Lydia QuarlesIf Lydia Quarles has her way, Mississippi will no longer rank as the 49th state in the nation for the number of females serving in elected office.
City Sets Special ElectionOn Tuesday, Jackson City Council members scheduled a special election for Feb. 15 to fill the Ward 1 council seat. The deadline for candidates to qualify for the Ward 1 special election is Jan. 26. Former councilman Jeff Weill who …
Scott Sisters Story Goes ViralAfter languishing in obscurity for 16 years, the story of imprisoned sisters Jamie and Gladys Scott received its 15 minutes on the national stage last week after Gov. Haley Barbour ordered their life sentences indefinitely suspended.
Building A Future that WorksBeginning a brand-new clean calendar at the turn of the year provides all of us the perfect opportunity to take stock of the past and make changes for a better future, especially those things we may have been procrastinating about.
[Head] And the Good News Is…The 2011 legislative session begins Jan. 4, and it's likely to be exceptionally loud, complicated and messy. Mississippi faces an unusual alignment of unfavorable omens: a budget crisis, a national climate favoring anti-immigrant sentiment, a contentious statewide election year and …
2011 Mississippi Legislative PreviewThe Mississippi Legislature returned Jan. 4, and many legislators are not looking forward to the kind of cuts facing state departments. The Mississippi Department of Mental Health is looking at a shortfall of more than $30 million this year, which …
Former Chief Questions ShootingFormer Jackson Police Chief Robert Johnson says two Jackson police officers should not have been in a position to shoot a Jackson resident on New Year's morning.
A More Collegial CouncilAt 33, Marcus Ward is already a veteran of Jackson city politics. From 2005 to 2009, he served as chief of staff and director of intergovernmental relations under former Mayor Frank Melton. Now he is considering a run for the …
Education Advocates Host TrainingThe Mississippi Youth Justice Project will host "How to Advocate at the School Board" Saturday, Jan. 8, to help parents and students become more involved in their school districts.
Voter ID, Abortion, Eminent Domain, Oh MySecretary of State Delbert Hosemann will deliver three voter-referendum initiatives to the state Legislature this morning that could require voters to bring photo identification to polls, restrict the state's use of eminent domain and amend state law to define when …
Solar Panel Plant To Open; New Downtown CafeA California solar panel company plans to build a new production facility in Hattiesburg, Gov. Haley Barbour announced today. The company, Stion, produces high-efficiency thin-film solar panels at its headquarters in San Diego. Barbour called on the Mississippi Legislature, which …
Legislature Returns; How to Track BillsAs state legislators return to the Capitol tomorrow for the 2011 Legislative session, lawmakers will spend the next 90 days approving diminished funding for state agencies and debating a host of bills.
Job Growth to Aid Economy in 2011?The economy was not Mississippi's strong point this year, although the state is expecting to see job creation in the future. Several industries and businesses Gov. Haley Barbour touted as a successful this year require a healthy dose of government …
Common Sense in 2011Political junkies watched with some surprise as the lame-duck 2010 Congress passed a number of last-minute bills to bring the year to a close. Widely heralded as a week of "wins" for President Obama, the accomplishments are hopefully a bit …
JATRAN Cuts: A Long Time Coming?Kin Palmer staggered out of Jackson City Hall the evening of Dec. 20 visibly angry and frustrated as he joined other JATRAN riders to load the city buses that had transported them to a public hearing regarding cuts to the …
Entergy Seeks $51 Million for Failed ReactorEntergy Mississippi Inc. is requesting $51 million in reimbursements over a stalled nuclear-reactor project at its Grand Gulf nuclear-power plant.
End Mindless ‘Tough-on-Crime' PoliciesA few weeks ago, the Jackson Free Press published a lengthy cover story exposing the mindless politics behind juvenile-justice policies that treat children as adults and end up turning many children into hardened adult criminals, increasing dangerous crime rather than …
[Flynn] Kids Need SportsIt's not news that childhood obesity is a major problem in America. The problem is particularly bad in Mississippi. As recently as last June, our state led the nation in obese children, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in …
City to Metrocenter?; JATRAN Saved, For NowJackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. told the Jackson City Council last night that he wants to move some city facilities into the currently under-used Metrocenter Mall located on Highway 80.
[Balko] Conservatives Rethink 'Tough on Crime'Last week I received an e-mail press release directing me to a new public-policy website. On that website, a quote from Reagan administration Attorney General Ed Meese says it's time to reconsider mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenders.
Bodega Opening; Unemployment Slightly UpResidents of downtown Jackson will soon have an option for grocery shopping nearby. Bodega, a combination grocery store and deli, is set to open by Thursday of this week, co-owner Gwin Wyatt told the Jackson Free Press today.
Council to Vote on Sales-Tax RequestAt tomorrow's meeting, the Jackson City Council will decide whether to ask the state Legislature to remove a controversial state commission that must now approve how the city spends sales-tax money on safety and infrastructure repairs.
Of Barbour and the ‘Uptown Klan'It seems Haley Barbour went too far this time. In an interview with the conservative Weekly Standard, he downplayed the terror and racial caste system of his town and our state during the Civil Rights Movement.
More Room At the InnWhile plans for a convention-center hotel remain in limbo, downtown Jackson is seeing plenty of hotel development on a smaller scale. Last week, a team of developers that included several Jackson businessmen presented the Jackson Redevelopment Authority with their vision …
Health Reform on the WayThe Mississippi Primary Health Care Association and Health Help for Kids hosted a community forum last week featuring federal and state leaders who outlined some of the changes Mississippians could expect as a result of the new health-care legislation.