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The Trial Begins ... Officially
We left Jackson early (7 a.m.!) to get to Philadelphia for the official opening of the trial — although there is not a lot of activity to cover today. There was a bit of excitement when Killen was wheeled into the courthouse — alongside J.J. Harper! Some reporters were asking his attorney why he was with a Klansman, and then Minna (Skau of Politken in Denmark, our friend from the day before) whipped out the business card Mr. Harper had given her the day before to show his Klan connection.
James Ford Seale Trial to Begin Wednesday
The federal kidnapping and conspiracy trial of former Klansman James Ford Seale is now set to begin Wednesday, May 30, with jury selection in a federal courtroom in Jackson. Seale is accused of kidnapping Charles Moore and Henry Dee, who were beaten and tortured by the Klan, and then dumped into an offshoot of the Mississippi River, prosecutors believe. The Jackson Free Press helped revive interest in the case in July 2005 by traveling back to Franklin County with Thomas Moore, the brother of Charles Moore, and a Canadian Broadcasting Corp. filmmaker, where the team discovered that Seale was still alive from two sources. That information helped convinced U.S. Attorney Dunn Lampton to jumpstart the investigation, leading to indictments in January 2007. A full archive of the JFP's coverage of this case and other Klan activity in the area is available on the JFP's Road to Meadville blog. JFP reporters will be blogging daily about the trial on the same blog. The JFP's July 2005 original award-winning story about Moore's journey home, "I Want Justice, Too" is available here.
James Ford Seale Wants Charges Thrown Out
Read the JFP's full Dee-Moore-Seale package.
Face to Face with Killen
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photo by Kate Medley: Edgar Ray Killen is helped into his car as his wife and supporters look on.
Sovereignty Commission Blog
Delta woman Susan Klopfer has started a Mississippi Sovereignty Commission blog to highlight relevant parts of the Sovereignty Files (which are searchable online here. It is very important to understand that murders of Chaney, Goodman and Schwerner (and others) were not just the work of a few Klansmen. The state-funded Sovereignty Commission was set up as a spy agency to keep segregation in place and keep out "agitators" (civil-rights supporters).
Milkshakes and French fries on this road? Probably not, huh?
The JFP Road to Wellness came at a wacky time for Todd and me. It started the week we were closing the new BOOM Jackson, as well as the summer arts preview issue. And we were preparing for a long road trip for our bargain vacation. He and I have long suffered from workaholism—we don't go home soon enough, we eat late, we're often too tired to exercise by the time we leave the office. We are fortunate that years ago, we chose a more healthy lifestyle by going vegetarian (no meat, but we have dairy and some eggs), by converting to mostly organic choices, and by starting to walk, meditate and actually take weekend days off (I take off more than he does, but he's trying). So we have a good base for wellness. But it's our workaholism that tends to hurt us. When we do leave the office by 7, it's usually to attend an event around town -- many that we too often have what I call "little blocks of cheese" for dinner as we graze the party snacks.
Zen and the Art of Losing My Hard Drive
My road to wellness this summer included a long road trip to the Northeast. It was a remarkable, relaxing almost-two-week budget vacation—that ended with my laptop hard drive crashing on the last day in New York. Oh, and my online backup system failed, too (or we had failed on it by not renewing it when it ran out unbeknownst to me). Talk about a Zen test. Yes, I cried several times. More than that, I felt discombobulated in a way I never really had. Suddenly, it felt like my life was adrift. And it kinda was.
Hedonistically Healthy
I'm not big on deprivation. Never have been, and I've been blessed to not feel like I've had to deprive myself much over the years in order to be healthy or to maintain a decent weight. Of course, I suppose I've been blessed that I'm not a big fan of many habits that are really bad for you, like eating meat or smoking. To me, those things aren't hedonistic pleasures. They are habits that offend my sensibilities.
Slate - July 8-14
THE SLATE: the best in sports in the next 7 days
Pro baseball, Amarillo at Jackson, 7 p.m. (1240 AM): The Senators tackle the Dillas before leaving for a two-series swing through Texas.
