Jackson Free Press

In an election this short, money can make all the difference.

Unfortunately, we won't know who the big money players in the Jackson mayor's race are for at least another week, however.

Information from the Jackson city clerk's office shows that pre-election reports are due April 1, 2014 — one week before the election. Candidates are required to itemize each contribution over $200; donations under $200 can be lumped together.

Runoff candidates would need to file another report by April 15. All candidates are supposed to file statements of economic interest (SEI) with the Mississippi Ethics Commission as are current office holders and some other appointed officials.

Since so many of the candidates are current or former officeholders, I decided to pull their SEIs.

Here's what I dug up:

First, there are two glaring omissions. A search of the ethics-commission website returned no results for Ward 6 Councilman Tony Yarber, pastor of Relevant Empowerment Church and consultant with Bailey Kirkland Education Group, LLC. Yarber has been on the council since 2009 and told the Jackson Free Press this week that he draws now salary from his church and earns a living doing educational consulting and through the generosity of others, which he called "Holy Ghost handshakes."

Only one result, from 2009, came back for Ward 7 Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon. On her form, Barrett-Simon listed no business interests aside from her position on the city council; she listed her husband, Dr. Al Simon, as an employee of Jackson State University.

Former Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr.'s most recent report, filed in 2012, also shows that he held no economic interests outside of his office; he is seeking re-election to his former seat.

Democratic State Sen. John Horhn lists his wife, Gail, as an employee of Jackson Public Schools on his 2012 report. Horhn, a 2009 Jackson mayor candidate, also lists himself as an officer in three businesses: Branch Consulting Group LLC, Horhn & Associates and Landfair Solutions LLC that year.

Finally, in January 2013, Melvin Priester Jr., listed his law practice — Priester Law Firm — as a business interest and indicates that he has represented the Capital City Convention Center Commission. At the time, Priester was a candidate for Ward 2 city councilman; currently, he is seeking the mayor's office.

Despite submitting paperwork to run in the city of Jackson's special election for mayor, two individuals have been removed for not meeting requirements to seek the office.

They are:

Tonya Brooks of Valley North Boulevard

Tammie Patterson of Carleton Street.

That shaves the number of people seeking the office down to 13.

The election is April 8.

A runoff, which is expected, between the top votegetters would be on April 22.

Jennifer Riley-Collins, executive director of the ACLU of Mississippi, made the following statement about Gov. Phil Bryant's signature of HB 49, which would require drug testing for some people receiving federal-state assistance:

Today is a sad day as Governor Bryant signed into law HB 49, thereby subjecting Mississippi's most vulnerable to unnecessary and costly drug testing.

Most recipients of TANF are children. The Mississippi Department of Human Services website states “monthly TANF benefits are made for eligible children and their needy caretaker relatives who do not have enough income or resources to meet their everyday needs.” We should not subject the most vulnerable among us to the false assumption that they (or their caregivers) are drug users. It’s unfair and untrue. The small amount of public assistance goes to provide limited funds to cover basic necessities such as food and shelter for families.

Such a law would cost the state of Mississippi considerably more to implement than it would save. A comprehensive report put out by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2011 reviewed the estimated costs of implementing various proposed welfare drug testing programs in twelve different states. Not a single one of the legislative cost estimates showed net savings to the state as a result of a proposed drug testing program.

Governor Bryant has stated that he is concerned that “single mothers are not abusing drugs or other substances and try[ing] to maintain a family”. He goes on to justify why “single mothers” are singled out by saying “when someone is taking tax dollars I think we have the right to determine whether or not that individual is abusing a substance”. Almost all of us receive government assistance in one form or another, yet we don’t treat preschoolers, veterans, seniors, or the disabled, to name but a few, as suspected drug users and force them to prove their innocence. We don’t ask anyone else to sacrifice their Fourth Amendment Rights to receive government benefits, public benefit recipients should be treated no differently.

House Minority Leader Bobby Moak released the following statement on the announcement that Harrah's will close its Tunica casino:

Jackson, MS- Today Harrah’s announced they are closing their casino in the Tunica market. This is a loss of Thirteen-Hundred (1300) Mississippi jobs, not to mention a tremendous blow to the credibility and future viability of our Mississippi gaming market. Casinos are a legal business in our state. They account for over twenty-five thousand direct jobs and, in particular, are the main reason Tunica was able to remove itself as one of the poorest counties in the nation.

