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Bring the Hidden to Light

It was dark and a cell-phone dead zone. James Edward Bates and a friend trudged through a few hundred yards of swampy woods in Vidor, Texas, to reach their car. Not far behind were three Klansmen, one quite agitated, who'd broken off from a group of about 80 in white robes, some wielding torches, or brandishing Bibles, at a Klan cross-lighting ceremony in 1998. For more than 12 years, Bates, 41, spent weekends driving into the night, sleeping upright in his Honda Accord, to document the truth of contemporary KKK activities in the American South.

Come Together

I once had a client who considered himself completely uncreative. An entrepreneur with a thriving small business, Mr. Jones (not his real name) had a peculiar stance about artists: He couldn't understand why they were necessary, couldn't see why anyone would give them the time of day and considered their "sensitive" natures a bunch of malarkey. It is merely social habit, he said, that allows artists to get away with being thin-skinned and quirky.

Who's Fooling Whom?

No one likes to be fooled.

Change Your Mind; Change Your Life

My first encounter with Mrs. Martin (not her real name) was the day before my birthday in August 2010. She came to my office complaining of fatigue. She was 49 years old and working as a secretary. I noticed during our initial conversation that she made poor eye contact.

Natural ‘Wonder Drugs' for Stress

My alarm woke me at 6 a.m., and I headed for the shower. Soon I was out of the house and headed to work to arrive by 7 a.m. This was going to be a great day.

Rebuilding His Party

Brandon Jones says the Mississippi Democratic Trust, a new political action committee he helped start in 2011 and now heads as executive director, grew from "humble recognition" of his party's shortcomings, many of which helped Republicans achieve a near-sweep in the last statewide election.

Wedge Issues Bring Heated Debates

Democrats turned up the heat in debates over abortion, immigration and voter rights last week. Up against deadlines to get bills out of committee and through floor votes, the Mississippi House and Senate dispensed with noncontroversial items to tackle wedge-issue bills.

Personhood Wants Another Vote

Personhood may be dead in the Mississippi Legislature, but supporters of last fall's ballot initiative to define embryos as human beings are stepping up their efforts to put another personhood amendment before voters.

Suppressed GOP, Frustrated Dems

Philip Gunn didn't fully realize what was in store for him when colleagues elected him as speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives. Gunn, a Clinton Republican, told attendees at a Capitol Press Club luncheon Monday that he's been surprised by how many groups want to him to speak or that international visitors to the Capitol would solicit his thoughts on nuclear-arms proliferation.

Lawmakers Laser in on Finances

Legislatively speaking, it was a bad week for Mississippi conservatives and the state's top Republican leadership, all of whom were ardent supporters of measures to toughen state immigration laws, limit abortions and establish charter schools.

Chris and Shalon Wansley

Chris and Shalon Wansley love exchanging gifts. "We pride ourselves on being gift givers," Chris says. On the anniversary of their first date, Chris, 32, took Shalon, 28, to dinner and gifted her with an iPod. Later on that evening, he took the gift giving to another level.

The Best In Sports In 7 Days

Doctor S sez: Mississippi State's baseball team has gone further than even the most rabid Bulldog fan expected.

Parchman's Past, Prison's Future

It's a strange month when the Parchman Farm comes out looking better than a county jail. On March 10, a federal judge finally dismissed the bulk of Gates v. Collier. A 1972 decision on this longstanding court case mandated a slew of reforms at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman, then the only state prison in Mississippi. Federal Magistrate Judge Jerry Davis dismissed all portions of the case dealing with state institutions but not the portions regarding Mississippi counties' correctional systems.

Going for the Guns

Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. says a new Jackson Police Department partnership with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will help get dangerous weapons off the street.

A Legislative Extension?

A session extension or a special session is on the horizon after the Mississippi Legislature went past a critical March 26 budget deadline without adopting a budget. House leaders refused to agree to Gov. Haley Barbour's plan to cut more than $100 million from the state's K-12 public education funding, and from mental health and other state services.

Watkins Puts His Money Where His Mouth Is

After a host of leasing delays, developers of the historic Farish Street Entertainment District have decided to sweeten the deal for entertainment venues by kicking in almost $5 million in personal build-out money.

Defensible Space Reduces Crime

"Defensible space is a model for residential environments which inhibits crime by creating the physical expression of a social fabric that defends itself." — Oscar Newman, 1972

It's Too Damn Hot

This summer has been exceptionally hot. I could survive on shredded wheat and Edy's pomegranate popsicles this time of year, but that's not being a proper role model for the 4-year-old. Instead, I've done what southern women have done for years to avoid melting in their kitchens; I've found meals that require little to no cooking.

Many Ways to Prevent Crime

The best way to stop crime is to put children on a good path early, help strengthen their families and intervene as needed. These groups do just that in many ways.

[Jacome] Scaling the Wall

"Mom, come take a picture." I am in the other room washing dishes. "What do you need?" I call out. "Come see what I'm doing." Now I'm worried.

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