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Council Confirms 2 More JPS Board Members

The City Council voted today to confirm Mayor Harvey Johnson's two additional nominees to the Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees. After delaying the vote for weeks due to in-fighting, council members voted 5-0 to add Linda Rush and 4-1 to appoint Timothy Collins to the seven-member board.

Puppy Mills, JATRAN, Power Savings Before Council

The city will restrict roadside animal sales after a 6-to-0 vote in favor of a new ordinance today.

The Cheering Section

As Jackson Public Schools Superintendent Lonnie Edwards makes the case for keeping his job, he has relied on the support of a variety of visible community members.

AG: Keep Teens Safe Online

Teens' online social networking can affect real-life safety and friendships, so parents should talk with their children about staying safe on social media websites panelists said at a Facebook roadshow yesterday.

Hinds Election Sparring Continues

Read Dennery's announcement

Farish Street Shows Progress

Farish Street regained its critical connection to Amite Street last week, providing a small boost to ailing businesses in the historic district.

[Kamikaze] Don't Blow It

After I signed my first recording contract, an old industry mentor asked me: "You've bought the album. Now what are you going to do with it?" In other words, now that you got what you wanted, how are you going to handle it? I'd have to say that same question stands before the newly empowered Democrats.

Dianne Alford: Auctions, Babies, And Bread Pudding

After a busy lunch, traffic through Two Sisters Kitchen had slowed down by mid-afternoon last Friday when I met owner Dianne Alford. The restaurant, which has been a Jackson institution for almost 20 years, boasts Jackson's best fried chicken (as voted by Jackson Free Press readers repeatedly) and other trademark southern dishes.

Jury Selection Begins in Melton-Recio Trial

Melton archive/blog.

The thrice-delayed federal civil rights trial of Mayor Frank Melton and bodyguard Michael Recio kicked off Monday in the federal courthouse in downtown Jackson for the destruction of a private home in August 2006, a story first reported by the Jackson Free Press. The court summoned 100 potential jurors from the southern district in Mississippi. Questioning of the jurors started today and will continue for about three days. Opening statements are expected to happen late this week with the trial taking up to three weeks.

Senate Passes Lower Cigarette Tax Increase

The Mississippi Senate approved a 49 cents per pack cigarette tax yesterday, setting the stage for a compromise with the House, which passed a $1 per pack tax two weeks ago. By a 42-7 vote, senators passed a revised version of House Bill 364 that increases Mississippi's existing cigarette tax by 31 cents, rather than the 82 cents approved by the House. The Senate bill also directs $25 million of the cigarette tax revenue toward limiting increases in the cost of car tags. Both changes cleared the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday.

Santorum Wins Miss. Primary

Rick Santorum won a close race in yesterday's primary, with the other two Republican presidential candidates falling behind him by only a few thousand votes.

The Out-of-Towners

The month of September has started out as a barnburner for Jackson musicheads like me.

Melton's Tax Woes

Hinds County is just now charging Jackson Mayor Frank Melton taxes due on a nearly 10-year-old, 60-foot-by-40-foot, two-story addition to his home.

Fondren Beverage, ARTichoke Closing

Sadly, we have to report that two of Jackson's most interesting locally owned businesses are closing: Fondren Beverage Emporium and ARTichoke on Fortification Street are closing. In Fondren, the Beverage Emporium joins shops Fondren Traders and New Vibrations, which closed in recent months. On the positive side, shops in The Duling School have opened their doors, as well as Sneaky Beans, a new popular coffeehouse in the old site of New Vibrations. The Auditorium, a new restaurant/music venue in The Duling School, will open soon.

Strike Three For Melton

Mayor Frank Melton has backed out of his tax proposals for the third time since he became mayor in 2005. City Attorney Sarah O'Reilly Evans told the city council on Monday that the administration has no plan to stick behind its commitment to raise city water and sewer rates by a combined total of almost 15 percent. Melton proposed the fee increase in September to cover shortfalls in the 2007-08 budget cycle. O'Reilly-Evans informed council members that Melton's decision would create a $3.2 million budget deficit.

PSC Orders Entergy to Comply with Audit

The Public Service Commission ordered Entergy to stop dodging an audit yesterday, threatening the company with subpoenas if it does not comply. Horne CPA, which is conducting two fuel adjustment audits of Entergy on behalf of the PSC, informed the state regulator in a Sept. 21 letter that Entergy is virtually dousing every page of information the CPA firm requests with gallons of lawyers.

Lumumba Pulls Probe; City Approves Fee Increase

Ward 2 Councilman Chokwe Lumumba wants all Jackson City Council members present before he makes a motion to vote on conducting an investigation into Council President Frank Bluntson's alleged use of city employees for personal reasons.

Ward 1 Voters Stayed Consistent: No to Johnson

Voting patterns in last Tuesday's general elections tell a story about Jackson: Citizens were tired of voting, and the city's whites and blacks don't necessarily agree on who should be the city's mayor.

Mixing Up Musical Chemistry

"I just gotta get stuff in the right place," says Matt Pleasant jauntily, throwing his eyes around the room. With the cooler on the floor over here, the movie poster on the wall over there, you get the sense that you're in a perfectly viable Animal House, and that at any moment a squadron of fraternity jocks will swarm you. But you are, in fact, at a recording studio—The Laboratory—and the only animal around is Ringo the dog, who will lick your foot as soon as you walk in.

Daddy's Little Running Back

As a child, my dream was to play running back for the greatest professional football team, at that time the Chicago Bears. I thought I would never see the day when young girls or women would be wearing jerseys, shoulder pads, helmets, cleats and rushing down the field for six points, all the while avoiding No. 46 who just sent her teammate to the sidelines with a thunderous hit. Could I ever realize my dream? Probably not, but I'm getting closer.

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