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Jackson Is Learning, Yarber Says
Jackson has been "teetering between lucky and learning" for the last 20 years, Ward 6 Councilman Tony Yarber said at Friday Forum this morning. The city has problems, but is learning how to turn pockets of success into models for the whole city, Yarber said.
Andrew Stankevich
Andrew Stankevich tried to start a group for gay students at Mississippi College School of Law, but administrators told him they were morally opposed to the idea. Stankevich said he has the letter that they sent him.
Upcoming Parkway CEO will Remain in Florida
The incoming CEO of Jackson-based real estate company Parkway Properties plans to remain in Florida after he takes the reins in January.
Capt. Ken Chapman
Capt. Ken Chapman claims he taught Aretha Franklin how to do the Bankhead bounce for a performance at the opening ceremony for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. She was going to sing "Respect," and he thought the move would work great when she got to the "sock-it-me, sock-it-me, sock-it-me" part.
A Security Requirement with No Teeth?
In less than a month, convenience-store owners in Jackson's city limits must hire security guards if their business is open from midnight to 5 a.m.
Council Demands Farish Audit
Despite a recommendation from the city's legal department, Jackson City Council members voted at its meeting last night to conduct an audit of the Farish Street Entertainment District.
Greg Grimes
Greg Grimes has already dealt with a stray-cat problem this morning. He's also looking at someone's water leak. As the city of Jackson's constituent services manager, he takes complaints from residents and solves their problems.
Thompson to Co-Sponsor Autism Act
At least 8,139 children in Mississippi have autism, according to a July 1 report from the Mississippi Autism Advisory Committee. The Legislature established the committee earlier this year to suggest strategies to combat a rise in autism rates.
Jennifer S. Love
Jennifer S. Love, a Mississippi native and Jackson State University graduate, is the new assistant director of the FBI's Security Division. Love most recently served as acting assistant director of the FBI's Inspection Division.
Bright Future
Despite the recent high-profile bankruptcy of Solyndra, a solar panel manufacturer in Fremont, Calif. that was backed by a federal loan guarantee, proponents of solar power in Mississippi said the state is poised to take a leading role in alternative energy.
‘Bullish' Gas ‘Fracking' Could Prove Boon for State
Recent, and controversial, advances in drilling technology have put the state in a unique position to attract new industry and create new energy-related jobs, natural-gas industry leaders yesterday told a packed forum at the Jackson Convention Center. The state is prime to benefit from the recent natural-gas boom due to our extensive pipeline system, our potential to store natural gas in underground "salt" domes and even possibly from our own deposits of shale—the drilling industry's new favorite place to find untapped reserves of both natural gas and oil.
STEPS Makes a Comeback
The Mississippi Department of Employment Security has funds available for its Subsidized Transitional Employment Program and Services, a program that provides wage subsidies to employers who, in exchange, provide a paid hourly wage and a transferable work skill to workers.
Hinds Election Sparring Continues
Read Dennery's announcement
Rickey Cole
Rickey Cole's political activism started at the age of nine when he would help his parents put up signs supporting Mississippi's first female treasurer, Evelyn Gandy.
Simpson Defends Ethics of Consulting Contract
Attorney General Jim Hood's re-election campaign is accusing opponent Steve Simpson of using his former position as commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety to secure his current consulting contract with a national driver's license kiosk company. In response to media inquiries about the contract, Hood's re-election campaign manager Jonathan Compretta said that Simpson awarded a contract to L1 Identity Solutions days before he stepped down as commissioner.
JPS Has More Star Schools
Jackson's public school performance for 2011 is a mixed bag of successes and failures, according to new data from Mississippi Department of Education. While five Jackson public schools rate as star schools, the district's graduation rate fell to 63.6 percent from 68.6 percent in 2010.
Ivan Rider
Ivan Rider returns to Jackson to direct "Driving Miss Daisy," opening tonight at New Stage Theatre.
"It's the theater of my heart," Rider told the Jackson Free Press this morning. "I'm delighted to be back."
JPS Board Members Question Music Funding
Some members of the Jackson Public School board said the district is spending too much money on its strings program at a board meeting Tuesday night. The program will get a funding increase of almost $33,000 this year.
Polk Wants a Do Over
Hinds County residents who voted in Terry's Dry Grove precinct Aug. 2 may need to return to the polls to vote again for a Democratic candidate for the District 73 Mississippi House of Representatives seat.
Abigail Phillips
Abigail Phillips, 22, recently came to Jackson to make a difference. As a service member of Food Corps, a national non-profit organization, she builds and tends school gardens, helping children learn about whole foods and balanced diets.