All results / Stories / Donna Ladd
Batman and Melton Return
A showdown of sorts between District Attorney Faye Peterson and Mayor Frank Melton occurred on Monday in Circuit Court Judge Bobby DeLaughter's courtroom, during motions in the trial of alleged Wood Street Players gang members.
New York Times Honors JFP Editor
Jackson Free Press contributing editor Casey Parks got a delightful shock last week when New York Times columnist Nick Kristof called to offer her a coveted slot as his "traveling companion" on a 10-day trip to Africa—to New Guinea, Cameroon and the Central Africa Republic—this fall. Parks came out on top of 3,800 applications by other college and graduate-school students around the country.
Tracks Of Their Tears
Velma Berry lives in a brick house seven miles due west of the Mantee exit off the Natchez Trace in Northeast Mississippi. The well-kept lawn, thriving tomato plants and orange kitty-cat lolling on the carport near a hot-pink lawn chair show signs of vibrant life that belie the pain of the woman who now lives alone inside the house.
Melton Drug-Dealing Rumors Back
A recent deposition raises years-old questions about Frank Melton and past investigations.
snark >:-(
Sometimes life has a way of spiraling in on itself. Last week, I was asked to speak about advanced reporting and media ethics during Journalism Week at Ole Miss. Apropos to both topics, I spoke on the "myth of objectivity," among other things. I zeroed in on the problem of he-said-she-said journalism, where an important story and its facts and context get lost (or left out) in a battle of sound bites between two "sides" or, more likely, "spokesmen" with polar-opposite agendas. So "objectivity" ends up as opinion-vs.-opinion, and neither is very enlightening.
It's Official: Allen Concedes, Democrats Control Congress
The fat lady's getting hoarse. AP is reporting:
New Zata|3 Poll Shows Crisler and H. Johnson Tied
Full JFP Coverage of 2009 City Elections
JFP Endorsements
Clarion-Ledger Navel-Gazes Own Coverage, Sort Of
All the recent criticism of The Clarion-Ledger and other media's abysmal coverage of the city elections—which has only been covered by the Jackson Free Press to date—must be ringing true over at the daily newspaper offices. Today, they have a very odd, and defensive, puff story about the local media coverage of the race written by feature writer Gary Pettus and on the cover of the Southern Style section.
JFP ‘Best of Jackson' Challenge: Give Back, and Shop Local!
Now that the 7th annual (really!) Best of Jackson season has ended, and the party a sweet memory, here's what all of us can do next. We need to vow to honor "the best" in our communitythe best local businesses, the best community figures, the best non-profits and charitable activities, and efforts toward progressevery single day. Hundreds of you (we're guessing around 800) turned out Sunday night to celebrate the best at The Auditorium without needing to spend a dime (except on tips), so here's the JFP's challenge of how you can pay us back, so to speak: Take, say, $20 you might have spent on a cover charge and a drink and put it toward something that matters this week. Donate to one of our local non-profits, or go buy some school supplies and drop them off here at the JFP office for high-school journalism teachers (they really need white paper and dry-erase markers and jump-drives, for instance). Or, volunteer your time. Or, go to Jackpedia and post about how other people can get involved in your efforts. And, vitally, vow to shop local first and more often in locally owned businesses. For instance, go to Rainbow and McDade's for groceries and first and fill in items you can't get elsewhere. Go to locally owned restaurants. Shop local boutiques, consignment stores, and thrift shops first. Honor your hard-working local entrepreneurs and unsung heroes. It all matters, and you can make a difference every single day in easy ways.
Big Dawg Croom SEC Coach of the Year
Mississippi State released a statement an hour ago about this well-deserved honor for Coach Sylvester Croom:
URGENT: How to Help Get Education Funded NOW
Please call the House members and encourage them to hold their position in
The conference committee on HB 1646 (MAEP funding) is still negotiating. The House, under the leadership of Rep. Cecil Brown, is holding out for full funding. The Senate, under the leadership of Sen. Mike Chaney, is not there yet.
