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Hurricane-Hit Hancock Losing Out
Only a fraction of federal money reserved for re-construction in Hurricane Katrina-damaged areas actually went to the county with some of the most egregious damage, a Government Accountability Office report revealed.
Senate Candidates on the Economy
Ronnie Musgrove As governor, Democrat Ronnie Musgrove was exceptionally tight-fisted. His opponent, interim Sen. Roger Wicker, has frequently charged that he squandered a budget surplus during his administration.
Enforce the Ordinance
A community rights organization is accusing the city of ignoring a city ordinance approved last year. The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, known as ACORN, devised and lobbied for the ordinance, which outlines new fines and fees against homeowners who do not register and maintain vacant property.
Trouble at Hinds Youth Detention Center
A Hinds County supervisors suggests a "cover-up" at the Hinds County Youth Detention Center.
Drastic Change
A working mother of five children, Monique Davis has been both a have and a have-not. When her husband worked for Verizon in Washington, D.C., the entire family received health coverage through his union, the Communications Workers of America.
AG: Bodyguard Changed Story
After Mayor Frank Melton copped to three pleas in his gun cases, The Clarion-Ledger's Eric Stringfellow criticized the attorney general's office for not interviewing the mayor's two bodyguards. Det. Michael Recio came forward at the last minute saying he would testify under oath that Melton left his gun in the car outside the Mississippi College School of Law.
Chasing Mimsy
Chris Mims, 34, has returned to city government, this time as director of the city's communications department. He worked as a staff member in the department in Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr.'s last administration under former department director Dorothy Triplett, who now manages CONTACT The Crisis Line, a suicide hotline.
"Kings of Tort": A Royal Hit Job?
The authors of the recent book "Kings of Tort: The True Story of Dickie Scruggs, Paul Minor and Two Decades of Political and Legal Manipulation in Mississippi" don't mince words when trying to convey a white-trash tale of former attorney Paul Minor, who was convicted on federal bribery and honest services fraud charges in 2007.
Healthy Kids, Healthy Codgers
The Capitol legislated a healthier lifestyle for public school students, creating SB 2369, which demands schools offer at least 150 minutes of physical education for students each week, along with 45 minutes of health education. The Senate bill is a partial replacement of a House bill that mandated similar exercise requirements, but which also ordered trans fats out of school lunchrooms. The Senate gave a pass to trans fats, which the National Institutes of Health has found increases the risk of heart disease.
Strangulation, Security and Suffrage
Both chambers of the state Legislature spent the past week considering bills from the opposite chamber. The House amended Senate Bill 2923—a bill that expands domestic assault to include strangulation and requires a "cooling off" period between parties—to create the offense of attempted murder.
Clock Ticking On Commerce Street
John Lawrence, president of Downtown Jackson Partners, said developers have big plans for a section of Entergy-owned territory along Commerce Street, in downtown Jackson, and urged council members to work with them before time runs out.
No Fuel Theft Revealed, Yet; McMillin Blasts Council
A city auditor says she has discovered no employee theft of fuel so far, while the chief-sheriff blasts Council for publicly questioning fuel reporting.
Dongles Back in Action?
One of the most conservative U.S. appeals courts in the nation outlawed Texas' ban on sex toys last week, and local retailers could use the decision to overturn a local municipal ban. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a Texas law making it illegal to sell or promote obscene devices, punishable by jail time, violated the right to privacy guaranteed by the 14th Amendment.
Let's Do It This Time
Being an artist in Jackson is an uphill struggle; not only must you create paintings, music, dance or films, but you also have to be your own venue organizer, publicist, agent, Webmaster and even lobbyist. "You have to integrate your art into people's lives—show them how it can enrich their lives because they won't necessarily reach out and take it themselves," said Daniel Guaqueta, host of "Mundo Melodia" on WLEZ and a member of the experimental music group TTOCCS REKARP.
Melton's Complicated History with Maurice Warner
One of Mayor Frank Melton's favorite mentees was murdered on Christmas Day. The JFP explores the mayor's history with Maurice Warner.
There's Oil In Them Trees
In a special session Aug. 27, the Mississippi Legislature passed a $45 million bond issue that will allow the state to loan $75 million to KiOR, a Houston-based startup that converts biomass into a crude-oil substitute.
Creating Kid Art
Bryson Williams, a stocky 7-year-old, is devoted to glitter. He grabs handfuls of the stuff from a paper plate and drops it onto a plastic one, his eyebrows pushed together in concentration. Slowly but surely, he drowns the plate in an inch-thick layer of sparkle. Finally, the finishing touches: an orange feather, a magenta feather and two black plastic spiders.
Dodging Bullets
Shorter SessionOne of the first moves the Legislature made this year was to cut its hours.
UMMC Unveils Obesity Center
Visitors to the Jackson Convention Center during last week's Global Obesity Summit could be forgiven for a little mirthless laughter.
Phillips Group Close to Jackson Contracts?
The Jackson Redevelopment Authority has chosen a development consortium out of Dallas, Texas, with very close ties to controversial developer Gene Phillips as the developers of the Convention Center hotel, and may hand them the contract to refurbish the Standard Life building shortly, according to The Clarion-Ledger.