Blog: Jackblog

Entries for February, 2014

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What is up with Madison County (and Starkville) police chases?!

Last weekend, I happened by local television news and saw a report about Madison police officers going on a high-speed chase through the streets of Jackson—because of a problem that happened in the Target in Jackson, ending in a crash that seriously injured a bystander. Huh? Also, looking at the …

Coroner: No Lumumba Autopsy Planned

Sharon Grisham-Stewart, the Hinds County coroner, told the Jackson Free Press this afternoon that she is not planning an autopsy for the late Mayor Chokwe Lumumba. Lumumba died Tuesday, Feb. 25, of what Grisham-Stewart has said were "natural causes," seven months into his first term as mayor of Jackson. Lumumba, …

Lumumba Services to Take Place Next Week

Services for late Mayor Chokwe Lumumba are scheduled for Saturday, March 8 at 11 a.m. at the Jackson Convention Center. There will be a wake on Friday, March 7 at City Hall, according to administration officials. Lumumba died Tuesday at St. Dominic's Hospital at the age of 66 with his …

Add your message to next week's special Lumumba tribute issue

All, we are putting together a special tribute issue to Chokwe Lumumba for next week. Please add your messages below, and we will include what we can and link back to the rest. I'll start with a letter the Greater Jackson Chamber leadership sent to members today: February 26, 2014 …

Remarkably, Mayor Lumumba Brought Us Together

I felt like I was kicked in the stomach when Todd stuck his head in my office after the paper went to the printer today to tell me we were hearing reports that Mayor Chokwe Lumumba had died. Our photographer and news editor ran off to City Hall, which I …

Social Media Responds to Lumumba's Death

People in Jackson and around the world are responding to the news that first-term mayor Chokwe Lumumba died this afternoon.

Ole Miss fraternity says reaching out to black frats re 'desecration' of Meredith statue

The For immediate release Statement of Jake Martin, President of the Delta Gamma Chapter of Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity: “Recent events on the campus of our college, The University of Mississippi, were insensitive, harmful to student campus life, and criminal. The individuals or group found responsible for the desecration of …

Ole Miss Police: White Male Freshmen Declining to be Questioned In Statue Incident

Verbatim statement just in from the University of Mississippi: OXFORD, Miss. – Three 19-year-old white male freshmen from Georgia were declining through their attorneys late Thursday to be questioned by university police regarding the vandalism Sunday morning of the University of Mississippi’s James Meredith statue, according to the university chief …

Chamber Names Sales-Tax Commission Picks

Here's the full release from the Chamber: Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership Announces Commission Appointments With the recent passage of the Jackson Local Option Sales Tax Referendum, much needed work on Jackson’s infrastructure will be addressed. The next step to address the infrastructure issues is the creation of an Oversight Commission. …

Hattiesburg, Miss., Passes Resolution Recognizing LGBT Residents

The Human Rights Campaign sent out this statement about an hour ago. Verbatim: Hattiesburg, Miss., Passes Resolution Recognizing LGBT Residents Becomes the second Mississippi city in less than a month to pass resolution recognizing the role LGBT people play in thriving communities Washington – Hattiesburg, Mississippi tonight unanimously passed a …

After Racist Attack on James Meredith Statue, Ole Miss Offers $25,000 Reward for Info

Here is a verbatim statement just issued by the University of Mississippi: At the request of Chancellor Dan Jones, the university’s Alumni Association has offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of two individuals involved in an early morning incident on The University of Mississippi campus. The …