Agency Ready to Provide New Mortgages
On Monday, Mississippi Home Corporation, whose mission includes mortgage financing for the state's working families, announced that it is taking reservations for $25 million in bond funds for home buyers.
Health Department Prepares for Swine Flu Vaccine
Every year, about 36,000 Americans die of flu-related complications, according the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. This year, swine flu joins the more common, older flu strains that become more prevalent during the school year, when spreading illness becomes a bigger issue. The CDC has announced development of a swine flu vaccine, and the Mississippi Department of Health is getting ready to provide flu shots beginning sometime in October, reports the Sun Herald.
Omar Morris
When Omar Morris walked into the Boys and Girls Club on West Capitol Street yesterday, he came to give the kids a treat. Morris and his business partner, Vinson Jackson, are donating a computer system to the club.
Tonight: Childer's Tele-Town-Hall Meeting
Blue Dog Democratic Rep. Travis Childers announced yesterday that he will be holding a town-hall meeting via telephone tonight at 7:20 p.m. The congressman will make opening remarks, after which he will take questions from participants regarding the health care reform plans currently under debate.
Public Meetings This Week
Monday, August 17
4 p.m., Jackson City Council, Council Chambers, City Hall, 219 South President St.
West Nile Kills Second Victim
The Mississippi Department of Health is reporting a second death from the mosquito-borne West Nile Virus this summer, highlighting the fact that this well-known virus is more dangerous than the wide-spread (and over-hyped) swine flu. The department released information about this second death, in Forrest County, Friday. To date, the state agency reports 17 cases of West Nile and two cases of St. Louis encephalitis, also spread by mosquitoes.
Kelly Pates
If you've lived in Jackson for a few years or more, chances are you've heard the Patesa family roots-rock bandperform at local clubs, bars, festivals and other venues in the city. Covering good-vibe songs like Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl" and Rod Stewart's "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You," Kelly and Jean Pates and their son, Andrew, have been connecting with crowds and collaborating with other Jackson musicians for the past several decades.
Foreclosures Down in Mississippi
The numbers of Magnolia State residents receiving foreclosure notices dropped dramatically in July. RealtyTrac, the California company that tracks foreclosure notices nationwide, reports a 38 percent drop in the state over the previous month, according to a release.
Thompson Schedules Health-Care Town Hall Meetings
In an effort to give Mississippians an opportunity to discuss the proposed health care reforms currently under debate in the U.S. Congress, Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson of the state's 2nd Congressional District has scheduled a town-hall meeting in Jackson. The Aug. 24 meeting will be held at the Stringer Grand Lodge, 1072 J.R. Lynch St. in Jackson, starting at 6:30 p.m.
State Receives Funds for Energy Emergency Preparedness
Yesterday, Rep. Travis Childers announced that Mississippi will receive more than $450,000 in federal funding to improve the state's emergency preparedness plans and ensure fast recovery of energy disruptions. The state will use the money to hire and retrain staff and expand our capacity to respond to situations such as blackouts, hurricanes and ice storms, Childers' office said in a release.
Fit in Jackson
Fried chicken, biscuits with butter and honey, mashed potatoes with gravyall that outstandingly delicious Southern comfort food has a way of adding pounds and inches, fast. Add it to a sedentary lifestyle, and you'll soon find that your favorite jeans won't zip, and just walking up a flight of stairs has you huffing and puffing.
Spacecraft Coming to Jackson
A full-sized mockup of America's next-generation spaceship is making a stop in Jackson on its way from Florida to Texas. NASA's Orion crew exploration vehicle will dock at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, tomorrow, Aug. 13, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Millsaps College is Mississippi's Best
Forbes.com put Millsaps College back in the news again, when it ranked the Jackson school as the best in the state based on educational quality, student experiences and their achievements. The 2009 rankings, compiled by Forbes and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, put Millsaps at No. 101 in the nationwide survey of 600 schools, which Forbes says accounts for only the top 15 percent of the more than 4,000 undergraduate schools in the country.
Sallie Eola Reneau
Yesterday, Mississippi University of Women President Claudia A. Limbert honored Sallie Eola Reneau, 131 years after her death. After an exhaustive 22-month search for an appropriate new name for the venerable Mississippi school, Limbert announced that she would be submitting Reneau University to the Board of Trustees for State Institutions of Higher Learning for their approval.
Barbour Defends Town Hall Confrontations
The recent spate of rowdy behavior at health-care town-hall meetings is because Americans don't understand the Obama administration's plan, Gov. Haley Barbour told reporters during a conference call Monday organized by the Republican Governors Association.
Andre de Gruy
Attorney Andre de Gruy knows that the American justice system isn't perfect. Sometimes circumstances combine to convict people who didn't commit the crimes they're accused of. As director of Mississippi's Office of Capital Defense Counsel, de Gruy and his staff of lawyers represent people whom Mississippi has convicted of the most heinous crimes, mostly murders and rapes.
Mississippi History Store Closing
The state Department of Archives and History says it will close the doors of the main Mississippi History Store, Sept. 30, due to low sales. The store, located in the William F. Winter Archives and History Building, 200 North Street at Amite Street in downtown Jackson, has put most of its inventory on sale at half price.
