Blues Marathon Growing Boon for City
When 2,000 people swarm Jackson streets tomorrow morning, they'll be bringing dollars and a growing sense of prestige to the city. Saturday's Mississippi Blues Marathon is only the fourth year for this event, but it represents a long evolution.
Bluntson Blames Media for Fueling Allegations
Jackson City Council President Frank Bluntson briefly accused the media for hyping allegations that he misused city employees to help his daughter-in-law's campaign during a community forum this morning.
Lampton Harry
Victims of the New Year's Eve tornadoes that hit Mississippi last week can find some relief knowing that American Red Cross volunteer Lampton Harry is on the scene.
It's the Weekend: Get your Blues On
The fifth annual Mississippi Blues Marathon features live entertainment and events for runners and non-runners alike this weekend. The marathon kicks off with a pre-race Blues Expo at the Jackson Convention Complex from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and continues with a special edition of "Downtown At Dusk" at the Old Capitol Green next to the War Memorial from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. with a performance by nationally acclaimed Elvis impersonator Brandon Bennett. If you'd like a break from the Blues, head to Thalia Mara Hall at 8 p.m. for Riverdance. Tickets are$27.50 to $57.50 and can be purchased by calling 1-800-745-3000. See the JFP's
State Economic Blueprint Launched
The Mississippi Economic Council announced plans yesterday to form a blueprint for the state's future economic development.
Administration Reveals Deep Military Cuts; GOP Spends $1 Mil Reading Constitution
While the GOP spent its time today in the House reading a politically-corrected version of the Constitution for the cameras (at an estimated cost of $1.1 million) Raw Story reports that the Obama Administration has announced cuts to the military that nearly meet the GOP's first-year austerity pledge. Think they timed that one on purpose?
False equalization on domestic abuse only hurts the fight against it
It always make me cringe and fidget whenever someone answers a clear case of discrimination, or other un-nicety common among a certain group of people, with, "Well, so-and-so does it, too." We've always heard it here in Mississippi from apologists for white supremacy and racism, but I also hear it way too often when the subject of domestic abuse comes up. If you mention the epidemic of male violence against women, way too many people—men and women—will respond immediately that women do it to men, too, thus trying to negate that, overwhelmingly, women are the vast majority of domestic-abuse targets. It helps nothing, and actually hurts the cause, especially considering that one of the big challenges behind fighting domestic abuse is getting people of both genders to understand the roots of the problem and that "boys will be boys" attitude undergirds so much violence against women and girls. And the only purpose of this false equalization is to make some people more comfortable, not to solve the problem. Tackling these kinds of issues aren't supposed to be comfortable; in fact, just the opposite.
Scott Sisters To Be Released Today
Also see: Let My Daughters Go
City Sets Special Election
On Tuesday, Jackson City Council members scheduled a special election for Feb. 15 to fill the Ward 1 council seat. The deadline for candidates to qualify for the Ward 1 special election is Jan. 26. Former councilman Jeff Weill who resigned from his Ward 1 position to serve as Hinds County Circuit judge this month and is replacing judge Swan Yerger who retired this year.
Thomas Bobo
For Thomas Bobo, coaching soccer is more than just a hobby; it is an opportunity to be a community leader. Bobo believes that coaching allows him to stay connected with youth and teach life lessons on and off the field.
Facebook Modifies Service Agreement for Government Agencies
<i>Verbatim Statement from Attorney General Jim Hood</i>:
Facebook has agreed to modify its terms and conditions to allow state and local government agencies to use the social media Web site, announced Attorney General Jim Hood today.
Is the Tea party the ‘last gasp of the 55-year-old generation'?
Well, duh. In Raw Story piece, Howard Dean states the obvious, but the not often said: The Tea Party is clearly an effort by people scared by the nation's growing diversity; thus, its hysteria over immigration, regardless of the real facts. I've believed this for a while now; younger generations welcome diversity and are more likely to notice the lack of it. Older generations are more likely to be scared by culture-mixing. Dean is more partisan than I am--not sure I agree with all his comments about Obama's liberal base--but I do like that he dares to speak up about Americans who fear, or have disdain for, diversity.
U.S. Chamber to GOP—Wait…But… We Like Roads!
Here's a fun one from the Careful What You Wish For Dept. (care of the Wall Street Journal) it turns that the U.S. Chamber is not 100% happy with all of the cutty-budgety talk they're hearing from the GOP:
Musical Field Trips
Happy New Year to you music lovers, you!
I Heart Lasagna
Good lasagna is meaty, drips with rich tomato sauce and oozes with gooey cheese. It's a meal where you can really stretch your dollar. I have yet to come across a lasagna recipe that doesn't make at least three or four meals for two people. Lasagna is filling and comforting at the same time.
Just the Flax, Ma'am
I have never been one for modern medicine. I do not enjoy doctor visits or prescription medication. When I get a cold, I eat chicken soup. When I have a cough, a tablespoon of honey cures it every time. When I burn myself, I always turn to my aloe vera plant.
Ring in the New Year!
Few things will make your heart flutter like the perfect cocktail ring. It will add a boost to any outfit, from jeans and a sweater to a little black dress adorned with sequins. If you want to attract attention to your perfectly manicured nails, put a piece of jewelry on your finger that demands it.
The Hard Stuff
Evelyn Rasco believed in the power of story when no one else did. After her daughters, Jamie and Gladys Scott, went to prison for life for a 1993 robbery with details so confusing that no one really knows how much money was taken, Ms. Rasco did not give up.
City to Spur Development at Metrocenter
Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. says moving city facilities directly into the largely under-used Metrocenter Mall on Highway 80 will give the mall a much-needed economic boost.
Scott Sisters Story Goes Viral
After languishing in obscurity for 16 years, the story of imprisoned sisters Jamie and Gladys Scott received its 15 minutes on the national stage last week after Gov. Haley Barbour ordered their life sentences indefinitely suspended.