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JRA Opposes Eminent Domain Initiative

Members of the Jackson Redevelopment Authority fear an upcoming November ballot initiative to restrict the government's use of eminent domain to public projects such as bridge and roadway construction will hamper private redevelopment in the city's blighted areas.

Ice Enters Jackson's Ward 1 Race

At 4 p.m. yesterday, an hour before the city's deadline for Ward 1 city council candidates to file for the Feb. 15 special election, Attorney L. Patricia Ice submitted her paperwork to run for the seat vacated by Jeff Weill.

Kenneth Braswell

Kenneth Braswell wants fathers to step up. The keynote speaker at Jackson Public Schools' Dads of Destiny Conference this evening, Braswell advocates for responsible fatherhood through his organization, Fathers Incorporated, and the New York State Fatherhood Initiative.

Partial Smoking Ban Sets Stage for Confusion

A confusing Jackson ordinance could prove to be a case study on the frustration of a statewide partial smoking ban before the Mississippi Legislature.

IHL and Other Kicked Puppies

Last week marked the final week for general bill submissions in this session of the Mississippi Legislature, and much legislation is already clearing the House and Senate. Committees in both chambers are also up against a Feb. 1 deadline to pass or dump bills in their own chamber.

Cutting Out The Pigs

The University of Mississippi Medical Center is one of only seven medical schools in the United States that still uses live animals to teach medical students basic physiology, pharmacology or surgery.

JPS Board Won't Renew Edwards' Contract

The Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees voted during its Dec. 7 meeting not to renew Superintendent Lonnie Edwards' contract for the upcoming school year, Board Attorney Dorian Turner told the Jackson Free Press today. The 3-1 vote came during executive session, and the board informed Edwards of its decision at a meeting this afternoon, Turner said.

Jackson Schools Show Decline

See the MDE report.

Compromise Ahead on Payday Lending?

The Mississippi House of Representatives and Senate likely will have to work out a compromise on a bill that allows payday lenders to exceed a statewide cap on annual percentage rates.

Ellen Douglas

The literary world knows her as Ellen Douglas, critically acclaimed writer. Many Mississippians fondly recognize her as Josephine Haxton, mother of three accomplished sons, a Democrat, an Ole Miss graduate. To her friends, she's just Jo, full of life and camaraderie and fun, someone you want to hang out with. By whatever name, this Jacksonian is her own woman.

Airing Abuse

When does sunshine become an invasion of privacy? Television station WDAM, an NBC affiliate in Hattiesburg, has what it says is video evidence of abuse at the Forrest County Juvenile Detention Center--a physical altercation between staff and six youth detainees. A Youth Court judge has blocked the station from broadcasting the videotape, however, on the grounds that the footage isn't essential to the station's reporting and that airing it would endanger the juveniles' right to privacy.

Jamie Scott Hospitalized

Less than three weeks after her release from prison, Jamie Scott has been hospitalized. Activist Nancy Lockhart, who worked for more than five years to free Jamie and her sister, Gladys, said in an e-mail press release that Jamie was admitted to the hospital in Pensacola, Fla., today for an "excessively high potassium level." Jamie Scott suffers from diabetes and has been diagnosed with renal failure. Her medical conditions, and the cost of caring for her, was one of Gov. Haley Barbour's justifications for ordering the suspension of her and Gladys' life sentences for a 1993 armed robbery.

Small Business Grants a Boon to City

<i>Verbatim statement from city:</i>

In Jackson, Miss., like in cities across our nation, small businesses are at the very core of the local economy. Small businesses create jobs for Jackson's citizens. Local entrepreneurs invest in the community in which they live, making it all the more important that they succeed. It is for these very reasons that Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson, Jr. created three very successful grant programs to benefit small businesses in the City of Jackson.

Council Concerned over JPS Superintendent

Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes made a rare visit to the Monday work session yesterday to throw his support behind Jackson Public Schools Superintendent Lonnie Edwards, who is up for an evaluation from the school board tomorrow.

Bernice Rayford

Bernice Rayford, 50, has more to offer the literary world than just "Collard Greens and Ham," the title of her debut self-published novel in 2005. She recently completed her seventh novel, "Betty Bushy: She Will Make You Laugh."

Ward Pulls Out of Ward 1 Council Race

Marcus Ward, who announced his candidacy for Ward 1 city councilman last month, has decided to pull out of the Feb. 15 special election leaving only Quentin Whitwell in the running for the seat.

