Bryant Announces Govt. Reorganization PlanState legislators will consider reform and reorganization of state government in January, Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant said today. At a news conference this morning, Bryant released a report detailing recommendations for improving efficiency and accountability in Mississippi's government.
Miro LagoMiro Lago can boast of being the first working manager of the King Edward Hotel in more than 40 years, since the business closed its doors in 1967. The King Edward Hotel, which is reopening as a Hilton Garden Hotel, …
Why I Like the Senate Health Care BillThis past week I learned something surprising and encouraging about the health-care reform bill in the Senate -- something that you may not know if you've only listened to mainstream media coverage. (If you're listening to right-wing talk radio or …
This Black Friday, Shop Local FirstBlack Friday this, and Black Friday that. Do you really, truly want to get up with the chickens and wait outside some big-box retailer to save a few dollars on the same gift everyone else is buying? Truly?
Opposition to University Mergers StrongGov. Haley Barbour's proposal to merge some state universities continues to draw ire. On Nov. 20, students rallied at Jackson State University to protest Barbour's suggestion that the state's other two historically black universities, Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley State, …
Big Budget WarsGov. Haley Barbour is in crisis mode. The state is up against a $715 million budget shortfall in fiscal year 2011, by his estimates, and another $500 million shortage in fiscal year 2012.
JPS Weighs Bullying PolicyThe bullying got so bad that LaShron Cooley's daughter began to feel physically sick before school. As a sixth-grader in the International Baccalaureate Program at Northwest Middle School, the girl was teased for being bookish and sticking out. Her mother …
Insurance-Reform Bills Big on ChangeRep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., had a lot to be proud of at the end of October when the House released a new and improved bill to reform health care and health-care coverage. The 10-year $894 billion package, she said, would …
More Trouble for Yazoo PumpsLast week, environmental groups pounced on an August lawsuit filed by the Board of Mississippi Levee Commissioners over the federal rejection of a plan to drain the southern portion of the Mississippi Delta.
Three JPS Schools Make Highest GradeThree Jackson elementary schools received the state's highest rating according to new data released this morning by the Mississippi Department of Education. Those elementary schools, Power APAC, Davis Magnet and McWillie, received "Star School" ratings, the highest possible under the …
New Breast Cancer Guidelines Spark ControversyLast week, two separate groups released new recommendations regarding cancer screening for women. On Nov. 16 the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force reversed decades of previous recommendations regarding mammograms to detect breast cancer. Then, on Nov. 20, the American College …
MDE Releases New School RatingsThis morning, the Mississippi Department of Education released the details of its new public school ratings system, after more than two years. The MDE needed the new accountability model "to align with the State Board of Education's goals and a …
Ole Miss Students Social Networking Against KlanThe Mississippi White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan plans to protest the University of Mississippi's decision to drop a controversial pep song Saturday before the football game against Louisiana State University. In response, Ole Miss students of all races …
FBI Seeks Cold-Case Next of KinThe Federal Bureau of Investigation is reassessing more than 100 unsolved civil rights era cold cases, and is searching for victims' next of kin to notify the families of their results, according to a release from the agency. In 33 …
IHL's Bounds: ‘We're in a Financial Crisis'The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning heard some rotten numbers at this morning's IHL meeting. Gov. Haley Barbour recommended a flurry of budget reductions for the state's eight colleges and universities, spurring Higher Education Commissioner …
Jackson Violent Crimes Drop Again; Property Crimes IncreaseMajor crimes rose slightly last week in Jackson, with a drop in violent crime offset by a rise in property crimes, especially house burglaries. According to statistics released at a Jackson Police Department command staff meeting this morning, patrol officers …
Corps Responsible for Katrina Flooding, Court RulesMore than four years after Hurricane Katrina roared out of the Gulf of Mexico, yesterday a federal court ruled against the Army Corps of Engineers for their failure to properly maintain a shipping channel, reports CNN.
University Mergers Loom?Rumors of university consolidation gave way to outright threats Monday when Gov. Haley Barbour released his executive budget recommendations for the 2011 fiscal year. Painting a dismal picture of the state's finances for the next three years, Barbour called for …
Love Thy NeighborI grew up in the Episcopal Church, and it was the center of everything my family did. From Sunday school to youth group and potluck dinners, the church provided a sense of community and belonging.
New Chief Shakes Up JPD StaffNew Jackson Police Chief Rebecca Coleman announced several changes to her command staff on Friday. The moves include promotions and some shifting of responsibilities among deputy chiefs.
[Murphy] Breaking OutI'm often struck by the way that many people live half-truthfully, editing out personal information that they deem unsavory to others. I'm not sure if this is a southern phenomenon, or simply a trend among those of us who are …
Nature vs. NurtureIn the western world, the earliest works depicting homosexuality come from the ancient Greeks, where the practice of adult men having sexual relations with male youths was considered quite normal. The term lesbian dates back to the Greek poetess Sappho, …
Safer Schools NowSchool is not always the most comfortable, or safest, place for a gay student.
Ceara's SeasonCeara Sturgis' home in Wesson, Miss., is filled with cookie jars. Ancient, smiling caricatures of 1950s-era "Campbell's Kids" join recent additions featuring the likeness of the M&M characters.
Johnson Picks New JPS Board MembersMayor Harvey Johnson Jr. announced his picks for the Jackson School Board last night. The returning mayor fell back on the ward rotation method in making his selections. He re-appointed board member Jonathan Larkin to finish his term, which will …
JPS Board Renews Music Program, Delays Bullying PolicyThe Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees renewed a popular music education program last night, after its failure to do so last month resulted in weeks of outcry from parents and education advocates. Board members voted 4-0 to approve the …
Capital Murder Conviction ReversedThe Mississippi Appeals Court has reversed Cory Maye's murder conviction for the Dec. 26, 2001, killing of Ron Jones, a police officer in Prentiss, Miss., a tiny community of 1,000 residents in Jefferson Davis County. The court has remanded the …
JPS Extends Strings ProgramThe Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees has approved a revised contract with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra to extend the strings program through the end of the current school year, reports WAPT. Board President Sollie Norwood was absent from the …
Gov. Haley Barbour is in crisis mode. The state is up against a $715 million budget shortfall in fiscal year 2011, by his estimates, and another $500 million shortage in fiscal year 2012.
Ceara Sturgis' home in Wesson, Miss., is filled with cookie jars. Ancient, smiling caricatures of 1950s-era "Campbell's Kids" join recent additions featuring the likeness of the M&M characters.