News

Martha Bergmark

When Martha Bergmark left a turbulent Mississippi in the 1960s, she had no plans to return. But at the top of a successful law career in Washington, D.C., she decided to return to her home state and improve the lives of others.

Thompson Provides State's Only Yes on Health-Care Reform

Of Mississippi's three Democratic representatives to the U.S. House, only Bennie Thompson of the state's second congressional district voted for H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Rep. Travis Childers, district 1, and Rep. Gene Taylor joined 26 other Democrats voting no. The bill was passed solely by Democrats in a 224-to-206 vote, reports The New York Times.

Haley Barbour: Heath Reform ‘Crammed' Down Americans' Throats

Also see: Immediate Effect of Health-Reform Bill

Shortly after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the historic health-reform bill, Gov. Haley Barbour released the following statement, verbatim:

Barbour Leads Anti-Health Reform Rhetoric

Gov. Haley Barbour and other opponents of health-care reform are making final efforts to derail an upcoming House vote on the Senate health-care package this Sunday.

St. Paddy's A Boon for the City

The roughly 70,000 visitors who will descend on Jackson this weekend for Mal's St. Paddy's Parade will bring more with them than green clothing and a strong thirst. The parade, now in its 28th year, has an overall economic impact of $6.8 million for the city, according to the Jackson Convention & Visitors Bureau. The crowds that gather downtown for the parade also spend money on hotels and food and other goods, giving many city businesses some of their most lucrative days of the year.

Events: Green and More Green This Weekend

It's time for Jackson's biggest citywide party, all centering on Mal's St. Paddy's Parade, which steps off at 1 p.m. Saturday at State and Court streets in downtown Jackson. Even if you're not a parade kind of person, venues all over are stockpiling their green beer and other Irish favorites. Fenian's is holding its annual two-day indoor-outdoor St. Patrick's block party, for example, Underground 119 is having a street party, and then there's the after-parade street party at Hal & Mal's. If you can still keep going, F. Jones Corner is hosting a late-night party until 4 a.m. Start your search for weekend goings-on with the St. Patty's Sched and if you don't see what you're looking for head to the JFP Events Calendar for even more options.

Charly Abraham

Charly Abraham knows how to throw a party and for the past 22 years, he has proved just that as the main organizer for Mal's St. Patty's Parade.

Bill Adds Teeth to Stalking Law

Sitting on Gov. Haley Barbour's desk this morning awaiting his signature is a bill designed to give Mississippi's stalking laws some bite. House bill 1309 revises and strengthens the definition of stalking and creates more appropriate penalties.

City Works to Cover $2.3 Million Shortfall

The city will look at savings within each department to cover a potential $2.3 million *shortfall in sales tax estimates for fiscal year 2010, Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. told council members today.

Mims: Budget Holds No Cuts to City Services

Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. will deliver a presentation to the city council at an afternoon committee meeting today that will entail a plan to cover budget shortfalls without cutting city staff or services, city spokesman Chris Mims said.

Jackson Police Battling Burglaries

Jackson police reported 226 crimes last week, up from 177 the previous week, according to crime statistics released at a Jackson Police Department command staff meeting this morning. Officers reported 190 property crimes, up from 144 the previous week, and 36 violent crimes, a slight increase from the 33 reported the week before. Auto burglary increases occurred in Precincts 2, 3 and 4 while house burglaries rose in Precincts 1, 3 and 4.

Keisha Varnell

When Keisha Varnell walks down the hallways of Lanier High School, she remembers what it was like to face peer pressure but admits today's students have it a lot harder. "The issues now are so much more intense and severe," Varnell says. "When I was coming through, we were worried about which shoes matched what pants, but now you have technology, cyber stalking and venues on Web sites that make it hard for students."

Mississippi to End HIV Segregation in Prisons

State Corrections Commissioner Christopher Epps announced yesterday that Mississippi will end its practice of separating male HIV-positive prisoners from other inmates beginning in May, reports WDAM. Mississippi currently houses 152 HIV-positive prisoners in a segregated unit in Parchman.

Medical Examiner Bill Sent To Barbour

The Mississippi Legislature has passed a bill that would require state medical examiners to be certified forensic pathologists. The House of Representatives today approved Senate changes to House Bill 1456, and the bill now awaits Gov. Haley Barbour's signature.

One Lake Instead of Two?

The Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District Levee Board is pressing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to take seriously a lake plan to coincide with a Corps-preferred levee expansion the board approved in December.

Strangulation, Security and Suffrage

Both chambers of the state Legislature spent the past week considering bills from the opposite chamber. The House amended Senate Bill 2923—a bill that expands domestic assault to include strangulation and requires a "cooling off" period between parties—to create the offense of attempted murder.

Free Speech or Bad Behavior?

A recent Jackson Police Department internal investigation is a prime example of the wild world of free speech in the Internet era. On March 10, the department released a statement acknowledging the investigation of an employee for "conduct unbecoming of an officer," during first lady Michelle Obama's March 3 visit to Jackson.

Lesbian Teen Fights for Prom

Constance McMillen unwraps a Super Sonic Burger from a bag full of tater tots at her kitchen table in Fulton. Her long, dark hair is curled, and her face is made up. She's wearing a new black T-shirt that reads "I (Heart) NY."

Revenue Estimates Down, Barbour to Announce Budget Cuts

With newly revised revenue estimates projecting a slow recovery for the state economy, Gov. Haley Barbour is preparing to cut an additional $41 million from the state budget for this fiscal year. The Mississippi Legislature's joint budget committee today adopted revised revenue estimates predicting a 6.3 percent drop in state revenue for the 2010 fiscal year and a 0.4 increase in 2011. Barbour told reporters that he thought the minimal growth predicted in 2011 was over-optimistic.

Stan Leflore

When defining his role in the renaissance of downtown Jackson, Stan Leflore, 56, feels he is as much a pioneer as his great, great, great-grandfather, Louis LeFleur, the French-Canadian explorer who discovered the bluff that would later become Jackson.

Barbour Signs Strip Club Bill

Gov. Haley Barbour signed a bill on March 15 giving rural counties authority to regulate strip clubs. House Bill 170 demands supervisors publish and post notice of any proposed ordinance change impacting strip clubs at least 20 days prior to the holding of a public hearing on the ordinance.

Baria: Barbour's Wind Pool Veto Raises Rates

Sen. David Baria, D-Bay St. Louis, successfully added an amendment to a bill by voice vote yesterday that continues the state's annual $20 million payment to the Mississippi Windstorm Underwriting Association Reinsurance Assistance Fund, also called the wind pool. The measure passed the Senate unanimously, reports The Sun Herald and is on its way to the House.

Jackson Chamber Eyeing Independence

The Jackson Chamber of Commerce, a subsidiary of the metro-area Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership, is planning to become an independent body to better advocate for the city's economic interests. A move to complete autonomy is probably more than a year away but the leaders of both organizations are working to develop a plan for separation, current Jackson Chamber Chairman Jonathan Lee said, this week.

Roderick Holmes

When Jackson Police Department Officer Roderick Holmes responded to an alarm call at Calvary Baptist Church in January, his training and skills came into play in apprehending a man who had broken into the church. As the intruder tried to flee the property, Holmes called for backup and with the help of other officers, he apprehended the suspect in a wooded area behind the church.

Horne LLP Under Fire Again

Jackson accounting firm Horne LLP faces criticism for the second time in two months after a Feb. 18 audit by the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General reported that the company billed Mississippi Emergency Management Agency an excessive amount of $7,751,445 for services that included paying employees up to $109 an hour to scan documents.

Silver Alert Legislation Awaits Barbour's Signature

Keeping our parents and grandparents safe is the goal of a Mississippi House bill creating a Silver Alert system. The system, based on Amber Alerts for children, will allow family members to report an elderly missing person quickly, ensuring that law enforcement gets into action before an older person runs into trouble.

Eddie Fair Requests Pay Raises; Supes Deny

With budget concerns in mind, the Hinds County Board of Supervisors denied pay raises requested by county Tax Collector Eddie Fair in a meeting this morning, while approving the hiring of another county position.

Evelyn Gandy

When Rep. Alyce Clarke, D-Jackson, considered running as the state's first female African American representative in the late 1980s, she received encouragement and advice from Evelyn Gandy.

Engineers Want Lower Lake Plan on Table

An engineer urged the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District Levee Board last week to press the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to approve a lake plan to coincide with a Corps-preferred levee expansion the board approved in December.

Seale Conviction Upheld Again

Also see: JFP investigative archive/timeline of Dee-Moore case

Ellington