High School Seniors Honored
The Jackson Council PTA/PTSA will honor the top 10 graduating seniors from each of Jackson's high schools this evening. Hosted by Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr., the annual Salute to Scholars will take place at the Jackson State University e-Center at 1230 Raymond Road starting at 6 p.m. Each honoree will receive a certificate and the event includes a reception for the seniors and their families.
Hood Responds to Hayne Criticism
Gov. Haley Barbour signed H.B. 1456 into law March 19, requiring that pathologists doing autopsies in Mississippi--in addition to the state medical examiner--hold American Board of Pathology certification. Such certification is the "gold standard" for pathologists operating anywhere in the United States, according to Commissioner Stephen B. Simpson of the state Department of Public Safety, the agency tasked with oversight of the state's crime lab and, at some point, the state's medical examiner.
Barbour Calls Himself a ‘Fat Redneck'
In an interview yesterday on CNN's "John King USA," Gov. Haley Barbour refused to criticize Republic National Chairman Michael Steele and characterized himself as a "fat redneck."
Eminent Domain Petition Circulating
After Gov. Haley Barbour vetoed a bill last year to limit the state's use of eminent domain, the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation is circulating a petition to put the issue to the state's voters on the 2011 ballot, reports WLBT. The bureau wants to limit government takeovers of private land to public use projects, such as roads and bridges.
Nearly Half of All Mississippians Not Connected
About half—45 percent—of all Mississippi residents are unable to do what many of us take for granted: read this, or any other Web site. They're unable to send e-mails to family or friends, search for jobs, find news and information, or do any of a myriad of tasks on the Internet, according to the U.S. Census Current Population Survey. The state has the lowest number of people connected to the Internet in the country, reports The Sun Herald.
Barbour Signs Tougher Stalking Law
Also: Listen to Rep. Brandon Jones and Sen. David Blount talk about the stalking bill on JFP Radio.
Unemployment Nears 24 Percent in Some Counties
Five Mississippi counties reported jobless rates exceeding 20 percent in February, with Noxubee and Holmes counties edging toward a quarter of their populations collecting unemployment benefits; the counties reported rates of 23.3 and 23.1 percent unemployment, respectively. The other three counties are Winston (22.1 [percent), Clay (21.6 percent) and Tunica (21.1 percent).
Jackson Behind on Census
The city of Jackson is behind the curve in returning 2010 census forms to the Census Bureau. Nationally, 46 percent of households have returned the forms, while Jackson is trailing with only 31 percent returned, one of the lowest rates in the country, according to the bureau.
Barbour Rips Media over Health Care
It's the "liberal media elite" that is to blame for passage of the health-care bill, according to Gov. Haley Barbour. Speaking on ABC's "This Week" yesterday, Barbour insinuated that media coverage has been uncritical and biased, reports The Hill.
Entertainment for Good Causes Tops Weekend Events
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Barbour Reaffirms Vow to Sue
In response to Attorney General Jim Hood's statement yesterday that his office needed additional time to assess the constitutionality of the health-care reform bill signed by President Barack Obama earlier this week, Gov. Haley Barbour released a statement restating his intention to sue the federal government. To date, 13 states have joined a lawsuit to stop the legislation.
Lawmakers Attempt to Extend Session
Tempers have flared at the Mississippi capitol over the past two days as House members attempted to pass a resolution extending the legislative session. Democratic legislators in support of the extension want to wait to see if Congress approves another $187 million in Medicaid funds, reports The Commercial Appeal.
Dr. Susan Love: Be Aware Of Your Body
The Dr. Susan Love Foundation located in Santa Monica, Calif., is a non-profit group working to eradicate breast cancer in our lifetime. Love is known worldwide as one of the founding mothers of the breast cancer advocacy movement and is the author of "Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book," (Da Capo Press, 2005, $22.)
Present to My Presence
"It's a lot easier to ride a horse in the direction that it's going," I said to the seven people sitting across from me. It was my regular Wednesday night gig at Butterfly Yoga on State Street, and all eight of us were on the floor, cross-legged on yoga mats at the beginning of class.
Building to be Named for Slain Civil-Rights Workers
The Mississippi House debated yesterday over naming the new FBI field office building in Jackson for three slain civil-rights workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, reports the The Commercial Appeal.
Barbour to Challenge Health Care Reform
Gov. Haley Barbour yesterday asked Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood to challenge the constitutionality of the health-care reform legislation passed by the U.S. Congress on Sunday. If Hood refuses to sue, however, Barbour intends to file suit himself, according to a statement from his office.
Thompson Provides State's Only Yes on Health-Care Reform
Of Mississippi's three Democratic representatives to the U.S. House, only Bennie Thompson of the state's second congressional district voted for H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Rep. Travis Childers, district 1, and Rep. Gene Taylor joined 26 other Democrats voting no. The bill was passed solely by Democrats in a 224-to-206 vote, reports The New York Times.
