Jackson Jambalaya

History tells us when those who yield to their shadow selves choose leaders of their ilk, calamity, often war, follows.

A woman goes nuts when she sees some Trump yard signs in September in this Liveleak video.  A police officer tries to reason with her but she is having none of it and proceeds to go even  more nuts. She doesn't get arrested but does deliver some entertainment.  

The Mississippi State Department of Health issued the following statement:

The Ridgeland Police Department issued the following video and statement:

A Florida finance company sued Christopher Butler, Mega Mattress, and Jay Samander  in U.S. District Court in August for allegedly defrauding the company.  The Attorney General is currently prosecuting Butler in Hinds County for fraud charges related to the same allegedly fraudulent transactions.  The lawsuit claims the defendants defrauded the lender of over $400,000.  Mega Mattress is owned by Elias Dabit. 

Congress might bail out the Kemper plant. The Wall Street Journal reported recently:

The owner of Skybox Daquiri Bar & Bistro in Ridgewood Court has ruffled a few feathers on social media recently.  Ray Kersh posted a twelve-minute video on Facebook that showed him pointing a gun at the camera, bragging about donations, and defending his establishment against those who trash it on social media. Needless to say, the video has garnered a considerable amount of attention. 

Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey issued the following press release and mug shots:

It appears law enforcement in Jackson will be dragged through the mud yet again.  The former Hinds County Chief Deputy sued Sheriff Victor Mason for sex discrimination, race discrimination, and sexual harassment yesterday in U.S. District Court.  The complaint contains quite a few lurid allegations as former Chief Deputy Cheryl Matory accused Sheriff Mason of channeling his inner Bill Clinton by trying to use her to arrange sexual encounters with another employee.  The complaint is posted below.  Ms. Matory is represented by attorney Lisa Ross.

JPD issued the following statements and picture on Twitter:

Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith repeatedly refers to the Harvey Williams v. State of Mississippi (2014) case as he battles Attorney General Jim Hood.   Mr. Smith claims the case prevents the Attorney General from prosecuting a case in Hinds County without the consent of the District Attorney and waves it as a flaming sword whenever the subject of Christopher Butler arises.  However, what exactly is the holding of Williams? JJ decided to present the case and let the good readers decide for themselves.

The city of Jackson issued the following press release:

Uncle Toms, N*****s, drugs, $100,000, and witness protection screens. Gang-banger's trial? Nope.  These features were the order of the day yesterday in the trial of Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith.  The D.A. is fighting a three-count indictment that accuses him of illegally helping criminal defendants.  Yesterday saw the testimony of Mr. Smith's attorney, Jim Waide, Christopher Butler's girlfriend, two MBN agents, and Assistant Attorney General Patrick Beasley.

The Clarion-Ledger's Anna Wolfe and Jackson Free Press's Timothy Summers have provided the bulk of the coverage since the first day and yesterday was no exception.  Their live tweets from the courtroom report the courtroom events as they happen.  Ms. Wolfe reported this morning:

So, is this Alabama football team the best in college football history?

Seems a perfectly reasonable question at this point. Nate Silver's FiveThirtyEight statistics-based website, says this year's version of Nick Saban's Crimson Tide machine has become the best college football team ever, narrowly surpassing the 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers. As with all else it does, the website uses a thorough statistical analysis to come to that conclusion.

Chris Epps did not get a Get Out of Jail Free card. U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate refused to release the former MDOC Commissioner from jail Friday.  Judge Wingate revoked his bond in November after Epps was arrested for breaking into his former home and removing some light fixtures.  Judge Wingate decreed:

Farewell to Richard Adams. He passed away today at the age of 96.

The Mississippi Highway Patrol issued the following press release:

The trial of Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith resumes today.  Below is a summary of what took place last week. Judge for yourself who is ahead right now.  Read Anna Wolfe's live tweets from the courtroom today as well.

Cardcow.com has a bunch of vintage Jackson postcards for sale on its website. Some of the postcards that show some of Jackson's past are posted below.  Enjoy.

Thug tries to rob bank in Brazil.  See how it went down.

Off from work today and looking for something different to watch? JJ stumbled across this little gem on Youtube.  There is a channel dedicated to telling the story of The Great War but in a slightly different fashion.  Indy Neidell provides a weekly video that covers the Great War as it unfolded that each week.  Lectures, newspaper articles, videos, and photographs are used to give viewers a similar experience to what you would see if you lived one hundred years ago.  This is a highly enjoyable way of learning history. Perfect for that brand new Ipad or smart tv you got for Christmas.

Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey issued the following press release:

Start at 4:00.

