Barbour Taking Heat for Oil Responses
Gov. Haley Barbour is being criticized on several fronts for his response to the damaged BP well in the Gulf that has spewed millions of gallons of oil into the sea since April 20. Twice, Barbour has been out of the state when President Barack Obama visited the coast, most recently to attend a picnic and meet with bond agencies in New York City.
Mississippi No. 2 in Gun Deaths
States like Mississippi with high gun ownership and weak gun laws lead the nation in gun deaths, concludes a new report by the non-profit Violence Policy Center based in Washington, D.C. The Magnolia state ranks No. 2 for gun deaths with a rate of 18.32 deaths per 100,000, right behind neighboring Louisiana with a rate of 19.87 deaths.
GOP Runoff for District 2
Voters will head back to the polls June 22 to select a Republican candidate to face U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson in the November general election. Both Jackson Public Schools teacher Richard Cook of Byrum and former Chicago police officer Bill Marcy of Meridian received 35 percent of the vote, reports WAPT.
You Gotta Have Heart
This information should not be used as a substitute for a doctor's care. Please consult with your doctor before changing or adding any therapies.
Covering Our Oily Tracks
We humans forget a lot, especially when remembering means we have to change. And there is the crux of the problem: We've spent decades demanding that the rest of the world conform to what America wants. We gobble up a quarter of the world's energy with a mere 4.5 percent of the its population (both China and India have about four times the number of people). We have allowed amoral corporations to act in our name with impunity. We've stood by while politicians gutted our government in favor of private entities that increased spending and decreased responsibility. We can't sustain, and we can't understand why government isn't doing enough fast enough.
$300 Fill Ups?
Gas prices in the U.S. are around $2.90 a gallon for regular, ringing up a tidy $58 tab for a 20-gallon SUV fill up. In the United Kingdom, that same tank of gas will set you back more than $145, according to NationMaster.com.
Nunnelee Snags GOP Nomination
In yesterday's Republican primary for Mississippi's 1st Congressional District, state Senator Alan Nunnelee took home 51 percent of the vote, reports UPI. Henry Ross, former mayor of Eupora garnered 33 percent and former FOX News commentator Angela McGlowan took 16 percent.
Next BP Attempt to Cap Oil Could Increase Flow
In the wake of Saturday's failure of a "top kill" procedure to stem the gusher of oil in the Gulf of Mexico, British Petroleum will again attempt to cap the flow. This newest procedure, however, involves cutting the leaking pipe from the blowout preventer, increasing the flow for three or four days until a new containment dome can be put into place to allow the company to siphon off the oil, reports The Miami Herald.
It's Official: Gulf Disaster Bigger than Valdez
If anyone had any doubts before, new government estimates confirmed yesterday that the oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico surpasses the 11 million gallons dumped into Alaska's Prince William Sound in March 1989, when the Exxon Valdez tanker ran aground. The Sun Herald reports that new estimates from two teams of scientists say the leak in the Gulf is spewing between 504,000 and upwards of a million gallons a day, which means that between 18 million and 39 million gallons have spewed into the ocean to date.
BP Readies ‘Top Kill' in Attempt to Stop Oil
Engineers plan to begin another attempt to stop the gusher of oil flowing into the Gulf of Mexico today. Known as "top kill," the procedure will pump heavy drilling mud into the top of the leak, forcing the oil down. If it's successful, BP says it may permanently stop the oil, however company officials said the procedure has never been attempted a mile underwater, reports The New York Times.
Barbour: Don't Stop Drilling
Speaking at the Mississippi Manufacturers Association Friday, Gov. Haley Barbour implied that the millions of gallons of crude pumping into the Gulf of Mexico and threatening fragile eco-systems, wildlife and livelihoods from Texas to Florida should not be a reason to stop offshore drilling, reports The Sun Herald.
Jackson Has Cheapest Gas in the U.S.
Gas stations in the city of Jackson are selling fuel at the lowest average rate in the nation: $2.62 per gallon, according to the Lundberg Survey. Over the past two weeks, prices at the pump have dropped 9.25 cents, reports USA Today. San Francisco is reporting the highest per gallon price in the country at $3.10. Overall, gas prices today are about 40 cents higher than one year ago.
