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Flu Cases Now at 50
The Mississippi State Department of Health reports that the number of confirmed H1N1 swine flu cases in the state hit 50 yesterday. The bulk of the cases remain on the coast, with 17 cases in Harrison County and 13 in Jackson County. Hinds County now reports two cases, as does Yazoo County to the north. Neighboring Madison and Rankin Counties report one confirmed case each.
Developers Announce New Jackson Projects
Developers will complete work on the first block of historic Farish Street in 14 months.
Former Justice Fights Death Penalty
Oliver Diaz says his first vote on the Mississippi Supreme Court was to "kill an innocent man." The man he's talking about is Kennedy Brewer, wrongfully convicted of the rape and murder of a toddler in 1995.
FBI: Jackson Violent Crime Decreases in 2008 over 2007
Jackson's overall rate of violent crime decreased slightly for the first six months of 2008 as compared to the same period of 2007, according to the FBI's preliminary Uniform Crime Statistic report released Jan. 12. Numbers for murder and aggravated assault rose slightly, while rapes and robberies fell. The report shows a total of 729 violent crimes in the capital city from January through June 2008, as compared to 760 for the same period in 2007. The city's overall 4.1 percent decrease in violent crime is in line with the FBI's national statistic of a 3.5 percent drop in violent crime.
Additional Shot Required for Mississippi Students
Students enrolled in Magnolia State schools will need to have had two chicken pox vaccines when they begin classes this fall. Known as the varicella vaccine, the requirement was waived in 2008 because of low availability, reports WAPT.
Jackson Public Meetings This Week
Monday, July 20
Johnson Transition Forum: Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr.'s transition team invites the public to a forum concerning human and cultural services. 6 P.M. City Hall, 219 S. President Street
Governor Signs DNA Bill
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour signed SB 2709 into law yesterday. The bill mandates that the state preserve DNA evidence and conduct DNA testing on biological evidence.
Lawmakers Idle Waiting for Budget
The Mississippi Legislature is spending about $19,000 a day with little or nothing to do, for the most part. Lawmakers have finished all of their business for the current session, with one glaring exception: the budget for the 2010 fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2009, a little more than four weeks from today. But that task is not yet in the hands of the full 174-seat House and Senate; behind closed doors, a handful of members on a special negotiating team is doing all the work.
Mississippi Chrysler Dealerships Closing
Chrysler is closing almost 800 dealerships across the country as part of their bankruptcy agreement, including six in Mississippi. The Magnolia State dealerships on the closure list are:
Special Session Agenda: Utility Watchdog Agencies
The Mississippi Legislature is back in Jackson this morning for another special session, this time to decide the fate of the state's utility watchdog agencies. Lawmakers were unable to get a budget bill to fund the Public Service Commission and the Public Utilities Staff on the governor's desk during the regular session or during the first special session called after the regular session ended.
Recio Still Getting City Paycheck
Although suspended from duty, Michael Recio, Jackson Mayor Frank Melton's former bodyguard, is still pulling down a paycheck from the city, according to WAPT.
Budget Impasse Will Affect Agencies
State agencies could be shutting down soon if the Mississippi Legislature can't come to an agreement on the state budget. A small contingent of lawmakers made up of three House and three Senate members plus a handful of others including Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant, have been working toward an agreement, but as yet, have produced no results.
Study Reveals Conservatives Prefer Porn Online
A new study published in the Journal of Economic Perspectives indicates that eight of the top 10 "red" statesstates that identify themselves as more conservative and religious than others, and who also gave their electoral votes to John McCain in last year's run for the White Housealso buy more online pornography than other states.
FBI Seeks Cold Case Info
[verbatim]In February 2006, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) enacted an initiative to identify and closely examine all unsolved hate crimes resulting in death that occurred prior to 1970. A review of cold case civil rights matters that met the above criteria was conducted and, with the help of our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, as well as community leaders and civic organizations, numerous cases of unsolved violent crimes from the Civil Rights era are now being thoroughly examined and reinvestigated.
Recio Attorney Challenges Retrial
Also see: Full JFP Melton Blog/Archive/Trial Documents
Cynthia Stewart, the attorney representing Michael Recio, filed a motion (PDF) today accusing federal prosecutors of violating government policies by retrying Recio and Jackson Mayor Frank Melton. Recio is Melton's former bodyguard and his co-defendant in a case concerning the destruction of a Ridgeway Street duplex in August 2006.
Spring Break Lunch with the Mayor
[verbatim] The City of Jackson's Safe Neighborhood and Youth Development Division will host "Lunch With the Mayor in the Park" at Lake Hico Park on Thursday, March 19, 2009, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Area youth on spring break are invited to eat a picnic lunch with Mayor Frank E. Melton and experience educational programs presented by the Jackson Fire Department and the Solid Waste Division's "Go Green" initiative.
Sallie Eola Reneau
Yesterday, Mississippi University of Women President Claudia A. Limbert honored Sallie Eola Reneau, 131 years after her death. After an exhaustive 22-month search for an appropriate new name for the venerable Mississippi school, Limbert announced that she would be submitting Reneau University to the Board of Trustees for State Institutions of Higher Learning for their approval.
Millsaps Named ‘Best Buy'
[verbatim] Millsaps College is one of only 24 private colleges nationwide and the only college in Mississippi named a "Best Buy" in the 2010 edition of Fiske's Top Financial Finds on the College Tuition Market.
HB 561: Frozen Embryos are Children
Last week, Mississippi Rep. John Mayo, D-Clarksdale, sent an e-mail to his constituents concerning House Bill 561, the "Human Embryo Adoption Act." In his e-mail, Mayo disparaged the fact that the bill prevents same-sex couples from adopting frozen human embryos.
Barbour Signs Bill to Fund Cybercrime Unit
Yesterday, Gov. Haley Barbour signed Senate Bill 2978 into law. Mississippi's Attorney General Jim Hood advocated for the bill, which adds $1 to the fines for some misdemeanors and felonies. That dollar will go to fund Hood's cybercrime unit.