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State Ranks High for Happiness, Religion
In separate nationwide reports, Mississippi gets high scores in happiness and religion. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta released a report ranking the states for happiness. The Magnolia state was No. 7 on that list, topped by other sunny climes, including Louisiana, Hawaii and Arizona. New York state is at the other extreme.The CDC speculates factors including hours of sunshine, cost of living, congestion and air quality all contribute to the happiness rankings, according to USA Today.
Barbour to Speak at Health Care Symposium
Tuesday, Oct. 27, Mississippi College will host "The Business of Healthcare" symposium at the Jackson Convention Complex. Gov. Haley Barbour will present the keynote address, and other speakers include political columnists Andy Taggart and Jere Nash, and Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant.
Health-Care Lawsuit Moves Forward
United States District Judge Roger Vinson ruled yesterday that a multi-state lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the health-care reform law passed by the U.S. Congress earlier this year can move forward, The Christian Science Monitor reports.
Charter Schools Bill Passes Senate
In a 29 to 14 vote yesterday, the Mississippi Senate passed a bill allowing for the creation of new charter schools in the state starting in 2011, reports GulfLive.com. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Michael Watson, R-Pascagoula. The bill is on its way to the House Education Committee.
BP Readies ‘Top Kill' in Attempt to Stop Oil
Engineers plan to begin another attempt to stop the gusher of oil flowing into the Gulf of Mexico today. Known as "top kill," the procedure will pump heavy drilling mud into the top of the leak, forcing the oil down. If it's successful, BP says it may permanently stop the oil, however company officials said the procedure has never been attempted a mile underwater, reports The New York Times.
Laurence C. Jones
A hundred years ago, Laurence Clifton Jones established The Piney Woods School in rural Rankin County with $2 and three students. Jones, born Nov. 21, 1884, in St. Joseph Mo., graduated from the University of Iowa in 1908. He turned down a job at Tuskeegee Institute in Alabama, opting instead for the Utica Institute in Mississippi.
JPD Promotes 27 to Sergeant
In a ceremony unseen in Jackson since 2002, Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. and Police Chief Rebecca Coleman presented sergeants badges to 27 city police officers yesterday during a promotion ceremony at the Jackson Police Academy.
Barbour Has Joined Health-Care Lawsuit
Friday, Gov. Haley Barbour joined the multi-state lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the federal health-care bill passed by Congress earlier this year. Barbour is moving ahead with the suit despite Attorney General Jim Hood's refusal to do so earlier this year.
JSU Losing Scholarships
Jackson State University is losing scholarships because of poor academic performance of its student athletes, reports GulfLive.com. Yesterday, the Academic Progress Rate numbers, used by the NCAA to award athletic scholarships, showed that JSU posted 872 on a scale of 1,000 points. Schools with scores under 925 are subject to penalties.
Community Events and Public Meetings This Week
Raise the Roof, Oct. 19-23, at Jackson Medical Mall (350 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave.). The Jackson Medical Mall Foundation prepares the homes of four senior citizens in the community for the cold weather. To volunteer, call 601-982-8467 ext 21.
Mississippi Unemployment Rate Dips in August
August unemployment numbers in the Magnolia State dropped below 10 percent, with a seasonally unadjusted rate of 9.5 percent, representing 121,300 people, which is 1 percentage point lower than the state's July rate. Mississippi's August numbers are 0.1 percent lower than the national rate of 9.6 percent. The state is also one of 16 states reporting a decrease in joblessness across the U.S.
Free Flu Meds Available
The Mississippi State Department of Health is making antiviral medications available to uninsured and underinsured patients. In an agreement with selected pharmacies, the department is offering Tamiflu and Relenza from state stockpiles to Mississippians who can't afford them.
This Black Friday, Shop Local First
Black Friday this, and Black Friday that. Do you really, truly want to get up with the chickens and wait outside some big-box retailer to save a few dollars on the same gift everyone else is buying? Truly?
State Tops in Providing Healthy Foods
The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta have named Mississippi one of the top states in the country for providing healthy, nutritious foods in secondary schools. The CDC report, "Profiles 2008," looked at characteristics of health programs in secondary schools, including health education, physical education, health services, health and safe school environments, and family and community involvement.
Karen Parker
Before Byron Knight opened Sneaky Beans coffee shop on North State Street in Fondren, just about a year ago, the little house was home to Karen Parker's store, New Vibrations, for more than four years. The aroma of coffee has now replaced the scent of incense, but for the former denizens of Parker's store, the space will always have a slightly purple tint to it.
Mississippi Unemployment Tops Double Digits
The average unemployment rate for the Magnolia state was 10.3 percent in December, slightly higher than the national average of 9.7 percent. For Mississippi, that percentage translates into 133,700 individuals collecting benefits from the state, at a cost of nearly $25 million.
Jackson Behind on Census
The city of Jackson is behind the curve in returning 2010 census forms to the Census Bureau. Nationally, 46 percent of households have returned the forms, while Jackson is trailing with only 31 percent returned, one of the lowest rates in the country, according to the bureau.
State Senate Kills Jobless Benefits Proposal
The Mississippi Senate Finance Committee yesterday defeated a bill proposing to extend unemployment benefits to citizens who have less than six-to-12 months on the job, reports NEMS360.com. Currently, the state calculates benefit eligibility using the first four of five quarters of the calendar year preceding an unemployment claim, and workers need to have worked at least two of those quarters.
Judge Rules for Law Firm in MCI Case
Hinds Circuit Court Judge Winston Kidd handed down a ruling today that will allow the Langston Law Firm to keep the $14 million fee it earned for representing the state in a $110 million settlement with former telecom giant MCI, formerly WorldCom, over unpaid taxes. MCI paid the legal fees directly to the firm, without impacting the state's share of the collected funds.
Council Confirms Coleman as New Police Chief
In a 5-to-1 vote today, the Jackson City Council confirmed Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr.'s candidate for Jackson police chief, Rebecca Coleman. Ward 1 Councilman Jeff Weill was the lone dissenting vote; Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes was absent.