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JacktoberFest Today: Bands, Beers and Brats

Jacktoberfest was conceived in the near-death experience of another Jackson music fest tradition: Jubilee!JAM. "It was in the wake of a JAM meeting, where the Board had voted to put the festival off for a year so that it could come back to Capitol Street," says Bryan Keller, co-coordinator and "holder of the e-mail address" for Jacktoberfest. John Lawrence, president of Downtown Jackson Partners, lamented Jackson's lack of an Oktoberfest, and a group of JAM board members decided to do something about that unacceptable state of affairs.

From Pets to 'Recess': High School Stress Relief

The four-legged member of the counseling team at the high school in suburban Chicago waits patiently, as a crush of students fills the hallways. Her tail wags with the first pat on the head, then another and another.

Dan Rather Fights Back, and How

Hmmm, remember Rather-Gate? There may be another chapter on the way, thanks to the vigilance of Mr. Rather himself. The New York Times reports:

Legislature In Overtime, Criminal Justice Reform Top Priority

Efforts to change the Mississippi flag first appeared stalled out: Lt. Gov.  Delbert Hosemann condemned the effort to a committee, which showed no intention of calling it up.

Ending Viral Violence: Strong Arms of Jackson Holds Rally Against Gun Crime

"The lesson is to make a better decision with your life because when you involve yourself in gun violence, either you shoot somebody, you kill somebody, you are also making a major decision with your life, the outcomes of your life as well as you could be taking somebody's life," Strong Arms of Jackson Co-Director Terun Moore said.

Take That, Joe Lieberman

After all the talk-show babble of the last couple days about Howard Dean being such a "far-left" candidate, it's a relief to see a New York Times story today that actually explores his hard-to-define independence—which may well be drawing much of his surge of support: "But in Vermont, whose political center of gravity lands left of the nation's, one of the secrets to Dr. Dean's success was keeping the most liberal politicians in check. Over 11 years, he restrained spending growth to turn a large budget deficit into a surplus, cut taxes, forced many on welfare to go to work, abandoned a sweeping approach to health-care reform in favor of more incremental measures, antagonized environmentalists, won the top rating from the National Rifle Association and consistently embraced business interests."

Reformer Jody Owens Wins Hinds DA's Seat, Other Races Head to Runoff

Jody Owens, a civil-rights attorney running on a "decarceral" platform with national backing, will become Hinds County's new district attorney following the Aug. 6 primary.

'Sprawling Conspiracy' Ensnares Voucher Beneficiaries, Republican Donors

At least two people who donated significant sums to Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves' campaign allegedly engaged in what the state's top elected official calls a "disgusting abuse of power."

Mississippi Speaker Touts Rural Broadband Law, But Questions Remain

When Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn began looking at ways to solve the lack of high-speed broadband access that plagues much of rural Mississippi last summer, he turned to utility companies to understand the problem.

Celebrating the Life of a Man JPD Killed

In Jackson, no one has taken to the streets for any of the last seven officer-involved shootings since Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba took office in July 2017 with none of the officers involved identified to date.

Mississippi, Your ALEC is Showing

From laws that allow tax breaks for out-of-state businesses to the state's special-education voucher program, the Mississippi state Legislature has picked up and written into law model policy language from a national and controversial conservative organization, the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC for short.

Lawmakers Use Templates to Target Welfare Fraud, Focus on Recipients, Not Providers

Lawmakers seem serious about addressing welfare reform this year, potentially making it both harder to get benefits and then to stay on the rolls once a recipient has a job. But critics say they are not targeting the mismanagement of dollars where it actually occurs.

The Henley-Young ‘Emergency Room’ Shows Progress, Houses Fewer Youth

The Henley-Young Juvenile Justice Center has come a long way since a federal judge issued a consent decree and settlement agreement back in 2012, which required the county to cut back on the number of incarcerated kids and increase mental, health and rehabilitative services for youth.

Celebrating St. Paddy’s Locally

On the day of the parade, March 19, Jaco's Tacos will host the Bluz Boys from 2 to 6 p.m., followed by a dueling piano bar in which two piano players will take requests and organize sing-a-longs from 6 to 9 p.m.

Easy Being Green

It's time for the annual Mal's St. Paddy's Parade, and many Jacksonians are getting ready for parade day. In addition to the traditional festivities, many local business establishments are ready to help you get a little greener this week.

Mississippians Fight for Medical Marijuana in 2020

Ashley Durval first filed the Medical Marijuana 2020 ballot initiative in July. She hopes medical marijuana can be used to treat her daughter, Harper Grace, who has Dravet Syndrome, a rare genetic dysfunction of the brain that begins in infancy.

Hard-right Conservative 'Farmer Bob' to Announce Run for Governor

Freshman State Rep. Robert Foster will announce a bid for the Republican nomination to be Mississippi's next governor tomorrow in his hometown of Hernando.

City Wants State’s Help Recouping Funds

Jackson City Council Vice President Virgi Lindsay knows that although Jackson desperately needs legislative assistance with recouping uncollected funds, the 2019 session might be fairly stagnant.

Lt. Gov. Reeves: No to Medicaid Expansion, Despite Strong Citizen Support

After weeks of speculation that Mississippi's Republican leadership might support expanding Medicaid in the state, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves slammed the door shut on Monday.

America's Courage

This is my first weekly newspaper column of the new Congress, and although I've been busy helping to plan President Bush's inaugural ceremonies and dealing with cabinet confirmations in the Senate, I feel it's important to use this column to address the most important issue today facing Mississippians, Americans and the entire world - the War on Terror, specifically our efforts to create a free and democratic Iraq.

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