*From the office of Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves:*

funeral arrangements for sen. brown

Visitation for Sen. Terry Brown will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Columbus. The funeral service will follow at 1 p.m. Interment will be in Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Columbus. Arrangements are provided by Lowndes Funeral Home.

[WLBT posted the following statement for Beard's family][1]:

Katelyn was loved by all who knew her including her mother, father, five brothers, and two sisters. Her grandmother, her great-grandfather, her uncle and aunt will miss her even more along with so many others.
At this time we have just as many questions as we do answers.
The devastation we feel about the loss of Katelyn and the events that have unfolded the past few days are unparalleled by anything we have been through before.
We want to thank whoever called in and reported the initial incident along with the person who called with DeWayne Thompson's whereabouts because without them we would not have found the peace of knowing where she (Katelyn) is.
We have been extremely impressed with the Jackson Police department handling and response to this situation. We find peace knowing she is with her Heavenly Father and will be deeply missed.
She is now at peace finding comfort in Heaven, seeing her Nanaw and her Granny Mac.

Pat Eubanks (her grandmother)
Florence

[1]: http://www.msnewsnow.com/story/26429279…

Flowood, MS – The following letter was released to parents this afternoon. We are deeply saddened by the loss of Walker Wilbanks. Please note that media are not invited to the prayer gathering today.
Dear Jackson Prep family,
My heart is broken as I write this letter to you. I am reaching out to share we have been notified by the family of the passing of Walker Wilbanks. Since our home football game against Oxford High School, the singular focus of this community has been prayer. We have been on our knees in prayer individually, in prayer circles, at houses of worship, and here on campus. We have been praying fervently for a miracle that the health and well-being of our beloved friend and student, Walker, would be restored.
Today, our prayers continue to be with David, Shelia, and Landon and the rest of the extended Wilbanks family, as well as Walker’s friends here at Prep and beyond.
Walker was a junior at Jackson Prep who distinguished himself as a multi-sport student athlete who had been on state championship football and baseball teams. Walker was also a member of the Jackson Prep track team. The numbers of friends we have seen over the last few days have been a testament to the loving, caring, and charismatic young man that blessed all our lives.
We want to extend our gratitude to the physicians and other health care professionals at Baptist Hospital and University of Mississippi Medical Center for caring for Walker and for their patience in accommodating hundreds of concerned classmates and friends. Arrangements for services will be handled by the Wilbanks family’s church, First Baptist Church of Jackson. Further details will be shared as soon as they become available.
The Wilbanks family is requesting time to themselves for the remainder of the day. There will be a special time of prayer at Jackson Prep this evening at 6:00 p.m. in Patriot Gymnasium. Parents and students are welcome, and counselors and youth pastors will be present. This will be a time to simply gather and be with one another during this difficult hour.
Respectfully,
Jason L. Walton
Isaiah 40:29-31: “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Jan Schaefer, communications director for Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood, responded to this blog post with the following verbatim email:

Hey RL,

In the spirit of education that I hope you will find helpful—especially with future stories, I just want to make some technical corrections to your story: Jim Hood Orders 2 Executions then Defends U.S. Human Rights in Geneva, March 18, 2014

*Per your headline, I would simply note that the AG does not order executions, juries do. The AG is mandated by state law to request the court to set an execution date once due process has occurred.

*It would be interesting to know exactly what those questions, and Hood's responses, were. (these were broadcast live on the UN Treaty site and are still accessible on the internet—I certainly could have pointed that out if you had emailed or called.)

*At Hood's request, Charles Ray Crawford and Michelle Byrom are scheduled to be put to death on March 26 and March 27, respectively. (Again, the AG does not order executions. He is mandated by state law to request the court to set an execution date within 30 days once due process has occurred.)

*Byrom was convicted of murder-for-hire in 1999 in connection with the death of her husband, Edward Byrom Sr. Even though big questions hang over Byrom's case, whose son wrote several letters confessing to the crime and that his mother did not participate in it, Hood moved ahead with planning her execution anyway. (Again, the AG is mandated by state law to request the court to set an execution date within 30 days once due process has occurred.)

Legislators make the laws and the Attorney General enforces them.

I just wanted to note these facts as I believe they matter to your readership, and I hope they help with future stories. Thank you for allowing me to do so.

Regards,

Jan

We're not being honest here. If we accept that Quardious was a criminal who deserved his fate, following that logic to its conclusion, what we're saying is that private citizens are entitled to be judge, jury and executioner of anyone they deem to be breaking the law. But as a society, we don't believe that. Putting aside arguments about the morality of the death penalty, the state doesn't execute people for property crimes, for not paying debts. At one point in our history, we did. Remember how the poor were treated in feudal Europe and in America's early days. Wealthy landowners often punished the peasants who stole their chickens or grain or whatever it was with death. Eventually, we matured, evolved and became more sophisticated in our thinking. The Quardious Thomas case signals that either we're going in the opposite direction or that Jackson and Mississippi just haven't yet caught up with the rest of civilized America.

While working on the pieces, there was a thought in the back of my mind. And that was where this idea comes from that's so pervasive in American culture that the crimes against property are punishable by death? It's certainly not enshrined in the U.S. Constitution or in state law, unless you're arguing the Castle Doctrine, and we've seen how problematic that can be. It's not even in keeping with the biblical idea of an eye-for-an-eye. I'm open to hearing peoples' thoughts on this.

Just a point of clarification: The Brazilian students were not enrolled in Jackson State, and were not paying tuition to the school.

Wizard: Since neither I nor Mrs. Brown witnessed the shooting, I don't have any information on whether Mr. Brown or his shooter were carrying guns legally or illegally at the time of the altercation. If you witnessed the events or have additional insights, feel free to contact me. Thanks. -- RL

The 39209 ZIP code, as the one commenter notes, is large, sprawling and oddly shaped, extending from west jackson near the zoo northward into rural Hinds County. To their point, it is possible that city-data.com only pulled information from the northern, more rural portion of the ZIP which would indeed skew the numbers. A more detailed analysis of Census tract data of the zoo's immediate neighborhood could be illuminating. We'll let you know what we find out. In the meantime, we encourage everyone to enjoy the zoo and the explore the rest of Jackson. -- R.L. Nave, editorial board member

Secy. Hosemann's released the following verbatim statement this afternoon: “The United States Supreme Court placed Mississippi on equal footing with every other State. The Court’s decision removes requirements for Mississippi to travel through the expensive and time consuming Federal application process for any change to state, county, or municipal voting law. Mississippi citizens have earned the right to determine our voting processes. Our relationships and trust in each other have matured. This chapter is closed. The process for implementation of Constitutional Voter Identification begins today. It will be conducted in accordance with the Constitutional Amendment adopted by the electorate, funded by the Legislature, and regulations as proposed by the Secretary of State.”