News

State of the State: A Fact-Check

Gov. Haley Barbour used his final State of the State address, on Jan. 11, to tout his resume of accomplishments over two terms. Ever the savvy political communicator, the governor stretched the truth and papered over the more complicated reality. In other instances, his claims were outright wrong. Here's a selection of Barbour's claims and that truth behind them.

History's Return

Gov. Haley Barbour is a sucker for anniversaries, apparently. In his final State of the State address last week, the governor said that 2011—the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Rides and the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War—was the year to make a proposed Mississippi Civil Rights Museum a reality.

Latinos and Loans

Mississippi could be headed for a courtroom showdown if the full state Legislature passes an anti-immigrant bill mirroring an Arizona law that forces law-enforcement to profile people they suspect to be undocumented residents.

Reading the Tea Leaves: The Tea Party in Mississippi

Tea Party member Donald Wiggans was different. A small, wiry man, he stood quietly during an August 2009 town-hall meeting on health-care reform featuring U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson.

The Slippery Arena Study

The push for an entertainment arena in downtown Jackson, once a private endeavor, is now a matter for city government. Last month, the steering committee of business leaders that has been raising funds for an arena feasibility study handed control of the project to Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr.

Kimberly Jacobs

Kimberly Jacobs' 1,000-watt smile lights up the room as she hugs me during our first introduction. Without reservation, she begins to share her passion for promoting artists.

Combating Intellectual Property Theft

It began with one patient exhibiting unusual symptoms in 2006. Doctors were puzzled. When dozens of similar cases began to appear, they got worried. But it wasn't until they found the common factor that the mystery was resolved: counterfeit cough syrup containing diethylene glycol, a poisonous chemical used in antifreeze. This fake cough syrup was manufactured in China and sold, through international brokers, to the Government of Panama to be distributed to the poor. By the time it was discovered, more than 100 people had died.

Arizona-Style Immigration Bill Advances, In A Hurry

The Mississippi Senate passed a bill modeled after Arizona's anti-immigrant law SB 1070 today, despite protests by some Democrats that the measure was rife with errors carried over from the other state's law.

New Eats; Small Business Loans Available

Longtime Fondren lunch spot Brent's Drugs started serving breakfast Saturday. The soda fountain and lunch counter closed its pharmacy operation in 2009, and new owner Brad Reeves has had his sights on serving breakfast since purchasing the venerable eatery. The morning menu includes traditional Southern breakfast fare and lighter dishes.

Cynthia Newhall

Cynthia Newhall was just a teenager when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated April 4, 1968. On April 18, her 16th birthday, Newhall decided to dedicate her life to the struggle for equality.

Women and the U.S. Constitution: A Call to Action

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia just asserted for a second time that our Constitution does not protect women against discrimination. That was one of the arguments for passing the proposed Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), and ironically, people of Scalia's "conservative" persuasion often countered that the ERA was not needed precisely because women are already protected by the 14th Amendment.

Civil Rights Museum Stirs Controversy, Again

State lawmakers will have a chance to act on Gov. Haley Barbour's recent call to move a proposed state civil-rights museum to downtown Jackson. Sen. John Horhn, D-Jackson, told the Jackson Free Press Friday that he will introduce bills today to restart the planning process for a civil-rights museum, which has stalled since a Barbour-appointed commission selected Tougaloo College for its location in 2008.

Community Events and Public Meetings

5:30 p.m., Blue Bird Bash Volunteer Roundup at Sal & Mookie's (565 Taylor St.). Get information on volunteering in the Fondren Zippity Doo Dah Parade in March. Light snacks provided. E-mail [e-mail missing].

Hezekiah Watkins

On a sunny day in the spring of 1961, Hezekiah Watkins was just another face in the crowd as he watched the Freedom Riders arrive at the Greyhound bus station on Lamar Street. Itching for a closer look, the 13-year-old sprinted across Lamar Street, but he accidentally ended up inside the station where police arrested the activists who rode interstate buses through the South to challenge Jim Crow laws.

McMillin to Run for Re-election

Long-time Hinds County Sheriff Malcolm McMillin announced last week that he will seek re-election in November. Currently, McMillin is the only candidate to announce a run for the position.

