News

A Plan for Change

Otha Burton may be one of the newest appointees to the Jackson Public Schools board, but he is a veteran of city government. Burton served as chief administrative officer for Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr., during Johnson's first two terms as mayor, from 1999 through 2005.

Betty Fortenberry

If anyone you know gave birth at Woman's Hospital at River Oaks over the past 25 years, chances are they crossed paths with Betty Fortenberry.

City Addresses Complete Smoking Ban

Restaurant Zydeco is a place where you can get delicious crawfish pie. It is also one of the few restaurants in the city where you can still smoke, so long as you sit in the bar area. Zydeco General Manager Patrick Barnes is confident his restaurant is obeying city codes—only it isn't.

Judge Ditches Post for Tea Party

Former state Supreme Court Justice Kay Cobb has suspended her duties as a substitute judge while she organizes the Oxford Tea Party.

Kemper Plant on Commission Agenda

The Mississippi Public Service Commission meets today in a closed-door session regarding Mississippi Power's proposed Kemper County coal plant, reports The Washington Examiner. In November, the commission determined Mississippi Power demonstrated a need for additional power plants, however they have not made a decision on whether the Kemper County plant is best for the state. The plant is estimated at $2.2 to $2.4 billion.

MEMA Helps Coordinate Services for Tornado Victims, Volunteers

Verbatim Statement from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency regarding services for tornado victims:

House Faces ‘Pointless' Abortion Bill, More

The Mississippi House of Representatives return to Jackson tomorrow to deal with the last remaining items of business in its 2010 legislative session, after a fierce battle over what several House Democrats are calling a pointless anti-abortion bill. House lawmakers came to the Capitol Saturday to deal with motions to reconsider on two major appropriations bills made in retaliation for Public Health Committee Chairman Rep. Steve Holland's refusal to bring an abortion funding bill before the committee.

Oil Spill Threatens Mississippi Seafood, Tourism

Gov. Haley Barbour declared today a "day of prayer" to commemorate the Mississippians who died in an April 20 explosion on a Gulf BP oil rig, but third generation ferry pilot and Ship Island Excursions CEO Louis Skrmetta suggested the state keep praying for relief from the damage still on the way.

Business Round Up

Jamie Woods, 36, wants to help small businesses succeed. On May 10, the Jackson Chamber of Commerce will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony for her new venture, J Woods Public Relations. Woods spent the last 10 years marketing behavioral health services for Pioneer Health Inc. and its physical therapy division, Medicomp Physical Therapy.

Jordan Mohr

Determined to rebuild the lives of Mississippians who are coping with the aftermath of a devastating tornado, Americorps National Civilian Community Corps member Jordan Mohr arrived in Yazoo City this morning prepared to help assess damages and sort through the rubble.

Barbour Declares Day of Prayer

Gov. Haley Barbour has declared today a "day of prayer" to commemorate the Mississippians who suffered losses in Saturday's tornadoes and last week's oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. Mississippi counts 10 of the 12 deaths reported from tornados that ripped across nine southern states Saturday, and in the aftermath of an explosion on a Gulf BP oilrig on April 20, 11 workers remain missing and are presumed dead.

School Cuts Gay Student Photo from Yearbook

Also see: Ceara's Season, Adam Lynch's interview with Ceara Sturgis' family

Appliance Rebates Provide Economic Boost

Con "Cowboy" Maloney, co-owner of the only local electronic and appliance dealership, Cowboy Maloney's Electric City, says the new State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program is a boon to the local economy.

James Green

It was almost midnight May 14, 1970, when James Green, 17, made his way home from his after-school job at a grocery store, cutting through the chaotic and racially charged Jackson State University campus. Throughout the day, students peacefully protested the Vietnam War, and unequal rights of blacks but after false rumors of the assassination of Mississippi Mayor Charles Evers, brother of murdered civil-rights activist Medgar Evers, members of the community joined students on Lynch Street and started rioting.

Community Events and Public Meetings

9 a.m.-6 p.m., Mississippi Afterburner Jet Rally at John Bell Williams Airport (4100 Airport Road, Bolton). See radio-controlled jet and unmanned aerial vehicle demonstrations. The event is part of Radio Controlled/Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (RC/UAV) Aviation Week. Refreshments will be available, and all proceeds go to the Hinds Community College Aviation Scholarship program. $5 per car; call 601-857-3884 or 601-857-3300.

Fairgrounds Setup for Tornado Victim Donations

Officials are accepting donations for nonperishable food and bottled water at the Mississippi fairgrounds to assist victims of Saturday's tornados, reports The Sun Herald. The state Department of Agriculture opened the fairgrounds yesterday to receive aid.