Leadership in our state has refused to afford this vital industry the tax incentives and credits it offers to existing businesses or even those used to lure in new industries. We are now paying the price for this with the loss of jobs and tax revenues to local governments and the state. Contrary to popular belief, casinos are not immune to both economic downturns and the dramatic impact of the growth of out-of-state gaming operations in neighboring states such as Arkansas. We are no longer the only game in town. Regional gaming competition is not a phenomena that ends in Tunica, either. It is one of the most dangerous threats to the Mississippi gaming markets and lurks around the corner in states like Alabama, Florida and beyond.

No taxpayer funds are expended when a new casino enters our Mississippi market and creating, on average, 1,500 good-paying jobs. In return for their investment, Mississippi does not treat this industry as others within our borders. Mississippi offers no credit for hotel renovations or infrastructure, no credit for restaurant construction/improvements and does not even allow front line employee training, as other businesses are allowed to do, at the community college level - even though they pay taxes to support the community college system.

There is lacking a vision by Mississippi leadership to look at other jurisdictions and implement sound business investment incentives to take care of the casino industry that now resides in our state and foster growth and reinvestment by existing operators. With the closure of Harrah’s Tunica, we are seeing what happens when we exclude this industry from our overall state business investment model.

This industry must be allowed the opportunity to develop assets that not only help their bottom line, but state coffers as well. It has been almost 3 years since the federal government opened the door to internet gaming at the state level. Mississippi has refused to even consider allowing this to be developed in our state. While I am not asserting that internet gaming is the silver bullet that will allow gaming in Mississippi to regain its foothold, there is no doubt that it is but one tool of many that could be effectively employed to increase the attractiveness of this market to gaming-centric tourists. Harrah’s is a leader in the internet gaming effort in the halls of Congress and states around the nation. We have continually shut the …

Romenesko got a hold of an undated screenshot of a Gulf Coast-based news anchor's Facebook status that advises same-sex-loving folks to take a "gaycation" because the anchor thinks they've been in the news too much.

"I'm all for the LGBT community's ongoing fight for equality. I support their fight in every way," wrote Dave Elliot, an anchor for WLOX-TV. "But it seems like they've been in the news too much lately. Maybe they should take a short break. Go on gaycation, just for the weekend."

Indeed LGBT issues have been in a lot of headlines recently, especially here in Mississippi. This week, a number of LGBT groups rallied to demand human rights. Earlier this year, a handful of conservative lawmakers tried to sneak through a so-called religious freedom bill that would have turned the clock on civil rights back to Jim Crow times.

When LGBT advocates got wind of the bill, reaction was swift enough to slow the bill down. The House removed the most worrisome language, but the Senate wants to negotiate more, which means by Monday, the discriminatory language could end up back in the proposal and send it to the governor.

If that happens, it could put Elliot in the awkward position of having to read even more gay news, assuming he still has his job. Romesko reported that WLOX wrote on its Facebook page that “we are not happy at all with the post" or any "free publicity" that the station may be getting from the post.

Interestingly, Dave Elliot's Facebook page indicates that a couple hours ago shows that he was visiting Little River Canyon National Preserve's Eberhart Point Overlook in Alabama. So it is unclear whether WLOX— an ABC- and CBS-affiliated station—will send Elliot on a permanent vacation.

The office of state Attorney General Jim Hood is asking the Mississippi Supreme Court to "enter a reasoned opinion stating the basis the reversal of the conviction of capital murder and sentence" of Michelle Byrom.

Byrom was convicted and sentenced to death for allegedly conspiring to hire a hit man to kill her husband in 1999. However, after several pieces of information Byrom's jury never saw came to light, including several alleged confessions from Byrom's son who stated his mother was not involved with the murder, the state's high court this week reversed her sentenced and gave her a new trial with a new judge.

In the motion, special assistant to the AG Marvin White Jr. writes that state and federal courts have already dispensed with each of Byrom's claims.

"Each and every claim that Byrom presented to this Court had been addressed on the merits either by this Court or the federal courts on habeas corpus review," White's motion states.

White writes that there is "an absolute need to know" the reasoning behind the Byrom decision "so as to avoid the same errors at the new trial."

"The State would assert that the Court has embarked on an unprecedented course of action that leaves everyone questioning why," the motion states.

