Grilled Margherita Pizza
This 4th of July, add a new item to your usual hotdog and hamburger grill menu. Grilled pizza is versatile, fresh and easy, and is a delicious vegetarian option for your holiday feast.
County Audit Reveals Swap Risk
Hinds County may have earned almost $4.5 million from a complex financial deal, but few in the county appear able to explain where the money went.
I Punched the Hole
OK, I admit it: I'm obsessed with the gusher in the Gulf. I spend part of every day looking for some new outrage or updated numbers on how much oil is actually flowing into the ocean.
'A Safer, Better Hinds County'
Michael Williams believes a good judge should possess empathy. A partner at Davis, Goss & Williams, the Clinton resident is running for Hinds County Court judge for District 3 in the hopes of improving the county he's lived in almost all his life.
The Convention Hotel Conundrum
The JFP warned when taxpayers were voting on funding for the Jackson Convention Complex that powers-that-be would be back asking for a hotel in the future. Now that's happening, in the disconcerting form of a "public-private" partnership.
[Stiggers] Keep It to Yourself
Miss Doodle-Mae: "I'm proud to welcome five new members to the staff of Jojo's Discount Dollar Store. You've experienced the rigorous training and intense orientation sessions. I hope you've mastered the Four-Way-Test Customer Service class."
[Purvis] Déjà Vu All Over Again
I have not been myself since I learned of the tragic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Always, no matter what I'm doing, it seems to be hanging out with me, sometimes on the periphery of my thoughts and more often in the foreground as the days get marked off the calendar like fallen soldiers on the battlefront.
The JFP Interview With Alan Nunnelee
Republican Mississippi Sen. Alan Nunnelee is looking to follow after Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker—again. In 1994, Nunnelee gained Wicker's state Senate seat after Wicker won election to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Greenwood Black Magic
Carolyn Haines' newest book, "Bone Appétit" (St. Martin's Minotaur, June 2010, $24.99), is reminiscent of the classic Nancy Drew mysteries, but with a whole lot of southern sass and kick-ass thrown in. This murder mystery, the tenth in a series, is set in Greenwood.
JPS Approves 12 Percent Smaller Budget
The Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees approved a budget yesterday that cuts staff work days and eliminates 125 unfilled teaching positions. The $270.7 million budget for the upcoming school year is 12 percent smaller than last year's, reflecting drops in state funds and local revenues.
Kristi Hendrix
Upon arriving at Kristi Hendrix's office, it's hard to remember I'm not visiting her home. Inside the house, a collection of trophies from Good Samaritan's "Some Like It Hot" Chili Cook-off are displayed next to pictures of community and family members that sit on the top of the home's fire places.
Correction for JFP Issue and JFP Daily
In yesterday's top JFP Daily story, "City Approves Convention Hotel Financing," and in this week's issue, JFP reporter Adam Lynch misquoted Ward 1 City Councilman Jeff Weill saying that the city is being asked to co-sign onto billions of dollars of debt. Weill said the city is being asked to co-sign onto millions of dollars of debt. The Jackson Free Press apologizes for the error.
Alex Hampers Oil Clean-Up Efforts
Rought weather caused by Hurricane Alex, the season's first hurricane-strength storm in the Gulf of Mexico, is impeding cleanup efforts on the Coast, reports ABC News. Alex is headed for the Texas-Mexico border, and is not interfering with the cleanup effort at the site of the Deepwater Horizon gusher; however, on shore, winds and high tides are keeping workers from the beaches.
The Road to Wellness Will Not Be Traveled By Car
As my car coasted into the JFP parking lot two weeks ago, I thought I had ran out of gas. It actually turns out that I need a new car engine, which means I'm out of a car for the time being. The good news? This means I have exceeded my goal of biking to work three times a week. However, it makes getting to the gym more of a challenge. It also makes everything else more of a challenge--from getting to the grocery store to finding ways not to arrive places pouring with sweat.
JFP People of the Day: John and Margrit Garner
As the Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees has poured over its budget for the upcoming school year in a series of hearings, John and Margrit Garner have been there to watch and comment. With three grandsons in JPS, the Garners have a personal interest in the district's success. But their involvement speaks to a long history of activism for children and students.
[Balko] Another Marylander Arrested for Recording the Police
The city of Annapolis, Md., recently received a Homeland Security grant for 20 new surveillance cameras in the downtown area. The city of Baltimore already has nearly 500.
Sweet Potato Queens Move Parade to Fondren
The annual Sweet Potato Queens Homecoming will take place in the Fondren neighborhood of Jackson, not Ridgeland, author and founder Jill Conner Browne told the Jackson Free Press today. Following Mal's St. Paddy's Parade this March, Browne announced that the Queens would end their affiliation with the parade and hold their own parade and fundraising events in the Renaissance at Colony Park shopping center in Ridgeland.
Wellness Project: Week 4
Last night, I thought that I would start decorating my prayer book with the expensive set of markers I bought for school. Well, it turns out that the ink won't adhere because the "pleather" surface is too slick. I sanded the cover, but to no avail. I thought about acrylic paint, but I am sure it will eventually flake off and make a mess. Then, I thought about making a book cover — you know, the kind you made in elementary school to cover your textbooks? I won't use a brown paper bag, though. I have some rag paper left over from a previously drawing class, and I think I'll use that since I like the texture of it. I may throw in some watercolors, too.
Another Round for Ole Miss Mascot
With Colonel Reb officially voted down as the school's mascot in February, the University of Mississippi is gathering votes on 11 alternate choices through Monday, July 5. The options, just about all of them preceded by "Rebel" and narrowed down from a list of more than 1,000 submitted ideas are: a duo named Hotty and Toddy, a black bear, blues musician, cardinal, fanatic, horse, land shark, lion, mojo, riverboat pilot and titan.