Jackson Jambalaya

 The Southern Poverty Law Center charged that the state favors white school districts such as Desoto County over black school districts such as Jackson Public Schools when funding education.  However, the lawsuit was long on rhetoric about discrimination and short of any analysis of the actual finances of each district.  A short comparison of the two districts is posted below.  JJ dug through the audits that are submitted to the State Auditor each year in an attempt to do Will Bardwell's homework for him. The audits reveal that Jackson spends nearly $2,000 per student than does Desoto despite having 6,111 fewer students Desoto.

Well, well, well.  It seems someone doesn't want outsiders looking at public schools in Mississippi.  HB #905 would have transferred the authority to audit public schools from the State Auditor to the Mississippi Department of Education.  The bill stated:

UMMC issued the following press release.

Jackson's highly acclaimed Mississippi Blues Marathon, which annually draws thousands of participants from all 50 states and several foreign countries, has been running for 10 years.

There might not be an 11th, and that, for my money, would be a shame.

Attorney General Jim Hood issued the following press release.

Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith is on his way to the Rankin County government complex to pick up an indictment against him.  A Rankin County grand jury indicted him for one count of aggravated stalking, one count of robbery, one misdemeanor counts of simple assault domestic violence.  The Attorney General is prosecuting the case. The indictment and mug shots are posted below.

A disgraced former JPD officer was working a security detail at the Kroger on I-55 North when Kingston Frazier was kidnapped on May 18.  Hinds County Deputy Mertis Walker was indicted for extortion when she was a JPD officer in 2002 but her prosecutions ended in mistrials.  It is not known where she was when six year-old Kingston Frazier was kidnapped early that morning.  He was murdered several hours later.

JJ kind of took a break over the holiday weekend but does not want to leave Memorial Day without posting this video produced by the Marine Corps.

Quite a few readers have asked about the Southern Poverty Law Center lawsuit that was filed last week against the state of Mississippi over the funding of education.  It is posted below for your perusal.  The SLPC also issued the following statement on its website that provides a concise summary of the lawsuit:

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigations released the names of the victims killed in Lincoln County yesterday:

Yesterday was a horrible day in Mississippi. A Lincoln County man killed eight people at three different locations yesterday.  One of the victims was a Lincoln County deputy.  Three women and two boys were killed as well.

The odds of the continuance of Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith's trial scheduled to take place next month just increased.  Mr. Smith filed a notice of appeal with the Hinds County Circuit Court Friday.  Special Circuit Judge Larry Roberts denied the defendant's motion to bar a retrial due to double jeopardy.    Mr. Smith was indicted for improperly helping criminal defendants.  His January trial ended in a mistrial.  However, Mr. Smith has not yet filed an actual appeal.

The late Dr. Frank Pollard preaches on putting God first in this 1988 sermon. He even works some Nietzsche and Hegel into one of his better sermons.  Enjoy.

JPD issued the following statement.

Greg finally left this world to join Duanne in the next.  Here is a memory of those two magnificent musicians:

Three-day weekend and nothing to do? JJ makes some recommendations for those who want to lounge around the house this weekend.  . 

Someone tried, tried mind you, to rob E&L Barbeque this week in a rather humorous fashion:

Attorney Generalissimo Jim Hood issued the following statement.

HBO dropped a new Game of Thrones trailer yesterday.  There is one scene that is pretty awesome.

Remy Harvey was sentenced to serve 25 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to kidnapping, armed robbery, and carjacking yesterday in Hinds County Circuit Court.  He was only 13 years old when he and 16 years-old Eddie Devine kidnapped and raped a woman at gunpoint at Hallmark Gardens Apartments in April 2014. 

Harvey yells at reporters in 2014.  Source: WAPT

More and  more Mississippi third-graders are learning how to read.  The little tots showed tremendous improvement on the third-grade reading-gate tests this year.  The Mississippi Department of Education press release mildly states that the passing rates improved from 85% in 2015 to 87% in 2016 to 92% this year.  However, the real story is in the weeds.  The number of schools that saw over a third of their students fail the test went from 47 in 2015 to 0 this year.  It appears that after a rough first year, the students, teachers, and parents buckled down and got to work on learning how to read. 

The partying continues at the Raymond Detention Center.  Check out Demario Webster.  He is just Facebooking away while he is sitting around at the Hinds County jail.

Here is the funeral information for Kingston Frazier.

The Justice Department issued the following press release. 

Representative Karl Oliver (R-Bull Run) tried to apologize for his lynching comments he made on Facebook but calls for his resignation grew.  The Unreconstructed Southerner made this comment on Facebook Sunday:

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood issued the following statement.

