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Senate Committee to Kill Override Attempt
A resolution passed by the House last month in an attempt to override Gov. Haley Barbour's rejection of $56 million in federal stimulus dollars will likely never get out of the committee for a vote, according to the Sun Herald.
West Nile Kills Second Victim
The Mississippi Department of Health is reporting a second death from the mosquito-borne West Nile Virus this summer, highlighting the fact that this well-known virus is more dangerous than the wide-spread (and over-hyped) swine flu. The department released information about this second death, in Forrest County, Friday. To date, the state agency reports 17 cases of West Nile and two cases of St. Louis encephalitis, also spread by mosquitoes.
Jackson Music Awards Tonight
Join the fun at the 35th Annual Jackson Music Awards tonight at Marriott Hotel starting at 6 p.m. Tonight's program, "Music, Its Magic," honors the best of Southern soul and hip hop, with awards in 32 categories.
Lanier Grad Killed In Iraq
WAPT reports another Mississippi casualty in the Iraqi war:
Defense Cannot Use Prostitute Allegation Against Bodyguard
See JFP Melton Blog/Archive here.
Federal District Judge Dan Jordan ruled this morning that defense attorneys for Mayor Frank Melton and former bodyguard Michael Recio cannot use allegations of sexual misconduct by former bodyguard Marcus Wright to impugn his testimony or character during the civil rights trial in downtown Jackson. The judge ruled that defense attorneys could only ask "generic" questions about whether prosecutors convinced Wright to testify by threatening to make public the 2005 allegations that he had sex with two transsexual prostitutes.
No Budget ‘Disastrous' for Medicaid Patients
[Verbatim from Mississippi Hospital Association President Sam Cameron]
Because of the Governor's refusal to call a Special Session of the Mississippi Legislature, it appears the Division of Medicaid will cease to exist after midnight on June 30, 2009. The Governor's lack of action will have disastrous results for Medicaid patients and all health care providers who serve them.
McCain's Controversial Supporter to Speak in Jackson
The Associated Press is reporting that an extremist Texas televangelist who has embraced presidential candidate John McCain is coming to Jackson to speak. Rev. John Hagee, who said on NPR in 2006 that Hurricane Katrina was an act of God to punish sinful New Orleans, is speaking at a Congregational Methodist Church conference on June 7. Hagee has also in the past suggested that God sent Adolf Hitler to help Jews reach the promised land and blamed Jews for the Holocaust. He has made comments offensive to Muslims by misinterpreting the Qur'an for his own purposes, saying that "those who live by the Qur'an have a scriptural mandate to kill Christians and Jews... it teaches that very clearly." He has also offended Catholics by saying that the religion pursues a "theology of hate."
Catholic Charities Announces Multicultural ‘Migration Week'
[Verbatim statement] Jackson.- Catholic Charities, Inc.'s Immigration Clinic will celebrate National Migration Week on Wednesday January 21, 2009 at St. Peter's Catholic Church located at 123 N West St from 11 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. This event's theme is Renewing Hope, Seeking Justice which encourages acceptance of our growing diverse society, including the acknowledgment of different cultures and contributions of society's newcomers. National Migration Week's goal is to create an understanding among the native-born U.S. population, the immigrants, and refugees living within and outside of their communities. Music, art, and food from around the world are offered to the public for enjoyment.
Mississippi Schools Get New Rating System
Earlier this month, the Mississippi State School Board approved a new accountability rating system that gives top schools a "Star School" rating among its seven levels, instead of the previous numbered ratings of "Level 1" for the lowest scoring schools, to "Level 5" for the highest scoring.
Senate Passes Lower Cigarette Tax Increase
The Mississippi Senate approved a 49 cents per pack cigarette tax yesterday, setting the stage for a compromise with the House, which passed a $1 per pack tax two weeks ago. By a 42-7 vote, senators passed a revised version of House Bill 364 that increases Mississippi's existing cigarette tax by 31 cents, rather than the 82 cents approved by the House. The Senate bill also directs $25 million of the cigarette tax revenue toward limiting increases in the cost of car tags. Both changes cleared the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday.
Gasoline Tax Hike Proposed
The Mississippi Department of Transportation is considering requesting a possible increase of 5-cent per gallon to the state's gasoline tax to bolster the department's budget for new roads and existing road maintenance, reports WLOX. The new tax would be an addition to the state's current 18-cent tax.
PSC Revokes TelCom Certificates
The Mississippi Public Service Commission announced yesterday that it has revoked the certificates of 53 telecommunications companies to do business in the state. The companies have failed to provide the PSC and the State Tax Commission with required annual reports detailing their business activities in the Magnolia state.
Campaign Parties Around Town
If you want to go out and watch the campaign staffs get drunk, the winners gloat, the losers try to take the high road (or not), or to congratulate or yell at one of the candidates for ugly campaigning, here's where they'll be:
Thirteen-story Ridgeland High Rise Passes 4-3
The Ridgeland Board of Aldermen voted 4-to-3 in favor of the construction of a 13-story office building. Ridgeland codes currently limit building heights to four stories, so developer Buster Bailey asked the city to authorize a code variance for his development.
Democrats May Deny Funds for Iraq Surge
The Associated Press is reporting: In a blunt warning to the White House, congressional Democrats said Monday they may seek to deny funds for the type of short-term troop buildup that President Bush is expected to announce for Iraq Wednesday night. As Democrats began their first full week in the congressional majority, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he would "look at everything" to wind down the war effort, short of cutting off support for troops already deployed.
Youth Baseball Program Comes to Town
The Mississippi Department of Human Services is teaming with the Cal Ripkin, Sr. Foundation to offer the Badges for Baseball program to at-risk youth in 10 Mississippi communities. The program will kick off May 28 at Trustmark Park in Pearl.
Auditorium Now Home to Films, and a Cooking Show
The Auditorium's Executive Chef Nathan Glenn is a busy man, and is only becoming busier and busier. On Aug. 25, Glenn will film a pilot for a cooking show that he hopes will get picked up by a network. Glenn will be preparing "cool southern food," such as the Redfish Jimmy, shrimp and Grits and Creole seafood pasta served at the restaurant and music venue, which opened earlier this year in the old Duling School in Fondren.
D.A. Drops Charges Against Sharrod Moore
Capping a rather remarkable two-week news cycle in Jackson, District Attorney Robert S. Smith today dismissed murder charges against Sharrod Moore, whom Smith had indicted twice for the murder of police officer Robert J. Washington. The state is formally dismissing the case on May 20, 2009, due to insufficient evidence, and, according to the order today signed by Circuit Court Judge Swan Yerger, will "place into the record its reasons for the dismissal" then. Defense counsel requested that Moore be released pending the May 20 hearing, The state did not oppose that request but requested that Moore "stay confined to his house except for visiting his attorneys and that he maintain contact with his attorneys." Yerger's order stated that the court had contacted Washington's wife to advise her that the charges were dropped.
Barbour Among Governors Getting Suspicious Letters
The Associated Press is reporting that Haley Barbour and five other governorsof Alabama, Michigan, Missouri, Rhode Island and Montanareceived letters containing powder today; tests have found so far that the letters to Mississippi and Alabama were harmless.
House Concurrent Resolution 114 To Resurrect Bills
[verbatim] House Concurrent Resolution 114
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION SUSPENDING THE DEADLINES FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE FURTHER CONSIDERATION AND PASSAGE OF CERTAIN BILLS THAT DIED IN CONFERENCE.