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Julie Skipper
Though it's hard to believe now, there was a time when Julie Skipper wanted nothing to do with Jackson. A Meridian native, she graduated from Millsaps College in 2001 with …
UPDATED: Feds Want Melton Gun Charge Dropped
Federal prosecutors plan to drop one of the three charges against Mayor Frank Melton and his former bodyguard Michael Recio, according to reports by WAPT and WLBT. Prosecutor Mark Blumberg …
Bluntson Questions DA Over Bail Bonds
City Council President Frank Bluntson was certainly not alone in his frustration at last week's council meeting. Venting about the Dec. 11 arrest of a 16-year-old suspect in connection with …
Independent Woman
Peggy Calhoun's office in the Hinds County Circuit Court building has a big window overlooking Pascagoula Street and Jackson's City Hall. It's a privileged perch. Most of her fellow Hinds …
Woodward Execution Date Set
Attorney General Jim Hood is asking the state of Mississippi to execute two death-row inmates, the first since 2008. Hood's office submitted requests to the Mississippi Supreme Court last month …
JRA Refinancing, Renovating
The Jackson Redevelopment Authority took initial steps toward lightening its debt burden today, with a vote to authorize the refinancing of $9 million in debt. The vote also paves the …
Lawmakers Approve Compromised PSC Funding
State lawmakers passed appropriations bills for the state Public Service Commission and Public Utilities Staff this morning, completing the Legislature's work for this session. The House and Senate agreed on …
Pickering Seeks 2011 Re-election
State Auditor Stacey Pickering announced today that he will run for re-election in 2011. Pickering, who won the auditor's post in 2007, succeeding Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant, was among a …
UPDATE: House Rebukes Barbour on Tuition Funds
The Mississippi House of Representatives struck a combative pose Thursday, restoring $17.2 million to higher education that Gov. Haley Barbour had ordered cut in November. By a vote of 87-34 …
Week One: Budget Cuts
A new round of budget cuts expected later this week will affect all state agencies, Gov. Haley Barbour told business leaders at the Mississippi Economic Council's "Capitol Day," Jan. 8. …
Legislature to Tackle Development Project
The Mississippi Legislature will convene Friday for a special session to approve incentives aimed at luring a $500 million economic development project to the state. Gov. Haley Barbour announced the …
Barbour Announces $21 Million More in Budget Cuts
Gov. Haley Barbour announced another round of state budget cuts totalling $21 million today. Today's cuts, which represent roughly 0.5 percent of the state budget, bring total cuts for the …
Andrew Young
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, Jackson State University today hosted Andrew Young, one of King's closest advisers during the civil-rights movement of the 1960s. Young 77, has …
Mississippi House Passes $1 Cigarette Tax
Following nearly two hours of debate, the House of Representatives passed a bill this afternoon that would raise Mississippi's cigarette tax from 18 cents to $1 per pack. House Bill …
Lawmakers Tackle Critter Cruelty
For proponents of a felony animal-cruelty law in Mississippi, state Rep. Greg Ward, D-Ripley, seems like the biggest obstacle to success. Last year, when a Senate-approved bill to make the …
‘Fidelity to the Law'
Frank Farmer prides himself on his evenhandedness. Farmer, 34, a candidate for Hinds County Court Judge in District 1, grew up in Hattiesburg, the son of a veterinarian and a …
Council Candidates Go One-on-One
With the madness of the Democratic primary behind them, eight candidates will compete in the May 19 run-off elections for City Council. The remaining contenders boast strong personalities and varied …
King Edward Re-opening Today
Long a downtown eyesore and unpleasant reminder of Jackson's troubled past, the King Edward Hotel is re-opening tomorrow with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. A joint project of Jackson …
Jackson Violent Crime Down 10.1 Percent
Major crimes in Jackson decreased again last week, according to statistics released this morning at a Jackson Police Department meeting. Officers reported 154 property crimes, down from 226 the week …