BP Gives $15 Million to Mississippi for Advertising
Oil giant BP, responsible for the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, is giving money to four coastal states whose tourism industry may be affected by the mess, reports WLBT. In all, the company is giving away $70 million to Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi, of which, the magnolia state is receiving $15 million for advertising designed to alter vacationers' opinions that the coast may not be not fit for vacationing.
Behind The Mask: Reversing Domestic Abuse
About 10 minutes before Jasmine stabbed her boyfriend, William, he had her on the floor of her grandmother's house, choking her to the point that she passed out. It wasn't the first time he had attacked her in that way, but it would be the last, she said.
Woodward Execution Today
The first of two back-to-back executions will take place today when Mississippi puts to death Paul Everette Woodward, 62, at 6:15 p.m. at the State Penitentiary at Parchman. Tomorrow, the state will execute Gerald James Holland, 72, at the same time.
BP Pipe Could Syphon Some Oil
A mile-long pipe running from the sea floor where hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil are gushing into the Gulf of Mexico may be the start of capping the spill, reports The Sun Herald. BP officials called the pipe, which is connected to an oil tanker on the surface of the water, "an important step" but not the solution to the problem.
Barbour Has Joined Health-Care Lawsuit
Friday, Gov. Haley Barbour joined the multi-state lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the federal health-care bill passed by Congress earlier this year. Barbour is moving ahead with the suit despite Attorney General Jim Hood's refusal to do so earlier this year.
Bryant Backpedals on Oil Smell Comment; Tar Balls on the Beach
Speaking Wednesday at the Coastal Development Strategies Conference, Mississippi Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant flatly denied that anyone can detect the odor of crude oil wafting over the waves to the Mississippi Gulf coastline. "No, you can't" he said, according to a report by The Sun Herald. Bryant said the smells might be coming from lawnmowers.
Mississippi Legislators Cut Expenses
Lawmakers are eliminating in-state and out-of-state travel expenses in an effort to cut $700,000 from the state House of Representatives budget without laying off employees, reports WLBT.
Bill Would Allow States to Veto Drilling
The American Power Act, a bill being introduced in the United States Senate this morning, will allow coastal states to opt out of offshore oil drilling up to 75 miles from their shores, reports The Sun Herald. States would also be able to veto drilling of nearby states if they can prove accidents would have a negative impact.
Irby Receives 18 Years Behind Bars
Karen Irby, who pleaded guilty March 26 to two counts of manslaughter in the deaths of two doctors, was sentenced this morning to 18 years in prison for each count, her sentences to run concurrently.
Second Dome Planned; Spill Drifts West
British Petroleum engineers attempting to contain the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico will try to lower a second containment dome at the site, reports The Times-Picayune. Crews lowered the first, larger dome at the site this past weekend; however, the inside of the dome developed natural gas ice crystals and had to be moved several hundred yards away from the oil gushing into the Gulf at the rate of 210,000 gallons a day.
Courts Sets Second Execution Date
Yesterday, the Mississippi Supreme Court set a May 20 execution date for Gerald James Holland, 72, on death row for the 1987 murder of 15-year-old Krystal King. Holland's execution will come one day after the state executes Paul Woodward, 62, for the 1986 rape and murder of Rhonda Crane, 24.
Thank God It's Friday
Start your weekend off on a musical note. The numerous options tonight include ArtRemix at the Mississippi Museum of Art kicking off at 5 p.m.; $20. Tonight is also the annual Pepsi Pops Concert with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra on the reservoir at Old Trace Park. Gates open at 4:30 p.m., with entertainment before the main event at 7:30 p.m. and a fireworks finale; $15, $5 students. Or stick with downtown for "Can't Feel My Face Friday" at Dreamz Jxn starting at 9 p.m., with free drinks (!) until 11 p.m. Where should you begin your search for the perfect entertainment options? The JFP Best Bets page is great place to start.
Gulf Coast AGs Seek Spill ‘Clarifications'
Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood and the attorneys general from four other states affected (or potentially affected) by oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico are looking for clarification of responsibility from all involved parties. Yesterday, the group of five state "top cops" sent letters to three British Petroleum executives and to the general counsels at Transocean, Halliburton Energy, and Cameron International, corporations directly associated to the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that exploded and sank April 20 killing 11 workers.
