News

In Their Own Words: Lindsay Kathryn Welch

Starting today, the JFP will feature some of the stories of the people former Gov. Haley Barbour pardoned, in their own words. Oktibbeha County, 2000 Lindsay Welch gave birth to a son in the bathroom of her Starkville home late at night on March 19, 1999. Welch, then a 19-year-old freshman at Mississippi State University, wrapped him in a towel and left him on the kitchen counter to go lie down. When she returned three hours later, the baby's hands were cold and his heart wasn't beating, she testified later.

Arena Back on the Table

City leaders fear that one day, the USA International Ballet Competition could leave Jackson because Thalia Mara Hall needs about $9 million in repairs.

Recession Hurt Some More Than Others

During the recent recession, men and African Americans saw the steepest decline in median wages, a new report says, while women made gains, and wages for whites stayed about the same.

Plunge Forward

It'll take a year to read Scott Ginsberg's newest book, "Ideas Are Free, Execution Is Priceless". By design. It's one of those motivational books with a suggestion a day for a year. I love these books because they're so easy to dig into it.

MS Supreme Court to Hear Pardongate

The hearing scheduled to take place this Friday, Feb. 3 on the constitutionality of the pardons and commutations granted by former Gov. Haley Barbour has been canceled and the Mississippi Supreme Court will take over, WLBT is reporting. Attorneys for four former inmates who lived and at worked at the governor's mansion asked that the case, previously in Hinds County Circuit Court, be moved to the state's high court. Justices will hear arguments on Thursday, Feb. 9

The Week in Business

The Jackson Redevelopment Authority has begun the process of preparing a new request for proposals for a convention center hotel. The new RFP will have rigid specifications, JRA board members said at the Jan. 25 regular meeting.

Presidential Pardons Heavily Favor Whites

White criminals seeking presidential pardons over the past decade have been nearly four times as likely to succeed as minorities, a ProPublica examination has found.

Mississippi Pardongate: What's Next?

When state investigators caught up to convicted murderer Joseph Ozment Sunday night, he was living in a Laramie, Wyo., hotel and driving the Mercedes-Benz of his fiancée, LaChina Tillman, an engineer with defense contracting giant Northrop Grumman.

The Barbour Pardons: How We Got Here

July 2008: Gov. Haley Barbour grants clemency to five convicted criminals assigned to work in the governor's mansion by the Mississippi Department of Corrections after reducing their status' to minimum security: Michael Graham, Clarence Jones, Paul Warnock, Bobby Hays Clark and Bobby Hays Clark.

The Color of Clemency

Mississippi's pardon process isn't race-blind, either. A Reuters analysis, completed by Himanshu Ojha, Marcus Stern and Jackson Free Press stringer Robbie Ward, found that the more than 200 acts of clemency former Gov. Haley Barbour granted during his tenure helped more white prisoners than African Americans.

Facebook is Going Public

Facebook is going to have to adjust its privacy settings -- because they're finally going public. The Menlo Park, Calif.-based -media behemoth released its prospectus this afternoon, which contains the first tangible financial data on the company whose revenues have long been held under wraps. According to the S-1 filing to the US Securities Exchange Commission, revenues grew from 153 million in 2007 to 3.7 buh-buh-BILLION in 2011.

Communication is Key

Zachery Williams does not want to discuss his age. He doesn't understand why people keep asking him something that to him just doesn't matter. Williams is one of 11 candidates in the Feb. 14 election to replace Kenneth Stokes as Ward 3 councilman.

Take a Load Off the Elderly

This is not the first time Harrison Michael II has run for City Council. The last time he ran in 2009, he only faced two other opponents, Albert Wilson and the incumbent at the time, Kenneth Stokes. Now that Stokes has vacated his City Council seat to become a Hinds County supervisor, Michael is trying again to represent Ward 3.

Cyberstalker Hindman: Well-Connected

When you're caught in a sting to catch online sex predators, like Douglas Hindman was, it pays to have friends who dine at the governor's mansion when it comes time to get a pardon.