Baptist's Belhaven Shakeup; New Pizza Shack Opening

Baptist Health Systems will break ground this year on a five-story, mixed-use building in Belhaven. The 130,000-square-foot facility will house four floors of medical offices and a ground floor of retail on the North State Street site currently occupied by KFC. Baptist spokesman Robby Channell said that a start date for construction will likely depend on the possible relocation of Keifer's Restaurant. Baptist is in final negotiations to purchase the Keifer's property, and the restaurant is considering a move nearby.

Religious Leaders Oppose Payday Lending Laws

Stewpot Community Services Chief Executive Officer Rev. Frank Spencer said Stewpot Community Services would supply groceries to people whose choices are limited to paying off their loan or buying groceries.

UMMC Targeted for Use of Live Pigs

Read the complaint

Luisa Macedo

"It's bigger than my head," 9-year-old Luisa Macedo says as she describes her 21-pound cabbage that named her the Mississippi winner of the National Bonnie Plants Cabbage Program award. A Senatobia native, Macedo is now in the fourth grade at Senatobia Middle School, but won the award as a third grader.

Community Events and Public Meetings

2:30 p.m., Book Buddy Volunteer Training at Boyd Elementary School (4531 Broadmeadow St.). The program aims to help children progress in school. Rebecca Starling of Jackson Public Schools is the trainer. E-mail [e-mail missing].

TV Station Takes Detention Center Video to Supreme Court

WDAM's parent company, Raycom Media, and 30 additional media organizations including the Society for Professional Journalists, are petitioning the Mississippi Supreme Court to intervene in a lower court's decision that prevents the South Mississippi television station from airing videos showing abuse at the Forrest County Juvenile Detention Center in Hattiesburg. The video shows six juveniles in a "physical exchange" with detention center staff, the SPJ reports.

Bill Proposes to End MPB Funding

Mississippi Public Broadcasting Acting Executive Director Jay Woods said a proposed bill that would eventually end state funding for his agency due, in part, to its supposed "liberal" bias would hinder the state's educational and economic growth.

Shifting Demographics To Cause Worker Shortage

Georgia diversity trainer Al Vivian predicts a shortage of workers within the next 10 years, if economic and demographic trends continue at their current pace.

Plan Your Weekend

It might be abnormally cold this weekend, but brave the cracked cuticles and chapped lips to see what's going on in Mississippi. Head to the Millsaps Arts District at 9 p.m. to see Johnny Bertram and the Golden Bicycles and New York band Ladycop perform. If you're in the mood for a little bit of country, soul and rock, tonight then head to the MSU Riley Center (2200 5th St., Meridian) at 7:30 p.m. to see Shelby Lynne perform. Tickets are $36 to $42. If you don't want to travel out of the city limits, warm up and watch "Client 9" at 7 p.m. and "White Material" at 9 p.m. at the Art House Cinema inside the Davis Planetarium (201 E. Pascagoula St.). Tickets cost $9 for each screening. For more information, visit http://www.msfilm.org. For more options, check out the JFP Events Calendar.

Shirley Brewer

Shirley Brewer has seen plenty of changes from her perch at the Fondren McDade's Market. Brewer has worked at the grocery store for the past 27 years, seeing the business change names and owners from Jitney Jungle to Winn-Dixie to, in 2004, McDade's.

Public Involvement is Necessary for Fairly Redrawing District Lines

There was some good news at the state Capitol in January. The Joint Legislative Redistricting Committee met to announce their plans for passage of a redistricting plan this legislative session. It's good to see that they are listening to Mississippians and are committed to adopting a timely and fair plan.

Statewide Smoking Ban In the Works

A joint House and Senate Public Health Committee heard opinions yesterday from health advocates and business representatives about the potential consequences of a statewide smoking ban, as proposed by Senate Bill 2726.

Beer Legislation Dead on Arrival?

Despite a grassroots effort to modernize state laws on beer and beer brewing, the Mississippi Legislature is unlikely to pass any bills this session to change the status quo.

Chandler Griffin

For years, Chandler Griffin has observed the tough work of international development. As a documentary filmmaker for nonprofit organizations working in Rwanda and Uganda, among other countries, the Jackson native has seen the challenges of trying to build sustainable programs. But he never imagined tackling those challenges himself.

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