News

Johnson Welcomes Public to Inaugural Events

Tomorrow, July 3, marks the official inauguration for acting Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr., with public events starting as early as 8 a.m. and continuing throughout the day until midnight. All of the events are free and open to the public; however, the inauguration celebration is limited to those 18 and over.

Mississippi No. 1 in Obesity, Again

At 44.4 percent of children and 32.5 percent of adults, Mississippi leads the nation in obesity. According to the 2009 edition of "F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America," "The obesity epidemic is harming the health of millions of Americans, contributing significantly to skyrocketing health care costs and threatening the country's productivity."

Ruth Oguhebe

As she walks into the empty school library, 17-year-old Ruth Oguhebe smiles and reaches out for a hug before sitting down at a table and taking off her shoes.

Medicaid Deal Just In Time

State legislators were poised to pass a Medicaid agreement Tuesday evening, ending a months-long impasse over funding and removing the last major obstacle to a state budget, one day before a new fiscal year began.

Dee, Moore Lawsuit Goes Forward

Read the JFP's Dee-Moore archive here for background and complete stories.

Diaz Calls on D.C.

Former Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Oliver Diaz outlined allegations of political persecution last week at a Washington, D.C., forum. The Sarah McClendon Group, a government and media watchdog association, held a forum on alleged selective prosecutions by the U.S. Department of Justice during the Bush administration. Speakers said that the U.S. Department of Justice, under former President George Bush, targeted Democratic politicians and Democratic fundraisers with indictments and media-saturated investigations with the help of conservative-appointed judgesin hopes of swinging elections toward Republicans.

Welcome to FY 2010: Where's the Budget?

At around 8 p.m. last night, the Mississippi House approved a $60 million hospital tax promoted by Gov. Haley Barbour to fund the state's Medicaid program, after a nearly two-and-a-half hour readingout loudof the 81-page bill, reports the Memphis Commercial Appeal. The tax will increase by another $30 million over the next three years to reach the original $90 million figure the governor wanted.

Closing the Clean-Up Deal

The city may have brought to a close the troubled business relationship between local debris-removal contractor Garrett Construction Company and Pearl River, Miss.-based Nungesser Industries.

Medicaid Agreement Reached

Around 11 p.m. last night, House Speaker Billy McCoy, D-Rienzi, announced from the House floor that the special budget committee has reached an agreement with Gov. Haley Barbour on the final sticking point holding up passage of the 2010 Mississippi state budget: Medicaid.

Lawmakers Pass Another Tobacco Tax

After years of not raising taxes on cigarettes, yesterday Mississippi lawmakers approved the second cigarette tax hike this year. Even more surprising, Gov. Haley Barbour, a former tobacco lobbyist who vetoed raising the state's excise taxes numerous times in the past, said he would sign the bill into law.

Millsaps Named ‘Best Buy'

[verbatim] Millsaps College is one of only 24 private colleges nationwide and the only college in Mississippi named a "Best Buy" in the 2010 edition of Fiske's Top Financial Finds on the College Tuition Market.

Legislative Special Session Underway

The Mississippi House and Senate are desperately hammering out an agreement on a state appropriation bill one day after Gov. Haley Barbour finally called a special session. Barbour had initially fought the idea of a special session, after disagreeing with a House and Senate conference settlement filling a Medicaid budget hole with a $60 million tax on hospitals that accept Medicaid patients.

Hood Provides Microsoft Settlement FAQs

Subsequent to Mississippi's $100 million anti-trust settlement with software giant Microsoft June 10, Attorney General Jim Hood has posted a list of frequently asked questions on the Attorney General Web site. Among the questions answered are:

Johnson to Hold Public Forums

As part of the incoming mayor's transition to Jackson's top spot after his July 3 inauguration, Harvey Johnson Jr. and his transition team will be holding a series of public forums beginning tomorrow and running into July. Each forum begins at 6 p.m. in the City Council chambers, City Hall, 219 S. President St., and will last approximately an hour and a half.

[Evans] A New Model for Cutting Medical Costs

Word is that Harvard Professor Dr. Atul Gawande's article on McAllen, Texas, is required reading in the White House. Published in the June 1, 2009 issue of The New Yorker, the Boston surgeon asks why McAllen's health care costs are the second highest health care costs in the nation, behind Miami. His conclusions have much to teach us about the problems with America's health care system today.

