News

Hinds County Names Parent of the Year

The Hinds County School District has named Pamela Clevenger 2009 Parent of the Year.

Clevenger, a Hinds Community College Chemistry and Physics Instructor and Raymond Elementary School parent, is a former high school science teacher who has taught at Hinds Community College for thirteen years, according to a release.

DeLaughter Requests New Trial Dates

Suspended Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Bobby DeLaughter, arraigned in federal court last month on a five-count indictment, has asked the court to reschedule some upcoming court dates so that his attorney will have adequate time to prepare, according to the Daily Journal.

Mark Your Calendar for Jackson Mayoral Candidate Events

If you're concerned about the issues facing Jackson, your best defense is an informed vote, so don't miss these upcoming mayoral events. The links below will connect you with JFP Events Calendar entries for additional information.

Lawmakers Vow to Block Stem Cell Research

Mississippi Rep. Tommy Reynolds, D-Charleston, spoke for the University of Mississippi Medical Center yesterday, saying the teaching hospital has never and never plans to do stem cell research, according to WAPT.

Mississippi Projects Funded by Federal Bill

Millions are headed to Mississippi from the federal omnibus bill signed by President Barack Obama yesterday, reports MSN Money.

Jackson Crime Increases Slightly in Early March

Data for this week will be available on Wednesday, Mar. 18.

Major crimes in Jackson increased slightly in the first week of March, according to a Jackson Police Department report released Wednesday. Major crimes increased 12.4 percent from the last week of February, with property crimes increasing 6.5 percent and violent crimes increasing 50 percent. The report (PDF) shows that house burglaries and aggravated assaults increased the most sharply, largely due to a spike in those crimes in Precincts 2 and 3. Precinct 2 covers West Jackson and part of the city's center, and Precinct 3 covers Northwest Jackson. Police reported 37 percent fewer auto burglaries, also largely due to decreases in Precincts 2 and 3.

Senate Removes Pre-K Funding from MAEP Bill

Nancy Loomis from the Parents' Campaign in Jackson reports that the Senate Appropriations Committee passed HB 1677 yesterday, funding Mississippi Adequate Education Program for the coming school year.

Jackson Crime Down In Late February

Jackson enjoyed a slight decrease in major crimes at the end of February, according to Jackson Police Department data released last week. The JPD report (PDF) on major crimes for the week of Feb. 23 through Mar. 1 shows a 23 percent decrease in major crimes from the previous week and a 16 percent drop from the same period last year. Violent crimes increased 50 percent from the previous week, from 14 to 21 incidents, due to a spike in armed robberies in Precincts 2 and 3, but the overall rate was still a decrease from this time last year.

Bill Restricts State's Use of Eminent Domain

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour could face his first veto override if he refuses to sign a House bill limiting the state's right to take property. House Bill 803 restricts any governmental usage of eminent domain "for the purpose of converting privately owned real property for retail, office, commercial, industrial or residential development; or for enhancement of tax revenue or for transfer to a person."

Old Capitol Green Bill on Barbour's Desk

The Mississippi Senate has sent a bill authorizing the Mississippi Development Authority to make a $20 million loan to Hinds County to Gov. Haley Barbour for his signature.

Sex Offender Bill is One of Three Recommended by Hood

[verbatim] Three bills proposed to the legislature this season by the Mississippi Attorney General's Office are now on their way to the Governor, announced Attorney General Jim Hood.

Governor Signs Jackson Sales Tax Bill

Wednesday evening, Gov. Haley Barbour signed SB 3268 into law. The bill authorizes the City of Jackson to impose a special 1 percent sales tax to raise much-needed revenue for police and fire protection, and road and sewer repairs.

Barbour Signs $25 Million Incentive Bill

Gov. Haley Barbour signed HB 1628 yesterday, which provides Alliant Techsystems Inc. with a $25 million incentive to expand its aerospace manufacturing plant in Iuka, Miss., according to the KTTC Web site.

New "Dirty Dozen" Foods List Published

The Environmental Working Group, a non-profit organization that specializes in providing useful information and resources to consumers, has published their fifth edition of the now-classic "Shopper's Guide to Pesticides."

Melton Objects To Gulf Coast Jury

Following a federal judge's decision yesterday to hold Mayor Frank Melton's retrial in Jackson, with a jury from the Gulf Coast, Melton has filed a motion to reconsider the ruling. The Gulf Coast is disproportionately white, the mayor argued in a motion (PDF) filed today.

