Dish with Fran HowzeThe North Midtown Community Development Corp has big plans for the area west of Millsaps College.
A Work In ProgressWhen Ira Murray moved to Jackson from Nashville four years ago, he knew the city was poised for metamorphosis.
Domestic Abuse is a Pre-Existing Condition in MississippiMississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney expressed outrage today that the state of Mississippi is one of eight states in the nation, including the District of Columbia, which allows insurance companies to consider domestic abuse as a pre-existing condition with which …
[Stauffer] A 21st Century Boom Town?When we launched the Jackson Free Press seven years ago this week, it was with a cover story on Jackson's "creative class." Seven years later as the JFP rolls into Volume 8, I still hear from people surprised, amazed and …
Business News In and Around JacksonIda's, a restaurant serving up soul food and blue-plate specials, recently changed locations but will continue serve to South Jackson. Owner James Reed said the business recently moved from 4501 Raymond Road to 4580 N. Siwell Road in an effort …
State Sued over ‘Abstinence'In an effort to stop taxpayers from funding religious events, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit in federal court last week against the Mississippi Department of Human Services for promoting religion at its annual abstinence-only-until-marriage summit this year.
JPD Blasts ‘Negative Crime Story'Using FBI statistics that the agency warns not to take out of context, The Clarion-Ledger reported a 9.3 increase in violent crime for the Jackson area this morning.
Council OKs Budget, No Pay RaisesThe Jackson City Council voted to approve the city's 2010 budget Monday with a five-to-two vote, with only minor changes in the $359.5 million package. The budget, only rejected by Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes and Ward 1 Councilman Jeff …
Daniel McMullenEighteen-year FBI veteran Daniel McMullen is the new special agent in charge (SAC) of the FBI's Jackson Division, moving from his most recent position in Los Angeles where he was SAC for criminal matters. FBI Director Robert S. Mueller appointed …
Justice Association Slams Barbour's Request to CourtThe Mississippi Association for Justice is accusing Gov. Haley Barbour of playing politics with a wrongful-death case in Bolivar County. "Haley Barbour's recent motion to the Supreme Court to reconsider a previous decision based on tort reform is inconceivable and …
Most-Endangered Places List Includes Jackson and Raymond SitesThe Mississippi Heritage Trust has unveiled its 2009 list of the 10 most-endangered places. This year's list includes the Hinds County Armory in Jackson and the Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church in Raymond.
Paul E. WinfieldVicksburg Mayor Paul E. Winfield was one of 18 mayors in the country to participate in the Cities of Service Inaugural Summit last week in an effort to engage citizens in community service initiatives and to provide a platform to …
Small Business Associations Recommend ReformSmall business owners are nervous about a potential new round of taxes connected to H.R. 3200, the embattled health-care reform bill being knocked around in Congress.
New Madison Hospital, Despite BattleMadison County will soon have a new hospital. The Madison County Medical Center hosted a Sept. 10 groundbreaking ceremony for Madison River Oaks Hospital, a 67-bed hospital covering more than 110,000 square feet. The facility will contain traditional features such …
Council Seeks $2.6 Million for Pay IncreasesThe Jackson City Council's budget committee passed a motion yesterday, 3-2, asking the Johnson administration to locate funds to finance a $1,000 per employee pay raise, a cost increase of about $2.6 million, according to the preliminary estimate of Jackson …
Melton Bodyguard Recio Gets House Arrest, ProbationMichael Recio, who served as a Jackson police officer and bodyguard to the late Mayor Frank Melton, will serve one year of probation for his role in the 2006 warrantless destruction of a Ridgeway Street duplex. Recio's sentence, which includes …
Spreading False FearsWomen are stupid. At least that's what the National Independent Women's Forum seems to believe. This week the Republican-leaning non-profit advocacy group aired a television ad with inaccurate information about health-care reform specifically targeting women.
Time To Talk BackA remarkable thing has happened on the way to a national public dialogue about health reform: Bullies (many of them well-funded by industry groups) have taken over the conversation by yelling into microphones.
Killer RibsIf you go to a restaurant called The Rib Shack, you'd better order some ribs. The Lynch Street barbecue joint just opened in late July, and I recently decided to put its namesake item to the test.
State Farm Rate Hike an Exit PolicyDemocratic Sen. David Baria, D-Bay St. Louis, says State Farm Insurance company's request for a 45 percent rate hike may be an attempt to pull out of the covering the state's coastal areas.
The Young and the UninsuredAmanda Starnes, 24, is in duress. She learned a few months ago that she suffers from Type 1 diabetes. She is a Holmes Junior College student and unemployed, with no federal or state health aid.
A Sordid History: Manhunt Leader Has History of ViolenceThe man who allegedly led a group of armed white citizens assisting in a search for a black burglary suspect in Sumner had a history of taking the law into his own hands.
Downtown Vandalism Creates TensionJohn Gomez, associate director of business improvement of Downtown Jackson Partners, vowed that the recent vandalism at Tye's Restaurant & Bar would not significantly upset the organization's attempts to sell the area's assets.
Dr. Aaron ShirleyDr. Aaron Shirley is challenging those opposed to a government-run public health plan to put their convictions where their mouths are. Shirley says that if they believe what they're saying, they should burn their Medicare cards. "I want to have …
Customers Rallying to Support Schimmel'sEven though Schimmel's Restaurant owner Jay Schimmel declared bankruptcy this week, he says he is optimistic and sees it as an opportunity to restructure and reorganize the Fondren restaurant. "There are four kinds of bankruptcy, and we are reorganizing," Schimmel …
State gets D+ for Protecting Water QualityMississippi rates a lowly D+ for protecting the quality of natural water sources, according to the Gulf Restoration Network. The organization, an alliance of local individuals and national and regional groups, issued a report card grading how committed (or non-committed) …
Earnestine BowdenEarnestine Bowden remembers the golden old days of Lynch Street. A Jackson native and a graduate of Lanier High School and Jackson State University, Bowden, 60, used to eat breakfast at the Penguin Restaurant and go out at the Red …
A Delta Manhunt, With Booze and GunsFederal authorities are investigating an Aug. 20 incident in which armed white citizens, using a military vehicle, helped search for an unarmed black burglary suspect in the Delta.
When Ira Murray moved to Jackson from Nashville four years ago, he knew the city was poised for metamorphosis.
Amanda Starnes, 24, is in duress. She learned a few months ago that she suffers from Type 1 diabetes. She is a Holmes Junior College student and unemployed, with no federal or state health aid.