[Adkins] Save Fondren's Main StreetA few weeks ago I went to Perfect Fit Alterations and enjoyed visiting while trying on pants to be hemmed. Then I walked next door to Jackson Shoe Repair where I took two pairs of shoes to get some TLC. …
Meyers Named JSU PresidentJackson State University is set to have its first female president. The Board of Trustees for Mississippi's universities voted this afternoon to finalize its appointment of Dr. Carolyn Meyers as JSU president.
Scott Sisters' Clemency Momentum GrowingSupport for imprisoned sisters Jamie and Gladys Scott is growing as an anticipated deadline for their clemency petition nears. The sisters, who are in the 17th year of their double life sentences for armed robbery, have a petition for clemency …
Payday Lenders Big Donors to LawmakersThe Mississippi Center for Justice says short-term lenders donate heavily to legislative banking committee chairmen in hopes of extending an exemption allowing them to charge up to $21.95 for every $100 loaned.
Advocacy Groups Address JPS Disability ViolationsLast week, the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) issued a major decision that declared the Jackson Public School District (JPS) in violation of major components of the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA), the federal law that ensures all …
Lumumba Pulls Probe; City Approves Fee IncreaseWard 2 Councilman Chokwe Lumumba wants all Jackson City Council members present before he makes a motion to vote on conducting an investigation into Council President Frank Bluntson's alleged use of city employees for personal reasons.
Babalu, New Clinic OpensBabalu Tacos & Tapas opens today in Fondren's Duling Hall. The Mexican and Spanish-inspired restaurant offers gourmet tacos and small dishes, or tapas, with an emphasis on fresh and often locally sourced ingredients.
Shannon GoodwillShannon Goodwill wants families affected by domestic violence to know that the community supports them. Goodwill, a sixth-grade art teacher at Brandon Middle School, is organizing "Art and Sole," an art project she and her students are donating to a …
Cochran Votes Against Doomed Earmark BanMississippi U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran was one of eight Republicans to vote against an earmark ban, which failed in a 39-to-56 vote in the Senate today.
City To Receive $550K Earmark for Art FacilitiesJackson is set to receive $550,000 from the federal government to upgrade three public arts facilities. The City Council will vote tomorrow on submitting a formal earmark request to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which would finalize …
JSU Presidential Pick NamedThe board of trustees for Mississippi's universities announced Nov. 22 that it had selected Carolyn W. Meyers to serves as the next president of Jackson State University. Meyers is the former president of another historically black institution, Norfolk State University …
Not a Ghost TownAs Betty Lyons rode through neighborhoods in west Jackson during a recent tour, she envisioned the boarded-up homes along Grand Avenue and Rose Street occupied with residents and creating a vibrant community.
Private Youth Prison Under FireBy corporate standards, the Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility has been a success. Since opening in 2001, the private prison has generated roughly $100 million for the companies that have operated it.
Downtown Arena, Anyone?It's become a rite of passage: The rebounding city builds a sports-and-entertainment arena, a shiny mark of maturity and status, like a 16-year-old's new car.
Fix the Earmarks ProcessMississippi's U.S. Sens. Cochran and Wicker, whipped to a fury by Republican deficit hawks, have committed themselves to the idea of no longer sending earmark money back to their home state.
[Kamikaze] Race, AgainMy late mother always encouraged me to face problems head on. To this day, I've never let issues fester. Problem? You're going to know about it immediately, and I'm going to begin working on solutions and actions.
Priester Wins RunoffPriester, who faced Jackson attorney Brent Southern in subdistrict 1, will take the seat of Judge William Barnett, who did not seek re-election, after a swearing-in ceremony Jan. 3. Priester received 61.9 percent, or 6,083 votes, and Southern 38 percent, …
Earmark ‘Kings' Pledge BanMississippi's two U.S. senators signed onto a pledge last week by fellow Republicans to refrain from requesting earmark funds for their home state during the upcoming 112th Congress. Sens. Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker--ranked as the No. 1 and No. …
Business News: Renovations and ClosingsEley Guild Hardy Architects celebrated the opening of its downtown Jackson office Nov. 18. The firm moved into the former Union Planters Bank building at 329 E. Capitol St. this fall after a $1.7 million renovation. The building had been …
[Balko] Draconian Gun LawsSue Aitken called the police because she was worried about her son, Brian. She now lives with the guilt of knowing that her phone call is the reason Brian spent his 27th birthday in a New Jersey prison last month. …
JSU, Alcorn Presidential Picks UnveiledThe board of trustees for Mississippi's universities announced its preferred candidates today for the presidencies of Alcorn State University and Jackson State University. M. Christopher Brown, executive vice president and provost at Fisk University in Nashville, Tenn., is the board's …
Councilmen Address Store ShootingAddressing tension between Indian storeowners and their African American clientele, Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes called for dialogue between the groups at a public hearing on crime yesterday evening.
Jackson Local Business Alliance Gains SupportSeveral Community members supported the idea of of forming a local business alliance today during a presentation by American Independent Business Alliance co-founder Jeff Milchen.
For the KidsA few months ago, I picked up a copy of The Clarion-Ledger's VIP Jackson magazine and flipped through. I was shocked at how few black VIP Jacksonians I saw in the stories, party pics and advertising.
Tacos y Tapas in FondrenBabalu Tacos & Tapas is set to open in December in Duling Hall, in the renovated Duling School in Fondren.
City Eyes Water HikesThe city of Jackson is eyeing water and sewer fee hikes this year.
UMMC Unveils Obesity CenterVisitors to the Jackson Convention Center during last week's Global Obesity Summit could be forgiven for a little mirthless laughter.
Alliances of the Little GuysJeff Milchen doesn't like big boxes. In 1997, Milchen noticed with alarm that large chain stores were rapidly displacing the locally owned, independent stores that gave Boulder, Colo., its character.