It's a Wonderful Life was a catharsis of sorts for Jimmy Stewart.  People forget that he was a bomber pilot in World War II and rose to the rank of Brigadier General.  Needless to say, he'd seen his share of hell when he returned home.  Author Robert Matzen told the story of how the Christmas classic brought the recovering combat veteran back to life in the Wall Street Journal yesterday.  Mr. Matzen wrote:

This sign is on High Street today:

What the hell is going on in Canton?  There is a ruckus among us as our favorite engineer, the Madison County Journal, Barbara Blackmon and some other Canton dignitaries go at it.  The Journal reported yesterday:

U.S. Attorney Greg Davis issued the following statement:

Merry Christmas state employees. The budget proposed by Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, House Speaker Philip Gunn, and their budget committee colleagues targets you. If you get to keep your job, they want you to work harder and do more for no more pay. The budget is bad for your retirement (PERS) too. Oh, but you will get a tiny tax cut.

The Madison Police Department issued the following statement and mug shot:

Someone decided to have some fun with Ole Miss on Youtube:

Give the good Doc some credit.  Mississippi Superintendent of Education Dr. Carey Wright walked into the lion's den and delivered a stern warning to the Board of Trustees for Jackson Public Schools Tuesday night.  Dr. Wright flat out told the crowded room that JPS faces the real possibility of a state takeover. A transcript of her speech is posted below.  JJ strongly urges readers to read her speech if they care at all about Jackson.  

An MDE audit released last summer found many schools were unsafe, lacked licensed teachers, graduated students that did not meet the requirements, and  teachers that did not control their classrooms.  JPS Superintendent Dr. Cedric Gray blew off the audit as he didn't even ask for a hearing to contest the audit.  The first corrective action plan submitted by JPS was a joke as MDE said it was "inadequate".  MDE is currently conducting a full audit of the entire district. Dr. Wright's remarks provide some of the preliminary findings for the current audit and frankly, JPS is in serious trouble.  Dr. Wright's said:

The Madison Police Department issued the following statements:

Update: Garcia served all but 100 days of his last prison sentence.  He would have been free to commit this crime last week regardless of whether he served his full sentence. 

Here is the Mississippi criminal record for one Joshua Garcia that was obtained from MDOC yesterday:

The Mississippi Highway Patrol kicked off its "Coast to the Capital" campaign in this press release:

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

The Clarion-Ledger's Anna Wolfe is live-tweeting from the Courtroom.  Follow her at this link.  She is also using the hashtag #DASmithTrial. 

Local Jackson favorite Fenian's Irish Pub was burglarized two nights ago.  The thief (or thieves) broke into the pub through the roof.  The safe was opened and money was stolen.  JJ attempted to contact owner Danny Cupit but a receptionist hung up the phone this correspondent tried to provide contact information for the local attorney. 

This old curmudgeon grew up in a time when there were the four major college football games: the Rose, the Sugar, the Cotton and the Orange Bowls. All were played on New Year's Day.

Our Natural Born Killers were caught in Junction City, Kansas just a few hours ago.  The Clarion-Ledger reported:

WREG reported:

Rudy Warnock issued the following press release:

WAPT is streaming live on Facebook. Watch here or you can watch the clips below.

Opening arguments begin today in State v. Robert Shuler Smith.  Smith was indicted for three counts of improperly helping a criminal defendant.  A flurry of motions and responses were filed over the weekend.  Smith tried to call Attorney General Jim Hood as a witness and also tried to obtain information form the Clarion-Ledger provided by its sources.  JJ posted the remaining filings below that are deemed to be relevant as well as some highlights. 

JPD issued the following statement and photos on Twitter regarding the triple murder at Bill's Coin store on Terry Road.

COUHGLIN & WILLIAMS, PLLC is pleased to announce that Kelly G. Williams is the first attorney in the state of Mississippi to be certified as a Child  Welfare Law Specialist by the National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC).

Kelly Williams, Esq.

The Madison Police Department issued the following statement:

Yup.  The Hinds County District Attorney is trying to subpoena the prosecutor as a witness.  Hinds County D.A. Robert Shuler Smith subpoenaed Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood to testify at his criminal trial that begins today. The A.G. immediately filed a motion to quash the subpoena.

The Pentagon Papers comes to Hinds County.  Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith subpoenaed on December 9 all correspondence the Clarion-Ledger received from Christopher Butler.  The newspaper said hell no and filed a motion to quash the subpoena on Thursday. 

and this is what you get.  Warning: Language.

Can you stand some good news?  East Baton Rouge Deputy Nick Tullier continues to recover  after he was shot three times in an ambush by a shooter who  killed three other law enforcement officers in Baton Rouge in a July 17 attack.  Tullier arrived at TIRR Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston in a vegetative state.  but is now starting to answer to questions and recognize words.  The Baton Rouge Morning Advocate reported:

JPD issued the following statement:

The weather this morning does not exactly encourage one to go to church this morning so JJ is bringing church to you.  Here is a sermon of the late Dr. Frank Pollard.

