Chief Unsure of New Police Review ProcessJackson Police Chief Rebecca Coleman is doubtful about a proposed independent community advocacy review process for police matters. Last night, the Jackson City Council delayed voting on a city ordinance for a board of citizens independent from the police department …
Council Set to Vote on Police OversightThe Jackson City Council may decide today whether to institute a civilian review process for the Jackson Police Department. Long a pet item for Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes, a proposal for a civilian oversight of police complaints passed the …
City Seeks Removal of Visitor's Bureau Expiration DateThe Jackson City Council's Legislative Budget Committee moved forward to re-authorize the Convention Center & Visitors Bureau yesterday, but committee Chairwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon said the committee should ask the state Legislature for a law change that could make future re-authorizations …
[Balko] Flashbangs Under FireThe New York Times reported last week that the New York City Police Department has halted the use of "flashbang" stun grenades. The department began phasing out the devices in 2003 after their deployment in a mistaken drug raid caused …
Guilty Verdict in JSU Murder TrialA Hinds County jury found Stanley Cole guilty of the murder of Latasha Norman this afternoon. Cole, 26, faces life in prison for killing Norman, his ex-girlfriend.
Barbour Goes National, AgainGov. Haley Barbour was in Washington, D.C., this weekend for the National Governors Association's annual conference, but he made headlines for extracurricular activities, speaking against the federal stimulus bill and rallying Republican opposition to health-care reform and climate-change regulations.
Mason Says Merger Plan a Leaked ‘Idea'As Jackson State University President Ronald Mason Jr. shook hands at a forum this morning at Koinonia Coffee House in Jackson, he sought to quell concerns about a possible HBCU merger idea he floated to legislators last month. He maintained …
Senate Votes to Restore Budget Cuts; Barbour Promises VetoGov. Haley Barbour claims he will veto a bill the Mississippi Senate passed today that would restore funding to offset cuts he made to state agencies. "This bill spends too much, burns too much of our reserves, and fails to …
Auto Burglaries puts JPD on AlertA spike in auto burglaries has the Jackson Police Department increasing patrol units and asking residents not to leave valuable possessions in their cars.
PSC to Rule on Kemper County in MayThe Mississippi Public Service Commission will deliver a decision on a proposed $2.4 billion coal plant in Kemper County in May.
Plan B? Flood Control Beyond Lakes and LeveesFlood-control options for the Pearl River seem limited as Jackson-area residents compare the ungainly design of the levee plan designed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1996 with the $1.4 billion cost of a lake-development plan.
Behind Barbour's Prison RhetoricTo hear Gov. Haley Barbour tell it, if he doesn't get his way, the state's fiscal crisis could force thousands of felons out of jail and into communities. Since his Jan. 13 State of the State address, Barbour has repeatedly …
The Problem With Lakes and LeveesWhen famed New Urbanist Andre Duany came to Jackson to examine creative solutions to both flooding and economic-development options, he didn't get excited about the Two Lakes development plan developed by geologist and oilman John McGowan.
‘Personhood' Petition FiledPersonhood Mississippi, an anti-abortion organization led by Les Riley of Pontotoc, has filed a petition with the secretary of state's office to put the issue of when life begins on a ballot for voters to decide, reports WXVT. The organization's …
Hinds Pushes Bonds for Sleep Inn, Valley TitleHinds County Supervisors approved using federal stimulus bonds for two private development projects today. Supervisors approved a motion to provide $2 million in Recovery Zone Facility Bonds to the Jackson-based LEAD Group, LLC, which is constructing a Sleep Inn on …
Effort to Rework Levee Board FailsA play to support a controversial lakes plan died on the House calender last week. The bill, H.B. 1549, proposed changing the make-up of the Rankin-Hinds Pearl Flood and Drainage Control District Levee Board. Authored by Rep. Mary Coleman, D-Jackson, …
House Tries Budget Restoration, AgainThe Mississippi House of Representatives has sent the Senate a second proposal to restore some state budget cuts, while negotiators attempt to reach a compromise on an earlier proposal. The House plan passed by a wide margin Thursday morning, and …
Bill Reduces Out-of-State TuitionThe Mississippi Senate passed a bill last week to reduce tuition for out-of-state students, bringing their tuition in line with in-state students. The bill, S.B. 2285, is designed to encourage more out-of-state enrollments into state schools, which have been historically …
Assistant Chief: Avoid Driving in WeatherThe Jackson Police Department reported low crime figures in some precincts throughout the week of Feb. 1 to Feb. 7, but police are gearing up to deal with any potential hazards resulting from expected snowfall this week.
Speed to Turn Over Property, Calls Ethics Issue ‘Moot'Jackson businessman and Levee Board member Leland Speed is donating a portion of the property that spurred charges of an ethics violation to Mississippi College. Speed told the Jackson Free Press this morning that he is donating his interest in …
Protecting Women, Battling the BudgetJackson state Sen. David Blount has pushed through three bills strengthening domestic-violence laws and protecting victims of abuse.
Pearl River-Related BillsLegislators introduced a number of bills during this year's legislative session that would have had some bearing on Pearl River flood control, although a few of the measures are dead.
Little Love for LeveesThe meeting room for the Rankin-Hinds Pearl Flood and Drainage Control District Levee Board in Flowood filled with rancor Monday, Feb. 8, after the board learned that the state Legislature may vote to dilute its authority to make flood-control decisions …
[Balko] Trial By OrdealA couple of centuries after the age of King Arthur, much of Europe began to engage in similarly ridiculous rituals to determine guilt in cases that lacked eyewitnesses or physical evidence. These rituals, called ordeals, were usually conducted in a …
Levee Board Opposes State Takeover AttemptThe Pearl River Levee Board is angry that the Legislature is trying to end-run their authorityand the Flowood mayor accuses one of the members of ethics violations.
Barbour Announces $21 Million More in Budget CutsGov. Haley Barbour announced another round of state budget cuts totalling $21 million today. Today's cuts, which represent roughly 0.5 percent of the state budget, bring total cuts for the 2010 fiscal year to $458.5 million. The governor warned that …
Kemper Coal Plant Hearing Draws ProtestA crowd of 100 piled into the chambers of the Mississippi Public Service Commission this morning, offering a variety of opinions in support or opposition to a proposed $2.4 billion coal gasification plant in Kemper County.
Jackson Businesses Ready For Super BowlWhat better way to spend Super Bowl Sunday than with an abundance of beer, bar food and emotionally charged football fanatics?
Barbour Delays Further Budget CutsGov. Haley Barbour canceled a press conference scheduled for 11 a.m. this morning at which he was expected to announce additional state budget cuts for this fiscal year. A press release confirming the cancellation said that Barbour "continues to analyze …