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A Drunken Rampage?
A decision by Judge Joe Webster to exclude Aug. 26 events from the Upper Level may keep out intriguing testimony described in a prosecution motion filed April 12, though Webster left open the possibility that such evidence might be introduced in rebuttal.
Community Combats Crime
Standing at the corner of Florence and Valley Streets near the campus of Jackson State University, it is evident why Royce Smith Jr. is concerned about his business.
Money Games
Mississippi leaders experienced a rare moment of agreement last month on the frequently rancorous topic of education funding.
Bringing Up the Rear
The number of binge drinkers in Misssissippi is significantly lower than the national average, state residents are pretty good about wearing seatbelts, and we are third in the nation for the number of beds in community hospitals in the state. Otherwise, the state brought up the rear in the "Health Care State Rankings 2008," published by CQ Press in March—earning the dubious honor of being named the nation's unhealthiest state.
McMillin Talks on Irby ‘Conspiracy'
Hinds County Sheriff Malcolm McMillin this week fired back at accusers who say he led a conspiracy to go easy on Karen Irby, whose intoxication and high-speed driving killed two doctors and seriously injured her husband, Stuart, and herself after leaving the Jackson Country Club the evening of Feb. 11, 2009. Police reports show that she crossed five lanes of traffic in her black 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS 500 and hit a Chevrolet Silverado C1500 pick-up truck head-on; it burst into flames, killing Drs. Mark Pogue and Lisa Dedousis.
Generator Mix-Up Could Cost $25,000
A mix-up between contractors and Hinds County officials could cost county taxpayers $25,000. The county enlisted Kossen Equipment Inc. in December 2009 to install an emergency electric generator for a radio communications tower near Terry and Springridge roads in Byram.
Safer Schools Now
School is not always the most comfortable, or safest, place for a gay student.
Controversy on Farish Street
The Farish Street District Redevelopment Ad Hoc Committee and Jackson Mayor Frank Melton lobbed complaints about the lack of development progress in the Farish Street Entertainment District at a public forum last week. Committee members, including chairman Harold Lathon and hip-hop artist and Jackson Free Press columnist Kamikaze, hurled complaints at Memphis-based Performa Entertainment Real Estate Inc., which is overseeing development of the project.
Jackson Singled Out for Bond ‘Lobbying'
The Mississippi Legislature singled out Jackson as the only municipality that needed to submit an application to and lobby the state Bond Commission in order to receive a loan that the lawmakers had promised the city.
Digging Up Bodies?
For the first time since 1995, Mississippi will have a full-time medical examiner who is not Dr. Steven Hayne.
D.A.: ‘It's Unfortunate'
District Attorney Faye Peterson has responded to a full-page ad purchased in the Jackson Free Press last issue by police watchdog organization group SafeCity Watch. The ad said that local politicians considered property crime a low priority and called for city and county residents to pressure county supervisors to follow Sheriff Malcolm McMillin's call to expand the county jail by 132 beds.
Hooray For King Ed
Jackson Developer David Watkins and the King Edward Hotel received some good news from the May 30 City Council meeting. The council voted 6-1 in favor of a resolution ratifying the redevelopment agreement between the Jackson Redevelopment Authority and developers HRI, New Orleans Saints running back Deuce McAllister and local attorney David Watkins. Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes voted against the agreement.
How To Invest in the Community
For every $100 spent at a locally owned business, $45 stays in the local economy. That is the finding of a study by Civic Economics, which found that shopping at a chain store only renders $13 back into the local economy.
Gordon Kills Home Nursing Bill
Sen. Jack Gordon, D-Okolona, squashed a House bill that would have provided senior citizens and the disabled more access to home-care nursing.
Just Eat Out
The tree that toppled down onto the roof of the Sykes Park Community Center in South Jackson was clearly a big one. The steel, painted roof section over the building's kitchen area is crunched in like tin foil over an apple pie. The space between it and the suspended ceiling beneath is gaping and open, with water dripping freely into the kitchen every time it rains.
Communication, Please
Melvin Priester Sr. believes better communication can make the Hinds County judiciary more efficient.
Indecent Proposal?
The Associated Press reported last week that the scandal of jailed former lobbyist Jack Abramoff reaches fairly far into Mississippi. Abramoff's former deputy Todd Boulanger told U.S. District Judge Richard W. Roberts that he provided thousands of dollars worth of goodies to Capitol Hill aides who could help him land legislation favorable to his clients.
Jackson Resident Claims Racism
Jackson resident Robert Shoulders is suing Utility Constructors Inc. and its owner Terry Lovelace for racial harassment.
We-the-Fat
On Tuesday, speakers from the Coalition for a Healthier Mississippi unveiled their plans for the third annual Mississippi Health Awareness Day, scheduled for Jan. 15, 2009.
State Forces Farish Apartments
Performa Entertainment Real Estate Inc., the developer that turned the Beale Street District of Memphis into a jazzy powerhouse of capitalism, is likely to buy property along Farish Street with the intent to build apartments.