Biz+Tech

Managing Projects, Tasks and Info

The recent wholesale upgrade to the Jackson Free Press website was quite an undertaking. For the first time since 2002, we have completely changed not just to a new design, but to an entire new "backend" as well, switching to a different Content Management System, or CMS, for our stories, events, restaurant listings and so on.

Jackson, Oxford, Tupelo Get High Econ Scores

Yes, Jackson, our economic strength is growing.

Biz Roundup: Supercell, Hair, Crafts

From iPods and laptops to Android phones and iPhones, Supercell buys, repairs, refurbishes and sells a wide range of electronics.

Berry's Produce; No Beer in Jackson County

The 1940s-and-'50s-style hand-painted boards that dress the outer walls of the new produce market, at 3139 N. State St., depict bright tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables. Located in a former gas station, the earmark of the art at Berry's Produce is the blown-up Wyatt Waters watercolor portrait of owner Doris Berry working in her stand at the old Farmer's Market in Jackson.

Crooked Letter Brewery Blocked

Jackson County Board of Supervisors denied a Vancleave couple a special exemption Monday to build a brewery on their land along Antioch Road. The law requires an exemption for industrial businesses in an agricultural zone.

MDOC Sticks with Private Prisons

Sometime between the 8:45 p.m. and the 9:15 p.m. staff shift change on July 30, 2010, Tracy Alan Province, John Charles McCluskey and Daniel Kelly Renwick escaped from Arizona State Prison-Kingman. Just after 10 p.m., perimeter-patrol officers discovered a 30-by-22-inch hole in the fence. Two hours after the prison determined the inmates had escaped, Arizona Department of Corrections assumed command and the U.S. Marshals Service launched a manhunt.

Working in Groups

My problem is a simple one that may be familiar: In the nonprofit I'm part of, too much "group stuff" happens in long email exchanges. Like a lot of volunteer organizations, we get a bunch of work done in committee, department and board meetings, when everyone is on the same page and focused. But outside those meetings, real life often gets in the way. Things don't happen between meetings—or people just can't connect to get things done—with the result that some projects take longer than you'd hope.

Irby, Sameerah's, Mangia Bene

The Stuart C. Irby Company and Sonepar USA's new 8,500-square-foot Jackson facility is open for business. The retail space and distribution center, located at the corner of Silas Brown and President Street, represents $6 million in investment to the area. Irby bought international electrical equipment Sonepar USA in 2005.

Anti-Abortion Groups Protest Contraceptive Rule

About 60 people in Jackson took part in a rally Friday to protest a rule that requires health insurance for most employees to cover contraceptives.

Utah Firm to Manage Three State Prisons

A Utah private-prison firm will take over running the Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility and two other Mississippi prisons from The GEO Group. Management & Training Corporation, based in Ogden, Utah, will also assume management of East Mississippi Correctional Facility in Meridian and the Marshall County Correctional Facility in Holly Springs.

City Calls on Companies to Offer ‘Fresh Start'

Jackson is making an effort to stop the revolving door in the state's prison system. One of the biggest keys, according to the Fresh Start Task Force, is helping formerly incarcerated people learn skills and find jobs.

Private Prison, Public Problems

Gail Tyree exited U.S. Highway 84 onto Hobo Fork Road and drove through the rose-adorned entrance of the sprawling Adams County Correctional Center. A female correctional officer leaving the prison's main administration building scrutinized Tyree's car as she circled the parking lot.

Nissan Workers Move to Unionize

The United Auto Workers and the Mississippi NAACP are supporting efforts by some workers at the Nissan automotive plant in Canton to form a labor union. A full-blown campaign is underway with workers planning to petition the National Labor Relations Board to set a date to put the question to a vote.

Jackson Tourism Weathers a Tough Economy

Last year, an estimated 3 million people visited Jackson's tourist spots, events, festivals and conventions, spending more than $294 million.

Create a ‘Club Newsletter' for your Biz or Group

I am surprised when I find a local business or organization—restaurant, retailer, non-profit—that isn't using an email newsletter service to reach their loyal customers and clients. Email newsletters offer a wonderful opportunity to follow up with clients, reminding them of sales, trunk shows, happy hours, bands, giving opportunities and more.

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