Chief Unsure of New Police Review Process
Jackson Police Chief Rebecca Coleman is doubtful about a proposed independent community advocacy review process for police matters. Last night, the Jackson City Council delayed voting on a city ordinance for a board of citizens independent from the police department to review complaints against police officers--rather than rely on officers to conduct the investigations.
Real Woman, Real Plan
I can no longer climb stairs without my knees aching. My body has morphed from a lean 20-something to a comfortable and rounded-out 30-something. Children and age have etched lines on my once-smooth skin. I know how to ease the strain on my body, but it all seems overwhelming. The idea of becoming healthy sometimes seems like climbing a rocky mountain peak barefoot.
Road to Nowhere?
Yesterday, the Mississippi House approved $300 million in bonds for infrastructure improvements in the state. Among the projects is $42 million for a new highway from Pontotoc to Sherman, site of the as-yet completed Blue Springs Toyota plant, reports The Commercial Appeal.
City Targets Pit Bulls
The Jackson City Council Rules Committee, spurred by the recent death of 5-year-old Terry resident Anastasia Bingham from a pit-bull attack, voted Monday to ask the city's legal department to write an ordinance banning pit bulls dog inside the city limits, and to consider a second ordinance giving police officers more discretion in handling complaints against dogs.
Council Set to Vote on Police Oversight
The Jackson City Council may decide today whether to institute a civilian review process for the Jackson Police Department. Long a pet item for Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes, a proposal for a civilian oversight of police complaints passed the Planning Committee yesterday. Stokes and Ward 6 Councilman Tony Yarber voted for the measure, while Ward 5 Councilman Charles Tillman abstained
City Seeks Removal of Visitor's Bureau Expiration Date
The Jackson City Council's Legislative Budget Committee moved forward to re-authorize the Convention Center & Visitors Bureau yesterday, but committee Chairwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon said the committee should ask the state Legislature for a law change that could make future re-authorizations for the bureau unnecessary.
[Balko] Flashbangs Under Fire
The New York Times reported last week that the New York City Police Department has halted the use of "flashbang" stun grenades. The department began phasing out the devices in 2003 after their deployment in a mistaken drug raid caused 52-year-old Alberta Spruill to suffer a fatal heart attack. The prior year, the department had used flash grenades 175 times.
George Bishop
While George Bishop was on a camel safari in India, he went to sleep and had a dream about a mother who longed for her daughter. The next morning he woke up and started writing down his dream.
Guilty Verdict in JSU Murder Trial
A Hinds County jury found Stanley Cole guilty of the murder of Latasha Norman this afternoon. Cole, 26, faces life in prison for killing Norman, his ex-girlfriend.
Barbour Goes National, Again
Gov. Haley Barbour was in Washington, D.C., this weekend for the National Governors Association's annual conference, but he made headlines for extracurricular activities, speaking against the federal stimulus bill and rallying Republican opposition to health-care reform and climate-change regulations.
Local Catering Business Serves Home-Cooked Favorites
Macy Chester, 31, owner of Cosmopolitan Catering in Fondren, learned the ins and outs of the catering business from her mother, Terry Gibson, a former caterer in Yazoo City.
Ole Miss Still Searching For A Mascot
Ole Miss will resume the search for an official mascot on Tuesday when students vote on whether to launch a student-led process for finding a PC mascot. Colonel Reb, aka The Slave Owner, is not eligible.
Community Events and Public Meetings
3:00 p.m., Mississippi Reproductive Justice Coalition Legislative Strategy Meeting, at ACLU of Mississippi (753 N. Congress St.), in the conference room. Topics include the Comprehensive Sex Education Bill 837, the Child Protection Act and the Personhood Amendment. Free; call 601-354-3408.
Charlie Maris
A few days before Assistant Attorney General Charlie Maris went into heart surgery, he left his Bible on his desk with a notation in Romans 8 that read "a mind controlled by the Spirit equals life and peace."
Mississippi's Image in Film
Sundance 2010 may not have had a Mississippi made feature film, but a strong number of films in the festival program embraced rural America with open arms and enveloped bluntly realistic experiences with strong story telling. The festival screened over 120 films from all parts of the world, and the ones that I saw offered authentic personal experiences, rather than the slit- your-throat material of boys gone wild on drugs and violence that initially defined the indie film scene.
Mayor Invites Jacksonians to One-on-One Meeting
Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. urges Jackson residents to speak with him one-on-one. Johnson will hold one of his regular meetings prior to tomorrow's City Council meeting to discuss issues, take reports about problems or just speak with concerned citizens tomorrow, Feb. 23, starting at 5:30 p.m..
Judge Rules for Law Firm in MCI Case
Hinds Circuit Court Judge Winston Kidd handed down a ruling today that will allow the Langston Law Firm to keep the $14 million fee it earned for representing the state in a $110 million settlement with former telecom giant MCI, formerly WorldCom, over unpaid taxes. MCI paid the legal fees directly to the firm, without impacting the state's share of the collected funds.
Mason Says Merger Plan a Leaked ‘Idea'
As Jackson State University President Ronald Mason Jr. shook hands at a forum this morning at Koinonia Coffee House in Jackson, he sought to quell concerns about a possible HBCU merger idea he floated to legislators last month. He maintained that his proposal was merely "an idea that was leaked."
Sonia Sanchez
Sonia Sanchez stands with confidence, petite in stature with her natural dreadlocks hanging just below her shoulder. Her voice is strong, not in its volume, but in the passion and conviction that oozes from the words she speaks: "Our vision is our voice ... we are people made of fire ... give me courage so I can spread it over my face and mouth ..."
Weekend Happenings
Weather will be warmer tonight, so you don't have to freeze as you check out local teen bands Goodwhether and The Da Vincis perform a benefit concert for Haiti at Christ United Methodist Church (6000 Old Canton Road) at 8 p.m.,$8. Get your groove on to some country-blues with Seth Libbey and the Liberals at Underground 119 from 8 p.m.-midnight, $10. If you'd like to catch a show with no cover, you can head on over to Fire to hear Crossin Dixon at 10 p.m. For more music listings, visit JFP Music Listings.