Free Speech or Bad Behavior?A recent Jackson Police Department internal investigation is a prime example of the wild world of free speech in the Internet era. On March 10, the department released a statement acknowledging the investigation of an employee for "conduct unbecoming of …
Lesbian Teen Fights for PromConstance McMillen unwraps a Super Sonic Burger from a bag full of tater tots at her kitchen table in Fulton. Her long, dark hair is curled, and her face is made up. She's wearing a new black T-shirt that reads …
Revenue Estimates Down, Barbour to Announce Budget CutsWith newly revised revenue estimates projecting a slow recovery for the state economy, Gov. Haley Barbour is preparing to cut an additional $41 million from the state budget for this fiscal year. The Mississippi Legislature's joint budget committee today adopted …
Jackson Chamber Eyeing IndependenceThe Jackson Chamber of Commerce, a subsidiary of the metro-area Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership, is planning to become an independent body to better advocate for the city's economic interests. A move to complete autonomy is probably more than a year …
ACLU Fights Prom CancellationTo help protect teen Constance McMillen's decision to bring her girlfriend to the prom, the Mississippi ACLU will file an injunction next week to prevent the Itawamba County School District from canceling the school's prom. The district's school board announced …
Can Cannon Nissan Revive I-20 Corridor?Michael Joe Cannon sees opportunity to revive business in the Interstate 20 corridor that parallels Raymond Road in Jackson, recently backing up his beliefs by opening a new Nissan dealership near the former Deuce McAlister Nissan, which closed last year.
Derek EmersonOf all the dishes that Walker's Drive-In serves to its customers, Chef Derek Emerson says that tuna is his personal favorite. "It has to do with the way I created it," the James Beard Best Chef nominee says. "I like …
Luckett to Speak in Jackson FridayClarksdale attorney and 2011 candidate for governor Bill Luckett will speak at Koinonia Coffee House in Jackson Friday morning. Luckett, who announced his candidacy in September, is the featured speaker at the 9 a.m. Friday Forum, a weekly series sponsored …
Major Crimes Down; Up in Some PrecinctsMajor crimes in Jackson dropped 13.6 percent last week, according to statistics released today at a Jackson Police Department command staff meeting. Officers reported 142 total property crimes, down from 168 the week before, and 29 violent crimes, down from …
Appropriations and Pole-DancingThe House and Senate agreed on a major appropriation bill last week, when negotiators came to terms on appropriations bill SB 2495, which restores $82 million to the Fiscal Year 2010 budget, including $37 million slated for K-12 public education. …
Public Works, Private ProfitIf Mississippi hadn't provided $15 million in bonds and another $20 million in loan guarantees last January to Schulz GMBH to build its pipe factory, some other state would have. In today's economic market, "tax incentives" is the game state …
Bring Development to EarthTea-partiers and fiscal conservatives make a lot of noise about how much citizens pay in taxes—income, property, sales and so forth—decrying any effort toward increased spending on health care or social programs.
Charters and Quasi-ChartersThe Mississippi Legislature's wrangling over charter schools intensified yesterday when the House of Representatives passed a bill that would authorize "innovative schools" but voted down a provision for actual charter schools.
Banking LocallyJoe Magee, 59, is a third-generation poultry and cattle farmer. His farm, located just outside Mendenhall, produces a little more than half a million chickens and around 100 head of beef cattle a year. Magee operates the farm with the …
Council Steps Sideways on Civilian ReviewThe Jackson City Council approved a resolution today that represents an intermediate step toward establishing some form of civilian oversight of the Jackson Police Department. After months of deliberation in committee, the resolution calls for the creation of a "an …
Voter ID Poised For 2011 VoteMississippians will vote next fall on a constitutional amendment to require photo identification at the polls. In a press conference this afternoon, Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann accepted petitions for a ballot initiative on voter ID for the Nov. 2011 …
Court to Review Panel Decision on Global Warming SuitA recent U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals decision could undermine Gulf Coast resident's efforts to hold oil companies responsible for causing global warming and contributing to Hurricane Katrina's damage.
Lawmakers Debate Alternate Education TrackGeneral classroom goals for high-school students, in Mississippi and elsewhere, emphasize pushing kids toward four-year college degrees. Some Magnolia state lawmakers are now looking at introducing a career-track curriculum for the many teens who may not be college bound, reports …
Neighborhood Grill to Replace Tye'sFor the past two years, Tye's Restaurant and Bar in the Plaza Building on Congress street served as an after-work meeting place for professionals and fine-dining favorite among locals.
Fondren Crime Meeting Turns to ‘Healing'A standing-room-only crowd gathered at Sneaky Beans coffee shop on Tuesday evening to voice concerns about crime in the Fondren neighborhood and to hear crime-prevention tips from law enforcement officials. The community meeting, sparked by fears of crime, has morphed …
Wins, Losses for School AppropriationsThe House and Senate agreed to restore about $37 million to K-12 education in a this week following Gov. Haley Barbour's veto of a budget reconciliation bill that would have restored $79 million in cuts to the Mississippi Adequate Education …
Happiness Worth CelebratingIn my own relationship with an abusive man, "You're the best" turned fairly quickly into "I'm the only one who loves you," along with overt attempts to demonize my friends and isolate me.
Nursing Homes and OverridesLast week was all about passing budget bills, with the House and Senate considering a huge list of appropriation legislation funding various state agencies.
Barbour Blames Media for Toyota WoesIn 2007—before the economy tanked—Mississippi lawmakers and Gov. Haley Barbour approved a $293.9 million incentive package to persuade Toyota Motor Corp. to build a factory in Blue Springs, Miss., near Tupelo. Proposed improvements to the 1,700-acre site plan include infrastructure …
[Eady] Our Students Deserve BetterThree young boys waited on a wooden bench in a brown-paneled office on the hot May day. Anton stretched his legs out and slouched back, his face blank and eyes flashing with anger. Next to him sat Reggie, whose brown …
Lessons of the 1979 Easter FloodThe U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recommended last week that FEMA re-certify the levees protecting the Hinds and Rankin County edges bordering the Pearl River, despite the fact that the levees cannot stop a 200-year flood event similar to the …
Target: Dating ViolenceWhen Brittany started dating Jack (not their real names), she was involved in her high school's athletic program, spent time with a large group of male and female friends, and had a personality that radiated happiness.
[Mott] Happiness Worth CelebratingFor too long in Mississippi, the legal community--police, lawyers and judges--have seen domestic abuse as a problem best dealt with at home. Women bring violence on themselves, the thinking goes; they should just do what their men tell them to. …
Fondren Shooting Spurs Community MeetingA recent armed robbery and shooting in Fondren has some area residents up in arms. A community meeting, advertised on Facebook as "Take Back Our Neighborhoods," is scheduled for 6 p.m. today at Sneaky Beans coffee shop on North State …