississippi Law
Hundreds of supporters of lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender rights protested Sunday against a new Mississippi law they call discriminatory, saying they're not giving up their fight.
Story
Elephants Perform for Final Time at Ringling Bros.
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus bid farewell to its performing elephants on Sunday, as the show closed its own chapter on a practice that has entertained audiences in …
Story
Mystery Solved? Australian Says He's Bitcoin Founder
An Australian man long rumored to be associated with the digital currency Bitcoin has publicly identified himself as its creator, apparently ending one of the biggest mysteries in the tech …
Story
First US Cruise in Decades Arrives in Havana
The first U.S. cruise ship in nearly 40 years crossed the Florida Straits from Miami and docked in Havana on Monday, restarting commercial travel on waters that served as a …
Story
AP Exclusive: Migrant Children Kept from Enrolling in School
The Associated Press has found that in at least 35 districts in 14 states, hundreds of unaccompanied minors from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras have been discouraged from enrolling in …
Story
City & County
10 Local Stories of the Week
There's never a slow news week in Jackson, Miss., and last week was no exception. Here are the local stories JFP reporters brought you in case you missed them.
Entry
Zoo Blues Goes Forward Despite the Weather
By Todd StaufferDespite overcast skies, Zoo Blues appears to be getting a reprieve and the folks at the Jackson Zoo say the show will go on.
Story
Football
Dallas Drafts MSU's Dak Prescott, First Cowboys QB Draft Pick Since 2009
The Cowboys took Mississippi State's Dak Prescott with the 135th overall pick in the fourth round of the NFL draft Saturday, two days after a failed bid to trade up …
