Jackson Free Press

In WAPT's online video they don't identify the Jackson-area creek (is it Town Creek?) that turned into a "raging river" after today's rains, but one look at the video does force me to wonder out loud about the water quality of any lakes or riverwalk projects that we end up developing for downtown Jackson.

Jackson has many impermeable surfaces with oil, grit and other residue (not to mentioned trash, street drainage, etc.) that rush off to the creeks and Pearl.

I don't know the answer, but this visual at least suggests it would make sense to ask the question. Does still water somehow run cleaner? Am I judging this murky mess too harshly?

ON one had, the Pearl often looks pretty when you glance at it over the Lakeland bridge, and I've canoed it in the past and felt the water was clear and clean.

But the video doesn't make it this creek water look too appealing. Any river geeks have thoughts?

http://jacksonfreepress.com/users/photos/2013/sep/24/13833/

Our fair city ranks as one of the most generous cities in the United States.

This week's new releases, regional picks, and even a correction...

The Animal Rescue Fund of Mississippi is making a desperate plea for donations.

It appears the Eastland Courthouse on East Capitol Street is getting a renovation and a re-purposing. The JFP received this press release (printed here, unedited) earlier this morning:

Tuesday, the developers of the historic Eastland Courthouse unveiled plans to renovate and reopen the 115,000 square foot building as a modern residential complex. With construction already underway, the development, named Capitol & West, is set to open in 2014 and will feature more than 50 residential units, a fine dining restaurant and bar, and first floor commercial space.

Capitol & West is located in the historic Smith Park Architectural District and is in the cultural, governmental, and business center of Downtown Jackson at 245 East Capitol Street.

“Capitol & West speaks to the soul of what this great city is about. This development’s uniqueness, high quality, and rich history set the standard for Downtown living. You can’t get this anywhere else. You have to come to Capitol & West,” said Jason Goree, lead developer.

The first unit buildout is expected to be completed in the spring of 2014 with the entire project completed later that fall. Residents will be able to choose from plans that include one-bedroom, two-bedroom and studio apartments with one to two baths. All apartments are retaining the fine materials and historical features significant to the building, but are being updated with contemporary finishings.

“We’re extremely excited about Capitol & West,” said David Pharr of Team Jackson. “This unique development is an important piece of the puzzle of Downtown’s resurgence. With more residents moving Downtown, it’s only a matter of time before more cultural amenities follow. Capitol & West is a big momentum boost.”

The total cost of the project is $20 million.

Capitol & West is being developed by local attorneys Tom Tardy, Marcy Croft, Jason Watkins, and Developer Jason Goree.

Duvall Decker is the architect of record.

Chris Albritton Construction Company, Inc. is the general contractor.

Operation Shoestring just announced the panelists for its annual "Conversation About Community" luncheon: Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba, former Gov. Haley Barbour and Wells Church pastor Rev. Keith Tonkel.

The event, which highlights and raises funds for Operation Shoestring's work with children and families in central Jackson, is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 14, at the Jackson Convention Complex (105 E. Pascagoula St., 601-969-0114), from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m.

The featured panelists "will make public a conversation that’s been happening in living rooms and around kitchen tables across Jackson for a long time now," states a release about the luncheon. "Our capital city faces a declining tax base, a growing urban-suburban divide, struggling schools, crime and poverty. If Jackson, or Mississippi, for that matter, is going to rise, the solution will require our collective buy-in."

This year's "Conversation About Community" will be a frank, open talk about solutions.

“The potential of this event is enormous. Mayor Lumumba and Gov. Barbour bring vastly different perspectives to the task of moving our city and state forward. Providing a safe space for open dialogue between these two, with a faith-based voice of ‘what’s right’ coming from long-time central Jackson pastor Rev. Tonkel, has the potential to impact the trajectory of our city’s future in a profound way,” said Robert Langford, Operation Shoestring's executive director, in the release.

The organization's signature annual fundraiser was created as a way to put into action its mantra that “we all rise together.” The idea is to create a safe space for people and organizations from across the larger Jackson area, from all walks of life, to engage in open discussion about the critical issues that impact the children and families Shoestring serves in central Jackson and, ultimately, the larger Jackson community.

Tickets are $50, and sponsorships start at $125. Call Stacey Jordan for more information at 601-353-6336 ext. 27, or email [email protected]. Find out more at operationshoestring.org.

The chorus of opposition among environmental advocates and downriver residents against a flood-control lake project is growing louder.

Thursday night, the St. Tammany Parish, La., council passed a resolution opposing a plan proffered by groups with ties to petroleum businessman John McGowan. Known locally as "One Lake," the flood-control plan involves damming the Pearl River to keep flooding down in the capital city and would create water-front development opportunities.

St. Tammany Parish officials are concerned about the proposed lake's effects on water levels, salinity, wetlands and wildlife.

In statement, Andrew Whitehurst, director of water policy director with the Gulf Restoration Network, said: “Combined with existing effects to the Pearl from the Ross Barnett Reservoir, a new 1,500 acre lake in the Jackson area is inevitably going to impact the flow and amount of water that reaches downstream communities like Monticello, Columbia and Pearlington in Mississippi, and Pearl River in Louisiana.

Whitehurst added: "Oyster beds and coastal marshes in both states rely on the vital fresh water that the Pearl provides and this proposed dam is a direct threat to that resource.”

The Jackson Free Press emailed Dallas Quinn, spokesman for Pearl River Vision Foundation, which McGowan created in 2011 for the purposes of completing an environmental-impact assessment that will be used as part of a federal application to proceed with flood plan, and will update the story when Quinn responds.

PRVF and the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood Control and Drainage District (Levee Board) recently held a scoping meeting in Jackson to address concerns and questions from members of the public.

The meeting was well attended, but conservation-minded attendees were disappointed with the format. Several people who spoke to the Jackson Free Press believe the meeting was designed to suppress any perceived public opposition to the plan.

Keith Turner, the Levee Board's attorney, said he believed the format was better for soliciting feedback and addressing concerns that a traditional public meeting in which individuals speak from a microphone one after the other.

Are you interested in understanding how race and other forms of diversity affect all of us?

Leave your parking and traffic worries behind and let Jackson's JATRAN do the driving.

Rep. Angela Cockerham, a Democrat from Magnolia, is joining the House Appropriations and Joint Legislative Budget Committees. Speaker Philip Gunn made the announcement this afternoon. Here's the full release:

Jackson, MS—Today, Speaker of the House Philip Gunn announced his appointment of Rep. Angela Cockerham (D-Magnolia) to the House Appropriations Committee and the Legislative Budget Committee. Rep. Cockerham replaces Rep. George Flaggs (D-Vicksburg) who was sworn in as Mayor of Vicksburg on June 30.

“I am pleased to appoint Rep. Cockerham to fill this position on the House Appropriations Committee and the Legislative Budget Committee,” said Speaker Philip Gunn. “Through her work as Chairman of the House Energy Committee, Rep. Cockerham has been invaluable to the House leadership team. I know she will be an effective member of these committees as they address state budget issues.”

As a member of these committees, Rep. Cockerham will play an active role in crafting the state’s budget. The Legislative Budget Committee is a starting point for the budget crafting process. Once a year, members meet with representatives from all the state agencies who present their estimated budget needs for the next fiscal year. For Fiscal Year 2014, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees agreed to adopt $5.779 billion budget.

“I would like to thank Speaker Philip Gunn for having the continuous confidence in me to appoint me as a member of the Appropriations and Legislative Budget committees,” said Rep. Cockerham. “Speaker Gunn has continuously proven that he is a technician when it comes to achieving a balanced budget and a visionary for economic development. My goals, as a member of these two committees, will be to collaborate with my colleagues as we continue work to find solutions to the major issues that face our constituents and the citizens of Mississippi.

“I am mindful of the many cost issues we are faced with like education, healthcare, and corrections to name a few,” she continued. “As House Energy Chair, I am excited about our country and state's energy future and the impact it is having on my district in Southwest Mississippi. I will approach my new assignments with God at the center of my thought process and the humbleness that my parents remind me of daily.”

Today, Tate Reeves addressed the 40th annual confab of the American Legislative Exchange Council in Chicago.

In praising ALEC, Reeves took a shot at venerated Mississippi columnist Bill Minor.

Reeves said:

"Well, a few months ago he decided to attack ALEC," he said of Minor. "You see – Mr. Minor doesn’t believe legislators from around the country should gather to share ideas on how government can get out of the way so businesses can grow. Even more sinister, legislators also listen to businessmen and women on ways to add jobs and raise the personal income of our constituents.

Know that Steve (Seale) wasted no time in setting Mr. Minor straight on ALEC’s purpose – to act as a “forum for lawmakers to share ideas, grow a stronger Democracy and help make government work more efficiently and effectively.”

For the uninitiated, ALEC is like an Obamacare health-care exchange for conservative legislation. It's where conservative lawmakers shop for conservative legislation to earn political support of conservative voters.

Here's a press release from Reeves' office, which includes the full text of his speech:

MISSISSIPPI WORKS TO STRENGTHEN BUSINESS CLIMATE, LT. GOV. REEVES TELLS LEGISLATORS, BUSINESS OWNERS

CHICAGO – Mississippi is open for business and seeing success in attracting more jobs, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves told a crowd of legislators from around the country at the 40th Annual Meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council.

Lt. Gov. Reeves recounted legislative successes to grow businesses and reform education at the closing lunch with economist Dr. Arthur Laffer, who was member of President Reagan’s Economic Policy Advisory Board. Because Lt. Gov. Reeves was a featured speaker, ALEC funded his trip, and no taxpayer dollars were spent. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin and Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad also spoke at the meeting.

“With every bill that crosses my desk … I ask ‘Does this help the private sector grow and create jobs for Mississippians?’” Lt. Gov. Reeves told the audience. “That’s the approach we’ve tried in Mississippi. It’s working.”

In ALEC’s Rich States, Poor States report, Mississippi earned the 10th best economic outlook of all the states. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis ranked the state’s GDP growth rate 17th in the nation after the economy grew 2.4 percent in 2012.

Lt. Gov. Reeves cited the 2012 updates to the workers compensation law, the $150 million tax break on inventory costs for small business and the Attorney General Sunshine Act as ways Mississippi is improving the business climate. He also spoke of education reform efforts in 2013 to provide students with a better opportunity for success.

“We can’t have a strong business climate without a strong workforce,” Lt. Gov. Reeves said. “And we can’t have a strong workforce without better education. It’s a simple formula, and one Mississippi has to master.”

Text of Lt. Gov. Reeves’ speech:

ALEC 2013 – Closing Lunch

I appreciate the privilege of speaking to you today. Appearing on the same …

Unconfirmed reports indicate that The Clarion-Ledger has laid off 13 employees over the past two days. The report, from The Gannett Blog (which is not an official Gannett source), says that nationwide, the Gannett Company's U.S. Community Publishing newspaper division, the C-L's parent company, has fired an estimated 223 people at 37 sites. A few other subsidiaries are also affected, the blog states.

The Gannett Blog relies on its readers for layoff reports, and the post includes a link to a spreadsheet showing the specific numbers reportedly laid off at Gannett worksites. Hattiesburg, home of the Hattiesburg American, shows two layoffs.

"These figures remain preliminary and are almost certain to rise at least through Monday as more employees are notified," the blog states.

"Most of the job losses were through layoffs over the past 48 hours, with a much smaller number comprising open positions that have been permanently eliminated, according to these readers.

"It's unlikely Corporate will ever confirm these figures, because this round is being done under the radar. Asked for a comment yesterday, Corporate's chief publicist, Jeremy Gaines, told blogger Jim Romenesko only this: 'Some USCP sites are making cuts to align their business plans with local market conditions.'"

The blog entry is calling this round of layoffs "the biggest since about 700 newspaper employees were let go in June 2011."

"We are all Tater Tots," Reeves said.

Law enforcement in Hinds and Rankin counties and in the cities of Jackson, Ridgeland, and Pearl worked together with the FBI, the Mississippi Attorney General's office and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics to rescue victims of sex trafficking in Mississippi and bring traffickers to justice.

The local action was part of Operation Cross Country VII, a three-day enforcement action to address commercial child sex trafficking throughout the United States that encompassed 76 cities.

A 17-year-old Mississippi girl was among the 105 children rescued in the sting. The Jackson-area operation included the arrests of 10 pimps. Officials have charged 24 others "with related state and local offenses," the FBI stated in a release.

“Child prostitution is a threat to children not just in other countries, but across America and right here in Mississippi,” said Daniel McMullen, special agent in charge of the FBI in Mississippi. “This operation serves as a reminder that the FBI and its partners in law enforcement remain committed to identifying and rescuing any child who is being victimized in this heinous enterprise.”

Rankin County saw a total of 14 arrests, and charged three men with human trafficking: Christopher Jermaine Armstrong, 28, of Hattiesburg and James Edward Williams Jr., 27, and William Charles Toliver, 48, both of Jackson. Tolliver faces two trafficking counts while Armstrong and Williams are each charged with one count of trafficking and marijuana possession.

Jackson authorities arrested eight people. Among them are Square Jefferson, 24, and Gerald Knight, 25, who are charged with aiding and abetting prostitution--pimping--a felony.

In Ridgeland, the sting netted 12, including four Jackson residents arrested for promoting prostitution: Adrian Harris, 26; Travis Minor, 29; Randy Roberts, 29; and Jasmine Taylor, 20.

Ridgeland Police Lt. John Neal told the Associated Press that Taylor and a second woman both had children with them at the time of their arrests. Police charged the other woman with prostitution.

"Each of them had their two small children with them. There was one that was four years old, the other that was two years old in the car while her mother was up offering services," Neal said.

The number of alleged pimps arrested in Mississippi was fifth-highest in the nation, the AP reported, behind the FBI divisions in Detroit (18), San Francisco (17), Atlanta (17) and Oklahoma City (13).

To learn more about Operation Cross Country and the Innocence Lost National Initiative, visit www.fbi.gov, www.justice.gov, or www.ncmec.org.

Gov. Phil Bryant has accepted the resignation of Malcolm McMillin as chairman of the State Parole Board and named current parole board member Doug Davis as McMillin's replacement. Davis' replacement will be former U.S. Marshal Nehemiah Flowers, according to a news release from Bryant's office.

“I appreciate Malcolm’s service to the people of Mississippi. His dedication to public safety and law enforcement are deeply respected,” Bryant said. “I wish him and Delores the very best.”

Before joining the parole board, McMillin was sheriff of Hinds County and served as Jackson Police chief. Davis's chairmanship becomes effective August 1. Of Davis, a statement from Bryant's office states:

"Davis recently served as assistant vice president of First Security Bank, and he represented District 1 for two terms in the Mississippi Senate. While serving in the Legislature, Davis chaired both the Appropriations Committee and the Universities and Colleges Committee. He was recognized as Legislator of the Year by the Mississippi Troopers Association and the Mississippi Police Chief’s Association. Davis also serves on the boards of directors for the DeSoto County Economic Council and the Palmer Home for Children. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Mississippi College and is a member of Longview Point Baptist Church."

Of Davis' replacement, Flowers, Bryant said: “Nehemiah brings a vast amount of experience to the state parole board with more than 40 years of public service under his belt. His understanding of the criminal justice system makes him well-qualified to serve in this position.”

Bryant's statement also states: "Flowers served as the United States Marshal for the Southern District of Mississippi 2002-08. In 1973, he joined the staff of then U.S. Rep. Thad Cochran and later joined Cochran’s U.S. Senate staff. He is a graduate of Belhaven University with a degree in Business Administration. While serving as United States Marshal for the Southern District, Flowers formed the first ever Criminal Task Force, dedicated to pursuing criminals in and across state lines. He was named as 2008 Federal Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, retired Brigade Command Sergeant Major for the U.S. Army Reserve and is currently a board member for Mississippi Blood Services."

Flowers’ appointment must be confirmed in the Mississippi Senate.

The city of Jackson has issued two precautionary boil-water notices due to loss of water pressure during water-main repair.

Yes concert review...

A few shows that are happening outside of our area might be worth a road trip:

Oxford and Ole Miss will host the Blues & BBQ Festival on 7/18-20. Lots of artists and food will be on hand.

If the jam-band scene is your thing, you're probably heading over to Birmingham/Pelham at the Oak Mountain Ampitheatre for Widespread Panic as they bring two shows on 7/19-20.

Birmingham's WorkPlay will also host The Psychedelic Furs on 7/22.

TB

http://jacksonfreepress.com/users/photos/2013/jul/17/12686/

The Hinds County Republican Party said it will also hold a primary election for two seats on the Board of Supervisors.

The county GOP primary will take place Sept. 24 with a runoff on Oct. 8 if necessary. Candidates must qualify by submitting a qualifying form and $15 fee by Friday, July 26 in either the Jackson or Raymond courthouses. The general election is Nov. 5 to replace Doug Anderson, who died earlier this year, and Phil Fisher, who stepped dow to be mayor of Clinton. Anderson represented District 2 and Fisher represented District 4.

Republicans decided to hold a primary only after county Democrats announced plans for primary yesterday, said Hinds County Republican Party Chairman Pete Perry in a statement. Perry said special elections are typically nonpartisan.

On July 1, supervisors temporarily filled the open seats. Al Hunter, owner of contracting firm First Construction Inc., who lives in Edwards, took over for Anderson. Dr. Robert Walker, Vicksburg's first black mayor and now a Byram resident, replaced Fisher.

Walker's appointment also gives all five board seats to African Americans, which has drawn criticism from whites and Republicans because Hinds County's white minority is currently with representation on the board.

The District 4 seat is considered safe for Republicans.

Regional Picks for 7/11 - 7/17