| JFP Mobile | Jackson, Mississippi

New Jackson Council Meets Today

The new Jackson City Council will be meeting for the first time today at 4 p.m. Leaving the council this year is former Council President and Ward 2 Councilman Leslie Burl McLemore, who announced his retirement prior to the Democratic primaries. McLemore is also retiring from his job at Jackson State University.

DA Alleges Racism; Former DA Weighs In

Even as Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith is alleging racism in the Hinds County Justice system, his African American predecessor says that it was her job to find a way to work within the parameters set by the judge.

Doris Shavers Killer Pleads Guilty

Henry Lee Phillips pleaded guilty today to murdering his former girlfriend, Doris Shavers, 40, on Sept. 17, 2007, as Shavers combed her 12-year-old daughter's hair before leaving for work. The day of the murder was Jessica's birthday.

Magnolia Bar Wants Black Judge

The Magnolia Bar Association says it is examining the process by which Gov. Haley Barbour will select a replacement for convicted Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Bobby DeLaughter this month. Bar President Gale Walker said the governor is seemingly insensitive to appointing blacks to judgeships on both the state and local levels.

[Miller] A Labor Day for the 21st Century

Every year, we celebrate Labor Day to honor the work of everyday Americans who built this country brick by brick, community by community. It's an honorable holiday that pays tribute to honorable work.

Helping the Tsunami Victims

When he heard about that the disaster had struck on Dec. 26, Jackson attorney Taylor Ferrell made an phone call to Chennai, one of the devastated cities in southern India. After volunteering as an English teacher at an orphanage there for three weeks, he had left on Christmas, the day before the tsunami gushed through the city's coastal areas. Ferrell made contact with those he had worked with and was assured that all the children and other volunteers were just fine.

[Talk] Perception vs. Reality

and Donna Ladd

Police Chief Robert Moore seems a bit more relaxed these days. It was pretty touch-and-go for him there for a while, especially during television sweeps time last spring when property crimes happened to have spiked dramatically in the city and young men were committing a series of armed home "invasions" in Fondren.

Coal Plant on Public Hot Seat This Week

The Mississippi Public Service Commission began the second phase of hearings this week to determine the need for a proposed $2.4 billion coal plant in Kemper County.

Melton to Trial This Time?

Barring any last-minute complications, Mayor Frank Melton's much-delayed federal civil-rights trial will begin with jury selection on Feb. 2.

No Money To Fund Partisan Radio, Democrats Say

The Mississippi House of Representatives may consider a bill forcing more oversight on how the state pays for advertising in 2009. The state spent more than $14 million on newspaper, radio and television advertising in 2006, but some House members say the state is funding partisan radio.

State Farm Rate Hike an Exit Policy

Democratic Sen. David Baria, D-Bay St. Louis, says State Farm Insurance company's request for a 45 percent rate hike may be an attempt to pull out of the covering the state's coastal areas.

Barbour Flips on $20 Billion

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour shifted his support for a $20 billion escrow fund that BP agreed to set up to compensate Gulf State victims filing claims for losses due to the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

State Workers Forced to Furlough?

Mississippi Sen. Alice Harden, D-Jackson, said she will submit a bill this legislative session forcing all state employees not directly connected to essential services, like hospital care, to accept a one-day-a-month furlough.

Scott Sisters' Clemency Momentum Growing

Support for imprisoned sisters Jamie and Gladys Scott is growing as an anticipated deadline for their clemency petition nears. The sisters, who are in the 17th year of their double life sentences for armed robbery, have a petition for clemency or pardon pending before Gov. Haley Barbour.

Housing Authority, Medical Mall Make Homes Affordable

In an effort to rebuild local communities, The Jackson Medical Mall and Jackson Housing Authority are working to bring high-quality, affordable housing to Jackson residents.

MPB Director Resigns

Mississippi Public Broadcasting Executive Director Judy Lewis has resigned, Mississippi Authority for Educational Television Chairman Bob Sawyer said today in a press statement.

Downtown Trees on the Chopping Block?

http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/v3/images/uploads/trees_web.jpg

Due Diligence on Biofuels

Despite a strong show of support from state lawmakers last month, Houston-based startup KiOR is still a long way from breaking ground on the three biofuel facilities it has pledged to build in Mississippi. KiOR must secure a purchase agreement with an oil refinery before it can receive the $75 million loan the Mississippi Legislature authorized Aug. 27, and state and company officials say an agreement is still to come.

Jackson One of 20 Strongest-Performing Markets

A new report issued by the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., ranks Jackson as one of the nation's strongest-performing metro areas in the country. The MetroMonitor report tracks the recession and its recovery, and examined the 100 largest metropolitan areas for the second quarter of 2009.

Susan Piedmont-Palladino

Susan Piedmont-Palladino believes that new technology can help make cities better.

All results / Stories

Sort By

Date

Authors