AG Hood Warns Against Misleading Voter Registration Info
[Verbatim from AG Hood] Jackson, MS -- Phone calls to the Attorney General's Office suggest some mis-information may be circulating about the upcoming election and designated deadlines. Attorney General Jim Hood would like to clarify what Mississippi law mandates for Mississippi voters. Per state statute, the deadline for voter registration in Mississippi is Saturday, October 4 at NOON. "The Secretary of State's Office has done a good job in letting Mississippians know the deadline to register to vote is October 4 for those counties that will be open on that day," said Attorney General Hood. "However, it is important to note, that the law specifically says NOON on October 4. Calls in to our office suggest that some people may think they have the entire day, when in fact they do not."
U.S. Attorney: 595 ‘Illegal Aliens' Arrested
[verbatim from U.S. Attorney Dunn Lampton] LAUREL, Miss. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents executed a federal criminal search warrant yesterday at Howard Industries, Inc., an electric transformer manufacturing facility, for evidence relating to aggravated identity theft, fraudulent use of Social Security numbers and other crimes, as well as a civil search warrant for individuals illegally in the United States. The announcement was made by ICE Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Investigations in New Orleans, Michael A. Holt, and Stan Harris, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi.
LeFleur Lakes Critic Tom Pullen on Radio JFP Friday
Tune into WLEZ, 103.7 FM, at noon Friday, Jan. 12, 2007, for Radio JFP, Jackson's news and entertainment variety hour. Joining host Todd Stauffer will be editors Donna Ladd and Brian Johnson to talk about the week's news, as well as Tom Pullen of the Pearl River Basin Coalition to talk about flood control, the need for green space for economic development, and why he opposes the LeFleur Lakes proposal. You'll also hear songs from musicians playing out in Jackson in the next week.
AG: State Meth Laws Curbing Problem
[verbatim from AG's office]Since Mississippi's Meth Law went into effect just over a year ago, meth lab seizures have gone down 65%, announced Attorney General Jim Hood today. The new law passed by the Mississippi Legislature restricted access to Ephedrine and Pseudoephedrine, the primary ingredients in the manufacturing of Crystal Meth.
Jackson City Council Votes Down Living-Wage Increase
At the Tuesday evening meeting tonight, the Jackson City Council voted down a proposed ordinance establishing a living-wage requirement for employees of the city of Jackson by a 3-3 vote. Acting Mayor Leslie McLemore, of Ward 2, proposed the ordinance, which drew support from Ward 7 Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon and outgoing Councilman Marshand Crisler of Ward 6. Opponents included council members who had supported a wage increase more than four months ago: Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes, Ward 4 Councilman Frank Bluntson and Ward 5 Councilman Charles Tillman. Ward 1 Councilman Jeff Weill was absent.
Haley Barbour's 2008 Inaugural Address
Read the verbatim full text of the governor's prepared remarks over on StateDesk.
StateDesk Live with Breaking News and Commentary
Visit StateDesk.com, the JFP's statewide news blog, for daily news on the state Legislature, commentary and other pertinent state news. Right now, you can read and comment on a PDF of Phil Bryant's new Senate committee appointments, read about a man exonerated by DNA of committing a rape 15 years ago and talk about the prospect of flamboyant legislatator Steve Holland running for Wicker's congressional seat. You don't have to be registered to comment over there, so head on over and get comfortable.
Dish It Out, Ladies
Here is an excerpt from the Maureen Dowd column causing a lot of the women-media chatter:
Burglary, Shots Fired on Melton's Street
The Clarion-Ledger is reporting that a house was burglarized on Riverwood Drive, Mayor Frank Melton's street in North Jackson. The homeowner fired at them and they ran into the woods. Authorities apprehended two men and are looking for a third. Nearby McLeod Elementary School was placed on lockdown.