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Seale Conviction Upheld Again
Also see: JFP investigative archive/timeline of Dee-Moore case
Hinds to Receive Federal Transportation Funds
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced yesterday that Hinds County will receive $1.425 million to replace pavement on Siwell Road. The road is a key link in the 18-mile corridor connecting the Interstate 20 Norrell Road interchange to the Interstate 55 Byram-Clinton corridor, according to a release.
Nunnelee Snags GOP Nomination
In yesterday's Republican primary for Mississippi's 1st Congressional District, state Senator Alan Nunnelee took home 51 percent of the vote, reports UPI. Henry Ross, former mayor of Eupora garnered 33 percent and former FOX News commentator Angela McGlowan took 16 percent.
Oil in MS Sound; Cap Back On
Officials confirmed yesterday that a large patch of oil, about a mile long and two hundred yards wide, came through Dog Keys Pass into the Mississippi Sound, catching oil spotters by surprise, reports The Sun Herald.
Stokes to Propose Pay Raises
Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes will propose $2-per-hour pay raises for employees of the city's Public Works Department reports WAPT. Stokes is aiming the raises at those who have worked over the past couple of weeks to fix the city's broken water mains in the wake of several days of sub-freezing temperatures.
‘Chopper Bob' Rall
"Chopper Bob" Rall, Mississippi's only helicopter traffic reporter, and the "Skycopter" have been staples in the Jackson skies since 1997. Rall was 12 when he moved to Jackson in 1954 with his family from Pittsburgh, Pa. Four years later, he was on the airwaves, disc-jockeying at WJXN radio. Rall died in his sleep early this morning.
New Oil Estimate: 60,000 Barrels
Officials have once again revised their estimates of the amount of oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico from the site of the devastated Deepwater Horizon rig, the fifth revision since the April 20 explosion that killed 11 workers. Yesterday, the estimate increased to 35,000 to 60,000 barrels per day, or 1.47 million to 2.52 million gallons. At that rate, the spill will quickly overtake the 1979 Ixtoc blowout, the region's largest spill to date, which leaked some 3 million barrels into the Gulf in 10 months, reports The Christian Science Monitor.
Hood Offers Census Cautions and Tips
Attorney General Jim Hood is cautioning Mississippians to take care when revealing information in the upcoming 2010 census. Although he urges everyone to cooperate with census takersthe census determines levels of federal program funding and number of U.S. House seats, for examplehe says citizens should be wary of identity thieves impersonating census workers.
Mississippi to End HIV Segregation in Prisons
State Corrections Commissioner Christopher Epps announced yesterday that Mississippi will end its practice of separating male HIV-positive prisoners from other inmates beginning in May, reports WDAM. Mississippi currently houses 152 HIV-positive prisoners in a segregated unit in Parchman.
Commission Seeks Comments on Proposed Plant
The Mississippi Public Service Commission has announced its intention to take public comments tomorrow on the proposed $2.4 billion Mississippi Power generating plant in Kemper County. The PSC is in the process of establishing whether there is a need for the plant with hearings throughout the week.
Mayor Proclaims Homeless Persons' Memorial Day
[verbatim] Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson, Jr., will proclaim Friday, Dec. 18, as James Ivory Homeless Persons' Memorial Day at an observance scheduled for 9:30 a.m. that day at the Stewpot Community Services sanctuary, 1100 W. Capitol St. in Jackson.
Attorney General Info Initiative Launched
In an effort to have Mississippi residents understand the resources available to them through his office, Attorney General Jim Hood announced a statewide educational initiative yesterday.
Robin Webb
Concert pianist, composer and activist Robin Webb, 52, has been living with HIV and AIDS for more than two decades. Diagnosed in 1988 as HIV positive, his doctor told him in 1990 that the virus had progressed. "You have AIDS," he told Webb. "... You need to put your house in order."
Hood: ‘Haste Makes Waste'
Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood is not taking action to join a multi-state lawsuit against recently passed federal health-care reform legislation. In a letter sent to Gov. Haley Barbour on Friday and released to the press, Hood advised the governor that because the issues raised can only be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court "there is no hurry to join the suit," and that it would be cheaper for Mississippi to wait. "In law and in life, the old maxim 'haste makes waste' still applies."
Behind The Mask: Reversing Domestic Abuse
About 10 minutes before Jasmine stabbed her boyfriend, William, he had her on the floor of her grandmother's house, choking her to the point that she passed out. It wasn't the first time he had attacked her in that way, but it would be the last, she said.
Flu Vaccine Available Today
Officials with the Mississippi Department of Health have announced that the H1N1 swine flu vaccine is available in the state as of today in county health clinics and some schools reports the Sun Herald. At this time supplies are limited, and certain groups will have priority, including pregnant women, children from 6 months to 4 years old and infant caregivers.
Dr. James Bowley
"I love my job!" proclaims Dr. James E. Bowley on his Web site. Bowley, an associate professor in the Millsaps College department of religious studies, teaches courses on the Bible and related religious traditions: Judaism, Islam and Christianity. "What's not to like about spending the day with great colleagues and students thinking and conversing and researching about religious traditions, reading beautiful or even shocking texts, and investigating intriguing religious practices?" he writes.
It's Official: Gulf Disaster Bigger than Valdez
If anyone had any doubts before, new government estimates confirmed yesterday that the oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico surpasses the 11 million gallons dumped into Alaska's Prince William Sound in March 1989, when the Exxon Valdez tanker ran aground. The Sun Herald reports that new estimates from two teams of scientists say the leak in the Gulf is spewing between 504,000 and upwards of a million gallons a day, which means that between 18 million and 39 million gallons have spewed into the ocean to date.
Unemployment Nears 24 Percent in Some Counties
Five Mississippi counties reported jobless rates exceeding 20 percent in February, with Noxubee and Holmes counties edging toward a quarter of their populations collecting unemployment benefits; the counties reported rates of 23.3 and 23.1 percent unemployment, respectively. The other three counties are Winston (22.1 [percent), Clay (21.6 percent) and Tunica (21.1 percent).
Bill Advocates School Bus Ads
In a 94-21 vote last week, Mississippi House members voted to allow advertising on school buses as a measure to offset some of the state's budget belt-tightening, reports The Sun Herald. The bill imposes some restriction on the types of ads that would be allowed. Ads for alcohol, tobacco, junk food, and political and religious causes are banned.