The Clinton Police Department issued the following statement:

“USM, seeking students, reduces out-of-state tuition,” read the recent newspaper headline.

“The idea is to reverse a 2,000-student enrollment dip by pricing a USM education below some public universities in nearby states, and attract enough high-schoolers from Houston, Dallas and San Antonio to raise overall revenue,” explained the Clarion-Ledger story. USM cut annual tuition for out-of-state students by 40%, from $16,529 to $9,964.

How many times can I write "You can't make this up"?  Former JPS Superintendent Dr. Cedric Gray got a final paycheck of $195,000.  JJ obtained record of his payment through a public records request.  See for yourself:

Rogue One (Star Wars Episode 3.99) came out this week.  Spoiler alert: I haven't seen the movie but here is probably the best scene in the film.

Autopsies are never pretty and Politico's examination of the Hillary Clinton campaign is no exception.  Politico focused on the campaign's operation in Mee-chigan.  Actually, it is more accurate to write that the political website reported on the non-campaign that took place in the formerly blue state. The Michigan campaign is a good microcasm of how the national campaign operated.  A Republican will read this with much glee while a Democrat will read this while resisting the urge to start throwing things at the wall. It is almost a case study in self-inflicted wounds. However, it is a pretty sober analysis and worth reading.  Excerpts are published below with some commentary by yours truly. 

The Mississippi Department of Education issued the following statement:

The District Attorney's relationship with Too Sweet apparently went sour.   Robert "Too Sweet" Henderson told the FBI that he paid bribes "directly" to Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith. Too Sweet's testimony was recently submitted by the Attorney General in its prosecution against the D.A.  A Hinds County grand jury indicted Smith in September for three counts of improperly helping defendants. 

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

Ronnie Crudup, Jr. threw his hat in the ring today as he tries to become the next Mayor of Jackson.  Mr. Crudup is the son of Bishop Ronnie Crudup, Sr..  Mr. Crudup works at his father's church, New Horizon Ministries.  Mr. Crudup graduated from Murrah High School and Belhaven University.  The press conference was held on Greenville Drive in South Jackson. The short video of the press conference.  He took questions from the media after he finished his announcement. 

The Madison Police Department issued the following press release:

Attorney General Jim Hood issued the following press release:

It appears a settlement might be in the works. This item appeared on the agenda of the Jackson City Council last night:

Commissioner of Public Safety Santa Cruz will retire at the end of January.  He submitted a letter to the Governor today.  His replacement will be........ (drum roll).......

Just some good ole boys.... just a meanin' no harm.....

It was going to happen sooner or later. It happened to Dak Prescott in his 12th NFL game. Finally, he did not play well enough to win.

On a frigid night and frozen field in New Jersey, the Dallas Cowboys finally lost a game and their rookie quarterback, the toast of the NFL for the three months running, looked ordinary. The New York Giants, playing superb defense, won 10-7.

When will anyone learn? FEMA is at it again.  The Baton Rouge Morning Advocate reported yesterday that FEMA is paying double the retail value for mobile homes that are to be provided to flood victims.  Read and weep:

Jeff Good posted the following message on Facebook:

Clinton Mayor Phil Fisher sent the following letter to his constituents and legislators:

JPD issued the following statement and photos on Twitter:

Say a prayer for Frank Bluntson and his family.  His wife, Juanita Bluntson, passed away.  She was a class act and and filled with true grace.  She will be dearly missed. 

Local kid makes good over in Louisiana.  Watch this reaction when a high school senior finds out he got accepted to Cornell:

It's that time of year.  Vote in the Hottest Reporter Poll.  Pretend you live in Ward 3. Vote early and often. No qualifications or ID are required to vote here.   Seriously, all of these reporters are underpaid and overworked. They work long hours, take alot of abuse from those they cover, especially from politicians. Most of them are fresh out of school, scrapping and learning their trade, hoping they can improve enough to move on to a bigger market. It's a tough job and if anything, they are under appreciated.  They get hate mail, cussed out by politicians, and go to areas that most people would avoid all while doing it with a smile.   All images were culled from  their employer's websites, Google images, and public Facebook pages. Oh, and be nice in the comments.  That includes Johnny Weir.

Note: Two reporters were accidentally omitted so the poll was reset with their names included.  

