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Haley To Divide and Conquer?

Gov. Haley Barbour is proposing a budget with increases in K-12 education, but he refuses to fully fund the Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP) formula because he says it will hurt higher education.

The Trial That Wouldn't Start

In the week leading up to Mayor Frank Melton's federal trial, the mayor's wavering health has become a factor in the possible postponement of his trial. U.S. District Judge Dan Jordan requested testimony from Melton's doctors, and decided Tuesday to delay his decision on Melton's Dec. 29 oral motion for a continuance until Wednesday morning.

Invitation To Ride

Here in Jackson last fall, Rebecca and I hosted friends of ours, a couple who were Katrina evacuees from New Orleans. Britt, a realtor, stayed with us for a week or so before returning to restart his real estate brokerage. Nan wound up temporarily moving her healthcare-related business and its dozen employees to Jackson. She lived out of our guest room for six weeks.

High Noon in Jacktown

City Chief of Staff Marcus Ward is among 20 class members scheduled to graduate the 10th basic reserve law enforcement class on March 21.

Straitjacket of Straight Thinking?

The Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees may be holding back its superintendent, but depending on whom you ask, that may not be a bad thing.

A Spendin' They Will Go

On Feb. 28, four Jackson City Council members voted 4-3 to allow the city of Jackson to pay for the relocation of about 21 families left in the near squalor of the apartments formerly known as Maplewood Apartments.

Where's the Money

The state Legislature is still rumbling over money issues and executive power this week. The Senate passed Senate Bill 2495 last Wednesday, a bill that would grant Gov. Haley Barbour the selective power to cut the budget of some state departments up to 10 percent, without having to cut all departments by 10 percent.

McLemore: Always a Player

"I'll have a glass of your finest Merlot," Leslie McLemore told the bartender at the University Club last week. "I don't know what it is, but I'll take it," he added with a laugh.

Costs Mounting for Levees, Lake Plans

Legislators say the chances of the Mississippi Legislature approving funding to build levees in Jackson and surrounding counties are slim, especially since it has taken so long to reach consensus on how to mitigate flooding along the Pearl River.

Crime High, Perception Bleak

Recent Jackson Police Department statistics reveal that major crime this year remains stubbornly high compared to last year's figures. Though the May 8-14 ComStat Overview Report reveals that crime is tracking 2 percent lower than the last ComStat figures—which the JFP obtained from an anonymous source and published several weeks ago—it still registers a 14.1 increase in crime over last year's numbers.

Convention Hotel Developers Pay County Taxes

TCI-MS, formed to develop the Capital City Center and a Convention Center hotel on four blocks of Pascagoula Street, paid its overdue property taxes this week.

Third World Mississippi

New housing construction will boost Mississippi's lagging economy, says Housing Mississippi, an alliance of low-income housing advocacy groups. The organization plans to stimulate building projects through a housing trust fund specifically targeted to assist low-income Mississippi households (those making $29,000 or less annually).

Councilwoman Robbed

Ward 7 Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon was robbed at gunpoint over the weekend. An assailant, armed with "a sawed-off shotgun" came up to her and her husband on Saturday and demanded her purse.

Coalition Condemns Lewis Demotion

The Mississippi Coalition for Justice condemned Police Chief Malcolm McMillin's decision to demote former Deputy Chief Tyrone Lewis to sergeant on Monday.

Girlfriends

Dorothy Triplett and Shirley Tucker became friends as they began navigating through small, intertwining circles in Jackson. Finding they had similar passions for several things—the city of Jackson, empowerment of young people and leadership in the community—the two women have maintained contact over the years.

Without Federal Funds, JPS Needs $2.5M from City

Uncertainty about $187 million in federal aid is forcing Jackson Public Schools into awkward contortions as the district prepares its budget for the upcoming school year. The district will likely request an additional $2.5 million from the Jackson City Council as a precaution, Executive Director for Finance Sharolyn Miller said at a JPS board meeting Friday.

A Katrina Story

"I guess we'll have to catch the bus to school tomorrow," I thought when I spotted a dim red spot in the water that was our family Chrysler Concorde. From inside the townhouse, I watched the fierce hurricane winds blow water from both the sky and Lake Pontchartrain toward my city.

Melton's Mile-High Gun Club

"I do not carry guns on planes, I carry two guns," Melton told WLBT reporters on May 28, admitting that he had carried a weapon on almost every commercial flight for years.

[Gig] Robert Staples: ‘Never Lost A Fight'

Robert Staples, owner of Staple Martial Arts and Self-Defense, studied martial arts for 23 years. He first started a studio in South Jackson, then moved to Byram three and a half years ago.

Public Works, Private Profit

If Mississippi hadn't provided $15 million in bonds and another $20 million in loan guarantees last January to Schulz GMBH to build its pipe factory, some other state would have. In today's economic market, "tax incentives" is the game state and local governments must play to lure big corporate players to put roots down within their borders.

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