Jackson Free Press

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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As expected, Ward 3 Councilwoman LaRita Cooper-Stokes last night tendered her resignation from the Jackson City Council to take a seat on the bench as a county judge.

Cooper-Stokes' departure makes the second mid-term resignation of a sitting council member in less than four months. In August, Ward 1 Councilman Quentin Whitwell left unexpectedly to move his family to Oxford. Whitwell's replacement will be determined by a runoff on Dec.16 between attorney Dorsey Carson and investment advisor Ashby Foote.

Now that Cooper-Stokes has officially vacated the seat, the currently five-member council will have to set a special election for Ward 3, which could happen as early as the next regular meeting on Tuesday Dec. 16, the day of the Ward 1 runoff.

Ward 3's special election could prove very entertaining.

Albert Wilson, who ran for the seat in 2013 and competed in the special election for mayor this year, reportedly already has campaign signs up.

Another question mark is Pam Greer, the founder of a nonprofit that promotes violence prevention and supports families of violent-crime victims. Greer also ran for the Ward 3 post in 2013 and has remained a vocal critic of city government on social media.

The most interesting possibility is that Cooper-Stokes' husband, Hinds County District 5 Supervisor Kenneth Stokes could seek his old seat. Stokes held the seat until he joined the county board in 2011; Cooper-Stokes replaced him in 2012 after a contentious special election that wound up in court. Stokes hasn't been very happy on the relatively quiet county board lately and could want to go back the higher profile city council.

Going back to the referendum on the 1-percent sales tax, 11 elections have taken place somewhere in the city of Jackson, since January 2013.

Associate Publisher Kimberly Griffin has been featured on Richard Prince's 'Journal-isms' website.

The absence of three council members and Mayor Tony Yarber made last night's meeting of the Jackson City Council, unnervingly efficient.

Before going into executive session to discuss personnel issues and litigation around 8 p.m. -- a recent best for the ordinarily long-winded body -- the council adopted a new ordinance to regulate food trucks. Previously, food-truck vendors had to pay the city $500 per location, but under the new ordinance, operators pay a yearly license fee of $500 and can go anywhere in the city, but cannot set up within 300 feet from a brick-and-mortar restaurant.

The council also adopted an ordinance regulating the sale and display of tobacco paraphernalia, a move in response to complaints from community groups and citizens about local stores selling bongs, clips and pipes that can also be used to smoke marijuana.

(Apparently the city council doesn't realize you can make a bong out of just about anything, including, um, sources say, apples (see photo below); no word on whether this new ordinance means Granny Smiths will be disappearing from supermarket shelves).

An ordinance to lower the number of vehicles needed to be considered a cab company was held to allow for more discussion. Council President De'Keither Stamps or Ward 4 said his motivation was to lower the barriers of entry so that a person with one cab could start their own company. In Stamps' mind, the move would somewhat level the playing field with services like Uber, an Internet-based sort-of ride-sharing company similar to a taxi service.

Uber, often a cheaper option for getting from Point A to Point B, has been giving cabbies fits all over the world. Jackson is no exception, and representatives from local taxi companies showed up a city hall to state their case. Tyra Dean, with Deluxe Cab Co. in Jackson, cited "safety concerns" with Uber.

Since the company's rise in popularity and profile, a number of allegations of sexual assault have risen against Uber drivers in several American cities and abroad, according numerous media accounts.

Ward 2 Council Melvin Priester Jr., an attorney, said it would be hard for the council to regulate Uber because the company is a web service.

"We don't regulate the Internet as the city council," Priester told the taxi drivers present at the meeting.

With the absence of the mayor and so many members -- including Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes, who was in Houston attending to his brother, who is ill, Ward 1 Councilman Ashby Foote, Ward 5 Councilman Charles Tillman -- a number of interesting items were either pulled or held.

These included the city's lobbying contracts in Washington D.C. and Jackson and an item from Stokes to discuss the need for a downtown mall. In the coming weeks, the council will also consider an ordinance requiring Jackson police to report hate crimes to help make hate-crime reporting more uniform. In addition the council will consider renaming the basketball courts at Tougaloo Community Center in honor of Jesse …

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Thursday, Feb. 14, I attended Jackson State student Corinthian Sanders' city council candidacy announcement on the JSU campus.