Mayor and Police Chief Announce Police Task Force

Verbatim Statement: At a press conference this afternoon, Mayor Johnson and Jackson Police Chief Rebecca Coleman announced the implementation of Operation H.E.R.O. (High Enforcement and Response Operation). Operation H.E.R.O. will involve Jackson Police in partnership with the Hinds County Sheriff's Department, ATF's (Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms) Cease Fire Unit, MBN (MS Bureau of Narcotics), HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force) and JET (Jackson Enforcement Team) in an effort to curb street level drug sales and related crimes.

EPA Alleges Treatment Plant Violations

City Attorney Pieter Teeuwissen confirmed at a public forum this morning that the Environmental Protection Agency has informed the city of possible water-quality violations at the city's wastewater treatment plant. "We have a sewage treatment plant in south Jackson that was designed to treat 50 million gallons (of wastewater) a day. It went online in 1989, under (Mayor Dale) Danks' administration. That plant started exceeding its capacity within a year. Now we're 20 years down, and we're still exceeding capacity," Teeuwissen told a crowd of about 70 at Koinonia Coffeehouse's Friday Forum. "The EPA has brought to the city's attention various alleged violations including the amount of sludge in the south Jackson sewage lagoons."

Georgia Cohran

By auctioning lunch dates with local celebrities like civil-rights legend James Meredith, Ward 2 Councilman Chowke Lumumba and Miss Jackson State University Christen Scott, Georgia Cohran hopes to raise money for educational and art opportunities for children in Jackson.

Jackson Ad Firm Featured in Book

The Ramey Agency has plenty to brag about. The Jackson-based branding and marketing firm boasts an impressive roster of clients, from Viking Range, to Millsaps College, to the Mississippi Museum of Art. Now, Ramey has one more accolade to add to its already full trophy shelf--a spot in "Where We Work," a book published by Harper Collins that showcases inspiring interior designs from workplaces around the world.

Parolee Arrested for Barrett Killing

Around 6 p.m. yesterday, police arrested Vincent McGee, 22, for the slaying of white supremacist Richard Barrett. McGee, on supervised release for assaulting a police officer and grand larceny in 2007, lived with this mother just a few doors down from Barrett in Pearl, and had done yard work for him.

White Supremacist's Death Investigated as Homicide

The Rankin County Sheriff's Department is investigating white supremacist and lawyer Richard Barrett's death as a homicide, the Associated Press reported today. Rankin County officials discovered Barrett's body this morning at his home in Pearl, following a house fire. Rankin County Sheriff Ronni Pennington was not immediately available for comment.

Barbour Calls Special Session

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour called a special session this afternoon to consider increasing the amount that state, county and municipal employees pay toward retirement. Barbour, who made the announcement about three hours before the special session began, said he wants K-12 and college teachers and government employees to pay 9 percent of their paychecks toward retirement, instead of the current 7.25 percent, in order to save $56 million in the general fund and another $20 million in municipalities and county governments.

Anti-Abortion Resolution Holds Little Weight

A senate resolution suspending a January legislative deadline for bills to be introduced, afforded Sen. Alan Nunnelee, R-Tupelo, the opportunity to include language to stop federal funds from funding voluntary abortion in the state, which the House passed today in an 80 to 33 vote. Several legislators, however, say the resolution is purely symbolic.

City Unveils Urban Garden

On the corner of Capitol and Adams Streets, city work crews and volunteers are busy transforming an empty lot into a community garden that will provide fresh produce and a sense of community for residents.

JPD Building Habitat House, Battling Burglaries

The Jackson Police Department is adding construction to its list of responsibilities. Along with the Jackson Fire Department, JPD will contribute volunteers to the construction of a Habitat house on Winn Street in south Jackson. Construction should take eight working days and wrap up by May 18, Habitat special projects manager Maureen Wishkoski said. The Winn Street house will be the 465 house built by the metro Jackson chapter of Habitat for Humanity, making it among the top 20 most active chapters in the country.

Brian Cicero

From the East Coast to Jackson by way of Texas, Brian Cicero was a luminary within the BRAVO! kitchen. Brian, 38, passed away in his sleep Saturday, April 17. Later, doctors discovered that he had a heart condition. As his family pastor said during the memorial service: "Brian went to sleep Saturday night, and the Lord called him home."

State Senate Kills Jobless Benefits Proposal

The Mississippi Senate Finance Committee yesterday defeated a bill proposing to extend unemployment benefits to citizens who have less than six-to-12 months on the job, reports NEMS360.com. Currently, the state calculates benefit eligibility using the first four of five quarters of the calendar year preceding an unemployment claim, and workers need to have worked at least two of those quarters.

Grading the Lawmakers

Political and community activist Rims Barber released a 2010 political report card grading legislators based on their votes for 10 progressive bills that filed through the 2010 legislative session before it temporarily recessed in March.

Legislators Eye State Budget

The Mississippi Legislature was back in action April 20 to approve a $5.5 billion fiscal-year 2011 budget and the re-authorization of the Mississippi Department of Employment Security.

Ellington