News

Jonathan Faulkner

When asked where he went to high school, 17-year-old Jonathan Faulkner pauses. "Can you have a list?" he asks, laughing.

Water Pressure Restored, Boil Water Through Weekend

City workers have restored water pressure to all parts of the city, Mayor Harvey Johnson said at a press conference this afternoon. Johnson said that crews have successfully bypassed the section of 54-inch water line that failed last night, triggering a drop in water pressure across the city. Workers were able to determine the source of the failure: a cap on the water main, which is part of an unfinished section connecting the city's O.B. Curtis and J.H. Fewell water plants.

Most Businesses Prepared for Water Issues

Most Jackson businesses are well-prepared for low or nonexistent water pressure, having weathered a nearly week-long crisis in January. Most restaurants are open and hospitals are maintaining regular operations with a few adjustments.

Larisa Mann

Larisa Mann laughs when asked to describe what she does for a living. As a student earning her doctorate at the University of California at Berkley's law school and a writer, Mann, also known as DJ Ripley, has reason to pause.

Oil in MS Sound; Cap Back On

Officials confirmed yesterday that a large patch of oil, about a mile long and two hundred yards wide, came through Dog Keys Pass into the Mississippi Sound, catching oil spotters by surprise, reports The Sun Herald.

City Working on Water Main; Boil Notice in Effect

Verbatim statement 6/24/10

Citizens on the City of Jackson's Surface Water System may be experiencing low water pressure or no water at all this morning as crews work to repair a major 54-inch water main that is connected to the O.B. Curtis Water Treatment Plant this morning.

Commissioners Deny Barbour's Influence

Mississippi Sierra Club Director Louie Miller says that a letter from Gov. Haley Barbour to the Public Service Commission asking it to approve an experimental coal plant in Kemper County may have had an unseemly impact on Public Service Commissioners Leonard Bentz' and Lynn Posey's decision to increase the plant's construction-cost cap by $480 million at the request of Mississippi Power Company.

JPS Facing $9M Budget Hole

The Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees met yesterday to address a possible $9 million budget shortfall for the upcoming school year. With lower tax collections, rising debt-service obligations and reduced state funding, the district may need to request a property tax increase from the city to fill gaps in the 2010-2011 budget.

MDE Submits Proposal to Makeover State Schools

On June 1, the Mississippi Department of Education sent a 500-page Race To The Top proposal to radically transform the state's educational system to Washington, D.C. Mississippi's entry in the federal grant program proposes performance pay for teachers, a state board exam system and new specialized academies, but the ambitious plan depends on getting nearly $175 million from the federal government.

Melvin Priester Jr.

You might see Melvin Priester Jr. around Jackson in his family's law office or working on his father's campaign to become a Hinds County Court judge for Sub-District 1. You also might see him riding his bike (his only mode of transportation), working the door for a local concert, deejaying a party or promoting Cross-Pollinate, a local lecture series he formed to bring artists from various parts of the country to Jackson.

Moratorium-Blocking Judge Owns Drilling Stock

Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman lifted the Obama administration's six-month moratorium on new deep-water drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. The judge, however, owns stock in numerous oil and drilling interests, and may well have a conflict of interest, reports Politics Daily.

Shortfalls Overshadow City Savings

Read the city's budget proposal

Community Input Sought For ‘Cola Plant' Redesign

Community members will gather Wednesday night to discuss whether the old Coca-Cola plant could be a new sign of hope for Highway 80.

Jennifer Lake Adelsheimer

When Jennifer Lake Adelsheimer switched her career path, she had no idea that decision would take her aboard cruise ships, to Disney World and ultimately land her a job as Broad Street Baking Company's pastry chef.

Republican Primary Runoff Vote Today

Voters in Mississippi's second congressional district go back to the polls this morning to choose the Republican candidate who will challenge Democratic incumbent Rep. Bennie Thompson for his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in November. On the ballot are Bill Marcy, 64, of Meridian, and Richard Cook, 51, of Byram. Marcy took the majority of primary votes June 1, however the difference was a single vote, reports The Sun Herald.

IHL Report Predicts Moderate Recovery

The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning released a report today indicating that another downturn in the national economic recession is unlikely, and that Mississippi's recovery is showing a slight improvement.

