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'Where Barbour's Loyalties Really Lie'
On March 15, Gov. Haley Barbour vetoed a second tax reform bill that would have raised the cigarette tax to $1 per pack and cut the state's 7 percent sales tax to 3.5 percent.
Wicker Defends Obama Against ‘Birthers'
United States Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., found himself defending President Barack Obama against some of the more conservative elements of the tea party during a forum last night. The Central Mississippi Tea Party town-hall meeting and Republican fundraiser at Northwest Rankin High School attracted about 100 attendees, most of them over the age of 50. Organizers invited the senator to the event to promote the importance of a Republican majority in the House and Senate after the November elections, and to raise money for Republicans defending congressional seats.
Ed Peters Demands Legal Fees from City
Jackson Mayor Frank Melton's assurance that he would be covering court costs in his April 2007 felony trial did not apply to his co-defendants, judging by a Nov. 30 letter submitted to the Hinds County Circuit Clerk's office. Melton's old felony indictments resurfaced late November when Former Hinds County District Attorney Ed Peters submitted a motion for allocation of attorney's fees to the clerk and city attorneys. Peters is demanding payments of $15,000 apiece for attorneys Robert Shuler Smith (Hinds County district attorney-elect) and Winston Thompson for their representation of Melton's bodyguards Michael Recio and Marcus Wright.
Police Have Suspect in 'Miracle' Shooting
Hinds County Sheriff and interim Jackson Police Chief Malcolm McMillin has named convicted felon Michael Allen as the suspect in the Dec. 1 shooting of Jackson business owner Donnie Register. Register, owner of The Antique Market in Fondren, made national headlines, shielding his head from a bullet allegedly fired by Allen. The bullet ricocheted off Register's wedding band and sent fragments into his hand and neck, potentially saving him from a fatal head wound.
One Lake Instead of Two?
The Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District Levee Board is pressing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to take seriously a lake plan to coincide with a Corps-preferred levee expansion the board approved in December.
Juanita Ward
Former Callaway High School and Tulsa Shock women's basketball champ Juanita Ward, 23, is bringing the round ball to kids in Bolton this month with a two-part basketball camp.
Legislative Black Caucus Foils Plan to Unseat McCoy?
Rep. George Flaggs, D-Vicksburg, told the Jackson Free Press Friday that the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus adopted a position on Thursday against the candidacy of Columbus Rep. Jeffrey Smith's run for Speaker of the House. "We voted unanimously not to support Jeff Smith for Speaker and to not make a commitment to the position of Speaker Pro Tempore position, and to have another meeting later on," Flaggs said.
State Behaving Badly
More than 30 years after Mississippi's incarceration system was declared unconstitutional in the landmark case Gates v Collier, the Mississippi Department of Corrections is again being accused of subjecting its prison inmates to unauthorized mistreatment, prompting the ACLU to announce the formation of its first Prison and Jail Accountability Project.
Mayor Tries to Clean House
Jackson Mayor Frank Melton, elected July 4, was already looking to shake the system July 27, calling for the resignation of city board and commission members. In a press release, Melton's office told the media in an unprecedented announcement that he wanted immediate resignations of the almost 200 members of the 22 boards and commissions "in an effort to assure that the necessary policies and programs are initiated."
City Attorney: More Accountability, Less Drama
Jackson City Attorney Pieter Teeuwissen officially adopted his job in October, although in truth he had been filling the role in some capacity for more than five years. Teeuwissen, 43, was the city's legal defense attorney until former City Attorney Sarah O'Reilly-Evans left her post after the 2009 municipal election.
Diaz Calls on D.C.
Former Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Oliver Diaz outlined allegations of political persecution last week at a Washington, D.C., forum. The Sarah McClendon Group, a government and media watchdog association, held a forum on alleged selective prosecutions by the U.S. Department of Justice during the Bush administration. Speakers said that the U.S. Department of Justice, under former President George Bush, targeted Democratic politicians and Democratic fundraisers with indictments and media-saturated investigations with the help of conservative-appointed judgesin hopes of swinging elections toward Republicans.
Katrina Helps, Hinders Local Business
Hurricane Katrina is costing literally billions of dollars—potentially more than $125 billion—and at least some of that burden is hitting home for businesses right here in Jackson.
Jackson Local Business Alliance Gains Support
Several Community members supported the idea of of forming a local business alliance today during a presentation by American Independent Business Alliance co-founder Jeff Milchen.
Melton Draws Attention of A.G.
Attorney General Jim Hood told the Jackson Free Press that he has not opened a formal investigation into any possible lawbreaking by Jackson Mayor Frank Melton, despite headlines in the April 14 Clarion-Ledger reading: "Hood Probing Mayor's Method."
Costs Mounting for Levees, Lake Plans
Legislators say the chances of the Mississippi Legislature approving funding to build levees in Jackson and surrounding counties are slim, especially since it has taken so long to reach consensus on how to mitigate flooding along the Pearl River.
Paradise Lost: Latinos Caught In Katrina Squeeze
Strangely, it wasn't the hurricane itself that tore down the life and family of Daniel Dotta. It was the clean-up crew that came along behind it.
[Capitol Report] Open Hands Abound
The House Ways and Means Committee continued the hearing on bond project proposals at a June 16 meeting at the State Capitol. The hearing, part of the preparation for the June 28 special session, was essentially a forum for representatives of state organizations, both public and private, to vent their financial shortfalls for the upcoming year to the House committee.
Environmentalists Warn of Wetland Loss; Flood Risk
Two U.S. Supreme Court decisions are endangering Mississippi wetlands and raising the risk of serious floods, environmentalists said during the Clean Water Summit at the Mississippi Natural Science Museum this morning.
Coming After Bad Numbers
Mayor Frank Melton threatened to "come after" the ACLU of Mississippi Tuesday and threw out vastly inflated crime numbers to justify his methods, after the group accused him of racially profiling African Americans. ACLU Executive Director Nsombi Lambright did not deny that the mayor's "police" actions inspired the town-hall meeting later that day.
Mayor, Chief Downplay Crime Stats
Jackson City Council President Marshand Crisler spoke out last week against the city police department's tight lips regarding crime figures, in contrast to Former Police Chief Robert Moore, who provided weekly reports on crime statistics. The computer-generated statistics, called COMSTAT reports, were used to pinpoint what crime was occurring where, and were provided to both City Council and the media.