Jackson Jambalaya

Was Pearl yet another city that fell for another pitch of baseball and bright lights only to later regret the decision?  Were then-Mayor Jimmy Foster and his team simply yet another example of bond dummies that break their cities upon the rocks of bad bond deals? Bloomberg News shined a spotlight on how the Atlanta Braves manipulates cities into practically building new stadiums at little cost to the organization.  Only time will tell whether Foster's gamble paid off for Pearl.  Bloomberg reported:

Dilbert creator Scott Adams has been analyzing Trump's march to the Republican nomination.  He defies conventional wisdom and argues on his blog that Trump is a genius at work:

JPD issued the following press release about our Moss Creek thug:

JPD captured a suspect in the armed robbery and rape that took place several nights ago at The Park at Moss Creek Apartments.  JJ obtained a transcript of an interview one of the victims gave to a tv station.  It provides more details on the horrific crime.  The names have been removed.

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.

JPD nabbed a suspect in the armed robbery and rape that took place at The Park at Moss Creek Apartments this week.  JPD issued the following statement a few minutes ago:

The Pearl Police Department issued the following press release:

Madison-Rankin District Attorney issued the following press release:

Representative Kimberly Campbell posted this announcement on Facebook:

The question was asked this past weekend: Is this the best college baseball season in Mississippi history?

It was a good weekend to ask it: Ole Miss swept Auburn. Mississippi State took two of three at LSU. Southern Miss took two of three one-run games from Rice. All three Mississippi teams are nationally ranked. All three have Top 20 RPIs. All three are in the conversation about who will host regionals.

The following post is a public service announcement from JJ:

Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith and Sheriff Victor Mason are fighting  over $1.068 million in Hinds County Circuit Court.   Hinds County deputies seized the money during a traffic stop on January 25, 2016.  The District Attorney wants 20% of the seized funds, but the Sheriff argues the D.A.'s office did not participate in any part of the investigation or seizure and thus is not entitled to any portion of the funds.

Chasing tail is not always a good thing.  U.S. Attorney Greg Davis issued the following press release:

There is no sugarcoating it: Madison County was body-slammed in federal court today.   U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves ruled that Madison County must pay the bonds for the Parkway East Public Improvement District if the PID defaults.  The court stated the county guaranteed the bonds, all $27.7 million of them.

The New York Times reported yesterday:

An armed robbery and rape occurred at the Park at Moss Creek Apartments last night. Nextdoor posts provided details of the crime. JPD sources confirmed the crime took place. The victims were three women and one man although only one woman was raped. The suspect is a 6'2" black male. 

I came across this old Jackson Daily News front page while looking for Gold Coast stories in the archives last year.  This 1940 front page shows the blatant racism that once took place at the capitol.  Keep in mind, the newspaper reported this story from a positive point of view. One can almost hear the chuckles as the editor sent the story to press.  Warning: racist language is used in the story. 

Jackson Mayor Tony Yarber issued the following press release:

The Mississippi Department of Education issued the following press release:

The Byram Police Department issued the following statement:

Paul Hampton provided more details in the Sun-Herald on why the bill that would have added domestic violence as a ground for divorce died just short of the finish line last week in the Mississippi legislature.  It seems an additional ground for divorce was added in conference committee that didn't sit too well with some members.  Mr. Hampton reported:

We did it!!! JJ wants to thank you very much for supporting Reimagine Prep.  We raised over $3,000 to help the kids at the South Jackson charter school visit the World War II Museum in New Orleans.  Seeing actual history beats reading about it any day of the week.  Thanks for supporting these students. 

Technology is such a wonderful thing.  Check out these workers near Ridgewood Road and Northside Drive.

A food fight broke out between former Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson and the Northside Sun. The editorial page of the weekly newspaper sharply criticized Jackson's leadership for a lack of resurfacing of roads in the Bold New City  The Northside Sun claimed audited financial statements provided the following information on how many miles were paved each year:

Our favorite Reverend filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court on April 6 against Governor Bryant, MDOT, and the state of Mississippi.  The lawsuit is posted below. Start reading on page 3. The case was assigned to Judge Carlton Reeves and referred to Magistrate Keith Ball.  The lawsuit is posted below.  Some of the complaint looks very familiar.

