‘They Accepted Me'
After leading a pretty comfortable existence in Gayhead Elementary School, where I'd attended on and off from first grade, fifth grade ended.
NAACP Report Condemns Tea Party Racism
A new report issued by the NAACP finds that the national tea-party movement has resentment about racial and social issues running throughout its many factions. The study, titled "Tea Party Nationalism," finds the conservative movement that often purports to focus on spending and fiscal responsibility to be "permeated with concerns about race and national identity and other so-called social issues."
(Barber) Shop Talk
Until recently, I had not been in a barbershop in nearly 10 years. I have always been a bit lackadaisical when it comes to my hair. For starters, I have one of those "woke up underneath a van at a Phish show" kind of beards that seems to have a life of its own, with no hope of containment.
Rich Enough
I've heard it all my life: America is the best country in the world. Within that framework, it's nearly impossible to understand why conditions for many Americans are so bad.
Mississippi AIDS Assistance Program Not Enough?
Last night, the Jackson city council renewed its 2010 contract agreement with the Mississippi State Department of Health, making temporary rental or mortgage assistance for low-income victims of HIV/AIDS possible. But some HIV/AIDS activists argue that compared to other states, it's not enough assistance.
Not Bad.
Thanks to ShaWanda, I had a relatively healthy emergency lunch replacement. I came without a mid-day meal (I've been a brown-bagger all my life) and was fully expecting to silently go hungry until I got home tonite. But what did I find but Skinny Bagels!
Entergy DOJ Investigation Kept Secret
Mississippi Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley said he is frustrated that Entergy Mississippi was slow to reveal a weeks-old U.S. Department of Justice civil investigation into Entergy Corporations' energy-purchasing practices.
Laughter and Love
Laughter. That's what Tom Ramsey and Kitty Cook-Ramsey, both 44, agree fuels their marriage. Their humor is contagious. I started laughing as I walked into their home and barely stopped until I walked out.
Nick Mosca
Seven years ago, only four out of every 10 Mississippians drinking public water drank fluoridated water, a basic public-health measure in most states. Today, roughly 55 percent of the state's population drinks water treated with fluoride. That change is due in no small part to the efforts of Nick Mosca.
Johnson Asks Adult Nightclub to Take Down Billboards
Read Johnson's letter
Johnson Pulls Ordinance After Debate
Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. pulled a proposed ordinance he introduced after a council member argued during yesterday's work session that it removed power from the city council to appoint members to city boards.
[Balko] Abolish Drunk Driving Laws
Last week Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo advocated for creating a new criminal offense: "driving while ability impaired." The problem with the current Texas law prohibiting "driving while intoxicated," Acevedo explained, is that it doesn't allow him to arrest a driver whose blood-alcohol content is below 0.08 percent without additional evidence of impairment.
Downtown Bodega Opening; King Edward Wins Award
The recently opened Standard Life building will soon have a New York-style grocery store and deli. Gwin Wyatt and her husband, Frank, decided to open the store after her daughter, Brooke Wyatt-Kuhne, moved into the King Edward Hotel while serving as the artistic director of International Ballet Competition in Jackson this summer.
State to Address Minority Business Participation
The state Legislative Joint Study Committee on Minority Business Participation in Public Contracts, Professional Services and Public Works will meet at 2 p.m. at the Capitol today.
Andre Cooley
Andre Cooley says he lost his job because he is gay. Cooley served as a juvenile corrections officer with the Forrest County Sheriff's Department from November 2009 until June 15 of this year. On Monday, the ACLU filed a lawsuit on Cooley's behalf against the sheriff's department, Sheriff Billy McGee and two other department officials.
Council to Finalize $2.8M in Bonds
The Jackson City Council will vote during tomorrow's council meeting on whether to allow a $2.8 million tax increment financing agreement help finance the redevelopment of the King Edward Hotel and Standard Life building.
Hinds Seeks $400K for Hwy 80
Hinds County has applied for $400,000 to help redevelop brownfield sites along Highways 18 and 80 in Jackson. The county Board of Supervisors approved an application today to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the grant funds. The grant would help the county assess sites along the highway corridors that might be brownfields—old industrial sites that have not been redeveloped because of real or perceived environmental contamination.
Community Events and Public Meetings
5:30 p.m., The Positive Ones Breast Cancer Support Group Meeting at Baptist Medical Center (1225 N. State St.), in the Hederman Cancer Center. This support group for breast cancer patients and survivors will be held in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Come to give and gain strength through shared experiences. Call 601-948-6262 or 800-948-6262.
Leah Vincent
As a psychology major, Leah Vincent was more mesmerized with the brain than hair, but when her friends encouraged her to pursue her hobby of hairstyling, she decided to change career paths. "I wasn't sure if psychology was for me, but I always knew that I had an interest in styling hair," she says.
For Whom the Cowbell Tolls: State Ranked 24th After Beating Gators
Alright now: Mississippi State #24 in Coaches, AP Polls. Them's my dawgs.