Jackson Jambalaya

The Mississippi Business Journal published a nice feel-good story about how Sanderson Farms saved the Mississippi PGA tour event and helped Blair Batson Children's Hospital:

The task force charged with reviewing the MDOC scandal and proposing reforms met this week and issued several preliminary recommendations to the way MDOC and other state agencies award contracts.  The task force also proposed placing so-called "consultants" and "government affairs specialists" under the same rules lobbyists must follow.  Some of the recommendations are posted below.

Public Service Commissioner Lynn Posey issued the following press release:

Here are the November crime stats for Rankin County.

Another vehicle drives through protestors blocking a street in Hollywood:

Representative Steve Holland (D-Party City) issued the following press release:

 This post was originally published on April 19. Actually it was thought to be published because it was still in the system as a draft. It is now published for your review.

Chokwe Lumumba, Jr. promoted Farish Street development at the March 20 debate at Johnnie Champion Community Center:

Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey issued the following press release:

Here is the most recent 990 for Mississippi Baptist Medical Center:

Note: The problems at Singing River Health System (Jackson County) continue to mount. The Sun-Herald has been breaking stories about the troubled hospital system since November. It is important to start from the beginning, so JJ is posting stories about this fiasco starting from several weeks ago, to give readers the history of this story.

The Sun-Herald reported on December 5 that Singing River was stopped from closing down its troubled pension plan.  The newspaper reported:

Ben Allen hosted Clarion-Ledger publisher Jason Taylor on his show last week.  The show appears each week on WJNT, 1180 AM, at 8:05 AM.

The fight over who should receive $500,000 from a Precious Martin life insurance policy continued in court this week in State Farm v. Crystal Martin and Brandi Barnett. Ms. Barnett charged that the deceased attorney had numerous affairs when he was alive in an answer to a cross-claim filed by Crystal Martin. The saga began when State Farm filed a complaint for interpleader and asked the court to decide the proper beneficiary for the policy. The life insurance policy named Ms. Barnett as the beneficiary although Precious Martin was married to Crystal at the time of death.

Download from Youtube for $5.99.

Mayor Tony Yarber appeared on the show this morning. 

Here are the Jackson crime stats and crime maps for the week ending December 14, 2014.

Jackson Mayor Tony Yarber will appear on the show this morning. Call in number is 601-366-1180. The show starts at 8:05.

Flowood Poh-lice arrested one Eddie Devine for a carjacking at Dogwood yesterday. WLBT reported:

The Clarion-Ledger suffered from a serious bout of investigative journalism last weekend and published several stories about Mississippi government's  addiction to no bid contracts.  Reporters Emily Le Coz and Geoff Pender provided some rather interesting findings that deserve more attention:

It's that time of year and you know what it means: It's time for my award-winning egg nog recipe:

The Wall Street Journal argued in a November 3 editorial that blacks have suffered under the reign of President Obama while the plight of other groups have improved:

The Mississippi Business Journal reported:

That didn't take long.  Incoming County Court Judge Larita Cooper-Stokes hasn't even assumed office and she is already asking for help.  She asked the Hinds County Board of Supervisors last week to provide $15,000 to hire a "judicial assistant":

Want more proof that the Jackson County Board of Supervisors and Chancery Clerk were completely negligent in their duties to oversee the Singing River Health System? JJ obtained the Singing River audits for the last five years through a public records request.  See for yourself the operating loss or profit that is stated in each audit.  These audits were submitted each year to the Supervisors and Chancery Clerk.

The best bid may not be the best bid.  Such is the thinking on the Jackson city council.  The city council postponed voting to designate Bancorp South as a depository for the city's public funds at its regular meeting last Tuesday.   Trustmark provides the current depository services to the city.  The Yarber administration accepted bids from Trustmark, Bancorp South, and BankPlus for banking services.  The bids are posted below:

Note: The problems at Singing River Health System (Jackson County) continue to mount. The Sun-Herald has been breaking stories about the troubled hospital system since November. It is important to start from the beginning so JJ is posting stories about this fiasco that start from several weeks ago so as to give readers the history of this story.

The Sun-Herald reported on December 3 that Singing River Health Systems CEO Kevin Holland informed employees in a letter that the organization will liquidate the pension fund in the near future:

WAPT provided more details on the arrest of Dr. Michael Molleston.  The story includes video from the security cameras at The Belhaven Parking garage.