The Mississippi House of Representatives continued to distinguish itself last week after it killed a conference report that would reform campaign finance laws.  Representatives Cory Wilson and Bill Denny led the fatally doomed Charge of the Reform Brigade as they sought passage of the report.  See the videos posted below for yourself as they show bipartisanship can occur in Speaker Gunn's House when members are properly motivated.

Geoff Pender ably described the scene that took place on April 19 in the pages of the Clarion-Ledger yesterday:

Here are the latest crime stats for Jackson for the week ending April 10, 2016.  The good news is property crimes are substantially lower across the board.  The bad news is homicides and carjackings are higher on a year to date basis.  Precinct 4 is seeing a substantial reduction in violent crime but unfortunately house burglaries and auto thefts have increased by approximately a third from a year ago.  The stats are posted below.

JJ videotaped the Hinds County Republican Party convention yesterday at the War Memorial Building in downtown Jackson.  99 delegates selected delegates to attend the state GOP convention in May.  The delegates also voted for members to serve on the Hinds County Republican Party executive committee.  The delegates were elected at precinct caucuses held that morning.  Pete Perry chaired the convention.

Say Happy Birthday to this pothole at the intersection of Riverside and Devine:

A campaign to bring two Madison teens home to their mother has blown up local Facebook pages over the last few days.  JJ's inbox has received a few messages from readers who are very concerned about this situation.  The Facebook page posted this message on April 20:

The Wall Street Journal reported this week that UnitedHealth will withdraw from most Obamacare exchanges:

It seems a certain teacher at a private school in Vicksburg has a tough time controlling his class.  JJ posted a video Tuesday that showed a student climbing back into the classroom window after she had climbed out and flipped off the class.  Another video has surfaced that shows another student showing his strong desire to try out for the gymnastics team:

Jackson Academy might apply for membership to the Mississippi High School Athletics Association.  The Northeast Jackson private school sent out an email to parents that stated it is "studying possible membership" in the MHSAA.  The email states:

Attorney General Jim Hood issued the following press release:

Jackson Mayor Tony Yarber issued the following statement:

Will accused kidnapper Andre Kennedy get out of jail? A Hind County grand jury indicted Kennedy  on February 26 for kidnapping, armed robbery, and burglary.  Kennedy and his accomplice Edwin "Guttalife" Robinson (allegedly) kidnapped and robbed a doctor from his Ridgewood home early on a Saturday morning, May 16, 2015.  However, Kennedy has not been arraigned.  His attorney, public defender Chris Routh,  filed a motion to dismiss on April 19.  The motion is posted below. Earlier post and copy of indictment.

State Treasurer Lynn Fitch issued the following statement yesterday:

The Mississippi Republican Party will hold its precinct caucuses and county conventions this Saturday.  A fracas of sorts erupted today after the Sun-Herald reported that Mississippi Republican Party Grand Poobah Joe Nosef sent a text that made made the national talk radio shows:

The city of Clinton issued the following press release:

Jackson City Council President Melvin Priester, Jr. provided an update on Facebook about the Capital Improvement District Bill.  Things are a'changing and maybe not for the better.  Mr. Priester wrote:

This was September, 1979. Mississippi State's football team was playing Maryland at College Park, Md. The late, great Orley Hood and I covered the game for the Jackson newspapers.

Hinds County Court Judge Melvin Priester, Jr. ordered a mental evaluation for accused killer Zebulum James last week.  James was arrested in November for killing a woman at the Shell station on Watkins Drive and another woman in the parking lot of Logan's Roadhouse on County Line Road on the same night.  Both victims were white.  James also proceeded to shoot at a JATRAN bus and a home during his campaign of death. 

Update: The plot thickens.  A second video has surfaced and is posted below. 

