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Challenging the Next Generation
It was our own hometown David and Goliath story. Bernie Ebbers and WorldCom were the symbol of what Mississippi could be. WorldCom was the lone Fortune 500 company in the state, and Ebbers its ebullient, charismatic, down-to-earth hero. Everyone—from employees to stockholders to Wall Street—were charmed. Believers invested everything, buoyed by the company's phenomenal growth.
Prowling for Sex
The chat begins innocently enough, with the man asking the girl's name. Then he asks what her hobbies are and tells her she's pretty or sexy. It is easy to see how a young girl might think the attention is flattering and innocent: It's just a chat. Then the questions get more personal: What color are your eyes? How old are you?
Health Factoids
Your tongue naturally replaces all of your taste buds every 21 days. That means if you're trying to change your diet and switch to soy milk from cow's milk, for example, after 21 days the taste will seem right instead of foreign.
Governor Commutes One Killer's Sentence, Not Another
In a move that illustrates the erratic nature of America's justice system, Gov. Haley Barbour commuted the sentence of Michael David Graham last Thursday, July 17. Graham, convicted for shooting his ex-wife, Adrienne Graham, in 1989, received a sentence of life in prison. Reportedly, Adrienne Graham was sitting at a stoplight in Pascagoula when Michael Graham pulled up beside her and shot her to death with a 12-gauge shotgun.
Innocent Man Freed; Shabby Prosecutor Now a Judge
Bernard Baran served 22 years on dubious child molestation charges, yet the prosecutor who convicted him isn't even inconvenienced.
City Should Support, Not Control
Change is afoot in North Midtown. The neighborhood between Millsaps College and Mill Street has suffered from urban blight for over a decade, but new housing developments and a new master plan for the area are promising signs of a turnaround.
[Mott] Fake It 'til You Make It
"A governor, a senator and then me. I think I may be the comic relief," I quipped before my brief statement at the Fourth Annual Interfaith Dinner on Oct. 4. On the roster were Gov. William Winter, state Sen. Hillman Frazier, two bishops, two preachers, a rabbi, a retired FBI agent—and me. My Jackson Free Press story about a trip to Turkey with the Institute for Interfaith Dialog hardly seemed worthy of the honor.
[Mott] It Starts At Home
Sometimes the universe just comes along and slaps you up side the head. I was the recipient of one of those slaps a few years ago, when the company I worked for (and moved to Mississippi for) laid me off after nine years. In the time it takes for you to read this sentence, my entire world was inside out and upside down.
Preventing Identity Theft
[verbatim from AG's office] Attorney General Jim Hood, Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann and Better Business Bureau President Bill Moak are joining together with a host of private partners to help Mississippians tak a pro-active approach in the fight against identity theft.
Gift for the History Buff
If you're looking for a last-minute gift for your favorite history buff, "Chimneyville" is just the thing. Written by Mississippi historian H. Grady Howell, Jr., the book is a veritable banquet of wood cuts, photos, maps and newspaper clippings covering the first 100 years of Jackson's history. Howell, who lives in Madison, self-published this lavish volume, but it's far from his first book, having published several previous historical accounts of the state and its people. At $49.95, the volume has heirloom potential. Contact Howell at [e-mail missing] for more information.
No Laughs in Email Hoax
There are some sick puppies out there. This release from the Attorney General's office details an e-mail hoax that threatens the life of the recipient and demands payment:
Karen Irby Indicted
A Hinds County Grand Jury reportedly returned three indictments for Karen Irby today in a case stemming from a Feb. 11 crash on Old Canton Road. The indictments include two counts of depraved heart murder and one count of aggravated assault, according to unidentified "court officials" in a Clarion-Ledger story.
Will Work for Horse Shoes
Necessity, goes the cliché, is the mother of invention.
So where do unemployed cowgirls go to find a job? Texas is one obvious answer. And how do cowgirls get to Texas? They ride their horses, of course.
Kaze and McLemore on WAPT
JFP columnist, rapper, Crisler supporter and all 'round man about town Brad Franklin (aka Kamikaze) gave his opinion about the Democratic runoff side by side with acting Mayor, JSU prof, Johnson endorser and former City Council President Dr. Leslie McLemore on WLBT. We heart them both. Click here to see the videos. (There are two, both about four minutes long.)
CARA Needs Dog Food
Community Animal Rescue & Adoption, or CARA, is in deseprate need for dog food (or the funds to buy food) for the hundreds of pups in their shelter. CARA is the only no-kill shelter in the Jackson area, and one of only two in all of Mississippi.
"Give Kids a Smile" Today
[verbatim from the Jackson Medical Mall] Some Jackson students are going to see the dentist for the very first time, thanks to the Jackson Medical Mall Foundation and the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) School of Dentistry. Students from Galloway and Johnson Elementary Schools are gearing up for "Give Kids A Smile Day" on Friday, February 13, 2009 starting at 8:30 a.m. at the Jackson Medical Mall Thad Cochran Center.
Mississippi Mourns Two Journalists
In recent days, two outstanding Mississippi women journalists have died.
Mildred Dearborn was the long-time editor of The Carthaginian until two years ago, when she suffered a stroke. Dearborn died on Feb. 11.
Yerger's Revisionist ‘Lily White' History
The Mississippi Republican party is holding events today honoring the party's founding chairman, 79-year-old Wirt Yerger, Jr., and last Sunday, Clarion-Ledger columnist Sid Salter interviewed Yerger. Just a few questions into the interview was this exchange:
Remembering Uncle Walter
You might not remember Walter Cronkite, who retired from the CBS Evening News in 1981 after 19 years on the air. I grew up with him, though. Cronkite was news for me. America voted him "the most trusted man in America," and he had a well-deserved reputation for integrity and straightforward reporting.