What part of PEOPLE DO NOT WANT TO ALLOW CELLPHONE CALLS ON FLIGHTS does the government not get? The Department of Transportation proposed allowing phone calls made through wi-fi on flights:

Cecil McCrory wants to withdraw his guilty plea in the Chris Epps scandal. McCrory pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering in 2015.  McCrory worked with Chris Epps to shake down MDOC vendors for bribes and kickbacks.  McCrory would act as the middleman and pay off Mr. Epps when he was MDOC Commissioner.  McCrory alleged that he was innocent of the charges and poorly represented by his lawyer, Don Leland. Earlier post about motion to withdraw. McCrory also charged that then-Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst "manipulated" his case for his upcoming run for Mississippi Attorney General.  McCrory is now represented by Carlos Tanner.  However, the transcript of the hearing tells a somewhat different story.

 The Jackson Public School District Board of Trustees fired Dr. Gray.  However, Dr. Gray didn't leave without defending himself in a column published in the Clarion-Ledger.  JJ is going to set the record straight because Dr. Gray took no responsibility for anything as he made excuses and cast blame anywhere he could. 

 Update: McDonald is in police custody.

Crimestoppers issued the following bulletin and photos:

You.can't.make.this.up.  Some students at THE Ohio State University protested the shooting of a terrorist who used a knife and a car to maim and injure eleven people on campus two weeks ago.  The student newspaper, The Lantern, reported Thursday:

Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann issued the following press release: 

Can't make it to church this morning?  The late Dr. Frank Pollard preached on overcoming "Life's Discouragements" in this sermon. 

State Auditor Stacey Pickering issued the following press release:

American hero John Glenn died this week at the age of 95 years old.  This video shows him in action and why he commanded such respect across decades of time. 

What is taking place right now in Dallas is nothing short of a pension Armageddon.   The Dallas Police and Fire Pension System invested in risky real estate deals, including a swanky 200 condo development in downtown Dallas at the height of the housing meltdown. Retirees have withdrawn well over a half a billion dollars from the system as they fear its imminent collapse.  The Dallas Morning News reported yesterday:

JPD issued the following statement:

Secretary of State Dibbit Hosemann issued the following statement:

Attorney General Jim Hood issued the following press release:

Cecil McCrory filed a motion to withdraw his guilty plea to conspiracy to commit money laundering  yesterday in U.S. District Court.  McCrory worked with Chris Epps to shake down MDOC vendors for bribes and kickbacks.  McCrory would act as the middleman and pay off Mr. Epps when he was MDOC Commissioner.  McCrory alleged that he was innocent of the charges and poorly represented by his lawyer, Don Leland.  McCrory also charged that then-Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst "manipulated" his case for his upcoming run for Mississippi Attorney General.  McCrory is now represented by Carlos Tanner.

You really can't make this up.  Josh Collins, a New Orleans police officer, posted this message on his Facebook page:

Madison Municipal Court Judge Dale Danks just issued new guidelines that states suspects between the ages of 18-21 must remain in jail for 48 hours unless parents can be notified. 

The future grocery store may not have cashiers or cash registers.  Amazon is rolling out its futuristic grocery stores in 2017.  See the video for yourself.

The economy hasn't grown since 2007.  Such news will come as a surprise to more than a few people but a Gallup Report says that is exactly what has happened - or rather, hasn't happened. Gallup said the economy is "dangerously running on empty."   Gallup prepared the report for the U.S. Council on Competitiveness.   The report stated:

Madison-Rankin District Attorney issued the following press release: 

JPD issued the following statement:

Collection of all posts on the Frazier case.

Claiborne Frazier struck out yet again in court.  The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals denied his appeal of his guilty plea in 2014.  Frazier pleaded guilty to wire fraud, mail fraud, and conspiracy to commit bank fraud.  U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett sentenced him to sixty months in prison.  Judge Starrett also ordered him to pay $8.5 million in restitution to his victims . The brief opinion is posted below. 

The Executive Director of the Mississippi Board of Medical Licensure wants to make physicians who might be tempted to sexually assault a patient think twice before they do it.  Dr. John Hall proposed passing legislation that will close loopholes and toughen the criminal statutes for sexually abusive doctors.  The next session of the Mississippi Legislature begins next month. Earlier post. However, some doctors on the Board do not exactly see eye to eye with Dr. Hall.  The Mississippi Business Journal reported this week:

75 years has not erased the horror that was the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  The Japs had run roughshod over China and throughout the Pacific for years.  They decided to knock out the U.S. Pacific Fleet using tactics that had worked on the Royal Navy and against Russia nearly forty years earlier.  The rest is the Day of Infamy.  Take a moment to remember the souls of those who died that day and those who fought back.  JJ took the liberty of posting videos of that fateful attack. 

Don't know how many times I've been asked this lately but it's a lot: Where does Clinton's Cam Akers rank among the high school football players you've seen play in Mississippi?

