EPA Alleges Treatment Plant Violations
City Attorney Pieter Teeuwissen confirmed at a public forum this morning that the Environmental Protection Agency has informed the city of possible water-quality violations at the city's wastewater treatment plant. "We have a sewage treatment plant in south Jackson that was designed to treat 50 million gallons (of wastewater) a day. It went online in 1989, under (Mayor Dale) Danks' administration. That plant started exceeding its capacity within a year. Now we're 20 years down, and we're still exceeding capacity," Teeuwissen told a crowd of about 70 at Koinonia Coffeehouse's Friday Forum. "The EPA has brought to the city's attention various alleged violations including the amount of sludge in the south Jackson sewage lagoons."
Georgia Cohran
By auctioning lunch dates with local celebrities like civil-rights legend James Meredith, Ward 2 Councilman Chowke Lumumba and Miss Jackson State University Christen Scott, Georgia Cohran hopes to raise money for educational and art opportunities for children in Jackson.
Your Weekend Starts Here
Start the weekend with a thought-provoking evening. Tonight at 7:30 p.m., head to Fondren and the Rainbow plaza for a screening of "Crude: The Real Price of Oil," at Rainbow's dinner-and-a-movie event. Tickets start at $13. For a live performance, consider the J-Lee Productions' play, "Revenge." at 8 p.m., at Jackson State. Tickets are $20 and $30. Where's the best place to look for events? Start on the JFP Best Bets page.
Jackson Ad Firm Featured in Book
The Ramey Agency has plenty to brag about. The Jackson-based branding and marketing firm boasts an impressive roster of clients, from Viking Range, to Millsaps College, to the Mississippi Museum of Art. Now, Ramey has one more accolade to add to its already full trophy shelf--a spot in "Where We Work," a book published by Harper Collins that showcases inspiring interior designs from workplaces around the world.
Parolee Arrested for Barrett Killing
Around 6 p.m. yesterday, police arrested Vincent McGee, 22, for the slaying of white supremacist Richard Barrett. McGee, on supervised release for assaulting a police officer and grand larceny in 2007, lived with this mother just a few doors down from Barrett in Pearl, and had done yard work for him.
White Supremacist's Death Investigated as Homicide
The Rankin County Sheriff's Department is investigating white supremacist and lawyer Richard Barrett's death as a homicide, the Associated Press reported today. Rankin County officials discovered Barrett's body this morning at his home in Pearl, following a house fire. Rankin County Sheriff Ronni Pennington was not immediately available for comment.
Barbour Calls Special Session
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour called a special session this afternoon to consider increasing the amount that state, county and municipal employees pay toward retirement. Barbour, who made the announcement about three hours before the special session began, said he wants K-12 and college teachers and government employees to pay 9 percent of their paychecks toward retirement, instead of the current 7.25 percent, in order to save $56 million in the general fund and another $20 million in municipalities and county governments.
Anti-Abortion Resolution Holds Little Weight
A senate resolution suspending a January legislative deadline for bills to be introduced, afforded Sen. Alan Nunnelee, R-Tupelo, the opportunity to include language to stop federal funds from funding voluntary abortion in the state, which the House passed today in an 80 to 33 vote. Several legislators, however, say the resolution is purely symbolic.
City Unveils Urban Garden
On the corner of Capitol and Adams Streets, city work crews and volunteers are busy transforming an empty lot into a community garden that will provide fresh produce and a sense of community for residents.
JPD Building Habitat House, Battling Burglaries
The Jackson Police Department is adding construction to its list of responsibilities. Along with the Jackson Fire Department, JPD will contribute volunteers to the construction of a Habitat house on Winn Street in south Jackson. Construction should take eight working days and wrap up by May 18, Habitat special projects manager Maureen Wishkoski said. The Winn Street house will be the 465 house built by the metro Jackson chapter of Habitat for Humanity, making it among the top 20 most active chapters in the country.
Brian Cicero
From the East Coast to Jackson by way of Texas, Brian Cicero was a luminary within the BRAVO! kitchen. Brian, 38, passed away in his sleep Saturday, April 17. Later, doctors discovered that he had a heart condition. As his family pastor said during the memorial service: "Brian went to sleep Saturday night, and the Lord called him home."
State Senate Kills Jobless Benefits Proposal
The Mississippi Senate Finance Committee yesterday defeated a bill proposing to extend unemployment benefits to citizens who have less than six-to-12 months on the job, reports NEMS360.com. Currently, the state calculates benefit eligibility using the first four of five quarters of the calendar year preceding an unemployment claim, and workers need to have worked at least two of those quarters.
[Rob In Stereo] Inching Toward the Present
I rolled my eyes upon first hearing Dr. Dog's flagrant aping of The Beatles and The Band. Critics' main disparagement continues to be over its derivative sound, and I was in no position to disagree; however, the more I listened to the music, the more I recognized that there was something going on here deeper than mere imitation.
Finding Balance
Victoria McFarland stood at her kitchen counter as her husband, Billy, frantically put food into the cooler for their summer camping trip. She was feeling foggy and couldn't remember simple everyday tasks. She felt helpless.
‘Poor People' Food
Eating at a brasserie in New Orleans a few weeks ago got me thinking about what food writers like to call "rustic" cuisine. Food writers tend to shy away from calling this style of cooking what it truly is: poor people food.
2011 NFL Draft Preview
You only need to look back to the 2005 NFL Draft to see how disastrous it can be.
The Best In Sports In 7 Days
Doctor S sez: They say that people who are intoxicated shouldn't watch 3-D TV. So much for watching sports.
Family Values
Our history as a state and a nation is filled with atrocious efforts to destroy the self-esteem of black men. During the entire arc of slavery and then Jim Crow laws--which did not end until the U.S. Supreme Court finally acted in December 1970, sending thousands of Jackson families fleeing to the suburbs and white academies--white supremacists worked diligently to de-moralize and criminalize black men. Their excuse was fear that those men would rape women with my skin color, even as many of the white bigots raped and impregnated black women that they "owned."
Grading the Lawmakers
Political and community activist Rims Barber released a 2010 political report card grading legislators based on their votes for 10 progressive bills that filed through the 2010 legislative session before it temporarily recessed in March.
Legislators Eye State Budget
The Mississippi Legislature was back in action April 20 to approve a $5.5 billion fiscal-year 2011 budget and the re-authorization of the Mississippi Department of Employment Security.