Higher Ground
Amid all the bellowing anger and finger-pointing and insults and threats to shove tennis balls you-know-where, last week I was fortunate enough to participate in something remarkable in downtown Jackson.
Rwth Ashton
The unusual spelling of her first name is not the only thing compelling about the new Millsaps College chaplain, who comes to Jackson by way of Belzoni and Boston, among other places. Ashton, a United Methodist minister for the past 12 years, was most recently the pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Belzoni, Miss. Before that, she served as associate pastor of Crossgates United Methodist Church in Brandon.
Northside Sun Praises John McGowan for Outsmarting Environmentalists
One wonders if Northside Sun publisher Wyatt Emmerich is actually working against John McGowan and this Two Lakes project. This week in his column, Emmerich smugly praises the oilman from Texas for his ability to "outsmart" environmentalists:
Art is the Best Revenge
This past Saturday I gave a seminar on freelance writing, and a whole lot of creative people showed up.
JFP Needs Reader Health-care Stories
P.S. We would like to use your real name, and run a picture of you where possible.
All, we're looking for health-care stories from people in and around Jackson to feature in the next issue of the JFP, which will focus on health-care issues. We would like a variety of people: small business owners, unemployed, self-employed, younger, older, recent parents, etc. You can do it several ways: post comments below, e-mail them to me at [e-mail missing] or just send contact info so a writer can get in touch with you. We do need it fast--by the end of the week. But we're not looking for long, complicated stories. So please add your voice to the conversation (and help it be a conversation instead of a shouting match). Be in touch!
Ann Herlihy
Many Jacksonians are still in mourning since Ann Herlihy closed Fondren Traders late last year, the shop where many of us bought so many gifts (most of my staff gifts used to come from there). But many people didn't know that Ann has another passion beyond art and design: She loves animals and helps rescue them. After continually seeing Ann walking her three pups around Fondren, I asked her if she would do a DogBlog for the Jackson Free Press. Ann had taken my writing classes, and I know she is good writer; she is also very funny. And closest to my heart: She loves animals as much as I do, and hates to see them abandoned and mistreated.
The Future of Anonymous Tablogging
Y'all enjoy the wild, wild west while it's still here. Thanks to personal-attack-filled "tablogs" (as I call tabloid-quality blogs), more and more people are suing over unsubstantiated and libelous attack by anonymous flamers. For instance, a judge in New York just ruled that a blog has to reveal the identity of an anonymous blogger, rejecting the "opinion" defense:
Transitions
When managing editor Maggie Neff walked into my office a couple months ago and closed the door, I sensed what was coming. She and husband J.P. were moving to Chattanooga at the end of the summer.
Anti-Semitism at Jackson-Based Right-Wing Blog?
Over at Ipse blog, attorney Jim Craig is calling out the local right-wing blog run by Alan Lange for anti-Semitism for a rather remarkable video they've cooked up against Travis Childers and sent out into the world. (And one wonders why the world thinks so poorly of MIssissippi?) Craig writes:
Hey Palin: The ‘Death Panels' Are Already Here, Darlin'
Over on Salon, Mike Madden responds to ex-Gov. Sarah Palin's latest idiocy, stating what should be obvious to all of us: The "death panels" are already here:
Goodbye, Bobby DeLaughter
Ever since the former Judge Bobby DeLaughter's plea deal with the feds was announced last week, with him headed to prison, we've heard the words "Cedric Willis" come out of many people's mouths. It seems we're not the only ones thrilled to see justice, of a fashion, coming to the former prosecutur who, alongside then-boss Ed Peters, allowed Cedric to go to prison for 12 years based on bad evidence. Then, as Cedric sat in prison praying for justice, DeLaughter became famous, wrote a book and became a judge. Disgusting irony.
Want a $100 Gift Card to Tye's Restaurant? Post a ‘Local List' on Jackpedia.com!
Inspired by The Clarion-Ledger's owners' bizarre and Orwellian attempt to redefine "local business," we've decided to launch a LocalList contest on Jackpedia.com. Just head to this Jackpedia 'Local Jackson' page and post a list of local stuff you love about Jackson. That's it! Do it by 5 p.m. Friday, and we'll put you in a drawing for a Tye's $100 gift card (try the red sauce while you're there; it's divine!). Click here to see my list-in-progress to see how easy it is.
'ShopLocal' Blog Declares War on JFP; Says We're 'Misinformed'
In a post that can only be called "jaw-dropping" in its hubris, Gannett's ShopLocal blog has taken major umbrage with the JFP's special local-business issue last week, which exposed "local washing" by huge corporations such as Gannett, and especially my piece revealing the ShopLocal scam that Jackson's outlet of Gannett, The Clarion Ledger, is pushing. It seems that us dumb-little-LOCAL types are "misinformed" about "local" really means, and ShopLocal Senior Director of Product Management Patrick Flanagan decided to take time out of his busy corporate day up in Chicago (where this division of ShopLocal hangs out its shingle) to correct us dumb hicks. You see, "local" isn't necessarily "local." You could be talking about "national-local," or "local-local," or "hyper-local," or whatever other phrase the country's largest newspaper company wants to use to whitewash what they're doing.