Three Mississippi Colleges Named ‘Best Buys'
Mississippi State University, Mississippi College and Millsaps College all made the 2009 Forbes "Best College Buys" list, which divides a school's overall quality score by its average tuition rates for the '03-'04 to '06-'07 years. The quality score is calculated by summing each school's score with respect to "Who's Who in America" citations, salary data from PayScale.com, course evaluations from RateMyProfessor.com, the receipt of student and faculty nationally competitive awards, and the graduation rate variables used in the Best College rankings, according to Forbes.
Working for the Weekend?
It's Friday, and that means it's time to plan your weekend. Today, get a jump on barbecues and picnics by heading to the new farmer's market at the Jackson Medical Mall. Then, stick around for the celebrity roast fundraiser at 6 p.m., honoring the man who came up with the idea of the Medical Mall, Dr. Aaron Shirley. At 8 p.m., join Salsa Mississippi for another rooftop dance party at Fondren Corner. If your party shoes don't do salsa, check the JFP Music Listings to see who's playing at your favorite watering hole. You'll find blues, rock, soul, country and a whole lot more, including karaoke if you're a DIY kind of partier.
MBN Seeing Spike in Meth Labs
Drug dealers and producers are getting smarter, says the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. The agency is seeing a rise lately in methamphetamine labs and in the numbers of cocaine investigations, reports WLBT.
Myrlie Evers-Williams
Today, the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tenn., named Myrlie Evers-Williams, 76, as a 2009 National Freedom Award winner. Widow of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers, Evers-Williams became chairwoman of the NAACP in 1995, serving for three years.
AG Sues Barbour Over Veto
Citing case law that restricts the Mississippi governor from selectively vetoing the purpose of an appropriation and redistributing its funds, Attorney General Jim Hood filed a lawsuit against Gov. Haley Barbour for his partial veto of Senate Bill 2041 during the last legislative session.
Brad White
As chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party, Brad White is on a mission: He's going to put a voter ID initiative on the ballot in November 2010. To accomplish that goal, he needs 100,000 signatures from registered voters by Oct. 1.
West Nile Claims First 2009 Victim
Yesterday, the Mississippi State Department of Health reported the first death of the 2009 season due to West Nile virus. The deceased was from Washington County in the Delta. Three additional cases of the deadly disease were also reported yesterday, bringing the state's total cases to seven this year, including one in Hinds County.
Public Meetings This Week
Monday, Aug. 3
Jackson Public Schools special meeting, 5:30 p.m. school board meeting room, 621 S. State Street.
Builder Guild Improves Gulf Coast Workforce Housing Standards
Gulf Coast Renaissance Corporation, a nonprofit organization that focuses on affordable housing in the Mississippi counties hardest hit by 2005's Hurricane Katrina, has revised and improved its standards for affordable housing redevelopment on the Gulf Coast. The organization, founded in 2006 by several south Mississippi business leaders, formed the Renaissance Builder & Development Guild in 2008 "as a means to cultivate the highest level of housing redevelopment during the Gulf Coast's rebuilding process," according to a release.
Legislative Tab Comes in at $21 Million
Mississippians are paying a $21 million bill from the state Legislature this year, $2 million more than 2008, according to the state auditor's annual report. The 13-month session, which ended in June, shows that salaries and travel expenses alone were approximately $1 million more than the previous year, reports the Hattiesburg American.
Sales Tax Holiday This Weekend
If you're in the market for back-to-school clothes and shoes, this coming weekend is the time to make your purchases.
Jimmie Travis
During the violent, bloody days of the civil rights movement in Mississippi, Freedom Rider Jimmie Travis nearly lost his life. In February 1963, Travis, then 20, was driving a car outside Greenwood with Bob Moses, leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and Randolph Blackwell, voter registration director of the Voter Education Project.
Johnson Forms School Board Transition Committee
Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. announced yesterday that he is forming a diverse transition committee to "examine the organization and policies of the Jackson Public School District," according to a release from the city.
Dr. Samuel Okoye
Jackson physician Dr. Samuel Okoye received national recognition when the Congressional Medal of Honor Society awarded him the Above & Beyond Citizen Honor on March 25. The award is remarkable in part because it comes from a society of all living recipients of the Medal of Honor, the highest military honor in the United States.
Jackson has Lowest Average Gas Price
In a survey of gasoline prices released by the company Lundberg Survey earlier this week, Jacksonians currently pay the lowest prices at the pumps, nationwide. With the average price across the country at $2.49 a gallon, capital city drivers are paying around $2.22.
This Week's Jackson Public Meetings
Monday, July 27
* Jackson City Council work session at 4 p.m. in City Hall council chambers, 219 S. President Street.
Minimum Wage Increase Affects Thousands in Mississippi
Last Friday, the federal minimum wage increased by 70 cents an hour, going from $6.55 to $7.25. The increase will affect thousands of workers in Mississippi, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics, which reports that approximately 6 percent of 2008 hourly employees in the Magnolia state worked for minimum wage or less.
