Jackson Free Press

The City announced the following people as candidates in the upcoming Ward 6 election for City Council:

• Daniel Myers
• Robert Amos
• Dennis Sweet, IV
• Tim Rush
• Wayne Lewis
• Robert E. Green, Sr.
• Rashaad Crisler
• Tyrone C. Hendrix

The deadline to file for candidacy ended at 5 p.m. on Wednesday. The unofficial list originally consisted of 11 candidates. However, some names were ultimately cast out due to problems with signature filing.

The election is scheduled for June 17, and a runoff election, should it be in order, is set for July 1.

Jackson City Council met today to announce that an election for the Ward 6 City Council seat, which was made available by Tony Yarber's election to mayor, will be held June 17, 2014. The qualifying deadline for the election is May 28.

Both Tyrone Hendrix, a longtime Democratic operative, and Robert Amos, who competed in the 2013 Democratic primary for Jackson mayor, have both confirmed that they are considering running for the Ward 6 position: http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2014/may/01/hendrix-amos-among-ward-6-possibles/.

Hendrix helped manage Jonathan Lee's campaign for mayor in 2013 and worked with Regina Quinn during the recent special election for mayor. Amos ran for mayor of Jackson in 2009 and for a seat on the Hinds County Board of Supervisors in 2011.

A runoff election, should it be in order, is set for July 1.

This falls in the can't-make-it-up column.

Most of you know that Mitchell Moore of Campbell's Bakery, who is straight, and Eddie Outlaw of William Wallace Salon, who is gay, and others started the amazing "If You're Buying, We're Selling" campaign. They want Mississippi business owners to put stickers in their windows to indicate that they don't discriminate, in response to SB 2681, Mississippi's version of the "Religious Freedom Restoration Act." (See lots of business owners with the icon in their ads in this week's JFP, too.)

So, the religious right is apparently not happy with the international media coverage the campaign is getting -- and from Mississippi, which is supposed to be their wheelhouse, you know. They really didn't like it when Emily Pettus of the AP (the JFP's next-door neighbors) did a story about this that was picked up by many outlets.

In response, they went on a PR tear to take back the messaging. Greg Scott, who tweets at @adfmedia, led the way, tweeting this week in response to the AP story: "Sticker folks protest imaginary law .@AP bows false narrative, RFRA not "vaguely written," no threat to "=treatment" http://bit.ly/QEU2El

Curious, I did some research. Turns out, Scott is the VP for media communications for Alliance Defending Freedom (formerly Alliance Defense Fund), a nonprofit group founded in 1994 by extreme-right and vocally anti-gay leaders including James Dobson of Focus on the Family and Donald Wildmon of the American Family Association. (Interestingly, Mississippi's Judge Charles Pickering is also on the board.)

Not to be outdone, the American Family Association, an alliance co-founder, also blasted the sticker campaign on a Christian "news" site, which is part of the American Family News Network, which is part of the ... American Family Association. "It's not really a buying campaign, but it's a bully campaign," said Buddy Smith, executive vice president of Tupelo-based American Family Association, "and it's being carried out by radical homosexual activists who intend to trample the freedom of Christians to live according to the dictates of scripture."

The Southern Poverty Law Center includes the alliance (and AFA) on its list of a dozen groups that drive the "religious right's anti-gay crusade." On its website, it brags that its "attorneys have successfully defended marriage as the union between one man and one woman in over 40 cases nationwide."

SPLC indicates that the alliance was established in the early 1990s in response to gay-rights battles in the courts—which it clearly believes is the "principal" threat to religious freedom. ADF President Alan Sears and Vice President Craig Osten wrote " The Homosexual Agenda: Exposing the Principal Threat to Religious Freedom," which ties homosexuality to pedophilia and other "disordered sexual behavior."

SPLC states: "The ADF has also mounted legal challenges to gay military service, marriage, adoption and foster-parenting, as well as to domestic partner benefits around the nation. It trains other attorneys 'to battle the radical homosexual …

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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., …

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.

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

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.”

Mississippi State Senate 2014 Regular Session YEAS AND NAYS. The yeas and nays being taken, the Report of Conference Committee on S. B. No. 2681 was adopted:

Yeas--Brown, Browning, Burton, Chassaniol, Clarke, Collins, Doty, Fillingane, Gandy, Gollott, Hale, Harkins, Hill, Hopson, Horhn, Hudson, Jackson G. (15th), Jolly, Kirby, Lee, Longwitz, Massey, McDaniel, Montgomery, Moran, Parker, Parks, Polk, Smith, Sojourner, Stone, Tindell, Tollison, Ward, Watson, Wiggins, Wilemon. Total--37.

Nays--Blount, Bryan, Butler A. (36th), Butler K. (38th), Dawkins, Frazier, Jackson R. (11th), Jackson S. (32nd), Jones, Jordan, Norwood, Simmons D. T. (12th), Simmons W. (13th), Turner. Total--14. Absent and those not voting--Carmichael. Total--1.

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The Jackson city clerk's office provided 15 names of potential mayoral candidates who have filed paperwork to run in the special election. The deadline was today at 5 p.m. The election commissioners are still qualifying the list, however, so it could shrink. They are:

Kenneth A. Swarts, Sedgwick Drive

Albert Wilson, North State Street

Francis P. Smith, Jr., Pear Orchard Road

Melvin V. Priester Jr., Westwind Road

Gwendolyn Ward Osborne Chapman, Morgan Avenue

Tony T. Yarber, Dorgan Street

Harvey Johnson Jr., Hallmark Drive

Chokwe Antar Lumumba, Pear Orchard Park

John Horhn, Waverly Drive

Margaret Barrett-Simon, Hazel Street

Rodrick "Rod" Walker, Hallmark Drive

John E. Reed, Post Oak Road

Tonya Brooks, Valley North Boulevard

Regina Quinn, Autumn Hill Drive

Tammie Patterson, Carleton Street

We will update you when the candidates have all qualified.

Three more candidates have submitted paperwork to run in the April 8 special election for mayor of Jackson.

Last week, the first to file their documents were Albert Wilson and Francis P. Smith — both of whom sought offices last year — and Kenneth Swarts.

The latest information from municipal Clerk Brenda Pree shows that Ward 6 Councilman Tony Yarber and Ward 2 Councilman Melvin Priester Jr. have also filed papers.

Gwendolyn Ward Osborne Chapman, who also submitted her name in the 2013 Democratic primary for mayor, will also appear on the ballot again.

Candidates have until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 19, to file with Pree's office.

Francis P. Smith Jr., pastor of Total Praise and Worship on Cedar Lane in south Jackson, has qualified for the race to be the next mayor of Jackson, information from the city clerk's office shows.

Smith competed as an Independent in the June 2013 general election for mayor, which late Mayor Chokwe Lumumba won in a landslide.

In an interview leading up to that contest, Smith told the Jackson Free Press: "I'm running for mayor, simply, to bring Jackson out of the slum, out of the abyss, out of the pits of hell."

Smith served as the Housing and Rehabilitation Manager for the city from 2002 through 2011 under Harvey Johnson Jr.'s administration and, later, the Frank Melton administration.

The JFP reported last year:

In that position, Smith supervised the Housing and Rehabilitation staff as they enforced city codes, executed community improvement projects, assured recipients spent Community Development Block Grants funds properly, and assisted elderly and disabled citizens with housing needs, such as roofing, electrical, plumbing and foundational repairs.

Smith is just the third candidate to officially qualify for the April 8 nonpartisan contest to replace Lumumba, who died late last month.

As we told you yesterday, state Sen. John Horhn officially joined the Jackson mayoral race this morning at Cade's Courtyard on Mayes Street. Horhn ran for mayor in 2009 and is known for drawing bipartisan and multiracial support.

Here is his 2009 JFP Interview when he was running for mayor: http://www.jfp.ms/horhn2009

We will post audio of his announcement shortly.

In other mayoral news, Albert Wilson and Kenneth A. Swarts have filed paperwork to qualify to run for mayor.

To date, six candidates have officially announced either at a press event and/or directly to the Jackson Free Press: Harvey Johnson Jr., Tony Yarber, Melvin Priester Jr., Regina Quinn, Chokwe Antar Lumumba and John Horhn. Margaret Barrett-Simon said she will decide by the end of the week. We are hearing that Robert Graham may run, but have not confirmed one way or the other. Jonathan Lee said he is not running.

We'll keep you posted on new developments. Follow this blog at http://www.jfp.ms/politicsblog for the latest.

CORRECTION ABOVE: I originally said that candidates have qualified. The city clerk corrected me to say that they have filed paperwork: "The commissioners are verifying the signatures and will qualify the candidates upon completion of their process." I apologize for the error.

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JazzFest and New Releases...

Hello readers. You might remember me from my time at the JFP as the writer of the bi-monthly column “The Key of G,” where I covered local and national music, as well as just musing about different topics related to music in general.

One of the things I liked to do was to make top 10 release lists at the end of the given year. While I did enjoy that, I always felt a little disingenuous, because I don’t listen to that much new music; I spend most of my time digging for and listening to old records. Hence, my top 10 lists would barely be made, as I squeezed in a few listens right at the end of the year to go with the few albums from artists that I always check for. Further, I never kept a running list, so my top 10 would have omissions, on top of my already poor sample size. (For instance, I somehow left Robert Glasper’s “Black Radio” off of last year’s list).

But this year has been different. I made it my mission to listen to as many new releases as possible, and to document them. What I have now is a list of 60 new albums that I have listened to and ranked in order. Mind you, this list is not meant to be definitive; there is a lot that I didn’t listen to for several reasons, mainly just because there isn’t enough time in the day to hear everything. I did listen to almost everything from artists that I am a fan of, which is something I have done a poor job of over the years. I also branched out to some artists I never was a fan of before, even though I knew who they were and ignored them on purpose. The results are fairly predictable. I also discovered some new artists I had never heard of at all, which was quite nice in most instances.

