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Motorola OK'd; City Fights Back

Hinds County Board of Supervisors voted Feb. 6 to approve the E-911 Council's recommendation of an Emergency Communication system built by Motorola for the city of Jackson.

Miller Lite Crawfish Boil

When I hear LL Cool J's name, I think back to the days when I jumped up and down next to my older sister in front of the television, screaming "'Cause Mama said knock you out!" Ah, Mr. Cool J sure did look cool standing in a boxing ring wearing that hoodie.

Renting South Jackson?

The Melton administration's conflicting opinions of proposed Jackson subdivision development projects have some South Jackson residents in a fury.

State Agencies Silenced on Lake Plans?

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks remains strangely silent and without comment on two plans to partially inundate a state park stagger drunkenly forward.

JRA Seeking $61K Delinquent Rent

The Jackson Redevelopment Authority is looking to clear up a $61,253 bill lingering from Watkins and Young PLLC for office space in the renovated Union Station.

Legislative Update: Medicaid and Marriage

This week marked either the victory cheer or the death knell for a round of money bills seeking approval. Tuesday, specifically, marked the deadline for the House or Senate to consider bills coming in from the opposite chamber. Among those bills are the House's ensuing attempt to balance the state's ailing Medicaid budget by raising the cigarette tax to $1.18.

Living Wage Protest at Clinton Wal-Mart

Several grass-roots organizations joined together on Tuesday in front of the Clinton Wal-Mart on Highway 80 to rally in support of a living wage. The group, comprised of members of the People's Freedom Caravan, protested against low wages and a lack of health coverage for Wal-Mart employees.

Easley Says Fellow Justices ‘Screwed Me'

As reported last Wednesday, Aug. 27, Mississippi Supreme Court Judge Chuck Easley told the Jackson Free Press last week that a pro-business bloc on the court is attempting to strip other members of their seniority status. "They screwed me. They screwed (Supreme Court Justice James) Graves," Easley said.

Voter FAQ

The only stupid question about voting is the one you don't get answered before Nov. 6. With a little help from the League of Women Voters of Mississippi's Web site, here are a few questions and answers to give you a hand.

Draining The Reserves

Photos by Darren Schwindaman

The Jackson City Council has opted to dip into the city's reserve fund rather than collect additional revenue with a fee increase. The council voted 6-0 on the revised city budget, which takes $1.4 million from the expendable reserve fund in addition to more than $2 million swiped from the same fund last year with the approval of the 2006 city budget.

[City Buzz] no. 8 November 8 - 15

Barbour Disses MAEP

Gov. Haley Barbour says he won't be bound by the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, which provides funding for teachers' salaries, classroom materials, school utilities and other education necessities.

JPS Scores Big On Test Scores

Jackson Public Schools Superintendent Earl Watkins had big news to deliver to the crowd at Walton Elementary on Aug. 30: Public schools in Jackson are making big gains in state accountability, according to federal monitoring programs.

Billion Schmillion?

Jackson Mayor Frank Melton announced at the April 18 City Council meeting that about $1 billion in investments are on their way to Jackson.

Mason: ‘I'm Basically an Introvert'

Outgoing Jackson State University President Ronald Mason Jr. said at a Tuesday press luncheon that he did not expect his university to deviate from progress and growth in his absence.

Tease photo

State Defying Its Own?

The ACLU of Mississippi filed a lawsuit on behalf of Mississippi residents Jerry Young and Christy Colley in U.S. District Court Friday, challenging the state's denial of voting rights to citizens with felony convictions.

Batman's Family: ‘Enough'

Albert "Batman" Donelson's family is suing Mayor Frank Melton, the Jackson Police Department, six "John Doe" police officers and the city of Jackson for negligence, civil assault, trespass, nuisance, infliction of emotional distress, libel, slander and breach of the covenant of quiet enjoyment, according to a June 28, 2006, notice of claim filed by Attorney Dennis Sweet III.

JPS Board Mulling Metrocenter Move

Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. said at last week's Jackson Public Schools board meeting that he supports developer David Watkins' vision to relocate the entirety of JPS administration to the Metrocenter Mall, but said it was not his place to influence the decision.

Innocence Project Comes to Mississippi

The Mississippi Innocence Project is looking to put down permanent roots in Mississippi and is kicking off its effort through an Oct. 22 fund raiser. Award-winning novelists John Grisham and Scott Turow are hosting the event at the Hilton Hotel in Jackson.

I Hate Geeses to Pieces

Former Mississippi Sen. Mike Gunn has caught the interest of the national Humane Society after allegedly killing baby geese in his gas grill April 25. A neighbor spied the former Republican legislator and tobacco lobbyist allegedly catching seven goslings and killing them in his grill before throwing their bodies into a garbage can.

Nature vs. Nurture

In the western world, the earliest works depicting homosexuality come from the ancient Greeks, where the practice of adult men having sexual relations with male youths was considered quite normal. The term lesbian dates back to the Greek poetess Sappho, born on the island of Lesbos between 630 and 612 BC. Plato (427 to 327 BC) praised same-sex relationships in his early writings.