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Gubernatorial Candidates Challenge Bryant at Debate

In a televised debate Thursday evening, candidates for governor sought to distinguish themselves from Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant and position themselves as frontrunners ahead of the Aug. 2 primary.

Start Moving

It's hard to describe the freedom that comes with not relying on a car for transportation, because for many people this means just the opposite. Last week a group of about 25 progressive Jacksonians participated in an experiment called carLESS week.

Mapping Our Future

Our GOOD issue is not an easy spread to put together, but it is one of the most rewarding features we do at the Jackson Free Press. Among all the positive things we hear after each issue is how much people learn about how they can get involved and make positive change.

[Lott] Turning Dirt Into Energy

As the holidays quickly approach, the price of gasoline is rising. Americans have come to expect an explanation for energy prices that yo-yo up and down in a volatile, seemingly never-ending cycle. But there's hope. In fact, Mississippians are largely responsible for creating it and for ensuring America achieves our goal of energy independence.

[Balko] Scenes From a Crackdown

Police overkill, such as that displayed at the G20 summit in Pittsburgh, is becoming more common every day.

When the Going Gets Tough

No doubt about it, these are scary economic times. Many people are losing jobs, some businesses are closing, consumers are holding tight to their dollars.

I Punched the Hole

OK, I admit it: I'm obsessed with the gusher in the Gulf. I spend part of every day looking for some new outrage or updated numbers on how much oil is actually flowing into the ocean.

Allen Leaves Polarized Council

City Council President Ben Allen resigned last week, prompting a special election in Ward 1 and immediately changing the balance of power in city government. Although Allen became a Melton critic this year, voting against many of the mayor's proposals, he remained the one councilman able to forge compromises on a council deeply divided over the Melton administration. Allen's departure has apparently emboldened Melton supporters, while Melton critics deprived City Council of a quorum by walking out on a June 25 meeting.

FAQ: What National Media Ask Mississippians

We decided to beat the reporters to the punch line and offer up a few of their most frequently asked questions.

No More Overtime; Recio Pay Dropped

Jackson Police Chief Malcolm McMillin says he has limited overtime to special-event staffing only.

Melton Sues Over Own Leak

Jackson Mayor Frank Melton is suing The Clarion-Ledger for breach of contract, a story the Jackson Free Press broke on its Web site on April 18. Melton was head of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics for less than four months when he leaked a memo composed by then-MBN agent Roy Sandifer (now JPD assistant police chief) to The Clarion-Ledger's Washington correspondent Ana Radelat in 2003. Now, Melton is suing the paper because it ran his leaked memo without corroborating the accusations in it. The memo alleged that MBN agents were illegally transferring MBN-seized weapons and an airplane.

DeLaughter Joins Sons of Confederate Veterans

Jefferson Davis Camp No. 635, an organization dedicated to conserving deteriorated Confederate battle flags and preserving the nation's Confederate heritage, welcomed a Hinds County Circuit Court judge as a new member in June.

Of Lady Killers and 'Good Behavior'

Citizens can feel secure knowing that the men in green and white stripes working on the road crews are not rapists or murderers. Mississippi law says that violent criminals are not eligible to participate in work programs outside prisons.

More Judicial Horseplay?

Imprisoned attorney Paul Minor is arguing in Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal filings that presiding U.S. Southern District Court Judge Henry Wingate showed bias against the defense in his 2007 trial by changing his jury instructions from his earlier 2005 trial, and by ordering that evidence be removed from the 2005 trial that had stalled the jury's guilty verdict in that case.

Making The Connection

In my 10 years of living in California, I never once heard anyone play the "Name Game" with another Californian. Yet, within my first day back in Mississippi, I was part of a conversation that takes place in thousands of variations on any given day around here.

Domestic Abuse is a Pre-Existing Condition in Mississippi

Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney expressed outrage today that the state of Mississippi is one of eight states in the nation, including the District of Columbia, which allows insurance companies to consider domestic abuse as a pre-existing condition with which to deny health-care coverage. The National Women's Law Center reported in April that the state of Arkansas passed a law prohibiting insurance companies to pull coverage for domestic violence survivors, putting a spotlight on the remaining states.

Supreme Court Rules Sample Ballot is Illegal

The Mississippi Supreme Court ruled against Gov. Haley Barbour and Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann today in their appeal concerning the contested sample November ballot. Justice Jess Dickinson's majority opinion (PDF, 496 KB) stated that the sample ballot, which listed the U.S. Senate race between Roger Wicker and Ronnie Musgrove near the bottom, is illegal.

Hood: State Auditor Disrupted Beef Plant Sting

Attorney General Jim Hood confirmed Monday that State Auditor Phil Bryant had interrupted investigative efforts to obtain evidence against beef-plant owners. Hood's written statement to the media came after lieutenant governor candidate Jamie Franks, who is running against Bryant, announced at a press conference that Bryant had "recklessly" interfered with the beef-plant investigation.

Learning to Change

JoEva Flettrich turned off the fluorescent lights in her office after 23 years on the job. The lights are an external manifestation of the change she wants to see in her personal life—like a haircut or sitting in a different seat at the dinner table.

Canton Police Arrest Protesters

Canton police arrested demonstrators protesting racial profiling this morning after protesters allegedly violated a city permit.

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