Emmerich's Clarksdale Paper Now Twice a Week

Clarksdate Press-Register publisher Ed Nichols announced this week that the newspaper, owned by Wyatt Emmerich of Jackson, will only publish two days a week going forward. Subscribers will get a mailed newspaper on Wednesday and Friday, and a shopper on Wednesdays. Obituaries and breaking news will be on the paper's Web site. Emmerich also owns the Northside Sun, which serves Northeast Jackson and parts of the adjoining suburbs, and Sun Magazine, a free monthly tabloid magazine largely featuring party pictures and wedding announcements.

Eclecius Franklin

As I descended into the lower level of Fondren Corner last week, I could hear massage therapist/trainer Eclecius Franklin shout out to his wife: "Time, baby!"

Cellular South Expands Mississippi Services

Ridgeland, Miss.-based Cellular South, the largest privately-held wireless carrier in the U.S., has announced expanded third-generation coverage in 78 cities across 26 Mississippi counties this year. The ambitious plan allows the company to "maintain its leadership position as the provider with the most 3G high-speed data coverage in its primary footprint and nationwide," according to a release.

COPS Money Available to City

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is funneling money to the ailing federal Community Oriented Policing Services program and the Hiring Recovery Program, and will soon be available to the city of Jackson.

Suburbs Reaping More Stimulus Road Funds

Two aspects of the federal economic stimulus will not be making much of a touchdown in Jackson. The Mississippi Department of Transportation revealed a nearly $200 million list of 44 projects around the state that will benefit from President Barack Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, but Hinds County is only slated for a tiny fraction of that, with only $400,000 going to the installation of a traffic signal on Highway 80. Jackson's neighbor, the more economically affluent Rankin Countythe seat of major expansion as Jackson residents flee to suburbswill be getting $14 million of that for a new overlay.

MDOC Refusal to Provide Info under Fire

Prison Legal News filed suit in Hinds County Chancery Court yesterday to force the Mississippi Department of Corrections to release a copy of the state's prison telephone contracts, according to a release.

Legislators Pass Bills Aimed at Teens

Two bills aimed at keeping Mississippi teenagers safe are on the legislative docket.

The first, SB 2280, is about driving for 15 and 16-year-old teens. The bill proposes prohibiting texting and driving by kids with learner's permits or intermediate driver's licenses, and adds six months to their learning curve. The Mississippi House passed the bill yesterday and it is now Senate bound.

Jury in Melton Retrial to Come From Coast

Also see: Full JFP Melton Blog/Archive/Trial

The second federal civil rights trial of Mayor Frank Melton and bodyguard Michael Recio will take place in Jackson, with a jury called from the Gulf Coast, a federal judge ruled yesterday. Melton and Recio's first trial for the 2006 demolition of a Ridgeway Street duplex ended in a hung jury on Feb. 24.

The 2009 JFP Interview with Frank Melton, Part II: Being Mayor

2009 JFP Interview, Part I

Mississippi Employment Expo on March 17

If you're looking for a job, save the date: Tuesday, March 17, 2009 is the Mississippi Employment Expo at the Trademart in Jackson, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. WAPT reports that 96 employers are signed up so far, with more expected. The event is free, but get there early: organizers expect to double last year's attendance of 3,000 people.

Doris Shavers Killer Pleads Guilty

Henry Lee Phillips pleaded guilty today to murdering his former girlfriend, Doris Shavers, 40, on Sept. 17, 2007, as Shavers combed her 12-year-old daughter's hair before leaving for work. The day of the murder was Jessica's birthday.

Millsaps Hosts Mayoral Candidates

2009 JFP City Election Blog/Archive

Feds Want Melton Retrial Moved To Gulfport

Federal prosecutors want to move the retrial of Mayor Frank Melton and his bodyguard Michael Recio to the Gulf Coast to avoid intense media scrutiny. In a motion (PDF) filed yesterday, the government argued that moving the trial to Gulfport would minimize the impact of the "all-encompassing" media coverage from the mayor's first federal trial, which ended in a hung jury on Feb. 24.

Legislators Consider Fire-Safe Cigarettes

A bill requiring that cigarettes extinguish themselves when unattended has the support of Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney and the Coalition for Fire-Safe Cigarettes, a group working to prevent cigarette-ignited fires, according to WLOX.com.

SkyTel Back in the News

The former mayor of Detroit, Kwame Kilpatrick, is demanding $100 million from SkyTel, a company formerly headquartered in Jackson.

Ellington