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Old Capitol Green Progressing

An earlier version of this story had the wrong photograph. We apologize for the error.

Will They Show Up to Play?

Oxford and Starkville haven't had much to cheer about this football season. Ole Miss and Mississippi State have both struggled on the gridiron. Last weekend, highly ranked opponents blew the Rebels and the Bulldogs off the field again.

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Jesmyn Ward didn't intend to be in southern Mississippi when Katrina hit in late August 2005. In fact, she was just on her way back to grad school in Michigan as the storm approached. "I just thought, 'Oh, well, I'll just stay until the hurricane passes, and I'll go back home,'" she told the Jackson Free Press in September.

Michele Purvis Harris

On New Year's Day, Michele Purvis Harris becomes both the first female and the first African American to serve as public defender for Hinds County. Senior Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Tomie Green appointed Purvis Harris, the present special assistant city attorney for Jackson, on Nov. 18. Purvis Harris replaces William LaBarre, who was public defender since October 2005. She is already thinking of what she intends to do when she is officially appointed.

Voter ID Planning Begins

Valencia Robinson, founder and executive director of Mississippi in Action, an advocacy group, sat at a table in the front of the room and riffled through brochures and printouts from the American Civil Liberties Union, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety and the Mississippi Secretary of State's office, trying to sort out the requirements of the voter identification initiative that passed last week.

AG Offers Consumer Safety Tips for Cyber Monday

With the holiday shopping season upon us, Attorney General Jim Hood is warning Mississippians to beware of unscrupulous people selling counterfeit or pirated goods, either in person or online. Many times, they sell these items on websites that look legitimate, accepting credit cards and decorating their site with corporate advertisements; however, the "amazing" deals may not be legitimate. These scam artists often set up temporary retail shops as well, where they are poised to defraud consumers with the same inferior goods.

Our Poverty and Thanksgiving

My parents filed bankruptcy when I was in the fifth grade. My father filed a second time with his second wife years later.

Melody Musgrove

It's a rainy day at Callaway High School. Tell-tale water stains spread in brown patches on the ceiling, and tiles bulge under the weight of water from the leaky roof. Custodians have stacked boxes of replacement ceiling tiles in the front hall and placed buckets under the worst leaks.

Jim Hood Eases into Third Term

By 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, supporters at Jim Hood's re-election party were only mildly paying attention to the four television monitors showing election returns in the King Edward Hotel's banquet room.

U.S. Education Official to Visit JPS

Melody Musgrove, director of the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs and former state director of special education in Mississippi, will visit Callaway High School today to discuss school modernization and funding available under the proposed federal American Jobs Act.

Study: Jackson 6th Largest Metro for Concentrated Poverty

The Jackson metro has some of the most concentrated poverty areas in the country, with the majority of those poor individuals living inside city limits, a Brookings study released today finds. The report states that living in poor neighborhoods creates additional obstacles and burdens for individuals such as lack of quality education, increased crime rates, lower property values and lack of goods and services. Poverty also strains local governments.

Tollison Defecting to GOP?

State Sen. Gray Tollison, D-Oxford, may switch political parties. One newspaper report speculates that Tollison's endorsement of Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant over fellow Democrat Johnny DuPree could be one indication of the rumor's validity.

The Lone Democrat

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood celebrated a large victory last Tuesday when he won his third re-election term against Republican challenger Steve Simpson, winning 60 percent of the vote. But Hood's real uphill battle may lie in next year's legislative session with Gov.-elect Phil Bryant and a Republican-controlled House and Senate.

Farish to Face More Delays Without Financing

The opening of the Farish Street Entertainment District's venues could be pushed back again to the fall of 2012 if the Farish Street Group does not receive $8 million in bonds from the Jackson Redevelopment Authority, Watkins Partners Vice President Jason Goree said yesterday.

Bennie Hopkins

As Bennie Hopkins prepares for his new role as the city of Jackson's director of planning and development, he reflected on what he has learned from working with Corinne Fox, who is ending her 45-year career in regional and urban planning today.

Claire Holley

Although Claire Holley didn't spend her childhood sitting on a picturesque front porch swapping family tales, Mississippi's culture and landscape has still managed to work its way into her pensive, country-folk music.

Bryant Claims Victory

In claiming victory as Mississippi's 64th governor, Phil Bryant invoked the names of Ronald Reagan, Barry Goldwater, former Mississippi Gov. Kirk Fordice and current Gov. Haley Barbour.

Measuring the Democratic Mess

Once again, election night last week revealed a grim reality for Mississippi Democrats and the Mississippi Democratic Party.

Albert Wilson

Almost as soon as Albert Wilson learned Councilman Kenneth Stokes was running for a Hinds County supervisor's position, he decided he wanted to campaign for the job of representing Ward 3. Last week, Wilson made his candidacy official.

Jackson Major Crimes Overview: 10/31 to 11/6

Here's a snapshot :

The Jackson Police Department released its overview of major crimes for the period between October 31, 2011 and November 6, 2011.