Unemployment Rate Jumps Again
The unemployment rate in Mississippi increased a full percentage point from April to May, inching toward 10 percent once again, according to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. That one point, from 8.6 percent to 9.6 percent, represents an additional 14,300 Mississippians potentially collecting unemployment from the state.
Barbour Takes Top RGA Spot
In the wake of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's untimely departure from the Republican Governors Association, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour is taking over the organization's leadership. Barbour had already accepted the organization's chairmanship for next year, but when Sanford admitted his infidelity with his Argentine mistress, Maria, on national news, it wasn't long before he also resigned from the RGA.
No Budget ‘Disastrous' for Medicaid Patients
[Verbatim from Mississippi Hospital Association President Sam Cameron]
Because of the Governor's refusal to call a Special Session of the Mississippi Legislature, it appears the Division of Medicaid will cease to exist after midnight on June 30, 2009. The Governor's lack of action will have disastrous results for Medicaid patients and all health care providers who serve them.
The Tangled Web of Hate
The Southern Poverty Law Center counts the Council of Conservative Citizens as a "Neo-Confederate" hate group, which, like the more radical League of the South, fights for the rights of "the Confederacy." The CofCC stops short of calling for a second secession from the Union. Neo-Confederates unite behind goals of preserving Confederate monuments and honoring the Confederate battle flag, in addition to fostering "pro-white," anti-immigrant politics.
It IS the Heat
We've all heard the old saw: "It's not the heat; it's the humidity." Well, during this extended early heat wave in Mississippi, the heat really is the thing to watch out for. Especially for those who finds themselves outdoors for any length of time, not paying attention to what your body requires in this unseasonable heat can make you sick. In extreme cases, this kind of heat can kill.
Dems Play "Where's Waldo?" with Barbour
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour seems to be almost anywhere but in the state of Mississippi these days, a fact that hasn't escaped the attention of the state's Democratic Party leadership. Picking up on the quintessential game of "Where's Waldo?" where players have to find the distinctive character on his world-wide hike, the party has purchased banner ads on the New Hampshire Political Report Web site. Barbour will headline a political fundraiser tonight in the Granite State.
Mississippi Soldiers Ship Out Today
The U.S. Army Reserve's 296th Transportation Company ships out today for final training in Wisconsin before heading to Iraq. The Mississippi company of 169 men and women, which was last deployed in 2003, will serve overseas for one year beginning in September, according to The Mississippi Press.
Gambling Revenue Up Again
The Mississippi State Tax Commission says that winnings in the state's 30 casinos was up in May by $19.2 million more than in April, according to Forbes, but revenues are still below the May 2008 earnings. The casinos took in $224.3 million last month, which is about $11.4 million less than the same month last year.
2009 Gulf Dead Zone May Hit Record Size
Imagine an area the size of Hinds County with virtually no life: you can't drink the water; seeds rot in the soil; and only cockroaches can breathe the air. It's as if a nuclear reactor exploded and nothing survived.
Cookie Dough Recall Announced
Nestlé USA announced today that it is voluntarily recalling its Toll House refrigerated cookie dough products after the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control notified the company it was investigating reported E. coli infections that may be related to the recalled products. Nestlé said in a release that E. coli has not been detected, but they are recalling the raw dough because "the health and safety of our consumers is paramount."
This Weekend: Mississippi Civil Rights Martyrs' Memorial
The 45th Annual Mississippi Martyrs' Memorial Service and Conference takes place this Saturday and Sunday in Neshoba County. A one-mile "March for Justice" kicks off the event, in commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King's 1966 march in Philadelphia. The march begins at 10 a.m. at the Mt. Nebo Missionary Baptist Church on Carver Avenue, and ends, as it did 43 years ago, with a rally at the Neshoba County Courthouse.
It's Time to JAM, Y'all
You might have noticed the downtown streets blocked off as you came to work this morning. But just in case you've been hiding out, been out of touch or been procrastinating on buying tickets, we're here to tell you: Jackson's homegrown, big-time music and arts festival kicks off tonight. It's time to JAM, y'all!
Johnson May Pull the Plug on ‘First 48'
Also see: JFP June 10, 2009 Editorial: 'First 48': This Is Transparency?
Former Justice Fights Death Penalty
Oliver Diaz says his first vote on the Mississippi Supreme Court was to "kill an innocent man." The man he's talking about is Kennedy Brewer, wrongfully convicted of the rape and murder of a toddler in 1995.
Irby Trial Postponed Eight Months
Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Tomie Green granted a continuance for Karen Irby today, postponing her trial until March 29, 2010, reports The Clarion-Ledger. Irby, 38, faces two counts of depraved-heart murder for her role in a February car crash that killed Dr. Mark Pogue and Dr. Lisa Dedousis. Prosecutors also charged her with aggravated assault for injuries that her husband, Stuart Irby, sustained in the crash.
Cold Case Advocate to Meet with Holder
Alvin Sykes, longtime advocate for the victims of civil rights era cold cases, will meet with the nation's "top cop," U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, to discuss the Department of Justice mandate to solve those cases and bring the killers to justice.
