All results / Stories / Adam Lynch
BREAKING: Council Mulls Mothballing Legal Dept.
Four members of City Council said they are considering withholding funding to the city's legal department after what they described as that department's clear bias toward the mayor's office.
Immigration: Myth Vs. Reality
Illustrations by Melissa Webster & Darren Schwindaman
"They can vote themselves in a pay raise, but they can't do nothing about all this illegal immigration," says Jackson talk show host 'JT,' of the JT and Dave show, after the House approved a raise for government officials, including a $10,000 raise for in-session work for legislators.
State of Emergency, Reloaded
Jackson Mayor Frank Melton declared an official state of emergency for the city of Jackson June 22, outlining a stricter curfew for city minors. He then announced an update to the state of emergency to council members at the June 27 council meeting.
Squeezed by Taxes? You're Not Alone
Chewing some gristle on tax day? Here's a bit of news for you. Mississippi's two Republican senators in Washington, D.C., Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker, voted for another tax break for the über-wealthy this month, voting to raise the full exemption on inheritances from $7 million to $10 million per couple and to drop the top rate on fortunes over $10 million from 45 percent to 35 percent.
The Lakes Plan That Won't Recede
Although both the U.S. Corps of Engineers and the local Levee Board have rejected the Two Lakes development/flood-control plan, its supporters are vowing not to give up.
The JFP Interview: Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon
Ward 7 Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon has been a familiar face on the Jackson City Council since the days of Duran Duran. Barrett-Simon's demeanor in an interview is cautious if not timid, which is not the attitude you might expect from a council member who has maintained her seat through so many elections. While other council members make vociferous speeches, Barrett-Simon works with quiet, steady resolve to get the city's business done. In the last few months, however, Barrett-Simon has become increasingly vocal about a number of issues. She led the fight to have City Council investigate Mayor Frank Melton, an effort that was superceded by the criminal indictments against him. She has expressed concern about the shrinking Jackson police department, the contract of City Attorney Sarah O'Reilly-Evans and Melton's penchant for firing people without adequate due process.
The Politics of Voter ID
Photos by Adam Lynch and Kate Medley
Candidates tend to look for issues to separate themselves from their opponents. It's a tough order in conservative Mississippi, where many nominees on both sides of the political spectrum agree on many of the same issues.
Mayor Rattles Councilwoman's Cage
Ward 7 Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon said Mayor Frank Melton rattled her cage this morning on the way to a special council meeting. Barrett-Simon told the Jackson Free Press that Melton's vehicle pulled up behind her car as she drove to a 10 a.m. special meeting on city payroll and claims. Barrett-Simon said Melton's car pulled "up to the bumper" before sounding off its police-issue horn, reportedly shaking Barrett-Simon's car while she drove.
It's Melton Time: What's Next for Jackson?
On July 4, Mayor-elect Frank Melton will officially move into the mayor's office of Jackson. Word on the street says he has big changes planned for the city, changes many supporters say are long in coming.
Ben Allen of Ward 1 Elected ‘El Presidente'
Just in ... The City Council has elected Ben Allen of Ward 1, the council's only declared Republican, to the seat of council president. More details soon ...
[Lynch] Why I Lost My Temper
I lost my temper last week, and here's why: After I filed this week's cover story, I headed over to a health-care forum at Lemuria bookstore. The forum, hosted by Fox News commentator Angela McGlowan, featured guest speakers like oncologist Dr. Phillip Ley and Dr. Pat Barrett.
BREAKING: Melton, Kids Accused of Destroying Private Home
Photo Gallery of Destruction
BREAKING: Shake-up in City Administration
Jackson Planning and Development Director Carl Allen and Parks and Recreation Director Ramie Ford are leaving city government, the Jackson Free Press learned Thursday.
UPDATED: Council, JPS Report Mayoral Threats
This is an updated version of this story that broke Monday on the JFP Web site.
UPDATED: Saggy-Pants Ordinance Fails 4-2
The Jackson City Council voted down Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes' proposed Saggy Pants Ordinance on Tuesday with a 4-to-2 vote. Opposition to the ordinance included Councilmen Jeff Weill, Marshand Crisler, Leslie McLemore and Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simone. Supporters included Stokes and Councilman Bluntson, with Councilman Charles Tillman absent.
Melton's Honeymoon, Part I: ‘Hurry Up And Wait'
Mayor Frank Melton rode into the mayor's office with an 88 percent margin of victory according to a July 27 press release from the city. Though the margin was lower during the Democratic primary against incumbent Harvey Johnson Jr., and only about 22.8 percent of voting-age Jackson voters (or 31.66 percent of registered voters) showed up for the election, the new mayor's supporters believed that if change could come to the city, it was action-prone Melton who could make it happen. The new mayor promised to get the city back into the jail business by building a facility for packing away the bad guys. He also planned to tear down dilapidated housing at a faster rate than the administration before him and to improve the condition of the city's streets. Furthermore, he promised to forge better relationships with the county and state and repair some of the bridges burned between the city and the county during the last eight years.
Who Gets To Crown The King?
Melton told the Jackson Free Press that he plans to move ahead with an alternate group of investors for the King Edward Hotel renovation if work does not begin by June.
Pallet Ping-Pong
Photos by Adam Lynch & Jaro Vacek
Jackson Mayor Frank Melton is continuing the war with A-1 Pallet Company this week, saying he will move ahead with the proposed demolition of the company despite a strengthened restraining order against the city.
Jackson Developer Nervous over Council Vote
Update July 16, 2007: The zoning committee of the Jackson City Council today voted to delay a $75 million development by the Jackson Medical Mall. People over the project fear the 30-day delay could essentially kill the project. Councilmen Leslie McLemore, Kenneth Stokes, Frank Bluntson and Charles Tillman voted to hold the project. Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon disagreed.
'Like a Baby on a Pacifier'
Mayor Frank Melton has refused to renew a contract with Washington lobbyists Winston & Strawn, LLP, ending 10 productive years of lobbying efforts for the city. The firm is the first hired by the city to represent its interests in Washington and has aided in the collection of more than $111 million in federal money for the city. The firm helped net funding for the remodeled downtown train station, the Metro Parkway and the County Line Road extensions, among other projects.