Charter Schools Likely Coming
After years of unsuccessfully trying to pass legislation favorable to charter schools, the new Republican majority in the Mississippi Legislature looks poised to get at least one of its bills passed this year.
‘Abstinence-Plus' Now Just A Mirage
School districts have until the end of June to decide whether they will adopt abstinence or "abstinence-plus" sex-related education policies, but so far, the only "abstinence-plus" curricula that have been approved are exactly the same ones that have also been approved for abstinence-only policies.
Hood Links Sunshine Act to Pardons
Attorney General Jim Hood's campaign site sent out an email this morning urging his supporters to call senators and oppose the Sunshine Act, which would allow agency heads to hire outside counsel to represent them. (Read more about the act in our archives.)
Marian Wright Edelman
Mississippi has made some progress in education within the last half-century, but many people remain at the bottom in terms of education and economics, civil-rights veteran Marian Wright Edelman said in a press conference last week.
JPS Students Present Concert
The Jackson Public Schools All-City Music Festival is underway, with 866 students performing in five orchestras.
Study Measures Tourism at Casinos and State Parks
A report from the Mississippi Development Authority shows that tourism is the fifth-largest private-sector employer in the state.
Lawmakers, Activists Speak Against Abortion
Lawmakers and abortion opponents came together at the Capitol yesterday to support anti-abortion efforts, making their way through various committees in the Mississippi Legislature.
Anti-abortion Efforts Continue
Pro Life America Network organized a press conference at the Capitol today with legislators and Gov. Phil Bryant to talk about anti-abortion efforts. We'll plan on having more on that tomorrow, but for those who are interested, here's what Bryant had to say:
City Lifts Boil Water Alert
The city has lifted a boil water alert in effect since last Friday after two consecutive clear tests by the Health Department, a statement this morning said.
Senate Passes Charter Schools Bill
The after hours of debate, the Senate passed a bill this afternoon to loosen the rules for creating charter schools in Mississippi.
Personhood: Symbol or Substance?
Although state Sen. Joey Fillingane, R-Sumrall, says it's unlikely the Mississippi Legislature will take up the debate over personhood this year, efforts by state lawmakers in Mississippi and elsewhere in the country are gaining steam.
MIRA Civic Engagement Day
The Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance plans to walk to the Capitol today to protest a series of bills targeted at undocumented immigrants.
Officers Arrested on Bribery Charges
From the U.S. attorney's office, verbatim:
Jackson, Miss - Monyette Quintel Jefferson, 27, Terence Dale Jenkins, 25, and Anthony Ricardo Payne, Jr., 25, all Jackson Police Department Patrol Officers at the time of the offense, have been arrested for accepting bribes to protect what they believed to be drug transactions following an undercover operation, U.S. Attorney John Dowdy and FBI Special Agent in Charge Daniel McMullen announced today.
Personhood Resolution in House
As the window for introducing bills in the Mississippi Legislature closes, the personhood debate has once again surfaced.
Boil Water Notice; JSU Suspends Activities
A water main break is causing low water pressure at Jackson State University, leading the school to suspend classes and activities this weekend.
Sen. Thad Cochran
A national group has recognized Sen. Thad Cochran for advocating for volunteer programs. ON Tuesday, Cochran received the Edward M. Kennedy National Service Lifetime Leadership Award at the Friends of National Service awards reception.
Personhood Mississippi: We Are Listening to Voters
Personhood Mississippi founder Les Riley sent out a statement this morning praising Personhood legislation in the Oklahoma Senate and promising further efforts in Mississippi that will address voters' concerns about contraception and in vitro fertilization.
APAC Celebrates 30 years
The Power Academic and Performing Arts Complex is celebrating its 30th anniversary today.
The magnet school opened in January 1982 and serves students in grades 4-12 who want extra instruction in the arts. Last fall, the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts
Runaway, Prostitute or Victim?
Not too long ago in another state, a high-school boy offered a high-school girl a ride home. He drugged her drink, took nude photos of her and used the pictures to blackmail her into having sex with a series of other men. She wasn't poor, from another country or in foster care; her father was an executive at General Motors.
Rep. Brown: Irby Clemency File Missing
Here is the statement, verbatim:
House Democrats have just released a statement from Rep. Cecil Brown, D-Jackson, on former Gov. Haley Barbour's pardons. In it, he says files are missing for several pardon recipients, including Karen Irby.
Personhood Redux
Just three months after voters turned down a Personhood Initiative, at least one legislator is trying to get it back on the ballot.
No Miracle Cure
'The business of education is not a business, so you can't run it like a business.'
Education: A Strong State Economy Starts Here
Research shows that struggling schools and low education levels hurt individuals as well as the state as a whole, bringing economic and social challenges. Fortunately, people outside the educational community are starting to talk about how Mississippi can make its schools—and work force—better.
Ward 3 Race to End in Runoff
Although LaRita Cooper-Stokes gained 42 percent of the votes in a special election yesterday, it wasn't enough to give her the Ward 3 City Council seat outright. She and Joyce Jackson, who received 22.6 percent of the votes, will meet up again in a runoff election Feb. 28.
Sen. Joey Fillingane
Personhood supporters and detractors are still trying to sort out the ramifications and nuances of an anti-abortion resolution introduced yesterday. Sen. Joey Fillingane, R-Sumrall, introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution 555, seeking to amend the state Constitution to "protect the life of every unborn child from conception to birth."
Stuart Kellogg
At 10 p.m. in Jackson, about 80 percent of the people who are watching TV have their sets tuned to one of the top-three local news stations.
