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[Kamikaze] The New Mississippi Musicians

I often brag to out-of-state friends and colleagues that all the genres of music were either birthed or perfected on Mississippi soil. From Jimmie Rodgers to Faith Hill, B.B. King to Grady Champion, and from Leontyne Price to Brandy, it's safe to say that our musical roots run deep.

[Hightower] Facts For Action On Health Care

Widely reported fact No. 1: Our country faces a growing health-care crisis, which leaves 47 million Americans with no health insurance—an increase of 7 million people since the year 2000.

Farish Battle Lines Drawn

Mayor Frank Melton and the recently formed Farish Street District Redevelopment Ad Hoc Committee are holding a Nov. 15 public forum at the Smith Robertson Museum to address delays in the development of the Farish Street Entertainment District, overseen by Memphis-based Performa Entertainment Real Estate Inc.

KBR to Engineer Kemper Plant?

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth was electrocuted in his shower stall in Iraq in January 2008. Army documents showed that KBR Engineering and Construction had inspected the building and found serious electrical problems 11 months before Maseth's death.

Hands Off Farish

Mayor Frank Melton's plan to demolish almost 80 abandoned and dilapidated structures inside the Historic Farish Street District hit a speed bump June 14 after the Jackson Historic Preservation Commission made clear it was unwilling to approve the mass demolition.

Michael Taylor Timeline

Dec. 4, 2005: Allegedly commits armed robbery of Headliners Barber Shop with Fredrica Brunson—also known as Jermaine Butler.

A Fire Chief At Last?

The city of Jackson may be getting a fire department chief after about two years of stalling. Jackson Mayor Frank Melton said he will be bringing Assistant Chief Vernon Hughes up for a confirmation vote next week.

JPS: Secrecy, Please

On Friday, the U.S. District Court will rule on a Jackson Public Schools motion for a protective order that will allow virtually any document, file or record connected to the termination of former Chastain Middle School principal, Michael Ellis to be marked "confidential," without the court's review.

Just Eat Out

The tree that toppled down onto the roof of the Sykes Park Community Center in South Jackson was clearly a big one. The steel, painted roof section over the building's kitchen area is crunched in like tin foil over an apple pie. The space between it and the suspended ceiling beneath is gaping and open, with water dripping freely into the kitchen every time it rains.

Courts Going Digital

A dash of transparency could be coming to Hinds County's court system in 2011 along with some newly elected judges. Mississippi Electronic Courts, a pilot program offering attorneys and members of the public online access to court filings, is on track to become available statewide at the beginning of next year.

Water Crisis Forces Closures, Cooperation

A water emergency gripped Jackson this week, as more than 100 water-main breaks left many parts of Jackson with low or nonexistent water pressure. The crisis forced the closure of state offices, schools, colleges and private businesses.

Demand Up, Money Down

Despite seeing an increased demand for library services, Jackson-Hinds Library System Executive Director Carolyn McCallum said it will struggle to maintain services and hours for Jackson residents in the upcoming budget year.

Politics of Tobacco

The House sent a veto-proof cigarette tax bill to the Senate Thursday, along with the message that one side of the Mississippi Legislature is standing behind the tax, even if former tobacco lobbyist Gov. Haley Barbour and his Senate allies have no intention of letting the bill come up for a vote.

Murrah Junior Dies in Crash

A few minutes after 3 p.m., Friday, Jan. 23, 16-year-old Murrah High School junior LeChristopher "Chris" Ulmer was returning to school with three of his basketball teammates for a game. The green Ford Explorer was reportedly travelling around 70 miles per hour on Riverside Drive, twice the posted speed limit of 35.

'What's the Rush?'

The Jackson Public School Board began their search for a new superintendent after Earl Watkins announced April 7 that he would not renew his contract when it expires in June 2009. The board began their search almost immediately, though Watkins' end-date was more than a year off.

Ben Payton

Ben Wiley Payton, 62, grew up with the Mississippi blues. The Coila, Miss. native listened to his grandmother, Mabel Johnson, playing gospel music on piano, and his uncle, Joe Birch, picking the blues on guitar.

Governor Chides Lawmakers for Unfinished Business

Gov. Haley Barbour took time off from nationwide GOP fundraising efforts to announce that he has no plan to call a special session to address the state's non-existent budget just yet. Barbour, who is not a legislator, told the Senate to reject a $5 billion budget plan it had reached with the House this week.

Barbour Refuses Special Session, Vows Fight

[Verbatim from Gov. Haley Barbour] Yesterday an "agreement in principle" on Medicaid issues was announced by Medicaid negotiators, but this so-called "solution" has a huge, fundamental flaw: It would give Medicaid a blank check and expose Mississippi taxpayers to the risk of a severe, illegal budget deficit.

Jackson Crime Stats for Aug. 17-23

Major crimes in Jackson decreased again last week, according to a weekly report (PDF) released at a meeting today by the Jackson Police Department. Police reported 230 total crimes, down 7.6 percent from the previous week. Last week's total was almost 20 percent below the same period last year. The city has seen 1.6 percent fewer crimes this year than last year.

City Defaults on $500,000 Commitment, Developer Says

Developer Mike Peters filed a breach of contract complaint in Hinds County Circuit Court last March, claiming the city stiffed him out of $500,000 in public grants for the $7 million renovation of the Plaza Building. According to the suit, which was reported by The Clarion-Ledger this week, Peters approached the city's director of planning and Development Corinne Fox in 2004, under then-Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. about contributing money to make the renovation affordable. Fox urged the city to approve the commitment and gave Peters the go-ahead to get started, explaining that the city had been planning to obtain a community development block grant to reimburse itself for the $500,000 pay-out.

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