[Balko] That Other WarDrug War deaths show that the Verndun mentality continues to thrive in America's effort to protect its citizens from themselves. Law enforcement officials shrug off the deaths of innocents and use paramilitary-style units to bear on suspects in volatile and …
Franks Responds to Barbour's State of the State[verbatim] Mississippi Democratic Party Chairman Jamie Franks today released the following response to Gov. Barbour¹s State of the State address:
Protesters: HBCU Merger Cannot HappenAlumni, students, and advocates for historically black colleges and universities marched to the state Capitol from the Mississippi State Fairgrounds today to recognize the birthday of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and to protest Gov. Haley Barbour's recent proposal to …
State of the State TonightGov. Haley Barbour will deliver the twice-delayed Mississippi State-of-the-State speech tonight at 6 p.m. The speech, postponed because of water issues in Jackson, will air live on Mississippi Public Broadcasting TV, radio and on the Internet.
Owen BrooksFew people can honestly say that they have helped to affect a culture like Owen Brooks has. Brooks, 81, born in New York but raised in Boston, participated in the Civil Rights movement that shaped our country's view of racial …
Barbour Expands State of Emergency to 10 Counties[verbatim statement] Governor Haley Barbour today expanded the State of Emergency include Carroll, Claiborne, Hinds, Lauderdale, Panola, Quitman, Tippah, Tunica, Warren and Wayne counties. The recent winter weather system has caused parts of the state to experience substantial damage to …
Currier Named Top Health OfficerThe state Board of Health named Dr. Mary Currier as Mississippi's state health officer on Wednesday. Currier has been fulfilling the role for the Department of Health since her predecessor, Dr. Ed Thompson, died Dec. 1, 2009.
Who's Open for Business (or Closed) in Jackson?This is an open thread for postings about who is open for business and who is closed in Jackson. Feel free to give us updates as things change. Good luck out there.
Mayor: Most Residents Have WaterMayor Harvey Johnson Jr. reported at a late-afternoon press conference that the city's water supply is now up to a sufficient level to supply every resident with water.
Stringer Says Toyota is ‘New Beef Plant'House Appropriations Committee Chairman Johnny Stringer, D-Montrose, compared the state's potential loss in the delayed Toyota plant, near Tupelo, to the failed Mississippi Beef Processors LLC plant, today.
Barbour Again Reschedules SpeechGov. Haley Barbour has rescheduled the annual state-of-the-state speech, originally scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 12, for Monday, Jan. 18. The governor postponed the speech last Monday for tonight due to the capital city's water situation, making this the second postponement. …
[McLaughlin] A Woman's RoleOver the weekend, I ended up at the last place I would have thought I'd spend a Sunday afternoon: the Premier Bridal Show at Jackson Convention Center. I filled in as a writer, and accompanied freelance photographer Meredith Norwood for …
Entergy Misses Audit DeadlineMississippi Public Service Commissioners predicted last week that they may have difficulty approving an audit of Entergy's fuel purchases prices.
Bills That Ain't About MoneyAll eyes at the state Legislature are on how politicians will handle the state's nearly $400 million revenue deficit, but other bills outside of money issues are creeping their way into committees.
Council Mulling Budget ConsultantThe Jackson City Council is looking into the idea of hiring a year-round budget inspector to act as a liaison between the city council and the administrative branch.
[Balko] ‘Sugar Daddy' ShakedownIn May the FBI arrested cardiologist Roger Weiner at a Mississippi gas station for violating the Mann Act, a century-old law prohibiting the transport of women across state lines for "immoral purposes."
Gloria WilliamsonA former Democratic state senator from Philadelphia, Miss., Gloria Williamson has devoted countless hours over the last 10 years to improving the status of women in Mississippi.
Legislature Slows Its RollThe Mississippi Legislature got off to a productive start last week, with the passage of an economic incentive package and an extension of workforce training funds, two measures that Gov. Haley Barbour had requested. That spirit of compromise seems to …
Barbour to Deliver State of the StateGov. Haley Barbour will deliver the annual Mississippi State-of-the-State speech tomorrow evening at 6 p.m. from the state capitol. The speech will be broadcast live by Mississippi Public Broadcasting.
State Workers Forced to Furlough?Mississippi Sen. Alice Harden, D-Jackson, said she will submit a bill this legislative session forcing all state employees not directly connected to essential services, like hospital care, to accept a one-day-a-month furlough.
Bounds: Universities Will Have To Cut ProgramsState Higher Education Commissioner Hank Bounds told legislators Tuesday that funding cuts will force Mississippi's eight public universities to eliminate programs and consider raising tuition. Speaking to the House Universities and Colleges Committee, Bounds warned that the state's universities would …
Net-Metering Advocates Push for SupportAdvocates for net metering pressed legislators this morning to submit and pass laws during this legislative session making the consumer-based electricity policy a reality in Mississippi.
Jackson Sees Sharp Drop in Major CrimesMajor crimes in Jackson decreased 18.1 percent last week, according to statistics (PDF) released at a Jackson Police Department command staff meeting this morning. Officers reported a 14.2 percent decrease in property crimes and 35.7 percent drop in violent crimes …
[Mott] Not One More VictimThe bad economy and shrinking budget is not an excuse for failing to add teeth to laws protecting women.
The Billion-Dollar Levee QuestionDowntown Jackson Partners President Ben Allen came out last week as an avid opponent of a levee expansion, saying it is too expensive. His choice, Two Lakes, is also expensive, and perhaps more so.
City Attorney: More Accountability, Less DramaJackson City Attorney Pieter Teeuwissen officially adopted his job in October, although in truth he had been filling the role in some capacity for more than five years. Teeuwissen, 43, was the city's legal defense attorney until former City Attorney …
Mental Health Ripe for Cuts?Reform and belt-tightening will collide when state lawmakers consider mental-health services in the 2010 legislative session.
Mississippi Legislature Faces a Dire TaskMississippi legislators skulked back into the state capitol Jan. 5, keeping their body movements at a minimum and their heads low in case somebody noticed them and asked them questions containing the words "budget shortfall."
Barbour/Palin Ticket Could Carry 2012 GOP PrimaryMississippi State University political science professor Marty Wiseman predicted that a Sarah Palin/Haley Barbour ticket could easily win the Republican presidential primary in 2012, if the two came together long enough to form a united front. Palin, the former governor …
Mississippi legislators skulked back into the state capitol Jan. 5, keeping their body movements at a minimum and their heads low in case somebody noticed them and asked them questions containing the words "budget shortfall."