Jackson Jambalaya

 This post is a guest column submitted by a reader PBK.   

This week, a notice came home in my child’s backpack. You know the kind — a bright flyer, a permission slip at the bottom, and just enough excitement in the wording to make every middle schooler instantly say, “YES.”

The destination?

 Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney issued the following statement. 

Can a lawyer be tricked into borrowing money? Tis a claim made by Ridgeland attorney Allen Smith, Jr. as he sues his lenders used to finance his talcum powder litigation after he defaulted on his loans. 

 The Pearl River Revitalization Coalition issue the following statement. 

 Someone is going to get mad about this but oh well. It's funny.  

 The University of Mississippi Medical Center issued the following statement. 

Harold Stiff got stiffed in Jackson Municipal Court after Jackson Municipal Court Judge denied bond on his second aggravated assault charge.  Stiff has been an up and coming student of the Hinds County Catch & Release Program.  The little hoodlum was passing with honors until he played around in the wrong county last week. 

It appears the ABC warehouse is moving product.  Finally.  Posted below are the latest shipping reports of cases cut. 

Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey issued the following statement.

 My ADHD is so bad that I just forgot what I was going to write in this opening sentence.

 Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves announced in December that the state will invest over $100 million in economic development projects—projects that have created record-breaking numbers of jobs—funded by Mississippi taxpayers.

Will Mississippians be able to buy wine or liquor on Sundays?  The sale of spirits on Sunday has been prohibited since the state legalized the sale of booze in 1966.  The Mississippi House of Representatives passed a bill last week that will indeed allow such sales.  

Click here for more information.

The Justice Department said nice try in response to Jody Owens' ambush in U.S. District Court last month.  

 Family and friends of Carly Gregg have created a website urging "justice" for young Gregg.  Gregg is serving a sentence of life without parole after a jury convicted her of gunning down her mother in cold blood and shooting her stepfather.  Link to website.

State Auditor Shad White issued the following statement. 

 The University of Mississippi Medical Center issued the following statement. 

 Victor Ogiste faces the music tomorrow in Madison County Circuit Court.  

 The Pearl Police Department issued the following statement. 

 Jackson Mayor John Horhn issued the following statement. 

Don't let it be said UMC health care professionals are not trying to make things work as they suffer from a ransomware attack.  Heather Wilson posted on Facebook: 

JXN Water's rates are going up after U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate approved the utility's request for a 12% rate increase this morning.   

 They weren't just shucking and jiving at Shucker's this weekend. 

 Well, well, well, it appears Jackson City Councilman Brian Grizzell, threw a little temper tantrum at the February 10 City Council meeting.  

What truth do you deposit your trust? Peer pressure? Pseudo-intellecutalism? Tradition? The late Dr. Frank Pollard preached many deposit their trust in these "truth banks" even though they seldom provide truth.  What is truth, after all? Preaching from 1 Peter, Dr. Pollard discussed how to find truth in the 1998 sermon posted below.  

 The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal featured Mississippi education recently.

 If you missed it, check out Alysa Liu's gold medal performance in figure skating.  A true case of poetry in motion.  

 The University of Mississippi Medical Center issued the following statement. 

 The construction of the Country Squire's new digs is coming along rather nicely. 

If you are getting emails or texts from UMMC, relax.  UMMC issued the following statement. 

Last week a son died too soon and unexpectedly. Friends and family continue to mourn the loss. The deepest and most sorrowful pain anyone can ever know comes through losing what can never be recovered in this life. Hope is our only salvation from mourning with deep sobbing and writhing from the core of our being. 

 Netflix just dropped a trailer for the new Peaky Blinders movie.  Who is Tommy Shelby, indeed. 

 The University of Mississippi Medical Center issued the following statement. 

It appears Rebecca Ivison's trial for defrauding a USDA program will be delayed until April.  

 Some scholars had a rather lively debate at Smillow Prep recently. 

 The Palace Cafe might be closed but that does not mean you can't enjoy some Bananas Foster.  Chef ZeroBear PolyBear graciously provided us with his recipe for the famous New Orleans dessert.  It is posted below in downloadable format.  The pictures alone make you feel like you are Winnie the Pooh in the honey cave.  Enjoy. 

 The Madison Police Department issued the following statement. 

The meltdown in the ABC warehouse meant restaurants ran dry and liquor store shelves went empty as they waited week after week for shipments that never came.  ABC warehouse manager Ruan Transport chose to remove the conveyor belt system and replace software system at the same in January. However, Ruan was supposed to replace the conveyor belts last year.  The replacement of the two systems at the same time resulted in a perfect definition of "SNAFU"

Enjoy the Empower podcast as host Grant Callen chats with Marine, Purple Heart recipient, and all-around good guy Aaron Rice.  Rice made his bones as a constitutional lawyer fighting for those abused by the government.  Callen and Rice discuss whether school choice is constitutional in Mississippi as well as Rice's personal experiences.   Audio and video versions of the podcast are posted below. 

UMC Vice-Chancellor Dr. Louann Woodward, Vice-Chancellor of Health Affairs Dr. Alan Jones, and Jackson FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Ikon held a press conference to discuss the cyberattack.   The press conference is posted below, courtesy of WLBT. 

 The University of Mississippi Medical Center is suffering a major cyberattack.  The phone lines and website are currently down. One source said all systems are down.The cyberattack began overnight. UMMC staff have been working on it since 2 AM. Another source said "More information will be posted when available.  

Update: UMC issued the following statement. 

 Meet Jackson Ward 7 City Councilman Sheldon Parkinson.  

 Ridgeland said HB #1677 is a good start but there need to be some changes.  

 It's called All You Can Eat, not All We Can Eat.   It's also not a good idea to talk yourself into going to jail.  Exhibit A: 

 The University of Mississippi Medical Center issued the following press release. 

 It is definitely true a good deed never goes unpunished in Jackson.  Exhibit A: Paul Moak Honda.  

 CHICAGO—Most people know they need to try other restaurants when they're in a great food city. So do I. And yet every time the tortilla soup arrives at Frontera Grill, that plan is out the window.

The rapid increase in demand for artificial intelligence as the technology is adopted and implemented by public- and private-sector businesses is driving the surge in data center construction worldwide. Mississippi has been involved in several of those mammoth economic transactions.

 Wear your damn clothes.  This is not hard. 

 Insurance Commish Miguel Chaney issued the following statement.