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Hood Takes Heat for Blackface Photos, Says Leave Trans Rights Up to Schools

A Hattiesburg woman confronted Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood on Tuesday over yearbook photos from the 1980s that show members of his college fraternity wearing blackface.

'Never in This Courtroom': Allen Trial Twists, Turns with Accuser Absent

Over the last two days, the prosecution tried hard to convince a Hinds County jury that President Ben Allen mishandled public money while leading the Downtown Jackson Partners business improvement district.

UPDATED: ‘Galactic Trouble’ for Foster Care Ahead?

Jess Dickinson likes to use an ancient maxim he heard in a film, "The Bourne Ultimatum," to illustrate where he sits currently as the commissioner of Mississippi's foster-care system. "Hope for the best; plan for the worst," Dickinson says.

Spooky and Local

There's plenty of spooky Halloween events going on in the Jackson Metro this year. Here are just a few of them.

‘Victory Is Mine’: Lumumba Landslide Win Defies Conventional Wisdom, Polls

Chokwe Antar Lumumba likely claimed the Jackson mayor’s seat, winning the Democratic primary by a landslide against other candidates, drawing more than twice the votes as the second-place candidate.

Stonewall: Life Across the Tracks

There's a saying amongst black folks in Stonewall, that if it has a motor, they—white cops—don't want you on it.

After Mississippi Stops, 2020 Presidential Candidates Emerge, Patrick Out

Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick was among potential Democratic presidential candidates who recently campaigned for Mike Espy in Mississippi, but now says he will not run, even as others who visited seem to be moving toward a candidacy.

[Kamikaze] Getting Control of Our Kids

I watched a piece on "The Today Show" a few days back that really bothered me. As the days have passed, it has still stuck with me.

Court Showdown: Chamber v. Plaintiffs

The Mississippi Supreme Court races are a step apart from the other campaign fights this November. Unlike the contentious elections between Senate nominees Roger Wicker and Ronnie Musgrove or the campaigns of presidential nominees Barack Obama and John McCain, the Supreme Court races revolve around one single power struggle: the battle between plaintiffs and defendants.

Crisler Could Benefit from Low Turnout

Jackson's historical voting patterns suggest Councilman Marshand Crisler could have the upper hand in the run-off if minorities stay true to form and stay home May 19. The municipal run-off for mayor hasn't been this close in recent memory: Hinds County election results show Democratic candidate and former Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. with a maddeningly close lead of 9,380 votes to Crisler's 9,097 votes, a difference of less than 1 percent. Even though Crisler trailed Johnson in precinct victories, winning about 30 precincts to Johnson's 50, Crisler rallied among the city's white voters, with huge majorities in predominantly white precincts.

Overkill: The Rise of Paramilitary Raids

The Cato Institute—made up of pesky libertarians who take on both "sides"—has released a report by Radley Bilko on the rise in popularity of paramilitary drug raises—and their dangers and abuses. Here's the executive summary:

Kerry Heralds Education and Good Deeds in Jackson

"Mr. Kerry, Please help save our democracy. Equal Rights for all!" In a sea of "Kerry for President" signs, these words were written on a homemade sign held up in the far back of the gym at Tougaloo College on Sunday, March 7. The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee visited the campus as a part of a weekend political swing through Mississippi just two days before his party's primary here. Earlier in the day, he had visited the Greater Bethlehem Temple Pentecostal Church of the Apostolic Faith on Robinson Street, where he read from the Book of James about the need to shore up "important words," such as "compassionate conservatism," by actually doing good deeds: "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?" he quoted from the Bible.

Judge Bails, Attorney Rails

Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Tomie Green has recused herself from Mayor Frank Melton's upcoming Ridgeway Street trial, citing "recent improper and inappropriate contact with the trial judge and members of her family which makes the trial judge a potential witness in subsequent proceedings." Green did not explain what the "improper and inappropriate" contact had been. Nor did she explain why that contact might make her a witness in subsequent proceedings. The order, which was dated Nov. 20, was released to the public on Monday. Green did not answer calls for comment.

House Bill Restricts Sales of Meth Ingredient

Rep. Steve Holland, D-Plantersville, used the memory of his brother, who died from a meth overdose, to beg the Mississippi House of Representatives to pass a bill that will require cold and allergy sufferers to have a doctor's prescription for medicine containing pseudoephedrine, an important component of illegal methamphetamine, aka meth.

JPS Cited For Handling of No Child Left Behind Funds

The Jackson Free Press has obtained Mississippi Department of Education documents that raise concerns about how Jackson Public Schools spent nearly $1.3 million in federal No Child Left Behind funds. In early June of this year, the state education office presented JPS with a report saying JPS "misappropriated federal funds" in its transaction with a tutoring company, Gray & Associates, run by the police chief of Terry.

What's up with the Entertainment Industry?

Is it just me or have we decided involuntarily to accept any and all things thrown at us by artists and radio? I am just stunned to see that so many artist these days lack actual talent. This is really not just music, it's affecting the entertainment industry all together. People are no longer required to have acting skills to become celebrities. They can just sign on to a reality show, where no acting experience is required, and then suddenly they are stars. We are suddenly concerned about their entire life? Reality shows take up at least 75 % of what we see on television these days.

Artists To Watch

<b>Skipp Coon</b>

You gotta love the new mayor of Jackson. No, not that one. Skipp Coon, born Joecephus Martin, calls himself "the mayor of Jackson," and even raps about the current mayor of Jackson from time to time. Skipp Coon—a name he created to talk back to the stereotypes of the Jim Crow era—is an honors graduate of Jackson State with a degree in education, now working on his master's. Calling himself "more of a rapper than a hustler," Skipp says he is not solidly in the Dirty South rap-music camp with a lot of other area rappers. The Forest Hill High graduate likes Project Pat, 8 ball and MJG—and even Maroon 5. He said in a recent blog interview that he admires David Banner "because he reps Mississippi" and Kanye West "cause he made it big without killing anyone or selling dope." Last summer, Skipp toured Europe with his friend DJ Phingaprint, and played the biggest hip-hop festival on the continent—in the Czech Republic, where he was a sensation. Skipp is working on his new album with about a dozen tracks ready to go; you can hear "I'm Just Skipp" on the jacksonfreepress.com Podcast #1 right now. So come listen to the mayor.

Associated Press, Factcheck.org Expose McCain's Lies

The current national furor over the lies coming from the McCain-Palin camp reached a ridiculous level today when Factcheck.org had to call the campaign out for distorting the non-partisan's correction of Internet rumors about Palinbecause McCain ran an ad that dishonestly said Factcheck said the Obama campaign told the lies, not anonymous Internet users. Uh, big difference. Factcheck.org today:

Souls of Young Folk

As I approached Lanier High School one morning in April, I mused over the fact that I only traveled to that part of Jackson for stories. After parking my car in the lot across the street from the school's front entrance, I was reaching for the door handle to get out when I stopped.

Ladd Appointed Diversity Chair for Alt-Weekly Association

Congratulations are in order for editor-in-chief Donna Ladd, who has a new appointment on the Board of Directors of the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies -- she is now the Diversity Chair of the organization, something she's very proud and excited to be doing.

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