[Editor's Note] Grow Old With Me
The longest day of my life started on a tropical island. It was oh-dark-thirty, so early in the morning that it was still night. I had only taken a short nap following a goodbye party on the beach. The palm trees stirred in the warm sea breeze as I left Guam on my flight. I spent the night in Tokyo, crossed the international date line and landed first in Seattle, then later in Spokane, Wash., all on the same day: Jan. 9, 1986.
City to Settle Willis Case
The City of Jackson is closer to settling the Cedric Willis case. The City Council could vote as soon as Jan. 24 to give Willis $195,000 for his wrongful arrest for murder and rape.
Not Your Ordinary Cable Network
Cable-television networks such as Nickelodeon and the Discovery Channel should serve as economic models for public broadcasting, Gov. Haley Barbour quipped recently.
Juvenile Justice: What's Needed
Rep. Earle Banks, D-Jackson, chaired the Mississippi House Juvenile Justice Committee last year, but accepts that with Republicans running the Legislature, much will change.
Taking TCI's Land Back
Jason Brookins, executive director of the Jackson Redevelopment Authority, has the go-ahead to do whatever it takes to get the land across from the Jackson Convention Center out of the hands of developer TCI MS.
Character of the Day: Charlie Brown
If your New Year's resolution was to join a community theater production, here's your opportunity. Black Rose Theatre holds auditions for "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" Jan. 3 and 4 at 103 Black St. in Brandon. Auditions begin at 7 p.m. both days.
Group Plans Westin Hotel Downtown
Joseph Simpson wants to build a luxury hotel in downtown Jackson near the federal courthouse and re-open the Iron Horse Grill a few blocks away. He briefly described his development projects to the Jackson Redevelopment Authority board yesterday during the group's regular meeting. His intention is to get $15 million in bonds from the JRA to help fund the projects.
Shields Up
Mississippi, like 10 other states in the union, doesn't have a shield law that protects journalists from revealing sources, turning over documents or answering subpoenas. In 40 states, reporters and editors have some protection in varying degrees.
Council: Take Any, All Action Regarding TCI
The TCI-owned land across from the Jackson Convention Center may soon belong to the city, depending on what action officials take.
[10 Things About] The Oxford American Southern Music Issue
The Oxford American is an American quarterly literary magazine "dedicated to featuring the very best in Southern writing while documenting the complexity and vitality of the American South. And here are 10 things about the magazine that makes it great.
21st Century Job Hunting
For many fields, the 21st century job seeker benefits from having an online resume. First, get a blog. Blogger and WordPress are free online hosts for blogs where you can post your resume. Have pages that link to different projects or a page of great comments from your references. Focus the content toward your ideal job.
Creative Work Options
Deirdre M. Danahar of Jackson-based InMotion Consulting and Coaching has operated her company from home successfully for eight years. She offers these tips for being productive while working from home.
Elephant in the Hotel Room
The Rev. Ronnie Crudup ended the Dec. 16 Jackson Redevelopment Authority's special meeting on a positive note. "We believe we are going to get a convention center hotel very shortly," he said, soon after the JRA board voted to decline all existing proposals on the table.
Elise Winter
Habitat for Humanity Metro Jackson dedicates its 500th house tomorrow at an event honoring Elise Varner Winter. The nonprofit group built the house in honor of Winter, a founding member of the organization's board of directors. She is also a lifetime member of the board.
JRA Rejects Two Bids for Convention Hotel
An Austin, Texas, developer publicly threw its hat into the convention-center hotel ring this morning with a presentation to the Jackson Development Authority. TCI, a Dallas-based company that currently owns the land across the street from the Convention Center, also gave a presentation as expected.
JRA Faces More Hotel Hurdles
CORRECTION: This is an updated version of the story referencing the law firm of Balch and Bingham. In an earlier version, we had the firm's name incorrect. We apologize for the error.
Clinton Municipal Court is an Angel
Victims of domestic violence have a strong resource in the Clinton Municipal Court.