Sanders, a 20-year-old Jackson native, received permission to host his announcement from school administrators several days earlier. The fact that a students needs permission to hold such an announcement is a troubling indicator of where our Constitutional rights stand here in the United States. Apparently, the leaders at our institutions of higher learning believe they have the right to grant or deny students their 1st Amendment rights to free speech and free assembly.

Just for review the 1st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution read as follows: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

Now, the 1st Amendment doesn't expressly prohibit university officials from creating policies that abridges the freedom of speech or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, but administrators at public universities are agents of the government. Do these agents have rights to abridge freedoms that even our own Congress doesn't?

I'm not picking on Jackson State here. When I attended Ole Miss, and I assume it is still the case, there were designated "free speech zones" where students could assemble and speak as freely as they pleased. The reasoning for these designations, the university said, was to prevent free speech where it might infringe on the educational process taking place in classrooms around campus.

Again, I must have overlooked the part of the 1st Amendment that states: "unless there's a good reason to abridge such rights, such as public education taking place nearby." Besides, isn't free speech a vital part of the educational process?

Unfortunately for Corinthian Sanders, the questionable treatment of his 1st Amendment rights didn't stop with needing permission.

Sanders had a podium and speakers set up in front of Ayers Hall when I arrived about noon Thursday. Shortly after, he began playing music through the speakers. The music continued for about 30 minutes, after which another City Council candidate, mayoral candidate Chokwe Lumumba and Sander's aunt spoke briefly.

Sanders took the podium about 12:45 for his announcement. Moments after he began to speak to the crowd of 15 to 20 people, three campus police officers stopped him. Campus patrolman Troy Nix, decked out in uniform and Dolce Gabbana sunglasses, pulled Sanders to the side, in the middle of his speech, and asked if he had permission to hold his announcement there.

Not only did Sanders have to get permission to express the most basic of human rights protected by our Constitution, he had to prove that he had that permission to a police officer, because the police officer was apparently unable to confirm the permission himself. Though campus police had more than 40 minutes to check on the status …

For our Question o' the Week this week, we asked a simple question in social media. We got an amazing line-up of answers in 24 hours. Please feel free to log in and post your answers below as well.

Lindsey Lee My kids. So cheesy, but true...

Jason Stanfield Great music.

Stephanie Fondren Bracey My beautiful 8-year-old daughter who has the happiest most innocent spirit and a heart of gold!

Iam ScrapDirty Perfection.

Charles Walter Jett Other people's artwork. Makes me step up my game when I see really good work.

H Charles Johnson Failure.

Marc Rolph H Charles Johnson.

Narada Thijs Snyder Not being told to hurry.

John Agwazim The way ants live.

Shuntina Johnson Sunsets, right before the rain.

Nicki Findley Nichols The feeling of freedom, whether its being silly with my 4-year-old or country road riding with the windows down and the music cranked.

Jarrod Parker Conquistadors.

Jessica Erin Eubanks The positive energy of others expressing themselves!

Terena Watkins Bell Being able to be an awesome single mom to my girls & showing them how to be strong, independent Christians.

Micah Smith Posters with animals that say motivational statements. Thank you, tiny cocker spaniel. I will "go for it."

Lisa Parenteau My mother. The strongest person I know.

Yasmeen Banu Sincere kindness.

Pam Greer What inspires me? I'm inspired each day that I am allowed to wake up in good health and right mind by God to tackle life. Most people do not live to see another day; however, I did today.

Gregory Smith Frank Zappa.

Tony Davenport People who celebrate unity.

Brandon Ainsworth Life, and the endless possibilities that it has to offer. So much to do, so little time.

Brittany Hammons Simmons Nature's beauty! I breathe it in and it is so serene.

Tom Head Finding human dignity in unexpected places.

Laurel Isbister Irby People who rescue animals and help them live new lives.

Andrew Forbes ·The cancer patients I work with at Batson Children's hospital.

Jarrod Parker · Curious people.

Jill Conner Browne People doing good for goodness' sake—for people (and/or animals!) who can't "repay" the kindness.

Kass Welchlin When my elders live a life full of conviction, follow their dreams and not give up on life.

Nola Kay Pearson Gibson All of the above and lifelong learning.

Karole Sessums The Courage of Others.

Melissa Kelly Deadlines.

Ginger Williams-Cook Teachers.

