Jackson Jambalaya

 Blogging would require yours truly to take a break from watching college football and that is not going to happen.  Sooo...... we will cheat a little bit and post this order from the Mitzi Bickers case in Atlanta.  She is scheduled go to to trial in February.   Sections III (A), (G), (I),  and (J) are particularly colorful reading. Remember while reading the documents posted below that Ms. Bickers is a minister.

 Shutting down businesses and schools felt to many people like a natural response to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the extended coronavirus lockdown of 2020 did not follow any widely accepted standard strategy. Lockdowns were sporadic and short-lived during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, the most recent historical parallel. Encouraging and coercing tens of millions of people to shelter in place in 2020 was one of the most radical social engineering experiments in modern history, as novel as the coronavirus itself.

 Check out this little piece of tech in action. 

The mother of a former Pine Lake Baptist Church youth minister arrested last week for felony exploitation of a child established a Gofundmepage to defray the costs of her son's legal defense. 

 The Mississippi Supreme Court issued the following statement. 

 Surprise, surprise.  Express Grain President John Coleman won't talk during his bankruptcy proceedings.  The Taxpayers Channel (Greenwood) reported: 

 Jackson closed the zoo yesterday but then a few hours later reopened it after some common sense for once prevailed at City Hall.  The city issued this press release yesterday morning: 

 Everything else has failed so Georgia and Hope have decided to try couple's therapy.  Watch to see what happens.  

The Health Department is holding a press conference on Covid-19 right now.  It is  streamed below.

District Attorney to seek indictment against would-be cop killer

There is still no justice for a police officer who survived a deadly shootout at a South Jackson gas station 3 1/2 years ago.  Two men tried to shoot JPD Officer Mike Tarrio but he managed to kill one assailant and arrest the other.  He received an "Officer of the Year" award for his bravery under fire.  However, this being Jackson, such heroism did not go unpunished as Jackson suspended him with pay for over a year.  While Tarrio suffered, the man who repeatedly shot at him was never indicted and walks free today.  The Hinds County Catch & Release program is indeed alive and well in 2021. 

 For the past 20-plus years, my final column in December is always a list of the top dining experiences I enjoyed throughout the previous year. In a typical pre-2020 year, I spend a few months working in Italy and a good bit of time travelling across the United States doing research and development for our restaurants, which always made it an easy piece to write.

 Watch the Hinds County Board of Supervisors live below.  It's a good one. 

 Voters in California and Massachusetts have directly passed laws regulating the conditions in which pigs, hens, and calves are housed in industrial agriculture production facilities that may prove to be the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come for farmers, producers and consumers in the rest of the country.

 Stokes. 

 Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba issued the following statement. 

 In 2020, Americans learned that if emergency dictated, we could lock down, mask up, and blow out spending to temporarily stymie the impact of a global pandemic. We learned that if uncertainty required massive response, we could mobilize massive response, including the creation of new vaccines within one year. 

 Good job, CDC, good job.  MSN reported: 

 Governor Tate Reeves posted the following announcement on medical marijuana on his Facebook page. 

Enmity between farmers and banks is almost as old as the Good Book and the Express Grain fiasco is no exception.  A group of victimized farmers sued UMB bank in federal court in November. They accused the bank of keeping the bankrupt grain elevator afloat until it could seize the harvests after delivery.  However, UMB fired back at the farmers last week with a motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

 When we buy a bottle of a famed wine, we take it on faith that it's genuine and not a fake.

 Which is worse for kids: The Covid-19 virus or the Covid-19 policies?  A CBS reported minced no words yesterday in saying the policies are literally killing our kids and ruining their lives.  

 This upcoming legislative session promises to be a contentious but historic one as lawmakers allocate $1.8 billion in federal funds given to the state.

 The original Jack Sunn, Bill Hetrick, passed away. His obituary is posted below. 

Do social media posts provide window into case? 

The Flowood Police Department issued the following statement on Facebook. 

