German Manufacturer Coming to TunicaAt a press conference yesterday, Gov. Haley Barbour announced that German company, Wilh. Schulz GMBH, has selected Tunica, Miss., just south of Memphis, for a new pipe manufacturing facility. The plant is estimated at $300 million, creating 500 new jobs …
Money to Dominate Legislative SessionMoney is on the mind of every legislator entering the state Capitol tomorrow for the start of this year's Mississippi legislative session. Officials predict a shortfall of about $360 million in revenue by the end of fiscal year 2010 in …
Supervisors Push Forward on Byram-Clinton CorridorThe Hinds County Board of Supervisors today approved taking another early step forward in the Byram-Clinton corridor road-construction project. Supervisors voted unanimously to advertise for engineering consulting services on the project, which Supervisor Peggy Calhoun called "vital to the future …
Sen. David BariaA Mississippi lawmaker and attorney, Sen. David Baria, D-Bay St. Louis, arrived to the Senate after beating back conservative Democrat Scottie Cuevas in the Democratic primary in 2007. Since his arrival, the frequent insurance-industry critic has become a champion of …
DeLaughter Begins Prison TermBobby DeLaughter, former Hinds County prosecutor, rocketed to national fame in 1994 when, 31 years after the crime, he put Byron De La Beckwith behind bars for the 1963 murder of Medgar Evers.
Sheriffs Ask Barbour to Spare Crisis CentersCounty sheriffs from across Mississippi yesterday urged Gov. Haley Barbour to spare the state's mental-health crisis centers, which Barbour targeted for closure in his 2011 budget proposal. Speaking at the state capitol, Mississippi Sheriffs Association President Willie March warned that …
Rep. Steven PalazzoWhile he represents Biloxi in the Mississippi Legislature, Rep. Steven Palazzo often seems to be acting on a national stage. Palazzo, a Republican, sent Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood a letter Dec. 21 urging him to "take the appropriate legal …
Barbour Again Seeks More Budgetary PowerGov. Haley Barbour, in a letter addressed to Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant and House Speaker Billy McCoy, has again asked for additional power to cut Mississippi's state budget. Citing lagging revenue collections for this month and state economic recovery historical …
No More SugarcoatingIn the afterglow of the King Edward's re-opening and as we've prepared this "Most Intriguing" issue, I've been thinking a bit about Frank Melton. After spending the last several months untangling from all the emotions and frustrations of covering him …
Robert Graham: Positive ThinkerRobert Graham knows his way around a phone. The Hinds County Supervisor for District 1 keeps three cell phones and is not above using two at once, one on either side of his facea holdover from the 15 years he …
Investigating The InvestigatorsSupport is growing on Jackson City Council for establishing civilian review of the Jackson Police Department, but the form that review will take is still uncertain.
Medgar's Office in DisputeJackson resident Delores Orey said the city's grant to restore the historic NAACP headquarters during the Civil Rights Movement may be misplaced. The administration of Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. intends to apply for a $712,500 U.S. Department of Housing and …
Council Approves Metrocenter Purchase Despite Budget WoesThe Jackson City Council voted to purchase property inside the Metrocenter mall today. The city will buy more than 170,000 square feet of space within the mallformerly occupied by Dillard's department store before it moved out in 2004for $39,500. Mayor …
Nick's Restaurant Opens in FondrenLongtime Jackson favorite Nick's Restaurant is re-opening Saturday, Jan. 2 in a new mixed-use development at 3000 Old Canton Road in Fondren. After 26 years on Lakeland Drive in Jackson, owner Nick Apostle decided to move his namesake restaurant when …
Barbour Wants 68 Percent Cuts to Ed ProgramsGov. Haley Barbour is recommending cutting education programs for gifted, special and vocational programs by 68 percent, reports WLBT. Making such deep cuts to state funding for the programs would result in losing $176 million in federal funding, as well.
How to Remake a NeighborhoodAffordable housing is not a typical prestige project for architecture firms. A new development in Jackson's North Midtown neighborhood may dispel that notion, though, applying innovative design on a relatively humble scale.
Barbour: Hands Off Damages CapGov. Haley Barbour is working hard to keep non-economic damages caps on lawsuits thoroughly capped. Barbour's office submitted a Dec. 17 amicus brief to the Mississippi Supreme Court, arguing that plaintiff Ronnie Lee Lymas should not be able to challenge …
Alabama Dem Switches to GOPIn a move that some Democrats find unsurprising, first-term Alabama Congressman Parker Griffith announced yesterday that he was switching his party affiliation from the Democrats to the GOP. In a prepared statement, Griffith said there was no place in the …
City Again Helping Minority BusinessesThe city of Jackson is returning its Equal Business Opportunity Office to its former glory. On Dec. 1, the city hired professional speaker and public relations consultant Pamela Confer as head of the office, which serves to increase minority business …
Barbour Names Commission on School ConsolidationGov. Haley Barbour announced yesterday the formation of an advisory panel on school consolidation, one of the more controversial suggestions from his November budget recommendations. Composed of state and local education officials, business leaders and legislators, the 16-member Commission on …
Otis AshfordOtis Ashford is suing the City of Moss Point and three Moss Point police officers for civil-rights violations related to an April 2008 arrest. Ashford, a Moss Point resident, was visiting the house of his sister, Dell Jones, also of …
Hinds Supes Approve Hwy. 80 BeautificationHinds County Supervisors opened bids today on a roughly $240,000 beautification project for Highway 80. The road, which runs through South Jackson, was once a major commercial thoroughfare and business center, but is now a prime example of blight in …
Mark ScurlockDonut entrepreneur Mark Scurlock is delivering Christmas a few days early for Jackson. This morning, Scurlock celebrated the grand opening of his new location at 125 S. Congress St. at the corner of Pearl Street in the heart of the …
Senate Health-Care Bill Clears Crucial HurdleThe U.S. Senate won a victory early this morning in the health-care debate, reports The Washington Post. In a 1 a.m. 60-to-40 vote, Senators approved the first of three procedural motions to move reform legislation to final passage, now scheduled …
College Board Loosens Firing RulesFacing steep budget cuts this year and a bleak outlook for the next two years, the state College Board gave initial approval yesterday to a policy change that would allow university presidents greater flexibility in firing tenured and tenure-track professors.
Barbour Comparison Off the Mark?Gov. Haley Barbour made national news again this week by comparing health-care reformas envisioned in the U.S. House and Senateto the horror of the Jonestown massacre. Speaking as chairman of the Republican Governors Association, Barbour equated the Democrats' health-care reform …
College Tuition Increases PossibleOne of the things the Mississippi College Board is considering to offset the decrease in state funding is to increase tuition for students. During yesterday's meeting at the state Institutions of Higher Learning offices, Commissioner Hank Bounds brought the issue …