Wine to Go
Beginning July 1, that unfinished bottle of wine at your restaurant table can go home with you, thanks to the Mississippi Legislature. No more will you have to decide between the wines by the glass or by the bottle, because what you don't finish can travel back to your house for dinner tomorrow.
Today: Housing Fair at the Medical Mall
You still have time to head over to the 2009 Housing Fair, sponsored by the Jackson Medical Mall Foundation, until 2 p.m. today. Included on the agenda is information about foreclosure prevention, first-time buyer programs and financial management. The event, held at the Jackson Medical Mall Thad Cochran Center, is free and open to the public. For more information, call 601-982-8467.
Kennedy: Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Beck Spread Hate
Speaking to reporters last Friday after his keynote speech at the memorial for slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers in Jackson, Robert Kennedy Jr. said some right-wing broadcast hosts feed the kind of hatred behind the assassination of abortion provider Dr. George Tiller and the killing of a security guard at the U.S. Holocaust Museum last week.
CARA Reaches Out for Donations
Community Animal Rescue and Adoption, Jackson's largest no-kill animal shelter is running dangerously low on funds. The shelter is "filled to the brim with unwanted, abused and stray dogs and cats who deserve a safe, loving place to call home," according to a release. With money running short, however, the shelter will need to close its doors soon unless the community steps forward to help.
Legislators Remain Stuck on Budget
With 14 days remaining in Mississippi's 2009 fiscal year, lawmakers continue their struggle to reach a consensus on next year's budget. The special negotiating team, which consists of three House and three Senate members, along with Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant, ended yesterday's session with $12 million in total differences on the $5 billion budget, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
Jones Named Ole Miss Chancellor
The University of MississippiOle Missannounced the appointment of Dr. Dan Jones as its new chancellor yesterday. Jones succeeds retiring Robert Khayat July 1, to oversee the University, including the University's Medical Center here in Jackson. He is the 16th chancellor in the history of the school.
Murrah High Makes Top High Schools List
[verbatim] Newsweek magazine has named Murrah High School to its 2009 America's Top Public High Schools list. The schools are ranked on the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and/or Cambridge tests taken by all students in a school in 2008 divided by the number of graduating seniors.
Tonight: It's a Movie and a Benefit
Be honest. It's too hot to do much of anything but stay inside and watch a movie, right? Here's a perfect way for you to combine your love of the silver screen with your desire to do good. Tonight only, cruise up to Malco Grandview Theater to see the latest Will Ferrell movie, "Land of the Lost," starting at 7 p.m. For $10 each, you get the movie, a soft drink and popcorn, and all proceeds go directly to the Nicole Marquez Medical Fund.
Conflict of Interest: Big Insurance and Big Tobacco
Have you ever wondered why health insurance companies don't cover smoking cessation programs? Such programs seem like a natural fit given the amount of acute and chronic disease that could be avoided when smokers quit.
Free HIV Testing Tomorrow
[verbatim] On Tuesday, June 16th, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the nation's largest non-profit AIDS organization, will partner with Building Bridges, Inc. to provide free HIV testing at Hinds Comprehensive Health Center, Dr. James Anderson Health Facility – Main Clinic, 3502 West Northside Dr., Jackson, MS 39213 from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
Budget Impasse Will Affect Agencies
State agencies could be shutting down soon if the Mississippi Legislature can't come to an agreement on the state budget. A small contingent of lawmakers made up of three House and three Senate members plus a handful of others including Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant, have been working toward an agreement, but as yet, have produced no results.
Seale Appeals to U.S. Supreme Court
Attorneys for James Ford Seale, convicted in 2007 on federal kidnapping and conspiracy charges related to the 1964 killings of two 19-year-old African Americans, have appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court today.
Supreme Court Disbars Former D.A. Peters
The Mississippi Supreme Court has permanently disbarred former Hinds District Attorney Ed Peters by accepting the law license he turned over to the Mississippi Bar Association in January. Peter's action cames as a result of an ethics complaint against him. Bar General Counsel Adam Kilgore told the Jackson Free Press earlier this year that Peters turning in his license amounts to an admission of guilt.
Hot Stuff This Weekend
The weather isn't the only thing hot this weekend. Here are a few options, courtesy of the JFP Event Calendar, Best Bets and Music Listings.
State Paid 9,300 People in Error
Mississippi's Medicaid program paid Part B Medicare premiums for approximately 9,300 ineligible people, possibly since 2003, according to WAPT. Those payments were made after the state determined the recipients were no longer eligible.
Minority Contractors Win Arbitration Award
[verbatim] An American Arbitration Association panel awarded minority contractor Fish & Fisher $1,283,351 in a dispute with white owned L & T Construction. The dispute arose over work performed by Fish & Fisher at the Blue Springs, MS construction location to build a Toyota Prius Plant. During the arbitration hearing, sworn testimony by Leavy Harris of L & T revealed that L & T Construction never entered into a joint venture with M & H Construction, as had been announced by the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) and Toyota. This testimony is crucial to the civil action filed by Jackie Williams and Renna Fisher, African American principals of Fish & Fisher, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, Western Division.