The city of Jackson submitted an open records request to various airport authorities and their corresponding local governments throughout Mississippi.  The requests are rather interesting in that they ask for color photographs of their respective governing bodies.  Jackson did not request that there be a paragraph and arrows on the back of each color glossy photograph.

We are nearing the halfway point of 2017. Interesting to note, in Mississippi sports these first five months, women have provided the most meaningful and poignant success stories, the most lasting memories.

New photos from season seven of Game of Thrones were released yesterday:

Madison County Justice Court Judge Bruce McKinley denied bond for Dwan Wakefield, DeAllen Washington, and Byron McBride at their initial appearance today.   A preliminary hearing will be held for them on June 26 at 9:00 AM. Madison County Prosecutor Pamela Hancock told Judge McKinley that the state will seek the death penalty for McBride.

Mississippi Commissioner of Insurance Mike Chaney issued the following bulletin.

Byron McBride, Sr. lashed out at the media today after a Madison County Justice Court Judge denied bond for his son.  Judge Bruce McKinley denied bond for Byron, McBride Jr.  He was arrested for capital murder in the death of six year-old Kingston Frazier.  McBride attacked the media, saying they had already convicted his son.  Watch the video for yourself:

The suspects in the murder of young Kingston Frazier will make an initial appearance in Madison County Justice Court today.  However, Dwan Wakefield, Jr., DeAllen Washington, and Byron McBride will not actually appear in the courtroom, but will make their appearance through the use of video conferencing.  Death threats have been made against the suspects and law enforcement officials decided to take no chances with their safety.

Update: Speaker Philip Gunn called on Oliver to apologize:

“I condemn the comments recently posted on Facebook by Rep. Karl Oliver,” said Speaker of the House Philip Gunn. “They do not reflect the views of the Republican party, the leadership of the House of Representatives or the House as a whole. Using the word “lynched” is inappropriate and offensive. We call on Rep. Oliver to apologize.”

The Mississippi Board of Medical Licensure fired Executive Director Dr. John Hall less than a year after it hired him.  The Board fired him last Thursday because he and the Board apparently did not agree on how doctors should be disciplined.  The Clarion-Ledger reported:

The late Dr. Frank Pollard was on fire as when he preached this sermon in 1988.  It is probably his most direct commentary on society today out of the 40 sermons that have been posted on this website.  If you can't make it to church, enjoy the sermon. 

Collection of all Gold Coast posts.

The Gold Coast didn't slow down in 1947 even after the 1946 crackdown that took place after a Rankin County Constable and bootlegger killed each other.  Some Clarion-Ledger headlines give an idea of the lawless culture that defined the Gold Coast:

The Clinton Police Department issued the following press release.

This place could use some dog therapy after the last couple of days:

When did the Hinds County Sheriff's Office learn about the kidnapping of the late Kingston Frazier?  Sheriff Mason told reporters at a press conference yesterday that his deputy did not know a crime had been committed until 2:30 AM:

It's time to kill a rumor about the murder of little Kingston.  This rumor is spreading like wildfire on social media:

Madison County Sheriff Randy Tucker arrested D'Allen Washington, Byron McBride, and Dwan Wakefield for capital murder in the death of six year-old Kingston Frazier yesterday:

We could all use a break.  Check out what is coming to Netflix:

The Madison Sheriff arrested Byron McBride a few minutes ago.  Law enforcement sources tell JJ that McBride is the suspected shooter in the murder of little Kingston Frazier.

Update #3 (3:05 PM): Washington is in custody in Madison County and is under arrest. He and his attorney left the Hinds County Sheriff's Office and went to Madison County to surrender.



Update #2 (2:55 PM): Washington turned himself in to Hinds County authorities.  David Kenney (WLBT) reported on Twitter: "I'm not sure this second suspect is in custody. He's getting into a private vehicle, no handcuffs on, with a towel to hide his face."

Update: There is a big rumor that Washington was killed by a SWAT team at the Azalea Manor apartments.  Police sources say that is not true and he is going to turn himself in later today.  

Police have in custody Dwan Wakefield of Ridgeland.  Wakefield is a person of interest in the murder of little Kingston Frazier.  Wakefield was the quarterback last year of the Ridgeland High School football team.  Keep in mind he is a person of interest, not a suspect.  His father was convicted of cocaine possession in 2011.

Attorney General Jim Hood issued the following statement.

Update #3 (11:46 AM):  Police have Dwan Wakefield, Jr. in custody for questioning.  They are looking for DeAllen Washington as a person of interest.

Source: WLBT

Stolen Toyota linked to the auto theft/kidnapping from Kroger on I-55 was located in Madison County. A deceased child is in the backseat.

Hinds County Detention Officer Teryn Bowles wrecked two vehicles at the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officer Training Academy (MLEOTA) in Rankin County nearly two weeks ago.

