News

Meeting the Monster in the Gulf

The plane's engine roars as it idles on the runway last Wednesday, July 14. The four propellers on the Army National Guard's C-130 blasted waves of suffocatingly humid Mississippi July air at former Gov. William Winter and me as we board the plane.

Amy Andress

Amy Andress' life motto is modeled after Genesis 50:20. "Even though people want to harm you, God will take what happened to you and turn it into good so that you can help others with what you learned," she says. "There is a purpose for everything that you go through."

Burns Execution Set for Today

The state is set to execute death-row inmate Joseph Daniel "JoJo" Burns this evening at 6 p.m.

Burns, who is in a holding cell at Parchman, filed a clemency request with the governor's office last week, asking for a delay so that he could undergo a mental evaluation. The governor's office has not officially responded to the request.

JPS to Move to Metrocenter?

This story was updated at 6:54 p.m.

Jackson developer David Watkins presented a proposition to relocate the entirety of JPS administration to the Metrocenter Mall during tonight's Jackson Public Schools Board meeting.

Itawamba Lesbian Teen: ‘It Was Pretty Bad'

Itawamba County Agricultural High School student Constance McMillen says she is relieved by the Itawamba County School District's offer of $35,000 for damages plus court costs, and adoption of an anti-discriminatory policy on sexual preference or gender identity.

Broadband, Food On The Go

InLine, a Birmingham-based technology company, is set to install a high-speed fiber network that will connect 16 counties to high-speed Internet in southern and central Mississippi.

Lianne Takemori

When her colleagues needed a creative solution for an exhibit or a workshop, Mississippi Museum of Art curator Lianne Takemori would go out of her way to help no matter how busy she was.

Fish Wash Up on Mississippi Shore

Thousands of small dead fish have washed up on shore in Gulfport, The Sun Herald reported today.

Anderson Attacks County Spending In Jackson

Hinds County departments should not spend money in the city of Jackson, Supervisor Doug Anderson said at a meeting this morning. Anderson made the claim after learning that county public works employees had mowed grass along Highway 18 in Jackson last week at the request of District 3 Supervisor Peggy Calhoun.

Paige Still Discourages School Unionization

Former U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige said this morning that he has not changed his mind on what he considers the negative impact of teacher's unions like the National Education Association.

Community Events and Public Meetings

10 a.m., Disaster Preparedness Expo for Senior Citizens at Jackson Medical Mall (350 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave.), in the UMC Conference Center. Topics include: Where to go if your home is uninhabitable; how and where to get medication; and well as who to contact for social services. Call 601-352-2269 to RSVP.

Sandra Peterson Lott

The moment Sandra Peterson Lott sits down with her lunch, I sense her comforting nature. She has an hour-long lunch break from her duties as a pediatric nurse, but she ignores her food to talk about her passion: ministering to children and unwed mothers.

Mabus: Time for New Gulf Economy

U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus met with representatives from Mississippi universities and colleges Friday to gather information on the economic and environmental recovery of the Coast following the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster.

Willis Trial Postponed

Hinds County Circuit Court has postponed a malicious prosecution lawsuit filed by Cedric Willis, Jackson city attorney Pieter Teeuwissen said today.

Oil Leak Stopped, Coast Elated but Cautious

With the leak from the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig temporarily stopped, Gulf Coast residents are breathing a sigh of relief. BP officials announced yesterday that the company had managed to cap the leaking well for the first time since April 20.

This Weekend: Operation Chill

After this long, hot week you're probably in the mood to chill, so head over to calm and cool Lemuria Books (202 Banner Hall, 4465 Interstate 55 N.) for copy of the thriller "Rasputin's Legacy" signed by author Troy Carnes, at 5 p.m. If you stick around, Carnes will be sure to have you shaking in your sweaty shirt with a reading at 5:30 p.m. Continue your evening in the literary vein when New Stage Theatre's Broadway Junior Summer Camp Intensive performs "Beauty and the Beast, Jr.," at 7:30 p.m. tonight and tomorrow, and at 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for children 12 and under. Afterward, head over to Burgers & Blues in Ridgeland where you can fill your belly with burgers, and listen to Adam Perry and Chris Derrick perform from 7 to 11 p.m. while you dine. Then, go dance off your recent caloric intake at Africa Book CafÃ(c) at their Afrikan Funkadelic Friday that goes from 8 p.m.-1 a.m. with DJ Redcley.

