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Personhood Initiative Approved for 2011 Ballot
The Mississippi Secretary of State's office approved an initiative today for the 2011 ballot asking voters to decide whether the constitution should designate that life begins at fertilization.
Fondren Green Space Gets Renovation
Fondren will soon have a pavilion, playground, walking trails and a community garden in Cherokee Heights Park. City officials, Fondren community leaders and neighborhood children broke ground on the park's renovation at the corner of Dunbar Street and Northview Drive Sept. 8.
County Audit Reveals Swap Risk
Hinds County may have earned almost $4.5 million from a complex financial deal, but few in the county appear able to explain where the money went.
Hood Sues State Farm
Attorney General Jim Hood announced he is suing State Farm Fire and Casualty Company for failing to honor policies covering damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. Hood said Monday that State Farm had reneged on terms spelled out in a Jan. 23 settlement agreement.
Week 5: ID, Justice, Budgets
Republican Win On Voter ID Senate Republicans succeeded in extending and tightening voter ID requirements for all Mississippians in a bill passed Feb. 4. Senate Bill 2548 originally passed Jan. 15 with an amendment from David Blount, D-Jackson, that would have exempted those born before 1946 from presenting some form of voter identification. In that amended form, the bill allowed photo identification, government documents bearing a name and address and social security cards as acceptable forms of ID.
Melton Draws Attention of A.G.
Attorney General Jim Hood told the Jackson Free Press that he has not opened a formal investigation into any possible lawbreaking by Jackson Mayor Frank Melton, despite headlines in the April 14 Clarion-Ledger reading: "Hood Probing Mayor's Method."
Calling Out the Guard
Note: The print edition erroneously lists Donna Ladd as the author of this piece.
‘District' of Jackson On Way?
Rep. John Reeves, R-Jackson, says he's looking to turn the property once owned by the Mississippi Schools for the Deaf and Blind, near Eastover Drive, into a real-estate explosion. "We're trying to convince the Legislature to sell or lease the old property off I-55 North over there. If we can get that into the hands of developers, it'll turn that whole neighborhood over in that part of Jackson," Reeves said.
It's Official: Allen Concedes, Democrats Control Congress
The fat lady's getting hoarse. AP is reporting:
JPS Names Teacher of the Year
Jackson Public Schools has named Murrah High School English teacher Stacey Donaldson as Jackson's Teacher of the Year for 2008-2009.
New Zata|3 Poll Shows Crisler and H. Johnson Tied
Full JFP Coverage of 2009 City Elections
JFP Endorsements
House Votes for Eminent-Domain Changes
The House today passed an eminent-domain bill looking to limit the power of the state government to snatch private property for the use of non-government purposes.
Millsaps College is Mississippi's Best
Forbes.com put Millsaps College back in the news again, when it ranked the Jackson school as the best in the state based on educational quality, student experiences and their achievements. The 2009 rankings, compiled by Forbes and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, put Millsaps at No. 101 in the nationwide survey of 600 schools, which Forbes says accounts for only the top 15 percent of the more than 4,000 undergraduate schools in the country.
Mississippi House Passes $1 Cigarette Tax
Following nearly two hours of debate, the House of Representatives passed a bill this afternoon that would raise Mississippi's cigarette tax from 18 cents to $1 per pack. House Bill 364, passed by a 81-39 vote, now moves to the Senate for consideration. The bill would bring the state an additional $68 million to $78 million this fiscal year and $200 million in the 2010 fiscal year, according to Rep. Percy Watson, D-Hattiesburg, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.
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.
What Did You Think of the Mayoral Debate?
All, add your comments below about what you thought of Thursday night's debate, brought to you by the Jackson Progressive, Jackson 2000, Leadership Jackson Alumni, WAPT and the Jackson Free Press. What were the best lines? Worst? Who scored the best points? Did you decide who to vote for?
Bill Delays Paroled Killer's Release
Douglas Hodgkin, convicted murderer of pregnant Ole Miss student Jean Elizabeth Gillies, will remain behind barsat least temporarilyas a result of a bill signed into law by Gov. Haley Barbour today.
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:
Whitlow to Announce Candidacy
Rick Whitlow, former sports director and anchor at WJTV, will formerly announce his intention to run for mayor of Jackson tonight.