Barbour Spokesman Resigns
Gov. Haley Barbour accepted the resignation yesterday of Press Secretary Dan Turner. Turner's resignation comes after a Politico blog entry about daily e-mails Turner sent out to the governor's staff containing offensive jokes.
Flood Study Cost Increase Spurs Finger Pointing
Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District Board Chairman Gary Rhoads said today that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is to blame for cost increases in a multi-million-dollar study of flood control on the Pearl River between Hinds and Rankin counties.
Mandatory Sex Ed: Almost There
The Mississippi Senate and House of Representatives are awaiting the governor's signature on a bill forcing all local public-school boards to adopt a policy to add "abstinence-only" or "abstinence-plus" education into its curriculum by June 30, 2012.
Jackson Addiction Treatment Facility to Close
A Jackson alcohol and drug treatment facility that houses approximately 28 patients without insurance or ability to pay for treatment is expected to close its doors tomorrow.
Nikki Giovanni
It's fitting that Nikki Giovanni's appearance at Jackson State University next week is in honor of the JSU Student Government Association's "Women's Emphasis Week," celebrating women's achievements. For more than 40 years, Giovanni has a leading voice for women's and minority rights, as well as a successful and influential poet.
Community Events and Public Meetings
Free Tax Counseling and Filing. IRS/AIM or AARP volunteers will do electronic filing. Bring all necessary documents. Joint filers must come together. Free.
Barbour Takes on National Economy
As the Mississippi Legislature gears up for a battle over the state's 2012 budget, Gov. Haley Barbour heads to Chicago today where he is expected to criticize President Barack Obama's economic policies.
Bryant: Voting Rights Act Rigs Elections
Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant spent the better half of a March 8 public forum mischaracterizing the Voting Rights Act of 1965 as a former president's lingering attempt to influence southern elections.
School Funding Takes Hopeful Turn
An upcoming revised revenue estimate for Mississippi could give public-education advocates and supporters some breathing room. The state Legislature's Revenue Estimating Committee met this week, and Mississippi Parents' Campaign Executive Director Nancy Loome says that an estimated increase in state revenue could help make the case for level education funding during upcoming budget negotiations at the state Capitol.
Tom Harmon
"Art is a very important part of community. You can't have too much," artist Tom Harmon says.
Weekend Events
If you didn't get tickets to the now sold-out Kid Rock concert at the Mississippi Coliseum tonight, don't worry; you still have plenty of options for entertainment in Jackson. The Art House Cinema Downtown screens the indie films "The Other Woman" at 7 p.m. and "Queen of the Lot" at 9:05 p.m. at the Russell C. Davis Planetarium (201 E. Pascagoula St.); $7. After you catch a flick, head out for a night on the town. Ole Tavern (416 George St.) features music by David Dondero, Franz Nicolay and Overnight Lows. Catch Storage 24 performing at Dreamz Jxn (426 W. Capitol St.) during the Kid Rock after party and crawfish boil at 9 p.m. Need more options? We've got you covered. Check out JFP Music Listings and Best Bets.
Key AG Bills Headed to Barbour
<i>Verbatim Statement</i> :
Five of the Attorney General Jim Hood's key legislative bills are now headed to the Governor for his signature.
Bryant's Redistricting Plan Fails
The Mississippi Senate struck down Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant's controversial substitute redistricting plan, which would have diffused black voting power in Hattiesburg, with a 35-to-16 vote today.
HIV/AIDS Advocates Speak Out
Donna M., a homeless Jackson woman infected with HIV, threw away her medicine while living with family members, fearing that they would find out about the disease that she was trying to keep secret. Another Jackson resident, Thomas L., claims that many suffering from HIV/AIDS in Mississippi often tell family members that they have cancer and would rather die than have anyone know they have the disease.
Appeals Court Gives Hinds Judge Immunity
Read the court's ruling (PDF).
Darion Warren
Every aspect of the physical world breaks down into numbers. A malfunctioning LED traffic light costs a certain amount of money to repair or replace. To keep traffic flowing, an ideal number of minutes must occur between the activation of a red traffic signal at Congress and Pearl Streets and the activation of the red signal at President and Pearl Streets. An ideal gradient is necessary for storm water to effectively run into the city's drainage system, and it is a process that needs to be maintained and kept free of poisonous urban run-off chemicals from paint, motor oil and antifreeze to keep the federal government happy.
MS Senate Keeps Ed Funding
A Senate Appropriation Committee's amendment that would have reduced Mississippi's K-12 education funding by $81 million failed yesterday in the Senate's 29-22 vote.
Genre-Bending Rock
Kid Rock brings his blend of rock, rap, country and blues to the Mississippi Coliseum Friday, March 11, for a tour stop in support of "Born Free," his seventh studio album released in November 2010.
Have the Grammys Really Changed?
This year's Grammy awards on Feb. 13 marked the 20-year anniversary of Public Enemy's boycott of the 1991 ceremony. It was the third year in a row that the group had been nominated for Best Rap Performance by a Group or Duo; the previous two years, the group lost to Young MC with "Bust a Move" and "Back on the Block," a song from a Quincy Jones album.
Always a Bridesmaid ...
After choosing the wedding gown, selecting a bridesmaid's dress should rank high on a bride's to-do-list. Ideally, a bridesmaid dress complements the wedding gown, flowers and the women wearing them, and selecting one can be fun or stressful.