City Should Support, Not Control
Change is afoot in North Midtown. The neighborhood between Millsaps College and Mill Street has suffered from urban blight for over a decade, but new housing developments and a new master plan for the area are promising signs of a turnaround.
[Stiggers] To Tiger, With Love
Dear Mr. Woods, You might remember me from a press conference after your first victory in the Masters Golf Tournament. I remember when you said, "I'll take a question from the gentleman wearing the chef's hat."
[Queen] My Kwanzaa
As far back as my memory will take me, Kwanzaa has consistently been the best time of my life minus the early years when the horrors of the day prior (Dec. 25) invoked a spirit of deprivation because all my friends had new toys for Christmas.
Dream Big. Change Jackson.
Thinking big. It is much more than a way to envision getting richer or renovating a downtown building into expensive condos.
How to Remake a Neighborhood
Affordable housing is not a typical prestige project for architecture firms. A new development in Jackson's North Midtown neighborhood may dispel that notion, though, applying innovative design on a relatively humble scale.
Everybody's Fine
While "Everybody's Fine" may appear to be a light-hearted comedic drama, it plays out more like real life: full of ups and down with a little humor strewn here and there.
Bette Shornick
Bette Shornick is an artist of many talents. She creates jewelry, plays the piano and because of her appreciation of music education, she is determined to see every child pursue their passion.
One Woman's Journey Into the Light
The Muslim call to prayer is heard five times every day throughout the Middle East and in parts of Africa, but Dec. 9, nine Islamic voices echoed in the halls of the Mississippi Arts Center before Ann Saunders, a local artist, presented her spiritual work to the public.
The Many Faces of Pop
Atlanta's Bradford Cox has a talent for channeling his offbeat personality into dreamy pop and rock songs, both in his main band, Deerhunter, and his frequent solo work as Atlas Sound. Where Deerhunter is more extroverted and rock-oriented-, the labyrinthine pop of Atlas Sound always feels like an introvert's bedroom musings and daydreams channeled into music.
[Herman's Picks] Vol.8, No. 15
Several local venues are open through the holidays this year (including Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) to celebrate with musical and liquid cheer.
Barbour: Hands Off Damages Cap
Gov. Haley Barbour is working hard to keep non-economic damages caps on lawsuits thoroughly capped. Barbour's office submitted a Dec. 17 amicus brief to the Mississippi Supreme Court, arguing that plaintiff Ronnie Lee Lymas should not be able to challenge the constitutionality of non-economic caps the Mississippi Legislature established in 2004.
Alabama Dem Switches to GOP
In a move that some Democrats find unsurprising, first-term Alabama Congressman Parker Griffith announced yesterday that he was switching his party affiliation from the Democrats to the GOP. In a prepared statement, Griffith said there was no place in the Democratic Party for a "pro-business, pro-life, pro-Second Amendment" legislator.
City Again Helping Minority Businesses
The city of Jackson is returning its Equal Business Opportunity Office to its former glory. On Dec. 1, the city hired professional speaker and public relations consultant Pamela Confer as head of the office, which serves to increase minority business participation in city contracts.
Barbour Names Commission on School Consolidation
Gov. Haley Barbour announced yesterday the formation of an advisory panel on school consolidation, one of the more controversial suggestions from his November budget recommendations. Composed of state and local education officials, business leaders and legislators, the 16-member Commission on Mississippi Education will begin studying consolidation in January 2010 and deliver a report to the governor by April.
Otis Ashford
Otis Ashford is suing the City of Moss Point and three Moss Point police officers for civil-rights violations related to an April 2008 arrest. Ashford, a Moss Point resident, was visiting the house of his sister, Dell Jones, also of Moss Point, on April 18, 2008, when he heard noises coming from his brother's house next door. According to his lawsuit, Ashford went to his sister's porch to investigate the noise and saw two men struggling in the dark in front of his brother's house. Believing his brother to be involved and in danger, Ashford demanded that his brother be let go.
[Balko] Chicago's Thick Blue Wall
The Windy City's notoriously aggressive police department fights for less accountability.
State Ranks High for Happiness, Religion
In separate nationwide reports, Mississippi gets high scores in happiness and religion. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta released a report ranking the states for happiness. The Magnolia state was No. 7 on that list, topped by other sunny climes, including Louisiana, Hawaii and Arizona. New York state is at the other extreme.The CDC speculates factors including hours of sunshine, cost of living, congestion and air quality all contribute to the happiness rankings, according to USA Today.
Saints Learn Lesson: Nobody's Perfect Except Peyton (...Maybe)
The Cowboys played like they were on a mission...and "dem Saints" played a little like they they had fewer than 11 men on the field at any given moment.
NFL Exposed
Oakland Raiders lineman Tommy Kelly receives unwanted exposure.
Hinds Supes Approve Hwy. 80 Beautification
Hinds County Supervisors opened bids today on a roughly $240,000 beautification project for Highway 80. The road, which runs through South Jackson, was once a major commercial thoroughfare and business center, but is now a prime example of blight in the city, dotted with dilapidated and vacant buildings. The area is also the subject of a $500,000 economic development and revitalization study commissioned by Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. in November and scheduled for completion in August.