News

Hood: Governor's Vetoes Improper

Two of Gov. Haley Barbour's recent budget vetoes violate the Mississippi constitution, according to Attorney General Jim Hood. The non-binding opinion points out that the constitution does not allow vetoes on the conditions of how funds can be spent, reports the Sun Herald.

Wife Says Pickering's Affair Ended Career, Two Marriages

Leisha Jane Pickering, estranged wife of former Republican U.S. Rep. Charles "Chip" Pickering, filed a complaint in Hinds County Circuit Court this morning against Elizabeth Creekmore-Byrd for alienation of affection. Leisha Pickering alleges in the suit that her husband and Creekmore-Byrd had a long-standing relationship that began and ended once before the Pickering marriage, and resumed during Chip Pickering's congressional career in Washington, D.C.

City Council Tables Additional Funds for Attorneys

This morning, Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes pulled a resolution he submitted along with Jackson City Council President Frank Bluntson encouraging the city to approve up to $240,000 in extra payments to city and contract attorneysincluding former City Attorney Sarah O'Reilly-Evansfor legal fees related to bond work. The fees are connected with work regarding a swap for water and sewer system revenue and revenue refunding bonds, which fell through.

'Glories of Summer' Opens Downtown Tonight

An exhibition of artwork celebrating the season of heat and leisure opens tonight at the Gallery 119, formerly known as Highlands Fine Art Brokers.

Additional Shot Required for Mississippi Students

Students enrolled in Magnolia State schools will need to have had two chicken pox vaccines when they begin classes this fall. Known as the varicella vaccine, the requirement was waived in 2008 because of low availability, reports WAPT.

Perkins Named Johnson's Chief of Staff

BREAKING NEWS: Mayor Harvey Johnson's office has confirmed that Sean Perkins, 35, formerly a branch manager for Regions Bank and director of 100 Black Men, has been named as the new administration's chief of staff. He is a 1992 graduate of St. Andrews Episcopal School and a 1997 graduate of Jackson State University. He replaces Marcus Ward, former Mayor Frank Melton's chief of staff.

Officer Colendula Green

As I approach Smith Park, I spot a woman standing in a black long-sleeved JPD uniform, gun on belt, badge on shirt and dark shades over eyes.

Consultants Threaten JSU Programs, Alumni Fear

Members of committees affiliated with Jackson State University are worried that the university will be cutting programs in a curriculum reorganization. Associates of the Hinds Chapter of the Jackson State University National Alumni Association Political Action Committee and the Mississippi Coalition of Black Higher Education voiced their concerns at a 10 a.m. press conference at the office of Jackson attorney and city Councilman Chokwe Lumumba.

JPD Teaming Up On Home Invasions

Jackson police are reaching out to postal carriers, among others, in response to a spate of home invasions in Northeast Jackson. Precinct 4 reported two home invasions last week on Meadowbrook Road and Poplar Boulevard. Police believe the two incidents are connected to two earlier robberies in April and May, on Meadowbrook and Roberts Drive, also in Precinct 4.

Chris Mims

Director of communications is one of the first administrative positions that Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. filled when he took office earlier this month. His choice for the job was Jacksonian Chris Mims.

Jackson Lake Plans and Eminent Domain

Jackson Realtor Bob Ridgway is president of a 100-year-old exclusive hunting and fishing spot about a half mile from where County Line Road dead ends at Old Canton Road. Mule Jail Club has an eight-person membership that goes back to the 1880s, and a number of small cabins sit on pylons either within the water or on ground that is partially or totally submerged during a portion of the year. Biologists describe the territory as some of the most pristine wetland between Hinds and Rankin counties. Nevertheless, Mule Jail could lose a considerable portion of itself to lake water, just as it sacrificed a portion of itself to the making of the Ross Barnett Reservoir.

Hood v. Salter: Battle Going Extra Rounds?

Enmity between Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood and Clarion-Ledger Perspective Editor Sid Salter is obvious this week, as the two hammer each other over disagreements regarding the facts around a June decision by the Mississippi Public Service Commission, and the implications of that decision.

Governors Association To Meet In Biloxi

Governors from all 50 states will convene in Biloxi this weekend for the National Governors Association's Annual Meeting. The meeting, which brings together governors to share policy ideas, begins on July 17 with sessions devoted to infrastructure issues. Outgoing NGA Chair and Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell will discuss a yearlong initiative aimed at repairing and improving state's infrastructure. The meeting will close on Monday, July 20, with a discussion of energy and the economy, and the induction of the incoming NGA Chair, Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas.

Judy Lewis

Mississippi Public Broadcasting's board of directors unanimously appointed Judy Lewis, 59, as its new executive director last week. Lewis, a native Mississippian from Morton, holds a doctorate in higher education from the University of Mississippi and a bachelor's and master's degree in education and speech communication from Mississippi College. She succeeds Marie Antoon, who announced her retirement in May, and will begin her new job Aug. 1.

