News

Sleep Inn Opens, New Downtown Hotel Pitched

The LEAD Group, a Jackson-based team of 12 African American investors, completed its first development project yesterday with the opening of a Sleep Inn & Suites in downtown Jackson. The 67-room hotel is located between Pearl, Pascagoula and Gallatin streets, where investors hope it will attract visitors from downtown and Jackson State University.

Chism Links Democratic Gains to Demographics

Political consultant Brad Chism predicts future Democratic gains in Mississippi, despite losses in the Nov. 2 elections, if Republicans continue to alienate minority voters over the next few decades.

Chaney Nichols

For Chaney Nichols, there is no better place to have a rock showcase than a hollowed out 1939 theater in the heart of Jackson.

Something for Everyone This Weekend

Kick off your weekend tonight with a wide choice of events. At 7 p.m., Ballet Magnificat's "A Christmas Dream" at Thalia Mara Hall is sure to get the entire family into a Christmas state of mind. Tickets run from $10 to $30. Call 601-977-1001. Also starting at 7 p.m., and at the other end of the cultural spectrum, the Esperanza Plantation Holiday Showcase at the Pix-Capri Theatre includes music by Tommy Bryan Ledford, Wooden Finger, Colour Revolt and more. Admission is $15. Where's the best place to start your search for things to do in Jackson? The JFP Best Bets page, of course.

Kemper Coal Plant Controversy Rises at Ground Breaking

As Gov. Haley Barbour, state leaders and officials from the Mississippi Development Authority celebrated the groundbreaking of a $2.4 billion coal plant in Kemper County yesterday, the Gulf Restoration Network and the Sierra Club flew an airplane banner over the event reading: "Dirty Expensive Unnecessary."

Metrocenter Renewal to Kick Off

Developer David Watkins says that his plans to renovate parts of Metrocenter Mall are unaffected by a last-minute rescue from foreclosure and the collapse of a proposed deal with Jackson Public Schools.

Wicker Opposes Bill With His Earmarks

Mississippi's Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker said yesterday that he is not supporting a proposed $1.2 trillion spending bill because it is filled with earmark spending although he inserted more earmarks into the bill than almost any other senator.

James Anderson

James Anderson stands in front of a large Christmas tree, adjusts his scarf and gets into character while he reads Truman Capote's "A Christmas Memory." This holiday tradition is one Anderson has performed for nearly a decade.

Hood Announces DIRECTV Settlement

Jackson, MS--Attorney General Jim Hood and the Attorneys General of 48 other states today are announcing that DIRECTV will pay $13.25 Million to settle consumer protection allegations. The states alleged that the satellite TV provider engaged in deceptive and unfair sales practices. The State of Mississippi will receive $185,000.00 of the total settlement.

Ghosts of Frank Melton

Leave it to Frank Melton to live among strangeness even after his death.

Utility Pushes Back on Power-Saving

Mississippi Power Company wants a proposed statewide energy-efficiency plan evaluated based on its cost to ratepayers rather than its long-term savings—a move critics say is a contrast to its desire to have ratepayers fund its own coal-plant expansion.

Respect for the City

Campaign adviser and lobbyist Quentin Whitwell is looking to get his own campaign moving this year. Whitwell, 38, announced to supporters last month that he plans to run for the Ward 1 Jackson City Council seat that Councilman Jeff Weill will vacate in January to take his seat as a judge in Hinds County Circuit Court.

JPS' Special-Education Problem

Jackson Public Schools has trouble with special education, but it's hardly unique. The district's failure to provide adequate services to students with emotional and behavioral disorders came to light earlier this month with the release of a Nov. 22 state-agency finding.

The JFP Interview with Carolyn Meyers

Carolyn Meyers was born a tinkerer. The worst spanking she can remember was the consequence of her taking apart a clock radio her mother had just bought.

New Challenges

Carolyn Meyers doesn't look much like her predecessor at Jackson State University, Ronald Mason, on paper or in person. The tall, arguably aloof Mason was not a researcher by training, having received his bachelor's and law degrees from Columbia University.