You can't make this up.  A woman complains in the Washington ____ that the election of Donald Trump to the Presidency ruined her chances at a decent love life:

The Keifer's restaurant on Poplar Street was robbed last night.  An employee apparently left the back door ajar.  A gentleman came through the back door and robbed the restaurant.  He was armed with a pistol.  The loss is estimated to be between $500-1,000.  The suspect is a black male who was wearing a purple hoodie.  His face was covered.  There were no injuries. The incident happened after closing when only a few employees were present.

Cases of mumps infections tripled in 2016.  The Wall Street Journal reported today:

JPD posted the following information on Twitter:

Is yet another crony capitalist deal about to blow up in Mississippi? Our favorite reporter, Anita Lee of the Sun-Herald, reported that the city of Biloxi sued Biloxi Baseball and Overtime Sports over a deal that has apparently soured:

The Seattle Police Department posted this story on its website:

Jackson Ward 2 City Councilman Melvin Priester, Jr. opined on the parking meter contract on Facebook:

The Pearl River Valley Water Supply District issued the following statement:

The Justice Department issued the following statement:

Belhaven has a prowler.  Keep an eye out for the dude who is in the picture and video posted below.  A reader send them to this correspondent and said " this guy was creeping around my back door at 1am in Belhaven." JPD is aware of this incident. 

Where's James Dean?

President-elect Donald Trump will nominate Marine Corps legend General James Mattis for Secretary of Defense. The General has been a fount of quotes over the years.  Read some of them for yourself. 

If you can't make it to church this morning, JJ presents this sermon by the late Dr. Frank Pollard.

A new Rogue One video made it to the internet:

JPD issued the following statement:

How appropriate. Fate chose the week of the Egg Bowl for legislative leaders to have to wipe lots of egg off their faces.

How silly. House Republican leaders passed a rule, with Senate mimicry pending, to deny media access to the Legislature’s contracts, only to find out they were violating their own law.

Leftenant Governor Tate Reeves issued the following statement: 

Crimestoppers issued the following alert and photo for this Madison County fugitive:

Big game tonight in Starkpatch, as Clinton and Pearl face off to see who will be the Heavyweight Champ in Mississippi high school football.  The city of Clinton posted the following information for the game tonight:

Kid loses his leg but saves his little brother in a pit bull attack.  So what does his father do? Run off with the money meant for medical expenses and the family vehicle.  The Sun-Herald reported this morning:

Wondering what to watch on tv? It's at least six months before Game of Thrones returns.  There is one episode left of Westworld.  However, don't despair.  Vikings returned last night to the History Channel.  If you have not seen this series before, give it a try.  The first four and a half seasons are available on Amazon Prime Video.  Here is the trailer to the second half of season 4:

The Mississippi Supreme Court remanded the capital murder conviction of Laqunn Sharod Gary back to Hinds County Circuit Court after it held that Judge Jeff Weill violated the Gary's due process.  Gary confessed to a murder but then tried to challenge his confession and asked for a hearing to suppress the evidence.  Judge Weill denied his motion for the hearing.  However, the Court ordered Judge Weill to hold the hearing and then possibly hold a new trial if the confession is disqualified.  The opinion is posted below.  Judge Weill nemesis public defender Allison Kelly represented the defendant. There was no dissent.

Anyone who has survived driving through the Waterworks Curve the past week has seen an abandoned bus on the side of the road that looks like it came out of The Gauntlet.   WLBT reported this week:

Collection of all PERS posts

The Mississippi Public Employees Retirement System continues to spin its wheels in the mud as the latest actuarial report states that the program is only 60% funded.* The Board of Trustees received the news at the presentation of the annual report at the October board meeting.  The actual report and video of the presentation are posted below.  The nutshell version of the report is that the numbers that should be getting smaller are getting larger while the numbers that should be getting larger are getting smaller.   In other words, PERS is going in the wrong direction. 

The Jackson crime stats for the week ending October 16 are posted below.  The number of crimes has fallen since a year ago.  Property crimes fell 18% while violent crimes dropped 14%.  The overall number of crimes decreased 18%.  The number of crimes went down in every category but one - and that happens to be the most visible category- homicide.  Read the numbers for each category and weep:

Northeast Jackson hoodlum Frank Williams won't be breaking into any more houses for awhile. A  Hinds County  jury convicted him of four counts of house burglary.  However, Circuit Judge Jeff Weill sentenced him to 17 years and 6 months in prison and decreed that half of the sentences were consecutive to the other half.  Thus Frankie received a prison sentence of 35 years. 

The late, immeasurably great Boo Ferriss could have become a Major League manager had he chosen that path. With his people skills and his baseball acumen, he surely would have been a splendid one.

 Update: Incumbent Court of Appeals Judge Jack Wilson is beating Judge Ed Hannan 60% - 40% with 90% of the precincts counted.

