All results / Stories / Adam Lynch
State Street Repairs; New Farish Hotel Announced
Two development projects announced today will add to Jackson's renaissance. Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. announced a $586,000 street paving project on State Street between Woodrow Wilson and Seneca avenues, and Watkins Development Vice President Jason Goree announced the national Hotel Indigo chain is planning to open a boutique hotel in the Farish Street Entertainment District.
Effort to Rework Levee Board Fails
A play to support a controversial lakes plan died on the House calender last week. The bill, H.B. 1549, proposed changing the make-up of the Rankin-Hinds Pearl Flood and Drainage Control District Levee Board. Authored by Rep. Mary Coleman, D-Jackson, and co-sponsored by Rep. Bill Denny, R-Jackson, and Rita Martinson, R-Madison, the bill would have expanded the Levee Board's membership with state appointees and extra members representing Hinds County.
Levee De-certification Not a Corps Decision
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokesman Kavanaugh Breazeale said yesterday that the Corps will not make the decision to either certify or de-certify local levees that protect the city of Jackson from a Pearl River flood.
BREAKING: Corps Says ‘No' to Lake Plans
Read More: Archive of JFP's Pearl River/Lakes Coverage
Barbour Comparison Off the Mark?
Gov. Haley Barbour made national news again this week by comparing health-care reformas envisioned in the U.S. House and Senateto the horror of the Jonestown massacre. Speaking as chairman of the Republican Governors Association, Barbour equated the Democrats' health-care reform proposal in Congress to the poison Jim Jones used to kill 918 of his cult followers in a 1978 mass murder/suicide in Jonestown, Guyana.
Fifth Circuit Overturns Paul Minor Bribery Conviction
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has partially overturned the convictions of Mississippi attorney Paul Minor and former judges John Whitfield and Walter "Wes" Teel. A federal jury convicted Minor, Teel and Whitfield in 2007 for federal bribery and honest services fraud, but they appealed, arguing that prosecutors changed jury instructions to muddy the definition of an exchange of services for corruption, among other arguments.
Kemper Coal Plant Hearing Draws Protest
A crowd of 100 piled into the chambers of the Mississippi Public Service Commission this morning, offering a variety of opinions in support or opposition to a proposed $2.4 billion coal gasification plant in Kemper County.
City to Metrocenter?; JATRAN Saved, For Now
Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. told the Jackson City Council last night that he wants to move some city facilities into the currently under-used Metrocenter Mall located on Highway 80.
Weill Demands City's Fuelman Records
Ward 1 Councilman Jeff Weill delivered an information request to the city of Jackson yesterday, asking for copies of all records of purchases made from or through Fuelman, the city's contracted fuel administrator. Weill's information request, which targets the time period between Nov. 1, 2008, and Nov. 30, 2009, includes requests for records reflecting the number of city employees who have access to Fuelman cards, the number of and type of exceptions or misuses that have occurred, and "to what extent manual key-ins were permitted" on the cards, meaning purchases made without the presentation of the actual card.
Levee Board Opinion Request Withdrawn
The Department of Archives and History has withdrawn its request for an opinion from Attorney General Jim Hood to determine if the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District Levee Board should be designated as a state agency.
Burkhalter Stepping in as Interim U.S. Attorney
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder picked federal prosecutor Don Burkhalter to serve as interim United States Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi today. Burkhalter, who served as No. 2 under former U.S. Attorney Brad Pigott during the Clinton administration, will replace Stan Harris, who had been serving as acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi since the departure of Bush-appointed U.S. Attorney Dunn Lampton.
City Addressees Water Violations; Retirement Payment Increases
Read the city's stormwater management proposal (PDF, 64 KB)
Brad Rogers
For better or worse, Pearl Mayor Brad Rogers proved he's his own man when it comes to making a decision on the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District. Rogers was one of the five members of the levee board who voted in favor of a motion to adopt a levee plan for flood control along the Pearl River, as well as one of four mayors on the board who favored levees. Flowood Mayor Gary Rhoads explained that he had constituents who wanted the board to get moving on some kind of flood-control plan, be it levees or a lake plan, and warned that the Corps had limited their choices by pulling the plug on the lake option.
Just Five Years to RiverWalk?
Jackson developer David Watkins wants to move the Town Creek out of its traditional bed and replace it with a scenic, man-made canal stretching from Mill Street to the creek's Pearl River confluence.
Protesters Demand Epps Stop Inmate Abuse
Members of the Southeastern Christian Association, Operation Help Civil Rights Group, and Mothers of Inmates protested outside Mississippi Department of Corrections headquarters on President Street in Jackson today, lobbying for fair treatment of sons and husbands who are inmates in MDOC correctional facilities.
City Again Helping Minority Businesses
The city of Jackson is returning its Equal Business Opportunity Office to its former glory. On Dec. 1, the city hired professional speaker and public relations consultant Pamela Confer as head of the office, which serves to increase minority business participation in city contracts.
Board Asking for Federal Money for Levees
The Rankin-Hinds Pearl Flood and Drainage Control District Levee Board approved discussions with Mississippi's U.S. delegation, including Sen. Thad Cochran and Rep. Bennie Thompson over how to draw down a portion of the $133 million federal allotment for flood control for the Pearl River between Hinds and Rankin counties.
City to Move Forward on Fortification Renewal
UPDATED: This story has been updated with additional information about the project's cost and expected completion date.
Katrina Victims Claim Victory in State Supreme Court
The Mississippi Supreme Court ruled on a two-year-old court case related to Hurricane Katrina yesterday, opining that insurance companies could not refuse coverage for wind damage on the Long Beach home of Margaret and Magruder Corban, even if the same section was later destroyed by water damage not covered in the insurance policy.
Barbour: Hands Off Damages Cap
Gov. Haley Barbour is working hard to keep non-economic damages caps on lawsuits thoroughly capped. Barbour's office submitted a Dec. 17 amicus brief to the Mississippi Supreme Court, arguing that plaintiff Ronnie Lee Lymas should not be able to challenge the constitutionality of non-economic caps the Mississippi Legislature established in 2004.