Fondren Blows a FuseTwo loud explosions rang out in the Fondren business district just before lunch; the culprit, it seems was a semi truck taking out some power lines behind McDade's Market in the Woodland Hills shopping center.
Simpson Defends Ethics of Consulting ContractAttorney General Jim Hood's re-election campaign is accusing opponent Steve Simpson of using his former position as commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety to secure his current consulting contract with a national driver's license kiosk company. In response …
Construction Bids Debated for City ProjectJackson Redevelopment Authority board members made no excuses for late bids yesterday when they approved a construction contract for Century Construction Company to renovate the Richard J. Porter Building for city office space.
Jackson Is Learning, Yarber SaysJackson has been "teetering between lucky and learning" for the last 20 years, Ward 6 Councilman Tony Yarber said at Friday Forum this morning. The city has problems, but is learning how to turn pockets of success into models for …
[Column] A Jobs Crisis We Can SolvePresident Obama is proposing important steps toward doing what Americans have been asking for since the financial collapse of 2008--putting a focus on families and jobs.
From Vacant to VibrantMany people in Mississippi put significant effort into successfully reviving downtown areas and making them welcoming places. But to get downtown, people often have to drive past worn-out, unoccupied strip malls overgrown with weeds.
Preparing for BattleTwenty years ago, when Cristen Hemmins was a student at Millsaps College, two teenagers pulled out a gun and abducted her in the campus parking lot. The young men raped her and shot her twice as she fled to a …
Sex Education is Not a Partisan issueFor so long, Mississippi's public officials, and its community and school district leaders have shied away from talking about sex to avoid the potential political consequences. Last week however, the Women's Fund of Mississippi began advocating for school districts and …
[Kamikaze] The Green LightI remember making my transition from doing music full time to more community-oriented exploits. I like to categorize it as maturation. It was about seven or eight years ago, and I decided to dust off my writing talent and get …
[Rhodes] Hopeful RealismAs a Christian minister and public theologian, my days are spent in prayerful reflection about souls—not just the immaterial part of us, but all of who we are. For me, to be human is to be a soul—an embodied spirit, …
A Long Time ComingIn 1983, Jackson landscape architect Steven Horn presented Jackson city leaders with a detailed plan to revitalize Farish Street. His plan, under the city's guidance, would transform a two-block section of Farish Street into an entertainment district that would include …
Longtime StandardsCowboy boots, straw hats, a couple of purses and a pair of high-heeled shoes fill the front window at Dennis Brothers Shoe Repair (325 N. Farish St., 601-354-9125). Men's boots sit on top of the glass counter inside. On the …
The Past Lives OnThe heart of the historic Farish Street district follows North Farish Street from Amite to Fortification streets. The street is named for Walter Farish, a former slave who lived on the northeast corner of Davis and what is now Farish …
Beloved FarishOn its Facebook page, the Farish Street/Main Street Project says that it "seeks to stimulate revitalization in the Farish Street Historic District by encouraging cooperation and building leadership in the business, residential, church, city, state and community partners of the …
Fire in Carson's BellyDorsey Carson, 40, has lived in northeast Jackson most of his life. He calls himself one of the "floodplain kids," youngsters who lived there during the Easter Flood of 1979. Carson graduated from Mississippi State University in 1993 and got …
Denny: A Busy ManState Rep. Bill Denny, R-Jackson, is a hard man to find. He doesn't seem to have a campaign website or someone to send out press releases. When I called the number listed on his official page at the Mississippi House's …
New Caterer Opens DowntownThe Copper Iris Catering Co. Inc. (115 N. State St.) has been open for less than two weeks, but its owners are already talking about changing, perfecting and adding variety to the menu.
Advocates Gear up For Personhood BattleAnti-abortion advocates celebrated a Mississippi Supreme Court ruling last week that OK'd a Nov. 8 ballot initiative asking voters whether the state Constitution should define when life begins, but the battles over the proposed amendment are far from over.
Upcoming Parkway CEO will Remain in FloridaThe incoming CEO of Jackson-based real estate company Parkway Properties plans to remain in Florida after he takes the reins in January.
Davis Drops Out of Supervisor's RaceRepublican candidate Roger C. Davis confirmed this week that he is dropping out of the race for Hinds County District 1 supervisor against incumbent Robert Graham.
Family Files Wrongful Death SuitMorris Dees is not singling out Mississippi in his organization's efforts to seek justice for an alleged hate murder of James Craig Anderson because he was black.
‘Disparity' Study Call Disrupts SessionPercy Watson knew that getting the Mississippi Legislature to fund a disparity study was a long shot, but he had hoped it would somehow make it through the Republican-majority Senate last week. The House Ways and Means Chairman's measure, however, …
Council Mulls JATRAN CutsJackson's bus service could face cuts to deal with a tight budget and low ridership. JATRAN has proposed shortening some bus routes and combining others in areas with few riders.
Journalism and EthicsIf you take one point away from Valerie Wells' cover story this week, let it be this: Mainstream media have agendas that don't always serve the needs of the citizens who rely on it. As more and more news outlets …
News Wars: The Rise and Fall of The Clarion-LedgerOrley Hood and Walter Philbin lugged their laundry bags into the laundromat near the Jitney 14 on Fortification Street. They sorted their clothes, put their coins in the slots and waited for the first wash cycle to begin. Then Philbin …
Polk Wants a Do OverHinds County residents who voted in Terry's Dry Grove precinct Aug. 2 may need to return to the polls to vote again for a Democratic candidate for the District 73 Mississippi House of Representatives seat.
Not for Lack of InititativeWhile some voters worry about abortion, voter ID and eminent domain, others are passionate about gambling, federal meddling in health care and--that hallowed Mississippi tradition--football.
Two loud explosions rang out in the Fondren business district just before lunch; the culprit, it seems was a semi truck taking out some power lines behind McDade's Market in the Woodland Hills shopping center.
In 1983, Jackson landscape architect Steven Horn presented Jackson city leaders with a detailed plan to revitalize Farish Street. His plan, under the city's guidance, would transform a two-block section of Farish Street into an entertainment district that would include …
Orley Hood and Walter Philbin lugged their laundry bags into the laundromat near the Jitney 14 on Fortification Street. They sorted their clothes, put their coins in the slots and waited for the first wash cycle to begin. Then Philbin …