News

Workers' Rights Again in Focus

Mississippi workers got a mix of good and bad news in the past couple of days.

Rick Cleveland

The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum lost the only executive director in its history when Michael Rubenstein passed away in early December. Since the museum opened July 4, 1996, Rubenstein was the guiding hand and public face of the hall. Finding another person as passionate about Mississippi's sports history was the top priority in naming a new executive director.

Who Gets Hurt in Budget Cuts?

Poor children are much more likely to experience hunger than those who aren't poor (23 percent vs. 4 percent).

Lawmakers Laser in on Finances

Legislatively speaking, it was a bad week for Mississippi conservatives and the state's top Republican leadership, all of whom were ardent supporters of measures to toughen state immigration laws, limit abortions and establish charter schools.

CityBeat: From Docket Breakdown to State Champs

Some Jackson City Council members continue to miss work sessions. The Council holds the sessions the day before regular meetings to work out details and prepare for the agenda of the following day's meeting.

‘Internalized Racism'

Damien Henderson scrawled the words "Rest in Paradise" on a vent outside his brother Ryan's dorm room at Jackson State University last week before leading approximately 200 college students dressed in red in a peaceful march to the Palisades Apartments, where Ryan was shot and killed March 25.

JPS One Step Closer to New Superintendent

Jackson Public Schools has narrowed down the field of possible superintendents to two, and the public will get a chance to meet them next week. From 71 applicants, the board selected Dennis L. Carpenter and Cedrick Gray as finalists for the position.

[TechTip] In Search Of ... My Desk

Yes, it's the future; no, we don't yet have the paperless office.

[Tech Talk] Following Your Money

For many, tracking finances is more chore than enjoyment, whether you are dealing with a business or your personal funwds. And given how technology has made it easier to buy things, money can get tighter quicker.

Following Your Money

For many, tracking finances is more chore than enjoyment, whether you are dealing with a business or your personal funwds. And given how technology has made it easier to buy things, money can get tighter quicker.

The Pejorative Report

When Rush Limbaugh called Sandra Fluke a slut, it was clear he was using a pejorative term. He meant to belittle Fluke, a law student at Georgetown University who spoke before U.S. House Democrats in support of birth control. Limbaugh is a showman, not a journalist, yet his language created a backlash for the outspoken conservative radio personality.

Why Local Matters

A 2010 report by Michigan State University assessed the economic advantages of shopping at locally owned businesses and, like researchers around the nation, found immense benefit to keeping as many dollars as possible in the local economy.

Making The Connection

In my 10 years of living in California, I never once heard anyone play the "Name Game" with another Californian. Yet, within my first day back in Mississippi, I was part of a conversation that takes place in thousands of variations on any given day around here.

City Awards $67,000 to Local Businesses

The Jackson City Council approved more than $60,000 in small-business grants to seven area business in March. Since 2009, Jackson has awarded $684,681.20 to local businesses through the grant programs.

Progress in South Jackson

When Jackson Square Shopping Center was built in 1968, it was the largest shopping center in the capital city. With 350,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and office space on 40 acres, it is still the city's largest outdoor center.

Home, Brain, Home

How Local Businesses Lure Best, Brightest

Strengthening the local business community is no small part of building a better Jackson.

JPS' Accreditation Woes

Jackson Public Schools is facing a hearing to determine whether it will lose its accreditation over failure to comply with changes to its special-education program recommended by the state, but district officials seem optimistic about the outcome.

Donna Barksdale

Donna Barksdale has been "everything from a Sweet Potato Queen to a clothing designer." These days, she puts her fashion expertise to work making sure that senior girls at Lanier High School have prom dresses.

Abortion, Immigration Bills Die in Committee

Two of the most contentious bills of the current legislative session--an anti-abortion "heartbeat" bill and an anti-undocumented immigration measure--won't become law in Mississippi after all.

City Hires Overby to Sell Dillards

The Jackson City Council voted 7-0 this morning to hire the Overby Company to market and sell the former Dillard's store in Metrocenter Mall.

JPS Selects Superintendent Candidates

The Jackson Public Schools board has narrowed the field in its search for a new superintendent. Two finalists—Dr. Dennis L. Carpenter and Dr. Cedrick Gray—will be in Jackson April 11 for additional interviews and community meetings.

City v. Cab Drivers: Stop Trash Talk

Two Jackson City Council members said they will not approve a $1 increase in taxi-cab fares unless mandatory training is implemented for drivers.

Opponents Denounce ‘Greed Bill'

Anyone with a television has seen the ads common this time of year inviting people to apply their income-tax refunds toward everything from bedroom furniture to big-screen TVs. The businesses behind the ads are often consumer-finance companies that make small loans with higher-than-average interest rates to people who wouldn't otherwise be able to afford the purchases.

Meredith McGee

When Darlene Collier's memoir landed on Meredith McGee's desk, McGee knew she needed more than just a typing service.

Reeves Gives Democrat Immigration, Abortion Bills

The fate of some of the most contentious bills this year rests with Sen. Hob Bryan, a Democrat from Amory.

Iron Horse and Hotel in Plan

A project to rebuild the Iron Horse Grill is moving forward from the Jackson Redevelopment Authority. The once-popular downtown restaurant, which burned twice before closing its doors in 1999, is now part of a plan that also includes a Westin Hotel.

House Flips on Workers' Comp

If employees are like the cartoon sailor man Popeye and companies are like Popeye's brutish nemesis, Bluto, then workers' compensation is spinach--an equalizer between big guy and little guy.

Thea Faulkner

In Jackson, people perceive public schools as having many problems and challenges, Thea Faulkner said, and rightly so. Sometimes, people focus so much on the negatives, however, that they don't notice the positive changes that many parents are making in their children's schools.

Marchers Protest 'War on Women'

About 50 people gathered this morning to march around the Capitol and oppose state legislators' attempts to pass anti-abortion bills and personhood legislation during the current session.

New Details Emerge in JSU Student's Death

Jackson police released more details this morning about yesterday's arrest of Jarrod Emerson, a cousin of Jackson State University freshman Nolan Ryan Henderson who was shot and killed at a party over the weekend.

Ellington