News

‘They're Taking Daddies Away'

Colonial Terrace Apartments resident Angella Rector speaks with a slow southern drawl that drips of mobile home and Larry the Cable Guy. The redhead married her husband, Juan Espanoza, two years ago. They lived on a tight family budget with their three children before U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials arrested Espanoza last weekend for being in the country illegally.

Sex and Pay Raises

The Mississippi Tea Party tried to target immigrants once again in a bill that would have charged $5 for out-of-country wire transfers exceeding $500, plus 1 percent of the amount of the transaction. The bill, authored by Sen. Joey Fillingane, R-Sumrall, died in the Senate Finance Committee last Wednesday.

Judging Carefully

For Judge Leslie King, serving on the Mississippi Supreme Court is a natural career move, if not necessarily one he expected. Last week, Gov. Haley Barbour appointed King to the Supreme Court, replacing Justice James Graves, whom President Barack Obama appointed to the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Integrating Yazoo: Race and Change in Haley Barbour's Hometown

Gloria Owens froze with fear as a German shepherd barreled toward her at the entrance of Yazoo City Junior High School on a fall morning in 1968. "Get that n*gger," she heard her classmate command his dog. As the dog jumped on her and brought her to the ground, she cried and called out for help.

Taking the Side of Unions

Some Mississippians are taking sides on Wisconsin state employees who are protesting Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's proposed budget that would eliminate state employee unions' collective bargaining rights.

Rubye Forrest-Mickel

"As a traffic officer, every day brings something interesting," Rubye Forrest-Mickel says, sitting on her porch on Barrett Avenue, enjoying the early spring weather. As she reclines in her chair, her lips curve into a smile.

Barbour Testifies at Health-Care Hearing

During a U.S. House of Representatives health-care reform hearing yesterday, Gov. Haley Barbour argued against the law's mandatory requirement for states. President Barack Obama, however, endorsed a bipartisan Senate bill Monday that would allow states to opt out of the current health-care law and design their own plans.

Hinds County Gets New District Plan

Hinds County Board of Supervisors picked a new county redistricting plan Monday night, even as critics complained that the board did not make all of the maps under consideration available for examination until the day of the meeting.

Promise Burrell

The Women's Fund of Mississippi's newest member, Promise Burrell, has valuable real-life experience. She hopes those experiences speak to the barriers Mississippi women often face.

Taco Truck Coming; Fondren Biz Shuffle

A few months ago when Sid Scott was craving fresh and simple Mexican food, he wished that Jackson, like the majority of cities, had a traveling taco truck.

Barbour Signs AG's Domestic Violence Bill

<i>Verbatim statement:</i>

A domestic violence related bill sponsored by Attorney  General Jim Hood has been signed into law. Gov. Haley Barbour signed  SB 2426, which makes it a misdemeanor for someone to prevent a victim  from seeking emergency medical or law enforcement assistance. The  maximum fine is $1,000 and/or up to six months in jail.

Protesters Clash at Capitol

Opposing rallies connected at the state Capitol Saturday as members of fair taxation group US Uncut and moveon.org, who were showing solidarity with Wisconsin union workers, faced members of the Mississippi Tea Party.

Scott Sisters Face Health Barrier to Transplant

Also see: The Tragic Case of the Scott Sisters

Community Events and Public Meetings

Free Tax Counseling and Filing. IRS/AIM or AARP volunteers will do electronic filing. Bring all necessary documents. Joint filers must come together. Free.

Kristin Dupard

Using a slow and measured voice, Ridgeland High School junior Kristen Dupard confidently recites "The Mother," a poem by Gwendolyn Brooks during the state Poetry Out Loud Recitation contest last year.

Barbour Signs Open Meetings Law

Taxpayers will no longer pay the fines public officials incur when they violate the state's open meetings law. Gov. Haley Barbour signed the revised law on Feb. 24.

U.S. House Cuts Could Hurt Development; Women's Health

Critics say $61 billion in cuts the U.S. House of Representatives passed Feb.19 would increase teen pregnancies and hurt neighborhood restoration initiatives.

Barbour's Ed. Numbers Off-Mark

Mississippi public-education advocates fear that the state Senate may short-change school districts next year by $65 million. On the Senate agenda is a House education-funding bill approved last week; however . Gov. Haley Barbour has urged legislators to adopt the lower funding amount, describing it as "level funding." Data from the Mississippi Department of Education show that Barbour's claim is inaccurate, however.

George Winston

When Grammy-award winning pianist George Winston returns to Jackson tonight, he'll be using his talent to combat juvenile delinquency.

Weekend Events: Is it Spring, Yet?

Start the weekend after work today with a trip to the Arts Center of Mississippi Arts Center (201 E. Pascagoula St.) and take in "Lena Horne: Her Influences, Her Life & Her Legacy" before it comes down next week. If museums aren't your thing, check out an indie movie at the Russell C. Davis Planetarium (201 E. Pascagoula St.) in the same complex, or take in a performance by Grammy-winner Pinetop Perkins at Underground 119 a few blocks away on President Street. Not sure where to start your weekend plans? Head straight to the JFP Best Bets page for ideas.

Howard Industries to Pay $2.5 Million

Howard Industries faces a $2.5 million fine after pleading guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to violate immigration laws in connection with the country's largest workplace raid on undocumented immigrants.

Did ICE Eschew Search Warrants in Weekend Raid?

Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance officials said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials were entering homes without search warrants and arresting undocumented immigrants during a four-day crackdown in and around the city of Jackson this past weekend.

Barbour Taps Leslie King for Supreme Court

Leslie King, a veteran state Court of Appeals judge, will take departing Justice James Graves' place on the Mississippi Supreme Court. Gov. Haley Barbour announced yesterday that he would appoint King to serve the remainder of Graves' term, which expires in 2013. The U.S. Senate recently confirmed Graves' appointment to the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans.

Michael Barranco

Michael Barranco visited with his friend Sergio Fernandez at River Hills Club last Sunday after a weekend camping trip with his family. Fernandez says Barranco enthusiastically described his recent musical performance at Underground 119, and that people will remember him for his passion--for architecture, for music and for his family.

City of Jackson Approves Belhaven Historical Grant

The Jackson City Council voted to approve a grant application Tuesday for federal funds to put Belhaven on the National Register of Historic Places.

MAEP and Museums

A showdown may be gearing up between the Mississippi House of Representatives and Gov. Haley Barbour on the use of $65 million in federal funds for public education this year.

School Board Grows

The Jackson City Council voted Friday to confirm Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr.'s two additional nominees to the Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees.

Watching a Revolution

Hussein Sadek has had the bittersweet experience of watching a revolution in his homeland happen while he's away. Sadek, 23, is a junior at Jackson State University, studying for a degree in telecommunications engineering. He grew up in Giza, Egypt, near Cairo--the nation's capital and the recent revolution's epicenter.

Farish Street Too Pricey for Some

Development of the Farish Street Entertainment District may have hit a wall of high prices, says Big Apple Inn restaurant owner Geno Lee.

Nola Gibson

As the director of continuing education of Millsaps College, Gibson has not only made lifelong learning an important part of her life, but she is constantly working to provide quality educational opportunities to the residents of Jackson and beyond.

Ellington