Secretary of State Catbert Hosemann issued the following press release:

Governor Phil Bryant issued the following press release:

Mr. Leland Speed and Ashby Foote, III appeared on the show Wednesday. 

Teacher of the Year. Literacy Specialist.  Such terms describe Phelton Cortez Moss.  Mr. Moss made the case for the Common Core curriculumn in a column published yesterday in the Clarion-Ledger.  It was a column that appeared to be written by someone who is not a "literacy specialist". 

The Singing River Health System pension fund scandal continues to worsen as it becomes clear the pension fund was ignored and allowed to fall apart since 2009.  Scenes of scared retirees dominate the news as politicians scramble for cover as these same retirees and reporters look for answers.  The Jackson County Board of Supervisors claim ignorance as a "reason" for allowing the financial disaster to take place.  However, the hospital system submitted an audit every year to the Jackson County Board of Supervisors.  JJ obtained copies of the audits from 2009 to 2013 through a public records request.  The auditors stated that Singing River had quit funding the pension but no one paid attention.  The auditors did not do anyone any favors as they buried the details deep in the audits and did not make a serious effort to warn the Supervisors and Chancery Clerk.  What emerges from reading the audits is a picture of a pension fund that was cut off and allowed to die by the Singing River health system administration. 

Attorney Generalissimo Jim Hood issued the following press release:

The Mississippi Department of Education issued the following press release:

The city of Jackson issued the following press release:

WLBT reported Kenneth Stokes is at it again:

The Office of the U.S. Attorney issued the following press release:

106 vote margin. 2,023 to 1,917.  Here are the sheets:

Here is the Singing River Audit for 2009 and 2008 as submitted to Jackson County several years ago.  I'm posting this for anyone who wants to ramble through the weeds and see if there is anything noteworthy in these financial statements.

Ridgeland Police arrested Krista Brown for allegedly embezzling $9,556 from her employer, Material Girls. Material Girls is owned by Whitney Giordano Foster.  Ms. Foster said she was the General Manager of Material Girls and worked at the company for over seven years. 

Note:  The problems at Singing River Health System (Jackson County) continue to mount.  The Sun-Herald has been breaking stories left and right about the troubled hospital system. It is important to start from the beginning so JJ is posting stories starting from several weeks ago and bringing readers up to speed on this crisis down on the coast.

The Sun-Herald reported on December 1 that the Singing River Health System only had 23 days of operating cash on hand.  The newspaper also reported the Jackson County Board of Supervisors wanted to question former Singing River CEO  Chris Anderson about the fiasco that is Singing River's finances. Mr Anderson is the current CEO of Mississippi Baptist Medical Center. The newspaper reported:

The Lieutenant Governor's office issued the following press release:

Here is the dead suspect who tried to kill police officers yesterday in Ridgeland  yesterday:

The problems at Singing River Health System (Jackson County) continue to mount.  The Sun-Herald has been breaking stories left and right about the troubled hospital system. It is important to start from the beginning so JJ is going to post stories starting from several weeks ago and bring readers up to speed on this crisis down on the coast. Make no mistake, it is a crisis as several hundred employees paid into a pension system only to find they were um, misled and that is putting it mildly.  Here is this story from November 19:

The House Democratic Caucus issued the following press release:

Anonymous is now working the Jessica Chambers case.  See the links below:

What's wrong with this picture from today's Clarion-Ledger?

This little chart from the Wall Street Journal shows what's happened to measles since the anti-vaccination movement picked up steam:

Well, well, well. It looks like Tommy Orlando Young got his bond revoked yesterday for failure to appear in court on December 10:

Last night's show on WMPR was real interesting.  The co-hosts, Malcolm Johnson and Crystal Martin, gave thanks the new CEO for the airport is black.  They even went so far as to repeatedly say the airport was a "plantation" and has been a "plantation" for years.  However, they were just getting warmed up as you will see. Skip the first couple of minutes as its just intro stuff.

Senator Thad Cochran's wife, Rose, passed away. She recently entered hospice care.  Funeral arrangements will be posted when available.  Governor Phil Bryant issued the following statement:

 Update: Here is this little photo of young Mr. Young that was taken shortly after he got out of jail:

The Madison County Journal slammed the $1.2 million airport study in an editorial last week.  The newspaper said it the airport will never be built and the true purpose was to generate fees for certain contractors.  Read on.

Chris Epps' attorney John Colette filed a motion seeking a continuance for his federal trial today.  The trial was scheduled to begin on January 5, 2015.  The motion states the prosecution does not object to the continuance.

Google away. Here is his background.

Rankin-Madison District Attorney Michael Guest issued the following press release:

Madison resident and overall good guy Bill Billingsley issued the following press release:

The Mississippi Business Journal reported that the Board of Commissioners for the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority will announce the name of the new CEO at a press conference today:

Rankin-Madison District Attorney Michael Guest issued the following press release:

Ben Allen interviewed Ward 1 candidate Dorsey Carson for the first half hour while I subbed for Ben and interviewed the other candidate, Ashby Foote, in the second half hour.

A Rankin County jury convicted Nathaniel Cooper on one count of dog-fighting and one count of conspiracy.  He received a three-year prison sentence and a $3,000 fine for the dog-fighting charge. He also received a five-year prison sentence and $5,000 fine for the conspiracy charge.  He classified as a habitual offender. The sentences are to run consecutive and he must serve day for day. Earlier post on arrest.

Saturday Night Live didn't broadcast this sketch but its making the rounds on Youtube.

Here are the "C" ratings given to restaurants since September 18 by the Mississippi Department of Health.  The department will reinspect the restaurant within a few days after it receives the failing grade.  The restaurants posted below passed their follow-up inspections unless otherwise noted. 

It looks like the Commissioners who sit on the Board for the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority want to get paid per diem while traveling on "airport business".  The board meets twice a month in a work session and a regular board meeting.  Board attorney John Walker asked the Attorney General to determine if JMAA could pay Commissioners a per diem expense for while attending trips on airport business.

The Department of Justice issued the following press release:

Little Brodrick Robinson was scheduled for trial today for house burglary.  However, Judge Kidd has  a civil trial held over from last Friday, so he canceled his criminal docket today.  The trial was postponed to a later date.  The courtroom Friday was filled with suits, as they tried their case before the learned jurist.  So the suits get their justice while the homeowners of Jackson have to wait for theirs. Nice. Here are some of the other cases against Mr. Robinson:

Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey issued the following press release:

The port of Savannah surged for the last decade  while Mississippi screwed around with the port of Gulport for years.  Bloomberg News reported:

Today we all remember the day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. We took our licks, toughened up, and gave them more than they ever bargained for when they pulled off their sneak attack. If interested in a good movie telling the story of the attack, watch Tora, Tora, Tora. It was made back in the 1970's, and is far superior to the theatrical piece of garbage starring Ben Affleck a few years ago. This is a link to a gallery of photos taken after the attack at Boston.com. Here is color video of the attack:

Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke slams Eric Holder and others in an address to the National Press Club.

The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reported that an Oxford resident was inspired by The Million Pound Bank Note:

 State Farm v. Crystal Martin and Brandi Barnett will probably be the legacy of the now-deceased Precious Martin as his wife and Brandi Barnett both dispute who should be the proper beneficiary of a  $500,272 life insurance policy held by Mr. Martin that named Ms. Barnett as the beneficiary. Crystal Martin also said Ms. Barnett lived in a home owned by Precious Martin and accused her of "seducing" her husband as she sued her for alienation of affection. The case has been assigned to Judge Henry Wingate. 

Is measles making a comeback? Dr.Haider Javed Warraich argues the once-conquered disease is indeed on the rebound, but in areas where parents are not vaccinating their children against the disease. Dr. Warraich asks if the state should mandate such vaccines. He lauds Mississippi for its tough policy against exemptions, but points out some Mississippians want to weaken the law and thus endanger public health. Ironic since Mississippi is probably one of the least healthy states. Dr. Warraich writes:

Former Jackson Municipal Court Judge June Hardwick sent a racially inflammatory email about Hinds County Circuit Judge Jeff Weill one week before the November 4 election. Apparently the judge does not employ the type of justice she enjoyed from another judge in Hinds County.  Ms. Hardwick wrote:

What happened to Star Wars? Why did the franchise suddenly decline?  This 2010 L.A. Times interview with former Star Wars producer Gary Kurtz provides some answers:

