Lawmakers Tackle Critter CrueltyFor proponents of a felony animal-cruelty law in Mississippi, state Rep. Greg Ward, D-Ripley, seems like the biggest obstacle to success. Last year, when a Senate-approved bill to make the malicious torture or killing of a dog or cat a …
Ward 1 on IceMississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance Legal Project Director L. Patricia Ice waited until the last minute to enter the race for the vacant Ward 1 council seat. Ice barely managed to gather the 50-signature minimum on her petition to run against …
February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention MonthThe Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence is honoring National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention month by promoting healthy youth relationships to prevent teen dating violence.
War On The PoorIt was 7:30 in the morning, and the smallest beneficiaries of the Richard Brandon Head Start Center at 5920 N. State St. followed their young parents into the mass of little portable units. One hobbit-sized girl lifted her legs awkwardly …
Group Forms to Save Fondren StripAn online petition asking developer David Watkins to preserve a 1938 strip of Fondren businesses on North State Street has gained the support of 189 people. Watkins proposes to tear down the strip and replace it with the Whitney Place …
Fondren Business Shuffle, Nightclub ReopensThe Orange Peel is moving. Owner Kristin Tubb says the Fondren consignment shop will open in its new location, at 422 Mitchell Ave., on March 10. As Fondren's retail and restaurant community has grown, the demand for parking has put …
Hinds Cornered on Inmate Medical CareThe Hinds County Board of Supervisors voted today to approve a contract with Reddix Medical Group for medical care at the county jail. The board met this morning to approve a replacement for the county's existing contract with Reddix, which …
AG Hood Promotes Mentor ProgramMississippi Attorney General Jim Hood is looking for volunteers to mentor the children of incarcerated parents.
Showdown Ahead on Immigration LawsuitsMississippi lawmakers are headed for a standoff on two provisions of a proposed Arizona-style immigration bill. The House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 2179 yesterday but stripped a controversial section that would that would allow citizens to sue local law …
Convention Center Attendance Up in 2010Two years after opening its doors to great fanfare, the Jackson Convention Complex has brought in more than $49.7 million and spurred the city's economy by providing jobs, tax revenue, and thousands of visitors who spent money in the city, …
JRA Opposes Eminent Domain InitiativeMembers of the Jackson Redevelopment Authority fear an upcoming November ballot initiative to restrict the government's use of eminent domain to public projects such as bridge and roadway construction will hamper private redevelopment in the city's blighted areas.
Ice Enters Jackson's Ward 1 RaceAt 4 p.m. yesterday, an hour before the city's deadline for Ward 1 city council candidates to file for the Feb. 15 special election, Attorney L. Patricia Ice submitted her paperwork to run for the seat vacated by Jeff Weill.
Partial Smoking Ban Sets Stage for ConfusionA confusing Jackson ordinance could prove to be a case study on the frustration of a statewide partial smoking ban before the Mississippi Legislature.
IHL and Other Kicked PuppiesLast week marked the final week for general bill submissions in this session of the Mississippi Legislature, and much legislation is already clearing the House and Senate. Committees in both chambers are also up against a Feb. 1 deadline to …
Cutting Out The PigsThe University of Mississippi Medical Center is one of only seven medical schools in the United States that still uses live animals to teach medical students basic physiology, pharmacology or surgery.
State Needs Real TransparencyMississippi, we have a problem. Governmental bodies and agencies from right here in Jackson (city, JPS and JPD) all the way up through state (secretary of state's office) have a really bad habit of trying to hide public information from …
JPS Board Won't Renew Edwards' ContractThe Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees voted during its Dec. 7 meeting not to renew Superintendent Lonnie Edwards' contract for the upcoming school year, Board Attorney Dorian Turner told the Jackson Free Press today. The 3-1 vote came during …
Jamie Scott HospitalizedLess than three weeks after her release from prison, Jamie Scott has been hospitalized. Activist Nancy Lockhart, who worked for more than five years to free Jamie and her sister, Gladys, said in an e-mail press release that Jamie was …
Small Business Grants a Boon to CityIn Jackson, Miss., like in cities across our nation, small businesses are at the very core of the local economy. Small businesses create jobs for Jackson's citizens. Local entrepreneurs invest in the community in which they live, making it all …
Council Concerned over JPS SuperintendentWard 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes made a rare visit to the Monday work session yesterday to throw his support behind Jackson Public Schools Superintendent Lonnie Edwards, who is up for an evaluation from the school board tomorrow.
Ward Pulls Out of Ward 1 Council RaceMarcus Ward, who announced his candidacy for Ward 1 city councilman last month, has decided to pull out of the Feb. 15 special election leaving only Quentin Whitwell in the running for the seat.
Baptist's Belhaven Shakeup; New Pizza Shack OpeningBaptist Health Systems will break ground this year on a five-story, mixed-use building in Belhaven. The 130,000-square-foot facility will house four floors of medical offices and a ground floor of retail on the North State Street site currently occupied by …
Bill Proposes to End MPB FundingMississippi Public Broadcasting Acting Executive Director Jay Woods said a proposed bill that would eventually end state funding for his agency due, in part, to its supposed "liberal" bias would hinder the state's educational and economic growth.
Shifting Demographics To Cause Worker ShortageGeorgia diversity trainer Al Vivian predicts a shortage of workers within the next 10 years, if economic and demographic trends continue at their current pace.
Public Involvement is Necessary for Fairly Redrawing District LinesThere was some good news at the state Capitol in January. The Joint Legislative Redistricting Committee met to announce their plans for passage of a redistricting plan this legislative session. It's good to see that they are listening to Mississippians …
Statewide Smoking Ban In the WorksA joint House and Senate Public Health Committee heard opinions yesterday from health advocates and business representatives about the potential consequences of a statewide smoking ban, as proposed by Senate Bill 2726.
Beer Legislation Dead on Arrival?Despite a grassroots effort to modernize state laws on beer and beer brewing, the Mississippi Legislature is unlikely to pass any bills this session to change the status quo.
It was 7:30 in the morning, and the smallest beneficiaries of the Richard Brandon Head Start Center at 5920 N. State St. followed their young parents into the mass of little portable units. One hobbit-sized girl lifted her legs awkwardly …