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Presidential Pardons Heavily Favor Whites
White criminals seeking presidential pardons over the past decade have been nearly four times as likely to succeed as minorities, a ProPublica examination has found.
Reservoir District Bill Back Door to Flood Control?
Control of the Ross Barnett Reservoir is at stake in a bill proposed this week by Sen. Lee Yancey, R-Brandon, that is raising questions over what it really aims to do -- and whether it could be a back-door way to help the Two Lakes river-development plan still see the light of day.
[Kamikaze] Yet Another Distraction
So, another politician has gotten caught with his finger on the "send" button, or in this case, the "tweet" button. We all know how this movie plays out. Politician has vice; politician gets caught; politician denies impropriety; politician denies again; politician is presented with irrefutable evidence; politician comes clean and apologizes. Repeat.
[Hutchinson] The ‘Conspiracy Bug' Can Kill You
We run this column in honor of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day—Monday, Feb. 7. See details at bottom of this column.
Fly: Halloween Pet-Cessories
Dressing your pet for All Hallows' Eve has never been easier with the wealth of retail stores and Web sites dedicated to the "chi chi" canine or feline. Indeed, some people have begun to see their pets as accessories; outfitting them with designer collars (think Coach, Isaac Mizrahi, Juicy Couture), tags, leads and all manner of clothing to match human ensembles. The pooch-as-purse mentality (not to be confused with pooch-in-purse) has swept the nation. And now, in Jackson, the day of the doggie boutique has arrived.
Melton Sues Over Own Leak
Jackson Mayor Frank Melton is suing The Clarion-Ledger for breach of contract, a story the Jackson Free Press broke on its Web site on April 18. Melton was head of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics for less than four months when he leaked a memo composed by then-MBN agent Roy Sandifer (now JPD assistant police chief) to The Clarion-Ledger's Washington correspondent Ana Radelat in 2003. Now, Melton is suing the paper because it ran his leaked memo without corroborating the accusations in it. The memo alleged that MBN agents were illegally transferring MBN-seized weapons and an airplane.
Better Late Than Never
Within weeks of passing a resolution to apologize for lynching, the U.S. Senate is moving to help solve old civil rights cases. U.S. Sens. Jim Talent, R-Mo., and Chris Dodd, D-Conn., recently announced strong support for their Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act (S. 1369) with 22 cosponsors, including Dodd and Talent, already backing the legislation.
[City Buzz] A Time to Speak
A TIME TO SPEAK: Due to it being the 40th anniversary of Freedom Summer, 2004 seems to be the year of activism in the state of Mississippi. In fact, at a Feb. 24 press conference in the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., members of the Chaney, Goodman and Schwerner Justice Coalition officially launched what they're calling "Freedom Summer 2004," to honor the memory of the three young men killed in Neshoba County by Klansmen in 1964. And the group isn't just about memorializing; they want positive action. A 20-bus caravan will leave New York City on June 9 bound for Mississippi, making 20 stops along the way for memorials, door-to-door voter registration and anti-racism workshops. Alice Walker, Andrew Young and Marian Wright Edelman are honorary chairmen of the group. …
Sheriff McMillin Hefting Heavy Load
A former city police chief said he fears Hinds County Sheriff Malcolm McMillin may be taking on an impossible burden in adopting the role of Jackson police chief while retaining his position of sheriff. "McMillin is a good friend, a pretty good administrator, one heck of a cop, first rate politician and a brilliant PR person. He offers 'comfort' and a sense of stability in the turbulent, roiled up waters that is the wake of Melton's march through the Jackson Police Department. That said, he cannot do both jobs effectively," former Jackson Police Chief Robert Johnson said.
Two Districts Competitive in 2008?
Both U.S. House District 1 and former Sen. Trent Lott's seats could prove competitive this year, despite a decades-long trend of Republican domination in Mississippi.
College Town Boy
"College town boy, get off your ass and do something," Dent May croons with a bit of humorous mockery and disdain.
Local Eats Sampler
Some of Jackson's favorite restaurants may have been around for more than 50 years, but the food scene here is constantly growing. In the last six months, we have gained several dining options in and near downtown, some cuisines that are new to Jackson and, of course, more great southern food.
Arena Supporters Raise Funds for Study
Supporters of a proposed arena for downtown Jackson made their case yesterday at the Jackson Convention Complex. A steering committee featuring many area business leaders is trying to raise $80,000 to fund the first phase of a feasibility study for the project.
Chief, I Crushed the Car
Recycling is great for the Earth, but a potential nightmare if you're the victim of auto theft in Jackson.
[Moore] Stop the Insanity!
I hate the fact that for so many years I believed the propaganda. It is printed, reported, over-reported and regurgitated across all media about the city of Jackson: "Don't go downtown." "Don't walk the streets at night." "Be gone before the sun sets. Crime is up."
Who's In a Gang? Who Uses Crack?
State and local jurisdictions develop their own definitions of "gangs," which can lead to confusion and ill-defined fears of gang violence. The Jackson Police Department does not have an official definition of a gang, but the Mississippi Street Gang Act says that a gang is a group of three or more people with an established hierarchy that engages in felonious criminal activity.
Not In My Backyard
Some residents of the Fondren community are steadfastly protesting the building of a 40-bed crisis intervention center for the mentally ill in what they consider their backyard.
State Waits for the Oil; Fla., La. Declare Emergencies
Mississippi's oyster fishermen, already hit earlier in the year with scares of infected seafood, greeted a stormy last day of the commercial season, along with possibilities of being unable to sell the day's catch.
The Death of Grass Roots?
The Web site http://www.grassroots.com isn't exactly what one would expect. There aren't any passionate people promising to stand up for issues, no local communities to join, no petitions to sign. The site, instead, is designed for political moguls looking for someone to send out a few e-mails to interested constituents, build a trendy Web site—and then more than likely charge them a fortune. This, it would seem, is a contradiction of what "grass roots"—rough-around-the-edges ground-up activism—is supposed to mean.
Community Events and Public Meetings
8:30 a.m., MINCAP Business Session, at Jackson Medical Mall (350 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave.). The group will meet in the Community Meeting Room. Open to the public. Call 601-982-8467.