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Pigeons and Other Violations at A-1 Pallets
City code enforcement performed a site inspection of A-1 Pallets on Mill Street this morning, one day after Municipal Judge Melvin Priester signed a search and inspection warrant for the business.
Mayor Takes the Gloves Off
April 13, 2005 Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. pulled no punches against the campaign of political adversary Frank Melton at a conversation in the home of a Belhaven supporter last week. Until recently, Johnson has spent the election playing defense, lauding his record with various city achievements. But rankled by recent rumors, Johnson veered from the high road on the evening of April 7.
Blame the Music: Mayor Talks to Hip-Hop Coalition
April 13, 2005 The gap between the generations gets wider with each passing decade. Looking to bridge the gulf between gurus and grandpas, Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr., spoke with the Mississippi Artists and Producers Coalition (MAP) April 5, at the Birdland Café on Farish Street. MAP, a union of rappers, singers, producers, entertainment lawyers and other media personalities, had a volley of questions to toss to the mayor.
Unions vs. Harvey Johnson
April 20, 2005 Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. gave a smile when International Association of Fire Fighters President Harold Schaitberger signed a proposed labor agreement April 11 in City Hall. With the chambers filled with about 100 local and national firefighters, both Johnson and City Council lavished praise upon the agreement.
Election Watch: City Council, Ward 2
March 30, 2005 Candidates for Ward 2 include incumbent Democrat Leslie Burl McLemore, a JSU political science professor who helps organize the annual Fannie Lou Hamer school, specializing in recognizing both the sacrifices lost and the rights won during the Civil Rights Movement. McLemore has held the position as Ward 2's councilman for six years, and currently heads the City Council as president.
Motorola County Limits
March 30, 2005 A resolution to a public-safety communications problem, proposed by Jackson Police Chief Robert Moore and Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr., was shot down at the Hinds County Emergency 911 Council meeting on March 23. The resolution, earlier introduced at the March 22 Jackson City Council meeting, endorsed the upgrade of the city's public-safety communication system from an analog system to a digital system. It was also intended to address communication incompatibility issues between the county and the city.
ISSUE: Crime—Fear of a Dangerous City
April 14, 2005 As the municipal elections roll through the city, one of the most repeated questions bombarding candidates concerns the issue of crime. Jackson, say some residents, has a disproportionately high rate of it. Joe Lauderdale, owner of Sunbelt Sealings Inc., and Jackson resident of 35 years, is one of those residents. "They say the numbers are good, but I say they're still bad," Lauderdale said.
[City Report] The ‘Who's Who' Unity Team
June 22, 2005 Mayor-elect Frank Melton announced his transition team June 14 at an informational session at the Crossroads Building in downtown Jackson. Hinds County Board of Supervisors President Doug Anderson is chairman of the team. Peyton Prospere, former chief counsel for Gov. Ronnie Musgrove, is executive director of the effort.
Mayoral Forum: ‘Acting Like Teenagers'
April 20, 2005 An April 14 candidate forum hosted by the Jackson Association of Neighborhoods was bereft of Democratic mayoral candidate Frank Melton. Melton was to have joined incumbent Harvey Johnson Jr., and challenger Annell Smith at the forum in the Jackson Medical Mall's commnity room, but Johnson had arranged for business owner and friend James Covington to stand in from 6:30 p.m. until Johnson could arrive at 7 p.m. Melton walked out minutes after his own arrival at about 6:40 p.m., however, saying he did not want to be near Johnson's temporary stand-in.
Election Watch: Ward 7 Heats Up
April 27, 2005 Ward 7 Democratic incumbent Margaret Barrett Simon will be facing two other contenders in the upcoming May 3 primaries, and neither of them are particularly new to politics. Minister Dr. Leon Horne Sr. and Jackson International Airport sky captain George Foster have been frequent faces in the chambers of Jackson's City Hall, and both are known for making biting speeches before the council. They brought their big ideas with them to the April 25 forum at Rowan Middle School, the final forum before the primaries.
Ward 5: Business And Flood Control, Please
April 20, 2005 The sound system may not have been spiffy, but Ward 5 Democratic candidates for City Council didn't have a hard time conveying their messages at an April 11 forum at Provine High School. Hosted by the League of Women Voters, candidates had barely an hour to sort out the issues driving them to seek the council seat. Lanier High School teacher Bettye K. Dagner Cook faces former state worker Chris Gray, retired school Principal Charles Tillman, 72, substitute teacher Charles Alexander, self-employed Carl "Moses" Rankin, 47, and business owner, Kesha Evans, 30. Evans ran for a Jackson City council seat in 2001.
