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But, Mr. Cleo

I first saw Robert Little, a very handsome toastmaster-by-trade and Jacksonian, take on a young, somewhat skeptical audience Nov. 19 at the North Midtown Community Development Center. He was the guest speaker, the guest motivator, at the gathering of about 40 parents and kids from Brown Elementary and Rowan Middle schools, schools scoring far below the levels deemed acceptable by No Child Left Behind federal standards.

[Talk] Rebels for NAFTA

Every year at the Neshoba County Fair, candidates bring in college students to do their dirty work. They did it back when I was head of "Students for Stennis" at Mississippi State—when, as it happens, Haley Barbour ran against him. We all stuck stickers all over us, screamed and yelled for our candidates, and jockeyed to get our candidate signs in front of the cameras—and in front of the opponent's signs.

Dirty Debris?

Garrett Enterprises owner Socrates Garrett said his company and subcontractors have already removed more than half the debris lining the streets after tornado winds tore through the Jackson area last month.

A Katrina Story

"I guess we'll have to catch the bus to school tomorrow," I thought when I spotted a dim red spot in the water that was our family Chrysler Concorde. From inside the townhouse, I watched the fierce hurricane winds blow water from both the sky and Lake Pontchartrain toward my city.

John Noblin

As the director of the fourth annual Mississippi Blues Marathon, John Noblin is busy making last-minute arrangements for the two-day event, which includes a fitness expo and outdoor concert. The Jackson native is a longtime marathon runner who got his start organizing races in 1993 with the Tour LeFleur, a professional cycling race in Jackson. Five years ago, he collaborated with local business leaders to bring the Blues Marathon to Jackson, forming a sponsorship with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi. Noblin, 45, lives in Jackson with his wife, Jill, and two daughters Keavy, 16, and Clayton, 13. He discussed this year's race with the JFP:

Restaurant Openings, Sustainable Planning

Chip Matthews, owner of the nightclub Fire, wants to bring spice to downtown every day of the week. Matthews opened Fuego, a Mexican restaurant, in the former sports bar adjoining Fire on Aug. 4. Fuego serves a variety of Mexican dishes, including steak fajitas and huevos chorizo, from 11 a.m. until 2 a.m., all week.

Barbour Disavows House Effort to Limit His Power

Gov. Haley Barbour is speaking out against a bill the Mississippi House of Representatives passed yesterday, which exempts budgets of certain state agencies from reduction when state revenues fall below revenue estimates. HB 392 also restricts cuts to agencies beyond projected budget shortfalls.

Larisa Mann

Larisa Mann laughs when asked to describe what she does for a living. As a student earning her doctorate at the University of California at Berkley's law school and a writer, Mann, also known as DJ Ripley, has reason to pause.

Buck Abbey

Buck Abbey says he coined the phrase "green laws" in the '70s, although he did not know what a White Pine tree was before going to college. As a matter of fact, he happened upon landscape architecture and urban design by flipping through a Michigan State University catalogue and randomly opening to a page.

Parents Prepare to Defend Music Program at JPS Meeting

Parents of children in a Jackson Public Schools music program are gearing up to defend it at a school board meeting today, but as of this writing the issue was not on the meeting agenda. The JPS Board of Trustees failed to the renew the program Oct. 20, voting 2-to-2 on the district's $300,000 contract with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, which the district had maintained for 43 years. The board meets today at 5:30 p.m.

Business Roundup

The Jackson Police Department is restarting an initiative aimed at preventing crime around the city's hotels and motels and protecting visitors. Called Tourism Oriented Policing Strategies, or TOPS, the program emphasizes building relationships between police and city businesses.

Governor's Office Announces Employment Programs

Gov. Haley Barbour is attempting to combat dreary economic news with a month-long publicity push called "Let's Get Working Mississippi." The campaign is meant to draw attention to job training opportunities through the state's WIN Job Centers, which connect employers and potential employees.

Start Your Weekend Here

This weekend is a great time for finding unique holiday gifts at the 30th annual Mistletoe Marketplace at the Mississippi Trade Mart (1200 Mississippi Street). Shop until 8 p.m. tonight or head over tomorrow from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. $10. If big crowds aren't your thing, head to New Stage Theatre (1100 Carlisle St., 601-948-3533) for a production of William Gibson's "The Miracle Worker" or to Jackson State's Rose E. McCoy Auditorium (601-979-4309) for a performance of Ernest Gaines' "A Lesson Before Dying." Both shows close tomorrow, so this is a great evening to go. Where's the one place to go for all of Jackson's happenings? The JFP Events Calendar, of course.

City Finds Funds for Library System

When Jackson-Hinds Library System Executive Director Carolyn McCallum received the news this morning that the city had come up with an additional $150,000 in funds for the library system in the fiscal year 2011 budget, she celebrated with her staff.

Dr. Alan Bean

By using narrative and story telling, Dr. Alan Bean hopes that others will start to evaluate the criminal-justice system and seek the truth.

Highway 80 Redesign To Spur Development

Nina Holbrook, executive director of the Metrocenter Area Coalition, said at a public forum today that the Coalition's plans for the U.S. Highway 80 corridor includes a redesign of the area to spur economic development.

Tougaloo to Host National Education Conversation

Ashington Koen Media along with local and outreach partners invite citizens of cities across the nation to a public conversation they're calling "Beyond the Bricks," which promotes advocacy on behalf of black males enrolled in public schools. The tour kicks off in Jackson Sept. 18 at Tougaloo College and will stop at nine other cities.

Ex-Bodyguards Challenge Ridgeway Restitution

Two former Jackson police officers are disputing the amount that federal prosecutors say they must pay in restitution for the 2006 demolition of a Ridgeway Street duplex. Marcus Wright and Michael Recio, both former bodyguards to the late Mayor Frank Melton, claim that the $30,070 prosecutors want them to pay exceeds the damage they did to the house.

PSC Moving to Next Fight on $2.4B Coal Plant

The Public Service Commission announced a unanimous agreement to continue hearings into the need for a new $2.4 billion coal plant in Kemper County. "The Public Service Commission finds that Mississippi Power Company (MPCO) has demonstrated that public convenience and necessity requires or will require additional generating capacity and energy as early as 2014. Further, after a review of the entire record, the commission notes that the record contains no credible evidence to support a finding that MPCO has no need or that this commission should not proceed to Phase two of these proceedings," Commissioner Lynn Posey wrote in a release Monday.

Power Industry Watchdog Grows Three New Teeth

The Mississippi Public Service Commission will be getting $824,901 to better watchdog the power industry. This morning, District 1 Rep. Travis Childers announced the grant award from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds, which the PSC applied for earlier this year. Childers said the money will create jobs, improve training, and increase energy efficiency.

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