More Housing Needed in Jackson Metro for Gustav Evacuees
Also see: Jackpedia: Hurricane Gustav to get/post vital information.
Evacuees Saying Contraflow in Mississippi ‘a Joke'
On the Gambit Weekly blog, New Orleans evacuees are complaining that the contraflow plan fell apart in Mississippi today. "Huck" wrote:
Barbour: ‘We're Geared Up for a Major Storm'
Also see: Jackpedia: Hurricane Gustav to get/post vital information.
MEMA Sends 100 School Buses to Coast to Pick Up Residents
(Verbatim) PEARL – The Mississippi Department of Education has deployed more than 100 school buses for people who need to evacuate the Gulf Coast today. People living in FEMA travel trailers and mobile homes, Mississippi Cottages and others in flood hazard areas have been ordered to evacuate Jackson, Hancock and Harrison counties today. Also Hancock County, including the cities of Bay St. Louis and Waveland, has issued a mandatory evacuation for all areas south of Interstate 10 and areas north of Interstate 10 that flooded during Hurricane Katrina. This includes all residents living on rivers, river inlets, bayous, creeks, in travel trailers, modular homes, mobile homes, homes that are under construction and or partially constructed homes.
MDOT: Traffic Contraflow to End Sunday Night
(Verbatim from MDOT) JACKSON, MISS., --- The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) announces the following traffic information. Officially LA/MS Hurricane Gustav Contraflow operations for Interstates 55 and 59 will terminate at 4:45 p.m., Sunday August 31, 2008. Louisiana is in the process of handing off Contraflow to Mississippi. MDOT anticipates it taking around four (4) hours to clear traffic in order to place the southbound contraflowed interstate back to normal southbound flow.
McCain Announces Scaled-Back Convention Due to Gustav
John McCain campaign manager Rick Davis is announcing now that the Republican Naitonal Convention will officially begin at 3 p.m. Monday for "business of the day," but no politics. He expects the session to end by 5 or 5:30 p.m. Beyond that, the convention is uncertain. He also said that McCain has asked for politics to be put aside and for Republicans to rally with the affected states, including Louisiana, which Republican leaders (such as Haley Barbour of Mississippi) pitted against the more Republican Mississippi during Katrina three years ago. In a sign that the GOP plans to treat Louisiana very differently this time around, McCain has offered campaign planes to take Louisiana delegates back home and to bring them back as needed, Davis said, and the campaign is calling for delegates to help raise money for the areas affected by Gustav.
Where Is Emergency Housing for Gustav Evacuees?
Are you fleeing Gustav and looking for housing? You can find a list of emergency shelters in Mississippi here. Print a Red Cross evacuation plan here. Here's a checklist of the supplies you need.
How to Volunteer to Help Gustav Victims
If you want to volunteer to help victims of Hurricane Gustav, please see this Jackpedia page, where you can also start posting about needs for specific volunteers. If you're available to volunteer, you can post contact info for yourself here. You can also go VolunteerMississippi.org to both volunteer and donate money or goods, as detailed in the following statement today, verbatim:
Deadly Storm Surges Likely for Louisiana and Mississippi
As you're tracking the storm, don't just focus on where the eye of Gustav will make landfall. As we all learned during Katrina, the storm surge is one of the most dangerous components of a massive hurricane. You can track projections of the Gustav storm surge here (scroll down for map).
McCain, Palin Coming to Jackson Sunday for Gustav Face Time
The Associated Press is reporting that the McCain-Palin campaign is coming down to Gustav territory:
Governor: Contraflow Traffic Begins 4 a.m. Sunday in State
[Verbatim] August 30, 2008The State of Mississippi is assisting Louisiana with contraflow operations for Interstate 59 and Interstate 55. This means all lanes will be dedicated to northbound traffic beginning Sunday at 4:00 a.m.
Barbour Declares State of Emergency Due to Gustav
[Verbatim from Office of Governor] (JACKSON, Mississippi)--Today Governor Haley Barbour issued a State of Emergency for the State of Mississippi due to the threat posed by Hurricane Gustav, which has demonstrated potential to severely impact the entire state according to current predictions by the National Weather Service and National Hurricane Center.
Obama's Explosive Acceptance Speech: The Transcript
Even as the country spent a minute saying "who the hell is Sarah Palin," Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama is basking in the glow (and poll numbers) of a remarkable night, on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech. Here is the transcript of his speech Thursday night in Denver:
McCain Chooses Alaska 'Hockey Mom' as Running Mate
The New York Times reports that Sen. John McCain has chosen a 44-year-old conservative, pro-life governor who called herself a "hockey mom" as his running mate:
The Katrina Effect: National and State Politics After the Storm
Read Adam Lynch's in-depth analysis of how the inadequate response to Hurricane Katrina on Mississippi's Gulf Coast and in New Orleansand the fact that so many people still leave in trailers as another massive storm loomshas dramatically changed the face of politics in the U.S. and in the South.