It goes to say: "… We are left only to speculate at the Court’s reasoning. This is not the manner in which cases are reversed. Without any guidance from this Court, the State is doomed to repeat the presumed errors upon which this conviction was reversed.

"With all due respect the State would respectfully submit that the Court should stay the proceedings in this case until such time that a reasoned written opinion issues from the Court stating the basis for the reversal of this death penalty conviction that has survived all previous challenges in this Court and the Federal courts."

The ACLU of Mississippi released the following statement on the passage of Senate Bill 2681, adopted this afternoon by both houses of the Legislature and is heading to the desk of Gov. Phil Bryant for approval:

JACKSON, Miss – The Mississippi legislature passed a controversial law today that could open the door to discrimination against any group based on religious objections. If Governor Phil Bryant signs, the law will go into effect on July 1, 2014.

“We remain hopeful that courts throughout the state will reject any attempts to use religion to justify discrimination,” said Jennifer Riley-Collins, executive director of the ACLU of Mississippi. “Nobody should be refused service because of who they are.”

The law could allow individuals and businesses to bring challenges against what they view as substantial government burdens against religion, including challenging existing nondiscrimination laws. Legislatures across the country, including in Georgia, Idaho, Maine, and Ohio, have rejected similar measures. On February 26, 2014, Governor Jan Brewer vetoed Arizona’s version. Bills are still pending in Missouri and Oklahoma.

“Even though the Mississippi legislature removed some of the egregious language from Arizona’s infamous SB 1062, we are disappointed that it passed this unnecessary law and ignored the national, public outcry against laws of this nature,” said Eunice Rho, advocacy and policy counsel with the ACLU. “We will continue to fight in state legislatures across the country to ensure that religious freedom remains a shield, not a sword.”

We got this list of endorsements the other day from the Tony Yarber camp. It's verbatim, but we think they meant April 1 in the first line:

On March 1, 2014 at 10:30 am at the Yarber for Mayor campaign headquarters (932 N. State Street) approximately 10 pastors endorsed Councilman Tony Yarber for mayor of the city of Jackson, MS. Rev. Jesse Sutton, the so-called “Dean” of pastors in the state and pastor of New McRaven Hill MB Church, made very profound comments about Yarber, stating, “I do not need a script for Tony. I have known him all of his life.”

Below is a listing of pastoral endorsements for Tony Yarber:

Pastor Baron Banks Pine View Presbyterian Church

Pastor Jimmie Burse Pastor, Holy Ghost Baptist Church Moderator of COMBDA

Pastor R.E. Cook Greater New Jerusalem

Pastor John C. Evans Cathedral A.M.E. Zion Church

Pastor Thomas Jenkins New Dimensions

Pastor Jay Johnson Abounding Grace

Pastor Julius Laird Wayside Church of Deliverance

Pastor M.V. May Rehoboth Church

Pastor Willie Macula New Hope MB Church

Pastor Charles Polk St. Luther MB Church

Pastor Ernest Slaughter New Canney Creek MB Church

Pastor Bobby Stapleton Rehoboth International Ministries

Pastor Arty Stuckey Restoration Baptist Church

Pastor Arthur Sutton Progressive MB Church

Pastor Frank Sutton Fairfield Baptist Church

Pastor Jesse Sutton New McRaven Hill Baptist Church

Pastor Clyde Tate Antioch Baptist Church

Pastor Willie Tobias Progressive Morning Star Baptist Church

Pastor Marek Walker Cherry Grove MB Church

Bishop Isaiah Williams Potter’s House Church

The Chokwe Antar Lumumba camp issued a list of endorsements (below). For clarification, Lumumba's press release incorrectly attributed a quotation from the JFP's recent endorsement of Lumumba to photographer Trip Burns.

Jackson, MS, April 3, 2014– This afternoon government officials, business leaders, and community supporters will gather at Smith Robertson Park on High Street at 4:30 p.m. to announce their endorsement of Atty. Chokwe Antar Lumumba for mayor.

Among those set to attend today’s announcement is: Councilwoman LaRita Stokes, Hinds County Supervisor, Kenneth Stokes, Rep. Jim Evans, Atty. John Reeves, business owner, Charlotte Reeves, Atty. Isaac Byrd, Atty. Dennis Sweet III, Atty. Dennis Sweet IV and Grace Sweet, and business owner, Harvey Freelon.