Shagadelic Senators Back at Home
Jackson Senators Baseball Tues., June 17 - Tues., June 24. Game times Tues.-Sat. 7:05 p.m., Sun., 6:05 p.m. Gates open 1 hour before start time. Tues. - 2 for $1 drinks. Wed. - .50 cent drinks. Thurs. - $1 drinks. Fri.- Kids run bases after the game. Shagadelic Saturdays with Austin Powers. 362-2294. http://jacksonsenators.com
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College baseball, Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss at Smith-Wills Stadium, 6:30 p.m. (620 AM and 97.3 FM): Expect a packed house for the latest edition of the Mayor's Trophy Game.
MUW Dumping Women's Sports
Ouch. The Mississippi University for Women (and Men, actually) is trying to abolish its women's athletics programs due to budget cuts and tornado damage. "MUW President Claudia Limbert is asking state College Board approval on Thursday to take steps to eliminate the school's four teams beginning July 1, 2003," the Clarion-Ledger reported today.
Go, Rush, Go
The Associated Press reports: "New ESPN commentator Rush Limbaugh said on the network's pregame show that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was overrated because the media wanted to see a black quarterback do well." McNabb reacts.
Play Rugby!
Play Rugby, the toughest full-contact team sport you will ever love. All are welcome with no skill required. Jackson Rugby practices every Tues. and Thurs. 6 - 8 p.m. at Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Madison. 714-4444. http://www.jacksonrugby.com
Go Jackson State!
Sorry, Alcorn. We've got to root for the home team. Tickets are $32, $22, and $17. And, truth be known, the "Braves" part doesn't help anything. Go Tigers!
MSU Slapped with NCAA Charges
First Croom, then the bad news ... The press release from State just in: Mississippi State University has received a letter and notice of allegations from the National Collegiate Athletics Association regarding the football program. The notice contains allegations of rules violations from 1998 to 2002. Mississippi State has been cooperating fully with the NCAA and has assisted in the investigation of these matters over the past two and a half years. The allegations address improper offers and inducements to prospective student-athletes. There is no allegation of academic misconduct and no allegation of lack of institutional control or failure to monitor. At this time, these are only allegations.
Ultimate Disk Southern Regionals
The city of Jackson and the Mississippi Ultimate Disk Association are hosting the 2002 Ultimate Disk Southern Regionals this Saturday and Sunday in Butts Park. Teams from Mississippi, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee will compete, with up to 1,000 people expected to attend. "Ultimate," as this sport is called, began in the early 1960s an universities around the U.S. Stanford University even awards full scholarships, and Ultimate is considered a varsity sport. Visit the Ultimate Players Association's Web site at http://www.upa.org and see http://www.canufly.net/~sadie/ for special details on the Jackson events.
Hockey in Mississippi!?
I'll be honest: I still can't quite mesh hockey with my home state. And, truth be known, I have a hard time understanding the game even though I used to attend University of North Dakota games when they were No. 1. But it is an amazing clash of testosterone and graceful moves, so I'm in. I see that the Jackson Bandits' first game is Oct. 18. We've got to get out to support our home teams; buy your season tickets now at 352-PUCK. See http://www.thebandits.com for a full schedule.
NBA Player Takes on ... Campaign Finance Reform
Darla Walters Gary writes for Wiretap about NBA basketball player Adonal Foyle's crusade for campaign finance reform: "On top of playing basketball and pursuing a Masters Degree from John F. Kennedy University in Moraga, California, Adonal is the founder of Democracy Matters, an organization advocating for campaign finance reform. Yes, that's right, campaign finance reform! He is dedicated to working with high school and college-aged youth on campuses across the country to change the political environment in the United States."
World Series Party with the Senators
From David Blount: "Although the Senators season ended last month, baseball season reaches its climax Saturday with the World Series. The Angels and Giants play Game One Saturday night on FOX (hope you have cable!). The Jackson Senators are sponsoring a free World Series party on Tuesday night for Game Three. The event will be held at the Clarion Hotel (by the Coliseum, formerly the Ramada) on Oct. 22 at 6:30. There will be a complimentary buffet, door prizes, and an update on some good news concerning the Senators and Smith-Wills. It's free, so please pass the word. For more information and to RSVP please call the Senators office at 362-2294.