Here is some political porn for the polijunkies out there.  Here are the precinct reports and summaries for the Ward 1 City Council primary election.  Some quick notes:

Mayor Tony Yarber issued the following press release:

State Auditor Stacey Pickering issued the following press release:

WLBT reported that local fast-food workers will go on strike tomorrow:

Here is the airport study presented to the Madison County Board of Supervisors Monday:

Here are the preliminary totals for Ward 1:

State Auditor Stacey Pickering issued the following press release:

Jackson Mayor Tony Yarber issued the following press release:

The Madison County Journal reported the Madison County Board of Supervisors received a study recommending three sites for a new airport.  The Journal published these posts on its Facebook page yesterday:

Here are the crime stats and maps for Jackson for the week ending November 19, 2014:

Rankin-Madison District Attorney Michael Guest issued the following press release:

There is another Cochran out there.  Can you imagine this guy in politics?

Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves called for Mississippi to abolish the Common Core program in this address at the Stennis Institute luncheon today:

There is a great deal of advertising on this site by the candidates for the Ward 1  City Council election.  Please take the time to watch their videos and read their ads.  The field is a good one.  I  wish we had a field of candidates such as this one in every election for councilman, supervisor, and alderman.  Hell, you can already tell one obvious difference between these guys and most of the city council: they actually have real jobs. They've slogged through the neighborhoods, knocking on doors, asking for votes. Endured the stage fright of debates.  Given up time for work and family and instead given it to you because they thought Ward 1 was worth fighting for on the city council.  They respect you enough to advertise on this site and ask for your vote so please try to show them the same respect and learn more about them on this site as well.  Tomorrow is an important election in Ward 1 so please get out and vote. 

This recent video of Mr. Farrakhan gets good at 4:00.

The New York Times was nice enough to post online all of the evidence presented to the grand jury in the Mike Brown case.  Testimony, police reports, photos, its all there.  Read it all here.

Warden, consultant, prison wizard, former state senator, lobbyist Irb Benjamin said his recent resignation as warden of the Alcorn and Grenada County jails had nothing to do with the MDOC scandal.  Emily Le Coz at the Clarion-Ledger followed up JJ post last week about the sudden termination of jail-management contracts by Mr. Benjamin with some new information.

IF you are bored and have nothing to do today,  here is the complete video of the GOP debate for the Ward 1 City Council candidates held Monday night at Bellwether Church.   Enjoy.

Hate it when this happens.

Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn's comments about race, crime, and protestors on November 6 went viral this week.   The video and transcript are posted below.

Losing Hinds County Circuit Judge candidate Ali Shamsid-Deen filed a petition to challenge his loss to Judge Jeff Weill in Hinds County Circuit Court  last Monday.  The Mississippi Supreme Court appointed Neshoba County Circuit Judge Vernon Cotten to hear the challenge.   The county website states the results were:

Time for some MDOC porn. JJ obtained the contracts and payments to Keefe Commissary Network and G.T. Enterprises through a public records request. Keefe earned over $40 million and G.T. over $3 million in gross revenue through MDOC inmate services.

The Jackson Zoo offers free admission on Thanksgiving Day as a thank you to the community! Bring your family to visit with our Zoo family on Thanksgiving! The Zoo is filled with family fun adventure for all ages. Have the kids work up an appetite or come "walk off" the Thanksgiving meal. Either way, the animals will be glad to see you!

The Kingfish discussed all kinds of groovy things such as littering, father-rape, and whether someone who has been arrested is moral enough to kill people.

Here are the October crime stats for Rankin County:

Read 'em & weep:

UPDATE:  JJ has confirmed that security cameras at JA and a nearby home show the perp was a white male wearing a hoodie.  Not racially motivated.  

Jackson Academy was vandalized with spray paint last night:

A Facebook post making the rounds claims a woman's husband was robbed at gunpoint and beaten "near Baptist" hospital and accuses JPD of incompetence as well.  However, the police reports tell a different story.

Hinds County Republican Party Executive Committee Chairman Pete Perry issued the following press release:

I slacked off a little bit and didn't post the rest of the questions from the forum for the Ward 1 candidates for city council.  This particular question dealt with rentals and blighted properties. 

Ward 1 City Council candidate Charles Barbour issued the following press release:

Update: JJ confirmed with Grenada County Board of Supervisors President Chad Bridges that Mr. Benjamin informed the board on October 27 that he was terminating the management contract to operate the Grenada County jail.  The letter is posted below.

Original post on November 22, 2014: 

A former lobbyist for Mississippi Prison Industries resigned his position as warden of the Alcorn County jail yesterday.  WTVA reported:

Governor Phil Bryant said this about President Obama's Executive Order on illegal immigrants:

WLBT reported on the dismissed indictment of Marlon Williams last night in this video:

Governor Phil Bryant issued the following press release:

Bob Higginbottom switched his voter registration to Ward 1 two days before the qualifying deadline for the Ward 1 City Council race.   Hinds County voting records state Mr. Higginbottom was registered to vote at the Medger Evers precinct prior to November 10, 2014.  Mr. Higginbottom became prominent as a defender of Frank Melton during his administration. Hinds County tax records do not show Mr. Higginbottom as owning any property.  He is the only black candidate in the race. His Medgar Evers address was a property owned by Constable John Brown.  The Fernwood property is owned by the Reverend Jeffrey Stallworth.  He does get around. 

Secretary of State Gibbert Hosemann issued the following press release:

Marshall Wolfe just pleaded guilty in federal court to bankruptcy fraud. Judge Carlton Reeves scheduled his sentencing for December 8.  Read this earlier post for coverage of his indictment and JJ's reporting of possible bankruptcy fraud in 2009.  The notice of intent to plead  guilty is posted below.

Stand your ground or compromise? Tis the question always asked by politicians.   Wall Street Journal political columnist Gerald Sieb reported a substantial increase across the board in the number of voters who favored compromise in a poll conducted by the newspaper.  Mr. Seib wrote:

The Kingfish discussed Mr. Kenneth Stokes today.

This is a re-post from March 19. It is your homework assignment today. We will explain why tomorrow.

Google Kenneth Stokes's home address and voila:

 Update: The home is owned by a Fabian Nelson according to Hinds County landrolls.

750 Parks Road Place sits just outside of Byram in a nice neighborhood. The house has become a major eyesore, however.  The house lacks a roof. The resident clear cut over 100 trees and left nothing but stumps in their place.  The neighbors complain to the county.  The county decides to take action.  Nothing could go wrong, right?   Enter Kenneth Stokes and the lawyer for the homeowner.  Well, here is a preview of a later post.  Stokes, cross-burnings, and picking on someone because he is black.  What could possibly go wrong? See for yourself.

Governor Phil Bryant issued the following press release:

A writer from the Kaiser Health News blasted Mississippi's rejection of Obamacare in a "Letter from Mississippi" published in Politico.  Sarah Varney makes some good points but engages in a little bit of advocacy journalism as there is one thing missing from her story: interviews from the other side.  In this case, the other side are people who oppose establishing Obamacare or expanding Medicaid in Mississippi.  Having said that, the article is fairly in-depth in nature and worth reading.  Some excerpts:

The MDOC scandal made it to the national media.  The New York Times reported:

State just can't get any respect from the media.

The Mississippi House Democrats issued the following press release:

Sports Illustrated just reported that Florida fired football head coach Will Muschamp. His firing might have something to do with plays like this one that took place yesterday:

Ashby Foote has experience at attacking wasteful spending at the highest levels in corporate America.   He is committed to bringing that insight and ‘sunlight” to Jackson’s city finances if elected to represent Ward 1 on the Jackson City Council.  Here is an example from an op ed he authored in the Clarion Ledger in July 2012.

This is scary.  I wonder how well these brats would know the answer to these questions if we had a draft.

Hello Peoples.  Here is another edition of Sanders Speaks for you Caucasians.

or so he thinks.  Indicted? No problem.  Wear gold Rolex to court.  Lose house and condo? No problem.  Lose cars? No problem. Just go get another Benz. Yup, the day after Mr. Epps appeared at his arraignment last week, he went out and got another Benz. Wife got to have a car, you see.  The Clarion-Ledger reported:

It looks like Br'er Haley  got into a briar patch of his own making.  Politico reported:

Senator Roger Wicker issued the following press release:

No bid contracts seem to be the norm instead of the exception in Mississippi.  The Wall Street Journal gave Mississippi some nice publicity yesterday.  It seems our Department of Education awarded a no-bid contract for Common Core testing after it was rejected by the contract review board.

The deadline for qualifying for the race to replace Quentin Whitwell was at 5:00 PM today.  The candidates are:

Jackson Mayor Tony Yarber issued the following press release:

Here are the September 2014 crime stats for Rankin County:

WAPT reported Northpark Mall will open on Thanksgiving Day:

Here is an off-beat story of sorts as told by a survivor of the Battle of the Bulge.

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood issued the following press release:

Management & Training Corporation (MTC) stated in a press release it terminated its relationship with Cecil McCrory, and threw former MDOC Commissioner Chris Epps under the bus, in a statement issued yesterday.  The Seethespending.org website states MTC earned  $104,668,361 from MDOC to operate several prisons.  MDOC payments to MTC do not appear on the website of the Department of Finance and Administration.*JJ obtained a copy of the statement from MTC and posted it below. The emphasis added is mine.

Don't park in your front yard if you live in Madison.  The Madison Board of Alderman adopted the International Property Maintenance Code last week.  The Board also amended  Section 302.8.1 (p. 8 below) to include :

Robin Mayfield filed trespassing charges against three Madison police officers on November 3 in Madison County Justice Court.  She is the wife of now-deceased Mark Mayfield.  She accused officers Vickie Currie, Scott Dean, and Chuck Harrison of entering her home without permission after she reported her husband's suicide on June 27, 2014.

Governor Phil Bryant issued the following press release:

Stupid ***** of the day.  Warning: language. 

 The death spiral continues.  KiOR issued the following press release:

Dumbass of the day, make that year, in last night's Oregon-Utah game:

Joshua Cecil McCrory apparently represented MDOC, MDOC employees, and Keefe Commissary services in MDOC-related lawsuits. He is the son of Cecil McCrory.  A review of federal court filings revealed Mr. McCrory's role as an attorney in these lawsuits:

The District at Eastover issued the following press release:

Lelia Drive this morning.  Too bad its not oil.

Governor Phil Bryant issued the following press release:

Looks like Representative Cecil Brown (D-Xanadu) is taking some baby steps towards running for Public Service Commissioner.

We've had some major serious stuff happen the last 24 hours so here is a break: Out-squatting the squatter.

Here are the crime stats for Jackson for the week ending October 19, 2014:

MDOC issued the following press release:

Copy of indictment is posted below. 

Highlights: 
-McCrory spent over $350,000 (allegedly) to pay off  Epp's home mortgage
-Epps awarded numerous no-bid contracts to companies owned or represented by McCrory. 
-Feds seek forfeiture of all Epp's properties, cars, and funds for tax evasion. 
-Epps & McCrory had a kickback scheme making monthly payments based on "consulting" fees. 
-Epps and McCrory used a money laundering scheme  
-McCrory served on the Penitentiary Committee in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1990-96.

A federal grand jury indicted former MDOC Commissioner Chris Epps and former Rankin County School Board President Cecil McRory on 49 counts of fraud, tax evasion, .  Here are the highlights from the indictment:

The U.S. Attorney issued the following press release:

I am working on the post right now and it will take some time to scan and upload the documents, but here is the nutshell version.

Update: JJ confirmed Mr. McCrory is linked to the federal investigation for former MDOC Commissioner Chris Epps. 

Rankin County School Board President Cecil McCrory resigned his position yesterday. Mr. McCrory owns several companies that provide telephone and commissary services to prisons such as G T Enterprises of Ms, Correctional Communications of Ms, and Mississippi Correctional Communications.  A 2011 PEER report criticized MDOC for issuing  a "no-bid" contract to G T in 2007 even though it was legal.  The report stated G T  was the largest provider of canteen goods for MDOC.  MDOC awarded a similar contract to Keefe Commissary Network, LLC in 2008. 

The Washington *#$% published an excellent story on how the Republicans took the Senate. There is even a blurb on the McDaniel-Cochran race. Long read but worth it for the polijunkies.

This is the election night thread.  Will the Tea Party help Childers beat Cochran?  Will Ali and his barbarian hordes run Weill back to Lelia Drive? Can Skinner keep his seat and his tan? Will the Republicans take the Senate? Stay tuned.

Ali Shamsid-Deen peeps are handing out these sample ballots at the Belhaven College precinct:

Mayor Tony Yarber just issued the following press release:

These flyers about Madison Mayor Mary Hawkins-Butler appeared on cars in several church parking lots last Sunday:

Tom Magliozzi of Car Talk died today.  Listened to his show on NPR for years. He will be missed. Here is one classic: The Andy Letter:

The Lefleur East Foundation held a forum for the candidates for Ward 1 City Council.  Former WLBT news director Dennis Smith moderated the event.  JJ is posting the video of the forum by question.  Here are the candidates on crime.

Melanie Sojourner actually filed her annual campaign finance report:

Keisha Redmond accused JPD of killing her 15-year old daughter Keonna in a "high speed chase".  Keonna died in a stolen car that crashed into a tree after police stopped the car.  JPD states the driver drove off in the car after the police officer got out of the car and that there was no chase.  However, JJ obtained a picture of the deceased that casts "baby" in a different light.

The Daily Mail (UK) published a story recently about how an elderly man lay dying in the hospital- until his dog was found.  The newspaper reported:

Our favorite little radfem is back to write about her vision of Utopia: a world without men. I mean this lady is talking about euthanizing  most men and lowering their life spans of those who survive.

Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey issued the following press release:

Halloween is never complete without this guy.

The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality issued the following press release:

Here is the second question asked by former WLBT News Director Dennis Smith in the Ward 1 forum Tuesday night.  Mr. Smith asked "Do you feel property and personal taxes are too high for residents of Ward 1 and if so, what areas of the budget would you cut in an effort to reduce the taxes?"

There was no small amount of controversy after JJ published a list of individuals that the Hinds County grand jury did not indict during its September session.  One particular case was that of Chirag Kharbanda (Not to be pronounced Kowabunga), the owner of the Jubilee gas station at 905 Northside Drive in Jackson.  He was charged with:

You can now use the text function on your cellphone to report crime.  Tip411 is now active in Jackson.  Simply text your tip about suspicious activity to 847411 and begin message with
"JPD".  This tool allows police officers to respond to the person providing the tip without learning his identity.  More information is posted below and on the city website at jacksonms.gov.

A Circuit Judge doesn't just handle criminal cases, he must also adjudicate those of an economic nature.  Hinds County Circuit Judge candidate Ali Shamsid-Deen penned quite a few racially inflammatory columns in the  Jackson Advocate back in the 1990's.  Here are some choice quotes from a column he wrote on August 6, 1992 that delve more into the economic realm. Enjoy.

 Note:  Video is fixed.

The Lefleur East Foundation held a forum for the candidates for Ward 1 City Council Tuesday night.  JJ recorded the entire session and is posting video segments of the forum.  Here is the first question: "What do you think is the most pressing need facing Jackson and Ward 1?"

The Department of Finance & Administration issued the following press release:

Warren Strain will be the new Alderman-at-large for the city of Madison.  Mr. Strain is the only candidate who qualified before the 5:00 PM deadline today.  He will assume the seat vacated by John Howland on the Madison Board of Aldermen.  Mr. Strain is the spokesman for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety.

Attorney General Jim Hood issued the following press release:

The Associated Press reported Kemper costs are going up again:

Hinds County Circuit Judge Jeff Weill appeared on the show.

Update: Judge Emfinger denied the petition.

JJ obtained through a public records request a copy of the charges Mrs. Robin Mayfield filed against three Madison police officers on October 17, 2014.  The state entered a petition for a probably cause hearing against Madison police officers Dean Scott, Chuck Harrison, and Vickie Currie.  Mrs. Mayfield alleged they committed the offense of "unlawful entry without permission" onto her property.  Mrs. Mayfield is the wife of Mark Mayfield.  Mr. Mayfield committed suicide shortly after he was arrested by Madison police for allegedly helping Clayton Kelly take pictures of Rose Cochran in her room at St. Catherine's Village.

The Office of the Courts sent out this press release:

Mississippi Secretary of State Dilbert Hosemann issued the following press release:

The City Council set December 2, 2014 as the date for the special election.

ESPN provided a new way to look at the LSU-Ole Miss game from Saturday night. All the post-game ribbing aside, this is a pretty cool way to watch the game. No commentary, no commercials, just a totally different way to watch it. Skycam video of the game.