News

Councilmen to Battle Mayor on Business

Ward 2 Councilman Chokwe Lumumba and Ward 4 Councilman Frank Bluntson have both put their name in the running to become the mayor of Jackson after next year's election. At the forefront of both early campaigns is a desire to change the city's business practices.

Free State of Jones

Jones County is a study in duality. It has two courthouses in two county seats: Ellisville and Laurel. During the Civil War, the county supposedly seceded from the state of Mississippi and the Confederacy, a contested historical legend. Howard Industries boosted economic development in the county but, in 2008, federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested almost 600 undocumented immigrants who worked there. It was the largest ICE raid ever.

Neesee Ray-Scott and Amanda Purvis

It's not particularly common for people to do what they love and be successful at it, but that's just what mother and daughter Neesee Ray-Scott and Amanda Purvis do. Both are hairstylists at Upscale Images Salon. The salon has been in the family for about 17 years.

City Reconsidering Contract with Johnson

Members of the Jackson City Council Rules Committee are rethinking hiring D.L. Johnson Consultants LLC for the city's redistricting and asking the city attorney's office to look into the company.

Mayoral Competition Begins

A divide between Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. and some City Council members has become more apparent at recent meetings. This week, the division officially became a competition.

Biz Roundup: Farmers Market Boost

A new Mississippi law this year allows cities and counties to now donate money to local farmers markets.

Delbert Hosemann

Because of Mississippi's sordid history of trying to stop black people from voting, the U.S. Justice Department has to OK changes to voting laws in the state, including a recently adopted requirement that voters prove their identity before casting ballots on Election Day.

Supervisors Stall Clinton-Byram Corridor

Hinds County has purchased all of the property needed for a proposed Byram-Clinton corridor and contractors have completed section 5, a 2-mile, 4-lane stretch from Terry Road to Davis Road in Byram.

Mississippi an ‘Arts State'

As far as literature and music are concerned, on a per-capita basis, Mississippi may be the most important state in the nation, said National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Rocco Landesman.

Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.

Pity the Callaway High School basketball team. Speaking at Callaway this morning, the Rev. Jesse Jackson asked members of the championship squad to stand as he asked a series of questions related to their commitment to the sport. Jackson, who heads the Chicago-based Rainbow PUSH coalition, pressed the young athletes on how long and how often they practice, whether they're allowed to listen to music during practice, and if they're allowed to chat with their girlfriends during workouts.

Community Events and Public Meetings

Eighth Annual JFP Chick Ball July 28, 6 p.m., at Hal & Mal's (200 S. Commerce St.). The fundraising event benefits the Center for Violence Prevention, and this year's goal is to start a rape crisis center. For ages 18 and up. Seeking sponsors, auction donations and volunteers now. More details: jfpchickball.com and follow on Twitter @jfpchickball. Get involved, volunteer, donate art, money and gifts at [e-mail missing]. $5; call 601-362-6121, ext. 16.

One Night at Fenian's

On Wednesday, May 2, a friend asked me to go to Fenian's. I agreed and prior to leaving my house I asked who else would be there. She told me House members would probably be there as it might be the last night of session.

Bailey Students Walk out of Class over Rezoning

About 30 students walked out of class this morning at Bailey Magnet High School to protest a rezoning plan that will divide and send them to different schools next year.

One Lake a ‘Game Changer'?

Turtles like the proposed "One Lake" flood-control plan. Now developers just have to convince the U.S. Corps of Engineers and Jackson area residents who'll be affected.

It's the Weekend!

Today, Arts Alive! Kicks off at Smith Park (Yazoo St.) and runs through May 5. The annual festival includes music, food, and art exhibits. Performers include the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, Legacy and Swing de Paris. Free admission; call 601-326-3450. The play "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf" debuts at 7:30 p.m. at New Stage Theatre (1100 Carlisle St.) and runs through May 6. Tickets are $7 (cash or check); call 601-948-3533, ext. 222. See the play "Animal Farm" at 7:30 p.m. at Actor's Playhouse (121 Paul Truitt Lane, Pearl); runs through May 6. Tickets are $15, $10 for seniors and students; call 601-664-0930. Alison Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas perform at 8 p.m. at Thalia Mara Hall. Tickets are $48.50-$58.50; call 800-745-3000. The Banditos play at Ole Tavern. Need more options? See our Best Bets.

JPS Tries to Present Rationale for Rezoning

After voting last week to close one school and reorganize others, the Jackson Public Schools district is trying to explain the rationale for its decision.

Jackson Kicks Off Youth Fishing Initiative

Pecan Park Elementary student Kynedi Nichols stole the show with the first catch of the day at the kickoff of a new youth fishing initiative in Livingston Park at the Jackson Zoo Wednesday.

Team of the Day: Mississippi Brilla

The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is one of the oldest soccer competitions in America. Yesterday, the U.S. Open Cup held its draw for placing teams in the tournament.

Few Fireworks Over Budget

Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. Spent Monday, April 30, lobbying lawmakers to pass a bill to let the city to levy a small sales tax increase for infrastructure improvements. At first, the mayor's charm seemed to work on lawmakers. In less than 24 hours, everything had changed.

Women ‘Unite' for Rights

Mississippi's Unite Women march last Saturday felt more like a community picnic than a politically charged demonstration, as participants spread blankets under shade trees in front of the state Capitol's south steps and interspersed motivational speeches with musical interludes.

Your Springtime Backup Assessment

Did you know that every hard disk made has a specification called "mean time between failures" or MTBF? ("Mean," if you remember back to grade school, is the same as "average.") In other words, all hard drives fail eventually; it's just a matter of time.

Medical Corridor: Almost a Plan

The steering committee of the Jackson medical corridor, a proposed project that would stretch the length of Woodrow Wilson Avenue between Interstates 55 and 220, will soon have the first draft of the strategic plan for the project.

JPS Accreditation Still Uncertain

Jackson Public Schools will have to wait a bit longer to find out whether it will lose or retain its accreditation status.

Jayce Powell

Jayce Powell believes in the power of the bicycle to change lives. He considers himself "a lifestyle consultant" in his job as the store manager of Indian Cycle in Ridgeland. "We are passionate about cycling," he says.

Board Picks Gray for JPS Superintendent

The Jackson Public Schools board announced last night that it had selected Dr. Cedrick Gray to lead the district as its next superintendent.

Two Pearl Police Officers Injured, One Killed

Three Pearl police officers were shot, leaving one dead and two injured, while they served a search warrant in building 25 of Colony Park Apartments Tuesday. Investigator Michael T. "Mike" Walter died at 11:56 a.m. at University of Mississippi Medical Center from gunshot wounds.

JPS to Close School Under Rezoning Plan

Jackson Public Schools plans to close one school next fall and reorganize others under a rezoning plan intended to account for population shifts in the city.

City's Deal with Siemens Makes Citizens Nervous

An agreement to evaluate the city's water and sewer system has many Jackson residents worried about an increase in cost to the public.

Kenneth Wayne Jones

During a heated debate in early April over a bill to implement the voter-identification law voters said they wanted last fall, Sen. Kenneth Wayne Jones, a Democrat from Canton, warned that attempts to restrict minority voting rights always end up on the wrong side of history.

Lawmakers Work Weekend to Craft Budget

The seersucker was on full display this weekend as state lawmakers completed most of the heavy lifting on a $5.6-billion state budget for the next fiscal year starting in July 2012.

Ellington