Live Tweeting the #jxnmayor Run-off. Who will be mayor in this special election for Jackson's next mayor?

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.

Candidates will be hosting post-election parties after the runoff election today.

The World's Fastest Record

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.

http://jacksonfreepress.com/users/photos/2014/apr/18/17054/

Tonight, everyone should make their way out to Duling Hall for Todd Snider's show. It will be a feast for media types as he reads from his book, shows us film and even plays music. There's something for everybody.

Tomorrow, vinyl enthusiasts will celebrate Record Store Day. With the closing of MorningBell, most of the die hards will have to go out of town to try to grab exclusive vinyl releases. Be safe and happy hunting.For a complete list of participating stores and releases, go here.

If you're out of town this Easter weekend, here are few things going on north and south of us:

4/19 - Rob Thomas - Horseshoe Casino - Tunica

4/18 - 4/27 - Biloxi Crawfish Festival feat. Three Days Grace, Charlie Daniels Band, etc. - MS Coast Coliseum - Biloxi

4/20 - Rick Ross - Lakefront Arena - New Orleans

4/21 - Aziz Ansari - Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts - New Orleans

Also, here's this week's new releases:

The Afghan Whigs - Do to the Beast

The Both - The Both

Nas - Illmatic XX [20th Anniversary Edition]

Slint - Spiderland [LP]

Ray Bonneville - Easy Gone

Rodney Crowell - Tarpaper Sky

Thee Oh Sees - Drop

Woods - With Light and With Love

Duck Sauce - Quack

Chet Faker - Built on Glass

Ziggy Marley - Fly Rasta

Ingrid Michaelson - Lights Out

Dan Wilson - Love Without Fear

Nels Cline/Medeski, Martin & Wood - Woodstock Sessions, Vol. 2

Stanton Moore - Conversations

The Secret Sisters - Put Your Needle Down

Sonic Avenues - Mistakes

Bobby Bare, Jr. - Bobby Bare, Jr.'s Young Criminals' Starvation League

Chuck E. Weiss - Red Beans and Weiss

Amps for Christ - Canyons Cars and Crows

Dylan Shearer - Garagearray

Ryley Walker - All Kinds of You

http://jacksonfreepress.com/users/photos/2014/apr/18/17050/

Seriously, Mississippi, you can't quit you.

Ole Miss today confirmed rumors we've been hearing—that Gov. Phil Bryant, who is under fire in the state and nationally for signing SB 2681, is going to be the commencement speaker at the University of Mississippi, which is still trying to recover from the latest bigoted incident on campus.

I'm, frankly, astounded at the timing. I know many people at Ole Miss are working to move the university past its past, but how in the world does this choice help? Who makes these decisions?

Here's the verbatim release:

OXFORD, Miss. – Gov. Phil Bryant is set to visit the University of Mississippi on May 10 to deliver the main address at the university's 161st Commencement.

Mississippi's 64th governor, Bryant was sworn in on Jan. 10, 2012. Before becoming the state's chief executive, he was lieutenant governor from 2008 to 2011. He also served as state auditor and represented his legislative district in the Mississippi House of Representatives for five years.

The Moorhead native speaks to graduating students, their families and other guests at 9 a.m. in the Grove. This year's graduating class includes about 2,650 spring candidates for undergraduate and graduate degrees, plus some 1,000 August 2013 graduates.

"Over the years, we have had leaders from many fields come to campus for our commencement addresses, and Gov. Bryant has provided valuable leadership to our state in both the legislative and executive branches for nearly 25 years," Chancellor Dan Jones said. "By championing education and business reforms, he has helped drive economic development and provide a brighter future for all Mississippians. We look forward to the insights and challenges he will offer our graduates."

Recipients of doctor of philosophy degrees are to be hooded by their major professors in a 7:30 p.m. ceremony May 9 in the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts. The Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College ceremony begins at 4 p.m. at the same location.

A shuttle service for handicapped and elderly visitors is available Saturday before the main ceremony. Shuttles will pick up people needing assistance from various locations and take them to the seating area. (Wheelchairs, if needed, must be provided by families.) The headquarters for the shuttle service will be at the Department of Parking and Transportation tent, at the intersection of University Avenue and All American Drive. To request assistance, call 662-915-7235.

In case of rain, the ceremony will be moved to Tad Smith Coliseum. If the weather is threatening, a decision on moving the ceremony indoors will be made by 8 a.m. and announced through media outlets, text messaging and the Ole Miss website.

Following the main ceremony, individual schools and the College of Liberal Arts hold ceremonies at various times and locations to present baccalaureate, master's, doctor of pharmacy and juris doctor degrees and awards. The schedule is as follows:

• College of Liberal Arts master's degrees – 11 a.m., Fulton Chapel

• Patterson School of Accountancy – 11 a.m., …

VERBATIM RELEASE

OXFORD, Miss. – After a review of the Mississippi Alpha Chapter, the board of directors of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity has decided to close the chapter on the University of Mississippi campus.