Pamela Nail

In between shuffling her 9-year-old son home from school and making last-minute calls to plan a charity event at the Mississippi Children's Home Services, Pamela Nail stops to reflect about her passion to inspire and motivate others.

Lumumba Defends Minority Contract Push

Instead of pushing for an investigation of Council President Frank Bluntson's use of city employees during last night's Jackson City Council meeting, Ward 2 Councilman Chowke Lumumba defended his push for minority contracts.

Scott Sisters Appear Before Parole Board

Investigations into the pardon petition for sisters Jamie and Gladys Scott have concluded, and the request for their release now awaits Gov. Haley Barbour's decision.

Japanese Percussionist Performs Tonight

Each time Japanese percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani performs, he experiments with sound. "I don't describe my music. It is a unique experience each time, not categorized or placed within any boundaries," he says.

City Issues Boil Water Notice

Verbatim statement:Due to two recent water main breaks, one located on Woody Drive and one located at 1539 Woodburn Street, the City of Jackson Water/Sewer Utilities Division has issued a precautionary boil water advisory until further notice for the following areas:

Judge: Entergy Overcharged Customers

Read the ruling (PDF)

A Federal Energy Regulatory Commission judge ruled last week that Entergy Corporation has been selling overpriced energy to Mississippi customers.

New Bistro; Grants

Parveen Kapoor, a native of Delhi, India, came to Jackson seven years ago after a stint managing restaurants in Japan. He worked at Spice Avenue as a manager for over a year before leaving to open his own Quizno's franchise on Old Fannin Road in Brandon.

Anton Gunn

A common question people ask U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Regional Director Anton Gunn is how to sort through the misinformation surrounding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Mississippi Launches Broadband Website

A new state website provides Mississippians information about broadband technology and allows them to test the speed of their Internet service. The site also provides information about various state initiatives to improve access to broadband.

Corps Will Consider Lake Plan

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Senior Project Manager Gary Walker assured the local levee board this morning that the Corps will consider a smaller, one-lake plan in an upcoming feasibility study.

Council to Vote on Bluntson Investigation

The Jackson City Council is set to decide tomorrow whether to launch an investigation of Council President Frank Bluntson's use of city employees to campaign for his daughter-in-law, who lost a bid for Madison County Court judge Nov. 2.

Community Events and Public Meetings

Gifts and Supplies Drive, at Genesis & Light Center (350 N. Mart Plaza). Genesis & Light Center is seeking gift donations for children who participate in their educational assistance/mentoring program as well as supplies for their organization. Please contact the office for a list of requested items. The deadline for donations is Dec. 13; call 601-362-6736.

Daniel MacGregor

If you see Daniel MacGregor around Jackson carrying a painting of a red skyline, don't be surprised if he asks you to hold it while he takes your photograph.

What's All the Fuss About Top Tax Rates Going Up?

The national conversation on our fiscal health for the past few months has been about whether to extend the Bush-era tax cuts for households with incomes over $250,000, or to allow them to expire on December 31st. To my amazement, lost in all this controversy and discussion has been any mention of what this would really mean for high-income people in the context of historical tax rates.

Former Melton Home Reopens, Owner Defends Plans

The former home of the late Mayor Frank E. Melton and the young men he invited to live with him there exhibits little evidence still of Melton's presence except for the "Bottom Line" basement game room with a red pool table, a glass-fronted cabinet filled with liquor bottles, and a small shrine to Melton sitting amid Christmas lights and holiday greenery. To the left on the shrine shelf sits an undated United Minority Media Association Inc. "Development Award" presented to "Frank E. Melton, President, TV-3 Inc., Jackson, Mississippi" for "National Youth Management." To the right is a framed printout of cartoonist Marshall Ramsey's goodbye cartoon to Melton, along with Melton's city business card and his Jackson Police Department ID signed by then-Chief Shirlene Anderson.

Ellington