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Howard Dean jumps to a 21-point lead in N.H.
Building on his incredible momentum, presidential candidate Howard Dean jumped to a 21-point lead over Kerry in New Hampshire, drawing a wide range of support, from liberal to moderate, men and women. The other candidates are in the single digits. This support is coming after a remarkable "Sleepless" tour of the last several days, with Dean raising $1 million on the Internet. See his Blog for America to get in the know about one of the most grass-roots campaigns we've seen in a long time.
Bill Minor: Watch legislative races
This Tuesday, the state legislative races are some of the most interesting races to pay attention to, columnist Bill Minor writes.
Bizarro NAFTA logic
Sid Salter often reminds me of George Will: Clearly, he has a good mind, which shows up sometimes in his columns, but he's so busy using it to shill for the GOP that it's hard to remember that sometimes. Case in point: His Sunday column apologizing for Haley Barbour's hands-on role in NAFTA implementation—which led directly to the loss of so many Mississippi jobs. The point of the column is to remind voters that NAFTA was signed into law by a Democrat — duh. Who doesn't know that one of the Democrats' biggest sell-outs to the GOP in recent years was NAFTA? This is a major black mark on Clinton's record, and the main reason I first started turning against "New Democrats" (other reasons soon piled up). But, the point here and now in Mississippi, is whether we should elect a governor who is the CEO of a D.C. lobbying firm that handled much of the NAFTA implementation, not to mention helped push for it, despite warnings that it would take away jobs back in his home state? The closest he could come to tying Musgrove to NAFTA is his membership in the party who agreed to come on board the train being conducted, in part, by Haley Barbour. That's really weak. It's not like Musgrove is a poster-boy Democrat, after all. He can easily argue that NAFTA is one of the many issues that he takes umbrage with national Dems over. This one's a pitifully obvious shill.
Man Charged with Murdering Teen Granted $50K Bond, Gag Order Possible
The man charged with killing 17-year-old Charles McDonald outside his business, Performance Oil, ini south Jackson is requesting bail after his Dec. 29 arrest for first-degree murder. A judge granted a $50,000 bond for Parish on Jan. 10.
UPDATED: City Selects Blogger 'Kingfish' Hendrix, 'Snakeman' Percy King for Jackson Zoo Board
James Hendrix, a local blogger and controversial personality known for his Jackson Jambalaya website, is one of two candidates up today for two spots on the Jackson Zoo's board of directors.
Newly Released Documents Show the Asbestos Trail in Fondren
The day after developers of a new Hilton hotel suddenly started demolishing structures on a two-acre site in the heart of Fondren, asbestos inspector Ryan Galfetti showed up unannounced after the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality received a complaint that asbestos may be present in the structures and the new piles of debris.
Stokes Wants Gun Discharges in City to Bring Increased Jail Time, Larger Fines
Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes will introduce an ordinance to make discharging a weapon within the city limits punishable by jail time and mandatory fines tomorrow during the regular meeting of the Jackson City Council.
Banks: Preventing Crime Needs 'A Man from Every Block,' Teen Outreach
On a rainy Thursday night at Forest Hill High School in south Jackson, Ward 6 Councilman Aaron Banks hosted what he says is the first of many more of his "Not on My Block" crime-prevention forums, in light of high-profile crime and violence recently throughout the Jackson area.
Mayor Yarber, Socrates Garrett Address Contracting Dispute, 'Steering'
Mayor Tony Yarber and his administration recently became defendants in another sexual-harassment lawsuit, this time saddled with charges of steering city contracts to campaign supporters.
DA Smith Wins on One Count, But Passes on 'Whistleblower' Bad Check Claims
The trial against Downtown Jackson Partners President Ben Allen wound up on Feb. 7, even as the woman who landed him there remained conspicuously absent from the courtroom.
Out of the Shadows: Ronnie Crudup Jr. Brings Youth, Business to Forefront
Many Jacksonians did not know Ronnie Crudup Jr. before he announced as a candidate for mayor.
DA Files: ‘Too Sweet’ Reverend, Old Faces Back in News
Names of men who were involved in the late and controversial Mayor Frank Melton's universe keep popping up in the convoluted accusations encircling Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith.
DA’s Attorney Looking for Tapes, Informant; Says AG Hiding Him
Defense counsel James Waide III may have revealed the name of the confidential informant who taped Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith and then provided tapes to the Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood’s office—tapes that could get Waide disqualified as Smith’s attorney.
UPDATED: Woman Sues Mayor Yarber for Sex Discrimination, Mayor Calls Her 'Disgruntled'
Mayor Tony Yarber's former executive assistant today filed a complaint in federal court accusing him of sex discrimination, sexual harassment and a hostile workplace within City Hall, and of having sexual different work-related sexual liaisons going at the same time.
DA Smith Says MBN Framed Jackson Man; Agency Says Evidence Not 'Credible'
Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith is hanging his defense to state charges and a bar complaint around what he alleges is a set-up of Christopher Butler, the man at the center of five of the six counts that could get the DA booted from office.
DA Files: The Curious Case of Mr. Smith, Mr. Butler and Mr. Hood
Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith walked into the courtroom on March 3, 2016, with a clear goal—to help get Christopher Butler, then 38, out of the Raymond jail.
UPDATED: Judge Sets DA's New Trial for June 12 after Mistrial, Hood Slams Dishonesty of Juror
The jury in the State of Mississippi case against Hinds District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith only deliberated about three hours before the judge declared a mistrial at about 4 p.m. today.
UPDATED: Jury Finds Allen Guilty for Cell-phone Payment, Not Guilty on Nine Counts
The jury in the trial of Downtown Jackson Partners President Ben Allen found him guilty on one count, not guilty on nine others after six hours of deliberation.
UPDATED: Indictment Snares Attorney Previously Used to Defend DA Smith
Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith was the high-profile name listed in a three-count felony indictment today. But the other is an assistant district attorney who Smith’s attorney claims can help prove that the state attorney general’s office has ulterior motives in pursuing the local prosecutor.