U.S. Attorney: 595 ‘Illegal Aliens' Arrested
[verbatim from U.S. Attorney Dunn Lampton] LAUREL, Miss. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents executed a federal criminal search warrant yesterday at Howard Industries, Inc., an electric transformer manufacturing facility, for evidence relating to aggravated identity theft, fraudulent use of Social Security numbers and other crimes, as well as a civil search warrant for individuals illegally in the United States. The announcement was made by ICE Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Investigations in New Orleans, Michael A. Holt, and Stan Harris, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi.
Who Can Read This?
Why is The Clarion-Ledger in so much trouble? Here's a good hint: Top editor Ronnie Agnew's column today starts this way:
"USA Today: Mississippi Edition"? The ‘Nuclear Option'?
Gannett blogger Jim Hopkins writes:
Things are so bad in the Gannett world (including layoffs nationwide, and 5 percent of The Clarion-Ledger staff, and dropping revenue and see-saw stock prices) that rumors are flying about what the company might try to do to save itself. Over on the very-active Gannett Blog, a tipster says that Gannett papers may "go nuclear"in this case, apparently meaning to fold the local editions and become different editions of the national USA Today.
Ed Peters Making a Deal with the Feds ... Or Not?
Patsy Brumsfield is reporting on the deal-or-no-deal confusion at The Daily Journal. (Hat tip to Folo.):
To: Employees of The Clarion-Ledger
To: Employees of The Clarion-Ledger
As you may have read in our newspaper or web site earlier today, The Gannett Company has announced a reduction of approximately 1000 jobs or 3 percent of the company workforce over the next two weeks. To respond to your concerns, The Clarion-Ledger took this difficult step two weeks ago when we reduced our workforce by 20 people or 5 percent of the staff.
Chris Joyner, Gotcha Journalist?
Meantime, I'll get Adam to try to sort it out and report back to y'all.
The Clarion-Ledger has a "big" story today that reeks of incomplete, gotcha journalism. Essentially the story is accusing David "Pops" Watkins, and perhaps others, of lying about investors in Farish Street. I sure do wish we were privy to Joyner's full interviews with Watkins and others. Joynerthe Ledger's rising "investigative" starhas interviewed me, and he lifted me far out of context that I wouldn't ever agree to such an interview again, and I don't trust anything he writes. A recent Ledger internal memo announced that he was becoming an investigative reporter, presumably sometime after they finish paying people overtime to take drunk pictures for their new, er, Gen X Web site. (At the same time that they are firing people.)
UPDATED: Dee-Moore Families Sue County for Colluding with Klan
Read full complaint here. (PDF)
Attorney General Settles With State Farm
Attorney General Jim Hood just sent the following statement, verbatim:
Biloxi, MS-Attorney General Jim Hood announced the settlement of the state's breach of contract suit against State Farm, which was filed after State Farm refused to comply with a January, 2007, Hinds County Chancery Court settlement. Due to the state's suit against several insurance companies, State Farm has paid an additional $74 million and Nationwide has paid an additional $40 million to Coast policyholders. As a result of the settlement, State Farm will send out new notices to the remaining 148 slab and/or pier only policyholders, who have not yet sued, settled or already participated in the reevaluation process.
Is Clarion-Ledger Comatose at the Wheel?
I am simply astounded to see that, right this second, the top "breaking news" on the Ledger's site is this by Chris Joyner (who is about to be promoted to investigative reporter, we're told): "New trial date set for Melton, bodyguards." Adam found this out a full week ago, and reported it six days ago. Six. Not yesterday. Not Friday. What is up over there?!? Or, not up, we should ask. No wonder they're in such trouble.
Moore Demands 'Cover-up' Evidence from DA
In response to several desperate motions filed by Sharrod Moore's defense attorney requesting that the DA provide "any and all evidence in his possession regarding a police cover-up," Hinds County Circuit Judge Swan Yerger is delaying the capital murder trial of the 30-year-old, who has now been indicted twice for allegedly killing Jackson police officer Robert J. Washington in 1995. The original trial date was Sept. 15; Yerger has not yet set a new date.
Greenwood Teen Settles Cop Suit, ‘No Pun Intended'
James Marshall, a Greenwood teenager who scuffled with a police officer in 2006, has settled his lawsuit against Officer Casey Wiggins, the city of Greenwood, Greenwood Public Schools and others for an undisclosed amount, according to his attorney Carlos E. Moore. Matt Saldaña of the Jackson Free Press profiled Marshall in this cover story, "Unholstered: A Greenwood Family Fights For Its Rights". The JFP also sued the district over the release of a video of the incident.
