Defensible Space Reduces Crime"Defensible space is a model for residential environments which inhibits crime by creating the physical expression of a social fabric that defends itself." — Oscar Newman, 1972
Part-time OccupationAfter weeks of debate, the Jackson City Council agreed to a compromise to allow Occupy Jackson protesters to stay at Smith Park later in the evening, although they will not get to occupy the park overnight.
Obit for a Flaming TrollIt's getting harder to comment on news stories with an anonymous post. As many readers click on links to get to stories, they have started to notice that once they get to the comments section, the site already knows who …
UMMC Hosts Children's Health StudyThe National Children's Study, a long-term study of children's health, hosted a ribbon cutting Nov. 10 at the Jackson Medical Mall to highlight research that is taking place in the Jackson area.
Our Anti-tax Governor Just Endorsed Online Sales TaxI can't say I disagree with this: The Hill is reporting that Haley Barbour endorsed it in a letter to lawmakers today, urging them to close a loophole that lets online retailers forego sales taxes that are sorely needed at …
Garbage to GigawattsWith Mississippi outpacing other states when it comes to using electricity, a little creativity is necessary to keep up with demand. Increasingly, that means supplementing traditional hydro, coal and nuclear power with other forms of renewables-driven electricity powered by the …
City Compromises with Occupy ProtestersOccupy Jackson will get to spend more time in Smith Park, although protesters will not get to stay overnight, as they had asked.
The Penguin Takes FlightThe Penguin, a restaurant at One University Place, will have its grand opening this Thursday at 3 p.m. The restaurant (1100 John R. Lynch St., Suite 6A) serves a casual lunch menu with daily specials and more sophisticated dinner entrees, …
AG Offers Consumer Safety Tips for Cyber MondayWith the holiday shopping season upon us, Attorney General Jim Hood is warning Mississippians to beware of unscrupulous people selling counterfeit or pirated goods, either in person or online. Many times, they sell these items on websites that look legitimate, …
[Kamikaze] Just the MessengerMississippi, and Jackson particularly, suffers from "shoot the messenger" syndrome. You know: If you don't like the message, just attack the person(s) delivering it. If the message could possibly upset your gravy train, then you discredit the source.
What the Mamas Taught UsWhen I heard 40 days before Election Day that the "No on 26" folks were trying to hire a spokesperson, I just knew women didn't have a chance. Thankfully, I was wrong.
Hinds Wants Blank CheckTo get the ball rolling on construction of a proposed roadway, the Hinds County Board of Supervisors will ask the Legislature for financial support.
Occupy Jackson Permit Under ScrutinyOn the sidewalk outside Smith Park, too-small tarps covered waterlogged books, papers and canisters of food caught in Tuesday's heavy rain. Inside City Hall a few blocks away, the signs' owners assembled to try to persuade the City Council Planning …
Occupy LocalCorporate America wants to cash in this holiday season with a highly visible campaign to support small businesses. Gannett Co. Inc., owner of The Clarion-Ledger, joined this effort with full force.
What's Next for Voter ID?With her hand pressed to the side of her face in a sign of frustrated concentration, Valencia Robinson, founder and executive director of Mississippi in Action, sat at a table in the front of the room and riffled through brochures …
The Cycle of HateJust when we think we've moved beyond Emmett Till, history gives us James Craig Anderson.
Love Thy Neighbor? Buy LocalThe programs are called all sorts of things these days--Think Local First, Small Business Saturday, Shift Your Shopping, Keep Austin Weird, Keep Fondren Funky--but they all point to one thing: the need to shop local* during the holidays. (Not to …
Our Poverty and ThanksgivingMy parents filed bankruptcy when I was in the fifth grade. My father filed a second time with his second wife years later.
City Can't Afford to Divorce TCIPlans are in motion to fund a convention center hotel downtown, with developers and city officials hoping to get everything togehter in time to get Gulf Opportunity Zone Bonds for the project before they expire at the end of the …
Grassroots Mamas Tell AllLori Gregory-Garrott opened her front door suddenly and looked at her sleepy Fondren neighborhood with anticipation. It was just before 10 p.m. Nov. 8, Election Day.
Personhood's Next MoveReligious fervor illuminated much of the dialogue at a Yes on 26 event just moments after voters refused to pass a constitutional amendment to declare that people with legal rights exist at the moment of fertilization. Supporters of the initiative …
Feds to Draw Congress MapFrom the looks of it, it'll be federal judges, and not the Mississippi Legislature, who will redraw the state's map of congressional districts.
Shop LocalThe Small Business Association encourages Americans to shop at small businesses the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Small Business Saturday, Nov. 26, is part of an effort to get people to support community businesses on the year's biggest shopping weekend.
Hinds County Wants Blank Check for ProjectThe Hinds County Board of Supervisors will ask the Legislature to issue bonds to aid development in the Clinton-Byram corridor; they just don't know how much funding they will request quite yet. The Hinds County Board of Supervisors this morning …
Council Moves Occupy Jackson Permit to Planning CommitteeThe future of Occupy Jackson is still up in the air. The City Council voted this morning to discuss the group's request for a special-events permit during a Planning Committee meeting tomorrow afternoon.
DA Smith: Don't Set Booby TrapsContrary to popular belief, the district attorney's office doesn't spring into action the instant a crime occurs, Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith explained this morning.
Voter ID Planning BeginsValencia Robinson, founder and executive director of Mississippi in Action, an advocacy group, sat at a table in the front of the room and riffled through brochures and printouts from the American Civil Liberties Union, the Mississippi Department of Public …
To get the ball rolling on construction of a proposed roadway, the Hinds County Board of Supervisors will ask the Legislature for financial support.
Lori Gregory-Garrott opened her front door suddenly and looked at her sleepy Fondren neighborhood with anticipation. It was just before 10 p.m. Nov. 8, Election Day.