Jackson Jambalaya

Dayumn.  Priester stood up to Stokes.  Watch for yourself.

Last week's death of Mississippi Sports Hall of Famer Jim Davenport brought a barrage of memories, all good ones.

His nickname was Peanuts. Don't know how he got it, and, for some reason, I never asked. My daddy just called him “Nuts” and it seemed as natural as Sam or Joe to me.

The issue of police chases has dominated the news lately as Stokes urged Jacksonians to throw rocks at the police from outside law enforcement agencies if they chased suspects into Jackson.  More than a few people in the "burbs"  defended their police officers and said their police are chasing Jackson criminals.  JJ  decided it might be worthy to review 2015 crime data from surrounding cities to see if Jackson crime is indeed spilling over across the city limits.  JJ obtained 2015 arrest information from Ridgeland, Flowood, and Madison*.

Mississippi Speakah of the House Philip Gunn clarified his position on changing the Mississippi state flag today in the following press release:

Here is the resume of Jackson Airport Commissioner nominee James Stanley.  Unfortunately, the city council did not vote on his confirmation today.  Stokes and some "community activists" pushed back against the nomination today so a confirmation hearing will be held next week.

Update: Bill passes BUT it only expanded the limit to 75 miles.  Senator Terry Burton offered a committee substitute that passed. 

It is often reported that Mississippi is dead last in health care due to it being a poor state. However, it is the position of this website that crony capitalism and good ole boy rules limit health care access for many Mississippians as well. JJ reported recently that certificate of need laws limit health care while making it more expensive for those who can least afford it. Steve Wilson delves into the antiquated Nurse Practitioner rule over at Mississippi Watchdog. Nurse Practitioners can only operate within a 15 mile radius of their supervising physician. Such rules make perfect sense in rural areas such as the Delta where the poor are many and doctors are few.  Mr. Wilson reported:

Republican Presidential Candidate John Kasick will be appearing at a fund-raiser tomorrow in Gulfport.   Check out the invitation:

You can't make this up. Social justice Spicolis at Brown University are complaining about failing because they don't go to class.  They shouldn't be penalized because they care.  Read and weep.  The Brown Daily Herald reported last week:

The Ridgeland Board of Aldermen will hold a hearing for the re-zoning of the proposed Costco site on April 5 at 6:00 PM at City Hall.  The property was rezoned last year to allow service stations. However, a group of Ridgeland citizens sued the city and claimed no public notice was provided  for the re-zoning as required by law.  Ridgeland is thus holding another hearing on the zoning of the property and issuing a public notice (that is posted below). 

Update: Jackson Mayor Tony Yarber nominated Ward 7 resident James Stanley to the Board of Commissioners.  The nomination is on the agenda for tomorrow's meeting of the City Council.

Jackson Municipal Airport Authority CEO Carl Neman provided a glimpse of the future for Jackson's two airports at a meeting of the Board of Commissioners last week.  A strategic improvement plan was presented. The draft of the plan was not made available to the media or public last week but it was presented to the board.   JJ videotaped the presentation.  The camera is focused on the screen that was used to show the powerpoint presentation.  

The city of Ridgeland issued the following press release:

After the great Mississippi River flood of 1927 congress told the US Army Corps of Engineers to make sure it didn’t happen again. The Corps has been trying for almost 90 years. The result? More flood for less rain.

This pithy assessment of the Corps work is from John McPhee’s acclaimed “Atchafalaya” written 27 years ago. It’s still true today because the Corps is still trying to fix the flooding problem by holding the rain instead of speeding its flow to the Gulf. (Mississippi is a holding pond.) Wrong strategy: Contain the River. How: build levees. Result: even more flood for less rain.

Saturday Night Live nailed it last week with this skit about Beyonce.

Attorney General Jim Hood apparently can't stand any competition.  He issued this press release last week:

 JJ received this one comment about the pay raise for the Madison County Prosecuting Attorney that has dominated the pages of the Clarion-Ledger recently:

xxxxxx- you can no longer claim the self-anointed title of journalist if you are chicken shit about covering Madison county prosecutor efforts to get raise. If this was any other person, you would be all over it with your snarky, childish criticism.

HA! Ms. Hancock is a big girl and can handle herself.  One is going to take heat whenever one publicly asks for a raise. It comes with the territory and the newspaper is fulfilling its watchdog role in scrutinizing the raise. However, the state newspaper is not telling the entire story as well.  The Clarion-Ledger reported on February 17:

Meet Captain Clay Higgins of the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office. He has a little message for gangstas.

The House Transportation Committee passed Wednesday a bill that will allow Uber and other ride-sharing companies to operate throughout Mississippi.  The bill requires them to obtain a license from the Mississippi Insurance Department and pay an annual registration fee as well.  The bill will pre-empt all municipal regulations on Uber if it becomes law. Bill history and status. Representative Gary Chism sponsored the bill.   Some highlights of the bill are:

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety issued the following statements:

Karl Banks's efforts to use the Madison County Election Commission to overturn his two-vote electoral loss to David Bishop failed.  Special Circuit Judge Henry Lackey crushed the commission's efforts to change the results of the District 4 Supervisor election in Madison County.  The opinion is posted below.

