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Melton At Home; McLemore Still Acting Mayor

[Verbatim from city] Mayor Frank E. Melton will hold a 10:00 a.m. press conference at City Hall on Monday, January 14, 2008 to discuss his recent surgical procedure. In the interim, the Mayor again extends his appreciation to the public for their outpouring of concern and interest on his behalf.

Melton Recovering; McLemore Acting Mayor

[Verbatim from city] Mayor Frank E. Melton is resting comfortably this afternoon after undergoing a medical procedure at a Jackson hospital Wednesday morning. His physicians indicated that the procedure was successful and they were pleased with the outcome. At present, the Mayor is alert and communicating with family and members of his staff.

Lee Vance

Jackson Assistant Police Chief Lee Vance sits at a small table in his office, hands clasped together, as he precisely chooses the words to describe his Jackson upbringing and adulthood. Behind him on the walls are two 24-by-36-inch posters of Muhammad Ali, whom Vance considers a personal hero despite his flaws. He is cautious to not interrupt his story, but when JPD needs a representative at a city meeting, he pauses to find a replacement.

The Case For Innocence

It was Ron Williamson's obituary in the Dec. 9, 2004, issue of The New York Times that caught attorney and author John Grisham's eye.

‘These Are Not Fair Trials': The JFP Talks With John Grisham

Since publication of "The Innocent Man" in 2006, author John Grisham has become a strong advocate for the Innocence Project, lending his name and voice to help establish the organization's Mississippi office in Oxford. "The Innocent Man" was Grisham's first—and very likely his only—foray into the world of non-fiction. A man who has always had strong opinions about the legal system, he is even more adamant today about why it's broken and how to fix it. I spoke with him via telephone in mid-November 2007, and below is the full text of that interview.

Melton to Have Heart Surgery Wednesday

The story has changed dramatically since former Mayor Dale Danks told the media that his client, Mayor Frank Melton, was fine and overheated when he fainted at a county swearing-in. Today, Danks told The Clarion-Ledger that Melton will remain in the hospital to have a cardioverter-defibrillator inserted into his heart on Wednesday, meaning that doctors must fear that Melton is in danger of going into cardiac arrest. Danks told the Ledger that he didn't expect it to take long for Melton to recover, that he would only be incapacitated for half a day and then "be back at work shortly thereafter."

Reeves Gives Up Fight and Goes Home

The Clarion-Ledger is reporting that John Reeves, the Republican legislator from South Jackson, said today that he is no longer planning to challenge Adrienne Wooten, a Democrat who defeated him in November, in the Legislature.

McCain Wins GOP N.H. Race; Obama and Clinton Close So Far

CNN has called the GOP side in New Hampshire for John McCain. Early returns are showing Clinton slightly ahead of Obama, and Edwards trailing a distant third. CNN also projects that John Edwards will come in third.

Hal & Mal's Birthday Celebration TONIGHT

Come celebrate Hal & Mal's 22nd birthday at 8 p.m. with an Elvis-themed Pub Quiz. Test your knowledge, grab some birthday cake and toast to many more years of great food and entertainment.

UPDATE: House Speaker McCoy Wins in 62-60 Vote

The Legislature is in session, and the House will vote on a new speaker shortly. Keep an eye out here for the outcome of the contentious battle, with Gov. Haley Barbour watching from the sidelines to see if his efforts to oust McCoy will pay off. Watch for a full report from Adam Lynch right here later today. Meantime, read his Jan. 2 legislative analysis and preview here.

Melton Has Fainting Spell During Inaugurations

Jackson Mayor Frank Melton fainted during an inauguration ceremony for Hinds County officials this morning. Melton appeared to temporarily lose consciousness during the inauguration of officials elected during the November elections, including Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith.

Hughes Demotes Chandler After Video Investigation

Jackson Fire Chief Vernon Hughes announced he was demoting Assistant Chief Todd Chandler to captain status at a press conference today. Hughes re-assigned Chandler to the division of air supply, effective today, after the investigation of a 13-year-old video allegedly featuring Chandler and other white firemen mocking black recruits. Chandler, who has been with the fire department for more than 20 years, denied being the fireman in the video, though Hughes said he was convinced of Chandler's identification in the film.

Obama, Huckabee Win Iowa

And they're off. The Associated Press reports:

Ledger Outsources Customer Service to South Carolina

Clarion-Ledger Publisher Larry Whitaker sent the following letter to employees this week, talking about the challenges and changes the paper faced in 2007:

Boss Queen to Sign New Book Today at 5 p.m.

Sweet Potato Queen hell will break loose today, Jan. 3, at 5 p.m. at Lemuria when Jill Conner Browne signs her new book, ""The Sweet Potato Queens' Guide to Raising Children for Fun and Profit." Read Kelly Smith's Dec. 26 JFP review of the book here: "From Potty Training to Penii."

Radio JFP: Kaze, Ladd, Stauffer on ‘Brand New Day'

JFP columnist Kamikaze with join Radio JFP hosts Donna Ladd and Todd Stauffer Friday, Jan. 4, at noon to discuss the state of the city and what needs to happen in 2008, a topic inspired by Kamikaze's current JFP column, "Can You Feel A Brand New Day?" Feel free to post questions here before or during the show, which is on WLEZ, 103.7 FM, and streams live at http://www.wlezfm.com.

