All results / Stories / Todd Stauffer
A New Politics
<b>How Cultural Creatives Are Changing the Map</b>
"A third party? I'd just be happy with a second party!" Agree with that statement? If so, there's a chance you've considered yourself a "centrist," an "independent," a "free thinker"—or you just think politics is for suckers. Perhaps you identify with a third-party cause or candidate—maybe you find yourself stuck in the middle, unsure of whether any political party or movement speaks to the issues that are important to you. Or maybe you don't vote at all.
Downtown: The ‘Neighborhood' Solution
On Thursday, July 3, 2003, real estate developer Mike Peters and his wife drove to Memphis to stay in the Peabody Hotel. After dinner, they were told in the lobby to check out the roof of the hotel, where a dance was going on. Peters tells us he was amazed when he got off the elevator. "There were 3,000 or 4,000 people up there," he said. "And most of them were 25- to 35-years-old. They probably thought I was some (sort of) chaperone!" Peters said that what surprised him was not that a party was going on, but that it happens every Thursday, not just the one prior to the Fourth of July.
Creative Class Rising
Now and then, we bring our first cover story ever back to the top of the site to remind readers just how close Jackson is to becoming a magnet for young creatives, and what we need to do to make it happen.
Tale of Two Downtowns
What step to take next will be a huge question for 2003. We could be going nowhere, or at least a relatively short distance—after all, we're in a recession, Mississippi's telecom industry is "retrenching," and the prospect of war may change local and national goverment priorities significantly.
Should Tort Awards Be Capped?
Tort law is used to determine who is responsible when someone is injured and how much a guilty party should pay an injured person. Our current tort system is designed on the principle that the responsible party should be required to pay for the costs of an injury, including economic damages—lost wages and medical bills—and non-economic damages, such as "pain and suffering" damages. A jury can award a third type of damages, called punitive damages, when they feel that the damage is due to overt negligence.
2005: The Future Is Now
This year at least doubled the number of ballots we had to contend with for the Best of Jackson 2005 reader poll and for that we are eternally grateful to you, our beloved readers.
[Publisher's Note] Frank Melton's PR Problem
Last week's "Chamber Confidential" e-newsletter from the MetroJackson Chamber of Commerce popped into my inbox, and the headline of Chamber President Duane O'Neill's note caught my eye: "Doing Business Under a 'State of Emergency.'" In as polite a way as he could, O'Neill made a very basic point:
Day 4: Not Guilty On All Counts
Mayor Frank Melton and his police bodyguards, Marcus Wright and Michael Recio, were found not guilty on all counts. When court was recessed, it exploded in applause, with members of the Melton administration and family contingent hugging and congratulating the mayor.
Just the (Correct) Facts, Ma'am, on James Ford Seale Case
It's been interesting to watch the national media coverage of the arrest of James Ford Seale for the kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping of Henry Dee and Charles Moore in 1964. In some ways, the story has been a victim of the 24-hour news cycle, with small errors becoming headlines and big errors being completely overlooked or processed away.
[Stauffer] Shop Mississippi, Buy American
I'm not a fan of Wal-Mart, and that's only been made worse by a recent Frontline episode entitled "Is Wal-Mart Good for America?" The show has made me think, once again, about the behemoth that I love to hate. I haven't shopped in a Wal-Mart or Sam's Club in well over seven years and, if the current trend holds, I never will again.
Jackson's "No. 1" Issue
In an editorial last week, The Clarion-Ledger climbed dramatically onto its bird's eye perch of deniability and proclaimed: "Mayor Frank Melton was elected to do something about the No. 1 issue in Jackson—crime. But it is apparent that Jackson's No. 1 problem has become Frank Melton."
Shop Local and Support Jackson's Best
I find myself, every year, getting in a certain mood around the holiday season. Yes, there are fattening goodies in the JFP break room—every single day—which will hopefully also put me in the mood to hit the YMCA more often.
Charrette Leader: Make City 'Walkable'
Andrés Duany, the renowned "New Urbanism" architect, promised "no resolution tonight" as he gave the final presentation of the intensive planning charrette held this past week to discuss ideas for retooling the Pearl River for flood control and economic development. Instead, he told a large crowd in the Mississippi Telcom Center's third-floor theater on Monday evening that he was "clarifying the plot" by presenting the different plans that his firm, DPZ, will now study and draw in detail, including pros and cons of each plan. He will deliver the final report to the Levee Board, which will be available to the public at some point in the next few months.
C-L To Lay Off 20 Staffers
Editor and Publisher magazine is reporting the contents of a memo circulated by the Clarion-Ledger's current publisher, Larry Whitaker, to his staff. The memo was leaked earlier in the day to Romenesko, a media "insider" blog hosted by the Poynter Institute.
Millsaps Named a 'College of Distinction'
[verbatim release] JACKSON, Miss.Millsaps College is the only college or university in the state named to the 2008-2009 Colleges of Distinction guidebook based on the college's dedication to four key areasengaged students both outside and inside the classroom, great teaching by expert professors, a vibrant community both on and off campus and successful, productive graduates.
JFP Launches 'JFP 3.0' Beta
April 14, 2008–We've switched things over to the new content management system, imported everything over from the databases and -- hopefully -- we've even gotten your user account transferred over correctly. (See the "login" link at the top-right of the screen.) Please take a look around and note any problems on this thread...you can also post requests, suggestions, criticisms and so on in this section. (And please write me at [e-mail missing] if you are having trouble with your user account and aren't able to post on this thread.)
Barbour Approval Rating Only 37 Percent
May 12, 2005–SurveyUSA has released its approval rating survey results conducted in all 50 states for May 10, 2005. 600 Mississippians were asked "Do you approve or disapprove of the job that Haley Barbour is doing as governor?" In response, 37 percent said they approve, 55 percent said they disapprove, and 8 percent said they were unsure.
King Edward Opens: 'Great Day for Jackson'
Visit our King Edward special report and gallery.
Newspaper Bites Self
Coincidentally, today's Editor & Publisher e-blast featured a story about USA Today's long-standing habit of padding their official "paid" subscriber numbers with the "freebie" newspapers they distribute through hotel chains. (If you've done much business travel, you may have seen a copy outside your door or in the lobby.) They do this by offering a low price to the hotels for those copies, and then convincing the hotels to put a disclaimer in small print, saying that the guest can request a 75 cent refund from the hotel if you don't want the paper. If you don't complain, USA Today interprets that to mean you "bought" the paper and counts it.
'Tolerance' Key To Our Economy
Yes, it's a cliche, but it feels deserved this cycle. No matter who won the recent elections, I feel that Jacksonians in particular (and Mississippians in general) are the losers.