Help! Jackpedia Needs to Know About Jackson's Best Bargains!
In the JFP's continuing quest to honor local Jackson-area businesses, we are publishing the 2009 Jackpedia next week -- a guide to the coolest and most local businesses, artists, people, professionals, lawyers, doctors, services, musicians, you name it! And we need your help to know what we need to tell newcovers, college students and each other about. So, head to Jackpedia.com and post your favorite info about Jackson (and, yes, yourself; promote away!) on Jackson's local wiki encyclopedia. Note the questions on the front page that are there specially for this issue.
Jackpedia Coming Aug. 12—Need Your Help Compiling It!
1. What is the best thing about living in Jackson? (Be specific! Contact info helps!)
http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/v3/images/uploads/jackpedia_logo.jpg
Haley Barbour Recalls Reagan in Neshoba County Fair Speech
Neshoba County Fair/July 30, 2009/Verbatim
Thank you. It's great to be back at the Fair; there's no place like it. A little mud on your boots never should bother anybody over here. This is my sixth speech at the Fair as Governor, and I'm glad to have back with me on stage Marsha, my bride of nearly 38 years. And, speaking to the two dozen of you who have reminded me this morning how far I married over my head, Guys, I don't need any reminding! Y'all just pray our grandchildren look like her.
Wink, Wink: The ShopLocal Scam
When the Jackson Free Press launched our Web site and published our first print edition in September 2002, we immediately started urging our readers to "Think Global, Shop Local." The phrasewhich to us means to be concerned about the whole world but take care of your home city by supporting locally owned businesseswas even the headline on the cover of one of our earliest issues.
The Fifth Annual Chick Ball Weekend—Friday and Saturday, July 24 and July 25
Friday night "Scutley Papers" play + singer/songwriters, $15 at Hal & Mal's door
Call 601.362.6121 ext. 16 to sponsor or arrange for donation pickup.
Advocates Unveil Program to Curb Domestic Violence
In a noon press conference today in the Mississippi Capitol, Sandy Middleton, executive director of the Center for Violence Prevention in Pearl, former Appeals Court Judge Mary Libby Payne, Madison County Justice Court Judge Carole Davis, Sheriff Malcolm McMillin, Assistant Attorney Heather Wagner and Hinds Justice Court Judge Frank Sutton announced a new resource to prevent domestic violence in the Jackson area: a batterer's intervention program based on the Duluth Model.
We Can Do It!
I sure do love it when a plan comes together.
Stop the ‘Boys Will Be Boys' Attitude; It Kills Women
As we approach Chick Ball weekendstarting with a poignant one-woman show about a victim of domestic abuse and ending with a celebration of women and their artI urge everyone to think back to September 2007 when Doris Shavers and Heather Spencer were brutally murdered by men who had supposedly loved them. The JFP did a detailed investigative narrative within days of those murders that showed that domestic abuse happens in all neighborhoods to all income levels, it a pattern that needs to be stopped, and is often not taken seriously by law enforcement (shown poignantly by documents in the story we obtained that showed how authorities mishandled the case after George Bell nearly killed Heather Spencer just weeks before he finished the job).
Look at All the 2009 Chick Ball Art and Prize Donors!
With the 5th Annual Chick Ball just days away, we are excited to celebrate the triumphs of domestic violence survivors, as well as the creative talents of women artists and musicians. The evening will also include a silent auction of art and gifts. All proceeds of the Chick Ball, including winning bids in the silent auction, go directly to the Center For Violence Prevention. Here's a list of some of our generous donors. View a full color shopping guide in the current Jackson Free Press.
Clarion-Ledger Publisher Explains 20 Layoffs
Following a directive from its corporate owner, Gannett, The Clarion-Ledger laid off 20 people Thursday7 percent off its already-depleted staffin addition to freezing the positions open from recent resignations. Three of those positions were in the newsroom, a source inside the paper tells the Jackson Free Press.
A New Era in Jackson
"Responsibility." That was Mayor Harvey Johnson's word for what we should all vow to take as the city moves into its next era.
QB, Mississippi Native Steve McNair Found Dead
The Associated Press is reporting that former NFL quarterback Steve McNair, formerly of Mount Olive, Miss., is dead:
Sarah Palin to Step Down as First-term Governor
Gov. Sarah Palin announced suddenly today that she will step down as governor of Alaska on July 26, only 30 months into her first term. The Washington Post:
Year 2: ‘Being the Media'!
