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Jackblog

Initiative 42 Campaign Asks Secretary of State to Review Ballots for Errors

The 42 for Better Schools campaign has asked the Mississippi Secretary of State's office to review ballots across all 82 counties in Mississippi after finding errors on ballots in Hinds county. A Mississippi voter in Hinds County found the errors when the voter went to complete an absentee ballot, according …

SportsBlog

Saints Week 3 Game Review: Reasons for Optimism in Week 4

I came out of Game 3 against the Carolina Panthers with some optimism for the team—along with a resigned sense that 2015 is looking more and more like a rebuilding year for the New Orleans Saints. I guess that shouldn’t be a shocker — considering the high-profile trades, draft picks, …

Jackblog

Petition Drive to Remove Confederate Emblem from State Flag OK'd

Jackson resident Sharon Brown has received approval to start collecting signatures on a ballot initiative to remove a Confederate emblem from the state's flag. “Today we received our official ballot title and summary from the state and are excited that we are one important step closer to giving the citizens …

Jackblog

JATRAN Rebranding Survey Under Way

What's in a name? Well, a rebranding of the local the mass-transit system, JATRAN, got under way quietly with a press release from the city this morning. The Transit Services Division wants public input on what to rename the authority. The public-comment period last through October. Citizens can vote through …

SportsBlog

For the Saints, Scoring Slowly Is (Almost) More Important Than Scoring

If there's something I feel like I've learned after years of watching the New Orleans Saints play football, it's that there really is such a thing as scoring their last points too soon. The classic instance in their modern incarnation is the Saints-49ners NFC Championship game in 2012. In that …

Jackblog

RePublic Schools Inc. Receives $9.6 million Federal Grant

RePublic Schools Inc., the charter management organization that opened one of two charter schools in Mississippi, received a $9.6 million U.S. Department of Education grant. RePublic Schools was one of twelve organizations selected for a Charter School Program Grant this year. The grant will be issued over a five-year period, …

Jackblog

City Official: Burke's Outlet Coming to Jackson

A top city economic-development official says retail is alive and well in Jackson. Jason Goree, Jackson's economic development chief, tweeted this afternoon that a Burke's Outlet store is coming to Jackson. "It's gonna happen!!!!! Retail ain't dead in the Capitol," Goree posted to Twitter. The city has struggled with attracting …

Politics Blog

AG Jim Hood Again Hits Back Against GOP Opponent Mike Hurst On Mendenhall Scandal

On Sept. 24, Republican nominee for Mississippi state attorney general alleged that incumbent Democrat Jim Hood interfered with an investigation into a Mendenhall police chief. Hood's campaign characterized Hurst's allegations as desperate and "a complete lie." Today, Hood's camp slammed Hurst again, releasing the following statement, published here verbatim: JACKSON, …

Music

Grammy Museum Mississippi Postpones Opening

If you totally spaced and forgot to attend the grand opening of the Grammy Museum of Mississippi in Cleveland, originally proposed for early this fall, don't worry. There's always next year. Earlier this month, the museum’s board of directors announced that the state-of-the-art, 27,000-square-foot facility on the campus of Delta …

Jackblog

Reeves Seems More Concerned About Initiative 42 Than Actual Department Budgets

Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves seems less concerned with creating a budget this year than he is with making sure Initiative 42 does not pass in November. During the Legislative Budget Office hearings on Monday and Tuesday, while most department heads were able to fend off taking sides, they were forced …

The Arts Blog

Number Three Most Artistic Town

Jackson has made it to the top three of a pretty cool list: We're no. 3 on Matador Network's Top 10 Most Artistic Towns in America. We've made it among the likes of cities such as New Orleans, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Marfa, Texas, Sante Fe, N.M., and Detroit. Matador …

Jackblog

AG Jim Hood: Defense of Same-Sex Adoption Ban 'Procedural'

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood defended his decision to defend Mississippi in a lawsuit against the state's same-sex adoption ban today, calling it a procedural issue. The Campaign for Southern Equality recently sued the Mississippi Department of Human Services to challenge the constitutionality of the ban, the last law in …

Jackblog

Initiative 42 Campaign Files Lawsuit to Get Full Text on Ballot

Jonathan Compretta and Michael Rejebian, co-campaign managers for 42 For Better Schools, filed an 11-page lawsuit today asking a judge to order that the Initiative 42 ballot measure's full text be printed on the Nov. 3 ballot. Currently the ballot states the initiative title, the section of the Constitution being …

Jackblog

Jackson Pothole Report: Sept. 14, 2015

This is a verbatim statement from Jackson City Hall: City of Jackson crews are patching potholes across the city. • Crews repairing potholes on areas Oak Forest Drive & Haynes Street, Woody Drive, Monroe Street, Glenrose Drive, FDR Drive, Mayes Street, Meadow Road. • Crews repairing utility cuts on Hanging …

Jackblog

City: Water 'Slightly Brown' But Deemed Safe to Drink

Statement from Jackson's Department of Public Works: Due to unforeseen, external conditions impacting raw water intake at the O.B. Curtis Water Treatment Plant, the water in the distribution system has a slightly brown appearance. The Department of Public Works’ lab resources have reviewed the water quality and with further consultation …

Jackblog

City Passes a $382 Million Budget Plan

The Jackson City Council passed the compromise budget they worked out with Mayor Tony Yarber's administration. "This budget is as barebones as it gets," Yarber said after the council voted 5-2 on a nearly $400 million spending plan Thursday morning. To close a $15 million deficit, Yarber initially proposed the …

The Arts Blog

Help Syrian Refugees, Shop Local

Here's a great way to contribute to a great cause while also keeping shopping local in mind: today, Sept. 10, and tomorrow, Sept. 11, Thimblepress is teaming up with Tennessee business Little Things Studio and other small businesses around the country to aid Syrian refugees. If you shop Thimblepress online …

Music

Steve Earle Weighs in on Flag

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Steve Earle is the latest voice to join the flag debate, though his voice comes in the form of a good-old-fashioned protest song. On the track, titled "Mississippi, It's Time," the Virginia-born musician denounces the Confederate battle emblem's position on the Mississippi state flag, which has been a …

Jackblog

New State Testing Rules Released

Mississippi public schools will administer new assessments for 3-8 grades called the Mississippi Assessment Program (MAP) this year, and the Mississippi Department of Education released blueprints for the tests today. The MAP tests will be conducted primarily on computers, with the exclusion of the English language portion which will be …

Jackblog

92 Percent of Mississippi 3rd Graders Pass 'Reading Gate' Test

92 percent of Mississippi third graders in public schools passed the so-called "3rd Grade Reading Gate" assessment according to the latest results released by the Mississippi Department of Education. Over 35,000 students statewide scored high enough to pass the test, and the average state test score was higher than the …