Tougaloo President Responds to Civil Rights Museum

<i>Verbatim Statement from Tougaloo President Beverly Wade Hogan</i>:

Tougaloo College has received a number of calls from the media regarding the proposed National Civil Rights Museum in Mississippi. The media seek our reaction to remarks made by Governor Barbour in his State of the State Address to locate the Museum in downtown Jackson, rather than the approved site at Tougaloo College. This announcement comes almost three years following the recommendation to locate the Museum on property owned by Tougaloo College which Governor Barbour accepted. Throughout the process, the Governor had taken the position that he would support the recommendation of the Commission he appointed to establish the National Civil Rights Museum in Mississippi. Tougaloo College had no prior knowledge other than the purported rumors that an actual decision to change the approved designated location to downtown Jackson had been made until Governor Barbour gave his State of the State Address earlier this week. Even today, there has been no formal or official discussion with Tougaloo College about the change in the location of the proposed Museum. Indeed, we were aware that the Downtown Jackson Partners wanted to change the location from the Tougaloo College property to downtown Jackson.

Opponents Vow to Fight Anti-Immigrant Bill

Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance Executive Director Bill Chandler said a Senate Committee's approval of an anti-immigrant bill yesterday will "put a target" on all Latinos in Mississippi, regardless of their resident status.

Midtown Center Promotes Prosperity

The effort to revitalize Jackson's Midtown neighborhood has a new arm. The Prosperity Center of Greater Jackson pairs traditional welfare services with counseling and wellness programs, Kristi Hendrix, executive director of Midtown Partners, told an audience at Koinonia Coffee House's Friday Forum today.

It's the Weekend: Celebrate in Style

Don't let winter's frigid air keep you trapped in your home. This weekend has plenty of entertainment options worth warring the weather. Tonight, Metropolitan Opera soprano Susanna Phillips performs at Wesley Biblical Seminary (787 E. Northside Drive) at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $40; call 601-278-3351 or 601-960-2300. For something a little different, head to Hal & Mal's Red Room, for Schroeder, A Bullet Well Spent and The Hot Pieces concert. Find the weekend's hot agenda in the Best Bets.

Tonja Murphy

Approximately 2 million children in the United States have a parent who is in prison, and with the national incarceration rate increasing 6 percent each year, Lutheran Episcopal Services Director of Mentoring Tonja Murphy understands importance of a mentor.

Senate Committee Passes Anti-Immigrant Bill

This afternoon, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed Senate Bill 2179, which is similar to a controversial Arizona law that forces local and state law enforcement to ask for proof of legal residency from individuals they suspect are undocumented residents during traffic stops.

Ruth's Chris Employee Fired Over E-Mail

The general manager of Ruth's Chris Steak House in Ridgeland has been fired, following an e-mail exchange in which he used the word "ghetto" to describe a reservation request by an African American woman. The manager, Andy Nesenson, forwarded LaTrenda Watson's Jan. 11 reservation request to Sales and Marketing Manager Wendy Partain with the comment, "Another ghetto Sat. Party. They really love us don't they. Especially on Sat."

Lawmakers Tackle Teen Pregnancy

A 13-year-old Jackson Public Schools student kisses her 30-year-old boyfriend as he drops her off at school one morning. When school officials call the teen's mother. She shows little concern saying, "He takes care of her, he helps her get the school supplies she needs."

House Approves Eminent Domain Limits

The Mississippi House of Representatives passed a bill yesterday restricting the use of eminent domain. The measure is similar to a voter initiative scheduled for the 2011 ballot and a 2009 bill that Gov. Haley Barbour vetoed, arguing that it would hurt job creation.

Manervia Cross Rayford

Manervia Cross Rayford has lived so long that sometimes her descendants have trouble keeping up with all the things she's done in her life.

House Passes ‘Nathan's Law'

The Mississippi House passed HB 551 yesterday that proposes to increase penalties for drivers who pass a school bus while it is loading or unloading passengers.

President Obama: ' I Believe That We Can Be Better'

Following is the verbatim text of President Obama's remarks at the Tucson memorial tonight:

To the families of those we've lost; to all who called them friends; to the students of this university, the public servants who are gathered here, the people of Tucson and the people of Arizona: I have come here tonight as an American who, like all Americans, kneels to pray with you today and will stand by you tomorrow. (Applause.) There is nothing I can say that will fill the sudden hole torn in your hearts. But know this: The hopes of a nation are here tonight. We mourn with you for the fallen. We join you in your grief. And we add our faith to yours that Representative Gabrielle Giffords and the other living victims of this tragedy will pull through. (Applause.)

JATRAN's Convenience Factor

"Don't let it be gone already," I repeated to myself, like a mantra, whizzing down State Street to meet photographer Amile Wilson. I'd spent a little more time than I'm willing to admit trying to figure the schedule out. "This seemed a lot easier in Chicago," I mumbled.

Political Tweets

A good way to get information about what is going on at the state Legislature is to follow lawmakers who are using social media to reach their constituents and sending updates in real time.

Teaching The Truth

Next year, for the first time, Mississippi will require all social-studies teachers to teach the history of civil rights in the state. The requirement will come more than five years after state lawmakers initially approved the curriculum change.

Ellington