So, over the next several weeks, I am going to present you all with a ranked list of the 60 albums I listened to this year. Again, this list is not intended to be definitive at all; it is just a list of what I listened to, ranked solely by my opinions. I am sure there will be some disagreement and head scratching, but some of you might also see some new things that interest you that you go check out. And that’s what it’s all about anyway. Thanks for reading and indulging my opinions.

Click HERE for 60-51 Click HERE for 50-41 Click HERE for 40-31 Click HERE for 30-21 Click HERE for 20-11

10) Dosh “Milk Money” Dosh, who is from Minneapolis, is a multi-instrumentalist who makes experimental beat driven electronic music, with an organic flair, mostly from the marimba and Rhodes piano he normally plays as part of his live set up. He creates lush songs with the help of an array of samplers and …

Hello readers. You might remember me from my time at the JFP as the writer of the bi-monthly column “The Key of G,” where I covered local and national music, as well as just musing about different topics related to music in general.

One of the things I liked to do was to make top 10 release lists at the end of the given year. While I did enjoy that, I always felt a little disingenuous, because I don’t listen to that much new music; I spend most of my time digging for and listening to old records. Hence, my top 10 lists would barely be made, as I squeezed in a few listens right at the end of the year to go with the few albums from artists that I always check for. Further, I never kept a running list, so my top 10 would have omissions, on top of my already poor sample size. (For instance, I somehow left Robert Glasper’s “Black Radio” off of last year’s list).

But this year has been different. I made it my mission to listen to as many new releases as possible, and to document them. What I have now is a list of 60 new albums that I have listened to and ranked in order. Mind you, this list is not meant to be definitive; there is a lot that I didn’t listen to for several reasons, mainly just because there isn’t enough time in the day to hear everything. I did listen to almost everything from artists that I am a fan of, which is something I have done a poor job of over the years. I also branched out to some artists I never was a fan of before, even though I knew who they were and ignored them on purpose. The results are fairly predictable. I also discovered some new artists I had never heard of at all, which was quite nice in most instances.

So, over the next several weeks, I am going to present you all with a ranked list of the 60 albums I listened to this year. Again, this list is not intended to be definitive at all; it is just a list of what I listened to, ranked solely by my opinions. I am sure there will be some disagreement and head scratching, but some of you might also see some new things that interest you that you go check out. And that’s what it’s all about anyway. Thanks for reading and indulging my opinions.

Click HERE for 60-51 Click HERE for 50-41 Click HERE for 40-31 Click HERE for 30-21

20) Chance the Rapper “Acid Rap” You want to know something that makes me feel old? Having a rapper in the top 20 who was born during the golden age of hip hop. I mean, I already had my favorite artists established by ’93. It is so weird. And we are going to remember these days. …

Spotify for free and new releases...

Hello readers. You might remember me from my time at the JFP as the writer of the bi-monthly column “The Key of G,” where I covered local and national music, as well as just musing about different topics related to music in general.

One of the things I liked to do was to make top 10 release lists at the end of the given year. While I did enjoy that, I always felt a little disingenuous, because I don’t listen to that much new music; I spend most of my time digging for and listening to old records. Hence, my top 10 lists would barely be made, as I squeezed in a few listens right at the end of the year to go with the few albums from artists that I always check for. Further, I never kept a running list, so my top 10 would have omissions, on top of my already poor sample size. (For instance, I somehow left Robert Glasper’s “Black Radio” off of last year’s list).

But this year has been different. I made it my mission to listen to as many new releases as possible, and to document them. What I have now is a list of 60 new albums that I have listened to and ranked in order. Mind you, this list is not meant to be definitive; there is a lot that I didn’t listen to for several reasons, mainly just because there isn’t enough time in the day to hear everything. I did listen to almost everything from artists that I am a fan of, which is something I have done a poor job of over the years. I also branched out to some artists I never was a fan of before, even though I knew who they were and ignored them on purpose. The results are fairly predictable. I also discovered some new artists I had never heard of at all, which was quite nice in most instances.

So, over the next several weeks, I am going to present you all with a ranked list of the 60 albums I listened to this year. Again, this list is not intended to be definitive at all; it is just a list of what I listened to, ranked solely by my opinions. I am sure there will be some disagreement and head scratching, but some of you might also see some new things that interest you that you go check out. And that’s what it’s all about anyway. Thanks for reading and indulging my opinions.

Click HERE for 60-51 Click HERE for 50-41 Click HERE for 40-31

30) Toro y Moi “Anything in Return” I came across Toro y Moi, the stage name of 27 year-old South Carolinian Chazwick Bradley Bundick, at the end of last year while reading through some best of 2012 lists (which is one of my favorite Christmas break pastimes). This guy began his recording career kind of lumped in the chillwave classification, a …