No More Autopsies for Steven Hayne
Radley Balko at Reason Magazine and WLBT are reporting that Mississippi's long-time de facto medical examiner, Steven Hayne, will no longer be doing autopsies in the state. Balko writes:
So, When Did Barbour Have a Change of Heart on Pardons?
Hmmm. When you poke just a little at Barbour's history on and attitudes about pardoning criminalseven men like Cory Maye who shot a police officer who burst into his home in the middle of the nightyou see that, in the past, Barbour hasn't "believed" in pardons. Per Reason magazine:
Did Melton and Bluntson ‘Sponsor' Fairview Boys Camp ... or Not?
Boys II Kings Summer Camp Aims to Uplift
This morning, I Google-Newsed Frank Melton to see if anything new had happened while I was in Florida. An WLBT story summary popped up. Here it is verbatim:
Haley Barbour: ‘You Gotta Admire Obama's Nerve'
July 31, 2008 - Following are verbatim remarks by Gov. Haley Barbour at the Neshoba County Fair today in Philadlphia, Miss.:
Is Shoe About to Fall on Trent Lott?
Well, the man state Republicans used to adore regardless of what he did may be about to fall even harder: The Associated Press reports that State Farm attorneys are alleging that Lott tried to pressure witnesses to give false testimony ... yes, perjury. It's becomes more clear why the Bush's Justice Department might have taken a bit longer to get to the Scruggs boyz case, but now that they're there, it sho is interesting:
Haven't We Learned Anything About Racism?
Associated Press:
One of the saddest things about society-condoned bigotry--these days against illegal immigrants--is that is always leads to violence, especially among young people who hear their elders spouting ignorance about certain groups, and then act on it. We've seen it over and over again in this state. The sad part is how hard it is to learn from our own recent past.
Do I hear 15? Yes, we can!
Thank you one and all for making this a very special Chick Ball, for helping to save lives.
Wow. The JFP Chick Ball raised $14,000 this year ... so far ... toward a new Freedom Van for the Center for Violence Prevention. Not to be greedy, but I sure would like to see us get up to $15,000 over the next couple weeks. Send donations of at least $15, and we'll send you a 2008 Chick Ball CD with samples of the great poetry and music you missed Saturday night. E-mail sage (at) jacksonfreepress (dot) com for details on exchanging your donation for this wonderful CD! Make checks out directly to Center for Violence Prevention and mail to: Sage Carter-Hooey, Jackson Free Press, P.O. Box 5067, Jackson, MS 39296.
Tracks Of Their Tears
Velma Berry lives in a brick house seven miles due west of the Mantee exit off the Natchez Trace in Northeast Mississippi. The well-kept lawn, thriving tomato plants and orange kitty-cat lolling on the carport near a hot-pink lawn chair show signs of vibrant life that belie the pain of the woman who now lives alone inside the house.
Each Jacksonian Can Help Fight Family Violence
Folks, this is a very special weekend, and each of us has the opportunity to help make a difference in the lives of abused families. We designed the Chick Ball to specifically allow each and every Jacksonian a way to help raise money for a Freedom Van. We welcome checks for $5, volunteer help, prizes, anything. And as of right now, we've already almost $7,000and from all ages and backgrounds in Jackson. Thank you, thank you, thank.
JFP Chick Ball - Saturday Night!
Click here for more details on the Chick Ball.
The JFP Chick Ball is finally here. Join us from 6 to midnight Saturday night at Hal & Mal's Red Room to raise money to buy a Freedom Van for the Center for Violence Preventionand have a great time! Only $5 will get you in to hear Chick music, enjoy free food from area restaurants, bid on tons of silent auctions items, play games and have your photo taken at a "photo booth" set up by friends of the late Heather Spencer. The silent auction will run from 6 p.m to midnight. Event is age 18+. Call Sage Carter-Hooey at 601.362.6121 ext. 2 to make last-minute donations today! (So far, we've raised about $6,500 toward the van. Please help us; every dollar counts!)
Funding Approved for Two-Way Capitol Street
Downtown Jackson Partners said today that Sen. Thad Cochran is confirming that the city will get a $3 million 20 percent matching grant in order to make Capitol Street two-way. This is great news for downtown's Renaissance efforts.
Help Officer DeWayne Collier Tonight at Hal & Mal's
Attend a benefit concert tonight at Hal & Mal's from 5 to 10 p.m. for injured JPD officer DeWayne Collier who was shot last week. The $10 cover will be donated to help ease Collier's medical expenses. Ridgeland Police Chief Jimmy Houston's band, The Carltons, will perform at 7 p.m.. If you can attend, please do so and show your support for this young man and his family.