Election Watch: Ward 6 - Of Diaper Changes and Spicy Words
April 27, 2005 Tempers didn't exactly flare at an April 18 forum for Ward 6 candidates, but words did get spicy in more than one instance. Democratic candidate Von Anderson, 27, faces Democratic incumbent Marshand Crisler, 36, who has held the seat for one term. The forum, hosted by the League of Women Voters at Forest Hill High School, was an hour-long affair before a relatively sedate crowd of about 100. Anderson said he was running because politicians, like dirty diapers, sometimes "needed changing."
Would the REAL Democrat ...
April 13, 2005 Democratic Mayoral candidates Annell Smith and incumbent Harvey Johnson Jr. met at an April 9 forum hosted by the Mississippi Democratic Club in the historic Woodworth Chapel of Tougaloo College. Democratic candidate Frank Melton avoided the forum, originally claiming bias of one of the moderators. He later canceled his appearance, asserting "scheduling conflicts."
BREAKING: City Hires Attorneys Due to FBI Probe
At City Attorney Sarah O'Reilly-Evans' request, the Jackson City Council voted Tuesday to accept outside counsel from Phelps Dunbar regarding potential civil lawsuits pending against the city for actions due to the mayor's actions against a nightclub, a duplex, an alleged criminal's elderly mother and a pallet company. Federal agents have subpoenaed numerous city employees, including City Attorney Sarah O'Reilly-Evans, according to sources inside the city, in an FBI probe of the activities of Mayor Frank Melton. O'Reilly-Evans suggested today that the council seek help from an outside firm in defending the city from potential civil lawsuits relating to the FBI's probe.
Parking Battle in Fondren
Businesses in Fondren are skirmishing over limited parking space in the area. Managers and owners of businesses in Fondren Corner say the owners of Lenny's Sub Shop, on the other side of Fondren Place, are cracking down on Fondren Corner patrons who use Lenny's parking.
Police Chief's Work-Camp Plans Under Fire
The Jackson City Council today requested that Police Chief Shirlene Anderson remove some Beasley Road property from her list of candidates for a misdemeanor work camp. The property currently houses Ekklesia Christian Academy, and three council members said they had suffered a barrage of calls from angry city residents saying a work camp at the Beasley Road location does not fit in with the surrounding neighborhood. Hinds County Sheriff Malcolm McMillin attended the 10 a.m. special council meeting regarding the work camp, and called the city's drive to push a work camp, "unnecessary."
UPDATED: Father Says Smith Campaign Ad ‘a Lie'
As the district attorney's runoff looms, challenger Robert Smith is combing the alleys of the criminal justice system, looking for people unhappy with Peterson's performance. One such foray produced a couple who claim in the footage that Peterson failed to bring to justice a drunk driver who killed their daughter in 2006—but now the father says he was tricked into doing the ad.
Dem At Your Own Risk
The year 2000 was the dawn of the tort-reform craze in Mississippi, when out-of-state groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce poured money into state elections in an attempt to roll back court regulation. The Chamber interpreted Supreme Court Justice Oliver Diaz as too friendly to plaintiffs and targeted his campaign, dumping millions of dollars into an ad blitz supporting Diaz' opponent, trial judge Keith Starrett, while refusing to identify its contributors. The Chamber even succeeded in getting an emergency appeal from ultra-conservative U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia to vacate injunctions challenging the legality of the Chamber ads.
BREAKING: Taylor Headed Back to Jail?
Sources inside Hinds County say a 17-year-old companion of Mayor Frank Melton may need to turn himself back in to Hinds County authorities due to an administrative error regarding his failure to post bond.
BREAKING: Sheriff McMillin Endorses D.A. Faye Peterson
Hinds County Sheriff Malcolm McMillin endorsed Hinds County District Attorney Faye Peterson over Democratic challenger Robert Smith this morning. McMillin announced his endorsement to the Jackson Free Press, saying he opposes Smith because of an alignment with Jackson Mayor Frank Melton, and opposed "Melton's attempt to expand his sphere of influence to county offices."