JATRAN Rebranding Survey Under Way
What's in a name? Well, a rebranding of the local the mass-transit system, JATRAN, got under way quietly with a press release from the city this morning. The Transit Services Division wants public input on what to rename the authority. The public-comment period last through October. Citizens can vote through …
RePublic Schools Inc. Receives $9.6 million Federal Grant
RePublic Schools Inc., the charter management organization that opened one of two charter schools in Mississippi, received a $9.6 million U.S. Department of Education grant. RePublic Schools was one of twelve organizations selected for a Charter School Program Grant this year. The grant will be issued over a five-year period, …
City Official: Burke's Outlet Coming to Jackson
A top city economic-development official says retail is alive and well in Jackson. Jason Goree, Jackson's economic development chief, tweeted this afternoon that a Burke's Outlet store is coming to Jackson. "It's gonna happen!!!!! Retail ain't dead in the Capitol," Goree posted to Twitter. The city has struggled with attracting …
Reeves Seems More Concerned About Initiative 42 Than Actual Department Budgets
Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves seems less concerned with creating a budget this year than he is with making sure Initiative 42 does not pass in November. During the Legislative Budget Office hearings on Monday and Tuesday, while most department heads were able to fend off taking sides, they were forced …
AG Jim Hood: Defense of Same-Sex Adoption Ban 'Procedural'
Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood defended his decision to defend Mississippi in a lawsuit against the state's same-sex adoption ban today, calling it a procedural issue. The Campaign for Southern Equality recently sued the Mississippi Department of Human Services to challenge the constitutionality of the ban, the last law in …
Initiative 42 Campaign Files Lawsuit to Get Full Text on Ballot
Jonathan Compretta and Michael Rejebian, co-campaign managers for 42 For Better Schools, filed an 11-page lawsuit today asking a judge to order that the Initiative 42 ballot measure's full text be printed on the Nov. 3 ballot. Currently the ballot states the initiative title, the section of the Constitution being …
Jackson Pothole Report: Sept. 14, 2015
This is a verbatim statement from Jackson City Hall: City of Jackson crews are patching potholes across the city. • Crews repairing potholes on areas Oak Forest Drive & Haynes Street, Woody Drive, Monroe Street, Glenrose Drive, FDR Drive, Mayes Street, Meadow Road. • Crews repairing utility cuts on Hanging …
City: Water 'Slightly Brown' But Deemed Safe to Drink
Statement from Jackson's Department of Public Works: Due to unforeseen, external conditions impacting raw water intake at the O.B. Curtis Water Treatment Plant, the water in the distribution system has a slightly brown appearance. The Department of Public Works’ lab resources have reviewed the water quality and with further consultation …
City Passes a $382 Million Budget Plan
The Jackson City Council passed the compromise budget they worked out with Mayor Tony Yarber's administration. "This budget is as barebones as it gets," Yarber said after the council voted 5-2 on a nearly $400 million spending plan Thursday morning. To close a $15 million deficit, Yarber initially proposed the …
New State Testing Rules Released
Mississippi public schools will administer new assessments for 3-8 grades called the Mississippi Assessment Program (MAP) this year, and the Mississippi Department of Education released blueprints for the tests today. The MAP tests will be conducted primarily on computers, with the exclusion of the English language portion which will be …
92 Percent of Mississippi 3rd Graders Pass 'Reading Gate' Test
92 percent of Mississippi third graders in public schools passed the so-called "3rd Grade Reading Gate" assessment according to the latest results released by the Mississippi Department of Education. Over 35,000 students statewide scored high enough to pass the test, and the average state test score was higher than the …
Two More Charter Schools Coming to Jackson
The Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board unanimously approved an application for two new charter schools to open in Jackson. RePublic Schools Inc. will run both schools: Joel D. Smilow Collegiate and Joel D. Smilow Prep. RePublic Schools Inc. is the charter management organization that opened one of the first charter …
Dan Aykroyd: Mississippi Gun Violence Exceeeds Most of the Entire Western World
Dan Aykroyd, best known for his work as a ghostbuster, Canadian vodka mogul, and supporter of outgoing Sheriff Tyrone Lewis, still wants to help end gun violence in Hinds County. Aykroyd, whom Lewis deputized into the reserves last year and hit the campaign trail for Lewis earlier this year, made …