Marlena Duncan

Marlena Duncan sounds more like the star of an action movie than a dancer when talks about her craft. "I enjoy the adrenaline, the fear, the surprise and the delight of entertaining people," she says.

Burns Asks Barbour to Delay Execution

Attorneys representing death-row inmate Joseph Daniel Burn are asking Gov. Haley Barbour to delay Burn's July 21 execution date, The Associated Press reported today.

MPB Cancels ‘Fresh Air' for ‘Inappropriate Content'

Updated 5:15 p.m. (See the full statement from MPB Executive Director Judy Lewis in comments below.)

Construction Begins for Medical Mall Housing Development

Officials from the Jackson Medical Mall Foundation, the city of Jackson, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Mississippi Development Authority gathered this morning to break ground on a new, energy-efficient neighborhood near the Jackson Medical Mall.

Calhoun, Developer Spar Over Hinds TIF

The developer of a south Jackson housing development is asking Hinds County to support infrastructure developments, but at least one supervisor remains skeptical of the request. Clarence Chapman, principal of Oxford-based Chartre Consulting, appeared before the board of supervisors this morning to discuss his request for tax increment financing, or TIF, funds for infrastructure around the Timber Falls subdivision.

Richard Lawrence

Richard Lawrence loves everything about stage performances--from bringing cast members together to the creativity that stems from acting.

Suit Filed Against ‘Personhood' Initiative

A Jackson attorney and two organizations filed a July 6 lawsuit to block a 2011 voter initiative that would designate that life begins at conception in the state constitution, the Associated Press reported yesterday.

Give Me Shelter: Protecting Animals, Prosecuting Abusers

The mutt turned up in the Providence Madison subdivision one day in early October 2009 . A black and tan hound mix, around 7 months old, she was skittish around the neighborhood(tm)s residents. She cowered if a human tried to pet her, tucking her tail between her legs, even urinating. Some residents began feeding her, though, leaving dog food on the road for her to eat.

Stokes Addresses Alleged Personal-Care Home Abuse

On Tuesday, Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes proposed a new ordinance imposing fines and jail time for people found guilty of neglect or mistreatment of residents of small nursing homes, often referred to as "personal-care homes."

Mayor Hypes Restarted Housing Project

Tucked into Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr.'s July 7 State of the City address was the news that a 26.7-acre housing development previously held up by a lawsuit is now back on track. Johnson's speech highlighted a number of well-known economic-development projects in varying states of completion, but it also indicated that the Agape housing project in northwest Jackson has cleared a major obstacle.

Willie Mae Shirley

At first sight, one wouldn't suspect that the freshly painted home of Willie Mae Shirley has been standing since 1926. The home, located on Shirley Avenue in the Washington Addition subdivision, is filled with memories from friends and family in the form of pictures, furniture and gifts. An inviting walkway lined with brightly colored marigolds leads to the home's front porch.

Council Re-Elects Prez and Targets Profiling

The Jackson City Council voted to retain current council President Frank Bluntson and Vice President Charles Tillman after a lightning-fast roll call during Tuesday's council meeting.

UMMC to Lead Alzheimer's Study

The University of Mississippi Medical Center will lead a comprehensive $26 million study to identify risk factors for Alzheimer's disease and other forms of cognitive decline. Funded through a grant from the National Institutes of Health, the medical center joins four other research centers to conduct the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities neurocognitive study by examining thousands of patients using brain testing and imaging.

PEER Peering into Levee Board

The legislative Joint Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review is investigating the process by which the Rankin-Hinds Pearl Flood and Drainage Control District Levee Board settled on a recent decision for flood control for the Pearl River.

Ellington