Dear Meadville: Thomas Moore Tries To Wake Up His HometownOn his July pilgrimage back to his native Mississippi, Thomas Moore got his hopes up. With the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. and the Jackson Free Press documenting his effort, Moore went back to his native Franklin County, and over to Natchez, …
[Greggs] I Am MississippiI love this place. This state, I mean. I love the fact my neighbors showed up the day after Katrina with chainsaws in hand because they noticed a tree blocking my car in the driveway. I love my mamaw, and …
Born To Be A ThugA couple weeks back, culture czar Bill Bennett said crime would go down if all black babies were aborted. A couple months back, a business publication editor in Brandon said that the inner city is breeding young criminals. A couple …
Bennett And His Black Boys"If you wanted to reduce crime, you could—if that were your sole purpose—you could abort every black baby in this country and your crime rate would go down." No, that quote did not loom anonymously on some racist Web site, …
[Greggs] Like Bourbon For ChocolateLast week, after spying the ever-growing acreage of my cat's butt, I begrudgingly headed to the store to buy her diet food for the first time. I felt badly about it. Mainly because I would think one of the perks …
The Place To Be: Developers Catering More To City's ‘Creative Class'Since the early 1970s, an outflow of businesses and residents to the suburbs has decimated downtown Jackson. Until recently, the lower taxes demanded of cow pastures and the cheap gas used to get there made moving somewhere else and starting …
[Greggs] Finding My MannersEmotions are interesting things. Because I am a therapist and ultimately a huge nerd, I spend at least three hours a day explicating mine. Due to this, if you cut in front of me in line, I will tell you …
Don't Miss Killen Cover Story, Irby ColumnNote: For now, the JFP's current 4,000+ word cover story, "After Killen: What's Next for Mississippi?", is not posted here in the Killen trial blog. Click here to access that story, read the more than 100 comments to date and …
Edgar Ray Killen Back In PrisonA judge Friday revoked the bond that allowed Edgar Ray Killen to stay out of prison while he appealed his manslaughter conviction for the 1964 slayings of three civil rights workers. Circuit Judge Marcus Gordon ordered Killen returned to prison …
No Minors AllowedI had only eaten half of my French fries at Fenian's one night when they asked me to leave. I was in the back watching Fatman Squeeze with some friends. I was drinking water.
[Greggs] Why Ask WhyA few days ago I got an e-mail asking if I could write a column about "college" due to the theme of this week's paper. I decided it probably wouldn't be kosher for me to write a column screaming about …
SOS Announces ‘Voter-Verified Paper Trail'It seems the secretary of state's office is trying to respond to concerns about the new voting machines such as the JFP reported more than a month ago:
Crime Plan Faces Reality CheckLast week Mayor Frank Melton announced a number of methods to combat crime in the city. "I'm making a change in leadership at the municipal court, and Gayle Lowery, a current city judge, will take over the municipal court effective …
Grand Hotel: Does the King Edward Have a Glorious Future?Jackson Mayor Frank Melton attempted to put some gas behind the renovation of the King Edward Hotel July 22 when, through the media, he gave his staff about a month to finalize plans to renovate the hotel. Or, he threatened, …
[Greggs] Why Not Just Turn Gay?The other day I was lying around with a friend discussing my less-than-stellar dating life and wondering what it would be like if I expended all that time doing something useful, like eating. At one point during the conversation she …
Better Late Than NeverWithin weeks of passing a resolution to apologize for lynching, the U.S. Senate is moving to help solve old civil rights cases. U.S. Sens. Jim Talent, R-Mo., and Chris Dodd, D-Conn., recently announced strong support for their Unsolved Civil Rights …
Dems: State GOP Lying About House[verbatim statement]By attacking the integrity of one of the state's longest-serving legislators, the Mississippi Republican Party has once again launched into their far-too-familiar practice of spreading lies and misinformation. GOP Chairman Jim Herring wants to use BIPEC ratings as a …
[Chick] Oh, Snap"Oh, snap!" That's what Monkey said when he realized he was going to miss a barbecue while with his dad at the beach. I was both shocked and amused. "Did you just say snap?"
I Want Justice, Too: Brother Wants Mississippi Cold Case Murders Re-openedThe Jackson Free Press teamed with the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. to follow an Army vet and Mississippi native on his journey back home, looking for justice for his little brother who was killed by the Klan in 1964. This is …
Deliver Us From EvilI was lying in bed last week, thinking about the Edgar Ray Killen trial. My feelings on it are hard to sort out; I'm relieved, yet worried that too many people will treat it as an end rather than a …
[Greggs] Just Not Paying AttentionMost of the time when I'm driving home from work, I'm diligently thinking about something like how cool I would look wearing a cowboy hat while dancing on the hood of my car. I will also admit to daydreaming about …
The Killen Verdict, Explained"Preacher" Edgar Ray Killen's jury trial has ended; he was convicted of manslaughter in the deaths of the three young men on June 21, 1964. On June 23, 2005, Judge Marcus Gordon sentenced Killen to the maximum allowed under Mississippi …
Creative Loafing: 'Racial Healing In Mississippi'Creative Loafing editor and blogger John Sugg has published a cover story about the Killen trial, with an intriguing comparison of Killen and Dick Molpus, in the Creative Loafing papers in Atlanta, Tampa, Fla., and Charlotte, N.C. He writes:
Clark Announces Voting Machine ContractSecretary of State Eric Clark today introduced new touch-screen voting machines that most Mississippians will use to cast ballots beginning in 2006. "These voting machines will greatly improve the accuracy and integrity of every election in Mississippi," Clark said. "They …
Killen's Bad Week WorsensAfter a Neshoba County jury found Edgar Ray Killen guilty of three counts of manslaughter on June 21 for orchestrating the deaths of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, his week went from bad to worse. Being rolled out …
[Kamikaze] Two Steps Forward, Two Back"If you don't learn from the past, you're doomed to repeat it." Well, don't be surprised if the drama that is the real world has started looking like a rerun. Too often, when Mississippi appears to be discarding the vestiges …
[Chick] Tankini HellFirst of all, I had every intention of boycotting the swimsuit industry this year. No, I was not going to be that chick you see at the public pool wearing gym clothes in the water. (By the way, if she's …
New Gallery of Killen Trial Photos Just PostedPhotographer Kate Medley has just posted a full gallery of 87 photos from the Edgar Ray Killen trial last week. Don't miss them! Kate—a Jacksonian and Murrah grad—did some amazing work over there and by Thursday was shooting for the …
[Lott] Crossroads or Cross HairsJune 24, 2005 Throughout American history, people of all cultures have sought freedom and opportunity in our nation – legally, for the most part. We know that immigration is an integral part of American history that has made us so …
The Jackson Free Press teamed with the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. to follow an Army vet and Mississippi native on his journey back home, looking for justice for his little brother who was killed by the Klan in 1964. This is …