[Lott] Protecting Children
JFP LottBlog Here
Just days ago, Mississippi's capital became a focal point of the abortion issue as hundreds of anti-abortion protesters descended on Jackson to picket the city's abortion clinic and other sites they contend support abortion. Many counter-demonstrators followed, and Mississippians saw first hand the kind of tense, passionate, placard board protests usually seen in Washington, D.C.
Clarion-Ledger to Independents: Drop Dead!
May 9, 2006 Want to know how far The Clarion-Ledger/Gannett Corp. is willing to go to control the competition? Keep reading. This past Monday, I sat down in Cups in Fondren with Lee Warmouth, the circulation director of The Clarion-Ledger, so that he could tell me about an "exciting new service" that his company has devised for free-distribution papers like the Jackson Free Press.
Gadget Of The Week
The HipTop 3, exclusively marketed by T-Mobile as the SideKick 3, was recently released at a premiere attended by none other than—wait for it—Paris Hilton. The SideKick 3 offers, somewhat surprisingly, a larger case than the SideKick II, but with a new professional skin and a more comfy keyboard. It also sports a removable battery, a miniSD card slot for additional photo and music storage, Bluetooth 1.2 support, a better LCD display and a 1.2 megapixel camera. What it doesn't support is WiFi, which would have been nice for faster surfing in coffee houses or—say—my house. The built-in applications are very similar to earlier offerings but with a better MP3 player and a few other tweaks. The killer SideKick app is the always-on instant messaging—eventually I figured out I could check my SideKick to deduce who is sitting at their desks back in the office based on their IM client being active, and chat them up accordingly while I'm sitting at home having a mid-afternoon Heineken Light. It's good to be the geek.
Alt.geek: Net Neutrality and Microsoft's New Heart
Net Neutrality—that all-important political Internet fight that few folks grok. The concept popped up in the context of the "Advanced Telecommunications and Opportunity Reform Act," a piece of legislation essentially written by the Telcos to allow them to start offering you television over your phone line, thus opening up "competition" between them and the cable and satellite services. That might be a minor positive for us dear ol' consumers, as it could mean that the phone company will offer you a bundle of DSL, TV and phone service for $3 less than the cable company offers that same bundle. Yippie.
June Hardwick
June Hardwick, 31, believes in Jackson's potential. "People need to get involved, buy homes, get to know their neighbors," she says. "To make Jackson better, Jacksonians must reinvest in Jackson."
Deepest Midnight: Cedric Willis and The Failure of Mississippi Justice
Cedric Willis, then 19, stirred in his bed and looked up at his grandmother Sally. She had the smooth, dark skin of a woman 20 years younger, and her black hair, cropped short, rested atop her head like a crown. Bright beams of morning sunshine illuminated her through the blinds.
Why Tom Brokaw Was In Jackson — Airs Sunday, July 23
[verbatim from NBC] "TOM BROKAW REPORTS: SEPARATE AND UNEQUAL" TO AIR ON SUNDAY, JULY 23 AT 7 PM
New York, N.Y. — In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, there were images that shocked America and the world. Not just the damage caused by the storm, but the sight of people left behind: inner-city blacks stranded by poverty, neglect, and failure from above and below. It's been almost a year since the storm, but in black neighborhoods across America, the same desperate conditions still exist. In the upcoming "Tom Brokaw Reports: Separate and Unequal," Brokaw travels to 200 miles north of New Orleans to Jackson, Miss., for an in-depth report on race and poverty, airing on Sunday, July 23 at 7 PM/ET on NBC.
JPD Under Fire In Abortion Clash
Jackson police stood with full riot gear in Smith Park downtown on July 15, ready to take on protesters in the country's abortion battle. Both sides were poised for battle in the city with Mississippi's only remaining abortion clinic, months after the Legislature barely beat back an attempt to ban all abortions in the state of Mississippi.
Matthew Bowdoin
"To me, the weirdest soda is a banana soda," says Matthew Bowdoin, owner of the Fondren Beverage Emporium. That's saying a lot for a man whose store also carries celery soda and DOA—a sweet, carbonated pickle juice.
Clarion-Ledger Moves In; Indy Media Boxes/Racks Trashed
What citizens can do. June 20, 2006—A little while ago, calls started coming in from the reservoir area, telling us that our racks and boxes, and those of other members of the Mississippi Independent Publishers Alliance, were lined up next to dumpsters at businesses near the reservoir. Todd just drove out there and, lo and behold, there all of us indies were—lined up next to the dumpsters at several locations, including the Conoco on Old Fannin Road (pictured, right) and the one on Lakeland Drive near Wal-Mart. Goliath is on the move. An Alliance member called Ronald Gooding at The Clarion-Ledger, the "Non-daily distribution manager," who said that his guys had been moving our boxes all day, but that he was unaware that any had been put by dumpsters. Interestingly, the eviction letter that TDN/Gannett/Clarion-Ledger sent us said that "the store owner/operator will remove them or have them removed" if we didn't agree to pay TDN to be in their boxes. I guess they changed their minds; not a single business has itself asked us to remove our boxes/racks. We're also hearing that Gannett is letting businesses out of contracts who ask to be—so there's the best reason yet to go visit businesses where the JFP and other free pubs are located. Ask them to keep supporting indy media, and not allow the Gannett Corp. to make us pay our competition for distribution in order for you to be able to pick us up in their businesses. Remember: You can help save independent media; see how here.