Teaching ‘Nice Girls' to Stand Up to Bullies
Many young girls know one--a "friend" who makes fun of them and points out faults at every opportunity but responds to complaints and hurt feelings with a laugh and "just kidding."
Recession Hurt Some More Than Others
During the recent recession, men and African Americans saw the steepest decline in median wages, a new report says, while women made gains, and wages for whites stayed about the same.
Sears and Small Businesses
The Association of South Jackson Neighborhoods is calling on Jackson and Hinds County residents to make this week "Shop Sears Week." Through Monday, the association is encouraging people to buy from Sears to encourage the retailer to stay in Metrocenter Mall.
Medicaid Assistance: Non-Smokers Only?
Medicaid recipients--and the agencies that provide services to them--could face a slew of new restrictions, including random drug tests, community service and nicotine testing if several bills in the Senate pass.
Museum Needs Civil Rights Stories
To tell the story of the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi as a whole, historians will need stories from individual people involved with the movement, museum planners say.
Charter Schools: The Devil's in the Details
Charter schools offer benefits, but the state must be cautious in using them. That mixed message emerged during a joint meeting of the Senate and House education committees yesterday morning where officials, community leaders and education advocates discussed the pros and pitfalls of charter schools.
How much have wages changed for Mississippians in the past decade?
This morning, the Mississippi Economic Policy Center released a report on the State of Working Mississippi in 2012, showing how wages, education levels and other factors have changed in Mississippi's work force over the past decade.
Charter Schools on the Way?
While new legislation is just now beginning to roll out at the state capitol, education advocates and lawmakers are talking about potential bills to lower the requirements for traditional public schools to become charter schools.
Mimi's to Close
After almost two years in Fondren, Mimi's Family and Friends (3139 N. State St.) will close at the end of next month.
Which Pardons Hold Up Under Legal Scrutiny?
Attorney General Jim Hood released a statement this morning, saying he has found 21 people among former Gov. Haley Barbour's 200-plus pardons who have fulfilled the constitutional requirements to receive pardons. The statement said that 156 people did not meet the requirement to publish their intent to ask for a pardon in a newspaper for 30 days. Hood's office is still processing 26 files.
Ala. Attorney: ‘The South Has Changed'
A county in Alabama is challenging a component of the Voting Rights Act that keeps a watchful eye on states with a history of civil rights abuses, the Associated Press reports.
Ward 3 Election Update
A week away from the Jan. 25 deadline to qualify for the election to fill the Ward 3 City Council seat, it looks like eight candidates intend to run. Here are the people who have either told the JFP they intend to run or who have filed papers with the city clerk's office as of press time yesterday:
‘It Can Be in Ward 3'
Jackson needs more investment in businesses and needs it quick. That's how Albert Wilson, who is running for the Ward 3 City Council seat, thinks the city can boost both its tax base and the number of opportunities for its citizens.
Stuart Irby Found Dead
Jackson businessman Stuart M. Irby, 58, died last night of an apparent suicide.
WLBT reports that Irby's caretaker found him hanging in his home at about 8 p.m. Police do not suspect foul play.
Growing MLK's Community
In an empty lot next to a BP gas station on Northside Drive, Erika Roberts pointed to a few tall twigs poking out of the muddy ground, almost indistinguishable from surrounding grass. They don't look much like an orchard, but soon they will be blackberry bushes, blueberry bushes and muscadine vines.
John W. Franklin
For 24 years, John W. Franklin has worked to preserve African American history at the Smithsonian Institution. Last week, Jackson State University's Margaret Walker Center honored John W. Franklin with one of its annual For My People Awards.
Donations for Gov. Candidates Keep Trickling In
With all the noise surrounding former Gov. Haley Barbour's pardons, you might be forgiven for missing the final epilogue, if you will, from current Gov. Phil Bryant's election campaign.
Lumumba: Jackson Needs a New Culture
Jackson has an opportunity to form a new culture--the sum total of its people's lives--that covers not just music and history, but economic development and political goals, Ward 2 City Councilman Chokwe Lumumba said this morning at Koinonia Coffee House's Friday Forum. Lumumba said Jackson is undergoing a cultural change driven by changing demographics, as the city gains a higher percentage of black, progressive white, Hispanic and Indian residents.
Mississippi: Not That Bad
Despite its persistent reputation as first-in-everything-worst, Mississippi isn't nearly as hopeless as it thinks it is, a new report finds. Compared to other states with similar economies, Mississippi ranks high in entrepreneurial activity, personal-income growth and the least violent crime.
Why Not the Scott Sisters?
After former Gov. Haley Barbour pardoned more than 200 people at the end of his term earlier this week, supporters of Jamie and Gladys Scott say they don't know why the sisters weren't also given full pardons.
Personhood Heads to the Capitol
Just over a week into the legislative session, we're already seeing some movement on "personhood" bills, to define when human life and legal protections begin, similar to Initiative 26, which voters turned down in November.
Reaching Fathers: John Taylor Jr. Runs for Ward 3 Seat
Family is a running theme for the Rev. John Taylor Jr. The 29-year-old candidate for Kenneth Stokes' Ward 3 Jackson City Council seat believes a lot of Jackson's problems start with fathers who don't take responsibility.
Sports, Stennis and a Saloon
SportsEvents magazine, an industry publication for sports event planners, has named Jackson as one of the top destinations for sports events in its 2012 Readers' Choice Awards issue.
Thalia Mara Makeover?
A group of organizations has offered to help the city raise money to refurbish Thalia Mara Hall. At a City Council meeting this morning, supporters of the project said they hope renovating the auditorium will breathe life into the downtown's blossoming "arts and cultural district" ahead of the 2014 International Ballet Competition.