Shades of GrayOn the evening of Oct. 27, the mayor of McComb, Miss., was in the city's board room, arguing with his city attorney about fractions. The mayor wanted to block a vote to fire the city's accountant.
Is Beleaguered Bon Air Back?The city of Jackson announced new funds for the development of the Bon Air Subdivision on West Capitol Street last weeka project with a long trail of controversy behind it.
Leona BishopLeona Bishop, 37, will be the first to tell you: Where she started is nowhere near where she is today. However, where she is today is exactly where she needs to be.
Green Grads Hit the Ground RunningLaborers' International Union Local 145 President James Anderson said at yesterday's graduation ceremony that he trained his students well before sending them out into the workforce. "We had 14 students. It was a three-week class. They actually built a little …
Burnham Selected as Superintendent of SchoolsThe Mississippi Board of Education announced its unanimous selection for Superintendent of Schools yesterday: Dr. Tom Burnham, 56, who held the position from 1992 to 1997. Burnham replaces Interim Superintendent Dr. John Jordan, who took on the job when former-Superintendent …
No Quorum At JPS Board MeetingOnly two board members appeared at this evening's meeting of the Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees, not enough for a three-member quorum. Board members H. Ann Jones and Jonathan Larkin were present and listened to public comments, many of …
Parents Prepare to Defend Music Program at JPS MeetingParents of children in a Jackson Public Schools music program are gearing up to defend it at a school board meeting today, but as of this writing the issue was not on the meeting agenda. The JPS Board of Trustees …
Council Renames Northside Library for TisdaleThe Jackson City Council voted 5-to-2 this morning to name the city library on Northside Drive after former Jackson Advocate Publisher Charles Tisdale, who died at age 80 in 2007. The council voted along racial lines, with black members Kenneth …
Andrew ChaikinAward-winning science journalist and space historian Andrew Chaikin is touching down in Jackson, Miss. today. Chaikin, who has been writing books and articles about space exploration and astronomy for a quarter of a century, will visit the city planetarium and …
State Tax Revenues Down AgainMississippi tax collections for October were behind estimates for the month by 6.74 percent, or $28.5 million, Gov. Haley Barbour stated yesterday. For the year to date, the first four months of the fiscal year, which began in July, are …
Supreme Court Refuses to Decide Statute of Limitations in Seale CaseFormer Klansman James Ford Seale will remain in prison, at least for now. The U.S. Supreme Court today refused to address a question from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to decide whether too much time had passed for …
Hinds Supes Appoint New County AttorneyAt a board meeting this morning, Hinds County Supervisors appointed Sherri Flowers to replace Malcolm Harrison as county attorney. Harrison became Gov. Haley Barbour's first African American judicial appointment in October, when the governor picked him for the Hinds County …
Public Meetings and Community EventsNov. 1-7, Jackson State University Homecoming 2009 at Jackson State University (1400 Lynch St.). A week of activities for students and alumni. Cost varies; visit http://www.jsums.edu/studentlife/.
Laurence C. JonesA hundred years ago, Laurence Clifton Jones established The Piney Woods School in rural Rankin County with $2 and three students. Jones, born Nov. 21, 1884, in St. Joseph Mo., graduated from the University of Iowa in 1908. He turned …
U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Plea in Seale CaseIn a statement today, the U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a plea from the 5th U.S. Court of Appeals to decide whether the statute of limitations had run out in the case of reputed Klansman James Ford Seale, convicted in …
Flu Vaccine Available TodayOfficials with the Mississippi Department of Health have announced that the H1N1 swine flu vaccine is available in the state as of today in county health clinics and some schools reports the Sun Herald. At this time supplies are limited, …
Jackson Recognized, Again, for Business ClimateMayor Harvey Johnson Jr. send out a statement this afternoon, announcing that Jackson has again been recognized for the city's strong business climate, as it has several times in recent months. Johnson stated, verbatim:
Aerospace Alliance Draws Fire From UnionsMississippi Governor Haley Barbour's support for an aerospace jobs initiative among Gulf Coast states puts him at odds, with a familiar opponent: labor unions. On Oct. 26, Barbour joined his fellow Republican governors from Louisiana and Alabama in announcing the …
Robby ChannellRobby Channell, media manager at Baptist Health Systems, received the Senior Practitioner award from the Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF), Oct. 8 at the Gold Strike Casino Resort In Tunica.
Jones Drafts Legislation to Protect Abuse VictimsA Mississippi Gulf Coast lawmaker is drafting a bill that will protect domestic-violence victims from being victimized again. Rep. Brandon Jones, D-Pascagoula, vice-chairman of the House Insurance Committee, says his legislation will prevent health-insurance companies from denying victims coverage.
Knife Fight at Holocaust Denier Book-SigningA knife fight broke out at a Monday book-signing for Holocaust revisionist David Irving in Florida. Two audience members battled it out near a crowd of guests at the author's lecture at the Ritz-Carlton, Manalpan, near Palm Beach. Police there …
Crime Reports Mixed: Jackson Crime Stats for Oct. 19-25Major crimes in Jackson last week stayed level with numbers from the previous week, according to a report released today at a Jackson Police Department command staff meeting. Officers reported 216 total property crimes and 26 total violent crimes last …
Flu Vaccine Info ‘Nearly Pure Bunk'People have been receiving all kinds of bad information about the new vaccinations for swine flu via e-mail and flyers. "We've seen e-mails stating that the vaccine is tainted with antifreeze or Agent Orange, causes Gulf War syndrome, or has …
Sweet and SafeThese days, not a lot of people go door-to-door for trick-or-treating. Many families attend local harvest festivals or parties at their kids' schools or churches. Nevertheless, if you are taking your kids out this Halloween, remember to practice these few …
Otis "Obeyjah" WhiteSitting in a lounge chair in his living room, dressed in jeans, a T-shirt and wearing a red, green and yellow Rastafarian crown, Otis "ObeyJah" White beats conga drums in a melodic fashion.
Mayor to Hold Up Sales Tax Hike?Last session, the Mississippi Legislature enacted a referendum vote for a sales tax increase to fix city streets and improve public safety, but Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. says that vote may be on hold indefinitely.
Barbour's Medicaid Letter a Half-Truth?Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour pinched a nerve in September that's still causing pain for some health-insurance reform advocates. Barbour sent a Sept. 8 letter to Mississippi Republican Sens. Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker warning both that the reform envisioned in …
Obama to Sign Hate Crime LegislationIn a ceremony today at the White House, President Barack Obama will sign a bill into law that has been in the works for more than a decade. The bill updates the 1968 federal hate crime statutes that currently protects …
JSU Breaking Ground on University PlaceA long-awaited development project near Jackson State University has begun its first phase at the corner of Dalton and Lynch Streets. The JSU Development Foundation, which supports the university through investments, will celebrate the groundbreaking on the four-story, mixed-use building …
On the evening of Oct. 27, the mayor of McComb, Miss., was in the city's board room, arguing with his city attorney about fractions. The mayor wanted to block a vote to fire the city's accountant.