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Jackson Zoo Debuts Baby Chimp, MoJo

Beginning today at 1 p.m., visitors to the Jackson Zoo will be able to see its newest addition, a male chimpanzee named MoJo, born March 8. Mojo has been indoors with his mother, Missy, since his birth.

UMC Closing School for Autistic Children

The fate of Jackson's autistic children will be in the hands of the public schools this fall, raising concerns for parents, according to a report from WLBT. Last week, parents of autistic children attending the Mississippi Child Development Institute at the Jackson Medical Mall received letters saying the school will close at the end of the summer.

MPB Announces Rainbow Contest for Young Writers and Artists

[Verbatim from MPB] Kids, get ready to write and draw! Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB) invites kindergarten through third graders to participate in the 15th Annual Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest. Children are encouraged to write and illustrate their original stories and submit them, along with an official entry form, to MPB during the entry period of January 1 through March 31, 2009. Each child who enters receives a special Certificate of Achievement signed by LeVar Burton, host of the "Reading Rainbow" series.

[Week in Jacktown] February 8 - 14, 2012

Wassup Jacktown! Miss me? I know you haven't heard from me in a while, but I'm still recovering from the Best Of Jackson party (I have to thank Phingaprint for when I twerked when I shouldn't have :-p ). So, a lot of things have happened lately that I hadn't a chance to report!

Jackson Announces Amnesty Days

In effort to clear thousands of outstanding warrants, the City of Jackson will waive penalties on overdue fines for two days, city officials announced today. The initiative, called "Amnesty Days," covers traffic violations and all misdemeanors except those involving domestic violence, weapons, crimes against a person and driving under the influence.

Chaney Denies Rate Increase

Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney has temporarily denied a 45 percent rate increase for homeowners on the Gulf Coast, saying that he needs additional information. State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. requested the increase for the state's three coastal counties earlier this month.

Cookie Dough Recall Announced

Nestlé USA announced today that it is voluntarily recalling its Toll House refrigerated cookie dough products after the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control notified the company it was investigating reported E. coli infections that may be related to the recalled products. Nestlé said in a release that E. coli has not been detected, but they are recalling the raw dough because "the health and safety of our consumers is paramount."

Two New Exhibits Open at MMA

This weekend, the Mississippi Museum of Art will unveil two new exhibits, "Name Change: One Artist, 12 Personas, 35 Years" and "Mississippi Invitational." The latter is an exhibition of 10 Mississippi artists, selected by New York-based art critic and guest curator Peter Plagens from more than 100 submissions. The show features 47 new works, ranging in media from oils to digital video.

Soldiers Challenge ‘Stop-Loss' Extensions

AP is reporting:

Eight soldiers are challenging the Army's policy requiring them to serve longer than the terms of their enlistment contracts. In a lawsuit being filed Monday in federal court, the soldiers are seeking a judge's order requiring the Army to immediately release them from service. "The Army made an agreement with me and I expected them to honor it," said David Qualls, one of the plaintiffs. He signed up in July 2003 for a one-year stint in the Arkansas National Guard but has been told he will remain on active duty in Iraq until next year.

Jackpedia Coming Aug. 12—Need Your Help Compiling It!

1. What is the best thing about living in Jackson? (Be specific! Contact info helps!)

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Cigarette Tax Goes Up in Smoke

The deadline has passed for the Mississippi House and Senate to come to an agreement on a cigarette tax hike for this session. Legislators had until 8 p.m. yesterday to reach a compromise, and they failed to do so.

Governor Adamant About Port Expansion

Despite pleas to reconsider his earlier decision to divert money from funds designated for rebuilding housing on Mississippi's Gulf Coast, Gov. Haley Barbour told reporters yesterday that he's not changing his mind. The $570 million will go toward expanding the commercial Port of Gulfport instead.

Storms Tonight ‘May Be the Worst'

[Verbatim from MEMA] The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency warns residents to get ready for the threat of a significant severe weather outbreak tonight that may enter the western counties of the state by late afternoon and pass through east Mississippi by sunrise.

Supreme Court Settles Jackson Water Contract

Last week, the Mississippi Supreme Court put to end to a two-year battle over the Jackson water contract when it ruled that a new company, United Water, has the right to operate Jackson's water system.

Tax Revenues Down Again; More Cuts Likely

With the release of Mississippi's September tax collection information, Gov. Haley Barbour is once again looking to slash the state's budget. Actual collections last month fell short of the state's estimates by $44.9 million, or slightly more than 10 percent. For the first quarter of the 2010 fiscal year, collections were $83.2 million shy of the estimates.

Jackson Crime Stats for July 20-26

Jackson police reported 252 major crimes last week, an increase of 5 percent over the previous week, according to statistics (PDF) released at a Jackson Police Department meeting this morning. Property crime totals increased from 204 to 227, an 11 percent jump, while violent crime decreased from 36 to 25, a 30 percent drop.

Corps Unveils Mississippi Gulf Coast Plan

In the works since the devastating 2005 hurricane season, The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile Division, has drafted an exhaustive plan to protect the Mississippi Gulf Coastspecifically, Hancock, Harrison and Jackson countiesfrom future hurricane damage.

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