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State Dems say Crisler Calls ‘a Mistake'
[verbatim] Chairman Jamie Franks said today that the state party remains neutral in the Jackson mayoral Democratic runoff. The statement comes in response to calls made on behalf of Councilman Marshand Crisler from the state party headquarters.
Thank God It's Friday
'Nuff said about that, right? Kick off the weekend right by joining the JFP gang at Hal & Mal's tonight for another (in)famous version of Southern Fried Karaoke. It's a triple-threat birthday version tonight starting at 9 p.m., celebrating Donna Ladd's, Todd Stauffer's and Lacey McLaughlin's birthdays. We know the iTodd can carry a tune. Come find out if anyone else can.
2010: Beyond Jackson
<b>Best Casino for Gaming and Best Casino for Restaurants</b>
The chiming of slot machines welcomed me with their happy mantra: "Win money. Win money." No, I wasn't in Las Vegas, but at the Ameri star Casino Hotel in Vicksburg. Winner of Best Casino for Gaming and Best Casino for Restaurants, Ameristar houses a variety of fun. I was impressed with the number of tables for gaming and the vast array of affordable slots. (I opted for the penny slots myself.) Without leaving the casino, you can have a "N'Awlins" pizza at Bella's Cafe and Bakery, then head to Bourbons for sweet-potato cheesecake. To round out the evening, mosey on over to the Bottleneck Blues Bar for a beer and some live music. The restaurants offer everything from barbecue to Chinese food at extremely reasonable prices. Opting for pizza was a great choice, but next time, I'll have to try the chocolate fountain at the Heritage Buffet. Located only 40 minutes from Jackson, you won't even have to deal with airport security to get there.
Are You Ready for the Weekend, Jackson?
Kick off the first weekend in autumn tonight with a couple of movies for only $5. At 6:30 p.m., Crossroads Film Society presents "My Time Will Come," from Ecuador, and "The Photograph," from Indonesia at the Mississippi Museum of Art (museum members get in for $3). For opera lovers, head to Millsaps College for a rare, free treat. Robert Crowe, a male soprano, will sing Mozart and Haydn arias beginning at 7 p.m. at the Ford Academic Complex. If you're looking for a way to contribute to the community, at 8:30 p.m., head to Galloway United Methodist Church for "Ending Homelessness: Putting the Pieces Together in Our Community," the final event in the Mississippi State Hospital's Homeless Connect Week. You have plenty more options to choose from, so if none of those make you happy, head over to the JFP Events Calendar for more options.
It's the Weekend!
Disregarding any gloom and doom on this Friday the 13th, go start the weekend right at the Eudora Welta Commons with gumbo and tunes at 7 p.m. For a mere five bucks, The Dixie Nationals and the Scramblers will play for your auditory pleasure, while chef Phil Harris is sure to tickle your taste buds. For something a bit more cerebral, head to Millsaps College at 7:30 p.m. for "Music and Martial Arts" featuring music from Japan and a martial arts demo from the Japan-America Society. Need more options? Start your search on the JFP Best Bets page.
It's the Weekend
If last weekend's St. Paddy's Parade and associated frivolities have you hankering for more, this weekend won't disappoint. The first annual Zippity Doo Dah Weekend in the Fondren neighborhood began yesterday and runs through tomorrow night. Today until 5 p.m., join the Sweet Potato Queens for the Bluebird Scavenger Hunt and the Queens Qrawl for All. Tomorrow, you'll have plenty of opportunities for family fun beginning with the Market in Fondren from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.; the Sal & Mookies 4th Annual Kid's Carniva from 10:30 a.m. until 3 p.m.; and live music throughout the day. The weekend closes out (for all but the heartiest SPQs) with the Zippity Doo Dah Parade at dusk. All proceeds from the weekend go to the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children, so not only will you have a blast, you'll be making a difference, too.
