News

It's Labor Day Weekend, Relax

Kick off Labor Day weekend by heading to Farish Street tonight for the Farish Street Heritage Festival. This event continues through Saturday with performances by 601, Big V Walker, Eddie Cotton, Cupid and Sugar Foot's Ohio Players on the main stage. Gates open at 4 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the gate. For a complete lineup visit the event's website. If you want to get fit, head the Adult Hip Hop Dance Classes at the northeast Jackson Courthouse Racquet and Fitness Club; Admission is $5 for ages 16 and older. If you are in the mood for live music, see "Ms. Sweetheart Jackie Bell" at Poet's II. Fenian's features a free performance by Jedi Clampett at 9 p.m. For more music options, visit JFP Music Listings.

Maddow Fact Checks Barbour's Version of History

Rachel Maddow, host of "The Rachel Maddow Show" reported last night that Gov. Haley Barbour exaggerated his claims of attending integrated schools in Mississippi.

BP Funded Microbe Study

Last week, major news outlets ran with headlines about how scientist have found a new microbe eating up BP's oil and how microbes have degraded the hydrocarbons so efficiently that the vast plumes of oil in the Gulf area now undetectable. No joke.

Crime Drops, Officers Reinstated

Read the most recent crime statistics.

Amber Boardman

A distorted picture of Amber Boardman appears on the screen as the sound of distant voices accompany a melody of instruments. In her video "I Wish I Could See You," the voices, longing and nostalgic, are voicemails from friends and family that she has transformed into a work of art.

DMR Sample Finds Majority of Oysters Dead

When Mississippi Department of Marine Resources officials dredged a sample of oysters from the Pass Christian Harbor yesterday, approximately 80 to 90 percent of those oysters were dead, The Sun Herald reported yesterday.

JRA Considers Latin Festival, Parking Robots

The city of Jackson may host a new Latin and Caribbean-culture festival in September if the Jackson Redevelopment Authority and Novia Communication & Media Group can agree on using Union Station and Union Marketplace as its venue.

Council Round Up

At the Aug. 24 Jackson City Council meeting, council members voted and passed several actions.

Communication, Please

Melvin Priester Sr. believes better communication can make the Hinds County judiciary more efficient.

There's Oil In Them Trees

In a special session Aug. 27, the Mississippi Legislature passed a $45 million bond issue that will allow the state to loan $75 million to KiOR, a Houston-based startup that converts biomass into a crude-oil substitute.

State Of The Coast

Betty Maerker often visits Ocean Springs' shoreline right before a storm, where she watches the waves rise and fall, and gathers her thoughts. But for the past five years, her trips to the beach have reminded her of what her community lost in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Farish Gathering Touts Hope

Listen to audio from the forum (63.3 MB)

Hinds Judge in the Hot Seat

Houston Patton may have a busy docket as Hinds County Court judge, but he must also contend with an increasing number of cases that feature him as a defendant.

Gene Young

Photographs and newspaper clippings from the civil-rights era surround Dr. Gene Young as he tries to remember just how many times police have shackled him in handcuffs. One side of his T-shirt bears a portrait of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the other side, President Barack Obama. He pauses and chews on a toothpick.

Standard Life Re-opens Today

After undergoing a $33.5 million restoration, the 1929 Standard Life Building on Roach Street in downtown Jackson re-opens its doors today to new residents.

No Place to Keep Curfew Violators, Chief Says

Jackson Police Department Chief Rebecca Coleman warned Jackson City Council members yesterday that renewing the city's curfew for minors raises a series of issues, including where to house offenders.

Openings, Closings and Layoffs

As part of a strategic-planning process, Baptist Medical Center has slashed its expenses by nearly $18 million, including a net reduction of roughly 200 jobs. Over the past four months, the hospital system has saved $13 million by renegotiating contracts with suppliers and cutting or outsourcing certain services, but it had to cut salary costs to reach its $18 million goal, spokesman Robby Channell said today.

Robin Dietrick

The last year has been a busy one for Robin Dietrick, who has gone from knowing little about Japan's influence on American artists and culture, to organizing and compiling a book devoted to it.

State Wasting Money on Well?

Mississippi Department of Transportation's decision to drill a $390,000 well in downtown Jackson to supply water for government buildings is a "duplication of services," city of Jackson spokesman Chris Mims said today.

Downtown Group Questions Liquor Store

A group of downtown residents are questioning if a proposed liquor store in the Old Capitol Green mixed-use district meets sustainable building requirements.

Community Events and Public Meetings

10 a.m., "Jump Start Revenue Growth Through International Trade" Webinar at mississippi.org/webinars. The event will provide valuable information to companies interested in international trade and will include a discussion on real opportunities for businesses to grow revenue through international trade. Registration is required. Free; call 601-960-3610 or 601-353-0909.

Delwyn Thornton

Calling Delwyn Thornton "handy" is like calling Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt "quick." The Brandon resident, co-owner of Soles & Heels boot and shoe repair shop in Brandon, is a fast and precise craftsman, as he showed recently by winning the 2010 North American IRWIN Tools Ultimate Tradesman Challenge.

Few Governors Present at Oil Spill Meeting

Only two governors were present at a Gulf oil spill panel during the Southern Governors' Association annual meeting yesterday with claims czar Kenneth Feinberg.

Crowded Agenda for Special Session

State lawmakers will work fast today in a special session of the Mississippi Legislature. The agenda includes tackling a major economic development project, a ban on synthetic marijuana and approval of a casino project in D'Iberville. Before noon, the House of Representatives passed a bill setting a 6 p.m. deadline today for all work during the special session.

Highway 80 Redesign To Spur Development

Nina Holbrook, executive director of the Metrocenter Area Coalition, said at a public forum today that the Coalition's plans for the U.S. Highway 80 corridor includes a redesign of the area to spur economic development.

David Hasselhoff

Former "Baywatch" star David Hasselhoff may not have the same physique of his youthful years, but as the host of tonight's "The Gulf is Back" television special, his job is to convince a national audience that Mississippi's Coast isn't coated in oil.

Dancing, Books and Brunch

Tonight, go put on your dancing shoes and head to Fondren Corner (2906 N. State St.) for Salsa Mississippi's Latin Rooftop Dance Party at 8 p.m., $10. The weather looks to be perfect for an evening of dancing under the stars. If sitting and listening to music is more your style, make your way to Hal & Mal's (200 Commerce St.) for the Jason Turner Band's album-release party. For more music options, check out the JFP Music Listings.

Katrina Memorial Event Set For Sunday

Gov. Haley Barbour and first lady Marsha Barbour will host the state's Hurricane Katrina memorial event Sunday, Aug. 29 in Gulfport, on the storm's five-year anniversary.

Barbour Gives Details on Bio-Fuels Plant

A Houston-based company manufacturing a crude-oil substitute from timber has picked Mississippi to locate its first three production facilities, Gov. Haley Barbour announced at a press conference this afternoon. Barbour has called a special legislative session tomorrow to authorize an economic incentive package for the start-up company, KiOR.

Downtown Development Features ‘Green' Garage

An automated parking garage with robot valets is one of the features of a $27 million proposed parking structure and communal air-conditioning unit to accommodate the $1.3 billion Old Capitol Green development in downtown Jackson.

Ellington