Currently, the Mississippi Alliance of State Workers of America, Local 3570, AFL-CIO, local newspaper, Jackson Free Press, and Central Mississippi Building and Construction Trade Council have officially announce their support of Mr. Lumumba and believe in his mission of furthering what he calls, “The People’s Platform.” Jackson Free Press journalist, Trip Burns, explains their sentiment for endorsing Mr. Lumumba saying, “While only 31 years old, he exudes a discipline and quiet determination that people many years his senior haven’t mastered. His articulation of a framework for a, “unity, debate, unity” style of governance is something we appreciated.” AFL-CIO union president, Brenda Scott, adds, “We find that he [Lumumba] possesses a genuine desire, like his father the Honorable Chokwe Lumumba, to continue the vision of bringing new economic ideas to the city anchored in green job creation, living wages, and strong worker protections.”

Rukia Lumumba, daughter of late Mayor Chokwe Lumumba and sister of mayoral candidate Chokwe A. Lumumba, wrote the following letter about the removal of a mural honoring her father. It is published here verbatim:

Open Letter to Jackson, Mississippi on the Painting Over of the Mural in Tribute to My Father, Mayor Chokwe Lumumba

I am both saddened and disappointed to hear of the decision to paint over the mural that was created in tribute to my father, Mayor Chokwe Lumumba. The mural was created by Derrick Perkins & several young artists to honor my father by displaying his mantra " One City, One Aim, One Destiny" on a city park's wall. The mural was painted prior to my brother’s decision to run for Mayor and absent my family’s request or knowledge. That is why it was especially hurtful and came as a shock to learn that the mural was painted over due to complaints, by a few, that the message of the mural was too close to my brother, Chokwe Antar Lumumba’s platform. When my father passed away on February 25th, the number of people who said publicly that he had done more for the city of Jackson in eight months than many had done in years, was innumerable. My father’s mission and vision was to ensure a city that was made ever stronger, economically, spiritually and ethically. That my brother, Chokwe Antar, has, after deep consultation, chosen to carry forward that mission, should not be disparaged.

For me and many residents of Jackson, MS that mural served as memorial and a reminder of the love my father had for the City of Jackson. It served as a constant call to Jacksonians, near and far, that we must work together to help Jackson RISE! The mural embodied my father's vision - a vision rooted in growth, unity, democracy and cultural diversity. I am sincerely grateful to Derrick Perkins & the many young artists who took the initiative to put their creative genius to work, and created such a beautiful and fitting tribute to the man I knew as Daddy and whom many others knew as friend and Mayor Lumumba. Although this is disappointing, my family and I remain encouraged and steadfast in our commitment to walk in his memory. As my father often said, "God, plus love, plus people's power equals progress."

Thank you all for your prayers and continued support.

One City, One Aim, One Destiny!

Rukia Lumumba

Acting Jackson Mayor Charles Tillman issued the following statement on the removal Thursday of a mural honoring late Mayor Chokwe Lumumba:

“On behalf of the Administration, employees, and citizens of the City of Jackson, we reiterate our honor, our respect, and our love for the late Honorable Mayor Chokwe Lumumba. The past few weeks have been difficult on all of us, yet the business of the City of Jackson has demanded that we move forward.”

“It came to our attention that one of our City-owned parks had been painted with certain words, slogans, and designs that had not been authorized or permitted by the City. Consistent with our policies and City ordinances, the painting was removed.”

“In continuing our quest to honor the memory and legacy of our late Mayor, our actions, in this instance, were in keeping with Mayor Lumumba’s high moral and ethical standards that we were fortunate to experience.”

Press release from the city of Jackson on the flooding of the Pearl River:

Today, the City of Jackson officials, along with Hinds County officials, met to solidify their plan to respond to potential flooding.

“Due to a significant amount of rainfall, there now exist a need to release waters from the reservoir in order to increase its holding capacity”, said Warren Miller the City of Jackson’s Emergency Management Coordinator.

“This release into the Pearl River will increase the water flows on several of the tributaries in and around Jackson which creates a high possibility that adjacent streets and communities will be inundated.”

City Officials are asking citizens to report any flooding on streets to the City’s 311System, so crews can properly block these streets.

