Ellington

There's never a slow news week in Jackson, Miss., and last week was no exception. Here are the local stories JFP reporters brought you in case you missed them:

1. The Supreme Court justices agreed to hear a constitutional challenge to the part of the landmark Voting Rights Act that requires all or parts of 16 states with a history of discrimination in voting to get federal approval before making any changes in the way they hold elections.
2. Whole Foods broke ground at Highland Village in northeast Jackson Thursday. The Austin, Texas-based grocery chain carries only organic foods with no artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners or hydrogenated fats. It also boasts a selection of locally grown foods.
3. A large crowd of students opposed to President Obama's re-election gathered at Ole Miss the night the election was called, some shouting racial epithets and burning Obama/Biden yard signs. Read a student's account of the incident here.
4. Anti-abortion activists from six states occupied each of the four corners at State Street and Fondren Place from Nov. 7 to Nov. 11 as part of a nationwide campaign known as States of Refuge. Read the full story here.
5. Local school districts could lose nearly $170 million in funding if recalculations are made to the Mississippi Adequate Education Program funding formula for the upcoming 2013 legislative session. Read the full story here.
6. For a second straight year, Jackson saw a drop in Community Development Block Grant funds. The city will receive $1.85 million for fiscal year 2012-2013, compared to $2.2 million in 2011-2012 and $2.7 million the year before.
7. The city began the long-awaited move of several departments into Metrocenter Mall last week, including Jackson Police Department Precinct 2, the Department of Human and Cultural Services and the Water and Sewer Department.
8. Walter Isaacson announced plans to visit Jackson Nov. 12 with Alma Powell, chairwoman of America's Promise Alliance, a coalition that works on children's issues, to discuss strategies for transforming communities.
9. State economists predicted that Mississippi's economic output will only expand 1.4 percent next year. Marianne Hill, an economist for Mississippi's College Board, says Mississippi's reliance on low-skill jobs and federal money means its economy is growing more slowly than other parts of the nation.
10. Deputy State Treasurer Laura Jackson told Finance Committee members that Mississippi has slightly over $4 billion in bond debt. She said that since the constitutional debt limit is $12.4 billion, that means the state is in good shape.

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