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McMillin Says Resignation Was Political
Despite contradicting claims from Mayor Frank Melton, former Jackson Police Chief Malcolm McMillin said he resigned his position today for purely political reasons rather than tension between Melton and himself. "I couldn't stay as chief in this administration while I was not supporting the mayor's bid for re-election," McMillin said. "I thought it would say a lot about me and my integrity and honesty in taking that salary without supporting the mayor."
The JFP Interview with Steve Holland
In a matter of 24 hours, Steve Holland went from seemingly being the director of "Punk'd: Mississippi Edition" to directing funerals.
Family Files Wrongful Death Suit
Morris Dees is not singling out Mississippi in his organization's efforts to seek justice for an alleged hate murder of James Craig Anderson because he was black.
The 2009 JFP Interview with Rick Whitlow
Former Houston Rocket Rick Whitlow has had his fingers in a little bit of everything. Whitlow made a name for himself as a TV and radio news and sports personality in Jackson. These days the insurance agent maintains a presence in the community, and has worked as executive director of the SafeCity Watch.
JPD Blasts ‘Negative Crime Story'
Using FBI statistics that the agency warns not to take out of context, The Clarion-Ledger reported a 9.3 increase in violent crime for the Jackson area this morning.
"Policing Jackson: Problems & Solutions" – Questions?
Post your questions for the panel or specific panelists below.
The Jackson Police Officers Association and the Jackson Free Press are presenting a town-hall meeting with police officers and other concerned citizens for real talk on fighting crime in Jackson. JFP Editor Donna Ladd will moderate the discussion in the Department of Education auditorium (the old Central High School) at 359 North West Street in Downtown Jackson (print map here) on Thursday, March 27, at 6:30 p.m. A reception and fellowship will follow.
Opening Saturday: F. Jones Corner on Farish Street
When Adam Hayes and Daniel Dillon bought 303 Farish St., the building was in terrible shape: The ceiling was falling, it had neither a kitchen nor plumbing, and to top it off, a homeless person was living there. The two immediately started cleaning up the place, with free help from carpenters, plumbers and construction workers due to the eagerness they shared for getting the job done. Dillon and Hayes got down and dirty when constructing the space, and in the end it all paid off. Nestled in the otherwise quiet historical Farish Street District, the renovated vibrant blue building will open as F. Jones Corner on July 11, the first of several new entertainment venues to open on the street this year.
Bills That Ain't About Money
All eyes at the state Legislature are on how politicians will handle the state's nearly $400 million revenue deficit, but other bills outside of money issues are creeping their way into committees.
The Learning to be 5th Child
Jackson rapper Stephen Brown, aka 5th Child, spends the majority of his time in his bedroom studio making music. When he has a show to rock, you can count on him being there and killing it. The rest of the time, you can count on the 24-year-old staying in Friday nights to dig for samples, make beats and write lyrics.
Speaker McCoy Fires Back
Republicans had predicted House Speaker Billy McCoy's vengeance after his close re-election to the leadership post, and McCoy did not disappoint. The speaker assigned no chairmanships this session to Republicans, and removed other Republicans from last year's committee chairmanships.
Haley Barbour's New "Democrat-Lover" Nastygram
July 30, 2003: Gubernatorial hopeful, and former national GOP party head, Haley Barbour seems more stressed about Davidian challenger Mitch Tyner than you'd think. A rather breathtaking nasty-politics flyer landed in the JFP PO box this morning. In a tone worthy of Ann Coulter, the four-color (read: expensive) Barbour fold-out shows Mitch Tyner in the backseat of a stretch limo driven by a donkey (you'd think that'd be hard to afford with the $209,484 Tyner has raised to date, compared with Barbour's $5,316,884) with "Liberal Trial Lawyer and Democrat-Lover Mitch Tyner." With a huge photo of a zebra on the front, the headline reads: "A zebra can't change its stripes and neither can a donkey!!" READ MORE ...
Mississippi Senate to Vote on Abortion Ban
I've just received word that the Mississippi Senate Committee on Public Health and Welfare has approved SB 2795, an outright ban on abortion. The bill will most likely go before the Senate floor either this week or next week.
The Politics of Voter ID
Photos by Adam Lynch and Kate Medley
Candidates tend to look for issues to separate themselves from their opponents. It's a tough order in conservative Mississippi, where many nominees on both sides of the political spectrum agree on many of the same issues.
Voter ID: Excessive Regulation?
In 2005, Noxubee County Democratic Executive Committee Chairman Ike Brown decided to go the extra—and illegal—mile to get votes for African American candidates, according to court records.
[Balko] The Continuing Saga of Steven Hayne
Last week the Mississippi Supreme Court granted a new trial to Cory Maye, who is serving a life sentence for shooting and killing Prentiss, Miss., police officer Ron Jones during a botched drug raid on Maye's apartment. One of the key prosecution witnesses in Maye's case was Steven Hayne, an overworked, ethically dubious medical examiner who performed the overwhelming majority of criminal autopsies in Mississippi for two decades, from the late 1980s until 2008. Although last week's ruling did not address Hayne's work, it presents an opportunity to consider recent developments in Mississippi's slow evolution toward a more competent death investigation system.
Council Calls For Independent Attorney
Members of City Council say they are still stinging from being duped by their own attorney into paying her thousands of extra dollars.
Clarion-Ledger Publisher Explains 20 Layoffs
Following a directive from its corporate owner, Gannett, The Clarion-Ledger laid off 20 people Thursday7 percent off its already-depleted staffin addition to freezing the positions open from recent resignations. Three of those positions were in the newsroom, a source inside the paper tells the Jackson Free Press.
Community Events and Public Meetings
11:30 a.m., Stress Presentation, at Jackson Medical Mall (350 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave.), in the Community Meeting Room is presented by the Jackson State University chapter of the Master of Social Work Sorority, Inc. Free; call 601-982-8467.
Community Events and Public Meetings
7 p.m., No Fuss Lawn Care at Millsaps College (1701 N. State St.). Felder Rushing will cover selecting the right kind of grass, mowing, fertilizing, weed control, and designing with a smaller lawn in mind through the use of ground covers and mulches. $40; call 601-974-1130.