Fred Harris
Last night, Jim Hill High School students in Jackson gathered to honor and remember Fred Harris, the school's assistant principal and boy's basketball coach. Harris, 47, died unexpectedly Sunday of a heart attack at the University Medical Center around 5:30 p.m. .
Back-to-School Tax Holiday This Weekend
If buying back-to-school clothes and shoes are on your agenda, this coming weekend is the time to make it happen. On Friday, July 31, and Saturday, August 1, clothing and shoes under $100 will be exempt from Mississippi's 7 percent sales tax.
Johnson Sends ‘First 48' Packing
"First 48," an A&E network program that follows police for the first 48 hours of a murder investigation, won't be shooting in Jackson if Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. has anything to say about it. At a press conference this afternoon, Johnson announced he was vetoing the Jackson City Council's early June decision to allow the program to be filmed, saying he wants Jackson to be seen as a "destination city" and the show wouldn't advance that objective, reports WAPT.
Domestic Violence Victim
She could be anyone you know. She is white, African American, Latina, Asian or Native American. She might live in the Virden Addition, but then again, she could have a Belhaven or Madison address. Chances are high that she's a wife and mother. Perhaps she's your sister, your friend or the woman who works in the next office or cubicle.
Unemployment Hits 20 Percent in Mississippi County
The rate of unemployment in the Magnolia State either dropped slightly or rose slightly, according to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, depending on how you count the numbers. Adjusting for the season, May's rate was 9.7 percent, and the June rate dropped just a bit, to 9 percent. In real numbers, however, 1,500 more people were jobless in June than May, meaning the unadjusted rate climbed to 9.8 statewide.
Ledger Spreads Bad Info About Columbus Daily
The Commercial Dispatch in Columbus was surprised to learn yesterday that it was changing format from a daily newspaper to a weekly "advertiser" format. Except that it wasn't true. Turns out The Clarion-Ledger was mailing subscribers in the town, spreading false information to try to increase its own subscriptions in the area.
Mississippi Casinos Feeling the Pinch
Casinos, which economists once thought were "recession proof," are feeling the slump along with the majority of other businesses across the country. The state Tax Commission reports that Mississippi casino earnings numbers for June across the state totaled $189.7 million, down from $237.3 million in June 2008. That's a drop of just over 20 percent.
Area's First Batterer's Intervention Program Coming to Jackson
Domestic violence. It's such a bland, vanilla euphemism for some of the most brutal and damaging pain that people inflict on one another. Brutal, of course, because peoplemostly women and childrenget their faces punched, their bones broken and sometimes die. Damaging, because the same people who profess love are those doing the punching and breaking, permanently scarring their victims, physically and psychologically. And for women, dying at the hands of an abuser is a real threat: In 2002, two-thirds of all women murdered by firearms were shot by their intimate partners.
Howard McMillan
Howard McMillan, dean of Millsaps College's Else School of Management, will serve as acting president of the Jackson school beginning next month. He takes the place of Dr. Francis Lucas, who announced earlier this year that she would be leaving the college, effective June 2010. Dr. Lucas is using her accrued sabbatical leave to finish her term.
Remembering Uncle Walter
You might not remember Walter Cronkite, who retired from the CBS Evening News in 1981 after 19 years on the air. I grew up with him, though. Cronkite was news for me. America voted him "the most trusted man in America," and he had a well-deserved reputation for integrity and straightforward reporting.
Update: Mayor Tables Farish Zoning Request
Yesterday, the Jackson Free Press reported that the Jackson City Council, particularly Ward 7 Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon, was worried that a zoning request for the Farish Street Entertainment District could open the area to unwanted commercial establishments, including used car lots. In yesterday's council planning and zoning meeting, Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. pulled discussion of the request from the agenda.
Final Transition Forum Tonight
Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr.'s transition team will hold the last of five public forums tonight at City Hall. The topic of tonight's meeting, which starts at 6 p.m., is human and cultural services, a broad category that includes services for special populations, including seniors, and the arts in Jackson.
Jackson Public Meetings This Week
Monday, July 20
Johnson Transition Forum: Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr.'s transition team invites the public to a forum concerning human and cultural services. 6 P.M. City Hall, 219 S. President Street
Viking to Open Ridgeland Cooking School
Viking Culinary Group, a division of Viking Range Corporation, is opening a cooking school in Ridgeland next month, kicking off with a class titled "Classic Steakhouse" on Friday, August 21. The group has named Chan Patterson as the school's manager, and the school has a full schedule of classes in the following days and weeks.
Anna Tadlock
On Saturday, Anna Tadlock of Brandon, 23, was crowned Miss Mississippi at the culmination of three days of pageant events in Vicksburg. According to her profile, the Mississippi State University graduate says her future plans include receiving her master's degree in education and teaching English at the high school or college level. She also sees herself getting married and starting a family within the next 10 years.
Mississippi Foreclosures Increase, Maybe
A California-based company that tracks foreclosures, RealtyTrac, reported last week that Mississippi has seen a huge jump in foreclosures last month. The company currently lists 1,893 foreclosed properties in the state, however Forbes reports 755 new actions in June, representing an increase of 74 percent over the previous month.