“Public Works crews are currently out, assessing the low-lying areas for flooding, and are monitoring river levels,” said Miller. “Public Works, along with the assistance of our Police and Fire Departments will continue to monitor flood-prone areas throughout the night to ensure the safety of citizens.”

City Officials will continue to monitor weather conditions and provide up-to-date information as they become available.

Visit the City’s website at www.jacksonms.gov for a map of flood prone areas in Jackson. For tips on how to prepare for possible flooding or other weather-related preparedness tips, visit the MEMA website at www.msema.org.

Verbatim release from the city of Jackson:

The City of Jackson is issuing an alert to all individuals in areas within the City of Jackson that may be affected by flooding from the Pearl River and any of its tributaries. All of these areas are likely to be affected by Sanitary Sewer Overflows (“SSO’s”) resulting from ground water and standing flood water overwhelming the sanitary sewer collection system and pump stations. The water in these flooded areas is likely to be contaminated with raw sewage.

Sanitary Sewer Overflows are also likely to happen beyond the areas that are underwater. If you see any water overflowing from a manhole, first stay away from the water and then report the overflow to the City of Jackson at (601) 960-1875.

The following streets within the City of Jackson can expect to be affected by flood waters:

 Annie Street  Beasley Street  Cypress Trail  Deer Trail  Foxboro Drive  Galilee Street - LOW AREAS ONLY  Greenwood at Hardy Creek  Harrow Drive and Riverwood - Intersection  Hudson Street - East End  Juienne Street - LOW AREAS ONLY  Martin Street  McNutt Street  Moncure Rd - HINDS COUNTY  Nichols Street  Offutt Street  Old Brandon Rd Closed  President Street from Silias Brown South - South End  River Cove  River Glenn  River Road North  Riverwood And Harrow Drive - Intersection  Rollingwood At Yuca Drive - South End  Rosmary Rd - HINDS COUNTY  Sidney Street  Southwest (Between Rankin and Highway 80) - One Lane Closed  Southwest Street - 900 Block - North Bound Lane Closed  Southwest Street - 900 Block - South Bound Lane Closed  South Congress Street from Silas Brown Street - South  South President Street at Beasley Street - Intersection  Sproles Street  Village Park Mobil Homes (Off I-55 E. Frontage Rd) Water under trailers  Westbrook Road from Harrow Drive East  Yucca Drive - South End

Overflows pose hazards similar to those in public restrooms or even your own bathroom. If you, your family, or your pets have contact with flood waters or an overflow, wash thoroughly with soap and water. Remember: Washing your hands carefully and often is the best defense against illness carried by animals or human waste.

ENI, a Canton, Miss.-based political-action committee formed in late March.

But that's about all we know so far.

The statement of organization, filed with the Jackson city clerk's office April 2, indicates the committee is not authorized by any particular candidate and its purpose is "to raise money in relation to the City of Jackson Mayoral Special Election."

The form lists Alance McKinney of Jackson as ENI's president/director and Fletcher Shaw of Canton as secretary/treasurer. State records also show a south Jackson address for two dissolved companies. Reached by phone, Shaw said the PAC was set up to back a candidate in the mayor's race, but referred a Jackson Free Press reporter to attorney John P. Martin, who prepared ENI's paperwork, for particulars.

"It's a political-action committee set up and established based upon the guidelines the election commission set up — no less or no more," Shaw told JFP.

Martin, of the Canton firm of Montgomery McGraw PLLC, called the JFP back Thursday to say that his firm's role in the PAC is only to serve as its agent.

Employees of Montgomery McGraw, including partner Bob Montgomery, a former Mississippi state senator and chief of staff to former Democratic U.S. Rep. G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery, have contributed to several political candidate campaigns over the years.

Most recently, Bob Montgomery gave to Republicans Gov. Phil Bryant, transportation Commissioner Dick Hall and Lucien Smith, a 2011 state treasurer candidate who now serves as Bryant's chief-of-staff. In past elections, Montgomery also gave to Republicans former Gov. Haley Barbour, Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck and Tate Reeves when he was state treasurer.

In addition, Montgomery has contributed to former Democratic Insurance Commissioner George Dale as well as several state supreme court candidates, races that are officially nonpartisan.

Fletcher Shaw said the ENI would be in compliance with state financial disclosure rules; runoff candidates—Chokwe A. Lumumba and Tony Yarber—will be required to file reports on Tuesday, April 15.

