Cooper-Stokes Walks Out
Councilwoman LaRita Cooper-Stokes of Ward 3 opposed the talk about possibly rescinding D.L. Johnson Consultants' redistricting contract with the city from the start of a Rules Committee meeting Thursday. When …
Wilkinson Redistricting Behind, Too
Supervisors in Wilkinson County hired D.L. Johnson Consultants in January 2011 to head the county's redistricting. To date, Johnson has not turned in any proposals to the U.S. Department of …
Person of the Day
Daniel McMullen
"The men and women of law enforcement--federal, state and local--are bound together by our common vocation, but it is more than just a job. It is more than just a …
Family Remembers a Fallen Hero
Benjamin Brown was a 22-year-old activist in 1967 when law enforcement officers shot him once in the back and again in the back of the head during a civil-rights demonstration …
Farish in 2012?
Jacksonians have heard plans, proposals and promises about a reborn Farish Street for the better part of two decades. Less than four years after purchasing the project from Performa, Watkins …
Business
Students Learn Fiscal Literacy
Students at Forest Hill High School got a leg up on some of their peers for a skill that seems to grow more important every day--understanding financial stability and how …
Business
Students Learn Financial Literacy
Students at Forest Hill High School got a leg up on some of their peers for a skill that seems to grow more important every day--understanding financial stability and how …
Councilmen to Battle Mayor on Business
Ward 2 Councilman Chokwe Lumumba and Ward 4 Councilman Frank Bluntson have both put their name in the running to become the mayor of Jackson after next year's election. At …
Wilco: Blossoming from Mississippi Roots
As other band members have come and gone, John Stirratt and Jeff Tweedy have been the constant core of Chicago-based alt-country/rock band Wilco since its creation in 1994.
City Reconsidering Contract with Johnson
Members of the Jackson City Council Rules Committee are rethinking hiring D.L. Johnson Consultants LLC for the city's redistricting and asking the city attorney's office to look into the company.
Politics
Mayoral Competition Begins
A divide between Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. and some City Council members has become more apparent at recent meetings. This week, the division officially became a competition.
Supervisors Stall Clinton-Byram Corridor
Hinds County has purchased all of the property needed for a proposed Byram-Clinton corridor and contractors have completed section 5, a 2-mile, 4-lane stretch from Terry Road to Davis Road …
Jackson Kicks Off Youth Fishing Initiative
Pecan Park Elementary student Kynedi Nichols stole the show with the first catch of the day at the kickoff of a new youth fishing initiative in Livingston Park at the …
Medical Corridor: Almost a Plan
The steering committee of the Jackson medical corridor, a proposed project that would stretch the length of Woodrow Wilson Avenue between Interstates 55 and 220, will soon have the first …
Two Pearl Police Officers Injured, One Killed
Three Pearl police officers were shot, leaving one dead and two injured, while they served a search warrant in building 25 of Colony Park Apartments Tuesday. Investigator Michael T. "Mike" …
City's Deal with Siemens Makes Citizens Nervous
An agreement to evaluate the city's water and sewer system has many Jackson residents worried about an increase in cost to the public.
Person of the Day
Sister Dorothea Sondgeroth
In January, Sister Dorothea Sondgeroth stepped down as president of St. Dominic's Health Services, a post she held for 17 years. For her service there and throughout Jackson, Pope Benedict …
Person of the Day
Malcolm White
Mississippi Arts Commission Executive Director Malcolm White said today that it is key for citizens to help educate legislators on the importance of the arts in our communities by inviting …
Development
Mayor Wants City More Involved with JRA
Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. wants the city to be more involved in the early planning stages of development projects that go before the Jackson Redevelopment Authority seeking public funding.
A Second Chance
While the Jackson Police Department's tools for reducing crime include more officers patrolling the streets, restructuring beats and adding new technology, the city of Jackson is in the planning stages …
Progress, At a Snail's Pace
City government is rarely accused of acting quickly. The Jackson City Council is working hard to assure that remains true.
Jordan Hunter
Nathan Hunter III always wanted his son to be a Morehouse man. This fall, he will see that dream come true when his oldest child, Jordan Hunter, attends the nation's …
Crime
JPD Completes Redistricting
The Jackson Police Department has finished redistricting Precinct 4, which covers the area from Fortification Street to County Line Road and the West Street railroad tracks to the Pearl River.
Person of the Day
Olivia Perez-Breland
Thousands of military spouses across the country have felt the stab of multiple deployments that take their loved ones away. One soldier's wife found a way to express her pain …
Development
City Council Approves Fortification Project
The City Council approved a contract with Hemphill Construction Tuesday night for an $8.9 million Fortification Street makeover. The contract now goes to the Mississippi Department of Transportation for approval.
Nobody to Blame
Music can transport the listener to a specific place and time. Musicians can give the vision of driving through the green fields of the Mississippi Delta or paint the scene …
Cover
Code Blue: Police Pursuits Cost a Life a Day
"All units, Ridgeland PD in pursuit. Gray Crown Victoria on lower (Spillway) Road, request assistance," a voice said over the police scanner from Reservoir Control tower.
Jackson vs. Cooper-Stokes, Round 3
Since a special election in February, Joyce Jackson has claimed that widespread fraud marred her Ward 3 Jackson City Council election against LaRita Cooper-Stokes. Last week, Special Judge Richard W. …
Person of the Day
Michael Byrd
Michael Byrd and his family moved to the Philippines after he became disabled and retired from his career as a nuclear engineer in 2008. Shortly after, Byrd and his wife …
Person of the Day
Brennan Stanford
Brennan Stanford was born with only one kidney. Before he was 2 years old, his father donated another. Now, at 15, the Pearl High School freshman's kidneys are failing, and …
City & County
JPD Adds 24 New Officers
The 49th basic recruit class of the Jackson Police Department graduated Friday from the Jackson Police Training Academy. The class of 24 recruits moves the department closer to Chief Rebecca …
CITYBEAT: On the Road Again
Citizens are complaining about recent bus-route changes, and a special committee for JATRAN is trying to respond.
Development
Mayor: Cuts Could Hurt City
Federal cuts to the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program could hurt several areas of Jackson, from small businesses to sewage lines to services for victims of domestic violence.
Person of the Day
Tonja Robinson-Murphy
While legislators were debating charter schools and school budget cuts, the Jackson Public Schools' Parent of the Year was working with the schools and providing for the children.
Person of the Day
Diane Ward
Diane Ward began writing in 2009, when she was just 15. Now, the home-schooled high-school senior from Brandon is an award-winning author.
Home Boy Brian Fuente Back in Jackson
Ridgeland native Brian Fuente moved to Nashville in 2007 to follow his dream of being a singer. Not long after his arrival, he started the rock band Newmatic and toured …
CityBeat: From Docket Breakdown to State Champs
Some Jackson City Council members continue to miss work sessions. The Council holds the sessions the day before regular meetings to work out details and prepare for the agenda of …
City Awards $67,000 to Local Businesses
The Jackson City Council approved more than $60,000 in small-business grants to seven area business in March. Since 2009, Jackson has awarded $684,681.20 to local businesses through the grant programs.
Progress in South Jackson
When Jackson Square Shopping Center was built in 1968, it was the largest shopping center in the capital city. With 350,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and office space on …
City Hires Overby to Sell Dillards
The Jackson City Council voted 7-0 this morning to hire the Overby Company to market and sell the former Dillard's store in Metrocenter Mall.
Business
City v. Cab Drivers: Stop Trash Talk
Two Jackson City Council members said they will not approve a $1 increase in taxi-cab fares unless mandatory training is implemented for drivers.
Development
Iron Horse and Hotel in Plan
A project to rebuild the Iron Horse Grill is moving forward from the Jackson Redevelopment Authority. The once-popular downtown restaurant, which burned twice before closing its doors in 1999, is …
Wilder Rolls Back In
Webb Wilder's southern blend of roots music and rock is nothing new for Jackson. The Hattiesburg native has been driving out distorted guitar licks on stages across the region and …
Phantom Limb: Profane and Holy
Water Liars recorded its debut album, "Phantom Limb" (out now on Misra Records), in three days at drummer Andrew Bryant's home in Pittsboro, Miss., while singer/guitarist Justin Kinkel-Schuster was visiting …
Fondren Plans Back on the Table
After nearly a year of dormancy, Watkins Development's plans for the Fondren strip on North State Street are back in action. Jason Watkins, a partner in Watkins Development, is negotiating …
Doris the Storyteller
Don't expect to find someone sitting in a chair quietly reading to her audience when you bring your kids to hear stories from Doris F. Jones. Jones puts the books …
City Watch: Bills, Busses and Closed Doors
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Biz Roundup
Biz Roundup: JSU Boosts Economy
Jackson State University contributes an estimated $413 million and 8,700 jobs to Mississippi's economy annually, according to a study released Monday by the university.
Justice
Jackson Rallies for Trayvon Martin
"An injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere." The crowd of protesters cheered as Ward 6 Councilman Tony Yarber gave the tweaked quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a …
Justice
Three Plead Guilty to Felony Hate Crimes
The federal government used the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, passed in Oct., 2009, for the first time Thursday in a case where the defendants …
