Jackblog

10 Easy and Fun Ways to Help the Chick Ball & Fight Sex Trafficking

Here are 10 easy ways you can help:

It is JFP Chick Ball season in Jackson, and we need your help to fight domestic abuse—this year to start a rape crisis center and raise awareness about sexual assault in our city and state!

JFP Wins Awards for Feature Writing, Public Service, Commentary

The JFP got more great news Friday night when we learned that we are winning two first-place and one second-place award from the Society of Professional Journalists' southeastern division. Valerie Wells takes first place for feature writing, the Personhood team (this time, including R.L. Nave and Adam Lynch) takes second place for public service, and I won first place for serious commentary. Here is the full press release. Cheers to the team, congratulations to all the winners. We're honored to be in your company:

Death Rower's Reprieve Plea Denied

The Mississippi Supreme Court has denied a stay of execution to a man set to become the third man in as many weeks the state puts to death. Gary Carl Simmons had asked the court for an additional 14 days to have a mental exam conducted, but justices rejected his request this morning. If his scheduled June 20 death by lethal injection is carried out, Simmons will be the third man Mississippi executes in June.

A Condemned Man's Last Day…in a Press Release

June 12, 2012 Scheduled Execution of Jan Michael Brawner

In about two hours, Jan Michael Brawner will be executed for the murders of his 3-year-old daughter, ex-wife and former in-laws. The Mississippi Department of Corrections issued the following news release detailing Brawner's final day:

Boil Water Notice

The city has issued a boil water notice affecting about 200 connections in Jackson.

PRECAUTIONARY BOIL WATER NOTICE

Utah Private Prison Firm Picks Up Mississippi Contracts

Management & Training Corporation will take over management of the Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility and two other Mississippi prisons, the Associated Press is reporting. MTC will also assume management of East Mississippi Correctional Facility in Meridian and the Marshall County Correctional Facility in Holly Springs.

Portions of Gallatin Street Closed

A section of Gallatin Street between Hiawatha and Silas Brown streets is closed for repair work on a drainage line.

School Board Meeting Tonight

The JPS school board meets tonight at 5:30. Although there isn't anything on the schedule about selecting a sex-related education policy, there are only two scheduled board meetings before the deadline to pick either an abstinence-only or abstinence-plus policy to teach next year. It looks like the board will vote on the matter June 19.

It's Campaign Season (Again)

Yes, I know, it seems like it's always campaign season, which means that those flyers will soon be filling your mailboxes and emails will be filling your inboxes and ads will be filling your Facebooks (if they aren't already).

Attend the JFP Chick Ball Happy Hour Thursday, May 31, 6 to 8 p.m.

Join the JFP, the Center for Violence Prevention and the Chick Ball Committee for a free JFP Chick Ball happy hour Thursday, May 31, at Hal & Mal's downtown (200 S. Commerce St.). We'll provide great munchies (yes, lots of fried stuff and more), and we'll buy you a drink if you sign up to volunteer or donate to the Chick Ball effort this year. We'll buy you two drinks if you bring a donation check (in any amount over $10) or a gift or piece of art for the silent auction (or drop it at the JFP in advance of happy hour).

Seven Dems Flip to GOP

• Jones County Justice Court Judge David Lyons

At a noon press conference at Mississippi Republican headquarters, the state party took the sheet off its newest additions: Seven county-level officials who were elected as Democrats officially joined the Republican Party. According to the Mississippi GOP, those officials include:

Feds Bust Pair for Hiring Undocumented Workers

RIDGELAND BUSINESS OWNERS PLEAD GUILTY TO EMPLOYING ILLEGAL ALIENS

Paul and Barbara Love of Ridgeland each pleaded guilty to federal charges related to hiring undocumented immigrants, said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi Gregory K. Davis. Sentencing will take place in August.

BREAKING: JPS Agrees to Overhaul Discipline Policies, Settles Lawsuit

Good news! The Southern Poverty Law Center just emailed this statement, pasted in its entirety:

JACKSON, Miss. – The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) announced today that a federal judge has approved a settlement agreement with Jackson Public Schools (JPS) to reform discipline policies across the district and to end the brutal practice of handcuffing students to railings and poles for hours at a time as punishment for minor rule violations.

Boil Water Notice in South Jackson

The city of Jackson has issued a precautionary boil water notice for about 355 customers in south Jackson. The advisory is below, verbatim:

Awards, Awards, Awards: Cheers to JFP Staff, Freelancers

Yesterday was a very good day for the JFP staff, and especially our writers and designers. First we found out that we are finalists for three Association of Alternative Newsmedia awards. Being a finalist for AAN awards (and the others we found out about yesterday) means that we will find out in a few weeks what our placement is, and we are grateful whether we win first place or honorable mention! And cheers to all the other AAN (and Green Eyeshade) finalists; we are humbled to be in the honor of such talented people.