Jackson Uniting to Retire Johnson's Debt
A group of diverse citizens who supported varied candidates in the recent mayoral elections in Jackson are putting aside their differences and joining together to help retire the accumulated campaign debt of Mayor-elect Harvey Johnson Jr. The event will be held at the University Club of Jackson next Monday, June 15, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
UMC Closing School for Autistic Children
The fate of Jackson's autistic children will be in the hands of the public schools this fall, raising concerns for parents, according to a report from WLBT. Last week, parents of autistic children attending the Mississippi Child Development Institute at the Jackson Medical Mall received letters saying the school will close at the end of the summer.
Mississippi Energy Policy Institute Formed
Gov. Haley Barbour has announced the formation of a group dedicated to coming up with energy policy for the state. The group, the Mississippi Energy Policy Institute, will be part of Momentum Mississippi, "a statewide, public, private partnership dedicated to the development of economic and employment opportunities" in the state, according to its Web site.
Suspect in Holocaust Museum Shooting is White Supremacist
The Associated Press is reporting that a shooter opened fire in the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., just before 1 p.m. today, fatally wounding a security guard before he was shot.
Thoreau's Fire
True story: On April 30, 1844, Henry David Thoreau began the fire that eventually burned 300 acres of forest outside his home in Concord, Mass. He was never prosecuted for the act, but his neighbors shunned him for the next year, calling him "woods burner" behind his back.
Fiat Signs Deal with Chrysler
When the US Supreme Court told plaintiffs yesterday that they did not prove the court needed to intervene, they removed the final obstacle for the company's partial sale to Italian automaker Fiat. This morning, the deal was signed, giving new life to the storied American brand.
Barbour Talks Party Line on Cap & Trade
In a speech yesterday at the Southern Growth Policies Board, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour repeated the GOP's party line about the Obama administration's proposed cap and trade energy policies, repeatedly labeling the policy a "tax.
Board of Ed Names Interim Replacement for Bounds
The Mississippi Board of Education has named an interim education superintendent to replace Hank Bounds, who is the preferred candidate for the post of higher education commissioner, a position overseeing the Magnolia State's university system.
Signs Point Cautiously to Recession's End
Slowing job losses is one sign of the economy's impending recovery. The bottom is just ahead, according to economists, which means things will start looking up soon.
Governor Leads Southern Energy Conference
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour joins Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens today in Biloxi to lead a two day energy summit titled "Southern Energy: Abundant, Affordable and American." according to the Sun Herald. At the same time, the Southern Growth Policies Board, chaired by Barbour, meets regarding energy-related economic development.
Ward 1 Voters Stayed Consistent: No to Johnson
Voting patterns in last Tuesday's general elections tell a story about Jackson: Citizens were tired of voting, and the city's whites and blacks don't necessarily agree on who should be the city's mayor.
Seale Conviction Upheld
See full JFP coverage of the Dee-Moore case.
Working for the Weekend?
It's hard to believe that it's the first weekend in June, isn't it? If you're looking for things to do, places to go and people to see, though, this is the right place. Allow us to suggest a few things, courtesy of the JFP Events Calendar and Best Bets.
Brown: Governor Will Cut School Funding
State Rep. Cecil Brown is warning that Mississippi's children will be the ultimate losers in the current budget battle if the governor gets his way. In an e-mail sent to his constituents and forwarded to the Jackson Free Press, Brown, who is chairman of the House Education Committee, warned that the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, MAEP, is on the governor's hit list of programs to cut.
FEMA Offers Hurricane Victims Trailers for $1
Four years after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck the Gulf Coast, and a month after the Federal Emergency Management Agency said it was going to end its temporary housing program necessitated by the storms, FEMA officials are offering victims a bargain: $1 will allow victims to own the trailers they've been calling home since August, 2005.
Budget Stalled Again
Mississippi lawmakers failed yet again to come up with a budget for the 2010 fiscal year. A small budget committee has been working overtime to come to an agreement, but yesterday's midnight deadline has passed without producing a result. The new fiscal year begins July 1, 27 days from today, and it's looking like the governor will need to call a special session to get a budget passed.
Flu Cases Now at 50
The Mississippi State Department of Health reports that the number of confirmed H1N1 swine flu cases in the state hit 50 yesterday. The bulk of the cases remain on the coast, with 17 cases in Harrison County and 13 in Jackson County. Hinds County now reports two cases, as does Yazoo County to the north. Neighboring Madison and Rankin Counties report one confirmed case each.
Mississippi Lags in Internet Access
In a report released yesterday, Mississippi has the lowest rate of Internet access in the U.S., with 52.8 percent of households connected. The report, from the U.S. Census Bureau, shows data from 2007, the most recent data available, according to WREG in Memphis.