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Finding a Musical Home

John Paul Keith is not what you'd expect in a Memphis musician. Originally from east Tennessee, the Memphis-based guitarist and singer's music brings together a bunch of roots music styles, including '50s rave-up and honky-tonk. It's a twangier sound more often associated with Nashville.

Paul Collins and the Power of Pop

Music fans around the world admire Paul Collins, but he's not sitting still to receive their praise. The New York City-based guitarist and singer has been recording and performing for more than 30 years, and is still most often found on stage. Collins plays power pop, a genre he helped develop in the late 1970s that focuses on strong melodies and high energy. But while many of his early contemporaries have scaled back their musical work, Collins just keeps getting busier.

JPS Accreditation Hearing Underway

Less than an hour after signing the contract to become Jackson Public Schools' next superintendent, Cedrick Gray was sitting in a hearing to determine whether or not the district will lose its accreditation.

State No. 1 for Teen Pregnancy

The deadline for Mississippi's school districts to select a sex-education policy is this summer, and several groups are hoping to influence what Jackson Public Schools students learn next year.

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One Zen Day at a Time

You could call me an armchair decorator. No, I don't mean that I spend my spare time decorating armchairs; I mean I like little more than plopping into a big comfy chair, or propping up in bed, and reading about domestic bliss.

Unmasked Letterer

Gloria's eyes grow bigger. Fear turns to defiance. Her face zooms in and out as Johnny Lowe's fingers deftly move across the screen of his iPad. His eyes shine.

The No-Name Problem

When feminist leader Betty Friedan passed away in February 2006, traditional and online media were flooded with stories from women who were affected in some way by her 1963 book, "The Feminine Mystique." Scholarly eulogies attempted to explain or contextualize the book's significance to the American feminist movement. My favorite assessment came from the feminist blogger Echidne of the Snakes, who emphasized Friedan's role as "name-giver."

Demystifying the NBA Lockout

On July 1, 2011, the collective bargaining agreement between the National Basketball Association owners and the 450 NBA players expired. Unhappy with the terms of the CBA, the owners instituted a lockout instead of extending it.

Ramirez Missing Two Years

Abraham Jonathan Ramirez went out with friends to El Jardin, a Jackson nightclub off Gallatin Street, a couple of years ago. He was 21 then, had a new pick-up truck and wore cowboy boots. He lived in Pearl and had lived there for at least a couple of years where he worked in construction for his girlfriend's brother.

Council Spars with Mayor on Budget

Jackson City Council members and Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. are caught in a power struggle over passing the city's budget for fiscal year 2012.

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.

[Rhodes] Jackson: A Beloved Community

"The end is reconciliation, the end is redemption, the end is the creation of the beloved community." —Martin Luther King Jr.

Keep The Fires Burning

Being romantic once you have children can be nearly impossible. Going on a date with your spouse can require so much preparation that it may seem easier to stay at home in your sweatpants and eat frozen pizza. But if you like your spouse (and I realize you might not), you need time away from the kids to unwind and reconnect.

Et Tu, Pix?

Fondren's only movie theater got its 15 minutes of fame as a 1960s-era movie palace in the movie "The Help," but it hasn't been open for regular business for years. It's also had what one could call a patchwork past.

CityBeat: From Docket Breakdown to State Champs

Some Jackson City Council members continue to miss work sessions. The Council holds the sessions the day before regular meetings to work out details and prepare for the agenda of the following day's meeting.

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Films and Fast Girls

I tend to adhere to the rule that if you're old enough to have experienced a trend the first time, you shouldn't wear it the second time around. Case in point: This season's colored denim trend sends me straight back memories of fifth grade and an awesome pair of salmon-colored Guess jeans that I loved.

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Farewell to a Newspaperwoman

When I entered the classroom at Millsaps College, where I teach a continuing education course for writers, there was a bright-eyed student seated at the table, notebook opened and ready. She looked to be about 80.

The Magic of Jade

When I met Gerard Helferich last fall, he handed me a piece of jade. The dark green disk, carved in the shape of an ear, was about an inch and a half high. As we spoke about his book, "Stone of Kings: In Search of the Lost Jade of the Maya" (Lyons Press, 2011, $24.95), I held the stone, methodically rubbing my thumb over its smooth surface.

Finding the Maya

Dr. George Bey does not subscribe to the belief based on the Mayan calendar that the world will end Dec. 21, 2012. However, he has a request of believers: "Please give me your money a few days before," he says. "I would like to use it toward research."

[Halkias] Taking Jackson With Me

Though I am in love with Austin, I think about Jackson every day.