Sabir Abdul-Haqq Dedication

Olga Lynette Henderson Hanson Seeing, listening, existing--all inspire me to continue trying, caring, doing.

Edward Peter Cole II To witness ... random acts of kindness!

Jehrod Alain What inspires me is the spiritual, that which is beyond our physical limitations. My dreams inspire me. Love inspires me.

Rachel Jarman Myers The Sonic Boom!

Don Allan Mitchell Mississippi.

Jan Michaels · My almost 83-year-old father who still runs his own business and is caretaker of his wife …

Pew Research survey gives Obama an 8-point lead over Romney.

Pass the Kleenex. Jackson ranks at the top of the list for spring allergies.

Since last year's surprising defeat of charter-school legislation in the Mississippi House Education Committee, proponents of the public-private schools seemed to want passing a charter school law priority No. 1. In the offseason, Speaker Philip Gunn even stacked the committee to clear the way for charter schools to pass and land on the House floor for a vote.

When the session started, I expected the legislative equivalent of shock-and-awe, a ramming down the throat of a charter school bill by the Republican leadership to show everybody who was in charge.

In the intervening 90 days, however, the Legislature has busied itself adding meaningless layers to existing laws on top federal laws. Affirming the right to bear arms and school prayer, constitutionally enshrined protections that weren't going anywhere even had the Legislature not sprang to action. So inane were some of the proposals--exempting Mississippi from federal law, banning bans on big soda--that Mississippi lawmakers couldn't stay out of the comedy headlines.

Finally, this week, both houses got their ish together to pass a long-coveted measure to expand charter schools in Mississippi. The House approved the conference report earlier in the week with no debate. Today, after a lengthy discussion, the Senate followed suit.

Next up: a bill signing by Gov. Phil Bryant.

What happens after that is anybody's guess.

In response to a so-called "gay conversion" conference taking place at Lakeside Baptist Church in Hattiesburg over the next few days, pro-gay rights groups are rallying against the pseudo-science of praying the gay away.

GetEQUAL Mississippi, OMEGA Mississippi and Walk Fellowship Church of Hattiesburg is holding a“Love and Acceptance” rally to counter Lakeside's "Coming Out: A Gospel Response to Same-Sex Attraction."

Through a press statement, the gay-advocacy groups point out that the both American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association have called gay conversion therapy bunk.

According to the statement for pro-gay groups: "The rally will be a peaceful demonstration comprised of the LGBT community, their families, allies, and Christians who seek to spread the message of love and acceptance of all God’s children.

"The states of California and New Jersey have recently passed legislation making it illegal to use gay conversion therapy on minors due to the psychological harm it causes. Pennsylvania is presently in the process of doing the same, stating that conversion therapy amounts to medical and parental bullying that can lead to low self-esteem and even suicide."

At this morning's Hinds County Board of Supervisors meeting, supervisors distributed more than $250,000 to various recreational and other projects around the county. The money is coming from $3.5 million that had been set aside for the Byram-Clinton Parkway development project, which sparked intense debate between two board members.

In recent months, supervisors have routinely moved money from the parkway fund to the recreational fund. Today, supervisors doled out $262,000 to pave Village Drive ($70k) in northeast Jackson, playground equipment for Tougaloo Park ($50k), repairing a community center in Edwards ($80k) and resurfacing John F. Kennedy Drive in Presidential Hills ($62k).

Each vote passed 3-2, with Supervisors Robert Graham, Kenneth Stokes and Alphonso Hunter supporting the expenditures. Two of the projects -- the Village Drive resurfacing and Tougaloo Park lie in Graham's District 1. The town of Edwards and Presidential Hills are in District 2, where Hunter is the representative.

Peggy Hobson Calhoun of District 3 and Robert Walker of District 4 voted against each of the measures.

"We don't have enough funds to give everyone a piece of the pie," Hobson-Calhoun said at the meeting.

District 5 Supervisor Stokes, a staunch opponent of the parkway project, contends that the parkway project will never come to fruition and that the money could help other projects in the county now.

Bonnaroo announces its 2014 line-up...

A lawsuit to challenge Mississippi's same-sex couple adoption ban was filed in federal court by the Campaign for Southern Equality today. Mississippi is the only state in the nation that still bans gay couples from adopting children. The case, Campaign for Southern Equality v. Mississippi Department of Human Services, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi on behalf of four same-sex couples. Mississippi has the highest proportion of same-sex couples raising biological, adopted or step children according to a Williams Institute study from 2013.