Doing Good: Health Help for Kids

The Mississippi Health Advocacy Program estimates that 120,000 Mississippi children have no health insurance, even though three-quarters qualify for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program. A new outreach project aims to remedy the state's low enrollment in those federal programs for low-income, uninsured families.

Ray Mabus

Describing Navy Secretary Ray Mabus as a "son of the Gulf," last week, President Barack Obama appointed Mabus, former governor of Mississippi, to oversee economic and environmental recovery for the Gulf Coast from the oil spill.

Community Events and Public Meetings

5 p.m., America Reads-Mississippi Member Recruitment, at Jackson State University (1400 John R. Lynch St.), at the Sally M. Barksdale Educational Resource Center. ARM members tutor full-time during the school day, before and after school, over breaks and in the summer. Members support school and community efforts to increase parental and community support and involvement, recruit volunteers and attend monthly training to gain skills necessary to meet service obligations. Members who successfully complete 1,700 hours in one year will receive the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award worth $5,350, which can be used to attend college and/or pay off current qualified student loans. Call 601-979-1474.

Feinberg: Emergency Payments a Priority

Speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press" yesterday, Kenneth Feinberg, appointed by President Barack Obama to administer BP's $20 billion escrow account for claims against the oil giant, said his immediate goal is to pay initial "emergency" payments to victims of the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf. Those payments, he said will not affect victims' ability to file future claims, reports The Wall Street Journal:

Barbour Welcomes BP Escrow Manager

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour praised Kenneth Feinberg today, for his ability to oversee a $20 billion escrow fund that BP agreed to set up to compensate Gulf State victims filing claims for losses due to the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Housing Authority, Medical Mall Make Homes Affordable

In an effort to rebuild local communities, The Jackson Medical Mall and Jackson Housing Authority are working to bring high-quality, affordable housing to Jackson residents.

Dancing, Dining, Music and More

If you haven't been to the 2010 USA International Ballet Competition, the competition continues through June 27. Saturday features a brunch at 11:30 a.m. at the Jackson Marriott. Tickets are $10 pus tax and tip and an advanced reservation is required. Call 601-355-9853 to RSVP. The second round of the competition starts Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Thalia Mara Hall, with performances Sunday at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. On Sunday, June 20, The Belhaven Center for Performing Arts presents the Edward Stierle Contemporary Showcase at 2 p.m., featuring performances by 25 dancers who weren't selected for the semifinals of the competition, with special guest performance from artist Brooklyn Mack. Tickets are $5 and all proceeds from the event benefit the Dancers Responding to AIDS program. Call 601-973-9249 for ticket information.

Brooke Wyatt Kuhne

When she was a young girl, Brooke Wyatt Kuhne says she was one of the USA International Ballet Competition's biggest fans but she never thought her passion for the arts would someday lead her to becoming the competition's artistic administrator.

Grant to Help Victims of Domestic and Sexual Assault

Victims of domestic violence can now receive extra legal assistance, counseling and protection thanks to a $157,950.00 grant awarded to the Mississippi Center for Police and Sheriffs. The Mississippi Department of Public Safety awarded the center with the one-year grant during a press conference at the Capital yesterday.

Sierra Club Takes Kemper Plant to Court

The Mississippi Sierra Club filed a lawsuit today in Harrison County Chancery court challenging a decision by two Mississippi Public Service Commissioners to reverse an earlier PSC decision capping expenses of a new $2.9 billion coal-burning power plant in Kemper County.

Jackson's Recovery Top 20 In Nation

Despite suffering its worst recession in three decades, Jackson's economy is recovering faster than many U.S. cities. Jackson was one of only 10 metropolitan areas in the country--almost all of them in the South--to experience positive job growth in the last quarter of 2009 and the first quarter of 2010, according to a report issued yesterday by the Brookings Institution.

Buck Abbey

Buck Abbey says he coined the phrase "green laws" in the '70s, although he did not know what a White Pine tree was before going to college. As a matter of fact, he happened upon landscape architecture and urban design by flipping through a Michigan State University catalogue and randomly opening to a page.

Wreckers Causing Burglaries

Read this week's crime report (PDF)

Toyota to Restart Blue Springs

Gov. Haley Barbour announced this morning that Toyota is moving forward to complete its Blue Springs plant in north Mississippi. Current plans call for the first cars to roll off the assembly lines in fall 2011.

Ellington