Keisha Varnell
When Keisha Varnell walks down the hallways of Lanier High School, she remembers what it was like to face peer pressure but admits today's students have it a lot harder. "The issues now are so much more intense and severe," Varnell says. "When I was coming through, we were worried about which shoes matched what pants, but now you have technology, cyber stalking and venues on Web sites that make it hard for students."
Mississippi to End HIV Segregation in Prisons
State Corrections Commissioner Christopher Epps announced yesterday that Mississippi will end its practice of separating male HIV-positive prisoners from other inmates beginning in May, reports WDAM. Mississippi currently houses 152 HIV-positive prisoners in a segregated unit in Parchman.
The Best In Sports In 7 Days
Men's college basketball: CIT, Southern Miss at Louisiana Tech (7 p.m., Ruston, La., 1180 AM/103.3 FM): You knew that if they kept creating postseason tournaments, the Golden Eagles would finally get into one of them. … NCAA Tournament, matchups TBA (11 a.m., Ch. 12): You might as well take off of work on the first two days of the Big Dance. No work will be done, anyway.
Irish I was in the Land of Malcolm
In 1983 Jacksonian Malcolm White was the manager of the George Street Grocery (now Ole Tavern) when he had the idea to start a fun, anything-goes parade for the community. White says he called a few of his friends, got a permit from the city and started marching in downtown Jackson during rush-hour traffic.
Steer Clear of the Clover
With St. Patrick's Day upon us, I found myself asking the same question I ask every year: At what point did St. Paddy's become a green Mardi Gras? By the time you add throwing beads, extensive alcohol consumption and a national excuse for pinching women, you have two identical holidays separable only by their color schemes.
Go Green: Help the Kids
Being more Irish than the Irish themselves isn't the only reason for thousands of people in Mississippi to make their way to Jackson for the 28th annual Mal's St. Paddy's Parade on Saturday. Some of the proceeds from the event benefit the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children, the only children's hospital in Mississippi.
Makin' a List
I remember it like it was yesterday. It was the '02 Mal's St. Paddy's Parade. I went against my better judgment and wore the two-inch platform flip-flops I had ordered from the Delia's catalog.
The Perfect Reuben
Swiss cheese melts atop the chunks of roasted corned beef. Under the buttery grilled marble-rye bread, Thousand Island dressing and sauerkraut mingle majestically. I take the first bite. Sweet tangy dressing balances strong sauerkraut. Chewy chunks of salty meat complement the nutty sharpness of the cheese.
Guinness and Grits
For the past 13 years, I have marched with the O' Tux Society in Mal's St. Paddy's Parade, save for one when I had to attend a Boy Scout camping trip with my son, Stuart. It is a high point of my year and something I impatiently await like a kid marking the calendar as Christmas morning approaches.
What's a Throw?
I have family all over Louisiana, so Mardi Gras usually happens for me every year. It has trained my hand to only procure the best of the throws.
Mal's St. Paddy Primer
If you're new to the Mal's St. Paddy's Parade, here are a few facts about the main players.
The Beerin' O' the Green
This March 17, as Americans once again celebrate a foreign holiday with more gusto than the originating country, Jackson will run amok with green clothing, green food, green clovers, green men stealing cereal, and most importantly, the green beer of Saint Patrick's Day.
Acting Sweet Potato Queenly
Natalie Long, a 33-year-old unofficial Sweet Potato Queen wannabe, is geared up and excited about this year's Mal's St. Paddy's Parade. The Mississippi State grad and Bogue Chitto native has been attending the parade for 10 years now.
Medical Examiner Bill Sent To Barbour
The Mississippi Legislature has passed a bill that would require state medical examiners to be certified forensic pathologists. The House of Representatives today approved Senate changes to House Bill 1456, and the bill now awaits Gov. Haley Barbour's signature.
He Drank, She Drank
Follow the opinions (and amusement) of two connoisseurs of fine liquor and spirits.
Thinking ‘Locals' First
It's hard to believe Mal's St. Paddy's Parade—and the attendant celebrations both downtown and elsewhere—are already upon us. It doesn't seem like it's been long enough since the Great Snowman Contest of February, even if daylight savings time is here.
One Lake Instead of Two?
The Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District Levee Board is pressing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to take seriously a lake plan to coincide with a Corps-preferred levee expansion the board approved in December.
Strangulation, Security and Suffrage
Both chambers of the state Legislature spent the past week considering bills from the opposite chamber. The House amended Senate Bill 2923—a bill that expands domestic assault to include strangulation and requires a "cooling off" period between parties—to create the offense of attempted murder.
Free Speech or Bad Behavior?
A recent Jackson Police Department internal investigation is a prime example of the wild world of free speech in the Internet era. On March 10, the department released a statement acknowledging the investigation of an employee for "conduct unbecoming of an officer," during first lady Michelle Obama's March 3 visit to Jackson.
‘Good Enough' Isn't
Mississippi has not had a state medical examiner for the past 15 years. To fill that hole, the state has relied mainly on Dr. Steven Hayne, a decision that has often proved unwise.