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Supreme Court: Fairview Illegally Zoned

The Mississippi Supreme Court refused to revisit its August decision regarding a four-star bed and breakfast in Jackson. The court had earlier decided that the city of Jackson had illegally spot-zoned the property for the Fairview Inn, on Fairview Street in Belhaven, allowing the placement of a business in a residentially zoned area in the affluent north section. The court decided not to reconsider that decision with a 6-to-3 vote.

NY Times' Bob Herbert on 2008 JFP Report on Barbour's Domestic Murderer Pardons

In his column today, New York Times columnist Bob Herbert writes again about the need for Gov. Haley Barbour to free the Scott Sisters, who are serving life sentences for a 1993 armed robbery that allegedly netted them $11 each. He astutely draws a contrast between their case and the murders Barbour pardoned or helped in 2008, most of whom brutally murdered wives or girlfriends. In his column, Herbert gave credit to the Jackson Free Press and Slate magazine for cataloguing the details of those murders. The piece in Slate was by a column by Radley Balko published Dec. 17, 2009: Haley Barbour's Bizarre Pardon Record. In his column, Balko referred to the JFP's 2008 reporting (and linked to it) when listing the gruesome details of the domestic murders.

Lesbian Teen Fights for Prom

Constance McMillen unwraps a Super Sonic Burger from a bag full of tater tots at her kitchen table in Fulton. Her long, dark hair is curled, and her face is made up. She's wearing a new black T-shirt that reads "I (Heart) NY."

Mayor to Hold Up Sales Tax Hike?

Last session, the Mississippi Legislature enacted a referendum vote for a sales tax increase to fix city streets and improve public safety, but Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. says that vote may be on hold indefinitely.

[Balko] Justice Stevens' Mixed Record on Civil Liberties

Many hail retiring Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens as a champion of the accused. Stevens, The New York Times editorial board opined, has a "record of being on the side of fairness and justice."

Idiot's Guide to Cocktails

Looking back over the last couple of decades, I've certainly enjoyed my serious journalistic life. But I must admit that some of my best times, my favorite memories, involved not just having fun, but helping other people have a good time—whether by hosting a fun party, deejaying at clubs, emceeing events or mixing drinks as a bartender. And I don't mean throwing together some vodka and tonic and a hunk of lime. I mean creating and serving delightful cocktails—heavenly and other-worldly concoctions that make your toes tingle and your tongue dance in delight: true golden margaritas; unpredictable martinis; saucy mojitos; and my all-time-favorite drink, the Brazilian caipirinha.

Part-Time Justice

<b>Poor State Prisoners Shorted on Legal Help</b>

A recent town meeting in Jackson highlighting prisoner abuse in the state's penal system offered a peek at another legal issue plaguing many Mississippians who find themselves on the wrong end of criminal prosecution.

Clarion-Ledger on the 'Saddened But Perhaps Wiser' Melton

The Clarion-Ledger editorial boys weigh in today with another brillliant screed about crime. The guys–who are now into community-style policing now that the mayor/chief who were into it, too, are gone–say that because crime is up dramatically under Melton, the "saddened but perhaps wiser" Melton is doing the right thing by calling a crime summit to talk about various ways to fight crime (presumably beyond endorsing and electing a wild, west mayor who promised to cure it in 90 days). And, warns the Ledger dudes, be sure to note who is not there because THEY CLEARLY DO NOT CARE ABOUT CRIME, the way the Ledge and all the rest of us, and the Ledge's edit-men, do:

Community Events and Public Meetings

UMC Blood Drive., at University of Mississippi Medical Center (2500 N. State St.). Mississippi Blood Services will take donations. Please bring ID. Call 888-902-5663. Donate at these locations and times:

Chicks We Love

Chicks like these are rare. They are intelligent, strong, influential women who are making the face of Jackson look a little brighter. And we love them.

Sneak Attacks

Jacksonians first caught a glimpse of the kind of mayor they had elected less than a week after Melton won the primary. WAPT sent reporter Greg Flynn to the YMCA on Farish Street, where Melton volunteered, to get Melton's thoughts on how he felt about his win and where he planned to take the city.

‘Major Extortion'?

Photos by Brian Johnson & Darren Schwindaman

Council members Marshand Crisler, Ben Allen and Margaret Barrett-Simon told the Jackson Free Press Monday that city Chief of Staff Marcus Ward threatened Jackson School Board member Jonathan Larkin's re-appointment to the board if he does not approve a bid for a contract by a company supported by the mayor's office. According to the three council members and sources connected to JPS, Ward told Larkin that the mayor's office would not submit Larkin's name to the Council for re-confirmation if he did not approve a contract bid by Jackson business Integrated Management Services PA, for work related to the $150 million bond issue—a bid that is reportedly much higher than the next lowest bid.

‘Gangs' of Fondren?

An April 13 fight involving a group of preteens and young adults in Fondren Park has resulted in a flurry of responses on the OurFondren Neighborhood Association's online community message board, raising questions about how neighbors should respond to safety concerns.

Eureka! More on Immigration Rhetoric in NYT

This week, the New York Times published a story on the potential effects of immigration rhetoric, particularly the vitriolic denunciations of "illegal aliens," on presidential campaigns in 2008:

Police Chief Accused of Denying Gay Man CPR

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (March 3) - A McDowell County police chief was accused in a federal lawsuit Thursday of stopping a would-be rescuer from performing CPR on a gay heart attack victim because he assumed the ailing man had HIV and posed a health risk.

Clarion-Ledger Fails to Endorse Hinds D.A. Candidate

... or a single woman, for that matter. The Ledger edit-boyz surprised us today by not enthusiastically endorsing one of the challengers of Hinds County District Attorney Faye Peterson in the race that is, arguably, the hottest contested and most closely watched in the city where they're located. They did, however, endorse candidates for Madison County district attorney.

Anita's 2010 Oscar Picks

The red carpet rolls out on Sunday, which happens to land smack dab in the middle of the International Documentary Challenge (www.docchallenge.org). For me, that means it will be a weekend of multi-tasking like a champ, and for most women, particularly those with a brood of kids, we do this with relative ease. (That's my mantra and I'm sticking to it.) If the editing system breaks down or there are other snafus on the doc front, I know I can kick back on Sunday and enjoy Oscar time.

[‘Tis The Season] Building Green

I recently drove down to Hattiesburg to meet with architect James Polk in a tiny storefront office with a cement floor, spring green walls, and architectural posters and models covering every available surface. Polk is the architect designing Lily Valley, a walkable eco-community centered around a European-style town square, with energy-efficient homes in walking distance of a school, concert hall, bakery, grocery, art galleries, shops and restaurants. Plenty of green space will surround the buildings.

The Dawn of a New ‘Daily'

This past week we flipped the switch on a new "product" that's been brewing in the JFP labs for the better part of six months: JFP Daily.

Ready to "Speak Truth" about Environmental Justice

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is turning to a Houston activist to lead the fight against environmental injustices around the country.

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