Consignment and New EatsAfter last winter's tornadoes damaged Vacita Jones' consignment shop "I'm Back" in Pearl, she decided to open another shop in Fondren's Duling School.
[Balko] Getting Forensics Rightby Radley Balko March 14, 2011 After countless scandals in recent years, the problems with America's forensics system are finally getting some national attention. In December, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) introduced a bill to reform the country's crime labs. In …
Freedom Rider to Speak at MillsapsCivil Rights activist and original Freedom Rider Hank Thomas will speak about Rabbi Perry Nussbaum and the Freedom Riders March 25 at Millsaps College.
Roadside Food Service Needed, Says WhitwellWard 1 Councilman Quentin Whitwell is chasing puppy mills and food trucks this week. Whitwell has submitted two ordinance changes for the March 22 council agenda: one discouraging roadside animal sales and one encouraging roving restaurant trucks.
‘Save Our Office,' Council SaysJackson City Council members want to keep their full-time City Hall offices. Today, they passed a resolution in support of a proposed law change.
Speed Returns to MDAA familiar face is returning to the Mississippi Development Authority. Jackson real-estate developer Leland Speed is temporarily taking the reins of the MDA as executive director until January 2012, the remainder of Gov. Haley Barbour's term in office.
MPB Moves Toward Self-SufficiencyBig underwriters with deep pockets could save Mississippi Public Broadcasting. To find those generous companies, MPB employees preoccupied with periodic membership drives need time to make convincing sales pitches. To free up that time, MPB says an independent consultant might …
Our Voices Will Be HeardWhen Greenwood resident Sandra Stringfellow was diagnosed with HIV 16 years ago, she felt isolated and alone. Her neighbor flagged down Stringfellow's visitors to tell them that Stringfellow was positive and that they shouldn't associate with her.
Stadiums and Sticky HandsJackson State University will be the new owner of Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium if Gov. Haley Barbour agrees.
Redistricting: Get MovingThe Mississippi House of Representatives did the right thing this week by stapling its Senate-rejected redistricting plan onto the Senate's own redistricting map. Both chambers must approve each other's redistricting map to complete the new districts by the June 1 …
[Stiggers] Smart DummiesMr. Announcement: "In the ghetto criminal justice system, the people are represented by two members of the McBride family: police officer and part-time security guard at the Funky Ghetto Mall, Dudley ‘Do-Right' McBride; and attorney Cootie McBride of the law …
[Kamikaze] Do the Right ThingLet's be honest. I'm sure all parents agree that kids need discipline. Kids need to learn respect; kids need to learn tolerance. But what happens when a kid feels like he doesn't see those qualities exemplified by the adults around …
More Redistricting Fireworks Ahead?The battle over African American-majority legislative districts continues this week in the state capitol after a confusing series of dueling redistricting proposals failed to stick--two from the Mississippi House of Representatives; one from the Senate; and a fourth especially controversial …
Jackson ‘White Flight' Slows In Last DecadeThe release of 2010 Census data earlier this year may have been a gut-check for Jackson's leaders, but the numbers were hardly surprising. News reports, however, were quick to seize on them: Jackson's population dropped 5.8 percent over the last …
State Economic Picture ImprovesIn light of an improved economic outlook, a panel of state lawmakers agreed today to adopt slightly higher estimates for state revenues in the 2011 and 2012 fiscal years.
Workshops and FinancingClarence Chapman, developer of the Timber Falls housing subdivision in south Jackson, expects a health clinic and small grocery store to be among the first commercial tenants of his multi-stage project, which he anticipates costing $400 million total. Chapman said …
Flood Study Cost Increase Spurs Finger PointingRankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District Board Chairman Gary Rhoads said today that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is to blame for cost increases in a multi-million-dollar study of flood control on the Pearl River between Hinds …
Mandatory Sex Ed: Almost ThereThe Mississippi Senate and House of Representatives are awaiting the governor's signature on a bill forcing all local public-school boards to adopt a policy to add "abstinence-only" or "abstinence-plus" education into its curriculum by June 30, 2012.
Key AG Bills Headed to BarbourFive of the Attorney General Jim Hood's key legislative bills are now headed to the Governor for his signature.
Bryant's Redistricting Plan FailsThe Mississippi Senate struck down Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant's controversial substitute redistricting plan, which would have diffused black voting power in Hattiesburg, with a 35-to-16 vote today.
HIV/AIDS Advocates Speak OutDonna M., a homeless Jackson woman infected with HIV, threw away her medicine while living with family members, fearing that they would find out about the disease that she was trying to keep secret. Another Jackson resident, Thomas L., claims …
Redistricting Fight Comes HomeHinds County's redistricting woes are not over, yet. One week after the county Board of Supervisors voted to approve new district maps, the board faces a possible lawsuit over its decision to hire Mississippi NAACP President Derrick Johnson to oversee …
Commissioner Opposes Plant, Despite RulingMississippi Power Company customers may be paying for up to $2.88 billion in costs for the new experimental coal-burning power plant, based on a Harrison County Chancery Court judge's decision.
Transparency and Head TripsState agencies will have to put their spending and contracts on a website for public scrutiny if the Mississippi House of Representatives and Senate work out their differences with a popular government accountability bill. Senate Bill 2554, the Mississippi Accountability …
[Head] Immigrants vs. ProfitThere is a story that U.S. citizens often hear about undocumented Latino workers. It is fiction.
Itawamba Student Sues District Over RapA year ago, the Itawamba County School District made national news for electing to cancel Itawamba Agricultural High School's prom rather than allow lesbian student Constance McMillen to bring her girlfriend as her date. A federal judge ultimately ruled that …
Farish and a Dollar (General) MoreDeveloper David Watkins said yesterday that he is "a hundred percent convinced" that the B.B. King Blues Club will sign a lease to anchor the Farish Street Entertainment District. The club is planning for an Aug. 1 opening date, he …
[Balko] You Can Have Sex With Them; Just Don't Photograph ThemIn the spring and summer of 2006, Eric Rinehart, at the time a 34-year-old police officer in the small town of Middletown, Ind., began consensual sexual relationships with two young women, ages 16 and 17. Rinehart was going through a …
Carson to Run for Jackson House SeatJackson attorney Dorsey Carson announced over the weekend that he is running for the Mississippi House of Representatives seat for District 64, which Jackson Republican Bill Denny currently occupies.