For the second time in two days, Chokwe A. Lumumba received a show of support for his stated commitment to women's issues.

Yesterday, attorney Regina Quinn, who competed in the April 8 special election, endorsed Lumumba's candidacy. She said she met with Lumumba and his rival, Ward 6 Councilman Tony Yarber, and felt that Lumumba had a deeper understanding of challenges women face. Gender-based pay inequity, she said, hurts families and, ultimately, the economy. Lumumba has proposed giving female city workers equal pay for equal work.

Lumumba said he would look to Ms. Quinn as an advisor and said he wanted women to have the same opportunities for city jobs, including top appointments.

Today, another group of women also announced their support of Lumumba.

"You can't possibly (support) a people's platform if you're not ready to run on a women's platform," he said today.

He credited his late mother, Nubia, with helping shape his attitudes toward women.

"If you knew my mother, you would know where my fire truly comes from," he said.

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Go to any campaign event for either candidate, and you'll hear it.

Both Ward 6 Councilman Tony Yarber and Chokwe A. Lumumba claim to be the everyman who represents "everyday people." In fact, Yarber incorporates the phrase in his campaign literature and stump speeches. Lumumba has also adopted the mantra, to tie into his family's history of legal and civil-rights activism, especially for the poor.

Inevitably, you'll also hear something else: the familiar chorus of Sly & and the Family Stone's 1969 hit "Everyday People." At Yarber's events, the song plays as if it's on a timer. At Lumumba functions, the song appears in a slightly different form, as a sample in the 1992 song "People Everyday" from hip-hop group Arrested Development.

Both are great songs that celebrate diversity and question racial and ethnic prejudice. The songs also highlight generational differences in the candidates' bases.

The average Yarber voter, I suspect, is older, and maybe of the Motown generation For them, songs like "Everyday People" comprised part of the soundtrack of their youth, a time when the nation was amid cultural upheaval.

The Family Stone sings:

There is a long hair/ That doesn't like the short hair/ For being such a rich one/ That will not help the poor one/ Different strokes/ For different folks

"People Everyday," a Lumumba favorite, on the other hand, is emblematic of the conscious Afrocentricity that permeated hip-hop in the early and mid-90s. For a lot of people, Lumumba's father, the late mayor, embodied a lot of that spirit. I'd guess that the prototypical Lumumba enthusiast is younger, a Generation X-er or millennial, who was drawn to his father's revolutionary political philosophies that rejected bourgeois complacency.

"People Everyday" speaks to this; Arrested Development group member Speech rhymes in the song:

So they came to test Speech cause of my hair-do/ And the loud bright colors that I wear [Boo!]/ I was a target cause I'm a fashion misfit/ And the outfit that I'm wearing brothers dissin' it

It's now been a generation since Arrested Development came on the scene (use the phrase today and people assume you're referring to the cult mockumentary). And they came on the scene a generation after Sly and the Family Stone.

Interestingly, Lumumba and Yarber—31 and 36, respectively—and their candidacies embody the same kind of generational blending, between "old head" and "thundercat," as "Everyday People" and "People Everyday."

Tonight, after the ballots are cast and counted, one the songs and the campaign it represents will be more resonant than the other.

The Jackson Free Press is compiling a list of organizations aiding relief efforts from the recent storms in Mississippi. If you have any information about tornado relief efforts, please write [email protected].

Y101 is at the Flowood Walmart and the Flowood Chamber of Commerce is accepting donations of several items (see image below) here:

115 LAUREL PARK COVE, SUITE 108 FLOWOOD, MS

RELIEF DONATIONS CAN ALSO BE DROPPED OFF AT CERAMI'S ITALIAN RESTAURANT, LAKELAND DR., FLOWOOD

Verbatim release from the Mississippi Braves:

PEARL, MS -- The Mississippi Braves have teamed up with several other businesses in the surrounding area to assist in tornado relief efforts in the aftermath of Monday's devastating storms. In conjunction with the Pearl Chamber, Pearl Walmart, Miss 103, 105.1 The River, 95.5 Hallelujah FM, Z 106.7 and WJTV News Channel 12, donations will be accepted at Walmart in Pearl with the Salvation Army starting at 6:00 AM Wednesday.

