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Jackson Has Cheapest Gas in the U.S.
Gas stations in the city of Jackson are selling fuel at the lowest average rate in the nation: $2.62 per gallon, according to the Lundberg Survey. Over the past two weeks, prices at the pump have dropped 9.25 cents, reports USA Today. San Francisco is reporting the highest per gallon price in the country at $3.10. Overall, gas prices today are about 40 cents higher than one year ago.
State Fair Kicks Off Tonight
The 150th annual Mississippi State Fair opens its gates tonight at 5 p.m. and runs for 12 consecutive days, through Sunday, Oct. 18. Organizers hope to attract approximately 600,000 attendees to the mile-long midway, carnival rides, livestock exhibits and competitions, and nightly entertainment.
Belhaven ‘College' No More
After 126 years, Belhaven College, a private Christian liberal arts school in the heart of Jackson, is changing its name to Belhaven University. The school's president, Dr. Roger Parrott, will announce the change at an all-campus gathering today at 11:45 a.m.
German Manufacturer Coming to Tunica
At a press conference yesterday, Gov. Haley Barbour announced that German company, Wilh. Schulz GMBH, has selected Tunica, Miss., just south of Memphis, for a new pipe manufacturing facility. The plant is estimated at $300 million, creating 500 new jobs over the next five years. The company will make an initial investment of $80 million and 200 jobs.
Start Your Weekend Here
This weekend is a great time for finding unique holiday gifts at the 30th annual Mistletoe Marketplace at the Mississippi Trade Mart (1200 Mississippi Street). Shop until 8 p.m. tonight or head over tomorrow from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. $10. If big crowds aren't your thing, head to New Stage Theatre (1100 Carlisle St., 601-948-3533) for a production of William Gibson's "The Miracle Worker" or to Jackson State's Rose E. McCoy Auditorium (601-979-4309) for a performance of Ernest Gaines' "A Lesson Before Dying." Both shows close tomorrow, so this is a great evening to go. Where's the one place to go for all of Jackson's happenings? The JFP Events Calendar, of course.
Barbour Joins Aerospace Alliance
Yesterday, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour joined fellow Republicans Gov. Bob Riley from Alabama and Gov. Bobby Jindal from Louisiana, in forming the Aerospace Alliance. Executives from two defense contractors, Northrop Gruman and the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (EADS) joined the governors hoping to create a new multi-state aerospace corridor and secure a bid to build the $35 million KC-45 aerial tanker.
Bill Reduces Out-of-State Tuition
The Mississippi Senate passed a bill last week to reduce tuition for out-of-state students, bringing their tuition in line with in-state students. The bill, S.B. 2285, is designed to encourage more out-of-state enrollments into state schools, which have been historically unable to compete for students from other states.
Magic Johnson HIV Testing Tour in Jackson
Some 231,000 Americans are infected with HIV and don't know it. Hoping to make an impact on those numbers, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation's Magic Johnson "Testing America" tour is stopping at Hinds Community College today from 8 a.m. until noon to offer free testing.
Filmmaker Behind ACORN Scandal Arrested
The FBI in New Orleans has arrested James O'Keefe, 25, the amateur filmmaker whose film is the basis of the scandal that decimated ACORN last year. O'Keefe and three others allegedly attempted to tamper with Democratic U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu's phones, a felony, reports Southern Political Report, gaining entry disguised as telephone repair men.
Shoestring ‘Conversation' Focused on Solutions
Diving into state and city challenges, panelists at last night's annual Operation Shoestring fund-raising dinner brought the issues to light along with potential solutions. The diverse crowd listened attentively to "A Conversation About Community," as each panelist offered his or her unique life experience to forward the discussion.
Smoking Ban Results in Fewer Heart Attacks
While many Jackson citizens have yet to see the health benefits of a smoking ban enacted by the city last February, the city of Starkville, which banned smoking in 2006, is seeing a payback for the decision in better health. In a study released Monday, Starkville showed a marked reduction in heart attacks, down 27 percent, in the past three years, reports NEMS360.
Another Round for Ole Miss Mascot
With Colonel Reb officially voted down as the school's mascot in February, the University of Mississippi is gathering votes on 11 alternate choices through Monday, July 5. The options, just about all of them preceded by "Rebel" and narrowed down from a list of more than 1,000 submitted ideas are: a duo named Hotty and Toddy, a black bear, blues musician, cardinal, fanatic, horse, land shark, lion, mojo, riverboat pilot and titan.
President to Visit Gulf Coast
Fulfilling one of his campaign promises, the White House announced yesterday that President Barack Obama will be visiting the Gulf Coast areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, reports the Sun Herald. Details of the October visit have yet to be announced.
Barbour Rips Media over Health Care
It's the "liberal media elite" that is to blame for passage of the health-care bill, according to Gov. Haley Barbour. Speaking on ABC's "This Week" yesterday, Barbour insinuated that media coverage has been uncritical and biased, reports The Hill.
Burnham Selected as Superintendent of Schools
The Mississippi Board of Education announced its unanimous selection for Superintendent of Schools yesterday: Dr. Tom Burnham, 56, who held the position from 1992 to 1997. Burnham replaces Interim Superintendent Dr. John Jordan, who took on the job when former-Superintendent Dr. Hank Bounds took the position of Commissioner for Higher Education in July.
Corps Responsible for Katrina Flooding, Court Rules
More than four years after Hurricane Katrina roared out of the Gulf of Mexico, yesterday a federal court ruled against the Army Corps of Engineers for their failure to properly maintain a shipping channel, reports CNN.
Tonight: JPS Hosts Moms Conference
Jackson Public Schools is hosting its first ever Moms Conference tonight planned exclusively for JPS mothers, grandmothers, aunts and other female role models, celebrating "mothers as lifesavers." The conference kicks off at 5:30 p.m. at Galloway Elementary School (186 Idlewild St.), with registration starting at 4:30 p.m.
What To Do This Weekend
Looks like we may have seen the last of the summer heat, and the rain may finally be clearing out. Saturday will be a great day to grab a sweater and finally get to the Mississippi State Fair if you haven't gone, yet. But tonight, kick off the weekend by taking in a movie with the Crossroads Film Society's Global Lens Series at the Mississippi Museum of Art. If you'd rather spend the evening where you can do the most good, head to the Jackson Convention Complex for the Mississippi Center for Justice annual "Champions of Justice" dinner at 6 p.m., or to Clinton for the annual Pink Ribbon Gala to benefit the American Cancer Society at 7 p.m. Find the details on the JFP Best Bets page.
Soda Tax Will Fizzle Out
Sweetened drinks add to the problem of childhood obesity, according to Andrew Hysall, associate vice president of advocacy and public policy for the Washington, D.C.-based Campaign for Healthy Kids. A proposal to add a 2-cent per ounce tax to those beverages has little chance of getting through the Mississippi Legislature, however.
Justice Stevens Announces Retirement
Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens has said he will retire after the current court session, which ends this summer, reports The Washington Post. Stevens is 11 days shy of his 90th birthday.