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Thompson Schedules Health-Care Town Hall Meetings
In an effort to give Mississippians an opportunity to discuss the proposed health care reforms currently under debate in the U.S. Congress, Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson of the state's 2nd Congressional District has scheduled a town-hall meeting in Jackson. The Aug. 24 meeting will be held at the Stringer Grand Lodge, 1072 J.R. Lynch St. in Jackson, starting at 6:30 p.m.
Sex Trafficking: It’s Not About Sex
Heather Wagner, assistant attorney general in charge of the domestic violence unit in the state attorney general's office, says it's unclear just how big the sex trafficking problem is in the state.
Weight and Insurance
Almost every single Tuesday morning since July of last year, I've sat with a group of equally weight-challenged individuals at the Baptist Nutrition Center, talking mostly about how to make the food we're supposed to eat taste better. We also talk about our small triumphs—even one pound lost is cause for celebration—and our backsliding—the holidays were tough for many. We are each other's accountability in the program, even more so than the scales, and our personal cheerleading squad.
God-Given Economic Development
Mississippi is making a concerted push to capture some of the enormous money in the health-care industry. That push, however, doesn't include what experts deem two of the most vital aspects of creating a health-care economy: healthy, well-educated citizens.
Kaze and McLemore on WAPT
JFP columnist, rapper, Crisler supporter and all 'round man about town Brad Franklin (aka Kamikaze) gave his opinion about the Democratic runoff side by side with acting Mayor, JSU prof, Johnson endorser and former City Council President Dr. Leslie McLemore on WLBT. We heart them both. Click here to see the videos. (There are two, both about four minutes long.)
It's a Capital 4th
You won't have to look far for activities this Independence Day weekend. Today, start your holiday by celebrating the inauguration of Mayor Harvey Johnson Junior. The activities began early with a prayer service, but the whole town is invited to the inauguration, a reception following and the party tonight, all held at the Jackson Convention Complex, downtown.
Robin Webb
Concert pianist, composer and activist Robin Webb, 52, has been living with HIV and AIDS for more than two decades. Diagnosed in 1988 as HIV positive, his doctor told him in 1990 that the virus had progressed. "You have AIDS," he told Webb. "... You need to put your house in order."
Andre de Gruy
Attorney Andre de Gruy knows that the American justice system isn't perfect. Sometimes circumstances combine to convict people who didn't commit the crimes they're accused of. As director of Mississippi's Office of Capital Defense Counsel, de Gruy and his staff of lawyers represent people whom Mississippi has convicted of the most heinous crimes, mostly murders and rapes.
McNair: The Darker Side of the Dream
Former National Football League Most Valuable Player Steve McNair lived what many would see as a dream life. Born in the Mississippi town of Mt. Olive, McNair began his football career on the smallest of small-town teams. Graduating in 1991, he was named SuperPrep All-American quarterback and defensive back at Mt. Olive high school, and went on to be a record-setting QB for Alcorn State, winning the Walter Payton Award at a top player in Division 1-AA in 1994. He was the only player in NCAA history with more than 16,000 yards in career total offense, reports the Houston Chronicle.
Starting Over
Slowly, slowly, the Mississippi Gulf Coast is coming back to life after Katrina's devastation. A year later, the artists of the Coast have banded together, getting to know each other, supporting one another, going around the country doing shows together.
Sabri Agachan
One immediately feels welcome when entering Sabri Agachan's home. Take your shoes off and put on the slippers offered; accept tea in delicate glasses and an offer of food. The house is spotless, almost Spartan; hospitality and cleanliness are blessings to the Muslim home, Agachan will tell you.
Runoff Will Decide Three Council Seats; May Decide Next Mayor
In a town where the majority of residents vote Democratic, tomorrow's runoff election in Jackson will decide the winner in many races. With historically low voter turnout in runoffs, however, tomorrow's winners may not be the people the majority of voters want in those positions if they don't turn out to vote tomorrow.
Yearning for Home
When I was a child, we spent summers in the Catskill Mountains, where my mother ran a beauty shop. My father would drive up from Manhattan to join us on weekends. The small town of Liberty, N.Y., and the Appalachian foothills were my playground. I spent many happy days picking wild strawberries and blueberries, or catching minnows and salamanders in the clear creeks and ponds. I was 8 when these summer idylls ended.
Weekend Events
The weekend starts tonight with classic Mississippi blues at The Auditorium. Starting at 9:18, catch "Three Generations of the Blues" with David "Honeyboy" Edwards, King Edward and Eddie Cotton on stage for only $20. If you'd rather spend the evening catching up with old friends, head to Schimmel's for the Murrah High School Alumni Mixer for all those 21 and older. For more details and more happenings around town, head to the JFP Best Bets page to start your search for weekend entertainment.
It's the Weekend!
Are you ready? Plenty of folks are headed out of town for the long Memorial Day weekend. But if you're not on the road, no worries. There's lots to do right here in Jackson.
Making Weekend Plans?
It's Friday, y'all, and you know what that means: It's time for weekend planning. As always, the Jackson Free Press is here to let you know what's happening, who's in town and where the "don't miss" events are taking place.
A Boy and His Mailbox
In "Glorious Mail," Mississippi natives J.D. Evermore and co-writer/co-producer Alice Walker tell the story of Cesar Nutley Willingham IV, an antiques dealer, community theater actor and flamboyantly green-eyeshadowed homosexual from Sinnaville, Miss. Willingham's good friend and artist, Kymeleon Cockerham, has given him a special birthday present: a mailbox.
Palin and the Fringe
The extreme right is declaring a third-party victory with Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin on the presidential ticket this fall.
Parting The Curtain
Mississippi Values: It sounds innocuous, even noble; yet under the pens of Alex A. Alston Jr. and James L. Dickerson, the phrase takes on an ominous ring. Magnolia State residents "have a long history of being against whatever the rest of the nation is for," the authors write in "Devil's Sanctuary: an Eyewitness History of Mississippi Hate Crimes".