Melton At Home; McLemore Still Acting Mayor[Verbatim from city] Mayor Frank E. Melton will hold a 10:00 a.m. press conference at City Hall on Monday, January 14, 2008 to discuss his recent surgical procedure. In the interim, the Mayor again extends his appreciation to the public …
Melton Recovering; McLemore Acting Mayor[Verbatim from city] Mayor Frank E. Melton is resting comfortably this afternoon after undergoing a medical procedure at a Jackson hospital Wednesday morning. His physicians indicated that the procedure was successful and they were pleased with the outcome. At present, …
Lee VanceJackson Assistant Police Chief Lee Vance sits at a small table in his office, hands clasped together, as he precisely chooses the words to describe his Jackson upbringing and adulthood. Behind him on the walls are two 24-by-36-inch posters of …
The Case For InnocenceIt was Ron Williamson's obituary in the Dec. 9, 2004, issue of The New York Times that caught attorney and author John Grisham's eye.
‘These Are Not Fair Trials': The JFP Talks With John GrishamSince publication of "The Innocent Man" in 2006, author John Grisham has become a strong advocate for the Innocence Project, lending his name and voice to help establish the organization's Mississippi office in Oxford. "The Innocent Man" was Grisham's first—and …
Melton to Have Heart Surgery WednesdayThe story has changed dramatically since former Mayor Dale Danks told the media that his client, Mayor Frank Melton, was fine and overheated when he fainted at a county swearing-in. Today, Danks told The Clarion-Ledger that Melton will remain in …
Reeves Gives Up Fight and Goes HomeThe Clarion-Ledger is reporting that John Reeves, the Republican legislator from South Jackson, said today that he is no longer planning to challenge Adrienne Wooten, a Democrat who defeated him in November, in the Legislature.
McCain Wins GOP N.H. Race; Obama and Clinton Close So FarCNN has called the GOP side in New Hampshire for John McCain. Early returns are showing Clinton slightly ahead of Obama, and Edwards trailing a distant third. CNN also projects that John Edwards will come in third.
Hal & Mal's Birthday Celebration TONIGHTCome celebrate Hal & Mal's 22nd birthday at 8 p.m. with an Elvis-themed Pub Quiz. Test your knowledge, grab some birthday cake and toast to many more years of great food and entertainment.
UPDATE: House Speaker McCoy Wins in 62-60 VoteThe Legislature is in session, and the House will vote on a new speaker shortly. Keep an eye out here for the outcome of the contentious battle, with Gov. Haley Barbour watching from the sidelines to see if his efforts …
Melton Has Fainting Spell During InaugurationsJackson Mayor Frank Melton fainted during an inauguration ceremony for Hinds County officials this morning. Melton appeared to temporarily lose consciousness during the inauguration of officials elected during the November elections, including Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith.
Hughes Demotes Chandler After Video InvestigationJackson Fire Chief Vernon Hughes announced he was demoting Assistant Chief Todd Chandler to captain status at a press conference today. Hughes re-assigned Chandler to the division of air supply, effective today, after the investigation of a 13-year-old video allegedly …
Boss Queen to Sign New Book Today at 5 p.m.Sweet Potato Queen hell will break loose today, Jan. 3, at 5 p.m. at Lemuria when Jill Conner Browne signs her new book, ""The Sweet Potato Queens' Guide to Raising Children for Fun and Profit." Read Kelly Smith's Dec. 26 …
Radio JFP: Kaze, Ladd, Stauffer on ‘Brand New Day'JFP columnist Kamikaze with join Radio JFP hosts Donna Ladd and Todd Stauffer Friday, Jan. 4, at noon to discuss the state of the city and what needs to happen in 2008, a topic inspired by Kamikaze's current JFP column, …
Karen ParkerI met Karen Parker on a warm December afternoon with the sound of wind chimes drifting through the open door of New Vibrations, her Fondren book and gift store "for the evolving spirit." She was unpacking necklaces when I arrived. …
2008 Legislative Preview: New Session, Old ProblemsThe Mississippi legislative session is coming around again Jan. 8, bringing with it some tough decisions. The Legislature took a stroll through roses last year, oddly, thanks to Hurricane Katrina. To counter statewide storm damage, the federal government approved the …
Important Legislative DatesHere's a calendar of prominent legislative actions for the upcoming session. Voters may want to consider attending and showing support for bills they favor on certain deadline dates. Call your local legislator for more information.
Happy New Year! Resolution, Lesson Learned?Happy new year, all. The JFP office is closed today, which may be the first time ever we've been closed on a business day. (We've often been open on holidays!) But the staff deserves a rest before this crazy legislative …
Bulldogs Ring Up Liberty Bowl VictoryMississippi State used a ball-hawking defense and a last-minute burst of offense to defeat Central Florida, 10-3, Saturday in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tenn. A Liberty Bowl-record crowd of 63,000-plus saw the Bulldogs win in their first bowl game …
Kamikaze, Guests to Examine Women's Views of 2007Dec. 28, 2007—Today at noon, Kamikaze will guest host Radio JFP on WLEZ (103.7 FM). His guests will be singer/songwriter Laurel Isbister and JFP operations manager Ronni Mott. They will discuss the news and events of 2007 from a women's …
Chandler Video Stirring JFD PotThe Jackson Fire Department is shaking over a tape that firefighters claim Assistant Chief Todd Chandler helped make back in the 1990s. The video features what Local 87 Union President Capt. Brandon Falcon describes as Chandler ridiculing black recruits. The …
Benazir Bhutto Assassinated in PakistanBhutto was leading an opposition rally to George Bush's buddy, Pervez Musharraf. Read the New York Times story here. Read her obituary here:
Candy Cain"I shipped off a pig to Hot Springs earlier this week. I shipped off mermaids to Montgomery. … That was huge. I shipped off crosses to Biloxi," Candy Cain. A prolific and versatile visual artist, Cain was born in Jackson …
Toyota Building Eco-Friendly Plant in Mississippi[verbatim release from governor's office] Toyota Motor Corp.'s designation of its Mississippi plant as a worldwide model of environmentally-friendly operations is a dramatic statement of confidence in the Mississippi project, Governor Haley Barbour said today. "Toyota has designated its Blue …
Mayor Rattles Councilwoman's CageWard 7 Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon said Mayor Frank Melton rattled her cage this morning on the way to a special council meeting. Barrett-Simon told the Jackson Free Press that Melton's vehicle pulled up behind her car as she drove to …
Kamikaze and Matt Allen on Radio JFP FridayRapper Kamikaze and attorney Matt Allen will join Todd Stauffer on Radio JFP this Friday, Dec. 21, to discuss a new group of "young progressive minds" they have formed. Tune in at noon to WLEZ FM 103.7 FM or listen …
Tobie Tomlinson"Being a shooter," Sgt. Tobie Tomlinson says, "allows for focus." Tomlinson, 35, knows a thing or two about focus. A service rifle shooter with the Army Marksmanship Unit, based in Fort Benning, Ga., he spends half the year training for …
Just in: Teneia Sanders at Fenian's TONIGHTSinger/songwriter Teneia Sanders—a JFP and Chick Ball favorite—is back home for the holiday and will perform tonight (Wednesday, Dec. 19) at Fenian's starting at 9 p.m. No cover. This will be BIG fun, and if you haven't seen Teneia, trust …