Protesting PovertyAs the sun beams above her, Wilma Irving, a resident of Kenner, La., fans herself and begins to tell me the purpose of her journey to Jackson.
Banking on PRIYDESixteen-year-old Laurin Paris is using her fashion sense to get her to college.
[Kamikaze] Jackson's Savior ComplexEveryone seems to be an expert on crime these days. Sit around any barbershop or bar, and you'll hear all the "pundits" explain how they would handle crime.
Guess Who's Coming To JacksonGordon Baum, the chief executive officer of the Council of Conservative Citizens, can tell a good story.
Muscle Meets BivalveJohn McGowan and McGowan Working Partners laud the city of Jackson's economic benefit of the Two Lakes plan, a proposed project that would dam the Pearl River and create a series of islands between Hinds and Rankin counties.
Unsealed Suit Reveals Diaz Suing LamptonU.S. District Court Magistrate Judge James C. Sumner signed a June 22 order denying a motion to seal a suit against former Supreme Court Justice Oliver Diaz and his wife Jennifer, bringing to light the continuing saga of a federal …
Gambling Revenue Up AgainThe Mississippi State Tax Commission says that winnings in the state's 30 casinos was up in May by $19.2 million more than in April, according to Forbes, but revenues are still below the May 2008 earnings. The casinos took in …
Barbour Refuses Special Session, Vows Fight[Verbatim from Gov. Haley Barbour] Yesterday an "agreement in principle" on Medicaid issues was announced by Medicaid negotiators, but this so-called "solution" has a huge, fundamental flaw: It would give Medicaid a blank check and expose Mississippi taxpayers to the …
Guv Candidate Looking Across Aisle?Not surprisingly in a state where innuendo can be more common than facts, rumors are swirling around connections that a Democratic contender for the governor's mansions might have. This time, though, the rumors are about probable candidate Bill Luckett and …
2009 Gulf Dead Zone May Hit Record SizeImagine an area the size of Hinds County with virtually no life: you can't drink the water; seeds rot in the soil; and only cockroaches can breathe the air. It's as if a nuclear reactor exploded and nothing survived.
This Weekend: Mississippi Civil Rights Martyrs' MemorialThe 45th Annual Mississippi Martyrs' Memorial Service and Conference takes place this Saturday and Sunday in Neshoba County. A one-mile "March for Justice" kicks off the event, in commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King's 1966 march in Philadelphia. The march …
Cold Case Advocate to Meet with HolderAlvin Sykes, longtime advocate for the victims of civil rights era cold cases, will meet with the nation's "top cop," U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, to discuss the Department of Justice mandate to solve those cases and bring the killers …
Council Votes No to Raises; Yes to Legal FeesMembers of the Jackson City Council reversed themselves on a number of decisions during Tuesday's council meeting, June 16. The council agreed to pay the legal fees of the city's former mayor and voted down an employee pay raise, though …
Boon For The budget?State Auditor Stacey Pickering could complicate the state's recent $100 million settlement with Microsoft Corp.
[Royals] God And AbstinenceAt the Mississippi Department of Human Services' May 16 summit entitled "Abstinence Works: Let's Talk About It," we didn't talk about abstinence. But we sure did chant, cheer, dance, pray and sing about it. Here are a few (of the …
A Call for Unity ... But No PicturesA June 15 event billed as a huge show of unity for Mayor-elect Harvey Johnson Jr. turned into a debate over transparency after organizers barred photographers and electronic media from the event held at the University Club downtown.
Sleep Inn Breaking Ground DowntownJ. R. Jones, managing member of minority investment and development organization The LEAD Group, LLC, is partnering with Jackson attorney Robert Gibbs in opening a new 64-room hotel on Gallatin Street. Jones, Gibbs and Downtown Jackson Partners will be hosting …
Legislators Remain Stuck on BudgetWith 14 days remaining in Mississippi's 2009 fiscal year, lawmakers continue their struggle to reach a consensus on next year's budget. The special negotiating team, which consists of three House and three Senate members, along with Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant, …
Seale Appeals to U.S. Supreme CourtAttorneys for James Ford Seale, convicted in 2007 on federal kidnapping and conspiracy charges related to the 1964 killings of two 19-year-old African Americans, have appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court today.
'First 48': This is Transparency?Jackson's legal department is putting the finishing touches on a contract with the Arts & Entertainment Network reality cop show, "The First 48." The show, which makes docu-dramas out of murder investigations, shows the inner workings of a city's police …
State Agencies Silenced on Lake Plans?The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks remains strangely silent and without comment on two plans to partially inundate a state park stagger drunkenly forward.
The Saga of the No-Budget-BillAlthough he isn't an official party in the Mississippi Legislature's budget negotiations, Gov. Haley Barbour is still wielding his influence. The regular session ended last week with House and Senate leaders still deadlocked on a hospital assessment and Medicaid funding, …
[Kamikaze] Time for the Pink SlipMany of you work a regular 9-to-5 job. Even those who work part-time, odd hours or odd days understand the premise of hustling for a paycheck.
Ward 1 Voters Stayed Consistent: No to JohnsonVoting patterns in last Tuesday's general elections tell a story about Jackson: Citizens were tired of voting, and the city's whites and blacks don't necessarily agree on who should be the city's mayor.
Brown: Governor Will Cut School FundingState Rep. Cecil Brown is warning that Mississippi's children will be the ultimate losers in the current budget battle if the governor gets his way. In an e-mail sent to his constituents and forwarded to the Jackson Free Press, Brown, …
Budget Stalled AgainMississippi lawmakers failed yet again to come up with a budget for the 2010 fiscal year. A small budget committee has been working overtime to come to an agreement, but yesterday's midnight deadline has passed without producing a result. The …
EEOC Finds Racial Discrimination at MDPSThe U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has found evidence that the Mississippi Department of Public Safety engaged in discriminatory practices against black state troopers. In a June 1 letter, EEOC acting Area Director Willie Schaffer wrote, "there is reasonable cause …