"We are disappointed that a pattern of bad behavior and serious, inexcusable hazing occurred within the chapter," UM Dean of Students Sparky Reardon said. "Periodic reports from and meetings with local alumni and national headquarters led us to believe that the chapter was improving. Based on regular visits by representatives from the University of Mississippi Office of Greek Life with current Sigma Phi Epsilon members, chapter officers, local and regional volunteers, and national headquarters, the university had no reason to believe this type of behavior and conduct was happening."

At the university's request, the national headquarters conducted an internal review of the fraternity that uncovered conduct violating both fraternity and university policies. This conduct included underage drinking and hazing incidents.

The university's Office of Greek Life educates fraternities and sororities on its hazing policy and alcohol policies each semester. Greek Life policy dictates that leadership throughout all Interfraternity Council organizations complete and sign anti-hazing contracts.

Furthermore, all incoming UM students are required to complete an alcohol education course. Officials make it clear to all IFC leadership that the university prohibits hazing in any form and expects organizations to initiate dialogue on hazing and alcohol policies.

"We are surprised and extremely disappointed that these activities occurred, and we are committed to providing a safe, educational environment for all students," said Brandi Hephner LaBanc, vice chancellor for student affairs.

The university has a zero-tolerance policy for hazing. If any student experiences hazing or knows of a hazing incident, they may anonymously report the situation to the Office of the Dean of Students.

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.

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.

We'll use Storify to follow tweets, Facebook, Touts and other updates throughout the night, including time coverage from the return parties.

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.

Candidates running in Jackson's Special Election today are hosting election watch parties this evening. Information for the individual events is listed below.

John Horhn Election Watch Party 7:30 p.m. Central City Complex 609 Woodrow Wilson Ave. Food and refreshments will be provided.

Harvey Johnson Pre-Election Tailgate -- Fish Fry and concert 4-8 p.m. Smith-Wills Stadium Lakeland Drive

Chokwe Antar Lumumba 7 p.m. Jackson State eCenter 1230 Raymond Rd.

Tony Yarber Classics Bar and Lounge 5571 Robinson Rd Ext.

Margaret Barrett-Simon Her home 1322 Hazel St.

Regina Quinn 7:30 p.m. Lakeover Center 6531 Dogwood View Parkway

Melvin Priester Priester Law Firm 5375 Executive Place

Mayoral candidate Chokwe Antar Lumumba posted this statement on his website about his plans on a City Human Rights Commission, which "review and monitor all city contracts and engagements" for discrimination, including for sexual orientation:

Establishing a Human Rights Commission has been part of the People's Platform since 2008, before the issue of equality became a hot topic in this special election. We have always advocated for human rights for human beings. This is nothing new to the People's Campaign. It's part of the principles that guide us. We will not seize the moment to politicize something that - in our opinion - is a basic human right. What we will do, however, is establish a City Human Rights Commission which would review and monitor all city contracts and engagements to ensure that vendors, contractors, and businesses involved in city work do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, age, sexual orientation, national origin, nationality or class. The commission will also review and oversee each department, commission, authority, and agency of Jackson Municipal Government to ensure compliance with civil and human rights laws, rules, and regulations to protect all persons from any form of discrimination.

ThePeoplesPlatform

Former Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. just responded to a Sen. John Horhn attack ad with this statement posted on his Facebook page. It is repasted here verbatim:

STATEMENT OF HARVEY JOHNSON CONCERNING FALSE AND MISLEADING ADVERTISEMENT OF JOHN HORHN Senator John Horhn mailed and passed out to voters a postcard falsely stating that I was responsible for increasing water bills by 100% while in office. The truth is this: During my last term as mayor the City imposed a modest water rate hike of 12 percent in 2011, the first increase in six years. After I left office last July, the Mayor and the City Council increased water rates by 29 percent and sewer rates by 108 percent. If I had been in office last year I would not have increased rates that dramatically at one time. Just two days before the mailer was dropped, Senator Horhn, at a mayoral forum conducted by the Working Together Jackson organization, pledged to refrain from attacks on his opponents. Clearly, he should have come clean at that event by admitting that his next order of business when he walked out the door would be to launch a false attack on me.

In a separate flyer, Horhn promotes himself as a "fit, strong and robust black man who's ready to take this city forward" and criticizes his various opponents. That one is posted below as well as the flyer mentioned above.

http://jacksonfreepress.com/users/photos/2014/apr/07/16845/

http://jacksonfreepress.com/users/photos/2014/apr/07/16846/

http://jacksonfreepress.com/users/photos/2014/apr/07/16847/

The National Weather services is reporting a flood warning for the Pearl River in Jackson; the river is already assumed to be above flood stage (at 28 feet) and could continue to rise throughout the week to reach high levels on Wednesday and Thursday.