Melton and Bodyguards Arraigned; No Guns or Alcohol
Mayor Frank Melton and his two bodyguards, Michael Recio and Marcus Wright, were arraigned in a packed federal courtroom in downtown Jackson before U.S. Magistrate Judge Linda Anderson today at 1:30 p.m for their alleged role in destroying a private home on Aug. 26, 2006. The three pleaded not guilty to federal civil rights conspiracy charges, and each must pay $10,000 unsecured bond. The trial is set for Aug. 18, 2008. All had attorneys present, but only Marcus Wright's attorney, John Colette, will definitely represent him going forward, and may seek a separate trial for Wright. Today, Colette's associate, Matthew Baldridge, represented Wright. Kevin White of Coxwell & Associates was there on behalf of Melton, and John Moore represented Recio. The attorneys present for Melton and Recio will not represent the men going forward, they said. The judge gave Melton and Recio waivers to get court-appointed attorneys; Wright said he did not need one.
Lawsuits Against Melton and City Piling Up
WAPT broke the story yesterday that A-1 Pallet has (predictably) filed a $100 million lawsuit against the city, Melton and several others. So how many lawsuits has Melton brought, or helped bring, to the city? Let's see ...
Sharrod Moore Back on Probation ... Sort Of
Dressed in a bright-orange jumpsuit with heavy chains around his hands, waist and sandaled feet, accused cop murderer Sharrod Moore won a victory this morning in Hinds County Court even as he was arraigned a second time for capital murder, with the added charge of armed robbery, for the November 1995 death of Jackson Police Officer Robert J. Washington.
Melton Indictments: The JFP Story That Started It All
Read Adam Lynch's breaking story that first revealed Mayor Frank Melton's Aug. 26 alleged rampage on Ridgeway Street in Jacksonthe accusations that led to felony indictions of Melton and his bodyguards two weeks later on Sept. 15. Adam's story first appeared the afternoon of Sept. 1, 2006. You can read Lynch's exclusive interview with victim Evans Welch here. The JFP also broke the story about Evans Welch's schizophrenia here.
Melton Spin Machine in Full Force
It's really something to watch Melton shift into full spin mode about how the federal indictments (apparently brought by "political enemies") are not going to stop him from doing his job and fighting crime, especially drug crimes, in interviews going out nationally. He told The Associated Press, for instance:
Huh? Big Blooper in Clarion-Ledger Editorial About Melton
The Clarion-Ledger edit-boyz suffered a bit of reading miscomprehension when they wrote this false statement last night for their editorial today saying that Frank Melton should resign:
‘Evil Intent': Why Frank Melton Was Acquitted the First Time
After Mayor Frank Melton and his two bodyguards were acquitted in a Hinds County court last year for the Ridgeway duplex demolition, the JFP's Brian Johnson wrote this analysis of the trial:
Archive: Investigations Involving R.J. Washington and Frank Melton
Following are links to Donna Ladd's 2008 investigative series on the murder of R.J. Washington, as well as stories about the "mysteries of Frank Melton." A list of PDFs to relevant documents is at the bottom. Both will be updated as new pieces are added. They are listed chronologically without regard to relevance to each other:
DA Re-Indicts; Defense Alleges Bad Cop Work
This is an updated version of a story originally published July 4, 2008.
CNN: Mississippi Agencies Took Katrina Supplies
So, just how can needy victims of Katrina on the Coast be screwed once again? Barbour diverts low-income housing money, and now this? The governor should stand up and tell us just how his administration let this happen while he was out pushing tort reform, supporting the insurance companies and protecting his tobacco companies from higher taxes here. Per CNN:
Jackson Police Officer Shot During Chase
For more, see the WAPT report here
Jackson Police Officer DeWayne Collier is in critical condition at University Medical Center after a robbery suspect shot him earlier today around 11 a.m. near the Lakewood Funeral Home on Clinton Boulevard. Reports say that he was in pursuit of a vehicle believed to be carrying men who had robbed Auto Title Loans at 1898 Highway 80 West.
Middleton and Ladd Discuss Chick Ball on WLBT
More information here on the 2008 Chick Ball.
Sandy Middleton, the director of the Center for Violence Prevention in Pearl, and JFP editor Donna Ladd will appear on WLBT's noon show Tuesday to talk about the 4th Annual JFP Chick Ball on July 19 that will benefit the center's work in helping victims of family violence. This year, the Chick Ball is trying to raise enough money to buy the center a "freedom van"a new van in which they can transport the families in need. Members of the public can donate cash to the center, prizes and gift certificates for the silent auction, or donate time to help with the Chick Ball. (Just Monday, a $3,000 check arrived in the mail from a local businesswoman.)