Youth Media Project
The Jackson Free Press is thrilled to host the second summer of a joint youth media effort by public and private school teens in Jackson. last year, they critiqued the media. This year they are stepping up and being the media themselves!
Uptown Hate
When the 2000 election devolved into chad-counting in South Florida, I headed down from New York City to cover the mess for the Village Voice. And with all the talk in the media of how there couldn't possibly be any conservatives in Palm Beach I decided to see what I could turn up.
Barbour Refuses Special Session, Vows Fight
[Verbatim from Gov. Haley Barbour] Yesterday an "agreement in principle" on Medicaid issues was announced by Medicaid negotiators, but this so-called "solution" has a huge, fundamental flaw: It would give Medicaid a blank check and expose Mississippi taxpayers to the risk of a severe, illegal budget deficit.
Transparency Means Transparency
Well, we tried.
Organizers of a event heralded as a unity event for Mayor-elect Johnson barred cameras at the last minute. This was a mistake and a signal to Johnson to ensure transparency.
Jackson City Council Votes Down Living-Wage Increase
At the Tuesday evening meeting tonight, the Jackson City Council voted down a proposed ordinance establishing a living-wage requirement for employees of the city of Jackson by a 3-3 vote. Acting Mayor Leslie McLemore, of Ward 2, proposed the ordinance, which drew support from Ward 7 Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon and outgoing Councilman Marshand Crisler of Ward 6. Opponents included council members who had supported a wage increase more than four months ago: Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes, Ward 4 Councilman Frank Bluntson and Ward 5 Councilman Charles Tillman. Ward 1 Councilman Jeff Weill was absent.
Earth to Northside Sun, Ledger, etc.: Stop Making Sh*t Up
It is simply remarkable to watch the media in Jackson that lost their mayoral endorsement go to the same tired, *false* well so quickly after Harvey Johnson Jr. won back the mayor's race in a landslide. Today's Northside Sun editorial starts out with this: "One reason we suspect Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson lost four years ago was his claim that crime was a perception rather than a reality."
The Bachelorettes Headline Chick Jam Benefit Friday at Hal & Mal's
See you Friday!
The first of several events scheduled around this year's 5th Annual JFP Chick Ball is this Friday night in the Red Room at Hal & Mal's. The Bachelorettes will bring their wigs and their talent to the stage with all door proceeds going to the JFP Chick Ball effort to raise at least $20,000 to seed Jackson's first batterer-intervention program. With a cover of only $5, the show starts at 9 p.m., and will also feature Lizzie Wright and Anna Kline. Wear a wig or not, but definitely show up for this very fun event for a great cause. You can also sign on as a sponsor for the Chick Ball for as little as $50, as well as volunteer your time, or give art or a gift for the silent auction. Visit http://www.jfpchickball.com for more info, or call 601.362.6121 ext. 16 to get involved!
'Racism,' In Context
You've surely heard the heads exploding by now. "She's a racist!" "Maria, er, Sonia Sotomayor said she's smarter than white men!" She made "an unambiguous statement of bigotry."
Time to Hit Re-set, Jackson
As I sit waiting for the returns on election night, I can't help but reflect on the mess that was the last four yearsand what got us there. As much as anything else, the need for media sensationalism and pandering to the powerful put us here. I have spent an inordinate amount of time in the last four years researching Frank Melton's history in Jackson. I have read about everything ever been written about himand the so-called journalism that allowed someone so unsuited for elected office to become mayor in a "landslide" four years ago tonight, as The Clarion-Ledger put it, was simply abysmal. The Ledger, especially, let down an entire city by pretending that Melton was a "folk hero" who could solve crime in 90 days. This corporate newspaper endorsed the man who the most powerful people in Jackson wanted in office. And it pulled punch after punch that could have alerted voters what they were getting into.
Oxford attorney explodes gun lie about Sotomayor
Up in Oxford, Tom Freeland is taking on the morons who are passing along the myth that Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor wrote her Princeton thesis about gun control. Tom writes:
5th Annual JFP Chick Ball *Weekend* Coming July 25-26
The 5th Annual Chick Ball will be Saturday, July 25, and will again benefit the Center for Violence Prevention. We bought them a new mini-van last year; this year our goal is to raise at least $20,000 in seed money for Jackson's first batterer intervention program. In addition to the ball itself, form 6 p.m. to 1 a.m., this year we are adding a special play performance on Friday, July 24, at Hal & Mal's, as well as Saturday events for teens. Watch for more details! Right now, though, we need you to volunteer, donate prizes or become a sponsor (starts at $50 up to $2,500+ to be a diva sponsor). And sign up for our Twitter feed @jfpchickball so you don't miss anything.
First Chick Ball Event: JFP v. WAPT Skate-off May 30!
