Advocates Criticize Consolidation Process
Next month, a panel appointed by Gov. Haley Barbour will deliver a report on the possibility of consolidating some of Mississippi's 152 school districts. Barbour tasked the Commission on Education Structure with investigating the feasibility of consolidation, not its efficacy. For some public school advocates, the panel's recommendation of mergers is a forgone conclusion.
Chris Blevins
From a distance, Chris Blevins cuts an imposing figure. Up close, he is expansive in word and action. His eyes are warm with an easy friendliness that matches his exuberant smile. He is quick to laugh.
BP Readies ‘Top Kill' in Attempt to Stop Oil
Engineers plan to begin another attempt to stop the gusher of oil flowing into the Gulf of Mexico today. Known as "top kill," the procedure will pump heavy drilling mud into the top of the leak, forcing the oil down. If it's successful, BP says it may permanently stop the oil, however company officials said the procedure has never been attempted a mile underwater, reports The New York Times.
[Balko] A Drug Raid Goes Viral
Last week, a Columbia, Mo., drug raid captured on video went viral. As of this morning, the video had garnered 950,000 views on YouTube. It has lit up message boards, blogs, and discussion groups around the Web, unleashing anger, resentment and even, regrettably, calls for violence against the police officers who conducted the raid.
BP: Choking Wells and Last Calls
Read BP's letter to the Environmental Protection Agency
Business Round Up: Crazy Cat Serves Dinner, Leaves Fondren; UMC Turning Dirt
After six months in Fondren, Crazy Cat Bakers is refocusing its efforts on its Highland Village location, which will be opening for dinner next week. Owner Jon Lansdale closed the Fondren location last Friday, and he plans to begin serving dinner at the Highland Village location on Wednesday, June 2.
Peter Squires
Peter Squires may have had his heart broken, but you'd never know it from the quirky and fun lyrics that comprise the majority of his songs.
Ex-Mayor of Detroit Gets Five Years
Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is heading back behind bars.
This just doesn't seem to end, does it? From mlive.com:
Barbour: Don't Stop Drilling
Speaking at the Mississippi Manufacturers Association Friday, Gov. Haley Barbour implied that the millions of gallons of crude pumping into the Gulf of Mexico and threatening fragile eco-systems, wildlife and livelihoods from Texas to Florida should not be a reason to stop offshore drilling, reports The Sun Herald.
Hood: Don't Waste Resources on Health-Care Suit
An 18-state lawsuit against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that Gov. Haley Barbour joined this month has little merit, Attorney General Jim hood said during a 100 Black Men luncheon at the University Club today.
Panel Withholding Data, Education Advocates Say
A governor-appointed panel on school district mergers is withholding the data it used to identify 18 Mississippi school districts for potential consolidation, frustrating a group of education advocates.
Schimmel's Closes After 11-year Run
Schimmel's restaurant served its last customer on Friday, May 21, after 11 years of operation at 2615 N. State St. in Fondren, citing the sluggish economy and lack of sales revenue.
Jewell Davis
Jewell Davis is soft spoken and polite, but when she talks about improving Jackson's future as a public information officer for the office of mayor Harvey Johnson Jr., her passion is evident.
Community Events and Public Meetings
6:30 p.m., Jackson Audubon Society Monthly Chapter Meeting and Potluck Supper at Eudora Welty Library (300 N. State St.). The meeting includes the election of officers and a lecture by keynote speaker Terri Jacobson on the endangered Kirtland's Warbler. Free; call 601-956-7444.
Jackson Has Cheapest Gas in the U.S.
Gas stations in the city of Jackson are selling fuel at the lowest average rate in the nation: $2.62 per gallon, according to the Lundberg Survey. Over the past two weeks, prices at the pump have dropped 9.25 cents, reports USA Today. San Francisco is reporting the highest per gallon price in the country at $3.10. Overall, gas prices today are about 40 cents higher than one year ago.
McLemore To Continue JSU Growth
Former Jackson city council president and 40-year professor at Jackson State University Leslie McLemore said today that he would continue plans to redesign JSU until the state College Board picks a permanent president.
West Jackson Development Looks Ahead
With construction on a mixed-use development scheduled for completion in July, Jackson State University's Center for University-Based Development is looking ahead to several projects in west Jackson. The next phase of the center's work is a mixed-income residential development that could break ground in the fall, Kimberly Hilliard, CUBD Director of Community Development and Planning, said today.
Bryan Fedrick
Despite the fact that snakes have bitten Bryan Fedrick more than 100 times, he says he loves the slithering reptiles and wants to educate others about them.
Thank God It's Friday
Did you ride your bike to work today in honor of National Bike to Work Day? If not, make sure you grab a helmet and cycle somewhere this weekend. Tonight, there is plenty of entertainment options. Afrika Book Cafe is hosting 4ever Friday. The event combines poetry readings, and music by performers Tiff and Radical with an art exhibit. The event starts at 9 p.m.; $10 admission. For more live music, head to Hal & Mal's at 9 p.m. to see the Church Keys and Eric Stracener perform, or catch rock-band favorites Lucero and Taylor Hildebrand at Ole Tavern at 9 p.m. Want more? See the JFP Music Listings.
Ross Perot + Dr. Evil = Rand Paul?
Not since Sarah Palin have we encountered such a breath of fresh stupidity.
Apparently while trying to explain away his problems* with the Civil Rights Act on ABC's Good Morning America, Rand Paul -- newly minted "tea-party" GOP candidate for Senate from the great state of Kentucky (shout-out to Texas for somehow convincing him to not live there) -- called President Obama "un-American" for his criticism of BP's handling of the Gulf Oil spill.