Verbatim report: THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE PEARL RIVER AT JACKSON FROM THIS AFTERNOON UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

• AT 10:30 AM SUNDAY THE STAGE WAS 27.2 FEET.

• MINOR FLOODING IS FORECAST.

• FLOOD STAGE IS 28.0 FEET.

• FORECAST...THE RIVER WILL RISE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL CONTINUE TO RISE TO NEAR 32.5 FEET BY EARLY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST FORECAST THROUGHOUT THE DAY. THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR A HIGHER CREST.

• IMPACT...AT 32.0 FEET...WATER BEGINS TO AFFECT BUSINESSES ON SOUTH PRESIDENT AND SOUTH FARISH STREETS. SIDNEY STREET IS FLOODED.

• IMPACT...AT 31.0 FEET...WATER BEGINS TO IMPACT APPROACHES TO ADDITIONAL HOMES AND BUSINESSES IN THE BYRAM AREA.

• IMPACT...AT 30.0 FEET...WATER BACKS UP INTO SEVERAL CREEKS AND STREAMS IN THE JACKSON AREA. WATER IS UNDER SOME HOMES NEAR THE RIVER IN THE BYRAM AREA.

Johnson sent this statement this morning, in response to this recent JFP article. It's pasted here verbatim:

STATEMENT OF HARVEY JOHNSON REGARDING JACKSON FREE PRESS ARTICLE Having read the article in the Jackson Free Press, “Repayment of HUD Funds Emerges as Election Issue, ” I was struck by the poor attempt at political hay being made by our new councilman from Ward 2 on a matter that he should be fighting to resolve in favor of the citizens rather than quickly agreeing to write an astronomical check to a federal agency over a questionable dispute.

As a former mayor and an advisor to Mississippi towns for 40 years, I have on many occasions had disagreements with HUD about their interpretations of CDBG regulations. I have worked in and with the CDBG program since its inception in 1975, and I am therefore thoroughly familiar with the program’s objectives.

When it comes to HUD and other federal agencies, I have found that the best approach when there are questions of interpretation or disputes of facts is to vigorously negotiate and take advantage of the administrative appeal process, even if it means meeting with the HUD Secretary or the White House, to achieve a satisfactory resolution. I have gotten federal officials to change their positions entirely or greatly reduce the amounts of money in dispute.

The letter from the city to HUD referenced in the news article appears to be the culmination of a negotiation process lasting only three months, which is an extremely short period of time to resolve a dispute with HUD involving that many issues. In my mind, conceding so early and for such a large dollar amount reflects a lack of experience and understanding in dealing with HUD programs by the person or persons who, rather than stand up to the HUD bureaucracy, chose the easy path to turn over local taxpayer money , while blaming the whole thing on the guy out of office. Such an approach is a bad precedent for the city. We certainly don’t want some bureaucrat thinking he can shake us from our lunch money, just because he thinks he can.

My decision in connection with this matter would have been to refrain from throwing in the towel so quickly by casually writing a check from the city’s general fund made payable to HUD. During my previous administration the city was not intimidated by federal bureaucrats acting contrary to the best interest of our local citizens. I will bring that same determination to my next administration.

As far as I can tell, the Council has not yet voted on making payment to HUD. I encourage the Council to hold up doing so until the new mayor is sworn in this month, who hopefully will be someone with the knowledge and experience and leadership traits that will protect our taxpayers from bureaucratic overreach.

Melvin Priester Jr. filed a 48-hour report today showing that he has raised $6,150 more in mayoral contributions. That brings his total to $110,785 by our math to Lumumba's $138,801. Horhn is in third with $104,593

Harvey Johnson Jr. has raised $7,000 more in campaign dollars this week according to his 48-hour report, bringing his total to $67,355.

(For the record, both of these reports and some earlier ones are near-illegible, which is disconcerting coming from serious candidates for mayor. Priester, for one, spent a lot of his JFP interview talking about getting details right. Why not start during the campaign?!?)

To summarize, As of 5 p.m. today, this is where the money stands based on reports legally required to be filed:

1. Chokwe Lumumba: $138,801
2. Melvin Priester Jr.: $110,785
3. John Horhn: $104,593
4. Tony Yarber: $95,716
5. Harvey Johnson Jr: $67,355
6. Margaret Barrett-Simon: $54,680
7. Regina Quinn: $38,968

Read our original April 2 report about initial April 1 filings and where cash-on-hand stood then.

View all campaign finance reports in the JFP Document Morgue.

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.”

If you wander around Duling Hall this weekend, you're bound to stumble upon some great music.

Tonight, there's Jimbo Mathus and the Tri-State Coalition rocking the house.

Tomorrow is St. Paul and Broken Bones, who will bring the funky soul to Jacktown.

Also, tomorrow is the last day for Morningbell. You should totally grab that Linda Rondstadt LP you've been eyeing for the past 8 months.