Janet Scott
A proud product of Jackson Public Schools, Janet Scott is a shining example that public school works. She's intelligent, well-rounded and constantly looking for ways to give back to her community.
Barbour Supports Civil Rights Museum
[The following letter is verbatim from Gov. Barbour to the Civil Rights Museum Federation Committee at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History]
[Lott] Correcting the "Supreme" Court
Despite the glorification of judges and lawyers on television, in movies and within popular culture, the mission of our courts is simply to enact the American people's will in our laws. It may be called the "Supreme" Court, but the framers of our Constitution intended that the American people and their elected representatives have the supreme say.
Fighting Crime: What's The Plan?
Also: Darren Schwindaman's editorial cartoon
Been Profiled?
In these strange times, chances are good that you'll be stopped at a JPD roadblock set on enforcing Mayor Frank Melton's state of emergency, especially if you frequent West Jackson. When you see those blue lights and the police dogs snarling on their leashes, what should you do? More to the point, what can the police do to you?
Gwen Robins
Originally from Buffalo, N.Y., Gwen Robins made her move to Jackson in August 2000 at age 63. "You know I was born and raised there, and I never was away from home this long," Robins says. She wanted to be closer to her daughter, who lived in Jackson, but the idea of moving so far away from home into a strange southern city was daunting.
Got Rights? The ACLU's Freedom Party – June 30
http://www.msaclu.org
Join the ACLU and the Jackson Free Press for a Freedom Party outside at 930 Blues Cafe on Friday, June 30, featuring performances by Willie King and other local artists. Admission: $5 for ACLU members and board members: $10 for non-members; $15 for couples; students and volunteers get in free! Call 601.355.6464 for details. Starts at 5:30 p.m. Come visit the JFP table! Win "I Get It Once a Week" T-shirts! Register to vote! Come on out, y'all.
[Lott] We, the People
*Web exclusive*
On July 4 Mississippi is a sea of stars and stripes—red, white and blue. Our flag reminds us that the freedoms Americans enjoy were outlined when our founders signed a Constitution that began with three simple words: "We the people." They were words scripted in big bold letters with those thick, broad ink quills our framers used so masterfully. But recent actions in Washington cast doubt on whether "we the people" really means much these days.
Better Late Than Never
A large group gathered in the gymnasium of Higgins Middle School in McComb, Miss. for a ceremony, Thursday, June 22. This graduation was different. There was no buzzing and flittering about. There were very few teenagers dressed in Sunday best. College students eager to start their new lives weren't standing in line, either. Instead, 10 60-somethings dressed in green caps and gowns with gold trim were anxious to receive honorary diplomas.
Edward Mclaurin
When you meet Edward McLaurin, one of the first things you notice, besides his neatness, is his reserved disposition. The 23-year-old Sharon, Miss. native looks you straight in the eye and doesn't look off. The Millsaps graduate is an artist, teacher and student.
Roxanne Rogers
There is nothing average about Roxanne Rogers, 27. This self-avowed "Pearl girl" is unique, from her Southern drawl to her gorgeous, funky hair. From the moment you enter Rogers' salon Stella, one glance at the suit of armor by the door, the artwork on the walls and the chairs that spin around in stomach-twisting circles make it clear that this is not your mama's salon.
Millie Bob McPig
The JFP would first and foremost like to apologize that we are not only not the first, but in fact the third local publication to feature Millie Bob McPig, also known as Minibus to his caretakers/roommates Ari Glogower and Katy Rivlin. Fondren resident McPig has, in this, the first year of his life, lived in both Oxford and Jackson, and is now happy to call Fondren home. A big hit with the University of Mississippi Medical School crowd, McPig has appeared in UMC's This Week in commemoration of his participation in the American Heart Association's Kiss the Pig Raffle.
The Clarion-Ledger TDN Distribution Scheme Tracker
Click here for updates on Goliath's march and here for how to help.
Marcus McWilliams
"This is the place to be if you're looking for big stars," says Marcus McWilliams, a soft-spoken 32-year-old who is the Hilton Hotel's kitchen manager and a chef says.
Blogs
- Boil Water Lifted for Most Jackson ZIPs
- City Responds to Hinds County Emergency Declaration
- ZDD Giveaways and Festival on Mar 25, but No Parade
- Casino-Mogul Trump Going Against the Odds With 'Muslim Ban'
- Millsaps Issues Statement on Trump's Immigration Order
- Court Denies Attempts to Dismiss Election Complaint for "Straw Contest"
- Roll-Off Dumpster Day on February 4
- City: Court Rules Rankin Can Build Own Wastewater Treatment Plant
- LaDarion Ammons Announces Run for Ward 7 Council Seat
- Tornado Warning for Central Hinds, NE Rankin, Madison Counties
Video
- Gov. Reeves Answers Nick Judin's Questions
- Chris McDaniel on Morning Joe
- Word on the street: What would you like to see come to Jackson?
- Trump Rally
- Trump Rally
- More Trump Rally Footage
- Trump Rally
- Kameron Palmer On Saving Our Sons
- Joel D. Swan On Saving Our Sons
- Attorney Martin Perkins Speaks for Inmates