Teaching The TruthNext year, for the first time, Mississippi will require all social-studies teachers to teach the history of civil rights in the state. The requirement will come more than five years after state lawmakers initially approved the curriculum change.
Politicians: Tone Down the RhetoricThe United States changed Saturday morning, Jan. 8, when an apparently mentally disturbed man took out his anti-government venom by trying to assassinate a U.S. congresswoman, and killing a little girl, a judge and other people's loved ones in the …
Put Up or Shut Up, Progressives2011 is already promising to be a tumultuous year, particularly in Mississippi. Legislators have numerous crises to confront in this year, most of them rising from not having enough revenue to keep up with the rising operating costs of effective …
Barbour Cheers Economy, Chides ObamaIn his final State of the State address yesterday, Gov. Haley Barbour offered optimism about Mississippi's economic recovery, as well as criticism of President Barack Obama and the federal government. Citing a string of new manufacturing projects in the state, …
Whitwell: A True ConservativeFor one, Whitwell' lobbied for legislation allowing power companies to buck the state's years-old process for funding new energy development. For decades, power companies could only charge ratepayers for the cost of building new energy plants after the plants were …
Former Inmate: Youth Prison Was HellThe Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility is failing to rehabilitate and is actually endangering the lives of its juvenile inmates, advocates and former inmates told state lawmakers today. Members of the House Juvenile Justice Committee heard a litany of complaints …
New Openings; Fondren Parade PlanningThe Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership will celebrate the grand opening of Paco's Margaritas Mexican Grille at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 13. The restaurant is located at 6340 Ridgewood Court Drive in Jackson and is open 11 a.m. to 11 …
Lydia QuarlesIf Lydia Quarles has her way, Mississippi will no longer rank as the 49th state in the nation for the number of females serving in elected office.
City Sets Special ElectionOn Tuesday, Jackson City Council members scheduled a special election for Feb. 15 to fill the Ward 1 council seat. The deadline for candidates to qualify for the Ward 1 special election is Jan. 26. Former councilman Jeff Weill who …
Scott Sisters Story Goes ViralAfter languishing in obscurity for 16 years, the story of imprisoned sisters Jamie and Gladys Scott received its 15 minutes on the national stage last week after Gov. Haley Barbour ordered their life sentences indefinitely suspended.
Building A Future that WorksBeginning a brand-new clean calendar at the turn of the year provides all of us the perfect opportunity to take stock of the past and make changes for a better future, especially those things we may have been procrastinating about.
[Head] And the Good News Is…The 2011 legislative session begins Jan. 4, and it's likely to be exceptionally loud, complicated and messy. Mississippi faces an unusual alignment of unfavorable omens: a budget crisis, a national climate favoring anti-immigrant sentiment, a contentious statewide election year and …
2011 Mississippi Legislative PreviewThe Mississippi Legislature returned Jan. 4, and many legislators are not looking forward to the kind of cuts facing state departments. The Mississippi Department of Mental Health is looking at a shortfall of more than $30 million this year, which …
Former Chief Questions ShootingFormer Jackson Police Chief Robert Johnson says two Jackson police officers should not have been in a position to shoot a Jackson resident on New Year's morning.
A More Collegial CouncilAt 33, Marcus Ward is already a veteran of Jackson city politics. From 2005 to 2009, he served as chief of staff and director of intergovernmental relations under former Mayor Frank Melton. Now he is considering a run for the …
Education Advocates Host TrainingThe Mississippi Youth Justice Project will host "How to Advocate at the School Board" Saturday, Jan. 8, to help parents and students become more involved in their school districts.
Voter ID, Abortion, Eminent Domain, Oh MySecretary of State Delbert Hosemann will deliver three voter-referendum initiatives to the state Legislature this morning that could require voters to bring photo identification to polls, restrict the state's use of eminent domain and amend state law to define when …
Solar Panel Plant To Open; New Downtown CafeA California solar panel company plans to build a new production facility in Hattiesburg, Gov. Haley Barbour announced today. The company, Stion, produces high-efficiency thin-film solar panels at its headquarters in San Diego. Barbour called on the Mississippi Legislature, which …
Legislature Returns; How to Track BillsAs state legislators return to the Capitol tomorrow for the 2011 Legislative session, lawmakers will spend the next 90 days approving diminished funding for state agencies and debating a host of bills.
Job Growth to Aid Economy in 2011?The economy was not Mississippi's strong point this year, although the state is expecting to see job creation in the future. Several industries and businesses Gov. Haley Barbour touted as a successful this year require a healthy dose of government …
Common Sense in 2011Political junkies watched with some surprise as the lame-duck 2010 Congress passed a number of last-minute bills to bring the year to a close. Widely heralded as a week of "wins" for President Obama, the accomplishments are hopefully a bit …
JATRAN Cuts: A Long Time Coming?Kin Palmer staggered out of Jackson City Hall the evening of Dec. 20 visibly angry and frustrated as he joined other JATRAN riders to load the city buses that had transported them to a public hearing regarding cuts to the …
Entergy Seeks $51 Million for Failed ReactorEntergy Mississippi Inc. is requesting $51 million in reimbursements over a stalled nuclear-reactor project at its Grand Gulf nuclear-power plant.
End Mindless ‘Tough-on-Crime' PoliciesA few weeks ago, the Jackson Free Press published a lengthy cover story exposing the mindless politics behind juvenile-justice policies that treat children as adults and end up turning many children into hardened adult criminals, increasing dangerous crime rather than …
[Flynn] Kids Need SportsIt's not news that childhood obesity is a major problem in America. The problem is particularly bad in Mississippi. As recently as last June, our state led the nation in obese children, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in …