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Jackblog

Jackson Among First Bloomberg Philanthropies’ “What Works Cities”

Full release from the office of Mayor Tony Yarber: Jackson, Miss., Selected as One of First Cities to Participate in Bloomberg Philanthropies’ “What Works Cities”Initiative Jackson to use data and evidence to advance strategic goals Jackson, Miss.–August 5, 2015 –Mayor Tony T. Yarber announced today that Jackson is one of …

Politics Blog

Election Night Parties

Here are the election-night parties we know are happening. If you hear about of any others, please let us know. Polls close at 7 p.m. Gov. Phil Bryant Tonight at 7:30 PM at the Mississippi Republican Party Headquarters (415 Yazoo St, Jackson) Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves will speak to supporters …

Jackblog

Don't Forget to Vote on Tuesday

If you are planning to vote on Tuesday, don’t forget to bring a photo ID. In the 2011 November election 62 percent of Mississippi voters approved a Constitutional Amendment that requires voters to present photo IDs before casting in-person ballots at polls or circuit clerk offices. The only exemptions to …

Jackblog

See if Your Jackson-Area State Candidate Supports Initiative 42

The League of Women Voters of the Jackson Area released the results of a legislative candidate poll that asked candidates if they support Amendment (Initiative) 42 with the options: Yes, No or Undecided. So far, seven Senate candidates and eight House candidates have responded. See your candidate's stance below. Senate …

Jackblog

City Going on Well Water After South Jackson Water Line Break

The mayor's office just sent out the following the release about the situation in south Jackson: The City of Jackson will temporarily switch to the well water system in south Jackson as crews work to locate a 42-inch water line break. The transition to the well system begins immediately to …

Jackblog

City: New Water Billing System to Come Online

The city's new water billing system, part of the controversial $91 million Siemens contract, is scheduled to go live at the end of August. According to a city press release: "Residents will soon experience updates to their water billing as part of comprehensive upgrades the City of Jackson has initiated …

Jackblog

Sandra Bland Traffic Stop Video Hits YouTube

The Texas Department of Safety has posted a 52-minute video of the Sandra Bland traffic stop, showing the state trooper threaten Bland with a Taser, a detail that he didn't put in his arrest report.

Jackblog

Foster Care Overhaul Coming to Mississippi?

The state admitted that it has not met court-order requirements in a 7-year-old lawsuit, Olivia Y v. Bryant, intended to change the state's foster care system. Gov. Bryant has agreed to hire an Executive Director of the Department of Family and Children's Services, which will soon become a cabinet-level position. …

Jackblog

Gov. Bryant Arms the Guard

Bryant arms the National Guard in response to concerns for soldier safety.

Politics Blog

Clinton Takes Mississippi in 2016? Probably against Trump, at least ...

A new polling analysis published by examiner.com indicates something about Mississippi that has been in the works for a while: Based on recent elections, our state is trending blue. Based on polling data on a Hillary Clinton vs. Donald Trump showdown in 2016, Mississippi is one of the few Deep …

Jackblog

Tupelo Daily Newspaper Won't Accept Same-Sex Marriage Announcements

After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage in the historic Obergefell v. Hodges case, several media outlets reverted and retreated to their ideological lines. The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, has garnered national attention in an article by Robbie Ward, former DJ reporter, on the Huffington Post …

Jackblog

Jonathan Sanders Story: Clarion-Ledger He-Was-No-Angeled the Black Horse-and-Buggy Driver Killed by White Cop

Sadly, it was only a matter of time before it happened here in Mississippi--a black man was killed by a white cop amid mysterious circumstances and officials are trying to keep tensions from simmering. It happened on late Wednesday night in tiny Stonewall when, according to various media outlets, a …

Jackblog

In 1860 Hinds County, Slaves Outnumbered Whites Nearly 3 to 1

Here's an interesting factoid for those of you discussing the Civil War and slavery about Hinds County, which contains Jackson, the capital, of course. It's from this link, where you can also link to a number of other Mississippi counties and see the numbers of slaves that some of the …

Jackblog

2 Yazoo County Judges Quit Doing Marriages All Together

Marriage—it's what brings us together. That is, unless you live in Yazoo County and were planning on having a justice court judge officiate your ceremony. Earlier this week, Judges Pam May and Bennie Warrington sent a letter to the board of supervisors saying they wanted to opt out of having …

Jackblog

#FlagMyths: 'The Civil War Was Fought Over... Tariffs'

In an occasional blog series I'm inaugurating here, I'd like to pull forward some debate that's happening in the comments and examine a variety of the myths and legends that surround the South's participation in the civil war. From the comments section came this one from Claude Shannon: The war …

Jackblog

Mississippi #1 in How Far a Hundred Bucks Stretches

We don't get to say we're number one in many good things, but here's a nice one... according to The Tax Foundation, $100 in Mississippi is worth the most of any state in the country (an equivalent of $115.21). If there's anything we've known about Jackson for a while, is …

Jackblog

Petition to Remove Confederate Symbol from State Flag Has Over 1,000 Signatures

Mississippi native Duvalier Malone has started a petition to remove the Confederate symbol from the Mississippi state flag. The online petition form has over 1,100 signatures. In a statement, Malone said he "wants to create enough momentum for Mississippi to have another referendum vote on the flag, which will hopefully …

Politics Blog

Bernie Sanders... Frontrunner?

He may not be leading money totals or straw polls, but Senator Bernie Sanders apparently did something that no other candidate has done yet in the 2016 presidential race... he had a record crowd last night in Wisconsin, pushing 10,000 people. Interesting.

Jackblog

In 1860, 49% of White Families in Mississippi Owned Slaves, Who Outnumbered White Folks Here

During the last couple weeks of talking about the Confederacy (and the state flag that celebrates it), we've encountered any number of historic inaccuracies in the arguments of those who don't want to change our state flag. One of them is that (a) not many white Mississippians even owned slaves …

Jackblog

How Mississippians Voted in 2001 on the State Flag: The Numbers

Jere Nash, co-author with Andy Taggart of "Mississippi Politics: The Struggle for Power, 1976-2006," posted this information about the vote to change the state flag in 2001. It is from their book, and this is his verbatim post, with his permission, about the people who turned out to vote: "As …