Roberta Kaplan is the lead counsel in the case. Kaplan also represented the plaintiffs in the Campaign for Southern Equality v. Bryant case that began the push to legalize same-sex marriage in Mississippi. The Campaign for Southern Equality and Family Equality Council are representing the plaintiffs. According to a New York Times article, the offices of the attorney general and the governor did not return calls for comment by Tuesday afternoon.

The number of Mississippians without health insurance has grown over the past year. Over 16 percent of Mississippians don't have health insurance in all but six counties, according to data from Enroll America and Civis Analytics. This number supersedes 2014 numbers and can be seen visually on the New York Times' Upshot blog.

Mississippi's Republican leadership has opted to not expand Medicaid, and Medicaid enrollment numbers have leveled out in 2015, and are on the decline according to the state division's report. In July, 737,854 Mississippians were enrolled in Medicaid; now, 730,354 Mississippians are enrolled.

The Upshot reported that the decision to not expand Medicaid in states with large numbers of uninsured constituents puts people in the "Medicaid gap," since they are unable to qualify for Affordable Care Act services due to their low incomes. Medicaid expansion will likely be reconsidered in the 2016 Legislative session.

Grenada-based attorney Carlos Moore, who sued Gov. Phil Bryant alleging that the Mississippi state flag is not constitutional, has appealed his case to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Last week U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves dismissed Moore's lawsuit but left the door open to potential legal action in the future.

Moore alleged that the Confederate battle emblem in the canton of the Mississippi state flag violates the 13th and 14th Amendments. He brought his federal lawsuit against Gov. Phil Bryant, who has the authority to ensure that state laws are followed.

Reeves did not find Moore to have standing in his case. Moore had to prove that the injury he had suffered (seeing the state flag over courthouses where he practices law) had a causal connection to Gov. Bryant and the state of Mississippi displaying the Confederate emblem.

To read all of Judge Reeves' opinion in the dismissal of Moore's case, click here.

The Mississippi Department of Mental Health released its first state plan for suicide prevention today; a workgroup composed of state agency workers and other advocates formed in April to help finalize the two-year prevention plan. In Mississippi, suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people ages 10-24 years old.

The plan's release coincides with Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, which is in September.

“Whether we realize it or not, many of our friends and neighbors have been affected by suicide or mental illness,” DMH Executive Director Diana Mikula said in a press release. “Suicide affects people across all ages, races, and backgrounds, but through collaboration, sharing resources, and working towards common goals, we can prevent the tragedy of suicide.”

Suicide is the 12th leading cause of death overall in Mississippi, and the state's suicide rates also increase with age, the report shows. Men in Mississippi commit suicide at much higher rates than females their age.

The suicide prevention hotline is: 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The number will connect you to a counselor in a local crisis center.

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Chris McDaniel issued an open letter to incumbent Sen. Thad Cochran. The GOP primary race has taken a sharp turn in recent days since allegations surfaced that a conservative blogger and McDaniel supporter photographed Cochran's bedridden wife in a nursing home. Here is McDaniel's letter in its entirety:

Dear Senator Cochran,

When I announced my candidacy for the U.S. Senate I told my supporters that I respected you as a man of honor as well as your longtime service to our state. I emphasized that I decided to run for the U.S. Senate simply because we have fundamental differences on some of the most important policy issues facing our nation today.

Sadly, the actions you campaign has recently taken have forced me to reconsider my position.

Over the past several weeks, your campaign has resorted to shameful slander, even going so far as to call me a “criminal” without a shred of evidence to back up these accusations.

No doubt, many political campaigns resort to juvenile behavior when they are down in the polls, but this kind of slander goes beyond childish pranks. It is, frankly, an embarrassment to our great state. Mississippi deserves better than this.

Senator, if you are inclined to cast aspersions on my honor and integrity then I call upon you to do it to my face in a debate forum. (We are both grown men capable of engaging in a spirited debate about our differences. There is no need to hide behind campaign surrogates.)

Many television stations across Mississippi have extended debate invitations to our campaigns and I remain more than willing to participate in any of the debates we've both been asked to join.

