All results / Stories / Ronni Mott
ON THE ISSUES: Military And Veteran's Needs
In a recent Army Times poll of active-duty National Guard and reserve personnel, Republican presidential contender John McCain outpaced Democrat Barack Obama nearly three to one, with McCain garnering 68 percent of the respondents, while 23 percent said they would vote for Obama.
Exposing A Killer
"It's something you don't want to know," Ken South said, "but you need to know."
Of Lady Killers and 'Good Behavior'
Citizens can feel secure knowing that the men in green and white stripes working on the road crews are not rapists or murderers. Mississippi law says that violent criminals are not eligible to participate in work programs outside prisons.
Burdening the Poor
Mississippi's low-income families pay a higher percentage of their income on taxes than people with higher incomes, one reason that makes the state's tax system mostly regressive. That is the conclusion of "Putting the Pieces Together: A Taxpayer's Guide to the Mississippi Budget," a new report from the Mississippi Economic Policy Center, an independent, nonpartisan initiative whose purpose is to analyze issues that affect working families and low-wealth Mississippians.
Fourth Man Exonerated, Registers to Vote
Arthur Johnson, 48, registered to vote this month, after nearly 16 years in prison for a rape he did not commit, and another eight months waiting for Mississippi to officially exonerate him.
Mobilize for the Monkey
A small group of protesters stood at the entrance to the University Medical Center Monday afternoon, holding signs and passing out information to passersby. They were there to protest vivisection, the practice of using live animals for medical research and training, often through programs supported by U.S. government sources.
Clinton and Palin Encourage Women Politicos
Women believe that Sen. Hillary Clinton and Gov. Sarah Palin crashed a few glass ceilings in the Nov. 4 general elections. Despite the media treating them unfairly, concentrating far too much on hairstyles and clothing, the majority of women voters say that the two politicians have paved the way for more women to run for office in the future.
Such Sweet Sorrow
Since July 2004, Ross Olivier has been pastor of the Galloway Methodist Church in Jackson, bringing with him experience forged in South Africa's anti-apartheid movement. As we spoke last Monday, his enthusiastic responses were well-considered, yet accessible. He leaned into me as he spoke. Rarely have I been in such a magnanimous presence. I couldn't help feeling a little sorry for myself: Why hadn't I met this man before? Olivier is returning to South Africa on Jan. 13.
Technicality May Free Seale
James Ford Seale will be going home soon, probably within days, thanks to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which on Sept. 9 overturned his 2007 conviction on federal conspiracy and kidnapping charges for abducting Charles Moore and Henry Dee in 1964.
Sports Hall of Fame to Induct Six in 2009
The Mississippi Sport Hall of Fame is inducting six new members at a banquet to be held at the end of the month.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Welcome to FY 2010: Where's the Budget?
At around 8 p.m. last night, the Mississippi House approved a $60 million hospital tax promoted by Gov. Haley Barbour to fund the state's Medicaid program, after a nearly two-and-a-half hour readingout loudof the 81-page bill, reports the Memphis Commercial Appeal. The tax will increase by another $30 million over the next three years to reach the original $90 million figure the governor wanted.
Holmes County Unemployment Hits 20 Percent
The Mississippi Department of Employment Security released the state's February unemployment figures (PDF, 8 Mb) yesterday, showing Holmes County with the highest unemployment rate in the state at 20 percent, an increase of 0.6 percent since last month, representing an additional 40 people who filed for unemployment.
Irby Trial Postponed Eight Months
Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Tomie Green granted a continuance for Karen Irby today, postponing her trial until March 29, 2010, reports The Clarion-Ledger. Irby, 38, faces two counts of depraved-heart murder for her role in a February car crash that killed Dr. Mark Pogue and Dr. Lisa Dedousis. Prosecutors also charged her with aggravated assault for injuries that her husband, Stuart Irby, sustained in the crash.
Senate Removes Pre-K Funding from MAEP Bill
Nancy Loomis from the Parents' Campaign in Jackson reports that the Senate Appropriations Committee passed HB 1677 yesterday, funding Mississippi Adequate Education Program for the coming school year.
Big Tobacco Loses Appeal; Wants Little Tobacco Taxed
On Friday, a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. agreed with a 2006 ruling to ban cigarette labeling such as "low tar," "light," ultra light" or "mild." The ruling found big tobacco guilty of racketeering and fraud, and said that the companies are deceiving the public about smoking dangers, according to The New York Times.
Ben Payton
Ben Wiley Payton, 62, grew up with the Mississippi blues. The Coila, Miss. native listened to his grandmother, Mabel Johnson, playing gospel music on piano, and his uncle, Joe Birch, picking the blues on guitar.