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City & County
Yarber's City Shakeup Targets JRA, Judge
Mayor Tony Yarber's city shakeup continues as he has moved to terminate a municipal judge and is likely to appoint several new members to the Jackson Redevelopment Authority.
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Biz Roundup
July Brings New Medical Developments to Jackson
UMMC was one of four medical centers in Mississippi to be recognized as "Most Wired" in the study. Others included St. Dominic Hospital in Jackson and North Mississippi Health Services …
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Friend is First Convicted in Boston Marathon Probe
The conviction of a friend of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev for impeding the investigation into the bombings has his lawyers wondering if anyone else who faces charges connected …
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Rebels Release Train with Bodies from Downed Jet
Pro-Moscow separatists released a train packed with bodies from the downed Malaysia Airlines plane and agreed to hand over its black boxes Monday, bowing to heavy international pressure four days …
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City & County
JPD Chief Horton Retires Amid Botched 911 Call Scandal
Lindsey Horton, one of Mayor Chokwe Lumumba's first and most popular appointments last year, is stepping down from his post as Jackson's police chief, effective immediately.
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Dutch Tell Rebels: Train Full of Bodies Must Leave
Dutch forensic investigators told armed separatists guarding train cars full of bodies from the downed Malaysia Airlines jet that the train must be allowed to leave as soon as possible …
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Obama Gives Protection to Gay, Transgender Workers
Federal workers and contractors who are gay and transgender are getting new protections from President Barack Obama.
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UN to Vote on Crash Resolution; Russia Has Doubts
The U.N. Security Council will vote Monday on an Australia-proposed resolution demanding international access to the Ukraine plane crash site and a cease-fire around the area, with diplomats pressuring a …
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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.
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Mississippi Jobless Rate Rises to Worst in Nation
Mississippi's unemployment rate rose to worst in the nation at 7.9 percent in June, as the state's economic recovery lags behind others.
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US Appeals Court Tosses Oklahoma Gay Marriage Ban
A federal appeals court ruled Friday that Oklahoma must allow gay couples to wed, prompting a fast, angry response from leaders of a state that has vehemently fought policy changes …
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AIDS Conference Attendees on Downed Malaysian Jet
A prominent researcher, an activist and at least two others headed to an AIDS conference in Australia were on the Malaysian jetliner shot down over Ukraine, news that sparked an …
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Person of the Day
Cornell William Brooks
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People named Jackson State University alumnus Cornell William Brooks its next national president in May.
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Israel Deepens Gaza Push to Destroy Hamas Tunnels
Israeli troops pushed deeper into Gaza on Friday to destroy rocket launching sites and tunnels, firing volleys of tank shells and clashing with Palestinian fighters in a high-stakes ground offensive …
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In Iraq, Syria, Militants Try to Govern as a State
Across the broad swath of territory it controls bridging Syria and Iraq, extremist militants from the group known as the Islamic State have proven to be highly organized administrators.
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Ukraine accused pro-Russian separatists of shooting down a Malaysian jetliner with 298 people aboard, sharply escalating the crisis and threatening to draw both East and West deeper into the conflict. …
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Politics
Justices Rule Against McDaniel: Conceal Voters' Birthdates on Poll Books
The Mississippi Supreme Court ruled Thursday that circuit clerks must redact voters' birthdates before poll books are open for public inspection.
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10th JFP Chick Ball to Honor Decade of 'Chicks We Love,' Local Heroes, Combatting Violence
By Donna LaddThe Jackson Free Press and the Center for Violence Prevention are proud to announce the 10th Annual JFP Chick Ball on Saturday, July 19, 2014, at the Arts Center of Mississippi in downtown Jackson at 201 E. Pascagoula St. This year's special JFP Chick Ball is moving to the Arts Center for this year's special gala, which will celebrate a decade of preventing domestic abuse, protecting families, and empowering women to lift themselves and their families up after experiencing abuse.
This year, at 8 p.m. the JFP Chick Ball will honor three heroes who embody the event's motto of "prevent, protect, empower": Abuse survivor Sarah Reynolds, state Sen. Sally Doty, who helped create the state Office Against Interpersonal Violence, and the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers Training Academy, for their work against sex trafficking in the state. The JFP is also honoring a decade of Chicks We Love at the event.
Past JFP Chick Ball events, all at Hal & Mal's in Jackson, have resulted in the purchase of a new mini-van for client transportation, the launch of the Batterer's Intervention Program, and legal assistance for victims. Proceeds from the 2013 Chick Ball were used in addressing an emerging issue in our area—human trafficking, which is also known as modern-day slavery.
This year's JFP Chick Ball is honoring and supporting all the work of the Center for Violence Prevention and its efforts to save and improve lives of families in central Mississippi. "Domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking occurrences continue to rise in the Central Mississippi area, as we are hearing almost daily about another woman or child whose life has been negatively impacted by it," Sandy Middleton, executive director of the Center for Violence Prevention in Pearl, says. "These interpersonal crimes cross all social-economic, racial and cultural boundaries, meaning they can affect any of us or our children."
JFP Editor-in-Chief Donna Ladd launched the event a decade as a way to give Jackson-area adults of all ages and income brackets a way to help fight the abuse epidemic, which strikes all communities. She also wanted it to be fun, creative and a celebration of female performers.
"The Chick Ball has always cost $5 to get in. I purposefully designed it to welcome all who want to come. And chicks must be prominent in all performances! That, of course, means it's a very popular event for our arm candy as well; men are some of our best donors, supporters and dancers!"
The JFP Chick Ball has become a fashion fete as well, with all kinds of dress welcome—from jeans to bling. The Diva of Bling (her) and Best Arm Candy (him) take home prizes from local businesses every year.
The event's silent auction is one of a kind, with hundreds of gifts, pieces of art and gift certificates from local businesses and artists donated each year. The JFP is accepting auction donations through Thursday, July 17 (at 125 S. Congress St., #1324), during normal business hours.
"One of …