Missed church because you were recovering from Christmas this morning? Enjoy this 1995 Christmas Eve sermon presented by the late Dr. Frank Pollard (First Baptist - Jackson). 

 Join with me in a New Year’s prayer that we and our loved ones can stay out of hospitals and their emergency rooms during 2022.

Huh?

 A crazy Karen in training went crazy on a flight to Atlanta.

 The college football playoff semifinals go back to the future Friday. Once upon a time, sports fans went to the movie theater to watch sporting events. They will have the chance to do so again as Cinemark will broadcast the Cotton and Orange Bowls live on the big screen. Click here for more information. 

 The Pfizer booster might be somewhat of a dud in fighting the Xi variant of the Covid – 19 virus.  The UK Health Security Agency released a study Thursday that said booster effectiveness fell after only 10 weeks. The study stated:

 You're funneling the Kingfish's egg nog but need some music for the recreation.  No problem.  Check out the Trans Siberian Orchestra's recent performance in Orlando.  Enjoy.

 A bankrupt Express Grain Terminals wants to borrow $30 million to stay afloat but will continue to go a begging if Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson has his way and shuts down the company.

 Andrea Dilworth authored the following press release for UMC.

Hospitals across the state are caught up in yet another battle of supply and demand, and this time it’s not machines, gear, or even nurses. Instead, UMMC is one of many working feverishly to recruit and retain qualified respiratory therapists.

 The Y'all Lifestyle meets The Jambalaya with the Kingfish. That's right, none other than Bo Bounds appeared on the podcast. There was no shortage of topics as we discussed college football, early signings, NIL, Coach, and the local scene. Part one is posted below. The podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon. Enjoy.

 It appears the Mayor had quite a good time in Atlanta last weekend after the Celebration Bowl.

 The Department of Human Services issued the following statement.

 Do you need to buy a last minute Christmas present or stocking stuffer? Local artist Bill Wilson has these watercolors of the Mississippi Capitol for sale. 

 The Covid – 19 Xi variant may not be as harsh as previous versions although it is more easily transmitted. The Wall Street Journal reported today:

 The city of Jackson issued the following statement.

As a child I started thinking about what I wanted for Christmas around the Fourth of July. I reached a certain age where I was old enough for my mother to take me to her friend’s houses when she went for cocktails, but not old enough to stay home alone and trusted not to wreck the place. It was during those visits to my mom’s friend’s homes that I did my best Christmas dreaming.

 With super majorities in both houses of the Mississippi Legislature, the reveal of the state’s new congressional redistricting plan by Republican leaders drew predictably partisan reviews and criticisms from Democrats.

Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey issued the following statement. 

On Oct. 30, 2020, just days before the presidential election, Joe Biden tweeted, "I'm not going to shut down the country. I'm not going to shut down the economy. I'm going to shut down the virus." 

 The city of Jackson issued the following statement.

 Commissioner of Agriculture Andy Gipson wants to revoke the license for Express Grain Terminals, LLC after he discovered the company submitted phony financial statements to obtain a license.

 The Justice Department issued the following statement. 

 Governor Tate Reeves issued the following statement. 

 The Flowood Police Department issued the following statement.

 Mid – South Wrestling returned to Jackson today as David L. Archie tied it up today in the square circle at the Hinds County Courthouse. Just watch for yourself at 10:00 in the video posted below. Warning: do not have a drink in your mouth.

 Enjoy the second part of Judge Bill Skinner's interview on The Jambalaya with The Kingfish. Judge Skinner is anything but boring.  The former Hinds County Court Judge and JPD officer tells horror stories from youth court, unloads on Bennie Thompson, and calls out Tomie Green.  It's Judge Skinner, so the podcast will be anything but boring.

Express Grain submitted falsified financial statements to the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce when it renewed its license each year. Commissioner Andy Gipson stated in a letter sent to Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann and Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Senator Chuck Younger last Friday: