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Utility Watchdog Employees Furloughed
Among the budget bills that failed to get to the governor's desk earlier this week were appropriations to fund the Public Service Commission and the Public Utilities agency. Without funding, the two state organizations are sending most of their employees home. The PSC is keeping on a skeleton crew of about 12 people, while Public Utilities shut its doors.
Barbour Defends Town Hall Confrontations
The recent spate of rowdy behavior at health-care town-hall meetings is because Americans don't understand the Obama administration's plan, Gov. Haley Barbour told reporters during a conference call Monday organized by the Republican Governors Association.
State Diverting Katrina Funds Away from Housing
With 6,000 people still living in FEMA trailers on the Coast, Mississippi officials are diverting Katrina funds away from needed housing, the Associated Press reports:
City to Receive $14 Million in HUD Funds
Mayor Frank Melton told reporters today to look forward to about $11 million in federal funds coming to the city for the purchase and repair of foreclosed homes to put back on the market.
Probation Office: Melton Under Curfew, No Kid Contact
The Clarion-Ledger is reporting that a probation official wrote a letter to Melton this week containing harsh warnings against violations of his bond:
JFP Wins Three AAN Awards, Including ‘Public Service'
The Association of Alternative Newsweeklies and the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University announced the winners of the 2008 AltWeekly Awards. The Jackson Free Press placed in three categories, and will learn the placement of the awards at the national convention in Philadephia, Pa., in June.
Politech: ‘Insurance Reform,' Populism Surfaces in House
Well, they can't say the House hasn't gotten a chance to vote on tort reform. They have, in the first day of the 2004 Extraordinary Session called by Gov. Haley Barbour. And they voted against it.
Jackson Crime Stats for Aug. 17-23
Major crimes in Jackson decreased again last week, according to a weekly report (PDF) released at a meeting today by the Jackson Police Department. Police reported 230 total crimes, down 7.6 percent from the previous week. Last week's total was almost 20 percent below the same period last year. The city has seen 1.6 percent fewer crimes this year than last year.
2009 Gulf Dead Zone May Hit Record Size
Imagine 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.
Melton Vetoes Use of Eminent Domain
[Verbatim release] Mayor Frank E. Melton issued a veto today that will prohibit the use of eminent domain by the Jackson Redevelopment Authority to acquire owner-occupied residential property located west of Jackson State University. The controversial proposed University Park Project-Phase I, consists of single-family homes and apartment complexes that would be constructed on at least 50 acres near the Jackson State University campus and anchored by Dalton Street and J. R. Lynch Street.
BREAKING: Jackson Loses Grant for Fire Truck
The Jackson City Council learned Monday that the city may have dropped the ball for a federal grant worth up to $800,000. The grant, according to Ward 7 Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon, was intended to finance a $1 million platform ladder truck for the Jackson Fire Department. The city currently has only one specialty-use ladder truck that is more than 10 years old and requires frequent repairs. The city needs two in order to keep residents' fire insurance rates down to a minimum.
Large Number of FBI Files Alarming
The New York Times reports Monday:
Court System, Autopsy Expert Slammed
Innocence Project attorneys, activists and a man who served 12 years in Parchman for a crime he did not commit are calling for a radical overhaul of the state's criminal-justice system in order to keep innocent Mississippians out of prison. Part of that overhaul, the Innocence Project says, is to revoke the medical license of Dr. Steven Hayne, the de facto autopsy expert in the state who has filled the role of state medical examiner in an unofficial capacity.
City Defaults on $500,000 Commitment, Developer Says
Developer Mike Peters filed a breach of contract complaint in Hinds County Circuit Court last March, claiming the city stiffed him out of $500,000 in public grants for the $7 million renovation of the Plaza Building. According to the suit, which was reported by The Clarion-Ledger this week, Peters approached the city's director of planning and Development Corinne Fox in 2004, under then-Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. about contributing money to make the renovation affordable. Fox urged the city to approve the commitment and gave Peters the go-ahead to get started, explaining that the city had been planning to obtain a community development block grant to reimburse itself for the $500,000 pay-out.
UPDATE: House Speaker McCoy Wins in 62-60 Vote
The Legislature is in session, and the House will vote on a new speaker shortly. Keep an eye out here for the outcome of the contentious battle, with Gov. Haley Barbour watching from the sidelines to see if his efforts to oust McCoy will pay off. Watch for a full report from Adam Lynch right here later today. Meantime, read his Jan. 2 legislative analysis and preview here.
Civil Rights Museum in Trouble?
Rumors are circulating that Tougaloo College may have to abandon site development of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum near the college's campus because of funding issues.
Hinds County Sheriff Launches Teen Driving Program
The Hinds County Sheriff's Department announced today the start of a teen safe-driving program aimed at reducing the number of teen deaths due to car accidents.
Hosemann Distributes Disputed Sample Ballot, Hood Advises Against Its Use
The Associated Press is reporting that Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann distributed controversial sample ballots for November's general election to county election commissioners late Wednesday night. Three Mississippi Supreme Court Justices overruled a temporary restraining order on the ballots issued by Hinds County Circuit Judge Tomie Green, allowing Hosemann to proceed.
Melton Has Fainting Spell During Inaugurations
Jackson Mayor Frank Melton fainted during an inauguration ceremony for Hinds County officials this morning. Melton appeared to temporarily lose consciousness during the inauguration of officials elected during the November elections, including Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith.
A Beautiful Day for a Party ...
... and to celebrate Jackson's impending boom! See you at the art museum tonight. Dress anyway you want, up or down; opens to the public at 8 p.m. The first two hours, from 6 to 8 p.m., will be an invitation-only reception, and then the party opens to the public with a cash bar after 8 p.m. We will give awards at 8:15 p.m. DJ Phingaprint will provide the dance music. Free admission.