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Politics

Schoolhouse to Statehouse

Yvonne Horton made an unconventional job transition in 2007, joining a lobbying firm after 30 years as a public-school teacher. Horton, 60, is a Bolton native and a 1971 graduate …

Education

Panel Tweaks State Grading System for Schools

Mississippi's model for evaluating schools and school districts could change next year, if the state Board of Education approves changes recommended by a panel today. The state Commission on School …

Sleep Inn Poised for September Opening

After a brief hiatus, construction on the Sleep Inn downtown is set to resume in the next two weeks and finish in time for a Sept. 1 opening. Robert Gibbs, …

Art

No Quorum At JPS Board Meeting

Only two board members appeared at this evening's meeting of the Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees, not enough for a three-member quorum. Board members H. Ann Jones and Jonathan …

Business

Birdland Reopening, Economy Still Lagging

Farish Street nightclub Birdland is open again after spending eight months closed under a court order. The club renewed its privilege license and dancehall permit Friday and was open last …

Politics

Wicker Battles Fairness Doctrine Bogeyman

Sen. Roger Wicker's office just released a statement trumpeting Wicker's defense of free speech against the dreaded Fairness Doctrine. The bogus threat of the Fairness Doctrine--an old FCC rule requiring …

State's African Americans See Higher Unemployment

Like many things in Mississippi, the hardship of unemployment during the Great Recession has fallen unequally on the state's population. African American workers in Mississippi experienced an 18 percent unemployment …

Politics

City Election Overview: Wards 3 and 4

Ward 3 stretches across West Jackson, from north of Chastain Middle School to the Poindexter Park neighborhood in the south. With a longtime incumbent, the Ward 3 race is small; …

Education

Schimmel, Nolan Confirmed for JPS Board

Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr.'s two new appointments to the Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees became official Nov. 25 when the Jackson City Council confirmed both with unanimous votes.

Aerospace Alliance Draws Fire From Unions

Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour's support for an aerospace jobs initiative among Gulf Coast states puts him at odds, with a familiar opponent: labor unions. On Oct. 26, Barbour joined his …

Crime

Karen Irby Sentenced to 18 Years

Hinds County Judge Tomie Green sentenced Karen Irby, who pleaded guilty March 26 to two counts of manslaughter in the deaths of two doctors, to two 18-year prison terms, which …

Politics

Behind Barbour's Prison Rhetoric

To hear Gov. Haley Barbour tell it, if he doesn't get his way, the state's fiscal crisis could force thousands of felons out of jail and into communities. Since his …

Politics

Miss. Dems Host "Sky Party" to Inauguration

Does the Mississippi Democratic Party know how to have (slightly ridiculous) fun? All signs point to yes:

Education

JPS Board Drops Music Program

The Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees failed to renew funding for a music education program yesterday, effectively discontinuing a 42-year-old collaboration with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra. Board members voted …

Justice

Trouble at Hinds Youth Detention Center

A Hinds County supervisors suggests a "cover-up" at the Hinds County Youth Detention Center.

Tease photo Politics

Melton's ‘State': ‘A Bit Of Hyperbole'?

Mayor Frank Melton praised Jackson's economic progress and outlined some of the city's persistent problems in his State of the City address this morning at the TelCom Center.

Education

Mississippi Test Scores Show Mixed Results

The Mississippi Department of Education released 2009 state school test results today showing slight gains in some areas and decreases in others. The 2008-2009 school year was the second year …

JPS Employee Raised Overbilling Concerns in 2008

Over a year ago, a Jackson Public Schools employee warned supervisors that a private tutoring company may have overbilled the district by $400,000 or more. To date, JPS has not …

MPB Cancels ‘Fresh Air' for ‘Inappropriate Content'

Updated 5:15 p.m. (See the full statement from MPB Executive Director Judy Lewis in comments below.)

Tease photo Business

A Work In Progress

When Ira Murray moved to Jackson from Nashville four years ago, he knew the city was poised for metamorphosis.