Per the Magnolia Roller Vixens site:
Tweet-off to skate-off: Media Twitter Queens Donna Ladd (@donnerkay and @jxnfreepress) of the JFP and Dawn Dugle of 16 WAPT News (@mswrite1 and @16waptnews) will skate off Saturday a.m. to benefit domestic violence!
Will ‘Donna Madd' Be Able to Skate Saturday!?!
OK, the denial is about to wear off: I really am going to have a skate-off against Dawn Dugle of WAPT at the National Guard Armory in Clinton on Saturday morning about 11. As in tomorrow. I used to roller skate, and pretty well, but until Wednesday night, it had been about 20 years since I'd been on roller skates. And I've been so busy of late that I couldn't get over and practice until this week. (Dawn's been practicing for weeks; grrrr.) I skated 20 or 30 minutes max, and when I first tried to stand up, I thought I had forgotten how to skate completely. Two little girls without skates walked me around the rink to hold me up. But then I started feeling more comfortable. However, I know I didn't practice long enough, so I don't know what is going to happen Saturday morning. I did not fall down, though, so there is that.
Melton's Legal Bills and his Blind Trust
Mayor Frank Melton told the Jackson Free Press in February that he was concerned enough about the costs of lawsuits to him personally that he had set up a blind trust to protect his personal fortune.
UPDATED: Two Lakes Supporters Helped Finance Defeat of Pearl Mayor
Fans of a controversial plan to develop the Pearl River had better luck installing a pro-"Two Lakes" mayor in the little town of Pearl than in the state's capital city this month.
Sun Columnist, Better Jackson PAC Member Goes After JFP, ‘Takes Back' N-JAM Label
OK, this is funny. In his rush to defend the controversial and secretive Better Jackson PAC, which he apparently helped organize, Northside Sun columnist David Sanders is attacking the 'flatulence' of the Jackson Free Press. This column is simply delightfully defensive, and evasive, in that it does not address why Sanders' and Wilson Carroll's PAC did not file donor reports until three hours before the polls closed under pressure from the JFP and many Jacksonians, even though Two Lakes supporters John McGowan put $6,000 into the PAC back in April, which meant they should have filed a report before the primary.
Jackson, Let's Shoot for the Top
As I write this Tuesday, I have no idea who will be the Democratic nominee for mayor when you read this. As always happens in Jackson and Mississippi, it's been a tough campaign that has wallowed in the mud and brought out the worst in many of our neighbors.
Sharrod Moore Murder Charge Dropped
District Attorney Robert S. Smith was absent again when Hinds County Circuit Judge Swan Yerger dropped murder charges against Sharrod Moore in the 1995 killing of Jackson Police Officer Robert J. Washington. Yerger dropped the charges because prosecutors, after indicting Moore twice, could only produce one witness, Harold Hackett, who said that Moore told him he killed Washington.
BREAKING: 'Two Lakes' Developer McGowan Gave $6,000 to Secretive PAC
Two Lakes impresario John McGowan was the largest contributor to the controversial Better Jackson PAC that tried to defeat Harvey Johnson by using what the FBI calls "baseless" crime rankings in mailers.
Mysterious ‘Better Jackson PAC' Revealed ... Sort Of
See: the JFP Election Blog for full election coverage + candidate interviews
Another Dirty Trick: Fake Johnson Flyers Distributed to Churches
Church-goers in Jackson found a fake flyer on their windshields after church Sunday, pretending to be from former Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr., who is in a runoff with Councilman Marshand Crisler for re-election Tuesday. The flyer asks, "Am I the Right Man for the Job?" and then makes several promises, clearly designed to discredit the former mayor.
Oh, Tortoise, Oh Hare: Those Confusing Political Fables
The Marshand Crisler campaign is sending out a rather bizarre campaign mailer using the children's fable of the tortoise and the hare. The only problem is that this particular fable does not help their candidate. The mailer starts: "We all know the old fable about the turtle and the hare." Er, do we *all*, really?
D.A. Drops Charges Against Sharrod Moore
Capping a rather remarkable two-week news cycle in Jackson, District Attorney Robert S. Smith today dismissed murder charges against Sharrod Moore, whom Smith had indicted twice for the murder of police officer Robert J. Washington. The state is formally dismissing the case on May 20, 2009, due to insufficient evidence, and, according to the order today signed by Circuit Court Judge Swan Yerger, will "place into the record its reasons for the dismissal" then. Defense counsel requested that Moore be released pending the May 20 hearing, The state did not oppose that request but requested that Moore "stay confined to his house except for visiting his attorneys and that he maintain contact with his attorneys." Yerger's order stated that the court had contacted Washington's wife to advise her that the charges were dropped.
Wyatt Emmerich Hates to Talk Race, But If He Has To ...
Lots of folks are talking about Wyatt Emmerich's endorsement of Crisler in the Northside Sun this week in which he says he hates to talk about race. BUT: