Jackson Jambalaya

For your Saturday night entertainment, listen to the Honorable Kenneth Stokes. The Jackson Ward 3 Councilman, appeared on Reverend P.J. Williams' radio show two weeks ago. The show is posted below.  He stays off camera but he can be heard loud and clear. There are some, um, interesting nuggets in the show. Enjoy

Numerous sources report that Mississippi Homeland Security Director Mark McKee was cut loose yesterday.  More information will be posted when it becomes available. 

Mark Seepe is back in jail for violating his probation.  A Hinds County jury convicted the ghoul of six counts of embezzling pre-paid cremation services funds for his own use.  It was also reported during his prosecution that he "mishandled" the remains of the deceased.  Mishandled was too polite a word but the reporter was trying to show some respect to the family members.  Seepe served all of 18 months of a 10-year prison sentence thanks to one of Chris Epps's early supervised release miracles.

Check out this beauty from last Saturday morning. 

The Madison Police Department issued the following statement.

Metrocenter closed this week.  What was once a fun place to visit, filled with shoppers galore, now sits forlorn and deserted on Highway 80,  a sight all too common among Jackson landmarks.  However, take a step back in time and visit Metrocenter as it used to be.  Enjoy.

Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba presented a budget that will not increase taxes but give city employees a small raise.  However, a large increase in bond payments and abysmal water/sewer collections somewhat handcuffed the Mayor's ambitions.  Here are the highlights of the proposed budget.

Canton Municipal Utilities records state that the government-owned public utility paid $75,000 to former Chief Executive Officer, Kenny Wayne Jones.  CMU provided the records after JJ sued CMU in Madison County Chancery Court.  The CMU Board of Directors fired Mr. Jones earlier this year.  CMU paid Mr. Jones even though he never sued his former employer.

A Madison County grand jury indicted the former Victim's Assistance Coordinator for  Madison-Rankin District Attorney Michael Guest. Chiquita Williams allegedly forged her name to money orders that probationers submitted to her office for restitution as part of their sentences.

Hinds County Senior Circuit Judge wants District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith to explain why prisoners in the Hinds County detention system are incarcerated for more than 90 days without indictment.  She issued a show cause order against District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith last week.   She decreed:

The Mississippi Court of Appeals rejected Brian Clark's appeal of his 10-year sentence for aggravated assault domestic violence.  Clark pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced last September.  He was arrested in 2013 for beating his wife to a bloody pulp.

The Queen of Soul died this morning.    Here are some memories of her storied life. 

Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba issued the following statement.

UPDATE (8:45 AM 8/16/18): JPD issued the following statement .

Jackson Police had recently issued an Endangered/Missing Child Alert through the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations for a female juvenile taken by her parents. The incident occurred in 6300 block of Interstate 55 North, just before 9:00pm when the child’s grandmother, who has temporary custody, met with the parents for visitation.

Without permission, the parents left with the child and refused to return. They were located a short time later at a residence in south Jackson where the child was found safe and unharmed. Both parents, Wesley Dewayne Lee-36 and Brittani Lauren Lee-26, were taken into custody and charged with custodial kidnapping. The child was returned to the care of her grandmother.

Original Post: The Mississippi Department of Public Safety issued the following alert. 

Pops still has it in more ways than one.

JJ reported yesterday that the Mississippi Highway Patrol appointed Captain John Perkins to the position of Training Director.  JJ has reported on the legal fight the previous training director, Gayle McMullan, had with the MHP administration, thus the interest in the appointment.  MHP did not issue a press release but JJ posted a message Captain Perkins posted on his Facebook page that somehow made its way to this website.  Apparently the good Captain was not too happy about the post yesterday because he posted this message on his Facebook page yesterday:

The trial of a Jackson man accused of savagely beating, strangling, and kidnapping his girlfriend was postponed until October 16..  A Lafayette County grand jury indicted Sheldon Alston, Jr., for aggravated domestic violence and kidnapping in June, 2017.  The indictment accuses Alston of strangling and kidnapping his girlfriend on September 7-8, 2016.  Alston faces prison sentences of 1 yr-to-life or 30 years for kidnapping, and from 2-to-20 years for aggravated domestic violence if convicted. Alston is 22 years old. 

For the sixth year, the Office of State Treasurer Lynn Fitch and Mississippi Children’s Museum (MCM) will be celebrating September as National College Savings Month by partnering on Saturday, September 8th to promote strategic ways children and families can save for educational expenses.

All day on September 8, 2018, admission to the MCM for all guests will be only $5.29. Staff from both the College Savings Mississippi at the Treasurer’s office and MCM will be at the museum leading financial literacy activities and helping children build their own savings banks. The Treasurer’s office will also share information with parents about signing up for a 529 college savings plan. Families will also be invited to enter a drawing to win one of two $529 college savings scholarships.

MCM President Susan Garrard notes, “We are very excited about our partnership with the State Treasurer’s office in the crucially important work of preparing families and children for college tuition costs. Everything we do is centered around providing and advocating for opportunities for children in Mississippi. We know how critical access to higher education is in determining life trajectories for our students and we appreciate the State recognizing us as a principal partner in this effort.”

From the White House down to city halls in rural hamlets across this country, politicians are using the term “fake news” to discredit anything they encounter in the media that they deem negative or that doesn’t fit their self-interests.

Meet the new JPD cruisers.

The University of Mississippi Medical Center and Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Mississippi issued the following joint statement.

Posted below is the budget hearing schedule for Jackson.

State Auditor Shad White released the annual report of exceptions.   The report shows the misappropriations of public funds that took place in Mississippi over the last year.  Mr. White said his office issued 43 formal demands and recovered nearly $3 Million on behalf of Mississippi taxpayers. Posted below are some of the bigger cases mentioned in the report. 

The President's desire to create a new "Space Force" brings this to mind.....

Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba will discuss the recent management changes at the Jackson Zoo at 2:30.  The Facebook Live feed is posted below.

The Byram Police Department issued the following statement.

The Mississippi Highway Patrol promoted Captain John Perkins to the position of Training Director.   He replaces Gayle McMullan.  McMullan was suspended after some alleged hazing took place at the Trooper Academy while she was out on medical leave. 

The Mississippi Baptist Medical Center fired an employee after he called a Flowood donut shop employee "n*****" several times.  Unfortunately for the employee, the incident was recorded on video.  WJTV reported:

Over $30,000 was reported stolen last night at the Bright Lights Belhaven Nights festival last night.

The late Dr. Frank Pollard preaches on everyone's favorite book, Revelation, in today's edition of Sunday Morning Sermon.

Mississippi Democrats are a scary, dangerous enemy.

Will the third try be the charm for a movie version of Frank Herbert's Dune?  Indiewire reported a few months ago:

Today is Snoopy's birthday.  Happy Birthday to our favorite beagle.

The Justice Department issued the following statement.

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety issued the following statement.

The Holloway Mansion on Siwell Road burned to the ground last night.  This video of the fire appeared on Facebook.

Today, DFA demanded that the Jackson Zoological Society repay $350,000 by November 16.  The letter posted below tells the whole story better than any reporter's rewrite could. 

This doesn't get old.  Time for some Throwback Thursday.

JPD posted the following video and message on Twitter today:

Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba gave a speech at Netroots Nation 2018 in New Orleans last week that freaked out Laura Ingraham.

Facebook wants you, and not just you.  The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week:

Doris Berry passed away this week.  She founded and ran Doris Berry's Farmers Market at the old Farmer's Market on West Street for 68 years.  She stayed put when almost everyone else moved to the high-falootin', new-fangled Farmer's Market at the fairgrounds but finally closed it down last year and focused on her Pearl location.  Her market posted this message on Facebook:

State Auditor Shad White issued the following statement. 

A Good Samaritan got tazed when he tried to help put out a fire at the Pickering home in Jones County.  The Laurel-Leader Call reported this week:

The major contenders in the 2018 Class II U.S. Senate nonpartisan special election on Nov. 6 left the state’s premier political stump with very different kinds of momentum.

The Madison Police Department issued the following statement.