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Artists To Watch 2012: Zach Lovett

"My heart is in the banjo," he says about his favorite instrument. "I'll play the fire out of it if I get the chance."

Melton Stuffed On Goliath Suit

In a June 23 decision, U.S. District Judge Tom S. Lee granted the Gannett' Corp.'s motion for summary judgment on whether Robert Pierce can join a lawsuit filed by Frank Melton for breach of contract, finding that there was no enforceable contract between Melton and The Clarion-Ledger.

[Stiggers] Afrocentric Ghost of Kwanzaa Present

"Terminator 2003: No More Token Minorities" is an exciting sci-fi-reality-docu-drama starring Gov. Arnold Swarzenegger as he attempts to terminate college prep courses in predominately minority schools. Michael Jackson makes a cameo appearance as convicted pedophile "Touchie Feelie."

Civil Rights Museum Underway

Downtown Jackson will gets its civil-rights museum by 2017. Meantime, it needs your artifacts.

[Talk] Raising Flags

On Wednesday, Sept. 17, French Elementary School turned "green." After completing the first level of the Green Flag Program, French students were presented with a national recycling award and a vibrant green flag to hang at their school. Along with only 10 other schools across the country participating in the program, French Elementary "detectives" investigated environmental health issues within their own school. More specifically, they looked at the use of toxic chemicals and pesticides, indoor air quality and recycling practices. The students served as detectives alongside teachers, administrators and parents to complete their investigation.

[Talk] Opening Doors

Too many physically challenged voters can't get to their polling place and inside to vote, says Mary Troupe, director of Mississippi's Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities. She described a situation a few years ago when she (a paraplegic) went to vote—only to find the doors locked. This issue has grown into a major concern as many citizens and politicians alike have started realizing that this society must accommodate the many types of people living in it. Previous elections might have missed out on many would-be votes due to inaccessibility.

Tea With Lydy

I've thought often of Lydy Caldwell since she was so horribly murdered in October. But I thought of her often when she was alive, too.

[Talk] No More ‘Segregation'

Gubernatorial candidates other than Democrats and Republicans were determined to be heard Monday, Sept. 29. So much so that an unlikely alliance formed between Sherman Lee Dillon of the tree-hugging Green Party and John Thomas Cripps of the Rebel flag-waving Constitution Party. The men held a joint media conference on the south steps of the Capitol to protest the exclusion of "third party" candidates from the debates, scheduled for that night at Belhaven College.

In the Name of Human Decency

Ronald Chris Foster is still alive … for now. Amid rising dissent, on Jan. 6 Gov. Ronnie Musgrove temporarily stopped the execution of Foster, who was 17 when he attempted an unarmed robbery and caused the death of the store manager in a struggle over a store gun. As we go to press, this question still looms: Will the state of Mississippi execute a juvenile offender? A similar case from Oklahoma is being presented to the U.S. Supreme Court later this month, and Musgrove decided to wait for that outcome.

Target: Labor (Day)

Assistant Police Chief Edna Drake took a seat next to Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. at a recent City Council meeting in full uniform, her black gun bridled by its shiny leather holster on her hip. The Council was deciding whether to authorize the mayor to accept a DUI Grant award from the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Office of Highway Safety, in the amount of $5,000. The grant will pay for Drake and her officers to patrol specifically on the look-out for drunk drivers on Labor Day weekend.

Making The Grade

Cassandra Williams, principal of Davis Magnet Elementary School, had good reason to be smiling Aug. 17. Williams announced at a ceremony that day that Davis Magnet, on North Congress Street near downtown Jackson, had made the grade internationally. The school received official authorization as an International Baccalaureate World School.

Sweet Potato Queen's Fondren Parade Set

Standing next to a pink port-a-potty decorated with a sequin-clad Sweet Potato Queen, author and boss queen Jill Conner Browne officially announced Fondren's Zippity Doo Dah Parade this morning.

Hello, Farish

After years in the making, Farish Street is on her way to being renovated into an entertainment district that many hope will rival Beale Street in Memphis. The city announced last week that Wet Willy's, a daiquiri bar; Funny Bone, a comedy club; and The King Biscuit Café, a blues club are opening in the Farish district.

[Stiggers] A 'Sicko' Nation

Mr. Announcement: "On this episode of 'All God's Churn Got Shoes,' Nurse Tootie McBride and her certified nursing assistant, Nurse Tasha, are determined to beat down poverty in the ghetto. To complete this monumental task, they need a loan from Rudy McBride, president of Let Me Hold Five Dollars National Bank. But first, Tootie and Tasha must convince Rudy to loan them 'da money.'"

Question o' the Week: What is your favorite Jackson music moment?

Here at the JFP we've talked and remembered our favorite music moments that happened in J-town. Jubilee Jam, KISS, and a great many others. So we wanna know: what's yours?

James Blunt, New Voice in Pop

Anyway, in case you're wondering if Blunt is a one-hit wonder, here's "High":

So you've probably heard "You're Beautiful," James Blunt's smash hit--a song that became so popular, so fast, that it has already inspired a clever (if slightly mean) Weird Al parody. There's no denying the vocal power of this guy, and the only strike against the song, for me, is the overall weirdness of the lyrics--which makes more sense if you hear it as a character study rather than a serious love song, a song that captures the way men think rather than the way men should think.

Senate Passes on MUW Name Change

The Mississippi Senate Universities and Colleges Committee failed to take action on a proposed name change for the Mississippi University for Women at its meeting this afternoon, effectively killing the effort in the Senate. The measure, Senate Bill 2702, would have allowed the state College Board to change the name of MUW, unofficially known as "the W." MUW President Claudia Limbert, who is retiring at the end of this school year, announced the university's preference for "Reneau University" in August.

Watch ‘Former' Lobbyist Barbour Pander for Big Energy

... and you wonder why Mississippi ratepayers are being asked to pay for a risky Entergy plant venture in advance, and whether it comes to fruition or not! Robert Novak writes in the Washington Post about vice presidential hopeful Pawlenty of Minnesota. But it's the part buried within that should interest Mississippians:

Legendary Filmmaker Gordan Parks Dies at 93

"Nothing came easy," Parks wrote in his autobiography. "I was just born with a need to explore every tool shop of my mind."

Jackson Superlatives

I'll be the first to admit that I was disappointed when my high school senior yearbook came out and I had not won any superlatives. But I did spend hours pouring over my classmates' photos. Next week, the JFP will publish an issue devoted to high school students. We thought it would be fun to let Jacksonians take a trip back to high school and nominate locals for superlatives. Please send your picks to [e-mail missing] or message JxnFreePress on Twitter with the appropriate hash tag. Please vote on a male and female (can be citizens, public figures, ect.) Here are the categories:

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