Engineers Want Lower Lake Plan on Table
An engineer urged the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District Levee Board last week to press the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to approve a lake plan to coincide with a Corps-preferred levee expansion the board approved in December.
Community Events and Public Meetings
8:30 a.m., Stimulus Funding Opportunities Conference, at River Room Conference Center (100 Ridge Drive, Flowood). The Mississippi Development Authority will host a conference to explain opportunities for Mississippi-based certified minority contractors associated with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). Registration is required. Free; call 601-359-6678.
Seale Conviction Upheld Again
Also see: JFP investigative archive/timeline of Dee-Moore case
Hinds Officials Seeking Pay Raises
Two Hinds County officials are requesting salary increases for selected employees, despite a tight county budget. Tax Collector Eddie Fair and County Attorney Sherri Flowers are scheduled to request the raises for their employees at this morning's meeting of the Hinds County Board of Supervisors.
ACLU Fights Prom Cancellation
To help protect teen Constance McMillen's decision to bring her girlfriend to the prom, the Mississippi ACLU will file an injunction next week to prevent the Itawamba County School District from canceling the school's prom. The district's school board announced the cancellation of the dance, previously scheduled for April 2, on Wednesday, March 10.
Can Cannon Nissan Revive I-20 Corridor?
Michael Joe Cannon sees opportunity to revive business in the Interstate 20 corridor that parallels Raymond Road in Jackson, recently backing up his beliefs by opening a new Nissan dealership near the former Deuce McAlister Nissan, which closed last year.
Weekend Events
Start the weekend off by heading to the Jackson Community Design Center at 5:30 p.m. for "Cross-Pollinate: A Speaker Series." Shahid Buttar, of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee in Washington, D.C., and a Huffington Post columnist, will speak about government accountability in relation to the war on terror. Afterwards, stimulate the local economy and fill your stomach by heading to one of the city's fine restaurants. Check out the JFP Restaurant Listings and menu guide to plan your evening.
Derek Emerson
Of all the dishes that Walker's Drive-In serves to its customers, Chef Derek Emerson says that tuna is his personal favorite. "It has to do with the way I created it," the James Beard Best Chef nominee says. "I like tuna, and I love working with it."
Luckett Touts Bio-Fuels, Education at Jackson Forum
Investments in early childhood education and alternative energy can spur Mississippi's economy, Clarksdale attorney and 2011 candidate for governor Bill Luckett said during a speech at Koinonia Coffee House in Jackson this morning. Luckett, who announced his candidacy in September, was the featured speaker at the Friday Forum, a weekly series sponsored by west Jackson social entrepreneur Bill Cooley.
Ceara Sturgis' Mother Speaks Out on Prom Cancellation
Veronica Rodriguez, the outspoken mother of Wesson Attendance Center student Ceara Sturgis, a lesbian, says that the Itawamba School District is mistreating senior Constance McMillen by cancelling the high school prom rather than allowing her to attend with her girlfriend. "They knew what they were doing when they canceled the prom," Rodriguez said Thursday about the Itawamba school district's decision. "They're trying to make that girl some kind of exile. They're trying to turn her whole class against her so they'll pressure her to drop her case."
Luckett to Speak in Jackson Friday
Clarksdale attorney and 2011 candidate for governor Bill Luckett will speak at Koinonia Coffee House in Jackson Friday morning. Luckett, who announced his candidacy in September, is the featured speaker at the 9 a.m. Friday Forum, a weekly series sponsored by west Jackson businessman Bill Cooley.
Clarion-Ledger Drops Stringfellow Column After First Lady Flap
Eric Stringfellow, who has worked with The Clarion-Ledger as a writer or editor since 1982, revealed today that the executive editor of the paper, Ronnie Agnew, has dropped his column. In an e-mail to Agnew, pasted verbatim below, Stringfellow accuses Agnew of dropping his column because he revealed that the paper had killed his column about first lady Michelle Obama's visit to Jackson. Agnew's short e-mail dismissing Stringfellow is also pasted below verbatim.
Gov. and Dems Play Blame Game
Gov. Haley Barbour and House Democrats are blaming each other for the Legislature's failure to re-authorize the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, an agency that provides workforce services and dispenses unemployment benefits.
Major Crimes Down; Up in Some Precincts
Major crimes in Jackson dropped 13.6 percent last week, according to statistics released today at a Jackson Police Department command staff meeting. Officers reported 142 total property crimes, down from 168 the week before, and 29 violent crimes, down from 30 the previous week.
Shahid Buttar
As a college student in Chicago, Shahid Buttar sometimes would fish his next meal out of a trashcan. Often sleeping on the streets or couch surfing, Buttar found solace in the electronic rhythm of house music.
Unemployment Tops 20 Percent in Four Counties
Nearly 155,000 Mississippians received unemployment benefits in January, with the state's unemployment rate for the first month of 2010 exceeding the national average. Four counties reported jobless rates in excess of 20 percent: Holmes and Noxubee counties both reported rates of 23.1 percent unemployment; Clay County reported 21.2 percent and Winston County 20.3 percent. The state's average rate is 12 percent, 1.4 percent higher than the national average of 10.6 percent.
Luckett, Candidate for Gov., to Speak in Jackson Friday
Clarksdale attorney and 2011 candidate for governor Bill Luckett will speak at Koinonia Coffee House in Jackson Friday morning. Luckett, who announced his candidacy in September, is the featured speaker at the 9 a.m. Friday Forum, a weekly series sponsored by west Jackson businessman Bill Cooley.
Alt.Bride
Chrissy Valentine, 31, grew up in south Jackson and graduated from Wingfield High School in 1996. Valentine was a serious tomboy growing up, and her grandfather was her best friend in the world.
It's Your Party
Other than the props, traditional bachelor or bachelorette parties are essentially the same for men and women. Women have tiaras and tacky boas, and the guys have … well, the guys have dollar bills.
Eating in the Moment
Eating healthy means different things to different people. My wife and I, for example, cook nearly every meal using as many fresh ingredients as possible. For us, this is ideal, but it can't work for everyone.