A video shows a 13 year-old student's head hitting a window as a teacher pulled her through the window.  The incident took place at a private school in Vicksburg. Her mother posted the video and several statements on her public Facebook page:

The Leftenant Governor and the "State Newspaper" are a'feudin' over tax cuts.  Leftnenant Governor Tate Reeves celebrated the passing of tax cuts in a press release that was issued yesterday:

The Jackson Municipal Airport Authority issued the following press release:

Poor Coach Mullen.  He makes it to the Boston Marathon and then this happens:

 Here are the "C" ratings for Jackson metro area restaurants issued since November 13, 2015.  The Mississippi Department of Health inspects and grades each restaurant.  The department inspects the restaurant again within ten days after the "C" is issued.  The restaurant listed below all passed their follow-up inspections.

Reverend Jeffrey Stallworth sued the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Governor Phil Bryant, Attorney General Jim Hood, the states of Mississippi and Maryland, and the current as well as previous governor of Maryland in U.S. District Court Friday for damages for the placement of his name on a sex offender registry, malicious prosecution, defamation, and violation of his constitutional rights.  

Jackson Public Schools District officials came crying to the legislature Friday over charter schools.  The Jackson Free Press reported last week:

Popular Mechanics posted a cool picture listing of all the skilled trades that are used in the building of a destroyer in the current edition.  Enjoy the Navy porn posted below.

Jackson City Council President Melvin Priester, Jr. provided an update on his Facebook page about the nomination of James Stanley to the JMAA Board of Commissioners.  Mr. Priester apparently replied to this website's asking when a confirmation hearing would be held for Mr. Stanley.  JJ thanks Mr. Priester for being forthright in his post and providing new information. Mr. Priester wrote :

The city of Jackson issued the following statement:

Enforcing school discipline is apparently considered to be racist.  Paul Sperry argues the Obama administration is endangering teachers with its attacks on school discipline in a New York Post column.  One school district even offered bonuses to principals for lowering suspension rates even as their teachers are beaten by students.  Mr. Sperry writes:

Update #2: Routh just filed a motion to strike Judge Weill's response and the transcript posted below. (2:00 PM)

Update: Jimmie Gates reported on this story in the Clarion-Ledger.  He only published Hinds County Public Defender Michelle Purvis's account and none of the documents that were available online. 

Hinds County Circuit Judge Jeff Weill revoked the bond of Lauren Shell Blackwell Wednesday.  A Hinds County grand jury indicted Blackwell and Walter Lee Young for capital murder in the death of 81 year-old Lee Kendrick last October. They were indicted for auto theft as well as they allegedly stole the victim's car after killing him.  However, the arraignment ended with the jailing of public defender Chris Routh for contempt of court although the Mississippi Supreme Court ordered his release later in the day.

Bedwetters took over an administration building at The Ohio State University.  It came as a rude surprise to these everyone-gets-a-trophy kids that they might actually get arrested and expelled.  It's funny they were all gone by 12:30 AM when he said a paddy wagon would be arriving at 5:30 AM to pick them up if they were still in the building.  Watch the video for yourself:

The Coalition of Black Students presented a list of demands to the administration of Mississippi State University. The group also held a sit-in at Lee Hall yesterday and demanded that the administration stop flying the Mississippi state flag.   The demands and a video of the event are posted below.

The Mississippi Department of Health issued the following press release:

The airport takeover bill passed the Senate 31-15 on a motion to concur. It now goes to the Governor's desk for his approval.  Fire up the lawyers.

Jackson Mayor Tony Yarber issued this statement:

Mayor Tony Yarber nominated Ward 1 resident James Stanley to the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority Board of Commissioners on February 23.  Mr. Stanley possesses a sterling resume: a  decorated combat fighter pilot, many years spent at Ergon in management, and more years spent as an engineer.  City Council President Melvin Priester, Jr. postponed his appointment to the board as he promised at the February 23 meeting that a confirmation hearing for Mr. Stanley would be held a week later. Watch his promise for yourself in this video:

Attorney General Jim Hood issued the following press release:

Hinds County Circuit Judge Jeff Weill said attorney Antar Lumumba did not tell the truth when he claimed in a motion to recuse that Judge Weill once filed a bar complaint against his father, the deceased Chokwe Lumumba, Sr.  Lumumba sued attorney Toney Baldwin in Hinds County Circuit Court for allegedly interfering with his representation of several clients in Stonewall (Clarke County).  Judge Weill denied his motion.  The court also hammered the attorney for filing his motion more than 80 days after the deadline had passed.