The Business Ministerial Alliance issued the following statement on Jackson government and the municipal airport:

Secretary of State Dibbert Hosemann issued the following statement:

Cue up a Pace Picante Sauce commercial.  Jackson airline passengers love traveling to Washington, DC and New York City.  An analysis of the market and passengers for the Jackson Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport  was presented yesterday to the JMAA Board of Commissioners. The report also stated fares were up and traffic was down since 2009.  Some highlights of the analysis are:

JJ reported Wednesday on an auto theft that took place at the Chevron gas station in Highland Village.  The security camera recorded the entire incident.  The owner of the business allowed this correspondent to see the video.  Here is what took place.

U.S. Attorney Greg Davis issued the following press release:

Kenneth Stokes may finally get the answer to his question "Who killed da Mayor?".  Chokwe Antar Lumumba, Jr. filed a wrongful death action against St. Dominic Hospital and several doctors Tuesday in Hinds County Circuit Court.  Attorneys Dennis Sweet, III and Dennis Sweet, IV are representing Mr. Lumumba.  The case is assigned to Judge Winston Kidd.

Thomas Blaine Allen and Tracie Michelle Burt pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute last week in Rankin County Circuit Court.  They were arrested during a December 2014 traffic stop on Hwy 468.  Each defendant received twenty year prison sentences.   Police found 40 grams of meth in their vehicle.  Burt had her five-month old child in the back seat as well. The police report and their mug shots are posted below.

Jackson residents may no longer have to file a public records request, wait fourteen business days, and pay copying fees if they just want to read a re-zoning request.   The Planning Committee of the Jackson City Council unanimously approved a proposal by Ward 1 Councilman Ashby Foote to place zoning applications as submitted  on the city website.

Leftenant Governor Tate Reeves issued the following press release:

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety issued the following press release:

A brazen auto theft took place at the Chevron in Highland Village last night at 7:00 PM.
A lady was at the self-service gas pump while her ten year-old daughter was in the vehicle.  A black male walked up and got in the car in front of "everyone at the gas station".  The child screamed and jumped out of the vehicle.  The thief drove away.  Gas station employees tried to stop him but to no avail. The crime is considered to be an auto theft as no weapon was used.   The victim's sister posted this update on Nextdoor:

We lost the ineffable Willie Richardson last week, dead at age 76, a football legend surely beloved by all who knew him, no matter their allegiances.

Richardson was a Jackson State man whose playing career takes us back to a different time in Mississippi and America when historically black colleges in the Deep South were brimming with the fastest, quickest and biggest football players in America.

Former USA Today editor Fred Anklam is the editor of Mississippi News and Information Corporation.  JJ reported  last week that MSNIC stole Editor R.L. Knave away from the Jackson Free Press.  The company was advertising several positions for hire in December.  Mr. Anklam was once a reporter at the Clarion-Ledger and won a Pulitzer Prize in 1983  for his coverage of Governor William Winter's "successful campaign for education reform". *  Mr. Anklam did not return phone calls seeking comment on his new project.

What is the Clarion-Ledger up to?

A change of plea notice was just filed in U.S. District Court in Gulfport:

Read February 27, 2015 post that spelled out this scheme.

A bill of information filed in U.S. District Court Thursday gives more details on the suicide of a Harrison County supervisor a year ago.  The bill provides an interesting picture of how MDOC Commissioner Chris Epps, Supervisor William Martin, and "consultant" Robert Simmons conjured up a scheme to award contracts and pay kickbacks in Harrison County.  The Simmons-Epps corruption train even made stops in East Mississippi as well.   The bill charges Simmons with one count of bribery.

Senator Roger Wicker just said on the Paul Gallo Radio Show (WFMN) that the Senate should not confirm any Supreme Court nomination submitted by President Barack Obama to replace Justice Antonin Scalia.  The President announced he will submit a nomination after Justice Antonin Scalia died Saturday.

This column was submitted by Mike Chaney.  Mr. Chaney is the Mississippi Commissioner of Insurance.  

Fortunately, most Mississippians go through life without ever having a need to be bailed out of jail.

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety issued the following press release from the Clarksdale Police Department:

What words does one use to describe the murder of an 85-year old man who was working in his yard yesterday?  Horrific, barbaric,  and savage are a few that come to mind.   WAPT reported yesterday:

Big and made of brass.  This is how you stop a terrorist:

You expected a trailer? A man must be patient. 

NOW we got us a throw-down.  Robert Shuler Smith and Tomie Green.  Finally.  The fun started when JPD Chief Lee Vance told the damn truth: it doesn't matter how well his men do their job if the criminal justice system is broken.  District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith called the media into his office Friday and pointed the finger directly at Senior Circuit Judge Tomie Green.

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia passed away today.  He was 79 years old.  Several Mississippi leaders issued the following statements:

A team of high-powered university researchers claimed in a recently published study that health care prices rise for consumers as the number of hospitals serving an area shrink.* The study argues that monopoly hospitals charge prices that are 15.3% higher than areas that have at least four hospitals. Some highlights of the study are:

This video shows the mindset of Jackson cabbies.  A Mr. Antonius Scarborough voiced several complaints about Jackson taxicab service to the City Council Monday night.  Gene Sandifer apparently thought he was a bouncer at the Dock and not a service-oriented driver as he trashed Mr. Scarborough when he addressed the City Council.   Watch the video for yourself.

The story below is reprinted from Watchdog.org with the permission of reporter Steve Wilson: 

The Mississippi Legislature passed an incentive package Thursday that will provide $274 million to build a $1.45 billion tire plant west of Jackson and convert a port facility in Gulfport for use by an offshore services company.

The two facilities would employ 3,500 people. The tire plant would be the largest economic development project in the state’s history.