Here are the results for the Hinds County Election Commissioner races.  There are two boxes that are still out in two of the races.

It appears the students at Ole Miss are attempting to make the university a "sanctuary city" for illegal aliens.  Read the proposed resolution for yourself.

The Mississippi Board of Medical Licensure want to make it a criminal offense for a doctor to have sex with a patient.  The Atlanta Constitution-Journal recently ranked Mississippi dead last in protecting patients from sexual abuse by doctors.  However, the new executive director of the Board apparently is taking the bull by the horns and working to get off of the bottom and better protect patients as well.  The Mississippi Business Journal reported:

Keith Olbermann shows once again why he gets kicked out of every network as he encourages Republicans to engage in a bit of anarchy and take the country to the edge of civil war.

JPD issued the following press release:

Sometimes we forget how blessed we are to live in a world filled with medical wonders.  The video posted below aims to remind you of that little fact.  Watch people who are able to see colors for the first time when they wear the enchroma glasses.  The video shows how much we take for granted. 

Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey issued the following statement and mug shot:

SLRP.  The retirement fund that is appropriately named by its acronym.  Supplemental Legislative Retirement Fund.  It's a declaration by the legislature that states our elected solons are indeed better than the rest of us.  The legislature created SLRP to give themselves extra retirement pay not available to other state employees.  Call it time and a half pay for doing half of the work- if that much. The program currently holds $16.4 million in assets.

The Mississippi Highway Patrol issued the following report on the Thanksgiving holiday enforcement period:

JPD issued the following statement:

The embarrassment that is the tenure of Marilyn Mosby, the State Attorney in Baltimore.  The grandstanding attorney who appeared onstage at a Prince concert shortly after she railroaded six cops in the Freddie Gray case apparently has  a much lower conviction rate than her predecessor- and brags about it.   However, what she lacks in competence she makes up for in making excuses.  The Wall Street Journal reported last week:

JJ presents this sermon by the late Dr. Frank Pollard for those of you who can't make it to church this morning. 

Yup. The bastard is finally dead.  May he rot in hell for a very long time .

Speaker of the House Philip Gunn and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves have decided to shift Mississippi’s tax burden – less on income and businesses, more on users.

It is now the start of the Christmas season.  What better way to kick it off then watching this venerated Christmas TV classic.

Certified NRA instructor Jamie Patrick will teach a concealed weapon's permit class this weekend.  The cost is only $50.  Completion of the class will allow you to apply for the enhanced carry permit.  This information for the class is posted below.

Can you stand some good news? The dog that was stolen in the parking lot of Maywood Mart has been found and returned to its owner.  The owner posted this message on Facebook:

Someone apparently got a case of the stupid.  The Madison Police Department issued the following statement:

JJ posts this classic movie in honor of Dak Prescott:

Sigh.  What is it going to take to wake up this generation? Another World War or Depression?  One group of bed-wetters got upset over the actual flying of the American flag at their university.  The Daily Caller reports:

If you don't succeed, try, try again.  It appears some local thugs took to heart this old proverb as they robbed a Raymond Road location of Metro PCS after a gun-firing manager ran them out of the McDowell Metro PCS store earlier this week.  However, JPD nabbed the two bandits yesterday.  JPD issued the following bulletins and video on Twitter last night.  Classify this post under "Dumb Crook Stories".

Black Friday is upon us.  There is actually a useful website for that annual day of horrors.  This web page actually collected and posted all of the TV sales found in Black Friday ads.  

The little-noticed 2016 actuarial report for Medicare states that the Hospital Insurance Fund (Part A) will go broke in only twelve years.  The other Medicare programs are solvent and face no similar doomsday scenarios on the horizon.  However, The HI Fund has seen its funding level drop more than half since 2007 as its reserves are used to pay more and more health care costs. 

You can make a strong case that the two hottest teams in the National Football League are the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants. Both keep winning. Both boast excellent play at the all-important quarterback position.

And, for our purposes today, both are quarterbacked by the only two-time winners of the C Spire Conerly Trophy which goes annually to the most outstanding college football player in Mississippi.

JPD issued the following press release and pictures:

Here is another look at those would-be robbers at the Metro PCS on McDowell Road yesterday. Enjoy.

The Mississippi Legislature appropriated $388,906 for the settlement of Mississippi Highway Patrol lawsuits earlier this year.  The bill included $235,000 paid to victims of former trooper Christopher Hughes and $118,906 to Training Director Gayle McMullin for racial discrimination.  DPS settled two more lawsuits since the bill became law.  SB #2924 states:

Here is the Edbuild contract.  It finally appeared on DFA's website.  Read it to your heart's content.