Update: MDOC stated in an email:  when this person was indicted he was in prison. He was housed at the Issaquena County Correctional Facility. He went on probation in May 2015. (So he indicted before he went on probation.) Upon learning late that this person is a suspect in a shooting in Jackson, MDOC visited his residence early this morning and did not find him. MDOC then obtained a warrant for his arrest for probation violation.  He is now being sought by MDOC. Once he is arrested and taken before the judge, the judge will determine what happens to him.

JPD is looking for two suspects in a shooting that took place recently at the Westwick Apartments.  At least one suspect is well known to police and is currently free on the street as the judges, prosecutors, and MDOC can't exactly figure out what to do with Ontario Williams.  Check out his story.

The Mississippi Department of Corrections issued the following press release:

Here are the Jackson crime stats for the week ending March 6, 2016. Burglaries and other property crimes are down substantially from last year across the city and in Precinct 4. Violent crime is down as well in Precinct 4 although it has slightly increased in the rest of Jackson. 

Here is the next batch of emails that were submitted to the Ridgeland Board of Aldermen last week by a group of Ridgeland citizens who sued the city over the zoning for a proposed Costco.  JJ has not read these emails.  The emails were obtained through public records requests filed by the plaintiffs.  Read them to your heart's desire and comment away.

Rudy Warnock removed a Madison County lawsuit to federal court last week.  The Madison County Board of Supervisors sued him in Madison County Circuit Court on March 31.  Madison County asked the court to order Mr. Warnock to turn over the plans and other documents for 35 projects as well as the Sulphur Springs project.  However, Mr. Warnock had sued the county on February 1 in U.S. District Court for $1.4 million in damages.  Earlier post on the two lawsuits. 

Hinds County Circuit Judge Tomie Green set bond at $150,000 for Arkel Coleman on March 10. Coleman is the accused killer of Eric Hambrick.  The victim was an employee at MEMA.  He was killed outside of the Waffle House on High Street on May 28, 2015 after participating in choir practice at First Baptist Church. Two hoodlums approached Mr. Hambrick in the parking lot, beat him, and robbed him.  He fell to the ground and died of injuries sustained from the beating and the fall to the pavement.  JPD arrested Arkel Coleman  and Sherderwick Anderson a few days later.

The Mississippi Department of Health has denied 23 applications for vaccine exemptions over the last five years.  However, the department told JJ that all applications submitted by Mississippi-licensed doctors were approved.  The number of requests and exemptions have more than tripled in five years. 

 Update: The MBML withdrew the amendment that is the subject of the story below and submitted a revised one on April 4.  The agency stated it withdrew the original amendment due to a "technicality".  The revised amendment is posted below. 

The battle over allowing nurse practitioners to operate more freely in Mississippi may not be over.  Watchdog.org reports the Mississippi Board of Medical Licensure might be changing the terms of an agreement it reached with the legislature this year.  Steve Wilson writes:

HBO also released three more clips today:

Governor Phil Bryant signed SB #2587 last week.  The new law cuts off all municipal funding for interim appointments who serve over six months and require confirmation by the legislative branch. The bill was authored by Senator Josh Harkins (R-JMAA).  The new law will go into effect on July 1.  There is no "grandfather clause".  A city will be barred from paying an interim appointment's salary if he has served over six months in that position on July 1.  The state auditor can recover the funds expended in violation of the law.  The bill states:

Defendants Cecil McCrory and Chris Epps showed up in U.S. District Court this morning for sentencing in the MDOC scandal.  However, McCrory told the court he wants to withdraw his guilty plea and go to trial.  The court delayed Epps' sentencing until July 18.  Mr. McCrory was scheduled to be sentenced on June 9. 

Protecting tenants from criminals is now racist, according to HUD.  A landlord who wants to provide safe housing can incur the ire of HUD if he screens potential renters with a criminal background check.  Thank you, Justice Kennedy.  HUD issued "guidance" a week ago on the use of criminal background checks by landlords. Meet the new racism as defined by HUD:

The scene: Westwick Apartments off of Flag Chapel Road.  Date: February 2016.  The event: see for yourself.

