Jeremiah Wright: Prejudice Evident In Health Care DebateProtesters shouting racial epithets at black lawmakers illustrates that prejudice against African Americans and the poor persist in the United States, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, President Barack Obama's former pastor, said in an appearance at Jackson State University yesterday.
JPD Receives New Cars, Battles BurglariesThe Jackson Police Department will be distributing 53 new marked patrol vehicles to precincts beginning next week, Assistant Chief Lee Vance announced at a command staff meeting this morning, the largest single purchase of new vehicles he can remember. Vance …
[Hutchinson] An Ugly GlareThe throng of angry whites jeered, catcalled and spat out borderline racial insults at the small group of mostly black protesters. The charged racial confrontation happened March 14, 2010, in the self-billed all-American, mostly white Los Angeles suburban bedroom city …
School Board Violated Lesbian Student's Rights, Judge SaysA federal judge ruled today that the Itawamba County school board violated Constance McMillen's free speech rights when it canceled a prom after she asked permission to bring her girlfriend as her date. U.S. District Court Judge Glen Davidson denied …
[Balko] Pre-Crime PolicingTo hear them tell it, the five police agencies who apprehended 39-year-old Oregonian David Pyles early on the morning of March 8 thwarted another lone-wolf mass murderer. The police "were able to successfully take a potentially volatile male subject into …
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 …
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 …
ACLU Fights Prom CancellationTo help protect teen Constance McMillen's decision to bring her girlfriend to the prom, the Mississippi ACLU will file an injunction next week to prevent the Itawamba County School District from canceling the school's prom. The district's school board announced …
Major Crimes Down; Up in Some PrecinctsMajor crimes in Jackson dropped 13.6 percent last week, according to statistics released today at a Jackson Police Department command staff meeting. Officers reported 142 total property crimes, down from 168 the week before, and 29 violent crimes, down from …
Council Steps Sideways on Civilian ReviewThe Jackson City Council approved a resolution today that represents an intermediate step toward establishing some form of civilian oversight of the Jackson Police Department. After months of deliberation in committee, the resolution calls for the creation of a "an …
Fondren Crime Meeting Turns to ‘Healing'A standing-room-only crowd gathered at Sneaky Beans coffee shop on Tuesday evening to voice concerns about crime in the Fondren neighborhood and to hear crime-prevention tips from law enforcement officials. The community meeting, sparked by fears of crime, has morphed …
Happiness Worth CelebratingIn my own relationship with an abusive man, "You're the best" turned fairly quickly into "I'm the only one who loves you," along with overt attempts to demonize my friends and isolate me.