News

Jail-to-Streets Conundrum

Kenosha "Giggles" Johnson has become a staple in Fondren. Often with a blanket in tow, Johnson hangs out in front of businesses along State Street and occasionally receives strange looks from people who walk by.

Mississippi Takes Sex Ed

Monica Cannon, who has a daughter in a Jackson high school, is part of a teen-pregnancy prevention coalition in the Jackson area. During a Jackson Public Schools board meeting Aug. 18, Cannon told the board she feels that JPS could adopt a policy on sex education quickly because people and coalitions in the area have already been researching possible curricula for quite some time. She offered her group's services as part of a task force or committee to explore the district's options.

Marcy Nessel

When Marcy Nessel recognizes the man walking into her gallery, she greets him with a hug. "Hey Don! I'm so happy you stopped by today," she says.

DuPree Makes History

Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree won the Democratic nomination last night for Mississippi Governor—making him the first black to receive a party nomination for governor since Reconstruction.

Chairman Bryant

Will Mississippi Elect a Radical-Right Governor?

Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant 56, took his place on the far right of his Republican opponents on stage and thanked his wife, mother-in-law and voters for making his campaign possible. He was dressed neatly, without overdoing it, for the lively Republican debate backed by the Mississippi Tea Party June 25.

Bluntson Threatens Legal Action Against Mayor

Jackson City Council President Frank Bluntson said yesterday that he would take legal action against Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr., if necessary, to obtain the names and salaries of all city employees. Bluntson cited several failed attempts to get the information from Johnson in preparation for passing the city's budget.

University Place Thriving; Job Money

Mississippi is restarting a job program that gives businesses subsidies to hire new employees. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds the STEPS 2 program, which stands for Subsidized Transitional Employment Program and Services.

Raha Maxwell

Raha Maxwell is taking the traditional summer lemonade stand to the next level. The 10-year-old student at Adhiambo School turned his culinary talent into a full-fledged business.

Runoff Elections Today

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m today for state and local runoff elections.

Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree and Clarksdale businessman Bill Luckett, both Democrats, face each other in the governors race while Republican Lynn Fitch, of Madison, and state Sen. Lee Yancey, of Brandon, face each other in the treasurer's race.

Runoffs Prolong Primaries

As voters head to the polls for runoff elections Tuesday, several Hinds County positions are up for grabs, and incumbents are under fire on the Hinds County Board of Supervisors.

Suit Against Mental Health Waits on Ruling

Read the complaint.

Lan Diep

Lan Diep has spent the past year helping the Vietnamese-American community on the Gulf Coast deal with the impact of Deepwater Horizon oil spill on April 20, 2010. An Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Fellow with the Mississippi Center for Justice, Diep is sorting out the problems allowing many to file or to receive claims.

Community Events and Public Meetings

Sports League Registrations, at Jackson Medical Mall (350 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave.). The Department of Parks and Recreation is conducting registration for the upcoming season from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays. Call 601-960-0471.

City Co-Sponsors Housing Conference

The city of Jackson is partnering with the city of Hattiesburg to host a three-day conference on community development.

The JFP Interview with Johnny DuPree

Johnny DuPree makes clear that he is a city man. DuPree, 57, has served as Hattiesburg's mayor for almost 10 years and wants to take his municipal know-how to the state level. He is one of two Democratic candidates, so far, who have announced their desire to run for the Mississippi governor's office this coming November.

The Power of Wheaton

"Touch this mother tonight, father God, who must deal with the loss of her son. Touch this family, this sister, this brother, who has lost a dear loved one to them all," Rev. Gregory White said to Jim Hill High School students, family and staff. White was invited to help celebrate the death and homecoming of Tommy Wheaton with a candlelight vigil on Aug. 18. During his prayer, a lady stood and called out "Alright now" as if she were in a church service.

Doctor Promotes Health Care Tech

By performing robotic surgeries and using technology to educate patients, Jackson obstetrician and gynecologist Samuel Brown hopes to revolutionize health care in Mississippi.

Andre Brown

Andre Brown, 40, by all accounts was a man of good character, some would even say cool. He was a leader, a lover, a devoted father and one of the best people you will ever meet, friends say.

Film Industry Work Force Training Begins

A film industry work force training program begins classes next week at Hinds Community College, Rankin Campus.

Alert: Trees Down and Traffic Lights Out; Use 3-1-1 to Report More

The city just issued this verbatim statement:

Motorists are urged to proceed with caution in the areas where trees are down and residents should stay away from any downed power lines. Motorists should treat intersections where traffic lights are out as a 4-way stop.

Mississippi Scores Low on ACT

ACT scores for the class of 2011 show Mississippi high school students lagging behind the rest of the country in preparing for college.

Why Looming Budget Battles Might Still Shut Down the Government

The Securities and Exchange Commission, Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Health and Human Services could face partial shutdowns this fall, as a politically polarized Congress faces a Sept. 30 deadline to approve a new federal budget.

Dunn Lampton

Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Jim Kitchens was impressed with Dunn Lampton's drive and intelligence when he hired him to work as his assistant district attorney for Mississippi's 14 Judicial District in 1976, although he was fresh out of Ole Miss law school and had little trial experience.

Downtown Business District Reauthorized

Also see: Measuring Progress: The Evolution of Downtown Jackson Partners

Hundreds March to Heal and Denounce

Community organizers and leaders see the Aug. 14 vigil for James Craig Anderson as the first step toward community healing and racial reconciliation.

Welcome to the Cluster Pluck

It's been a busy summer for Craig Dubow, CEO of Gannett Co., the parent company of The Clarion-Ledger and the Hattiesburg American.

Simulation Builds Respect

It's almost the end of the month, and a family is trying to decide how to stretch their money to buy groceries. One family member doles out a few bills, explaining that they have to spend it a little bit at a time, otherwise they won't have any food at the end of the week.

The Convention Hotel Race

City leaders are racing the clock to make a decision by the end of this month on whether to finance a convention center hotel.

Put to the Test

Where the Candidates Stand on Education

Along the roads that yellow school buses are just beginning to frequent, red-and-blue campaign signs are reminders that this is also a political season. Many of the signs are for Johnny DuPree or Bill Luckett, Democratic candidates for governor who will face each other in a runoff election Aug. 23.

Making Amends

The Aug. 2 Republican primary for Madison County sheriff was a fierce race with five candidates vying for the post. Madison County Sheriff Toby Trowbridge will retire this year. One of the candidates, Mark Sandridge, caught the most media attention this spring after his campaign portrayed Jackson in a negative light.

Ellington