The Harrison County Board of Supervisors channeled their inner Nancy Pelosi last week and questioned an MDA deal that is supposed to bring one thousand jobs to the county.  The Sun-Herald reported on April 4:

The Clarion-Ledger  called the airport take over bill "state-sponsored theft" in an editorial published Friday.  However, one short passage gives one pause and shows the mindset of the state newspaper:

A young Che wannabe freaked out when she discovered a booth in the student union at Denison University (Ohio) that promoted capitalism and opposed gun control. It is not known if she uses Pampers or Huggies.  See video for yourself.

Jackson Chief Administrative Officer Gus McCoy sent a letter to the City Council on March 31 that stated that the water and sewer revenues could not be audited due to "extenuating circumstances." Read the letter for yourself below.

Here is the third batch of emails between Ridgeland officials and other parties regarding Costco.  Enjoy.

OHMIGOSHIJUSTSAWTHEKLANTHEKLANISMARCHINGTHROUGHOURSCHOOLHELLLLPPPP!!!!!!! Not exactly. It seems our helicopter-parented students really do need a safe space from reality.

Show me the money? What if we don't know where the money is? Deputy Director of Administration (Jackson) Michelle Battee-Day stated in an April 4 letter to the Jackson City Council that water sewer collections were drastically behind projections.  The letter is posted below.  The collections and projections do not include sanitation revenue.  The letter states:

Straight from the Magnolia Bar Listserve.  Hinds County Public Defender Ray Carter provided some colorful and jocular commentary on the airport takeover bill:

Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves issued the following press release:

The Clinton Police Department issued the following statement:

The Mississippi Department of Corrections issued the following press release:

Reddit recently had an AMA with a 92-year old Holocaust survivor.  There is another group that is fading away as we lose our World War II veterans- Holocaust survivors.  The grandson of Henry Flescher helped him answer questions on Reddit as he confessed he understandably did not know how to use Reddit or a computer.  Link to AMA session.  It is a riveting story.  Here are some highlights:

Here is the second batch of emails between Ridgeland officials and other parties regarding Costco.  290 pages of emails are posted below.  Have fun digging through them to your heart's content.

JJ posted yesterday 290 pages of emails between city of Ridgeland officials and other parties regarding Costco.  It is a bit much to expect readers to comb through so many pages so JJ took the liberty of reading the emails and posting a "road map" below.  Readers should be able to better read the batch of emails.  I'll post another batch and a road map tomorrow as well.

In basketball, we call it “garbage time.” One team has an insurmountable lead on the other with the clock winding down. The winning coach clears his bench, giving little-used “scrubs” a chance to play.

Garbage time? Not for McKie Edmondson, now a 40-year-old Madison businessman. Edmondson, a high school standout at Jackson Academy, was a walk-on sophomore guard on the 1995-96 Mississippi State Bulldogs, the only Magnolia State team in history to advance to the Final Four.

Damn.  Conner McAlister died by his own hand last night.  He was the boyfriend of Carolyn Temple when she was murdered over a year ago.  Prayers for his family and friends.  Law enforcement sources confirmed his death. 

Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey issued the following press release:

The Ridgeland Board of Aldermen voted 4-3 last night to approve an amendment to its zoning ordinances that allowed C-2 zoning include service stations. An overflow crowd filled City Hall last night. The Board of Aldermen voted to approve a similar amendment in June 2015. The amendment was a concession to Costco as the company told Ridgeland it was crucial that the city change its zoning laws so it could operate a gas station at the proposed site for a proposed store on Highland Colony Parkway. However, no public notice was made about the June 2015 hearing and several Ridgeland residents sued the city in November. The conscript fathers of Ridgeland chose to have another hearing and issued the proper notices. Alderman Ken Heard moved to repeal the June 2015 amendment and revert to the prior zoning ordinance. Alderman D.I. Smith seconded the motion. However, the motion died on a 4-3 vote and the Board voted 4-3 to approve the proposed ordinance last night.

JPD issued the following press release and mug shots.

