Discuss the Saints: ‘Ten and Oh'
The Saints started the day in Tampa Bay by going three-and-out, punting, and then watching the Buccaneers march down the field against their depleted secondary and score seven points. What wasn't clear from that opening drive was this: Those seven were the only points that Tampa would score for the rest of the game.
MDE Releases New School Ratings
This morning, the Mississippi Department of Education released the details of its new public school ratings system, after more than two years. The MDE needed the new accountability model "to align with the State Board of Education's goals and a new, more rigorous curriculum implemented two years ago by the State Board," according to a release.
Go carLESS
"The camera! There's no battery!" he said, as the cheers of protesters drowned out his voice.
This afternoon, I was in my office working on this week's issue when my phone rang. When I answered, I was met by the panicky voice of JFP reporter Adam Lynch.
Ole Miss Students Social Networking Against Klan
The Mississippi White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan plans to protest the University of Mississippi's decision to drop a controversial pep song Saturday before the football game against Louisiana State University. In response, Ole Miss students of all races are using Facebook to organize opposition and counter-demonstrations.
Students Vent Outrage at Anti-Merger Rallies
Jackson State University students are organizing a rally on the steps of the State Capitol at 1 p.m. today in protest of Gov. Haley Barbour's recommendation to merge the state's three historically black colleges and universities.
The Gift of Fashion
On Saturday, Michelle Obama will meet Beyonce at the KenFolk Family Foundation's fashion show, "THEshow," to raise money for the Community Outreach for Social Awareness, an organization that provides free health screenings and education to the citizens of Madison, Hinds and Rankin Counties.
Marianne Hill
Dr. Marianne Hill, senior economist at the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, wants to see the status of women improve in Mississippi.
Happenings in Jackson This Weekend
If finding the perfect, one-of-a-kind holiday gift is what you're after, this is one weekend to get it done. Head to the Mississippi Trademart today until 6 p.m. today or tomorrow from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. for the annual Handworks Holiday Market. Admission is $5. If your tastes run more to a fabulous dinner and contributing to worthy causes, make sure to check out "A Taste of New York," tonight at the Fairview Inn. Along with food from seven top local chefs, you get wine, music, performance artists, carriage rides and more. $125 for dinner or $60 for the reception only; call 601-948-3429 (extension 316) for more info. Where's the best place to look when you're planning your weekend? Start with the JFP Best Bets page to find these events and more.
FBI Seeks Cold-Case Next of Kin
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is reassessing more than 100 unsolved civil rights era cold cases, and is searching for victims' next of kin to notify the families of their results, according to a release from the agency. In 33 of the cases, the FBI has not found next of kin, including 11 from the Jackson division, listed below.
IHL's Bounds: ‘We're in a Financial Crisis'
The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning heard some rotten numbers at this morning's IHL meeting. Gov. Haley Barbour recommended a flurry of budget reductions for the state's eight colleges and universities, spurring Higher Education Commissioner Hank Bounds to speak on the possibility of extreme cuts in university staffing, the elimination of some education programs and tuition hikes.
Dea Dea Baker
When Dea Dea Baker graduated from the University of Colorado in 1978 with a business degree, she never thought she would leave her adopted home of Boulder to come back to her hometown of Jackson. Love, however, had other plans for Baker.
Jackson Violent Crimes Drop Again; Property Crimes Increase
Major crimes rose slightly last week in Jackson, with a drop in violent crime offset by a rise in property crimes, especially house burglaries. According to statistics released at a Jackson Police Department command staff meeting this morning, patrol officers reported 21 violent crimes last week, down from 36 the previous week, and 186 property crimes, up from 158 the week before. Those figures are consistent with recent trends: For the year to date, violent crime is down 10.8 percent over 2008, while property crime is up 0.9 percent.
Corps Responsible for Katrina Flooding, Court Rules
More than four years after Hurricane Katrina roared out of the Gulf of Mexico, yesterday a federal court ruled against the Army Corps of Engineers for their failure to properly maintain a shipping channel, reports CNN.
University Mergers Loom?
Rumors of university consolidation gave way to outright threats Monday when Gov. Haley Barbour released his executive budget recommendations for the 2011 fiscal year. Painting a dismal picture of the state's finances for the next three years, Barbour called for consolidating the state's eight public universities into five institutions.
Love Thy Neighbor
I grew up in the Episcopal Church, and it was the center of everything my family did. From Sunday school to youth group and potluck dinners, the church provided a sense of community and belonging.
New Chief Shakes Up JPD Staff
New Jackson Police Chief Rebecca Coleman announced several changes to her command staff on Friday. The moves include promotions and some shifting of responsibilities among deputy chiefs.
[Stiggers] Eating Like Kings
Mr. Announcer: "Ghetto Science Public Television presents 'Cooking with Grandpa Pookie!' Tonight's guest is Brotha Hustle, the Ghetto Science Team's roving and mobile entrepreneur. On this segment of the program, Grandpa Pookie and Brotha Hustle will show you how to eat well on a recession budget."
[Kamikaze] Show. Me. Some. Passion.
I call myself a moderate for a reason. I find myself shying away from the lunacy that lurks on the outer fringes of both parties.
[Murphy] Breaking Out
I'm often struck by the way that many people live half-truthfully, editing out personal information that they deem unsavory to others. I'm not sure if this is a southern phenomenon, or simply a trend among those of us who are the black sheep in our families.
Nature vs. Nurture
In the western world, the earliest works depicting homosexuality come from the ancient Greeks, where the practice of adult men having sexual relations with male youths was considered quite normal. The term lesbian dates back to the Greek poetess Sappho, born on the island of Lesbos between 630 and 612 BC. Plato (427 to 327 BC) praised same-sex relationships in his early writings.