Events: Green and More Green This Weekend
It's time for Jackson's biggest citywide party, all centering on Mal's St. Paddy's Parade, which steps off at 1 p.m. Saturday at State and Court streets in downtown Jackson. Even if you're not a parade kind of person, venues all over are stockpiling their green beer and other Irish favorites. Fenian's is holding its annual two-day indoor-outdoor St. Patrick's block party, for example, Underground 119 is having a street party, and then there's the after-parade street party at Hal & Mal's. If you can still keep going, F. Jones Corner is hosting a late-night party until 4 a.m. Start your search for weekend goings-on with the St. Patty's Sched and if you don't see what you're looking for head to the JFP Events Calendar for even more options.
Bill Adds Teeth to Stalking Law
Sitting on Gov. Haley Barbour's desk this morning awaiting his signature is a bill designed to give Mississippi's stalking laws some bite. House bill 1309 revises and strengthens the definition of stalking and creates more appropriate penalties.
Mississippi to End HIV Segregation in Prisons
State Corrections Commissioner Christopher Epps announced yesterday that Mississippi will end its practice of separating male HIV-positive prisoners from other inmates beginning in May, reports WDAM. Mississippi currently houses 152 HIV-positive prisoners in a segregated unit in Parchman.
Silver Alert Legislation Awaits Barbour's Signature
Keeping our parents and grandparents safe is the goal of a Mississippi House bill creating a Silver Alert system. The system, based on Amber Alerts for children, will allow family members to report an elderly missing person quickly, ensuring that law enforcement gets into action before an older person runs into trouble.
Seale Conviction Upheld Again
Also see: JFP investigative archive/timeline of Dee-Moore case
Unemployment Tops 20 Percent in Four Counties
Nearly 155,000 Mississippians received unemployment benefits in January, with the state's unemployment rate for the first month of 2010 exceeding the national average. Four counties reported jobless rates in excess of 20 percent: Holmes and Noxubee counties both reported rates of 23.1 percent unemployment; Clay County reported 21.2 percent and Winston County 20.3 percent. The state's average rate is 12 percent, 1.4 percent higher than the national average of 10.6 percent.
Public Works, Private Profit
If Mississippi hadn't provided $15 million in bonds and another $20 million in loan guarantees last January to Schulz GMBH to build its pipe factory, some other state would have. In today's economic market, "tax incentives" is the game state and local governments must play to lure big corporate players to put roots down within their borders.
Monsanto Breaks Ground on Corn-Breeding Station
Flora, Miss., was the site yesterday of a groundbreaking ceremony for the Monsanto Company, producer of 90 percent of the world's genetically engineered seeds. The new $2.4 million, 26,000-square-foot facility, a corn-breeding station, will eventually employ 10 full-time and 50 seasonal workers, Monsanto said in a release.
Hood Warns of IRS E-mail Scams
Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood issued a consumer alert yesterday warning taxpayers of an e-mail scam where the perpetrators pose as official Internal Revenue Service e-mailers to obtain personal and financial information. Hood said that the IRS does not send e-mails to taxpayers to inform them of refunds or to request financial information.
Lawmakers Debate Alternate Education Track
General classroom goals for high-school students, in Mississippi and elsewhere, emphasize pushing kids toward four-year college degrees. Some Magnolia state lawmakers are now looking at introducing a career-track curriculum for the many teens who may not be college bound, reports The Sun Herald.
Jackson Kicks Off the Great American Cleanup
Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr., and representatives from Keep Jackson Beautiful and Transformation Jackson kick off a campaign to beautify the city this morning. Great American Cleanup volunteers will meet tomorrow at Jackson State University to participate in day one of the three-month event.
Lawmakers Attempt to Restore $82 Million to 2010 Budget
The Mississippi Legislature has sent a second budget reconciliation compromise to Gov. Haley Barbour, this time restoring $82 million of the cuts the governor has made this fiscal year. Barbour vetoed a previous attempt to reconcile $79 million, saying the proposal took too much from the state's savings and restored too little to the Department of Corrections.
Happiness Worth Celebrating
In my own relationship with an abusive man, "You're the best" turned fairly quickly into "I'm the only one who loves you," along with overt attempts to demonize my friends and isolate me.
[Mott] Happiness Worth Celebrating
For too long in Mississippi, the legal community--police, lawyers and judges--have seen domestic abuse as a problem best dealt with at home. Women bring violence on themselves, the thinking goes; they should just do what their men tell them to. That's changing in this state, albeit slowly, and only after a lot of work by smart and dedicated people.
Hate Groups Up by 244 Percent
The Southern Poverty Law Center, which has documented extremist groups in the United States for decades, yesterday released its annual report on the number of active hate groups in the country. Calling the figures "alarming," Morris Dees, founder of the Montgomery, Ala.-based organization, says it has documented a 244 percent increase in just the past year.
Animal Cruelty Bill to Die
Today is the last day committees in the Mississippi Legislature can act on bills presented by their colleagues across the hall. Effectively, that means any bills stuck in committees not scheduled to meet today are dead. That includes SB 2623, a bill proposing to make torturing or maiming cats or dogs a felony.
First Lady to Visit Jackson
Earlier this month, first lady Michelle Obama announced a campaign to solve childhood obesity in America. It only makes sense, then, that she would visit the capitol of Mississippi—the most obese state in the nation—as part of her "Let's Move" campaign.