10 Things: Purpertrator
A lot of things can be said about Purpertrator. Because there are so many, we've managed to narrow them down to ten, just to give you a taste on how great these up and coming performers are.
‘We Eat Ham and Jam ... a Lot'
Fans of the comedy classic film, "Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail," will appreciate the humor and re-imagined history of the Broadway hit "Spamalot." Fans of Broadway shows will enjoy the inside jokes and pokes at the institution of the modern musical. Knights who say Ni will clomp along.
How to Cook Up Date Nights
Give your sweetheart an experience to remember and not just another food processor to store in the cabinet. Viking Cooking School (1107 Highland Colony Parkway, 601-898-8345) offers opportunities for the two of you to get out and try something different—learning to prepare new dishes—so that later, you can stay in and enjoy a special evening.
Nostalgia as Art
A maker of wooden toys and a children's book illustrator team up for a new exhibit at the Mississippi Library Commission (3881 Eastwood Drive, 601-432-4111).
Wearing Art You Love
Wearing art is becoming a mantra of sorts at circa. Urban Artisan Living (2771 Old Canton Road, 601-362-8484). The shop with the odd name often has trunk shows with designers, jewelers and craftsmen.
Honey, I Shrunk My City!
Scott Crawford maneuvers his wheelchair from the front of his house through his living room to a dining room table set with LEGO replicas of Jackson landmarks.
Finding Seagulls in the Grain
I crossed the street quickly and hurried under Interstate 55 to catch the bus. The gray, concrete columns stood silent, holding up tons of speeding commuters. The underpass space is pretty expansive. It is mostly clean and blank space with enough room for a parking lot. Right now, its only function is engineered bridge support.
Carol West
Carol C. West, a law professor at Mississippi College, died yesterday at age 67. An expert in domestic relations, women's issues and criminal law, West donated some of her academic papers from 1972-1993 to the American Association of Law Libraries.
Old Capitol Green Progressing
An earlier version of this story had the wrong photograph. We apologize for the error.
Hometown Country
Country music songwriter and singer Jeff Maddox has a single getting airplay across the United States and overseas, but so far he hasn't heard his song on radio stations at home. Maddox, 42, grew up in Pearl and lives there still, writing music and recording albums.
Obit for a Flaming Troll
It's getting harder to comment on news stories with an anonymous post. As many readers click on links to get to stories, they have started to notice that once they get to the comments section, the site already knows who they are. This is true if you are already signed in on Facebook or Google+ and link to a story in certain national publication or even some one-person blogs.
Occupy Local
Corporate America wants to cash in this holiday season with a highly visible campaign to support small businesses. Gannett Co. Inc., owner of The Clarion-Ledger, joined this effort with full force.
Make a Big Difference on Small Business Saturday
<i>Verbatim from the U.S. Small Business Administration</i>
As a proud supporter of Small Business Saturday, a day dedicated to supporting small businesses on one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year, the U.S. Small Business Administration is encouraging every American to support small businesses by doing some of their holiday shopping on the Saturday after Thanksgiving at small businesses.
Grassroots Mamas Tell All
'This is How We Do It!'
Lori Gregory-Garrott opened her front door suddenly and looked at her sleepy Fondren neighborhood with anticipation. It was just before 10 p.m. Nov. 8, Election Day.
William D. Lamson
William D. Lamson was not a particularly famous man, but the quiet Mississippi cartographer and demographer became a sought-after school-desegregation expert across the nation. He died in 1992 in a car wreck, but his massive collection of research will live on at Jackson State University.
Come On, Get Happy
New Orleans-based The Happy Talk Band sings about all sorts of things, but mostly they sing happy love songs.
10 Things: The Blind Boys of Alabama
The Famous Blind Boys of Alabama are known for their many accomplishments. Because there are so many, we've managed to narrow them down to ten, just to give you a taste about these incredible performers.
Invitational Delights
Franklin Sirmans, the curator of contemporary art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, was out of his element a few months ago in the woods outside Oxford. He was near the end of his visit, but finding sculptor Rod Moorhead was not going to be easy.
