Will U.S. Chamber Win Again?In 2004, Attorney General Jim Hood hired attorneys Joey Langston and Timothy Balducci—who later pled guilty to corruption in 2008 and 2007, respectively—to recoup unpaid taxes and interest resulting from a multi-state tax fraud scheme Clinton-based WorldCom cooked up before …
Magnanimous Mississippi?Gov. Haley Barbour has grown inordinately fond of hauling out the phrase, "not business as usual," just before he announces new budget cuts.
Hands Off the Levee BoardWe weren't surprised to learn that supporters of the Two Lakes Pearl development project are pushing the state Legislature to take more control of the local Levee Boardreconfiguring the appointees so that the board might finally support the controversial project …
The Imperial Low RoadAdam Lynch of the Jackson Free Press broke the story last week that Jackson State University President Ronald Mason was floating a plan to merge the state's historically black colleges. The news caused a media frenzy and outrage among graduates …
A ‘Local' Business PlanThe annual Best of Jackson reader's choice awards began in the very first issue of the Jackson Free Press.
Scaring the ScaredOne way politicians get their constituents to vote against their best interests is to play into already existing fears. It's a time-honored, if not somewhat dishonest way of keeping people from even attempting to distinguish a politician's words from reality.
Wouldn't It Be Nice?Winter was at its nastiest since 1989 this past week in Jackson, according to Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. The freezing cold attacked water pipes, causing more than 100 water line ruptures.
Tell Whole Story on Levees and LakesNow that the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District has officially agreed with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' levees-only plan for flood control, expect the Two Lakes war machine to kick in full throttle to disparage levees.
Step Outside the Mall BoxLast year's skyrocketing gas prices, combined with the housing bust, unemployment and a general economic malaise, is enough to make many suburbanites rethink their commutes and McMansions in favor of a return to an urban, mixed-use environment.
City Should Support, Not ControlChange is afoot in North Midtown. The neighborhood between Millsaps College and Mill Street has suffered from urban blight for over a decade, but new housing developments and a new master plan for the area are promising signs of a …
Buying Judges: Tell the Whole StoryThe 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals partially overturned the convictions of Mississippi attorney Paul Minor and former judges John Whitfield and Walter "Wes" Teel Friday.
Prosecute the ProsecutorsA true correction would include prosecution for those suspected of knowingly packing a man away to prison for a crime they knew he didn't commit.
Time to Build LeveesThis week, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg District, closed their four-year study of Pearl River flood solutions in the Jackson metro, issuing a press release that was unambiguously titled: "Study Finds Levee Plan Best Option For Jackson Metro."
This Black Friday, Shop Local FirstBlack Friday this, and Black Friday that. Do you really, truly want to get up with the chickens and wait outside some big-box retailer to save a few dollars on the same gift everyone else is buying? Truly?
Barbour: First, Do No HarmCall us suspicious, but we don't believe for one minute that Gov. Haley Barbour thinks the Mississippi Legislature will vote to merge the state's three historically black universities, while not touching Ole Miss or Southern. (We do believe they might …
Stop Barbour's Power GrabGov. Haley Barbour does have gall, you have to hand him that. Since he came home from Washington, D.C., in 2003 to serve as Mississippi's governor, he has reconfigured the balance-of-power at the state capitol.
Johnson FumblesMayor Harvey Jr. Johnson rode back into the mayor's office on a platform of openness to the media and the voting public, but he recently left himself vulnerable to criticism on this very issue.
JPS Needs To Level With PublicThe Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees made a mistake last week in not renewing the district's music education contract with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra.
Walk the Local TalkHere at the Jackson Free Press, we know well how hard it can be for a small, locally owned business to stand up to a corporation that wants to stamp out as much competition as possible in order to please …
Jackson's ComebackYou can feel it in the air. Jacksonians are starting to believe in the power of Mississippi's capital city to be great, to rise from the ashes that fiery politics and racism of old turned us into.
PSC: Keep Rates LowThe Mississippi Public Service Commission has a hard decision before it.
Take the Next Step on the PearlThis week the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers seemed tofinally and forcefullymake clear its stance on flood management for the Pearl River, repeating what the Jackson Free Press has been reporting for months now.
Barbour: Stop the Lame GamesGov. Haley Barbour butt-thumped a community organization devoted to poor people this week.
Council: Be ResponsibleOver the last several weeks, we've watched several Jackson City Council members act irresponsiblyand probably for blatantly political purposes. This needs to end.
Time To Talk BackA remarkable thing has happened on the way to a national public dialogue about health reform: Bullies (many of them well-funded by industry groups) have taken over the conversation by yelling into microphones.
It's the Presentation, Stupid!Ward 1 Councilman Jeff Weill did an odd thing Monday, and it ended up backfiring on him because of the way he did it.
Lose the Rhetoric on Health CareWhen Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi's second congressional district hosted a town hall meeting on health-care reform Monday in Jackson, there were no angry mobs, protesters with guns or yelling matches such as those we've all watched on TV of …
Ratepayers, BewareThe Mississippi Public Service Commission will begin the first round of hearings Oct. 5 to determine the feasibility of an expensive, new coal-burning plant in Kemper County.
The Real Local AllianceBuying local is among the best things we can do for the country, for ourselves and for the planet. It keeps more money circulating in the local economy. Local businesses employ people at better jobs and higher wages than big-box …
Public Money, Public AccountabilityLast week, reporter Ward Schaefer revealed what could be serious problems with the allocations and tracking of federal tutoring funds provided to public schools under the No Child Left Behind Act. The Jackson Free Press obtained a variety of documents …