All results / Stories / Ronni Mott
Time to Build Levees
This week, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg District, closed their four-year study of Pearl River flood solutions in the Jackson metro, issuing a press release that was unambiguously titled: "Study Finds Levee Plan Best Option For Jackson Metro."
Home at Last?
When I was small, my parents seemed to think that moving to a new city to give my dad better job opportunities was a pretty cool thing to do.
[Balko] Death of a Watchdog
In an age when journalism has been inflicted not only by ballyhooed budget woes and challenges from new media, but also a glut of dubious trend stories, horserace political coverage and endless navel-gazing about the state of the profession, Pete Shellem merely freed four wrongly convicted people from prison in a period of 10 years with his reporting.
[Mott] Year of the Tiger
My life has always been filled with challenges; it's the way I like it, always pushing the edges, coming around the curve sideways on two wheels, and hitting the brakes just in time to avoid catastrophe. That may be more than Donna wants to know about me, but then, we've been working together for going on four years, so I think she's got a clue. Chaos follows me around like the little dirt cloud follows Pig Pen in Charles' Schultz "Peanuts," always ready to engulf me.
[Mott] Not One More Victim
The bad economy and shrinking budget is not an excuse for failing to add teeth to laws protecting women.
Remember Sanity
When I was given the opportunity to go to Jon Stewart's Rally to Restore Sanity this past weekend, I jumped at the chance. I went to school in the Washington, D.C., area, and cut my activist teeth on Vietnam War demonstrations in the nation's capital and Equal Rights Amendment marches down Constitution Avenue to the west side of the U.S. Capitol building.
[Mott] Nearing Nirvana
I've always been fascinated with how my brain works. Sometimes, it's downright confounding. Take dieting, for example. I know exactly what I should be eating (and not eating), but I can talk myself out of doing what's good for me in a hot second.
Prosecute the Prosecutors
A true correction would include prosecution for those suspected of knowingly packing a man away to prison for a crime they knew he didn't commit.
[Mott] Feed Them On Your Dreams
Earlier this week, my friend Terry e-mailed me a link to a short film from 1947 called "The Secret Lives of Cats." Two things struck me as I watched: First was the obvious affection of the two adult cats toward each other and their kittens, which was, in my experience, extraordinary. The second thing that occurred to me was the old adage, "Even a cat can have kittens."
Buying Judges: Tell the Whole Story
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals partially overturned the convictions of Mississippi attorney Paul Minor and former judges John Whitfield and Walter "Wes" Teel Friday.
Truth to Power
I spent last weekend in New Orleans at the Association of Alternative Newsmedia convention. It was held in the posh Ritz Carlton in the heart of the city's business district, and I was challenged trying to reconcile our "alternative" moniker with the neat little pyramids of individually rolled cloth hand towels by each sink in the ladies' rooms.
Hopes and Dreams
Last Friday was the first of the weekly Jackson Free Press summer intern workshops. With more than a dozen people stuffed into our classroom around the long stretch of tables, Editor-in-Chief Donna Ladd led a spirited discussion centered around the hopes and dreams of a talented group of young people.
Intent to Ravish
Like so much of Mississippi culture, its laws concerning sex crimes harken back to a hypothetically more genteel time when ladies swooned and men did not use curse words in their presence. The states' rape statutes use vague, anachronistic words such as "ravish," "chaste" and "buggery" instead of rape, virgin and anal intercourse.
Ending the Silence
Bringing Rape and Sexual Assault out of Shame's Closet
Anthony Sowell had been out of prison about three years after serving 15 for attempted rape when he ran into Gladys Wade outside a neighborhood store in Cleveland, Ohio, on Dec. 8, 2008. When she said she wouldn't go to his house to drink beer with him, Sowell became emphatic.
Health Challenge Issued to CEOs
[verbatim] Sister Mary Dorothea Sondgeroth, O.P., President, St. Dominic Health Services, Inc. and chair for the 2009 Metro Jackson Start! Heart Walk is challenging local companies to participate in the American Heart Association's National Start! Walking Day by allowing their employees to incorporate a 30 minute walking break into their day and raise money for heart disease research and prevention. National Start! Walking Day is April 8.
Don't Let the Economy Add Pounds
It's not an accident that MississippiĀthe state with the lowest individual and family incomesĀis also the fattest. Ounce for ounce, highly processed food is usually cheaper than fresh, wholesome foods. The problem is that low food prices often come with lots of salt, sugar, refined grains and unnecessary additives that tend to pile on the pounds.
Use It or Lose It (Your Brain, that is)
We all know that if we exercise our bodies, our muscles and bones will stay strong, right? Did you know that your brain needs exercise, too?
Thomas Daschle to head HHS
The Washington Post announced today that former Sen. Tom Daschle will head the Department of Health and Human Services in the new Obama cabinet.
"Run"dezvous and Bike Too Duathlon
<i>(verbatim release)</i>
It's not too late to sign up for the inaugural "Run"dezvous and Bike Too Duathlon which will take place Saturday, November 15 at 7:30 a.m. on historic Jackson Street in Ridgeland, Mississippi. Proceeds will benefit Mississippi Children's Home Services' Jean Austin Bagley Campus.
Resolved: A Toxin-Free 2009
Everyone has a start on their New Year's resolutions, right? A lot of folks will be adding "Be More Green" to their lists this year, and here's a corollary to that one: "Get Rid of Toxins."