The Mississippi Braves will also have U-Haul trucks parked at Trustmark Park to accept donated items as well as cash donations during the upcoming homestand, May 1-4. Donations can be made all day each day or at the games. The M-Braves will give each person making a donation, including those at the Pearl Walmart, two (2) free tickets to game Monday, May 12 at Trustmark Park.

The Salvation Army is in need of the following items: Bottled water, sports drinks and soft drinks 55 gallon heavy duty trash bags Lysol wipes Large bottles of hand sanitizer Baby supplies, diapers and wipes Clean up supplies: Lysol sprays, Clorox, Pine-Sol, paper towels, etc. Nabs, peanut butter crackers, Little Debbie snacks, etc.

If people would like to bring linens or clothes, the Salvation Army is accepting those items as well. They ask that people please bring them in trash bags and not just loose. No toys, please. The Mississippi Braves is the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. Since making the move from Greenville, SC, in 2005, over 80 M-Braves have gone on to play in the big leagues. The M-Braves have made postseason play three times and went on to win the Southern League Championship in 2008. Tickets are on sale now. Stop by Trustmark Park or call 888-BRAVES4 Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. For the latest news and updates, visit mississippibraves.com, facebook.com/mbraves and twitter.com/mbraves.

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Bennie Thompson, the only African American and only Democrat representing Mississippi in Congress, is locking horns with Gov. Phil Bryant over the guv's staunch objection to Medicaid expansion.

Buzzfeed reported yesterday that Thompson called into a telecast of the New Nation of Islam to discuss a number of topics, and made several eyebrow-raising remarks.

Thompson never says Bryant's name on the tape, but points out that in turning down Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, "he also turned down $426 million in federal funds."

"It's not just that this man (Bryant) turned it down, he also turned resources down that could go to help his citizens who are already documented as having some of the worst health conditions known to man," Thompson said, adding "just because a black man created it."

In what Buzzfeed characterized as "shocking" comments, Thompson called U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas an "Uncle Tom" and Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell is a "racist."

WLBT is reporting that that a Jackson State University bus carrying the school's baseball team caught fire near Birmingham, Alabama.

The fired occurred at I-20/59 Northbound at Allison-Bonnett Memorial Drive, about 15 minutes west of Birmingham; JSU is scheduled to play Savannah State Tuesday, the news station reports.

WLBT said School officials say that everyone got off the bus okay, and no one was injured.

Pictures on news site's homepage show a completely charred charter bus.

The winners of the 64th Annual (SPJ) Green Eyeshade Awards were announced this afternoon.

The Jackson Free Press placed in four categories, including garnering first-place honors for commentary (Donna Ladd) and courts & law reporting (R.L. Nave).

The JFP also won a third place award in the public-service category for our team coverage of the 2013 Jackson mayoral election and third place for feature writing.

Here are all the categories where JFP placed:

Public Service in Non-Daily Journalism

1) Birmingham News – Staff, Birmingham Civil Rights Legacy 1963-2013

2) Miami New Times – Tim Elfrink, Biogenesis series

3) Jackson Free Press – R.L. Nave, Donna Ladd, Ronni Mott, Jacob Fuller, Coverage of the 2013 Jackson, Miss., City Election

Serious Commentary- Non-Dailies

1) Jackson Free Press – Donna Ladd, Editor's Notes on Bigotry and Injustice in Mississippi

2) Independent Weekly – Lisa Sorg, "Tit for Tat," "Find your inner peace," "DENR Secretary John Skvarla: snake oil salesman?" "To act or react?"

3) Memphis Flyer – Bruce VanWyngarden, "Letter from the Editor" (five examples from 2013)

Feature Writing- Non-Dailies

1) Orlando Business Journal – Abraham Aboraya, Abe Aboraya feature

2) New Times Broward/Palm Beach – Allie Conti, Lonely Lolita

3) Jackson Free Press – R.L. Nave, Feature Stories by R.L. Nave

Courts & The Law Reporting- Non-Dailies

1) Jackson Free Press – R.L. Nave, Coverage of Politics and Criminal Justice in Jackson, Miss.

2) Independent Weekly – John H. Tucker, Can police prevent domestic violence simply by telling offenders to stop?

3) Press-Register (Alabama Media Group) Mobile, AL – Brendan Kirby, The prosecution (or persecution) of Stephen Nodine: How a suicide became murder