To date, you have refused to come home to Mississippi and debate.

Until then, I will not engage either your campaign or the liberal media in their absurd witch hunt. No matter how many press releases your campaign puts out, I will simply not stoop to your level. Win or lose, I’d like to be able to wake up on June 4th and be proud of the primary campaign I ran on behalf of Mississippi. Trailing in the polls, your campaign has made it apparent they will say and do anything to win.

Instead, we will continue to talk to voters about the issues they care about. And we will also continue to educate voters on your record, including your votes to fund Obamacare, your support for tax increases, your many votes to increase your own pay, and your support for billions of dollars in wasteful spending like the Bridge to Nowhere in Alaska.

These are legitimate issues and these are the kind of policy differences this campaign should be about.

Sincerely,

Chris McDaniel Republican Candidate for U.S. Senate from Mississippi

"A Mississippi Love Story" is a documentary about JFP's own Eddie Outlaw and his partner, Justin, living as a successful, committed gay couple in Mississippi, but without the legal right to marry.

The documentary is available to rent or own on Vimeo On Demand. A special screening will take place at the Mississippi Museum of Art Friday evening from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Here's the trailer:

A Mississippi Love Story - Trailer from Fisher Productions, LLC on Vimeo.

An the full release, verbatim:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 27, 2014

CONTACT: Eddie Outlaw, (601) 955-3474, [email protected] Robbie Fisher, (601) 941-1865, [email protected]

JACKSON, Miss – Mississippi-based film producer Robbie Fisher and Fisher Productions, LLC announces the release of a short documentary entitled A Mississippi Love Story. The film introduces the viewer to Eddie and Justin, together living what might otherwise be considered an ordinary life during an extraordinary time in history. It provides a glimpse into the relationships the two have with one another, and with family, friends and their Deep South hometown. Against the backdrop of legal battles about same-sex marriage, Eddie and Justin share their personal take on what love really means.

“It was important to us, as Mississippians, to tell the story of this loving and devoted couple who are productive business people and well-liked members of the community, and who want their legal union to be recognized in their home state,” said Fisher.

The 13-minute film is now available on Vimeo on Demand for a $1 rental fee or for purchase for $2.50.

Cinematographer Lauren Cioffi spent months, beginning in March 2013, documenting the day-to-day lives of Eddie Outlaw and his partner Justin McPherson Outlaw. A second unit team captured footage in Washington, D.C. as the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on California's Proposition 8 and on the Defense of Marriage Act. Editor Azod Abedikichi employed an upbeat and whimsical style, which included animating original illustrations by Joy Abedikichi, to capture the essence and spirit of the subjects. Composer Chris Gibbons' simple and beautiful Red Tango reflects the energetic and optimistic disposition of Eddie and Justin.

WHAT: A new short documentary about the lives of Eddie Outlaw and Justin McPherson Outlaw in Jackson, Mississippi, throughout the months surrounding the U.S. Supreme Court rulings in the DOMA and Prop 8 cases.

WHO: Produced by Fisher Productions, LLC, featuring Eddie Outlaw and Justin McPherson Outlaw

WHEN: Now available on Vimeo on Demand

WHERE: vimeo.com/ondemand/mslovestory

Management & Training Corporation will take over management of the Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility and two other Mississippi prisons, the Associated Press is reporting. MTC will also assume management of East Mississippi Correctional Facility in Meridian and the Marshall County Correctional Facility in Holly Springs.

Michael Johnson might be best know for his golden shoes he wore during the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996. He is the only male athlete to ever win the 200-meter and 400-meters in the same games.

Johnson is currently working in England for the BBC as a commentator. He made some recent comments to British media outlet the Daily Mail, that has created some buzz.

The Daily Mail published comments made by Johnson about slavery and athletics. Here are a few quotes from the article:

‘All my life I believed I became an athlete through my own determination, but it’s impossible to think that being descended from slaves hasn’t left an imprint through the generations."

"Difficult as it was to hear, slavery has benefited descendants like me – I believe there is a superior athletic gene in us."

Are Johnson's comments fair or foul? Read the whole Daily Mail story here.

Johnson is not the first sports figure to make these claims. Former CBS Sports commentator and Las Vegas bookmaker Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder made similar comments in 1988.

ESPN did a 30 for 30 film on Snyder and his downfall after his comments.