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Optimist Foodie

Andrew Zimmern's Culinary Take on Jackson

The Friday before PM Soul, a pop-up food event last fall at Peaches Café on Farish Street, I got a call from a number I didn't recognize. I was in the middle of dinner service at Underground 119 and didn't have the time for a chat, so I ignored the call and kept at it on the hot line.

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.

Taylor and the Law: Together Again

Hinds County District Attorney Faye Peterson has told the Jackson Free Press that a 17-year-old companion of Mayor Frank Melton needs to post a $250,000 bond in order to avoid returning to jail. Hinds County Youth Court released Michael Taylor, 17, on May 29 due to an administrative error, the D.A. said.

Jackson Singled Out for Bond ‘Lobbying'

The Mississippi Legislature singled out Jackson as the only municipality that needed to submit an application to and lobby the state Bond Commission in order to receive a loan that the lawmakers had promised the city.

City Employees Stealing Gas?

The Jackson City Council's budget committee will meet today at 1 p.m. to discuss reports of 945 city employees allegedly misusing city gas cards a total of 9,288 times during the months of July through September.

Happy Mother's Day

Arise, then, women of this day!

Here is the original, pre-Hallmark, Mother's Day Proclamation, penned in Boston by Julia Ward Howe in 1870:

Man Arraigned in Jackson for Online Obama Threats

Steven Joseph Christopher of Wisconsin was arraigned today in federal court in Jackson for making threats against President-elect Barack Obama on the Internet chat forum on Jan. 11 and 15. "Threats against the president-elect will be taken very seriously. Use of chat rooms to express those threats is as much a crime as uttering the words. Threats of this nature will be pursued swiftly and vigorously," U.S. Attorney Dunn Lampton said in the courtroom. The maximum penalty is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The judge advised Christopher would be held in isolation for his own safety. Christopher was arrested without incident in Lincoln County by sheriffs working with the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, thus his appearance in court here.

Saints Release Deuce

It seems not even professional football is immune to the economy.

Earlier today, the Associated Press announced that the New Orleans Saints have released running back Deuce McAllister "in a move that reduced the team's payroll as free agency approaches."

Coalition Calls for ‘Meaningful' Insurance Reform

Gov. Haley Barbour may be getting more than he bargained for in the 2004 Extraordinary Session he called to wrangle the House of Representatives into accepting his versions of tort reform and voter ID. A coalition of legislators, consumer advocates, civil rights organizations and everyday people gathered this morning at the Capitol to call for insurance reform in the state of Mississippi—a first for the Magnolia State. Rep. Jaimie Franks, D-Tupelo, organized the press conference to call for legislation to roll all insurance rates—not just medical malpractice—back to 2001 levels. Franks said that insurance companies saw nearly $30 billion in profits in 2003, and have no intention of lowering rates, whether or not the Legislature gives Barbour his non-economic damage caps—the sticking point in the special session. Franks wants Mississippi to follow the lead of states like California and Missouri, which have regulated insurance companies to ensure that doctors, small businesses and everyday citizens aren't bilked by exploding rates.

Civil Rights Museum Part of Tougaloo ‘Master Plan'

Tougaloo College President Beverly Hogan told The Clarion-Ledger today that a civil rights museum has been part of the college's "master plan" for years:

Have a Happy, Safe and LOCAL ‘Black Friday'

The Jackson Free Press wishes everyone a safe and loving Thanksgiving. And if you are one of the brave souls who actually shops on "black Friday," please remember that our locally owned businesses will be less crowded and more interesting and unique than chain stores (and they have much more creative gift wrap and much more personal service!). And if you need a mall, please be sure to visit Jackson's own Metrocenter Mall to help re-invest in our city. Meantime, the attorney general's office offers the following tips for safe shopping:

Reeves Lends Weight to Mosque Opposition

A former Jackson attorney says he sees parallels between his representation of Madison citizens against a proposed mosque and the plight of his own former home in south Jackson.

Former DA: Harvey Johnson Can ‘Stop Stampede'

Former Hinds County District Attorney Faye Peterson confirmed this morning at a press conference that she will drop out of the mayoral race due to family concerns. She endorsed former Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr., one of the front runners in the race to unseat Mayor Frank Melton. "The city's finances are stampeding out of control, and I believe that other than myself, he's the only other candidate who has the experience to stop the stampede," she told the Jackson Free Press afterward. "I firmly believe he can take office and immediately make decisions based on his experience and judgment. He has the skills, and it needs to happen fast. There are huge problems because of mismanagement and bad fiscal decisions by the current administration. We don't have the time for guessing."

[Lott] This Sacred Season

I urge everyone to remember our troops serving overseas during this holiday season, especially the many Mississippians who are deployed away from home and the 18 Mississippi families who have lost loved ones as a direct result of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Our prayers must start with the remembrance of those whose holidays will be tempered either by separation or bereavement. Some Mississippians have been in Iraq for almost a year or more. That's a long time to be away from family, friends and familiar surroundings. Yet, these courageous men and women do so without hesitation or complaint.

BREAKING: Melton Asked Allen to be Mayor

Mayor Frank Melton chose Council President Ben Allen to head up the executive branch if the mayor was incapacitated by his heart surgery last month.

Truant ‘Sweeps' Obscure Progress

After a setback last Tuesday, Jackson Mayor Frank Melton went through with a campaign promise to attack the Jackson Public School drop-out rate and get school-age children off the street. On Friday, Melton organized an attempted police round-up of more than 300 truants and drop-outs, to be carted off to see a judge.

Crime Plan Faces Reality Check

Last week Mayor Frank Melton announced a number of methods to combat crime in the city. "I'm making a change in leadership at the municipal court, and Gayle Lowery, a current city judge, will take over the municipal court effective immediately," Melton announced at a July 25 press conference in what his office is now calling the "oval office" (the square "ceremonial" mayor's office in City Hall).

Look At All These Rumors

As the JFP goes to press, the city is awash in rumors about what is going to happen next to Mayor Frank Melton and friends. Some are more credible than others. If you're the bettin'-startin'-an-office-pool type, here are some cheeky options:

City Council Interrogates Police Chief

The Jackson City Council criticized Police Chief Shirlene Anderson's crime plan and demanded action on unconfirmed department heads at a March 6 special council meeting. The council spent the first hour of the meeting addressing Anderson's "Comprehensive Crime Reduction Plan," which the chief presented with help from Chief Administrative Officer Robert Walker. "This is a draft," Walker cautioned. "This is not the fine-tuned document we intend to have before you in a few weeks."

Barbour Targeting Dem Governors

It's political deja vu all over again. In his new role as chairman of the Republican Governors Association, Gov. Haley Barbour is playing a key role nationally againstrategizing about how to beat Democrats in races around the country, as well as fighting for redistricting in other states that can help Republicans win races.

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