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BREAKING: Jackson Loses Grant for Fire Truck
The Jackson City Council learned Monday that the city may have dropped the ball for a federal grant worth up to $800,000. The grant, according to Ward 7 Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon, was intended to finance a $1 million platform ladder truck for the Jackson Fire Department. The city currently has only one specialty-use ladder truck that is more than 10 years old and requires frequent repairs. The city needs two in order to keep residents' fire insurance rates down to a minimum.
Court System, Autopsy Expert Slammed
Innocence Project attorneys, activists and a man who served 12 years in Parchman for a crime he did not commit are calling for a radical overhaul of the state's criminal-justice system in order to keep innocent Mississippians out of prison. Part of that overhaul, the Innocence Project says, is to revoke the medical license of Dr. Steven Hayne, the de facto autopsy expert in the state who has filled the role of state medical examiner in an unofficial capacity.
City Defaults on $500,000 Commitment, Developer Says
Developer Mike Peters filed a breach of contract complaint in Hinds County Circuit Court last March, claiming the city stiffed him out of $500,000 in public grants for the $7 million renovation of the Plaza Building. According to the suit, which was reported by The Clarion-Ledger this week, Peters approached the city's director of planning and Development Corinne Fox in 2004, under then-Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. about contributing money to make the renovation affordable. Fox urged the city to approve the commitment and gave Peters the go-ahead to get started, explaining that the city had been planning to obtain a community development block grant to reimburse itself for the $500,000 pay-out.
Civil Rights Museum in Trouble?
Rumors are circulating that Tougaloo College may have to abandon site development of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum near the college's campus because of funding issues.
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.
Langston Deal Headed to Hinds County
U.S. District Court Judge William Pauley is sending the state's $14 million dispute with disbarred attorney Joey Langston to Hinds County. Pauley decided this month to uphold a decision to send the case to Hinds County Circuit Judge Winston Kidd. The fee dispute is connected to WorldCom's $126.2 million tax-fraud settlement with the state in 2005.
To Booze or Not to Booze
Police Chief Malcolm McMillin submitted an ordinance proposal to the Jackson City Council this week that would restrict alcohol retailers from doing business after 2 a.m. The ordinance specifically makes it unlawful for any owner, proprietor or an employee of any establishment with a liquor license to dispense light wine or beer—whether sold or given away—after 2 a.m. Monday through Sunday. The ordinance also restricts businesses from allowing patrons to bring their own alcohol onto the premises after 2 a.m.
Council: No to Payroll ... and Bodyguard Raises
The Jackson City Council failed to approve the city payroll by a 3-to-3 vote at a special meeting this afternoon. Council President Leslie McLemore, Ward 7 Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon and Ward 6 Councilman Marshand Crisler opposed the payroll, with Ward 1 Councilman Jeff Weill, Ward 4 Councilman Frank Bluntson and Ward 5 Councilman Charles Tillman in favor. Members opposed the payroll because of controversial pay raises for Mayor Frank Melton's bodyguards Michael Recio and Marcus Wright, and two others, including the lieutenant who signed off on the raises when the mayor made him chief for three days after the last chief would not approve the raises.
Jackson City Council Gets New Leadership
Ward 4 Councilman Frank Bluntson and Ward 5 Councilman Charles Tillman will now serve as president and vice president, respectively, of the Jackson City Council. The two nominated one another for their respective positions and received no opposing votes from the six-member council.
Gustav More Merciful
Hurricane Gustav was not the monster people had been fearing. Almost exactly three years ago, Hurricane Katrina showed America what a real hurricane looks like, and made government on all levels, from federal to municipal, look like a Marx Brothers movie.
Hood v. Salter: Battle Going Extra Rounds?
Enmity between Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood and Clarion-Ledger Perspective Editor Sid Salter is obvious this week, as the two hammer each other over disagreements regarding the facts around a June decision by the Mississippi Public Service Commission, and the implications of that decision.
