Jackson Jambalaya

 The city of Jackson issued the following statement. 

 The Pearl Police Department issued the following statement. 

 The city of Jackson issued the following statement. 

 The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency issued the following statement. 

Change is a'coming to Mississippi media.  Y'all Politics will transform into the Mississippi Tribune after Russ Latino purchased the YP operation from Alan Lange.  Mr. Lange wrote on Y'all Politics this week: 

 The price is right. 

 Southwest Airlines has managed to turn airports nationwide into another level of hell.  This post is making the rounds on Facebook.  Take it for what it's worth but it seems to jibe with what is reported in the news. 

The Mississippi State Department of Health fined Southern Sky Brands and ordered the destruction of marijuana plants worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and fined the company $20,000 recently.  

 Teresa Malone passed away Christmas Eve.  

 This post is reprinted with permission of The Taxpayers Channel. 

One of the most puzzling aspects of the Express Grain collapse is the $40+ million EG owes seven so-called "NMTC Lender" companies.

 Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba is holding a press conference right now.  It is streamed below. 

 Ag Commish Andrew Gipson issued the following statement. 

For the 22 years I have written in this space, I have always reserved the final column inches of the year to list my top ten meals of the previous 12 months. Here's this year's list.

 The Mississippi Department of Transportation issued the following statement. 

Frankly, neither Republicans nor Democrats hold much moral high ground on the issue of immigration. Historically, the issue has been a political football with both parties talking a lot but not taking much action in the halls of Congress.

Update (12/28/22): A son took out his um, emotions on his father's vehicle. 

Well, someone didn't like someone over at Renaissance.  

 A local restaurant legend passed away.  Primos Cafe announced on Facebook: 

 Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba will hold a briefing at 1 PM on the city's water crisis.  The presser is posted below. 

 A Hinds County grand jury indicted one Lance Moberg for business burglary on December 9.  The indictment states: 

This story was originally published by Propublica.  ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive their biggest stories as soon as they’re published. This story is loooong but well worth reading.  Get a Fuentes Maduro.  Click on the link for more videos and diagrams in the story.

This article is co-published with The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan local newsroom that informs and engages with Texans, and with The Washington Post. 

 Bullets had pierced Eva Mireles’ chest as she tried to shield students from a gunman’s semiautomatic rifle. But the fourth grade teacher at Robb Elementary was still conscious when police carried her out of classroom 112 and through a hallway crowded with dead and dying victims.

 The city of Jackson issued the following statement. 

Will schools and cities have to raise taxes? 

PERS stuffed red-hot coals into the stockings of schools, cities, and counties alike with its 5% contribution rate increase last week. The increase is scheduled to take placet on October 1, 2023.  5% may sound a small number but it translates into a $15 million hit just to the budgets of local public schools.   JJ reviewed the budgets of most local governments and posted an estimate of their contribution increases below.  It is not a pretty picture. 

Large areas of South and West Jackson continue to lack water. 

Well connections are not affected. Distribution sites announced.

The city of Jackson issued the following statements

Whatever happened to Potter? 

 Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones issued the following statement and mug shots. 

Notice does NOT apply to those served by wells.  

Parts of city without water

The city of Jackson issued the following statement. 

Lost in all the deals at Christmas is the message that Christmas itself is a big deal.  The late Dr. Frank Pollard preached on  why Christmas is indeed a big deal.  Any sermon that start out talking about pimples and gray hairs can't be bad.  Enjoy the 1993 sermon posted below. 

 Resolved:  State government will only provide the services our people need and only tax enough to cover costs for these needs.

 Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba issued the following statement. 

The only thing standing between Jackson and $600 million to shore up its water system is President Joe Biden's signature. 

 The victim in the Richland Walmart hostage-taking Wednesday provided a public update on her Facebook page:

Put your thinking caps on. This time of year is good to think about last year and next year. Our thoughts may make a significant impact for next year as well as the rest of our lives. 

Rice University's band is anything but conventional.  "The Mob" spiked Brett Favre and Southern Miss at the Lending Tree Bowl.  It may not be a good idea to drink anything while reading this post. 

 The year-end omnibus federal spending bill moved one step closer to becoming law as it passed the Senate yesterday.   The Wall Street Journal reported: 

Flashback Friday pulls out from the archives this post that was originally published March 15, 2012. It seemed relevant after Anna Wolfe's story last week for some strange reason.  

 Some politicians think they are sooooooooo special, right, Vern? 

Mississippi Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith penned this column. 

The United States is blessed with one of the safest, most abundant and most affordable food supplies in the world, but it’s not a blessing invulnerable to threats. The ongoing pandemic, extreme weather events around the world and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, for instance, have contributed to supply chain disruptions and rapidly rising food costs.

 SBF's ______-buddies, oops, make that partners are turning on him.   The Wall Street Journal reported: 

WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEO POSTED BELOW!!! 

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety issued the following statement. 

 Ruth Cummins authored the following press release for UMMC. 

As office parties, family and social gatherings, and holiday trips ramp up, there’s often a reason not to be merry: awkward or potentially contentious situations can spoil the fun.

Some local thugs won't be Krogering for a while. Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones announced the arrest of three suspects responsible for the Sunday night shooting in the I-55 Kroger parking lot at a press conference this morning.  

 Nothing quite matches the energy and excitement one experiences as a kid during the Christmas Eves of his or her youth. My family always ate a formal dinner the night before and my memories of those meals are so overwhelmingly positive. The food was great, sure. But my remembrances are partially slanted on the positive side of the scale because of the anticipation that hung thick in the air over what was to happen the next morning. It’s the one day in life where you wake up to magically delivered toys. 

 Having an opportunity to spend a little time with Mike Leach and experience the world through his filters – or lack of them – was a privilege for which I will always be grateful.

Will counties and cities raise taxes? 

Note: The usual post covering the PERS annual report will be published in a few days.  The rate increase is covered as a separate topic. 

The PERS Board of Trustees dumped a bunch of coal in the stockings of Mayors and legislators alike as it voted to hike the employer contribution rate from 17.4% to 22.4% today.  The rate hike will go into effect on October 1, 2023.

Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree....   the Congressional Christmas tree is going to be very, very  good to Jackson.  The FY 2023 Omnibus Appropriations Package is up for a vote in Congress this week.  The bill contains some relief for Jackson's water system: 

A Mississippi State fan proposed a special helmet design for the Bulldogs in their Reliaquest Bowl game.

 State Auditor Shad White issued the following statement. 

The Jackson City Council will vote on a proposed rental ordinance today.   The proposed ordinance states: 

Pastor Dewayne Pickett is holding a community forum on the Capitol Police tonight.  The good Pastor sent out the following email three hours ago: