Dea Dea BakerWhen Dea Dea Baker graduated from the University of Colorado in 1978 with a business degree, she never thought she would leave her adopted home of Boulder to come back to her hometown of Jackson. Love, however, had other plans …
Jackson Violent Crimes Drop Again; Property Crimes IncreaseMajor crimes rose slightly last week in Jackson, with a drop in violent crime offset by a rise in property crimes, especially house burglaries. According to statistics released at a Jackson Police Department command staff meeting this morning, patrol officers …
Corps Responsible for Katrina Flooding, Court RulesMore than four years after Hurricane Katrina roared out of the Gulf of Mexico, yesterday a federal court ruled against the Army Corps of Engineers for their failure to properly maintain a shipping channel, reports CNN.
University Mergers Loom?Rumors of university consolidation gave way to outright threats Monday when Gov. Haley Barbour released his executive budget recommendations for the 2011 fiscal year. Painting a dismal picture of the state's finances for the next three years, Barbour called for …
New Chief Shakes Up JPD StaffNew Jackson Police Chief Rebecca Coleman announced several changes to her command staff on Friday. The moves include promotions and some shifting of responsibilities among deputy chiefs.
Nature vs. NurtureIn the western world, the earliest works depicting homosexuality come from the ancient Greeks, where the practice of adult men having sexual relations with male youths was considered quite normal. The term lesbian dates back to the Greek poetess Sappho, …
Safer Schools NowSchool is not always the most comfortable, or safest, place for a gay student.
Ceara's SeasonCeara Sturgis' home in Wesson, Miss., is filled with cookie jars. Ancient, smiling caricatures of 1950s-era "Campbell's Kids" join recent additions featuring the likeness of the M&M characters.
Johnson Picks New JPS Board MembersMayor Harvey Johnson Jr. announced his picks for the Jackson School Board last night. The returning mayor fell back on the ward rotation method in making his selections. He re-appointed board member Jonathan Larkin to finish his term, which will …
Ivory HarrisIvory Harris remembers the Northwest Jackson neighborhood of Presidential Hills where he grew up as a "living, breathing community." As a student, a teacher and a public servant, Harris has never strayed far.
JPS Board Renews Music Program, Delays Bullying PolicyThe Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees renewed a popular music education program last night, after its failure to do so last month resulted in weeks of outcry from parents and education advocates. Board members voted 4-0 to approve the …
Capital Murder Conviction ReversedThe Mississippi Appeals Court has reversed Cory Maye's murder conviction for the Dec. 26, 2001, killing of Ron Jones, a police officer in Prentiss, Miss., a tiny community of 1,000 residents in Jefferson Davis County. The court has remanded the …
JPS Extends Strings ProgramThe Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees has approved a revised contract with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra to extend the strings program through the end of the current school year, reports WAPT. Board President Sollie Norwood was absent from the …
Barbour's Budget Hits Women, AG, Schools HardGov. Haley Barbour released a budget proposal yesterday calling for a 12 percent cut in the state budget for most agencies and the consolidation of the state's historically black colleges and universities. The proposal, which reflects the state's fiscal year …
Calhoun Questions Youth Detention Center Staffing, TransparencyHinds County's youth detention center is once again the target of criticism, despite the county's recent agreement with a watchdog group that has voiced concerns about the facility in the past. Supervisor Peggy Calhoun raised the possibility of overstaffing at …
Pat ChamblissPat Chambliss, 52, is the volunteer executive director and one of the founding members of Dress for Success in Jackson. A national organization started in 1997 in New York, the organization's goal is to provide "suits to self sufficiency," Chambliss …
Barbour Wants to Merge State's Black UniversitiesIn his budget proposal today to the Mississippi Legislature, Gov. Haley Barbour proposed consolidating Jackson State University, Alcorn State University and Mississippi Valley State University. He also wants to roll Mississippi University for Women into Mississippi State University. He also …
JFP Hosts Domestic Abuse Forum at Welty LibraryWhy do men abuse? Why do women stay? How can the community stop the cycle of domestic abuse in a state that is among the most dangerous for women?
The Battle to Sell "Green" Power to Utilities Comes to JacksonMississippians who generate their own electricity through green technologies should be able to sell any excess back to power companies, Julia O'Neal told a legislative panel this morning. O'Neal said the process of net metering allows individuals to sell excess …
Robin WebbConcert pianist, composer and activist Robin Webb, 52, has been living with HIV and AIDS for more than two decades. Diagnosed in 1988 as HIV positive, his doctor told him in 1990 that the virus had progressed. "You have AIDS," …
Public Meetings and Community Events6 p.m., Domestic Violence Awareness Forum at the Eudora Welty Library (300 N. State St.). Moderated by Donna Ladd, Jackson Free Press editor-in-chief, the panel will discuss how to make Mississippi a safer place for women. Free; call 601-362-6121, ext. …
State Earns "F" from March of Dimes but Shows ImprovementMississippi received a failing grade from the second annual March of Dimes Premature Birth Report Card, but the organization states that it showed improvement on some criteria. The report, released yesterday on the seventh annual Prematurity Awareness Day, says as …
Barbour to Announce Budget RecommendationsMississippi Gov. Haley Barbour will provide the state with his recommendations for the budget today. With revenues lagging behind estimates for the last year, politicians and pundits expect the announced cuts to be deep and wide.
Crazy Cat Opens New Fondren LocationFondren shoppers have another place to indulge their sweet tooth. On Monday, Nov. 9, Highland Village confectioner Jon Lansdale opened a second location of his Crazy Cat Bakers in the Fondren Corner building. Crazy Cat is selling grab-and-go lunches and …
John DooleyJohn Dooley is turning his passion for scuba diving into a business. Two weeks ago, Dooley won a $10,000 grant from the Mississippi Technology Alliance to develop Diver's D\Lyte, a performance drink that Dooley invented for scuba divers.
It's the Weekend!Disregarding any gloom and doom on this Friday the 13th, go start the weekend right at the Eudora Welta Commons with gumbo and tunes at 7 p.m. For a mere five bucks, The Dixie Nationals and the Scramblers will play …
[Burnham] Stakes Raised for Mississippi SchoolsThe difference between Mississippi's old school-accountability rating system, which rated schools from Level 1 to Level 5, and the school and district accountability system that the state will implement this school year is like the difference between competing for a …
Jackson Violent Crime Down 10.1 PercentMajor crimes in Jackson decreased again last week, according to statistics released this morning at a Jackson Police Department meeting. Officers reported 154 property crimes, down from 226 the week before, and 32 violent crimes, up slightly from 25 the …
Barbour Visits Iraq; Talks State Budget CutsMississippi Gov. Haley Barbour spent Veteran's Day in Iraq visiting some of the 124,000 American troops there, including more than 3,500 from the Magnolia state, mostly from the Tupelo-based 155th Brigade Combat Team. Barbour joined fellow Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue …
Ceara Sturgis' home in Wesson, Miss., is filled with cookie jars. Ancient, smiling caricatures of 1950s-era "Campbell's Kids" join recent additions featuring the likeness of the M&M characters.