File this post under the Lead Laxative Report.  JPD issued the following statement on Twitter:

Things aren't going too well for prosecutors who are determined to have the Great White White that is former AIG CEO Hank Greenberg.  They are pretty desperate as they recently tried to use his World War II service against him.  The Wall Street Journal reported in an October 13 editorial:

Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves and Speaker of the House Phillip Gunn issued the following joint statement about the Edbuild contract:

Mississippi Secretary of State Dilbert Hosemann issued the following statement: 

Attorney General Jim Hood took advantage of the beating the legislature is taking in the media over its recent decision to seal all contracts.  The Attorney General issued this statement:

Vice-President-Elect Mike Pence will be coming to Mississippi for Thanksgiving.  Governor Pence's son is a Marine pilot training at one of our bases.  Let us hope he can survive the Navy mess.

The Pearl River Valley Water Supply District said all lanes on Harbor Drive are reopened after the repair of a 30" water line. 

Here are the video and documents provided at the November 2 meeting of the 1% Sales Tax Commission. The fun starts at 9:00 in the first video when Commissioner Pete Perry questions the accuracy of some of the information provided.  Overall, the meeting ran much better than the October meeting when IMS engineers failed to provide any documents or copies of their presentation to the Commissioners.

The Mississippi Highway Patrol issued the following press release:

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood issued the following press release: 

Hinds County District 4 Election Commissioner Connie Cochran posted this message on Facebook this morning:

If you can't make it to church this morning, enjoy this sermon given by the late Dr. Frank Pollard.  He asks the questions "What's a father for?"

Haley Barbour was right. “People wanted to shoot Washington the bird,” he said recently at the MEC Hobnob. “They thought Donald Trump was the biggest, most magnificent middle finger they could find.”

For many, that’s all that mattered. If Trump delivers on any campaign promises, well, that will just be icing on the cake.

Others are expecting lots of icing. And that’s where the President-elect will be challenged. Talking and proposing are one thing. Getting results is quite another.

JPD issued the following press release: 

Former MDOC Commissioner Chris Epps asked a court to place him under house arrest. His bond was revoked on November 4 after he was arrested on November 2 for breaking into his former Flowood home and removing some lighting and fixtures.  He is currently in custody. 

Jackson Mayor Tony Yarber told the EPA that Jackson may not be able to meet deadlines that are part of the $400 million consent decree with the EPA because the City Council refused to approve a contract for the program manager. 

Mayor Yarber sent a letter on October 6 to EPA Region 4 Administrator Heather McTeer Toney that stated Jackson might not meet the Clean Water Act consent decree deadlines.  Mayor Yarber stated:

The Pearl River Valley Water Supply District issued the following statement:

This British reporter had a complete meltdown over the Democratic implosion last week.  The British leftist had some not so nice things to say about American leftists.  This is pretty good stuff.  Enjoy.

Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey issued the following press release:

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

One of the most monumental cinematic events occurred twenty years ago:

Update: Repairs still continue.

The Pearl River Valley Water Supply District issued the following notice:

A controversial 2014 police chase reached speeds of 130 mph as Madison police chased three suspects from the Target on County Line Road to Gallatin Street.  JJ obtained a copy of the dashcam videos of the chase.  An innocent bystander was injured when the suspects struck his vehicle.  He sued the city of Madison.  The videos are posted below. 

JPD issued these photos that were taken during  a robbery of Whitley's Florist in Fondren last weekend.  JPD seeks the public's help in identifying and apprehending the suspect.

You start a true freshman quarterback in college football, you can only guess what you will get.

Ole Miss and Southern Miss both did it last Saturday with decidedly mixed results:

The Madison Police Department and Crimestoppers issued the following press release and photos:

Look at the rule the House just adopted:

Governor Phil Bryant issued the following press release:

It appears Chris Epps' recent behavior inspired someone to imitate him over at the Black Diamonds "gentlemen's club" a few days ago.  The club was seized and shut down with the dreaded red sign and yellow tape in October after the owners failed to pay a judgement.  The plaintiff's attorney, Ben Wilson, told the court that the defendants had gone gangsta as he and his family were harassed, threatened, and followed since the club was closed. 

Senator Roger Wicker issued the following press release: 

Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves issued the following statement: 

Here are the public records requests submitted to the City of Jackson since July 1, 2016. Enjoy

The Pearl River Valley Water Supply District issued the following press release:

The Clinton Police Department issued the following press release and photos:

A Madison County judge called Linda Brune's bluff and issued a bench warrant for her arrest last Wednesday after she failed to appear in court at an October hearing. Ms. Brune is the former secretary for Downtown Jackson Partners. DJP sued Ms. Brune for embezzlement and seeks her deposition. DJP fired MS. Brune for providing records to the Clarion-Ledger after Jerry Mitchell published a story on DJP spending.

