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. Gov. Phil Bryant (pictured) would get to appoint five commissioners of the new airport authority if the “takeover” bill authored by Sen. Josh Harkins, R-Flowood, becomes law.
2. Low-income, single parents could more easily access affordable child care under two bills Mississippi child-care providers and advocates are asking the Legislature to pass.
3. Ward 4 Councilman De'Keither Stamps will introduce an ordinance to stop the expansion of payday lenders, check cashers, and pawn shops, as well as liquor stores.
4. With little debate and no time for public input, the Mississippi Senate and House of Representatives passed $274 million in bonds alone to help two large-scale developments in the state during a one-day special session.
5. Dr. Carey Wright told educators, school administrators and parents gathered at the state capitol Wednesday that chronic absenteeism is a community issue and that communities should rally around the families and children who struggle the most.
6. Leroy C. Smith is pointing to his experience redeveloping what he called a "ghetto" in his home city of Denver to assure Jackson officials that he can jumpstart Farish Street, the city's former thriving black business district.
7. Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann formed a committee of legislators, circuit clerks, election commissioners and other citizens to review the state's election code.
8. Thirteen Jackson homes may have had higher-than-actionable levels of lead in their water last summer, but officials assured the public that the city is no Flint, Mich.
9. Sen. Angela Burks Hill, R-Picayune, introduced the Mississippi Unborn Infants Dignity Act, a bill which would would entitle "miscarried, stillborn or aborted infants" to "proper burials" and make selling the "broken bodies of aborted infants" for scientific experimentation a crime in the state of Mississippi.
10. Casey Elementary School students, faculty, parents and community leaders gathered outside the school's front doors Tuesday morning to honor its designation as Mississippi's only 2015 National Blue Ribbon School with a ceremonial flag raising.

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