Barbour: Don't Panic
Gov. Haley Barbour wants Mississippi residents to stay calm about the oil spill creeping toward the Gulf shore, reports Canadian Business. The spill has been putting 5,000 barrels, or 210,000 gallons, of oil into the ocean every day since the April 20 explosion that sank a British Petroleum oil rig 50 miles off the Louisiana coast.
Mississippi Revenues Down Again
After a slight 1.4 percent uptick in March, state revenues are back in the doldrums, down for the 19th month of the last 20. April revenue came in at 8.54 percent, or $45.1 million, below estimates, Gov. Haley Barbour announced in a statement yesterday. The March improvement was due to an unexpected $30 million increase in corporate tax receipts.
Barbour Declares Third Emergency
Several north Mississippi counties joined Gov. Haley Barbour's emergency list yesterday because of severe storms, flooding and tornados that left at least three Mississippians dead. The counties of Benton, Lafayette, Panola, Tippah and Union joined several mid-state counties where the governor declared a disaster April 28 due to tornados, and the entire Gulf coast awaiting the encroaching sea of oil headed for the beaches.
State Waits for the Oil; Fla., La. Declare Emergencies
Mississippi's oyster fishermen, already hit earlier in the year with scares of infected seafood, greeted a stormy last day of the commercial season, along with possibilities of being unable to sell the day's catch.
Mississippi ‘Prepares for the Worst'
As expected, the oil spill caused by the explosion and sinking of BP-owned rig Deepwater Horizon April 20 reached the mouth of the Mississippi River this morning, reports CNN. The Louisiana wetlands in the river's delta will be the first to be affected by the spill; however the slick is steadily making its way to the Mississippi, Alabama and Florida coasts as well. Officials expect the oil to reach Mississippi tomorrow.
Gulf Oil Spill ‘Potentially a Valdez'
This morning, a U.S. Coast Guard spokesman said the spill from the leaking BP oil well in the Gulf of Mexico was about 16 miles from the coast of Louisiana, according to Bloomberg Businessweek. Initially, the well, damaged when an oil rig exploded and sank, had one leak pumping approximately 42,000 barrels of oil a day into the Gulf; however, a second leak is now spilling 5,000 barrels a day, and officials attempting to control the spill have discovered a third leak.
Kemper Plant on Commission Agenda
The Mississippi Public Service Commission meets today in a closed-door session regarding Mississippi Power's proposed Kemper County coal plant, reports The Washington Examiner. In November, the commission determined Mississippi Power demonstrated a need for additional power plants, however they have not made a decision on whether the Kemper County plant is best for the state. The plant is estimated at $2.2 to $2.4 billion.
Barbour Declares Day of Prayer
Gov. Haley Barbour has declared today a "day of prayer" to commemorate the Mississippians who suffered losses in Saturday's tornadoes and last week's oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. Mississippi counts 10 of the 12 deaths reported from tornados that ripped across nine southern states Saturday, and in the aftermath of an explosion on a Gulf BP oilrig on April 20, 11 workers remain missing and are presumed dead.
Fairgrounds Setup for Tornado Victim Donations
Officials are accepting donations for nonperishable food and bottled water at the Mississippi fairgrounds to assist victims of Saturday's tornados, reports The Sun Herald. The state Department of Agriculture opened the fairgrounds yesterday to receive aid.
Your Weekend Starts Here
Start the weekend with a thought-provoking evening. Tonight at 7:30 p.m., head to Fondren and the Rainbow plaza for a screening of "Crude: The Real Price of Oil," at Rainbow's dinner-and-a-movie event. Tickets start at $13. For a live performance, consider the J-Lee Productions' play, "Revenge." at 8 p.m., at Jackson State. Tickets are $20 and $30. Where's the best place to look for events? Start on the JFP Best Bets page.
Parolee Arrested for Barrett Killing
Around 6 p.m. yesterday, police arrested Vincent McGee, 22, for the slaying of white supremacist Richard Barrett. McGee, on supervised release for assaulting a police officer and grand larceny in 2007, lived with this mother just a few doors down from Barrett in Pearl, and had done yard work for him.