JRA: No Free Passes

Don't pop in on the Jackson Redevelopment Authority asking board members to buy your property or hire you on the spot because you have a passion for a particular downtown project. From now on, expect them to vet you thoroughly first.

Andrea Lynn Phillips

Dr. Andrea Lynn Phillips does a lot with a little at her practice, Phillips Medical Services. She and her staff of seven provide medical care to mostly uninsured patients at a discounted price at the Westland Plaza Clinic (909 Ellis Ave., 601-948-8501).

AG's Office to Trusty: You Got Served

When state investigators caught up to convicted murderer Joseph Ozment Sunday night, he was living in a Laramie, Wyo. hotel and driving the Mercedes-Benz of his fiancee, LaChina Tillman, who has an impressive-sounding job with defense contracting giant Northrop Grumman.

Sears and Small Businesses

The Association of South Jackson Neighborhoods is calling on Jackson and Hinds County residents to make this week "Shop Sears Week." Through Monday, the association is encouraging people to buy from Sears to encourage the retailer to stay in Metrocenter Mall.

James Farrar

James Farrar, treasurer and director of daily affairs for the Mississippi Justice Party, joined the movement in December 2011. He was dissatisfied with the state of the country, especially in politics, both on the Republican and Democratic sides. He believed elected officials were merely following the letter of the law and forgetting about ethics and the people they represented.

AG: Trusty Ozment Found in Wyoming

After several weeks of trying to track down pardoned governor's mansion trusty Joseph Ozment, investigators from the Mississippi attorney general's office served Ozment with court papers last night in Laramie, Wy., AG Jim Hood said this afternoon. Hood said Ozment, convicted of killing a store clerk in DeSoto County in 1992, was driving his girlfriend's Mercedes-Benz when officers attempted to serve him. In the process of trying to avoid being served, Ozment bumped one of the investigators with his car, Hood said. Later, Ozment signed a receipt of service with the AG's investigators and two Laramie police officers.

Do Costs of Drilling Outweigh Benefits?

If Mississippi's own tourism website touts the pristine beaches, dunes and endangered wildlife-viewing on the Gulf of Mexico barrier islands, Capt. Louis Skrmetta can't understand why the state wants to muck it up with gas-drilling rigs.

Medicaid Assistance: Non-Smokers Only?

Medicaid recipients--and the agencies that provide services to them--could face a slew of new restrictions, including random drug tests, community service and nicotine testing if several bills in the Senate pass.

Community Events and Public Meetings

AARP Tax Aide Volunteer Service. The service is available to low- and moderate-income taxpayers with special attention to those ages 60 and older. Bring all necessary documents. No appointment required. Free.

Museum Needs Civil Rights Stories

To tell the story of the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi as a whole, historians will need stories from individual people involved with the movement, museum planners say.

Charter Schools: The Devil's in the Details

Charter schools offer benefits, but the state must be cautious in using them. That mixed message emerged during a joint meeting of the Senate and House education committees yesterday morning where officials, community leaders and education advocates discussed the pros and pitfalls of charter schools.

Heather McTeer

Eight years ago, fresh from a victory that made her Greenville's first African American mayor, first woman mayor, and the city's youngest mayor, Heather McTeer found out the city's chief executive didn't have her own computer.

Arena Study to Include Thalia Mara

City leaders fear that one day the USA International Ballet Competition could leave Jackson due to Thalia Mara Hall needing repairs that cost about $9 million. Only four cities in the world hold the elite dance event, and Jackson is the only one in the United States.

Beneta Burt: Proof in Experience

Beneta Burt stays so busy as executive director of the Jackson Roadmap to Health Equity Project that she didn't think she would have time to run for City Council. After several phone calls from supporters in Ward 3, however, she considered it seriously.

Renardo Sidney

If Mississippi State is going to have success deep into this basketball season and play deep into the NCAA Tournament, they will need Renardo Sidney. The temperamental star's story is well documented.

Shut ‘Em Down

In announcing his long-awaited committee appointments, House Speak Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, likened himself to a high-school football coach.

Ellington