 Collection of all posts on Jackson airport

The brawl over the Jackson municipal airport began several years ago as the airport quietly hummed along in Rankin County, out of sight and out of mind. Jackson Municipal Airport Authority CEO Dirk Vanderleest ran the airport for 35 years. Mayors and Commissioners came and went but Dirk was always there with his steady hands at the helm. Taken for granted he was as the airport continued to be forgotten by those in power.

Only $161,554 of 1% sales tax commission money has been spent.  Anna Wolfe reported in the Clarion-Ledger yesterday that Jackson has received $26 million in 1% sales tax revenue but has spent little money on infrastructure projects.  Ms. Wolfe reported:

Ben Allen is a developer? Who knew?  A true Renaissance man. 

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

The city of Jackson unveiled its new data portal at a press conference yesterday.   Citizens will be able to obtain more information about their city and see how their government operates.  Mayor Yarber said at a press conference that the project will make the government more transparent to its citizens.  The video of the short press conference and a press release are posted below. 

Protests abounded throughout Jackson today.  It seems this group decided to get in on the act over at the intersection of North State Street and Woodrow Wilson:

JPD issued the following press release:

JJ presents the Mississippi State Capitol as never seen before.  Yours truly and photographer Rick Guy took the drone out to the capitol on a lovely spring afternoon recently and shot footage of the capitol in all of its glory.  Classical structures, a golden eagle, stained glass windows, and blooming azaleas provide material for some beautiful shots.  Please try to do the video justice and watch it on a computer or ipad instead of a smartphone.  The video is best watched in high-definition mode.  Click on the little wheel at the bottom right-hand corner of the Youtube frame and select at least 720.  Enjoy.

A 14-year old runway from a children's home stole a JPD cruiser from Precinct 3 this evening.  The yewt drove for two miles before his joyride ended.  He apparently couldn't handle a curve and left the road.  The cruiser came to a stop in by some woods and suffered minor damage.  The JPD officer assigned to the car left his keys in the ignition.  Yup.  It is probably a safe prediction that the officer will face some disciplinary action as well as some chewing of the gluteus maximus although it might be a gluteus extremus minumus when the session is over.  The yewt will soon face the face of Judge Skinner. 

Zero, zero, zero.  Jackson literally spent zero dollars on repaving its roads in 2010 and 2011.  The Northside Sun recently provided a public service in publishing an article on Jackson's road repaving program that is available in the current issue.  The story included a table that stated how many miles of Jackson roads were repaved for each year since 1998  JJ took the liberty of using the newspaper's data to create a chart that will show exactly how dismal the true picture is. 

Click on image to enlarge

The legislature passed an interesting little bill, SB #2587, and sent it to the Governor this week. Senator Josh Harkins is the author.  The bill is posted below. 

There have been numerous auto burglaries in business parking lots today & the suspects are driving a silver Honda Accord with tinted windows & a paper tag on it.  If you see vehicle, report to JPD. 

Trash gonna trash.  Some readers may find it difficult to watch all nine minutes of this video.

It's official.  The Mississippi Board of Medical Licensure really is shameful - according to Consumer Reports.  The magazine analyzed all state medical licensure boards and rated them in the current issue.  The results were not pretty as the Mississippi Board of Medical Licensure ranked dead last out of all fifty states and was far behind the next highest board. MBML had the worst website and did the poorest job of disclosing disciplinary actions taken against doctors.  Article.

Screenshot of Consumer Reports rankings. Click on image to enlarge.

There is no other word that can be used to describe the city clerk's office in Jackson.  JJ submitted an online public records request for a copy of the contract for the project manager for the 1% sales tax project.  The clerk's office charged $85 for the contract posted below.  They charged two hours for "staff time" and $45 for copying charges even though the contract was provided via email.  Keep in mind this is also a contract that was approved by the City Council at the December 15, 2015 meeting and attached to the minutes.   Thieving bureaucrats.  Meanwhile, the contract itself pays IMS Engineers $840,000 for the first year as project manager.  Read the contract for yourself below.  Nice list of subs.  Even Lord Snow gets in on the action.

Yes, it's true.  Your favorite cartoon came back today.