Jeff Maddox
Country music songwriter and singer Jeff Maddox has a single that's getting airplay across the United States and overseas, but so far he hasn't heard his song on radio stations at home. Maddox, 42, grew up in Pearl and lives there still, writing music and recording albums.
Albert Wilson
Almost as soon as Albert Wilson learned Councilman Kenneth Stokes was running for a Hinds County supervisor's position, he decided he wanted to campaign for the job of representing Ward 3. Last week, Wilson made his candidacy official.
Grassroots Mamas: ‘We Did It!'
Just before 10 p.m. last night, Lori Gregory Garrott ran out of her Fondren home, stood on the front lawn and looked around before shouting, "We just won!" She yelled again, louder: "We just won!" The co-founder of Parents Against 26 had to tell the night sky a third time that Mississippi grassroots mamas defeated the Personhood Initiative.
Really quiet at Ole Tavern
Only about a dozen activists who oppose Initiative 26 are at Ole Tavern. Some are eating, some are taking pictures. This is a relaxed group that's been working hard. The ACLU is concerned I'm going to write down something one of them is saying as they vent frustration. No one is really venting. This seems like a friendly group on the surface.
Hell No! is in the House
Michelle Colon, the activist who started the Hell No! on 26 and 27 just walked in the door loaded down with posters and banners. I asked her if it has been a long day. "It's been a long couple of months," she told me.
New Restaurant, Old Favorite
El Mezquite Bar and Grill has opened at 4240 Robinson Road (in the former El Chico site) near Metrocenter Mall. Luther and Magda Reyna own the new restaurant.
Kate Browne
Conceptual artist Kate Browne visits the Mississippi Museum of Art Wednesday, Nov. 9, for a planning session for a project she will install in The Art Garden next spring. It's a community participatory outdoor art installation called a cocoon that is made of local materials. The project happens March 12 - 25.
Andrew Dunaway
A few years ago, Andrew Dunaway's sister suggested since he talked so much about food, he should start writing about it. So, he did. He interviews chefs and tries out the cuisines at restaurants throughout the South.
Personhood: A Pandora's Box
Atlee Breland picked her three young children up from preschool and drove home to Brandon. A self-employed computer programmer, Breland is able to adjust her day around her children. Her husband, Greg Breland, came home later in the afternoon, and the family sat down and ate dinner together.
Au Naturel
Singer-songwriter Graham Colton, an Oklahoma native, is on a two-month tour of the South in a tour van that runs on compressed natural gas. Singing pop ballads and promoting CNG, Colton is marketing both a new CD and an alternative energy source.
Monster of the Day: The Wolfman
The Wolfman makes a Halloween appearance in Jackson tonight. He'll be howling in Belhaven for the last performance of "The Monster Monologues." He has a few things he needs to get off his chest, such as recalling what he did the night before. It's complicated having two lives inside one body.
Todd Logan
Todd Logan was working on a play at his Evanston, Ill., home in 2009 when he heard Attorney General Eric Holder say in spite of Obama's election there continues to be serious racial divide in America. The play he was writing was about that very subject.
Kate Medley
A photojournalist who worked on some of the most important civil-rights stories the Jackson Free Press published opens a new exhibit tonight in Oxford. Kate Medley exhibits her work in the show "Roadside Fare," hanging at the University of Mississippi now through Jan. 16.
Undocumented v. Illegal
The Society of Professional Journalists is urging reporters and editors to stop using the phrases "illegal immigrant" and "illegal alien." At its annual convention in New Orleans last month, SPJ delegates passed a resolution to ask journalists to apply the organization's code of ethics when writing about undocumented workers.
Defamation Jury
Arthur Golden, a Jewish real-estate developer from Chicago's north side, found his watch missing. He accused Regina Wade, an African American graphic designer from Chicago's south side, of stealing it. Because of the accusation—which she says is false—Wade lost a major business account. She takes him to court in the play "Defamation" where the audience is the jury in a mock civil trial.