Barbour Calls for Prudence Amid Lagging RevenueState tax collections fell below already lowered expectations in July, Gov. Haley Barbour announced yesterday in a statement urging state agencies to be cautious with their budgets.
Jim IngramMississippians owe much of the freedoms that we now enjoy, not to a governor or a legislative body, but to a legendary FBI agent named Jim Ingram. Sadly, he passed away Sunday after a long illness.
Builder Guild Improves Gulf Coast Workforce Housing StandardsGulf Coast Renaissance Corporation, a nonprofit organization that focuses on affordable housing in the Mississippi counties hardest hit by 2005's Hurricane Katrina, has revised and improved its standards for affordable housing redevelopment on the Gulf Coast. The organization, founded in …
Bobby DeLaughterFormer Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Bobby DeLaughter, 55, resigned his job and pled guilty to misleading authorities yesterday. The former judge had five counts against him, all representing various forms of corruption, but he pled guilty to the one …
Auditorium Now Home to Films, and a Cooking ShowThe Auditorium's Executive Chef Nathan Glenn is a busy man, and is only becoming busier and busier. On Aug. 25, Glenn will film a pilot for a cooking show that he hopes will get picked up by a network. Glenn …
U.S. Supreme Court Asked To Hear Seale CaseA federal appeals court has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case of James Ford Seale, who was convicted in 2007 for kidnapping and conspiracy for his role in a 1964 civil-rights murder. In a request issued today, …
Haley Barbour Recalls Reagan in Neshoba County Fair SpeechThank you. It's great to be back at the Fair; there's no place like it. A little mud on your boots never should bother anybody over here. This is my sixth speech at the Fair as Governor, and I'm glad …
Technology Upgrades Slated For JPDThe council voted Monday to approve a federal COPS grant request that could award $750,000 to the city of Jackson for hardware sand software upgrades, including 50 precision computer mounts and modems, which will be used to install mobile computers …
Think Local FirstI'm currently reading the book "Big Box Swindle" by Stacy Mitchell, who wrote our cover story this week. The book argues that much of what we believe about big-box developmentthat it creates jobs, wealth, tax dollarsare myths.
One Veggie at a TimeOn July 1, the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Johnson Foundation ranked Mississippi the No. 1 most obese state in the nation. The year before, CQ Press named the state the No. 1 unhealthiest state in America.
Jimmie TravisDuring the violent, bloody days of the civil rights movement in Mississippi, Freedom Rider Jimmie Travis nearly lost his life. In February 1963, Travis, then 20, was driving a car outside Greenwood with Bob Moses, leader of the Student Nonviolent …
Jackson Crime Stats for July 20-26Jackson police reported 252 major crimes last week, an increase of 5 percent over the previous week, according to statistics (PDF) released at a Jackson Police Department meeting this morning. Property crime totals increased from 204 to 227, an 11 …
DeLaughter to Plead Guilty to Misleading FedsSuspended Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Bobby DeLaughter is expected to plead guilty tomorrow in U.S. District Court in Aberdeen. The plea will likely spell an end to a five-count indictment against the judge, as DeLaughter accepts a guilty plea …
Fondren's Cosmo Tots ExpandingSwanky children's apparel store Cosmo Tots will soon expand to include clothing and accessories for women. The boutique, which carries designer clothing and accessories for babies and children, opened in Fondren Corner in 2005, and current owners Missy Massey and …
Civil Rights Museum in Trouble?Rumors are circulating that Tougaloo College may have to abandon site development of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum near the college's campus because of funding issues.
Nunnelee Files Campaign PaperworkLast year, conservative Democrat Travis Childers blew the socks off Republicans by winning one of the most conservative districts in the nation. Republicans saw Childers' victory over Republican Greg Davistwiceas the end of the era where Republicans dominated national discourse, …
Plans for Tunica Hybrid Plant Move ForwardA start-up company that is seeking to build hybrid cars in Tunica County is moving forward after settling a lawsuit with a former business partner. According to court documents, Southaven-based Hybrid Automotive Corporation has made plans with the Mississippi Development …
Minimum Wage Increase Affects Thousands in MississippiLast Friday, the federal minimum wage increased by 70 cents an hour, going from $6.55 to $7.25. The increase will affect thousands of workers in Mississippi, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics, which reports that approximately 6 percent of 2008 …
Cultural Expressions OpensThe building that housed Seven*Studioz is reopening, under new ownership and a new name: Cultural Expressions. Dora Lowe confirmed that she has owned the building, formerly rented by Seven*Studioz manager Ezra Brown, since June. Brown has been living in New …
Domestic Violence VictimShe could be anyone you know. She is white, African American, Latina, Asian or Native American. She might live in the Virden Addition, but then again, she could have a Belhaven or Madison address. Chances are high that she's a …
Convicted Judge Whitfield Appeals to 5th CircuitAttorneys for Harrison County Circuit Judge John Whitfield, convicted of bribery alongside Mississippi attorney Paul Minor, filed a motion for review with the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday, citing flaws in U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate's refusal to …
Ledger Spreads Bad Info About Columbus DailyThe Commercial Dispatch in Columbus was surprised to learn yesterday that it was changing format from a daily newspaper to a weekly "advertiser" format. Except that it wasn't true. Turns out The Clarion-Ledger was mailing subscribers in the town, spreading …
Advocates Unveil Program to Curb Domestic ViolenceIn a noon press conference today in the Mississippi Capitol, Sandy Middleton, executive director of the Center for Violence Prevention in Pearl, former Appeals Court Judge Mary Libby Payne, Madison County Justice Court Judge Carole Davis, Sheriff Malcolm McMillin, Assistant …
Scurlock's Donuts To Open DowntownLocal breakfast hero Mark Scurlock is opening a second location for his donut shop, Scurlock's Donuts, in the heart of downtown Jackson. Beginning the last week of August, the un-sugared masses downtown will be able to get their fix on …
Mississippi Casinos Feeling the PinchCasinos, which economists once thought were "recession proof," are feeling the slump along with the majority of other businesses across the country. The state Tax Commission reports that Mississippi casino earnings numbers for June across the state totaled $189.7 million, …
We Can Do It!I sure do love it when a plan comes together.
No Rate Increases for Coal PlantsMississippi Power Company is denying the Mississippi Sierra Club's Miller's interpretation of the PSC decision against hiking electricity bills to pay for pre-construction costs of a planned $1.8 billion experimental lignite coal plant in Kemper County. The power company called …
Change Meets Fear at JSUMembers of committees affiliated with Jackson State University are worried that the university will cut programs in a curriculum reorganization.
MySpace v. Domestic AbusePussy for Peace is a married 25-year-old woman from Tehran. The MySpace page she manages is a sprawling hive of women's news and thoughts with a Middle East flavor. When a woman is attacked, shot or beaten anywhere in the …