State of the State: A Fact-CheckGov. Haley Barbour used his final State of the State address, on Jan. 11, to tout his resume of accomplishments over two terms. Ever the savvy political communicator, the governor stretched the truth and papered over the more complicated reality. …
[Kamikaze] Taking a StandI've always said if change were going to come in Jackson, it wouldn't come easy. I've known for years that some folks would have be dragged kicking and screaming into the new millennium. A "rebirth" isn't going to be pleasant. …
The New American MythWhen I was 6 years old, the concept of zero made my brain hurt. "How can there be nothing?" I wailed in utter frustration. "Even when you take away all the apples and all the oranges, you still have the …
History's ReturnGov. Haley Barbour is a sucker for anniversaries, apparently. In his final State of the State address last week, the governor said that 2011—the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Rides and the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil …
Latinos and LoansMississippi could be headed for a courtroom showdown if the full state Legislature passes an anti-immigrant bill mirroring an Arizona law that forces law-enforcement to profile people they suspect to be undocumented residents.
Stand Up to Senate Scheme for VotesThe Mississippi Senate shamed our state Tuesday when it approved an Arizona-style anti-immigrant law that will require law enforcement to profile anyone they think could be an "illegal" immigrant and demand their papers.
[Dennis] Defensive ReflexAre we ready, yet, to have a serious and civil conversation about guns, violence, and hate?
Reading the Tea Leaves: The Tea Party in MississippiTea Party member Donald Wiggans was different. A small, wiry man, he stood quietly during an August 2009 town-hall meeting on health-care reform featuring U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson.
The Slippery Arena StudyThe push for an entertainment arena in downtown Jackson, once a private endeavor, is now a matter for city government. Last month, the steering committee of business leaders that has been raising funds for an arena feasibility study handed control …
Arizona-Style Immigration Bill Advances, In A HurryThe Mississippi Senate passed a bill modeled after Arizona's anti-immigrant law SB 1070 today, despite protests by some Democrats that the measure was rife with errors carried over from the other state's law.
New Eats; Small Business Loans AvailableLongtime Fondren lunch spot Brent's Drugs started serving breakfast Saturday. The soda fountain and lunch counter closed its pharmacy operation in 2009, and new owner Brad Reeves has had his sights on serving breakfast since purchasing the venerable eatery. The …
Cynthia NewhallCynthia Newhall was just a teenager when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated April 4, 1968. On April 18, her 16th birthday, Newhall decided to dedicate her life to the struggle for equality.
[Balko] The Year in ClemencyIt was a strange year for clemency, the often misunderstood and generally misused power that allows the president and governors to grant pardons (which overturn convictions) and commutations (which reduce sentences). The federal clemency power was meant to be a …
Hezekiah WatkinsOn a sunny day in the spring of 1961, Hezekiah Watkins was just another face in the crowd as he watched the Freedom Riders arrive at the Greyhound bus station on Lamar Street. Itching for a closer look, the 13-year-old …
McMillin to Run for Re-electionLong-time Hinds County Sheriff Malcolm McMillin announced last week that he will seek re-election in November. Currently, McMillin is the only candidate to announce a run for the position.
Opponents Vow to Fight Anti-Immigrant BillMississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance Executive Director Bill Chandler said a Senate Committee's approval of an anti-immigrant bill yesterday will "put a target" on all Latinos in Mississippi, regardless of their resident status.
Midtown Center Promotes ProsperityThe effort to revitalize Jackson's Midtown neighborhood has a new arm. The Prosperity Center of Greater Jackson pairs traditional welfare services with counseling and wellness programs, Kristi Hendrix, executive director of Midtown Partners, told an audience at Koinonia Coffee House's …
Senate Committee Passes Anti-Immigrant BillThis afternoon, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed Senate Bill 2179, which is similar to a controversial Arizona law that forces local and state law enforcement to ask for proof of legal residency from individuals they suspect are undocumented residents during …
Ruth's Chris Employee Fired Over E-MailThe general manager of Ruth's Chris Steak House in Ridgeland has been fired, following an e-mail exchange in which he used the word "ghetto" to describe a reservation request by an African American woman. The manager, Andy Nesenson, forwarded LaTrenda …
Lawmakers Tackle Teen PregnancyA 13-year-old Jackson Public Schools student kisses her 30-year-old boyfriend as he drops her off at school one morning. When school officials call the teen's mother. She shows little concern saying, "He takes care of her, he helps her get …
JATRAN's Convenience Factor"Don't let it be gone already," I repeated to myself, like a mantra, whizzing down State Street to meet photographer Amile Wilson. I'd spent a little more time than I'm willing to admit trying to figure the schedule out. "This …
Political TweetsA good way to get information about what is going on at the state Legislature is to follow lawmakers who are using social media to reach their constituents and sending updates in real time.
Teaching The TruthNext year, for the first time, Mississippi will require all social-studies teachers to teach the history of civil rights in the state. The requirement will come more than five years after state lawmakers initially approved the curriculum change.
Politicians: Tone Down the RhetoricThe United States changed Saturday morning, Jan. 8, when an apparently mentally disturbed man took out his anti-government venom by trying to assassinate a U.S. congresswoman, and killing a little girl, a judge and other people's loved ones in the …
Put Up or Shut Up, Progressives2011 is already promising to be a tumultuous year, particularly in Mississippi. Legislators have numerous crises to confront in this year, most of them rising from not having enough revenue to keep up with the rising operating costs of effective …
Barbour Cheers Economy, Chides ObamaIn his final State of the State address yesterday, Gov. Haley Barbour offered optimism about Mississippi's economic recovery, as well as criticism of President Barack Obama and the federal government. Citing a string of new manufacturing projects in the state, …
Whitwell: A True ConservativeFor one, Whitwell' lobbied for legislation allowing power companies to buck the state's years-old process for funding new energy development. For decades, power companies could only charge ratepayers for the cost of building new energy plants after the plants were …
Former Inmate: Youth Prison Was HellThe Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility is failing to rehabilitate and is actually endangering the lives of its juvenile inmates, advocates and former inmates told state lawmakers today. Members of the House Juvenile Justice Committee heard a litany of complaints …
New Openings; Fondren Parade PlanningThe Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership will celebrate the grand opening of Paco's Margaritas Mexican Grille at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 13. The restaurant is located at 6340 Ridgewood Court Drive in Jackson and is open 11 a.m. to 11 …
Tea Party member Donald Wiggans was different. A small, wiry man, he stood quietly during an August 2009 town-hall meeting on health-care reform featuring U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson.