Jackson Free Press

The Lawyers and the Statistician

Day three of the Michael Ellis termination hearing resumed on Wednesday, Feb. 14, with Ellis' attorney Lisa Ross concluding her cross-examination of Charlie Bonds, Jackson Public Schools executive director of …

The Never-ending Docket Debacle

City Council voted down the city's claims and payroll dockets, which list city payments to companies and individuals, on a 2-3-1 vote Monday, though the council later voted again and …

No Damages Against Melton

A Lauderdale County Circuit Court jury voted unanimously last Friday that former Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics Director Frank Melton should not have to pay damages after leaking a memo falsely …

Voter Coalition Debut Massive Voter Watch; Criticizes Hosemann

Mississippi's NAACP President Derrick Johnson today accused Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann of "fear-mongering" and of failing to give adequate instructions to help ensure a smooth vote as he announced …

City Balances Budget by Refinancing Debt

Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. announced a 2011 fiscal-year budget containing no layoffs, but promising significantly more long-term debt. The $313.6 million budget, which begins in October, is a $10.6 million …

The Saga of the Convention Center Hotel

The city council met behind closed doors Tuesday evening to discuss a possible cost-sharing agreement with developers of a $200 million mixed-used development along four blocks of Pascagoula street that …

Banking on PRIYDE

Sixteen-year-old Laurin Paris is using her fashion sense to get her to college.

Ulterior Motive Behind Lawsuit Threat?

Gov. Haley Barbour may have his own reasons for threatening to sue to stop the Democratically passed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, says Dave Levinthal, communications director for lobbyist …

Council Protests Melton Picks

Council members bickered Monday afternoon over Mayor Frank Melton's decision to appoint Chief Administrative Officer Robert Walker and City Attorney Sarah O'Reilly-Evans to run the city while he recovers from …

Home, Sweet Homestead

Last week, The Jackson Free Press ran a story about Jackson Mayor Frank Melton's dual residency in Texas and his filing for homestead exempt status in Tyler, Texas, rather than …

[City Buzz] no. 13 December 13 - 20

King Edward Still Moving

Jackson Attorney David Watkins, who is a partner in King Edward Revitalization Co., along with Deuce McAllister and other investors, said the King Edward redevelopment is still ongoing, despite the …

Teaching Black Boys

When principal Mitchell Shears arrived at Clausell Elementary School, students were having difficulty with math scores, so administrators turned the bathrooms into "mathrooms." Instead of the usual graffiti you see …

Congress Probes 'Witch Hunts'

With Congress nipping at its heels, the U.S. Justice Department is looking into its own alleged political prosecutions, including that of Paul Minor and Oliver Diaz in Mississippi.

Lose the Residency Requirements

Jackson's City Council is considering extending the residency requirements of fire and police employees to an area 30 miles beyond the city of Jackson. City ordinance currently demands that city …

Creaming the Bad Guys

On March 10, Mayor Frank Melton called a press conference to thank the U.S. Attorney and the FBI for helping Jackson "clean up corruption" that Melton called "systemic" in the …

Allen Gets a Royal Send-Off

Fans of retiring councilman Ben Allen threw a thank-you party in his honor at Bravo!, in Highland Village, on Monday.

UPDATED: Two Lakes Supporters Helped Finance Defeat of Pearl Mayor

Fans of a controversial plan to develop the Pearl River had better luck installing a pro-"Two Lakes" mayor in the little town of Pearl than in the state's capital city …

77 Tons of Shark

In any other situation, the sight of children wandering around the insides of a giant shark could be horrifying; but it's common fare at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science's …

Managing Conflict

Jeff Weill is accustomed to disagreement. On the Jackson City Council, where he has represented Ward 1 since 2007, he is usually the first and sometimes only member to criticize …

Old Wound Still Bleeds On Farish

Money, by far, is the most daunting of the countless little plagues haunting the development of the Farish Street Entertainment District.