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Live from Yes on 26

Personhood is the race to watch tonight, with supporters at a "watch and pray" event hosted by Yes on 26 saying it's too close to call.

Michelle Colon, the activist who started the Hell No! on 26 and 27 just walked in the door loaded down with posters and banners. I asked her if it has been a long day. "It's been a long couple of months," she told me.

Jackson Takes Care of Business

Accounting firm KPMG of Charlotte, N.C., is listing Jackson as one of the most affordable metropolitan areas for business among 13 U.S. locations with populations between 500,000 and 1.5 million. Jackson ranked second in mid-sized cities, behind Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C.

Abortion: 'Issue of Our Day'?

40 Days for Life, a national pro-life campaign, is focusing its efforts on the only abortion provider in Mississippi, the National Women's Health Organization in Fondren. Described as "a unique approach to ending abortion," the campaign will hold a prayer vigil outside the clinic from Sept. 24 through Nov. 2.

Gordon Kills Home Nursing Bill

Sen. Jack Gordon, D-Okolona, squashed a House bill that would have provided senior citizens and the disabled more access to home-care nursing.

Expanding Code Enforcement

Planning and development consultant Leland Speed said he wants to expand the skeleton crew of the city's code enforcement division by about seven officers. "My idea is for neighborhood associations to nominate one person from each ward, who will then work for the city in enforcing code enforcement," Speed said. "The neighborhood associations know better than anyone what's right or wrong with their neighborhoods, and this will empower them."

Lawmakers Closer to Balanced Budget

State legislators have reached a budget compromise, ending a months-long impasse days before the end of the fiscal year. House and Senate negotiators reached an agreement late Sunday on a roughly $5 billion budget for the 2010 fiscal year, which begins July 1. The agreement includes a $60 million assessment on Mississippi hospitals, which will help fund a Medicaid shortfall.

Melton Trial Opening Statements Start Today

The federal civil-rights trial of Mayor Frank Melton and former mayoral bodyguard Michael Recio began this morning with opening statements followed by witness testimony. Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood was the first witness. Melton and Recio are charged with intentionally violating Fourth Amendment rights in conjunction with a 2006 raid on a Ridgeway Street duplex. Prosecutors allege that Melton and Recio supervised the house's destruction with sledgehammers.

Extreme Makeover Coming to Jackson

Producers of the ABC television show, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," are seeking deserving Jackson families to feature on the show. To be eligible, a family must own their single family home and be able to show producers how a makeover will make a huge difference in their lives.

Catholic Charities Announces Multicultural ‘Migration Week'

[Verbatim statement] Jackson.- Catholic Charities, Inc.'s Immigration Clinic will celebrate National Migration Week on Wednesday January 21, 2009 at St. Peter's Catholic Church located at 123 N West St from 11 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. This event's theme is Renewing Hope, Seeking Justice which encourages acceptance of our growing diverse society, including the acknowledgment of different cultures and contributions of society's newcomers. National Migration Week's goal is to create an understanding among the native-born U.S. population, the immigrants, and refugees living within and outside of their communities. Music, art, and food from around the world are offered to the public for enjoyment.

Barbour Among Governors Getting Suspicious Letters

The Associated Press is reporting that Haley Barbour and five other governorsof Alabama, Michigan, Missouri, Rhode Island and Montanareceived letters containing powder today; tests have found so far that the letters to Mississippi and Alabama were harmless.

Wine to Go

Beginning July 1, that unfinished bottle of wine at your restaurant table can go home with you, thanks to the Mississippi Legislature. No more will you have to decide between the wines by the glass or by the bottle, because what you don't finish can travel back to your house for dinner tomorrow.

Jackson Crime Increases Slightly in Early March

Data for this week will be available on Wednesday, Mar. 18.

Major crimes in Jackson increased slightly in the first week of March, according to a Jackson Police Department report released Wednesday. Major crimes increased 12.4 percent from the last week of February, with property crimes increasing 6.5 percent and violent crimes increasing 50 percent. The report (PDF) shows that house burglaries and aggravated assaults increased the most sharply, largely due to a spike in those crimes in Precincts 2 and 3. Precinct 2 covers West Jackson and part of the city's center, and Precinct 3 covers Northwest Jackson. Police reported 37 percent fewer auto burglaries, also largely due to decreases in Precincts 2 and 3.

No Agreement on Funding Medicaid

Lawmakers were unable to agree yesterday on a bill proposing a tax on hospital beds to help fund Medicaid, reports WXVT15, missing their Monday night deadline.

Friendship Ball Honors Brooks and Reed

Owen Brooks and Phil Reed are builders. In addition to the voter registration and education drives he led as director of the Delta Ministry, Brooks oversaw economic development projects, organized Head Start centers and helped start the Mound Bayou Community Hospital and Health Center.

Tougaloo Students Blogging from Inauguration

A group of students from Tougaloo College are blogging inaugural events on Black College Wire. The group of mass communications students are led by professor Eric Stringfellow and plan to produce a special issue about the trip:

Fund Set Up For Hamer Family, Fire Victims

Kirk or Lenora Hamer-Flakes

Authorities say that the fire that destroyed the home of the late civil rights hero Fannie Lou Hamer, reported here Monday, was caused by a space heater that was left on while the Hamers were away. The New Year's Day blaze completely destroyed the home in Ruleville, Miss. Hamer's granddaughter and family, who lived in the home, are now staying in a local motel. A bank account has been set up in Ruleville for those who wish to contribute to the family, who lost everything. You can make checks or money orders payable to:

Foreclosures Down in Mississippi

The numbers of Magnolia State residents receiving foreclosure notices dropped dramatically in July. RealtyTrac, the California company that tracks foreclosure notices nationwide, reports a 38 percent drop in the state over the previous month, according to a release.

Drew Brees Named NFL's Best Offensive Player

The Associated Press is reporting that AP has named New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees its 2008 NFL Offensive Player of the Year:

Melton Police Witnesses To Appear In Court

Jackson police officers are among those scheduled to appear in court this morning at an evidentiary hearing for the federal trial of Mayor Frank Melton and his former bodyguard Michael Recio.

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