Judges Want to See PSC's RationaleWhat exactly happened for the Mississippi Public Service Commission to let a utility company jack up the price on a plant by nearly a half-billion dollars in less than a month's time?
Angel of the CourtWhen it comes to domestic violence, the best defense is an orchestrated, integrated justice system. That's the kind of system that earned the Clinton Municipal Court this year's Angel Award from The Center for Violence Prevention on Tuesday. The CVP …
Smokin' the PollsMississippi Gov. Haley Barbour is smoking the polls. Well, one poll anyway. The Raleigh, N.C.-based firm Public Policy Polling, which Democratic pollster Dean Debnam founded, unveiled its findings Friday, Dec. 9. The poll shows Barbour's approval rating inside the state …
Another Landfill?All day long, hulking trucks rumble along North County Line Road to dump loads of rubbish at one of the area's two waste dumps. At the north end of the road sits Republic Services Inc.-operated Little Dixie Landfill; at the …
[Hales] Death of the College Dream?For the past two months, Americans have struggled to figure out what exactly the Occupy Wall Street movement is about. Who are the protesters? What do they stand for? What is their agenda? Many have asked these questions, but no …
The JFP Interview with Heather McTeerGreenville Mayor Heather McTeer, 35, isn't afraid to challenge herself. She completed the St. Jude Marathon years after doctors said she'd never be able to run due to an old injury. Her motivation has inspired others in the Delta, identified …
JRA Faces More Hotel Hurdles<b>CORRECTION: This is an updated version of the story referencing the law firm of Balch and Bingham. In an earlier version, we had the firm's name incorrect. We apologize for the error.</b>
Graham Defiant in Auditor ProbeMore than five months since receiving a demand from Mississippi State Auditor Stacey Pickering, Hinds County District 1 Supervisor Robert Graham has not paid the $45,736 the auditor said Graham owes the state.
Barbour: Don't Marginalize WomenI'm not sure what Gov. Haley Barbour is "running" for now--vice president? chief of staff?--but I was dismayed to read about his recent speech in which he focused on how churches and church leaders need to help stave off "illegitimacy" …
Can We Learn from the Hotel Morass?As the city administration and the Jackson Development Authority scramble to close a convention-center hotel deal filled with "complexities" (as JRA member John Reeves put it), the situation should make the rest of us wonder: How can we avoid being …
Overtime Kerfluffle Causes Council DetourCity Council members took a detour from the agenda this morning to discuss the millions of dollars the city spends on overtime pay each year.
They're CraftyThey say that handmade gifts mean so much more to the recipient. They also mean a lot to the artists who craft the items as well as to the local economy, especially now. The Mississippi Craft Center Gallery in Ridgeland, …
Presidential Pardons Heavily Favor WhitesWhite criminals seeking presidential pardons over the past decade have been nearly four times as likely to succeed as minorities, a ProPublica examination has found.
Creative ‘Coworking' Comes to JacksonCreative Distillery hasn't quite finished setting up its new office on the third floor of Banner Hall. A few walls are still awaiting paint and an empty corner in the kitchen needs a refrigerator. But Melia Dicker points to high …
Can Sacred, Secular Coexist on Farish?Despite popular beliefs, churches are not ivory towers. Or, as the Rev. Dr. Hickman Johnson put it: "The church should not be cloistered somewhere because it has to be holy. The dichotomy between the secular and the sacred is not …
Reasons Behind DropoutsStudents drop out of school for many reasons, a panel of high-school students said, but the community can help them stay in school.
[Jones] A Lottery for 3-Year OldsIn 1962, 58 Michigan toddlers won a lottery. To pick up their prize, these 3-year-olds were dropped off at a row of buildings in Ypsilanti, a small town near Ann Arbor, on a September morning. All the children were from …
Black Farmers: Getting Their Due?Mississippi is likely to have the highest concentration of farmers who are entitled to a piece of two landmark decisions. In fact, more than one-fourth of the claims under the second decision originated in Mississippi, according to the Black Farmers …
Follow Lead of Powell, BarksdaleThere are people who complain, seeing insurmountable problems everywhere, and there are people who take action infused by hope and informed by facts and evidence. We were thrilled to see people in the latter category, working for the future of …
Doomsday for Black Folks?By all measures, the state of black Mississippi should be strong. Mississippi's concentration of African American residents, 37 percent, is the highest of any state. Mississippi also has the highest number of majority-black counties, 25, and black elected officials (900+). …
Jackson Aces Elementary MathJackson is focusing more of its financial resources on schools with the neediest students, bucking a national trend, U.S. Department of Education data suggest.
Not Giving Up on Jackson KidsJackson struggles with a graduation rate below the national average, but the community is not giving up on its students, an organization started by Colin Powell says.
Big Changes at KoinoniaIf his ability to juggle a phone interview while whipping a breakfast bagel is any indication, Nate Coleman is going to make one heck of a restaurateur. Coleman, a Jackson native and trained culinary chef is bringing a new eatery …
Hinds Balks at Madison LandfillA decade-long controversy over the placement of a landfill on North County Line Road could soon draw to a conclusion. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, which must grant NCL-Waste LLC a permit to move forward with plans for a …
Eastover Subdivisions LimitedDevelopers eyeing properties in the Eastover neighborhood will not be able to purchase land and divide it up into smaller parcels. City Council members voted this morning to extend a moratorium on new subdivision plats in the neighborhood. The council …
Old Capitol Green Progressing<b> An earlier version of this story had the wrong photograph. We apologize for the error.</b>
Making Science and Math ExcitingWilliam Johnson III, a third-grader at Casey Elementary School, looked skeptically at the rubbery, gray sheep's brain displayed on a Styrofoam plate. Tentatively, he poked at it, then turned around and shouted excitedly for his friend.
Greenville Mayor Heather McTeer, 35, isn't afraid to challenge herself. She completed the St. Jude Marathon years after doctors said she'd never be able to run due to an old injury. Her motivation has inspired others in the Delta, identified …