State Senate Kills Jobless Benefits Proposal
The Mississippi Senate Finance Committee yesterday defeated a bill proposing to extend unemployment benefits to citizens who have less than six-to-12 months on the job, reports NEMS360.com. Currently, the state calculates benefit eligibility using the first four of five quarters of the calendar year preceding an unemployment claim, and workers need to have worked at least two of those quarters.
Hood Requests Execution Dates
After the Mississippi Supreme Court denied appeals for two death row inmates Monday, Attorney General Jim Hood requested the court set execution dates for the two men. Paul Woodward has been on death row since 1987 and Gerald Holland since 1993. Hood has requested dates on or before May 20. The U.S. Supreme Court also declined to hear either case.
Consultants Recommend Merging School Districts
A consulting firm hired to evaluate Mississippi public school districts for possible consolidations have recommended merging 18 of the state's 149 underperforming districts with their larger neighbors. The company, Augenblick, Palaich and Associates, presented their findings yesterday to a school-consolidation commission appointed by Gov. Haley Barbour.
Mini-Grants Available to Abused Women
Heather Spencer's legacy lives on to protect Mississippi women who are the victims of domestic violence. Spencer's family and friends organized the non-profit Heather's T.R.E.E. shortly after George Bell III murdered her in September 2007, with the purpose of training, providing resources, educating and empowering women in the state.
Legislators Return to $5.5 Billion Budget Deal
The Mississippi Legislature will return to Jackson tomorrow to reconvene its regular session, put on hold three weeks ago in anticipation of $187 million in additional federal stimulus funds. In the meantime, top lawmakers have come up with a $5.5 billion budget for the 2011 fiscal year that does not rely on those funds, which have yet to materialize reports The Sun Herald.
Mississippi Roads to Blame for Wrecks
The magnolia state ranks in the top ten for road-condition related vehicle crashes, reports WLBT. The 2006 cost to Mississippi for those wrecks stands between $103.4 million and $131.4 million.
Tonight: JPS Hosts Moms Conference
Jackson Public Schools is hosting its first ever Moms Conference tonight planned exclusively for JPS mothers, grandmothers, aunts and other female role models, celebrating "mothers as lifesavers." The conference kicks off at 5:30 p.m. at Galloway Elementary School (186 Idlewild St.), with registration starting at 4:30 p.m.
Bring Back Cartoons
When did ads and previews start taking up 30 minutes of good quality movie time? When I was a kid, cartoons preceded every movie on the silver screen. And while cartoons weren't the feature, at least they weren't advertising.
The Greatest Connection
It's hard to imagine a country that's been at war for as long as you've been alive, but Sudan, which includes the states of Darfur, has seen almost continuous civil war since 1956, the year I was born.
A Good Day to Die
The life force, our survival instinct, is incredibly strong. For most of us, dying is not something to look forward to. Mostly, we don't want to talk or even think about death. But for those living with incurable illnesses, life often becomes so painful that it's no longer worth living. What then?
Judge Orders End to Segregation Practices
Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Tom Lee put an immediate stop to Walthall County School District's alleged "clustering" policy, which has allowed hundreds of white students to transfer out of majority-black elementary schools, reports The Christian Science Monitor. The judge gave the district 30 days to formally change the policy.
Hood: ‘Haste Makes Waste'
Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood is not taking action to join a multi-state lawsuit against recently passed federal health-care reform legislation. In a letter sent to Gov. Haley Barbour on Friday and released to the press, Hood advised the governor that because the issues raised can only be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court "there is no hurry to join the suit," and that it would be cheaper for Mississippi to wait. "In law and in life, the old maxim 'haste makes waste' still applies."
Barbour: Slavery Omission ‘Doesn't Matter for Diddly'
Speaking Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union," Gov. Haley Barbour defended fellow Republican Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell's recent proclamation of Confederate History Month that did not reference slavery. While McDonnell has been backpedalling in Virginia, repeatedly apologizing and calling it a "major omission," according to The Washington Post, Barbour called the incident "just a nit."
Justice Stevens Announces Retirement
Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens has said he will retire after the current court session, which ends this summer, reports The Washington Post. Stevens is 11 days shy of his 90th birthday.