Mississippi Swine Flu Cases Over 200

The Mississippi State Department of Health reports that H1N1 flu, known as swine flu, continues to spread rapidly in Mississippi. Since the first confirmed case May 15, the count has now reached 212. Additionally, residents have seen 73 cases of seasonal flu since the end of April.

Some Soldiers Ineligible for GI Benefits Under New Bill

For many people, having access to GI benefits after serving their country is a primary factor behind joining the service. But some guard members are finding out that they're not eligible because of a glitch in the new GI bill.

New Club, King Edward to Open Downtown

Even in the midst of an economic downturn, enterprising entrepreneurs take advantage of opportunities. A new downtown club and the reopening of a venerable Jackson landmarkafter decades of abandonment and decaytestify to the entrepreneurial spirit of the capitol city.

Amani Floyd

For students at Jackson's Bailey Magnet School, Amani Floyd's dedication as a teacher has paid off well. Floyd, a student in the Mississippi Teacher Corps program at the University of Mississippi, helped the kids raise their American history test scores by 10 percent, with 95 percent of students passing the state exam. That's the highest rate of inner-city students passing the exam in four years.

No Downside to Pullout, Hinds County Supervisor Says

Hinds County is following through with a January decision to pull out of the Pearl River Basin Development District, removing itself from the auspices of the District regarding upkeep along the Pearl River.

This Week's Public Meetings in Jackson

Monday, July 13

Jackson Public Schools board, special meeting, 5:30 p.m., school board meeting room, 621 S. State St.

New Orleans Frequently Downgrades Rape Charges

In the wake of the much-touted FBI Uniform Crime Rankings for violent crime, the way New Orleans police report rapes highlights the reasons why the FBI warns the media against using their numbers as benchmarks. A story appearing in Saturday's Times-Picayune says that New Orleans police classify more than half of all sexual assaults against women as noncriminal complaints.

Lawmakers Approve Compromised PSC Funding

State lawmakers passed appropriations bills for the state Public Service Commission and Public Utilities Staff this morning, completing the Legislature's work for this session. The House and Senate agreed on a compromise bill that would not grant the PSC any additional staff members but would allow it to reallocate three staff positions. The original House version of the bill would have given the PSC three additional staffers, which would improve the PSC's scrutiny of utility rate adjustments, proponents of the bill argued.

Leaks Caused JPD to Dump Sergeant Exams

Civil Service Commission members said questions from the Jackson Police Department's recent sergeant's exam might have found their way to the officers prior to testing, causing the city to trash all of the recently completed tests. The commission discovered after administering the test to 180 officers that it was identical to an earlier, leaked version, despite instructions to the testing company to rewrite the exam.

Utilities Battle Raging Today in Special Session

The opening salvo in Mississippi's legislative special session goes to the Democratic-majority House of Representatives, with the House Appropriations Committee approving funding for the Public Service Commission this morning. The bill, which the full House voted to approve, would grant the Public Service Commission an additional three staff members and allow the PSC to reallocate money to fill three more vacant positions. All told, the bill would give the PSC three staff lawyers for $292,000 and three rate analysts. That appropriation is a more modest offer than the 11 additional staff members that the PSC originally requested during the regular legislative session.

Clarion-Ledger Publisher Explains 20 Layoffs

Following a directive from its corporate owner, Gannett, The Clarion-Ledger laid off 20 people Thursday7 percent off its already-depleted staffin addition to freezing the positions open from recent resignations. Three of those positions were in the newsroom, a source inside the paper tells the Jackson Free Press.

Minister Blasts Mississippi Senator's Connections

Also see JFP cover story: Guess Who's Coming to Jackson, June 24, 2009

Opening Saturday: F. Jones Corner on Farish Street

When Adam Hayes and Daniel Dillon bought 303 Farish St., the building was in terrible shape: The ceiling was falling, it had neither a kitchen nor plumbing, and to top it off, a homeless person was living there. The two immediately started cleaning up the place, with free help from carpenters, plumbers and construction workers due to the eagerness they shared for getting the job done. Dillon and Hayes got down and dirty when constructing the space, and in the end it all paid off. Nestled in the otherwise quiet historical Farish Street District, the renovated vibrant blue building will open as F. Jones Corner on July 11, the first of several new entertainment venues to open on the street this year.

Jerzy Leszczynski

Jackson State University professor Dr. Jerzy Lesczcynski is one of 22 educators in the nation to receive the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring. President Barack Obama named the honorees yesterday, recognizing educators for their work in "furthering the educational advancement of our nation's young people and encouraging and inspiring our next generation of leaders," according to a White House press statement.

Special Session Agenda: Utility Watchdog Agencies

The Mississippi Legislature is back in Jackson this morning for another special session, this time to decide the fate of the state's utility watchdog agencies. Lawmakers were unable to get a budget bill to fund the Public Service Commission and the Public Utilities Staff on the governor's desk during the regular session or during the first special session called after the regular session ended.

Reeves Lends Weight to Mosque Opposition

A former Jackson attorney says he sees parallels between his representation of Madison citizens against a proposed mosque and the plight of his own former home in south Jackson.

Ellington