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AP: Feds Disrupt Plot to Assassinate Obama
Just in from the Associated Press:
Jackson City Council Gets New Leadership
Ward 4 Councilman Frank Bluntson and Ward 5 Councilman Charles Tillman will now serve as president and vice president, respectively, of the Jackson City Council. The two nominated one another for their respective positions and received no opposing votes from the six-member council.
Unemployment Hits 20 Percent in Mississippi County
The rate of unemployment in the Magnolia State either dropped slightly or rose slightly, according to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, depending on how you count the numbers. Adjusting for the season, May's rate was 9.7 percent, and the June rate dropped just a bit, to 9 percent. In real numbers, however, 1,500 more people were jobless in June than May, meaning the unadjusted rate climbed to 9.8 statewide.
The Colored Museum
"The Colored Museum"• Jim Hill High School• Admission $5
Palin's Pipeline Problem
The Associated Press just published a long investigative piece on Sarah Palin's vaunted pipeline successand the parts she's not talking about. It starts:
Seale Conviction Upheld
See full JFP coverage of the Dee-Moore case.
Mississippi Tourism to Benefit from Tax Incentive Bill
On Tuesday, one of the bills Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour signed into law expands tourism sales tax incentives to casinos for developing resorts and tourism projects unrelated to casino activities. The projects can include theme and water parks, museums and sports facilities, among others.
Gannett Corp. in Crisis; Clarion-Ledger Staffers Must Take Week Off
Clarion-Ledger staffers are part of an immediate corporate-wide "furlough" program ordered by the home office in order to "preserve operations," reports the Gannett Blog. A memo from Gannett CEO Craig Dubow went out today, announcing that the week off must be taken this quarter:
Gulfport Mayor Indicted On Katrina Fraud
Gulfport Mayor Brent Warr and his wife, Laura Jean Warr, were indicted today on charges of fraud stemming from false claims the couple filed after Hurricane Katrina.
Melton Trial Opening Statements Start Today
The federal civil-rights trial of Mayor Frank Melton and former mayoral bodyguard Michael Recio began this morning with opening statements followed by witness testimony. Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood was the first witness. Melton and Recio are charged with intentionally violating Fourth Amendment rights in conjunction with a 2006 raid on a Ridgeway Street duplex. Prosecutors allege that Melton and Recio supervised the house's destruction with sledgehammers.
Back-to-School Tax Holiday This Weekend
If buying back-to-school clothes and shoes are on your agenda, this coming weekend is the time to make it happen. On Friday, July 31, and Saturday, August 1, clothing and shoes under $100 will be exempt from Mississippi's 7 percent sales tax.
BOOM Jackson Hot Off the Presses
The Jackson Free Press is proud to announce the second annual edition of BOOM Jackson magazine. Billed as a "love-letter to Jackson," the publication is a full-color, high-quality, 84-page publication distributed throughout the city, targeted to visitors and those looking at Jackson to move their families or businesses into the area.
Join the Candidates for Election Results
Part of the fun in voting comes when your candidate wins. Tonight, join one of the following mayoral candidates, along with supporters, volunteers and staff for an election night Watch Party.
May 14 Mayoral Debate at JSU: Crisler v. Johnson
Send your questions now for the May 14 mayoral debate between Democratic nominees Councilman Marshand Crisler and former Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. at the Rose McCoy Auditorium on the Jackson State University campus. The one-hour debate starts at 7 p.m. and lasts one hour, followed by a 30-minute debate analysis moderated by Bishop Ronnie Crudup. Scott Simmons of 16 WAPT News, Eric Stringfellow of Tougaloo College and Donna Ladd of the Jackson Free Press will moderate the debate and ask questions of the candidates, who will be allowed to rebut. The debate will be simulcast on TV 23 (which reaches the local area without cable on Channel 23) and Comcast Channel 14; WAPT's digital channel 16-2, WJSU 88.5 FM, and on three Web sites: wapt.com, jacksonfreepress.com and jsums.edu.
Melton Retrial Scheduled For May 11
2009 JFP Interview with Melton, Part I
Jackson has Lowest Average Gas Price
In a survey of gasoline prices released by the company Lundberg Survey earlier this week, Jacksonians currently pay the lowest prices at the pumps, nationwide. With the average price across the country at $2.49 a gallon, capital city drivers are paying around $2.22.
House Passes Jackson Sales Tax Increase
The Mississippi Legislature has passed a bill designed to give the city of Jackson additional funds for road repair and additional police and fire fighters.
FEMA Extends Housing Deadline
March 1 was to be the deadline when victims of Hurricane Katrina had to leave the temporary housing provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. After nearly five years, some 2,500 people on the Mississippi coast still call FEMA trailers "home."
Gustav More Merciful
Hurricane Gustav was not the monster people had been fearing. Almost exactly three years ago, Hurricane Katrina showed America what a real hurricane looks like, and made government on all levels, from federal to municipal, look like a Marx Brothers movie.
Ole Miss Tweets for Energy Savings
The University of MississippiOle Misshas teamed with Jackson company SmartSynch as part of its "Red, Blue and Green" initiative, moving the university toward energy sustainability, which includes water and energy conservation, waste minimization, recycling and more. SmartSynch is in the process of connecting their "smart" meters with social networking tools, including Twitter, Facebook and RSS, to allow the school to monitor and analyze energy consumption, providing a basis for changing behavior and realizing energy savings.