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Appeals Court Gives Hinds Judge Immunity

Read the court's ruling (PDF).

Genre-Bending Rock

Kid Rock brings his blend of rock, rap, country and blues to the Mississippi Coliseum Friday, March 11, for a tour stop in support of "Born Free," his seventh studio album released in November 2010.

Have the Grammys Really Changed?

This year's Grammy awards on Feb. 13 marked the 20-year anniversary of Public Enemy's boycott of the 1991 ceremony. It was the third year in a row that the group had been nominated for Best Rap Performance by a Group or Duo; the previous two years, the group lost to Young MC with "Bust a Move" and "Back on the Block," a song from a Quincy Jones album.

Speaking in Laughter

Everyone loves to laugh. Like many things, though, we completely take it for granted. If you really think about it, laughing is, well, weird. What biological function does laughing serve?

Itawamba Student Sues District Over Rap

A year ago, the Itawamba County School District made national news for electing to cancel Itawamba Agricultural High School's prom rather than allow lesbian student Constance McMillen to bring her girlfriend as her date. A federal judge ultimately ruled that the district had violated McMillen's First Amendment rights. Now, the district faces another lawsuit alleging that it denied a student's constitutional rights.

[Balko] You Can Have Sex With Them; Just Don't Photograph Them

In the spring and summer of 2006, Eric Rinehart, at the time a 34-year-old police officer in the small town of Middletown, Ind., began consensual sexual relationships with two young women, ages 16 and 17. Rinehart was going through a divorce at the time. The relationships came to the attention of local authorities, and then federal authorities, when one of the girls mentioned it to a guidance counselor.

Community Events and Public Meetings

Free Tax Counseling and Filing. IRS/AIM or AARP volunteers will do electronic filing. Bring all necessary documents. Joint filers must come together. Free.

Do Some Good This Weekend

Escape the Friday night drizzle at Salsa Mississippi's Mardi Gras Dance Party. Festivities include a silent auction, Nepali crafts for sale and, of course, lots of dancing. The party starts at 7 p.m. at the Chapatoula Building (115 Cynthia St., Clinton); admission is $20 with proceeds benefiting Mountain Child, a project that provides for the educational needs of 25 Nepali children. If you're not in a partying mood, head to The 25th annual Choral-Organ Festival at Millsaps College, Ford Academic Complex (1701 N. State St.), where choral director Dr. Timothy Coker and organist Bradley Reznicek conduct the 70-voice Millsaps Singers choirs in performing Maurice Durufle's "Requiem." The music starts at 7:30 p.m. Free, donations welcome; call 601-974-1422. For more music options, check out the JFP Music Listings.

Community Events and Public Meetings

Free Tax Counseling and Filing. IRS/AIM or AARP volunteers will do electronic filing. Bring all necessary documents. Joint filers must come together. Free.

On the Record

In this new world of instant, digital and more-often-than-should-be free music, there's a group of music lovers who continue to cling to their vinyl records. These types spend hours getting their fingers dusty in thrift stores, used record shops, garage sales and wherever else their search leads them.

Tease photo

Taking The Stage

Katrina Byrd makes it a point to get to the JATRAN bus stop early. The bus is supposed to come by at 3:30 p.m, so she gets there at 3:15 p.m. When the bus shows up late, at 3:40 p.m, it whizzes right by her without slowing down.

Farish Street Too Pricey for Some

Development of the Farish Street Entertainment District may have hit a wall of high prices, says Big Apple Inn restaurant owner Geno Lee.

Sushi, Tattoos and Redevelopment

The Fondren neighborhood will get a long-awaited sushi restaurant in April, developer Mike Peters says. Peters told the Jackson Free Press that Fatsumo Sushi, an American-style sushi restaurant in Gulfport, will open a location on Duling Avenue April 1. The Fondren location, between Fischer Galleries and the redeveloped Duling School, was originally set to house a different franchise, Fuze Sushi. A number of hiccups, including the death of the restaurant's original chef, delayed the opening indefinitely, however.

Funk Philosophy

If you didn't know better, you might have thought you'd stepped into evening service at an annual church convention rather than a program to hear an American theorist speak at Jackson State University. The designated seating areas were packed last night, and some people stood in the Lee E. Williams Athletic and Assembly Center to hear acclaimed professor and author Cornel West speak. Speak he did.

It's The Weekend: Celebrate Spring

Ditch the office this afternoon and enjoy the early spring-like weather. Then, at 5 p.m., head to Lemuria (4465 Interstate 55 N.) at 5 p.m. where Joseph O'Conner signs copies of his book "Ghost Light" (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011, $25) with a reading at 5:30 p.m., or grab the kids when John Bemelmans Marciano signs copies of "Madeline at the Whitehouse" (Viking Juvenile, 2011, $17.99) at what time?. If you need to let go and laugh after a long week, see The Cowboy Comedian, where Skip Guidry and Dane Faucheux perform at the Black Rose Community Theater (101 Black Street, Brandon). Show times are 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. and tickets are $20. To purchase tickets, call 601-825-1293. Check out the JFP's Best Bets page to begin your search of things to do.

Cornel West

If you ever need pointers on being a rock star academian, Cornel West is the only man you want to ask. He is Lauded in academic circles as one of the foremost authorities on race, class and gender in this post-1960s Civil Rights Movement. The professor, who earned his doctorate from Princeton University, now teaches at his alma mater in the departments of African American studies and religious studies.

Rip the Cypher: Phase One

Before stepping foot inside the North Midtown Arts Center on Millsaps Avenue, it was obvious that something was going on. More than the cars parked along the sides of the street gave it away. The energy was palpable; the music was loud; and the building's usually dim lights were bright this Jan. 15 night.

NAACP Asks Barbour to Condemn Klan Plate

Mississippi NAACP President Derrick Johnson is asking Gov. Haley Barbour to condemn the Mississippi Sons of Confederate Veterans' push to create a commemorative license plate for Confederate General and the Ku Klux Klan's first Grand Wizard, Nathan Bedford Forrest.

JPD Addresses Wingfield Shooting; New Officers

During this morning's Comstat meeting, Jackson Police Department officers were still gathering information about a 16-year-old Wingfield High School student who police took into custody after he allegedly discharged his in the school bathroom this morning.

Local Love

My favorite love song is Stevie Wonder's "For Once in My Life." The song is a constant reminder of how lucky I am to have a wife who loves and needs me as much as I love and need her. But the great thing about love songs is that there are so many, and each can mean different things to different folks.