Martha BergmarkWhen Martha Bergmark left a turbulent Mississippi in the 1960s, she had no plans to return. But at the top of a successful law career in Washington, D.C., she decided to return to her home state and improve the lives …
Thompson Provides State's Only Yes on Health-Care ReformOf Mississippi's three Democratic representatives to the U.S. House, only Bennie Thompson of the state's second congressional district voted for H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Rep. Travis Childers, district 1, and Rep. Gene Taylor joined 26 …
Barbour Leads Anti-Health Reform RhetoricGov. Haley Barbour and other opponents of health-care reform are making final efforts to derail an upcoming House vote on the Senate health-care package this Sunday.
St. Paddy's A Boon for the CityThe roughly 70,000 visitors who will descend on Jackson this weekend for Mal's St. Paddy's Parade will bring more with them than green clothing and a strong thirst. The parade, now in its 28th year, has an overall economic impact …
Events: Green and More Green This WeekendIt's time for Jackson's biggest citywide party, all centering on Mal's St. Paddy's Parade, which steps off at 1 p.m. Saturday at State and Court streets in downtown Jackson. Even if you're not a parade kind of person, venues all …
Charly AbrahamCharly Abraham knows how to throw a party and for the past 22 years, he has proved just that as the main organizer for Mal's St. Patty's Parade.
Bill Adds Teeth to Stalking LawSitting on Gov. Haley Barbour's desk this morning awaiting his signature is a bill designed to give Mississippi's stalking laws some bite. House bill 1309 revises and strengthens the definition of stalking and creates more appropriate penalties.
City Works to Cover $2.3 Million ShortfallThe city will look at savings within each department to cover a potential $2.3 million *shortfall in sales tax estimates for fiscal year 2010, Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. told council members today.
Mims: Budget Holds No Cuts to City ServicesJackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. will deliver a presentation to the city council at an afternoon committee meeting today that will entail a plan to cover budget shortfalls without cutting city staff or services, city spokesman Chris Mims said.
Jackson Police Battling BurglariesJackson police reported 226 crimes last week, up from 177 the previous week, according to crime statistics released at a Jackson Police Department command staff meeting this morning. Officers reported 190 property crimes, up from 144 the previous week, and …
Keisha VarnellWhen Keisha Varnell walks down the hallways of Lanier High School, she remembers what it was like to face peer pressure but admits today's students have it a lot harder. "The issues now are so much more intense and severe," …
Mississippi to End HIV Segregation in PrisonsState Corrections Commissioner Christopher Epps announced yesterday that Mississippi will end its practice of separating male HIV-positive prisoners from other inmates beginning in May, reports WDAM. Mississippi currently houses 152 HIV-positive prisoners in a segregated unit in Parchman.
Medical Examiner Bill Sent To BarbourThe Mississippi Legislature has passed a bill that would require state medical examiners to be certified forensic pathologists. The House of Representatives today approved Senate changes to House Bill 1456, and the bill now awaits Gov. Haley Barbour's signature.
One Lake Instead of Two?The Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District Levee Board is pressing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to take seriously a lake plan to coincide with a Corps-preferred levee expansion the board approved in December.
Strangulation, Security and SuffrageBoth chambers of the state Legislature spent the past week considering bills from the opposite chamber. The House amended Senate Bill 2923—a bill that expands domestic assault to include strangulation and requires a "cooling off" period between parties—to create the …
Free Speech or Bad Behavior?A recent Jackson Police Department internal investigation is a prime example of the wild world of free speech in the Internet era. On March 10, the department released a statement acknowledging the investigation of an employee for "conduct unbecoming of …
Lesbian Teen Fights for PromConstance McMillen unwraps a Super Sonic Burger from a bag full of tater tots at her kitchen table in Fulton. Her long, dark hair is curled, and her face is made up. She's wearing a new black T-shirt that reads …
Revenue Estimates Down, Barbour to Announce Budget CutsWith newly revised revenue estimates projecting a slow recovery for the state economy, Gov. Haley Barbour is preparing to cut an additional $41 million from the state budget for this fiscal year. The Mississippi Legislature's joint budget committee today adopted …
Stan LefloreWhen defining his role in the renaissance of downtown Jackson, Stan Leflore, 56, feels he is as much a pioneer as his great, great, great-grandfather, Louis LeFleur, the French-Canadian explorer who discovered the bluff that would later become Jackson.
Barbour Signs Strip Club BillGov. Haley Barbour signed a bill on March 15 giving rural counties authority to regulate strip clubs. House Bill 170 demands supervisors publish and post notice of any proposed ordinance change impacting strip clubs at least 20 days prior to …
Baria: Barbour's Wind Pool Veto Raises RatesSen. David Baria, D-Bay St. Louis, successfully added an amendment to a bill by voice vote yesterday that continues the state's annual $20 million payment to the Mississippi Windstorm Underwriting Association Reinsurance Assistance Fund, also called the wind pool. The …
Jackson Chamber Eyeing IndependenceThe Jackson Chamber of Commerce, a subsidiary of the metro-area Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership, is planning to become an independent body to better advocate for the city's economic interests. A move to complete autonomy is probably more than a year …
Roderick HolmesWhen Jackson Police Department Officer Roderick Holmes responded to an alarm call at Calvary Baptist Church in January, his training and skills came into play in apprehending a man who had broken into the church. As the intruder tried to …
Horne LLP Under Fire AgainJackson accounting firm Horne LLP faces criticism for the second time in two months after a Feb. 18 audit by the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General reported that the company billed Mississippi Emergency Management Agency an excessive …
Silver Alert Legislation Awaits Barbour's SignatureKeeping our parents and grandparents safe is the goal of a Mississippi House bill creating a Silver Alert system. The system, based on Amber Alerts for children, will allow family members to report an elderly missing person quickly, ensuring that …
Eddie Fair Requests Pay Raises; Supes DenyWith budget concerns in mind, the Hinds County Board of Supervisors denied pay raises requested by county Tax Collector Eddie Fair in a meeting this morning, while approving the hiring of another county position.
Evelyn GandyWhen Rep. Alyce Clarke, D-Jackson, considered running as the state's first female African American representative in the late 1980s, she received encouragement and advice from Evelyn Gandy.
Engineers Want Lower Lake Plan on TableAn engineer urged the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District Levee Board last week to press the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to approve a lake plan to coincide with a Corps-preferred levee expansion the board approved in …