Community Events and Public Meetings
Super Bowl XLIV Tickets Auction at Jackson Touchdown Club Web site. The two tickets (eBay item number 250569896007) have a face value of $800 each. Proceeds benefit the Gene May Scholarship Fund. Minimum bid of $1600; call 601-506-3186 or 601-953-6813.
A Lottery for Mississippi?
State Rep. Alyce Clarke, D-Jackson, has introduced a bill allowing voters to decide whether the Magnolia state will institute a lottery to help pay for college scholarships, reports WAPT. The House Gaming Committee will debate the bill, HR 337, today.
Sundance 2010 Award Ceremonies
I sat in the front row, up close and personal, for the closing night award ceremonies. I reveled in the space created by the amazing force of Sundance volunteers. Only a few hours earlier, I had watched Welcome to the Rileys, the much talked about film starring James Gandolfini, Kristen Stewart and Melissa Leo, in this venue. Draped in black, lit in a neon purple glow, the space was fully transformed into a chic environment for independent cinema's elite.
Sundance: Best in Short Filmmaking
Short films invite limitless opportunities for creative exploration, and these films offer some of the best entertainment at the Sundance Film Festival. In this fiercely competitive category, a winning film is beyond formula and the expected.
PSC Asked to Remove Attorney in Kemper County Coal Plant Case
The Mississippi Chapter of the Sierra Club filed a motion Friday (PDF, 70k) to remove a Mississippi Public Service Commission attorney connected with the second-phase hearing on the workability of a proposed coal plant in Kemper County because her father could benefit from the plant.
Jackson State President: HBCUs' Future At Risk
Jackson State University President Ronald Mason Jr. predicted hard times for Mississippi's historically black universities if the schools don't work together. "When you confront the kind of problems that we're confronting, and when you take into account that we don't have the kind of cushion in our budgets that other universities have to handle these cuts, then you can envision the gap getting bigger and bigger and bigger," Mason said at a press conference this afternoon. "And the bigger the gap gets, the less able we are to survive in an increasingly competitive environment."
Budget Woes Overshadow City's Needs at Low-Turnout Confab
State budget woes cast a pall over the Jackson Convention Center yesterday, when city leaders solicited the support of state lawmakers over lunch. Hosted by the city's state legislative delegation and featuring a presentation by Downtown Jackson Partners President Ben Allen, the event drew roughly 150 people, with few legislators from outside the capital city among the attendees.
House Bill Restricts Sales of Meth Ingredient
Rep. Steve Holland, D-Plantersville, used the memory of his brother, who died from a meth overdose, to beg the Mississippi House of Representatives to pass a bill that will require cold and allergy sufferers to have a doctor's prescription for medicine containing pseudoephedrine, an important component of illegal methamphetamine, aka meth.
It's the Weekend
The time has finally come for the best party of the year featuring great local food, music and people. The JPF's 2010 Best of Jackson Party is Sunday at 8 p.m. at The South in downtown Jackson. As we've done since the first year of publication, the "Best of" party honors the local businesses and individuals who readers said represent the very best of Jackson. If you want to come, you're invited, but you must register here so that we know to expect you.
Amy Czajkowski
Amy Czajkowski's experiences as a facilitator in peacebuilding goes beyond countries devastated by war. As the program director of Coming To the Table, Czajkowski, 34, is bringing her skills to Tougaloo College for a round table discussion on the impact of slavery on today's society.
Monday: School District Merger Meeting
Monday, Feb. 1, the Commission on Education Structure will hold its second meeting to discuss how best to achieve school district consolidation in Mississippi. The meeting is scheduled for Room 216 in the state capitol building, starting at 1 p.m., and the public is invited to attend.
Where's YOUR Confidence?
A Response to Luke Parrish's Blog on Understanding Self-Worth, Confidence, and "Believing in Yourself"
Money and Marriage
The biggest fight in the Mississippi Legislature still centered on money in week 3 of the 2010 session. The House refused to consider a Senate bill giving Gov. Haley Barbour the power to selectively cut 10 percent of certain state agency budgets while sparing other agenciesnamely the Department of Corrections. So Barbour responded with a more constitutional blanket cut.
Fewer Profs, High Tuition
If current state budget cuts stand, Mississippi's eight public universities will have to shed 1,000 jobs and raise tuition over the next two years.
New Farish Businesses Open by September
The first block of Jackson's Farish Street Entertainment District will be ready for new occupants by September of this year, Brad "Kamikaze" Franklin announced Tuesday. Franklin, a local musician and investor in Farish Street, also heads the public-relations department of Watkins Development, LLC.
Politics Not as Usual
As my second pro-Jackson piece was published this week in the JFP, more of my "friends" called me out for not staying true to who I am. Huh? I believe what they meant to say was true to who they think I am. It is true, judge if you want: I was a staffer during Governor Kirk Fordice's second term. I was a gung-ho right winger, well, I was gung at least. Not ashamed to admit it, I did to my boss at the time, that I voted for Bill Clinton in his first bid for president. I am still not ashamed of that. But as a gunger, I voted for Dole the second time around. I was surrounded by those beliefs everyday and, heck, I was able to pay my bills because of it. I did believe it. I did live it but not enough to get the title of being gung ho, just gung.
Charter Schools Advance In Mississippi Senate
The Senate Education Committee just approved a bill that would allow privately operated charter schools to open in Mississippi starting in 2011. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Michael Watson, R-Pascagoula, and has many Republican co-authors. Opposition came primarily from Sens. David Jordan, D-Greenwood, and Alice Harden, D-Jackson, who were both concerned that charters would draw funds and students from regular public schools that have never been properly funded. Jordan also worried that charters could lead to re-segregation. Watson tried to assure him that, under his bill, charter schools would use a lottery system for admissions, but Jordan seemed unconvinced.
Dribble Drive Motion
Starting this Thursday, Ole Miss begins a 12-game run that will determine its seeding in the SEC Tournament. After playing Auburn and Arkansas, a highly anticipated matchup against John Calipari's top-ranked Kentucky team looms for Andy Kennedy's squad. Ole Miss is ranked 22nd and appears to be the strongest team Kentucky will face in their conference.
[Kamikaze] Here's to the Big Dogs
The water crisis of last week is behind us, but the effects may remain for years to come. It proved to be a pivotal moment in this city's Renaissance. We should heed the truths revealed to us during those days of crisis as we move forward.
[Stiggers] Do the Hustle
Brotha Hustle: "At this time of the year, the only thing on poor people's mind is 'Tax Refund.' So, they grab their W2 statements and run to one of those well-known tax-preparation places.