Making Weekend Plans?

It's Friday, y'all, and you know what that means: It's time for weekend planning. As always, the Jackson Free Press is here to let you know what's happening, who's in town and where the "don't miss" events are taking place.

Governor Adamant About Port Expansion

Despite pleas to reconsider his earlier decision to divert money from funds designated for rebuilding housing on Mississippi's Gulf Coast, Gov. Haley Barbour told reporters yesterday that he's not changing his mind. The $570 million will go toward expanding the commercial Port of Gulfport instead.

Governor Chides Lawmakers for Unfinished Business

Gov. Haley Barbour took time off from nationwide GOP fundraising efforts to announce that he has no plan to call a special session to address the state's non-existent budget just yet. Barbour, who is not a legislator, told the Senate to reject a $5 billion budget plan it had reached with the House this week.

Unemployment Rate Jumps Again

The unemployment rate in Mississippi increased a full percentage point from April to May, inching toward 10 percent once again, according to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. That one point, from 8.6 percent to 9.6 percent, represents an additional 14,300 Mississippians potentially collecting unemployment from the state.

Barbour Takes Top RGA Spot

In the wake of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's untimely departure from the Republican Governors Association, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour is taking over the organization's leadership. Barbour had already accepted the organization's chairmanship for next year, but when Sanford admitted his infidelity with his Argentine mistress, Maria, on national news, it wasn't long before he also resigned from the RGA.

No Budget ‘Disastrous' for Medicaid Patients

[Verbatim from Mississippi Hospital Association President Sam Cameron]

Because of the Governor's refusal to call a Special Session of the Mississippi Legislature, it appears the Division of Medicaid will cease to exist after midnight on June 30, 2009. The Governor's lack of action will have disastrous results for Medicaid patients and all health care providers who serve them.

The Tangled Web of Hate

The Southern Poverty Law Center counts the Council of Conservative Citizens as a "Neo-Confederate" hate group, which, like the more radical League of the South, fights for the rights of "the Confederacy." The CofCC stops short of calling for a second secession from the Union. Neo-Confederates unite behind goals of preserving Confederate monuments and honoring the Confederate battle flag, in addition to fostering "pro-white," anti-immigrant politics.

Protesting Poverty

As the sun beams above her, Wilma Irving, a resident of Kenner, La., fans herself and begins to tell me the purpose of her journey to Jackson.

Banking on PRIYDE

Sixteen-year-old Laurin Paris is using her fashion sense to get her to college.

Jed Oppenheim

Although his parents were activists, Jed Oppenheim says he first realized the inequalities of race and class systems during the 1992 riots in his hometown of Los Angeles.

Guess Who's Coming To Jackson

Gordon Baum, the chief executive officer of the Council of Conservative Citizens, can tell a good story.

DOJ weighs in on JATRAN

The U.S. Department of Justice has intervened on a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Jackson, buttressing accusations of the inaccessibility of Jackson's public bus system. The lawsuit, filed late last year by 11 Jackson residents with disabilities and two non-profit organizations, including the Mississippi Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities, alleges the city is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (ADA).

It IS the Heat

We've all heard the old saw: "It's not the heat; it's the humidity." Well, during this extended early heat wave in Mississippi, the heat really is the thing to watch out for. Especially for those who finds themselves outdoors for any length of time, not paying attention to what your body requires in this unseasonable heat can make you sick. In extreme cases, this kind of heat can kill.

Dems Play "Where's Waldo?" with Barbour

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour seems to be almost anywhere but in the state of Mississippi these days, a fact that hasn't escaped the attention of the state's Democratic Party leadership. Picking up on the quintessential game of "Where's Waldo?" where players have to find the distinctive character on his world-wide hike, the party has purchased banner ads on the New Hampshire Political Report Web site. Barbour will headline a political fundraiser tonight in the Granite State.

Muscle Meets Bivalve

John McGowan and McGowan Working Partners laud the city of Jackson's economic benefit of the Two Lakes plan, a proposed project that would dam the Pearl River and create a series of islands between Hinds and Rankin counties.

Ellington