News

Safe Social Networking

Renee Walker came to the Facebook Roadshow at Clinton High School Oct. 6 to find out what to do when one person impersonates another on the popular social-networking website.

The JFP Interview with Jim Hood

Attorney General Jim Hood appears to be a natural prosecutor, although it was a career path he initially resisted. His father was a Chickasaw County attorney and prosecutor. In 2003, Hood began his first term as Mississippi's attorney general, and he is currently seeking his third term in office, running against former Department of Public Safety Commissioner Steven Simpson.

Ronni Mott Responds to Hood on Hayne

On March 12, 2010, Radley Balko, formerly of Reason Magazine, published an email from Hood to coroners and others urging them to get legislators to vote against H.B. 1456. The bill, signed March 19 by Gov. Haley Barbour, requires that anyone hired by a Mississippi county to do an autopsy be American Board of Pathology certified in forensic pathology.

Reader's Guide : Wickard v. Filburn

In 1942, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the government has the right to regulate economic activity in the case of Wickard v. Filburn.

Polk's Perseverance

Mississippi House of Representatives hopeful Gay Polk is determined. Polk lost the Aug. 2 Democratic primary to her opponent Brad Oberhousen by just 90 votes. But after reports surfaced that her name was not on the ballot at Terry's Dry Grove precinct, she spent the next week camped out at the Hinds County Courthouse as she monitored a chaotic and confusing election certification process. She then challenged the Hinds County Democratic Executive Committee's decision to certify Oberhousen as the winner in the District 73 race, arguing that voters had received the wrong ballots at the split precinct.

Hall: Stay on the Highway

Transportation Commissioner Dick Hall posted this on Facebook: "Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree."

Francine Brookins

Francine Brookins thinks education and salvation are the most important institutions in young lives. Brookins believes that it is important to reach out to youth in increasing religious awareness. "When you are a kid," she says, "you don't think about your relationship with God."

Entergy to Research Future of Electric Car

Entergy is installing three electric vehicle-charging stations in the metro area to prepare for an expected increase in energy-efficient vehicles.

Ethiopian Flavors

Jackson will get to taste a new cuisine with the first Ethiopian restaurant now open in the area.

Patricia Taylor

Patricia Taylor drove a friend to take a postal service exam in 1980. Giving that friend a ride started a career for Taylor when she decided she wanted to take the test, too. A couple of weeks later, she got a phone call and landed a job with the U.S. Postal Service in Jackson.

[Column] Rescuing the Middle Class from Washington's Failed Energy Strategies

As fall approaches, working-class families find themselves struggling with rising energy costs that consume an ever-larger percentage of their disposable income. As the decades roll by, it seems that more and more of our paychecks are required just to keep the lights on, the car running and the house warm in winter.

City Makes Adjustments for Raises

Read the city's amended budget (PDF)

Federal Spending, Earmarks Fund Medical Advances

Despite concerns about the federal deficit and vows to cut out "pork-barrel spending," congressional earmarks and other sources of federal money are funding medical research and upgrades at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

Aubrey K. Lucas

With his trademark bowtie in place, Aubrey K. Lucas oversaw the evolution of the University of Southern Mississippi. For that and other activities, he is one of 11 Mississippi Medal of Service recipients.

Community Events and Public Meetings

6 p.m., Jackson Touchdown Club Meeting, at River Hills Country Club (3600 Ridgewood Road). Members of the athletic organization meet weekly during the football season. This week's speaker is Southern Miss head football coach Larry Fedora. $280 individual membership, $1200 corporate membership; call 601-506-3186.

City to Host Disability Awareness Day

The city of Jackson will host "Walk in Their Shoes," Wednesday, Oct. 12, to educate the public about residents with disabilities.

AG: Keep Teens Safe Online

Teens' online social networking can affect real-life safety and friendships, so parents should talk with their children about staying safe on social media websites panelists said at a Facebook roadshow yesterday.

Doctors Oppose Initiative 26

Dr. Paul Seago finds it absurd that if Initiative 26 passes this November, a carcinoma could have the same rights as his teenage daughter.

Travis Pinkston

Over the past four months, Travis Pinkston has learned that trash can be a creative endeavor that brings a community together.

Influencing Sex-Ed Policies

School advocacy groups and parents are beginning to talk about how they can influence Jackson Public Schools' sex-education policy next year.

JPD Prepares for Busy Weekend

With more than 100,000 people expected to visit Jackson this weekend, Jackson Police Department Assistant Chief Lee Vance asked officers to be on the lookout for criminal activity. Crowds are expected this weekend for the Mississippi State Fair, Jackson State University's homecoming and a walk for breast cancer awareness.

Mary Libby Payne

Justice Mary Libby Payne, 79, of Pearl is one of 11 recipients of the Mississippi Medal of Service for significant contributions to the state.

Facebook Roadshow Tonight

The Mississippi Attorney General's office and the Department of Education will host a Facebook Roadshow tonight at Clinton High School.

Growing Green Jobs

"One of the things that you see is a gradual greening of the economy, both in Mississippi and the U.S. as a whole," Dek Terrell said. "... When I look out over a period of 30 to 40 years, the idea of 'green' is not a fad."

Questions Dog Convention Hotel Deal

'The horse is out of the barn and ... we don't have any answers.' – Margaret Barrett-Simon

Ramirez Missing Two Years

Abraham Jonathan Ramirez went out with friends to El Jardin, a Jackson nightclub off Gallatin Street, a couple of years ago. He was 21 then, had a new pick-up truck and wore cowboy boots. He lived in Pearl and had lived there for at least a couple of years where he worked in construction for his girlfriend's brother.

Ellington