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Musgrove's Economic Plan
October 5, 2003 -- (verbatim release) Today Governor Ronnie Musgrove proposed a detailed plan to keep Mississippi's economy moving forward. National unemployment has grown to a nine-year high, but we've seen 56,000 new jobs created in the last 3 years as a result of Governor Musgrove's tireless efforts to bring good jobs to Mississippi. According to the Bush Administration, Mississippi is one of only two states in the southeast to have seen a net growth in jobs last year. (Department of Housing and Urban Development for 2002-2003). MORE ...
Guys We Love
Every year at this time, people reflect on their dads, their granddads, their uncles—all the men in their lives. We at the JFP want to shine a spotlight on a few men who make Jackson a little cleaner, brighter, smarter or a little more delicious.
Update: Melton Is Appearing in Meridian Court Today
Oct. 2, 12:20 p.m.: Mayor Frank Melton has been spotted in the Meridian courtroom where jury selection took up the morning. The judge has asked all parties to be in the courtroom after lunch. More updates soon...
City Council: Desperately Seeking Money
Administration Department Director Rick Hill told City Council today that possible solutions to the city's $3.4 million shortfall include increasing water and sewer fees, refinancing the city's debt, tapping the city's $7.4 million budget reserve fund, making cuts in city payroll and reducing funding to the city's golf courses.
Need Feedback on N-Word Episode
Hey folks, I need your feedback. I'd love to hear some response to this analogy I posted in response to an alt editor's use of the n-word when referring to a white friend of his (this analogy was suggested by JFP staff members during a conversation about this incident, to give credit where its due):
[Talk] Gettin' Safer
Jackson has lunged out of the "Top 10 Most Dangerous Cities" to No. 16, according to just-released 10th annual Morgan Quitno Press "most dangerous city" rankings for 2002. Using M-Q's standards, the city of Jackson made gains in 2002 over 2001 relative to other U.S. cities based on overall FBI crime figures, moving up six spots in the new rankings from the No. 10 spot (framed as "in the top 10" by key Republican candidates in the 2003 election) in the group's 2001 rankings.
Hip-Hop on ‘The Help'
The film 'The Help' has 99 problems but garnering critical acclaim ain't one. Armfuls of awards and nominations haven't immunized the film based on Kathryn Stockett's best-selling novel about African American maids in Jackson from criticism that the film perpetuates the Mammy meme of early cinema.
This Ain't Funny, People!
If people made fun of cancer the way they make fun of mental illness, what kind of society would we have?
Living in the Shadow of AIDS
Photos by Ronni Mott
The two-story wood house, white with red trim, sits squarely on a corner lot in Jackson. The grass on the lawn is January brown, the same as in the other yards in the quiet city neighborhood. A locked, cast-iron security door bars the front door, which is topped with a domed, candy-cane striped awning.
Mayor's Attempt to Rush Airport Appointment Thwarted
The Jackson City Council tabled confirming the appointment of local media mogul Wyatt Emmerich to the Jackson Airport Board after denying a request by Mayor Frank Melton and other councilmen to hold the confirmation hearing immediately following the council's special session Monday. Emmerich, publisher of the Northside Sun and other papers in the state, was present at the special session and ready for the council's approval. By meeting's end, he was still waiting, as council members opposed to the process pushed through an order to delay his confirmation until June 2.
Pray for the Big Easy and the Magnolia State
AP reports:
"We are facing a storm that most of us have long feared," Mayor Ray Nagin said in ordering the mandatory evacuation for his city of 485,000 people, surrounded by suburbs of a million more. "The storm surge will most likely topple our levee system." Conceding that as many as 100,000 inner-city residents didn't have the means to leave and an untold number of tourists were stranded by the closing of the airport, the city arranged buses to take people to 10 last-resort shelters, including the Superdome.
Upper Level Attorney Claims Melton Intoxicated on Job
Photo: Upper Level owner Sandra Moore Johnson, left, and her attorney Sharon Gipson speak to reporters outside the club Thursday.
'Yes, I Said Shoe Closet'
I can't tell you how many intense business meetings I've been in with a group of dynamic women, negotiating or planning this or that, and suddenly one of us pauses mid-sentence and proclaims, "Where did you get those shoes!?!"
BREAKING: ‘Troopergate' Report Finds Palin Abused Power
The Anchorage Daily News just posted a PDF of the full report on Gov. Sarah Palin's "Troopergate" investigation. Read it here. The report says that the investigation found that Palin "abused her power" by engaging in "unethical conduct" (see page 48 of report for reasoning). The investigator also found that she fired Walt Monegan under her authority, although his refusal to fire Mike Wooten was likely part of the reason she fired him. On page 67, the investigator concludes that her claims of fear of Wooten were "not bona fide."
Health-Care Events in Jackson
Two health-care reform events will take place in Jackson tonight and tomorrow representing the opposing viewpoints of the reform debate.
The 2009 JFP Interview with Frank Melton, Part II: Being Mayor
2009 JFP Interview, Part I
Dogging Youth
<i>Is Metrocenter Mall's New Policy Good for Business?</i>
When the four young women arrived at Metrocenter Mall Friday, Oct. 25, just after dark, they didn't expect to be carded at the door. Casually dressed in sweats and sneakers, Renata Davis, 20; Stacey Swana, 25; and Danielle Baldwin, 15; came with Andreal Davis, 18, to get her infant daughter's ears pierced. But when they reached the entrance next to Ruby Tuesday's, they met a white-shirted security guard in a big black hat and a member of mall management who asked for their IDs. The weekend before, Metrocenter had launched a new curfew, called the Family First Guardian Policy, that requires people 17 and under to be escorted by a parent or legal guardian from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights.
[Greggs] Help Is on the Way
Over the course of an average week as a mental health professional, I see many individuals in my office that most people would deem "crazy." I am often amazed they have managed to escape both detection and a good mental health assessment for as long as they have. You would be astonished by the number of people out there walking around slap out of their damn minds. Frequently I find they usually manage keeping up this façade of perfect mental health for extended periods largely thanks to a fair amount of ready cash. Nothing in this world protects crazy like money. Think Michael Jackson. Totally crazy, totally rich, totally got off.
A-1 Pallets Silent Protest at City Hall on Tuesday, July 31, from 9 AM to 10 AM
Thanks to everyone who participated in the last protest.
We'll be in front of City Hall from 9 AM to 10 AM. If possible, please sit in on the City Council meeting afterwards since A-1 Pallets is on the agenda. I'll have some signs with me if you need one.
'Live & Learn': Melton Faces the Effects of His Actions
On the first day I showed up to cover the federal trial of Mayor Frank Melton and his ex-bodyguard Michael Recio in downtown Jackson, the mayor sidled up to me with that teasing look he often gets when he sees me face-to-face.