Weekend Events
The weekend starts tonight with classic Mississippi blues at The Auditorium. Starting at 9:18, catch "Three Generations of the Blues" with David "Honeyboy" Edwards, King Edward and Eddie Cotton on stage for only $20. If you'd rather spend the evening catching up with old friends, head to Schimmel's for the Murrah High School Alumni Mixer for all those 21 and older. For more details and more happenings around town, head to the JFP Best Bets page to start your search for weekend entertainment.
Convicted Former Klansman Sues FBI
Convicted former Ku Klux Klansman Edgar Ray Killen is suing the FBI for millions, claiming violations of his civil rights, reports The Los Angeles Times. Killen, 85, convicted in 2005 of manslaughter in the 1964 slayings of three civil rights workers in Philadelphia, Miss., says the FBI hired mafia hit man "The Grim Reaper" to pistol whip witnesses into providing information in the case.
$2.8 Million Trade-in Program Announced
Starting this spring, federal stimulus funds will become available for you to upgrade your appliances. Under the American Recover and Reinvestment Act, the federal government has allocated $2.8 million to Mississippi for a residential appliance trade-in program with a tentative start date of April 2010.
Road to Nowhere?
Yesterday, the Mississippi House approved $300 million in bonds for infrastructure improvements in the state. Among the projects is $42 million for a new highway from Pontotoc to Sherman, site of the as-yet completed Blue Springs Toyota plant, reports The Commercial Appeal.
Mayor Invites Jacksonians to One-on-One Meeting
Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. urges Jackson residents to speak with him one-on-one. Johnson will hold one of his regular meetings prior to tomorrow's City Council meeting to discuss issues, take reports about problems or just speak with concerned citizens tomorrow, Feb. 23, starting at 5:30 p.m..
Judge Rules for Law Firm in MCI Case
Hinds Circuit Court Judge Winston Kidd handed down a ruling today that will allow the Langston Law Firm to keep the $14 million fee it earned for representing the state in a $110 million settlement with former telecom giant MCI, formerly WorldCom, over unpaid taxes. MCI paid the legal fees directly to the firm, without impacting the state's share of the collected funds.
Magic Johnson HIV Testing Tour in Jackson
Some 231,000 Americans are infected with HIV and don't know it. Hoping to make an impact on those numbers, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation's Magic Johnson "Testing America" tour is stopping at Hinds Community College today from 8 a.m. until noon to offer free testing.
Soda Tax Will Fizzle Out
Sweetened drinks add to the problem of childhood obesity, according to Andrew Hysall, associate vice president of advocacy and public policy for the Washington, D.C.-based Campaign for Healthy Kids. A proposal to add a 2-cent per ounce tax to those beverages has little chance of getting through the Mississippi Legislature, however.
[Mott] Year of the Tiger
My life has always been filled with challenges; it's the way I like it, always pushing the edges, coming around the curve sideways on two wheels, and hitting the brakes just in time to avoid catastrophe. That may be more than Donna wants to know about me, but then, we've been working together for going on four years, so I think she's got a clue. Chaos follows me around like the little dirt cloud follows Pig Pen in Charles' Schultz "Peanuts," always ready to engulf me.
In Dat Number
It was a celebration 43 years in the making. Here is the JFP's loving last hurrah for the Super Bowl XLIV Champions the New Orleans Saints and their city. Can you say, "Who Dat"?
‘Personhood' Petition Filed
Personhood Mississippi, an anti-abortion organization led by Les Riley of Pontotoc, has filed a petition with the secretary of state's office to put the issue of when life begins on a ballot for voters to decide, reports WXVT. The organization's position is that life begins at fertilization.
Some Adopt Wait-and-See Attitude on Cold Meds Law
Law enforcement officers in Mississippi are expressing mixed reactions to a new law signed by Gov. Haley Barbour last week, reports The Hattiesburg American. The Magnolia state is the second state in the union to make pseudoephedrine available by prescription only beginning July 1, the first being Oregon.
Bill Reduces Out-of-State Tuition
The Mississippi Senate passed a bill last week to reduce tuition for out-of-state students, bringing their tuition in line with in-state students. The bill, S.B. 2285, is designed to encourage more out-of-state enrollments into state schools, which have been historically unable to compete for students from other states.
Bill Expands Mississippi Gun Rights
In a near unanimous vote, the state Senate passed a bill yesterday that will allow Mississippi hand-gun owners to walk into restaurants and parks with their weapons, reports The Commercial Appeal. The Magnolia state joins Tennessee in attempting to expand the rights of handgun owners.
Eyes Wide Shut
About four years ago, a colleague invited Myra Ottewell, a native Jacksonian and teacher in British Columbia, to speak to his class after they viewed "Mississippi Burning," the 1988 movie about the murders of civil rights workers Chaney, Goodman and Schwerner in Philadelphia, Miss.
The Love Issue
With Valentine's Day on Sunday, the Jackson Free Press gives you everything you need to make your day, from great food to cool gifts and a good measure of sage advice.