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JRA Rejects Two Bids for Convention Hotel

An Austin, Texas, developer publicly threw its hat into the convention-center hotel ring this morning with a presentation to the Jackson Development Authority. TCI, a Dallas-based company that currently owns the land across the street from the Convention Center, also gave a presentation as expected.

JPD Releases Crime Stats

Now in the homestretch of its effort to finish out 2011 with a reduction in overall crime, the Jackson Police Department released its crime report for the week of Dec. 5, 2011 through Dec. 11, 2011.

Nettie Stowers

CORRECTION: In an earlier version of this story, we spelled Nettie Stowers wrong. We apologize for the error.

PERS Commission Recommends Cuts

After a four-month wait and much speculation, a commission studying the Public Employees Retirement System has recommended freezing the cost-of-living adjustment paid to retirees for three years.

Judges Want to See PSC's Rationale

What exactly happened for the Mississippi Public Service Commission to let a utility company jack up the price on a plant by nearly a half-billion dollars in less than a month's time?

Charley Jenkins

What do animals do for fun and entertainment when humans aren't around? That's what Charley Jenkins has been trying to answer with his art.

Angel of the Court

When it comes to domestic violence, the best defense is an orchestrated, integrated justice system. That's the kind of system that earned the Clinton Municipal Court this year's Angel Award from The Center for Violence Prevention on Tuesday. The CVP is a Pearl non-profit that provides shelter and advocacy for domestic-violence victims and an offender-intervention program.

Smokin' the Polls

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour is smoking the polls. Well, one poll anyway. The Raleigh, N.C.-based firm Public Policy Polling, which Democratic pollster Dean Debnam founded, unveiled its findings Friday, Dec. 9. The poll shows Barbour's approval rating inside the state is 60 percent, the highest of any state governor; only 29 percent of Mississippians polled disapprove of Barbour.

Another Landfill?

R. L. Nave

All day long, hulking trucks rumble along North County Line Road to dump loads of rubbish at one of the area's two waste dumps. At the north end of the road sits Republic Services Inc.-operated Little Dixie Landfill; at the far south end is a rubbish landfill, which Madison South Rubbish Landfill Inc. owns. Between those facilities lies a 160 acre-parcel of land where Mike Bilberry wants to put a third landfill.

Tease photo

The JFP Interview with Heather McTeer

Greenville Mayor Heather McTeer, 35, isn't afraid to challenge herself. She completed the St. Jude Marathon years after doctors said she'd never be able to run due to an old injury. Her motivation has inspired others in the Delta, identified as one of the unhealthiest places in the nation, to exercise.

JRA Faces More Hotel Hurdles

CORRECTION: This is an updated version of the story referencing the law firm of Balch and Bingham. In an earlier version, we had the firm's name incorrect. We apologize for the error.

Graham Defiant in Auditor Probe

More than five months since receiving a demand from Mississippi State Auditor Stacey Pickering, Hinds County District 1 Supervisor Robert Graham has not paid the $45,736 the auditor said Graham owes the state.

Gene Moore

Gene Moore is a chaser of dreams and determined to do what he can to leave the world a better place. In 2003, he left his position as the news director for WJTV-12 to start his own business, T-KAM Video Production.

Overtime Kerfluffle Causes Council Detour

City Council members took a detour from the agenda this morning to discuss the millions of dollars the city spends on overtime pay each year.

They're Crafty

They say that handmade gifts mean so much more to the recipient. They also mean a lot to the artists who craft the items as well as to the local economy, especially now. The Mississippi Craft Center Gallery in Ridgeland, and others like it around the country, is having a banner sales year.

Clinton Municipal Court is an Angel

Victims of domestic violence have a strong resource in the Clinton Municipal Court.

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.

Community Events and Public Meetings

7 p.m., "Taking Charge of Your Health and Wellness" Seminar, at New Destiny Christian Center Church (Wind River, 405 Briarwood Drive, Suite 301). Topics include the fundamentals of good nutrition and healthy weight loss methods. Chiropractor Dr. Billy King Shaw and nutrition counselor Pastor Joyce Handy are the speakers. Free; call 601-301-2046.

Creative ‘Coworking' Comes to Jackson

Creative Distillery hasn't quite finished setting up its new office on the third floor of Banner Hall. A few walls are still awaiting paint and an empty corner in the kitchen needs a refrigerator. But Melia Dicker points to high ceilings and big windows that will make the new space an environment to encourage creativity.

Can Sacred, Secular Coexist on Farish?

Despite popular beliefs, churches are not ivory towers. Or, as the Rev. Dr. Hickman Johnson put it: "The church should not be cloistered somewhere because it has to be holy. The dichotomy between the secular and the sacred is not real."

Malcolm White

Malcolm White just won a top honor from the Mississippi Art Education Association for promoting visual arts in the state. White, executive director of the Mississippi Arts Commission, received the Prism Award for supporting arts education programs.

Tougaloo a Challenge for JPD

Read the report here.

Reasons Behind Dropouts

Students drop out of school for many reasons, a panel of high-school students said, but the community can help them stay in school.

Jamie White

The Jackson Police Department recently recognized Officer Jamie White for apprehending a pair of armed-robbery suspects. JPD named White the Officer of the Month for October. He received his award alongside Officer Daniel Elam, who accompanied White during his investigation and received a certificate of commendation.

Black Farmers: Getting Their Due?

Mississippi is likely to have the highest concentration of farmers who are entitled to a piece of two landmark decisions. In fact, more than one-fourth of the claims under the second decision originated in Mississippi, according to the Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association.

Doomsday for Black Folks?

By all measures, the state of black Mississippi should be strong. Mississippi's concentration of African American residents, 37 percent, is the highest of any state. Mississippi also has the highest number of majority-black counties, 25, and black elected officials (900+). So why did the Mississippi Black Leadership Summit, which took place in downtown Jackson last week, strike such a somber tone?

Jackson Aces Elementary Math

Jackson is focusing more of its financial resources on schools with the neediest students, bucking a national trend, U.S. Department of Education data suggest.

Carol Clark Hammond

Michelangelo once said, "He who does not master the nude cannot understand the principles of architecture." It's just one of many quotes by which Carol Clark Hammond lives. As a freelance artist, she specializes in portrait drawing and courtroom sketching. Her work these days comes sporadically, however, because her specialties seem to be going out of style.

Not Giving Up on Jackson Kids

Jackson struggles with a graduation rate below the national average, but the community is not giving up on its students, an organization started by Colin Powell says.

Big Changes at Koinonia

If his ability to juggle a phone interview while whipping a breakfast bagel is any indication, Nate Coleman is going to make one heck of a restaurateur. Coleman, a Jackson native and trained culinary chef is bringing a new eatery to the capital city that will occupy Koinonia's space, according to a new release from the coffee shop.

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