Karen Parker

I met Karen Parker on a warm December afternoon with the sound of wind chimes drifting through the open door of New Vibrations, her Fondren book and gift store "for the evolving spirit." She was unpacking necklaces when I arrived. "They have stone gems inside the vials, and each little stone represents an emotional benefit, like allowing you to de-stress or feeling like your energy is protected," Parker explained.

2008 Legislative Preview: New Session, Old Problems

Photos by Adam Lynch, Donna Ladd, and Jaro Vacek

The Mississippi legislative session is coming around again Jan. 8, bringing with it some tough decisions. The Legislature took a stroll through roses last year, oddly, thanks to Hurricane Katrina. To counter statewide storm damage, the federal government approved the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, which fully transferred the state's Medicaid budget onto the back of the feds. Normally, federal funds provide three-quarters of the state budget, with Mississippi matching those funds with another 25 percent. The Deficit Reduction Act saved the state from having to allocate this annual expenditure of about $850 million, garnering blessings and gratitude from representatives and senators alike.

Important Legislative Dates

Here's a calendar of prominent legislative actions for the upcoming session. Voters may want to consider attending and showing support for bills they favor on certain deadline dates. Call your local legislator for more information.

Happy New Year! Resolution, Lesson Learned?

Happy new year, all. The JFP office is closed today, which may be the first time ever we've been closed on a business day. (We've often been open on holidays!) But the staff deserves a rest before this crazy legislative session kicks off! And don't worry: We put the legislative preview to bed Friday, so the paper is on its regular schedule.

Bulldogs Ring Up Liberty Bowl Victory

Mississippi State used a ball-hawking defense and a last-minute burst of offense to defeat Central Florida, 10-3, Saturday in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tenn. A Liberty Bowl-record crowd of 63,000-plus saw the Bulldogs win in their first bowl game since 2000.

Kamikaze, Guests to Examine Women's Views of 2007

Dec. 28, 2007—Today at noon, Kamikaze will guest host Radio JFP on WLEZ (103.7 FM). His guests will be singer/songwriter Laurel Isbister and JFP operations manager Ronni Mott. They will discuss the news and events of 2007 from a women's perspective. WLEZ shows stream live here.

Chandler Video Stirring JFD Pot

The Jackson Fire Department is shaking over a tape that firefighters claim Assistant Chief Todd Chandler helped make back in the 1990s. The video features what Local 87 Union President Capt. Brandon Falcon describes as Chandler ridiculing black recruits. The video allegedly shows Chandler, wearing a jacket with his name on it, speaking in a broken caricature of the black dialect, while a white superior—allegedly retired firefighter Ken Daniels—corrects his melodramatically moronic behavior.

Benazir Bhutto Assassinated in Pakistan

Bhutto was leading an opposition rally to George Bush's buddy, Pervez Musharraf. Read the New York Times story here. Read her obituary here:

Candy Cain

"I shipped off a pig to Hot Springs earlier this week. I shipped off mermaids to Montgomery. … That was huge. I shipped off crosses to Biloxi," Candy Cain. A prolific and versatile visual artist, Cain was born in Jackson 49 years ago, and has been gracing the walls of our offices and homes with her artwork for almost as long. And, yes, that is her real name.

Toyota Building Eco-Friendly Plant in Mississippi

[verbatim release from governor's office] Toyota Motor Corp.'s designation of its Mississippi plant as a worldwide model of environmentally-friendly operations is a dramatic statement of confidence in the Mississippi project, Governor Haley Barbour said today. "Toyota has designated its Blue Springs plant as a model that will emphasize the importance of nature in creating production sites that harmonize with their natural surroundings," Governor Barbour said. "This puts Toyota and Mississippi on the leading edge of a totally new concept in building automotive manufacturing plants that can truly live in harmony with the environment and local community."

Mayor Rattles Councilwoman's Cage

Ward 7 Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon said Mayor Frank Melton rattled her cage this morning on the way to a special council meeting. Barrett-Simon told the Jackson Free Press that Melton's vehicle pulled up behind her car as she drove to a 10 a.m. special meeting on city payroll and claims. Barrett-Simon said Melton's car pulled "up to the bumper" before sounding off its police-issue horn, reportedly shaking Barrett-Simon's car while she drove.

Kamikaze and Matt Allen on Radio JFP Friday

Rapper Kamikaze and attorney Matt Allen will join Todd Stauffer on Radio JFP this Friday, Dec. 21, to discuss a new group of "young progressive minds" they have formed. Tune in at noon to WLEZ FM 103.7 FM or listen to a live feed here. An audio file will be posted here later that day.

Tobie Tomlinson

"Being a shooter," Sgt. Tobie Tomlinson says, "allows for focus." Tomlinson, 35, knows a thing or two about focus. A service rifle shooter with the Army Marksmanship Unit, based in Fort Benning, Ga., he spends half the year training for and competing in national shooting competitions, and the other half teaching marksmanship to new soldiers. He captained the AMU's 2006 and 2007 championship rifle teams and, in 1995, won the individual National Service Rifle Championship.

Just in: Teneia Sanders at Fenian's TONIGHT

Singer/songwriter Teneia Sanders—a JFP and Chick Ball favorite—is back home for the holiday and will perform tonight (Wednesday, Dec. 19) at Fenian's starting at 9 p.m. No cover. This will be BIG fun, and if you haven't seen Teneia, trust us on this.

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