Obama to Sign Hate Crime Legislation
In a ceremony today at the White House, President Barack Obama will sign a bill into law that has been in the works for more than a decade. The bill updates the 1968 federal hate crime statutes that currently protects individuals from attack because of their race, religion or ethnicity, adding sexual orientation and disabilities to the list.
The Dawn of a New ‘Daily'
This past week we flipped the switch on a new "product" that's been brewing in the JFP labs for the better part of six months: JFP Daily.
2010: Urban Living
<b>Best Locally Owned Business</b>
Jeff Good and his business partner, Dan Blumenthal, know the secret to success in the restaurant business, and it's not rocket science: Provide top-notch service and delicious quality food every day. Jacksonians know that they can count on the three Mangia Bene restaurantsBRAVO!, Broad St. Baking Company and Sal & Mookie'sto be consistently good, which is why you will find these businesses nominated over and over each year in the Best of Jackson polls.
[Mott] Year of the Tiger
My life has always been filled with challenges; it's the way I like it, always pushing the edges, coming around the curve sideways on two wheels, and hitting the brakes just in time to avoid catastrophe. That may be more than Donna wants to know about me, but then, we've been working together for going on four years, so I think she's got a clue. Chaos follows me around like the little dirt cloud follows Pig Pen in Charles' Schultz "Peanuts," always ready to engulf me.
The JFP Interview with ‘Mark Twain'
Typical Twain, and a response Hal Holbrook wouldn't hesitate to use if someone questioned his costume. Holbrook performs in an iconic white suit, his cigar used to great effect to punctuate the stories he tells, and the pauses he makes.
Annual 'Taste of Mississippi' Benefits Stewpot
This year's "Taste of Mississippi: Homegrown Hunger Relief" is scheduled for Monday, March 30, beginning at 7 p.m. at Highland Village in Jackson. More than 40 area restaurants and beverage vendors have confirmed that they'll be dishing up tasty treats and pouring libations this year, all to benefit Stewpot Community Services.
BREAKING: Jackson 11th Best City For Small Business
The Jackson Free Press has just learned that Fortune Small Business has named Jackson a "best place to launch" a small business. Jackson ranks 11th on the magazine's list of mid-size American cities, which it released online today. JFP reporter Ward Schaefer contributed the profile of Jackson and local entrepreneur Devereaux Galloway, CEO and founder of Solar Power of Mississippi.
Barbour Defends Town Hall Confrontations
The recent spate of rowdy behavior at health-care town-hall meetings is because Americans don't understand the Obama administration's plan, Gov. Haley Barbour told reporters during a conference call Monday organized by the Republican Governors Association.
Senate Health-Care Bill Clears Crucial Hurdle
The U.S. Senate won a victory early this morning in the health-care debate, reports The Washington Post. In a 1 a.m. 60-to-40 vote, Senators approved the first of three procedural motions to move reform legislation to final passage, now scheduled for Christmas Eve.
Truth to Power
I spent last weekend in New Orleans at the Association of Alternative Newsmedia convention. It was held in the posh Ritz Carlton in the heart of the city's business district, and I was challenged trying to reconcile our "alternative" moniker with the neat little pyramids of individually rolled cloth hand towels by each sink in the ladies' rooms.
Starting Again: Mississippi Laws Trap Women In Abuse
Claire sat with her back to the wall on the washed-out blue bedspread covered with big cabbage roses, once pink, now faded nearly to white. The neat little room barely had space for the old-fashioned wood-framed double bed, a black desk and office chair, and a high bookcase stuffed with official-looking 2-inch binders and children's movie DVDs.
The Case For Innocence
It was Ron Williamson's obituary in the Dec. 9, 2004, issue of The New York Times that caught attorney and author John Grisham's eye.
Home at Last?
When I was small, my parents seemed to think that moving to a new city to give my dad better job opportunities was a pretty cool thing to do.
The Greenhouse Effect
If your mama was anything like mine, you probably heard "Eat your vegetables!" more than once at the supper table when you were a kid. As grownups, though, we've all read numerous times that eating a diet rich in fresh fruits, veggies and grains will make us feel better, look better and live longer.