What would be the end of election week be without a clip from Saturday Night Live?

Leon Russell passed away at the age of 74 today.  Here are some clips of his 2013 performance in Jackson.

Several readers sent this petition to JJ that is on the Change.org website.  Oxford's Joshua Horton posted a petition to reform how we treat substance abusers.   Mr. Horton urged Mississippians to sign the petition in this message:

JJ presents this sermon of the late Dr. Frank Pollard for readers who can't make it to church today.  Dr. Pollard preaches on "the Christian Art of Dodging Spears".

This mother didn't take it too well when she found out her kid voted for Trump at school:

“State economists lower forecast for remainder of year,” read the Mississippi Business Journal headline on October 27th. “Mississippi’s state economists have pulled back on an already-weak economic forecast for the rest of 2016, projecting that the state’s economy will grow only 1.5 percent instead of the 1.6 percent previously predicted,” said the story.

“U.S. economy roars back, grew at 2.9% in third quarter,” read the Wall Street Journal headline on October 30th. “It was the strongest quarterly reading in two years after three straight quarters of sub-2% growth,” said the story.

Mississippi legislative leaders have announced they have hired EdBuild, a New Jersey based education consulting firm, to review the state’s public education funding formula, the Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP). A review of the formula is appropriate and timely. In fact, every public program should be reviewed periodically for efficiency, effectiveness and need.

It appears many of us wrote the 2016 New Orleans Saints obituary a tad too soon.

Losers of four of their first five games, the Saints have won four of their last five and stand at at an even 4-4 headed into the second half of the NFL season.

A Madison County grand jury indicted former Innovate Mississippi CFO Tonya Klauser for three counts of embezzlement and false pretenses in September. The indictment states alleges Klauser used her American Express card from 2011 to 2013 to defraud Innovate Mississippi and also submitted 141 fraudulent expense reports for reimbursement.  The indictment is posted below.

Disney released an international trailer for Rogue One that has some new scenes.

The Mississippi Supreme Court reversed the conviction of Louis Kuebler and remanded his case back to Hinds County Circuit Judge Winston Kidd for a new trial.  A Hinds County jury convicted Kuebler in 2011 of first degree murder in the death of Tamra Stuckey.

JPD issued the following press release and photo:

Elections and divorces tend to bring out the worst in people and the 2016 Presidential Election was no exception.  People are going to get into verbal fisticuffs over candidates.  Always have and always will. However, social media has empowered the baser impulses of quite a few people.  One particular woman got mad as hell that Mama Hamil dared to put a campaign sign on the property of her business.  The horror.  A Geilia Taylor was soooo outraged by this display of the First Amendment that she posted this message on Facebook:

It's time to get back to a normal routine since the election is now over.  Our fearless D.A. seeks a rematch in the Hinds County courthouse tomorrow.  Robert Shuler Smith wants another shot at the Attorney General after Special Circuit Judge Larry Roberts denied Mr. Smith's motion to quash his indictment. Judge Robert will hold a hearing on the motion that is posted below.

Perhaps President Obama should have kept his mouth shut.  The President humiliated Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents Dinner back in 2011.  But don't let me tell you about it, watch the video for yourself....

Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves issued the following press release:

This Twitter meltdown is probably one for the books.

Wow.  CNN and NBC are reporting that Hillary conceded the election to Donald Trump. 

We are going to live-blog the election results tonight.  Make all election night comments on this post.  The long nightmare that has been the 2016 Presidential campaign will be over one way or another.  Who will win?

The Mississippi Secretary of State issued the following press release: 

Post your comments here.  JJ will live-blog the election results tonight. 

The Jackson Zoo issued the following press release yesterday:

Secretary of State Dibbit Hosemann issued the following press release: 

The city of Jackson issued the following press release:

Attorney General Jim Hood issued the following press release: 

The Madison Police Department issued the following statement:

Update: The docket states that DJP subpoenaed records from a bank and two casinos.  DJP also filed a notice of serving interrogatories on Ms. Brune and Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith.  

Downtown Jackson Partners asked a Madison County Court Judge to hold former employee Linda Brune in contempt of court for refusing to participate in a deposition.  DJP accused her of embezzling over $40,000 in a lawsuit filed nearly two years ago.  Judge Will Longwitz held a hearing to determine whether he should compel her deposition on October 25 but Ms. Brune did not appear at the hearing.  She instead attended the motion hearings that were held in State v. Robert Shuler Smith even though she was not subpoenaed to be there.   DJP Executive Director Ben Allen is under indictment for allegedly embezzling and misusing DJP funds. DJP asked Judge Longwitz to issue a bench warrant and detain Ms. Brune until she was deposed.