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Miss. State Wins Egg Bowl, 41-27
Throw out the records. This is the Egg Bowl. This year's annual rivalry between the Ole Miss Rebels (8-3) and Mississippi State Bulldogs (4-7) is the most appealing Egg Bowl in the last half-decade, or longer.
Power Plays
Back in 2001, drivers heading down Highway 220 on cold weekday mornings could see plumes of heat billowing out of the exhaust towers of KGen's Jackson power plant on Beasley Road.
Wyatt Explains Wealth, Equality and Liberalism to Us
Wyatt Emmerich crawled out from under his Northside rock long enough this week to pen this priceless column, which appears in one of his Delta newspaeprs:
Kids Having Kids
Ollie Jackson's baby, Lauryn, sleepily rubs her eyes as she sits on her 19-year-old father's lap during a football game at Newell Field in Jackson.
Community Events and Public Meetings
6 p.m., Jackson Police Department Precinct 4 Restructuring Ceremony, at Fondren Hall (Northwood Shopping Center, 4436 N. State St.). Presenters include Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. and Precinct 4 Commander Wendell Watts. Call 601-960-0004.
[Mizell] It's as Simple as That
I took a creative writing class in college recently that was small and intimate and we actually discussed interesting things. Usually we'd go over poems and plays; but recently we began to discuss Mississippi, and what we like about it, and what we don't like about it, and how we could change it. So I offered up the question of how my classmates felt about the controversy about the cigarette tax proposals that were recently brought up, and defeated, in the Mississippi Legislature. Most had no idea what I was talking about, and being passionate about the topic, I began to explain.
Day 3: Stokes Testifies; Defense Rests
Reporting by Brian Johnson
The defense elected to call only one more witness this afternoon—Councilman Kenneth Stokes. Under direct questioning by Melton attorney Dale Danks, Stokes said he had lodged complaints about drugs in the Ridgeway Street area. "We were asking for help, from the mayor's office especially," Stokes said. He said he had discussed the duplex at 1305 Ridgeway Street "a couple times" before Aug. 26, 2006. Stokes said he first discussed it with Melton on April 4, 2006, as well as Michael Recio and Marcus Wright. He said that it was his opinion that it was a "crackhouse."
[Grayson] No Longer a Supporter
I must admit, I was a devout Melton supporter. Initially, I was drawn in by Mayor Frank Melton's ideas for this city and its inner-city youth. He mesmerized me. Every time somebody talked low of him, I defended his honor by speaking up for his character (which I used to think was great). I was not old enough to vote in the 2005 mayoral election, but I encouraged my family and friends to vote for Melton. I even drove my grandmother to the polls.
Bleak House: City Budget Goes From Bad To…Cuts
Jackson Chief Financial Officer Peyton Prospere painted a bleak picture for Jackson at the April 6 budget meeting.
Feds Allege Melton's Past 'Crimes,' Including Bribery
See U.S. v. Melton filings here.
Scary Burbs
<i>Urban Flight May Shorten Your Life</i>
Last spring, during the media frenzy over crime in the city, I interviewed a Brandon woman who had been the victim of an armed robbery in Jackson. She wasn't physically harmed, but she clearly had been terrified by her experience, and understandably so. But to hear her tell it, life in Jackson was a sheer every-day hell where you put your life on the line every second you spend in the city. And life in the suburbs, she seemed to think, was the most safe and healthy alternative to big city.
Shelter In A Storm
Visit the Jackson Free Press' KatrinaBlog here.
Most Intriguing Jacksonians of 2009
Every December, the Jackson Free Press staff dips into our archives for the past year to select a handful of the year's most intriguing Jacksonians.
Attacking ACORN: A New Blame in Town
Conservatives have a new scapegoat to take the blame for the economic meltdown over the last few weeks. Syndicated columnist and supply-side advocate Lawrence Kudrow summed it up during a Sept. 18 morning news talk show.
Council Selects McLemore Interim Mayor, Angers Stokes
In an emergency meeting held at 4 p.m. today, the Jackson City Council voted 5-to-1 to appoint Ward 2 Councilman Leslie McLemore as interim mayor after Mayor Frank Melton succumbed to cardiac arrest just as the primary polls closed Tuesday night. Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes dissented, and Councilman Marshand Crisler was absent due to a campaign advertisement video shoot.
BREAKING: Faye Peterson: 'I Offer Leadership'
2009 JFP City Election Blog/Archive
Booting Delinquents
After raising the hackles of several City Council members, Jackson Mayor Frank Melton walked out of a meeting Nov. 22 after presenting a proposal for a controversial "boot camp" for troubled teens. The course, financed through the Jackson Police Department, will offer training in "personal growth areas such as self-esteem, self-motivation, self-discipline, life skills, self-awareness, academic responsibility, career opportunities and life choice awareness," according to a booklet the city gave to Council.
Community Events and Public Meetings
Parents & Kids Magazine's Back-to-school Pajama Parties. Children in kindergarten through second grade enjoy music, bedtime stories, goody bags and refreshments. Parents must accompany children. Pre-registration required. The first 100 registrants receive a surprise gift. Free; call 601-366-0901.
Community Events and Public Meetings
Free Tax Counseling and Filing. IRS/AIM or AARP volunteers will do electronic filing. Bring all necessary documents. Joint filers must come together. Free.
JATRAN Will Live, but It Should Thrive
I was relieved (and surprised) that our City Council chose not to make any cuts to the city's bus system this year. Yes, JATRAN can be a mess, but the solution isn't to slash budgets and routes, rather it's actually to invest in public transportation. Not just money, but invest creativity into the bus system, from how JATRAN's buses look to how they run and where they take people. Make JATRAN smart, efficient and creative, and you will find smart and creative people choosing buses over cars.