Senate Kills Police Pay Raise Bill
Jackson residents almost got a chance to vote on a proposal to raise hotel taxes to fund a police pay raise before a Senate subcommittee killed it Monday. The bill's death came just hours after Jackson police managed to push the legislation through the House. House Bill 1710 would have allowed the city to hold a referendum vote on a proposed $1.25 per day tax upon each occupied hotel or motel room inside Jackson city limits. The vote, similar to the 2004 referendum vote to fund the construction of the Capitol City Convention Center, would have required a 60 percent majority.
Politics Plaguing Entergy Audit
Republicans in the Mississippi Senate could kill a House bill that would merge the Public Service Commission, which elected officials run, and the Public Utilities Staff, which is operated by governor-appointed staffers. The House of Representatives Public Utilities Committee passed a bill last week moving the Mississippi Public Utilities Staff back under the supervision of the Public Service Commission. As the Jackson Free Press recently reported, Commissioner Brandon Presley and others complain that the separation has inhibited the Commission's ability to correctly audit power company Entergy Mississippi and how it imposes rates on Mississippi consumers.
McMillin Says Resignation Was Political
Despite contradicting claims from Mayor Frank Melton, former Jackson Police Chief Malcolm McMillin said he resigned his position today for purely political reasons rather than tension between Melton and himself. "I couldn't stay as chief in this administration while I was not supporting the mayor's bid for re-election," McMillin said. "I thought it would say a lot about me and my integrity and honesty in taking that salary without supporting the mayor."
Thirteen-story Ridgeland High Rise Passes 4-3
The Ridgeland Board of Aldermen voted 4-to-3 in favor of the construction of a 13-story office building. Ridgeland codes currently limit building heights to four stories, so developer Buster Bailey asked the city to authorize a code variance for his development.
FEMA Wants Immunity for Poison Trailers
The Federal Emergency Management Agency asked U.S. District Judge Kurt Engelhardt for immunity from lawsuits over what plaintiffs' lawyers and the Sierra Club called "hazardous levels" of formaldehyde in government-issued trailers. Engelhardt is presiding over a lawsuit against FEMA. Plaintiffs claim the government knew about the dangerous toxicity of plywood used in trailer construction but continued to allow hurricane victims to inhabit the structures, despite independent toxicology tests revealing five times the tolerable amount of formaldehyde in the structures.
Wooten Apparent Winner Over Reeves ... Again
As the Jackson Free Press went to the printer Tuesday night, Democrat Adrienne Wooten was poised to win the re-vote election demanded by District 71 incumbent Rep. John Reeves. If Wooten wins, it will be another vote to keep House Speaker Billy McCoy in place, as Reeves had pledged in a campaign letter after the general election that he would vote against McCoy if he was re-elected.
Langston Suit Moves Ahead Through Political Thicket
Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Winston Kidd has lifted a motion to stay a politically tinged state lawsuit against disbarred attorneys Joey Langston and Timothy Balducci and the Langston Law Firm after U.S. District Court Judge William Pauley sent the case back to Hinds County. "I had issued a stay maybe a month ago to allow the federal court to decide the issue, and the federal court decided that it should be in state court. The parties agreed that the stay should be lifted. They have been lifted and the matter will now proceed forward," Kidd told the Jackson Free Press today, adding that he was not yet sure when the next hearing for motion of summary judgment would commence.
Police Union: No Agreement
The city of Jackson has not reached an agreement with the Jackson Police Officers Association regarding limiting the number of officers allowed to complete the sergeant's exam processcontrary to what Interim Police Chief Tyrone Lewis said at a June 11 Civil Service Commission meeting. Union president Juan Cloy denied Lewis' statement before the Commission last week, saying that the chief was mistaken.
UPDATED: Melton Denies Former Bodyguard's Allegations
Jackson Mayor Frank Melton addressed reporters Thursday morning condemning the testimony of his former bodyguard Marcus Wright. Melton's statement prompted Judge Daniel Jordan to issue a gag order on the mayor's upcoming civil rights trial. Wright pled guilty to misdemeanor conspiracy in U.S. District Court Tuesday, but further implicated Melton with his statements. Witnesses say Melton, Wright and Melton's other bodyguard, Michael Recio, participated in the illegal demolition of a duplex on Ridgeway Street in August 2006.