Photo should not be used without permission from Jackson Jambalaya

Did Joseph Heller literally ghost-write the ACLU's lawsuit against Madison County Sheriff Randy Tucker?   The ACLU is suing the Madison County Sheriff for targeting blacks living in apartments on behalf of a client who is also suing those same apartments because they are too dangerous.  The client is also a convicted drug dealer.

Madison-Rankin District Attorney Michael Guest issued the following statement.

The terms of three members of the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority Board of Commissioners expired.  Five commissioners comprise the Board.  One commissioner's term expired over two years ago.

The Madison Police Department issued the following statement.

Hinds County Sheriff Victor Mason hired his step-daughter the day he assumed office.  She is one of the highest-paid employees at the Raymond Detention Center.  However, a 2007 Mississippi Supreme Court case allows public officials to hire step-children and step-siblings.

A massage therapist will sue the Mississippi State Board of Massage Therapy after it suspended her license on May 4.   The Board caught Jiana Hong advertising her therapy services on sexually explicit and escort service websites.  Attorney Ross Barnett, Jr. took a break from practicing his impersonations of Johnny Carson monologues and filed a notice of appeal in Hinds County Circuit Court on behalf of Ms. Hong last Friday.

Ms. Social Justice Warrior walks into a store in Portland, gasp- Portland, and sees a couple of "Stars & Bars" rugs for sale.  Conniption doesn't begin to describe her reaction as she proceeds to go off on the employees who didn't exactly handle her tirade in the best way possible.  However, watch what happens in the video when she proves she can dish it but can't take it. 

A lawsuit filed Thursday accuses Bay St. Louis police officers of arresting, beating, and choking a man who was already beaten to a pulp by some thugs before the police arrived.  Thomas and Cody Koenenn sued BSL police officer John Nelson as well as several other police officers and Mayor Les Fillingame for $5.6 million in damages in U.S. District Court for the incident that occurred last September. 

Enjoy this 1989 sermon of the late Dr. Frank Pollard. 

Collection of all posts on the Gold Coast 

1946 was the year the Gold Coast blew up.  The notorious Gold Coast culture finally crossed the line.  Beatings, arson, stabbings, and even shootings were not rare occurrences  in that part of Rankin County.  However, there is one time-honored rule among those for whom crime is a regular way of life and it was damn sure true back in 1946: don't kill a cop.  A constable and a major bootlegger fought each other and then shot each other to death.  The death of the lawman finally brought in fire and brimstone just as it did in The Godfather when Michael killed a dirty cop.  The lawlessness of the Gold Coast had gone too far and people said enough is enough. 

President Trump fired FBI Director James Comey this week.  The President, media, and politicians managed to create yet another feeding frenzy.  Yet lost in the conniption was a memorandum written by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.  The memo spells out the reasons for dismissing Mr. Comey and "restoring public confidence" in the FBI.  President Trump and The Spice is Right did not help their cause with their public statements on Mr. Comey's dismissal this week.   However, the memo posted below is worth reading and makes the case for firing the First Fibbie even if the President managed to turn it into a circus.  The memo states:

Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey issued the following statement on Joseph Sharber's threats to shoot law enforcement officers:

Top-notch finance experts assess risks and plan for downturns as diligently as they evaluate and promote upside opportunities.

Mississippi’s economy has become more reliant than ever on federal funds. Should President Donald Trump and conservative leaders succeed in their plans to slash federal spending, the risks to our state economy would be substantial, if we aren’t ready.

Midget wrassling, oops, I meant "Micro Wrestling" is coming to Jackson next week.

Wayne Parish responded Wednesday to a wrongful death lawsuit in Hinds County Circuit Court.  Yvette Mason-Sherman sued Wayne Parish, his business partner Jimmy Ratcliff, and Performance Oil for wrongful death in the death of her son.  Parish shot and killed 17 year-old Charles McDonald, Jr.  during a struggle over a gun at Performance Oil on McDowell Road on July 21, 2016. Attorney Carlos Moore represents Ms. Mason-Sherman. Mr. Parish places the blame for the young man's death solely on McDonald. 

Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey issued the following statement.

Madison County Sheriff Randy Tucker issued the following statement. 

A federal judge told Carlos Moore to pay his $3,000 fine after the Grenada attorney asked him to reconsider the fine. U.S. District Judge David Sanders sanctioned Mr. Moore after he failed to respond to discovery requests in a wrongful death lawsuit. Mr. Moore sued the city of Tupelo last year on behalf of the family of  Antwun Shumpert after he was shot to death by a Tupelo police officer. Mr. Moore asked the court to reconsider imposing the sanctions on him.  He said he was affected by several death threats that were made against him in a separate lawsuit concerning the state flag.  The Court was unmoved by his pleas for mercy and had a few things to say to the lawyer.

All Jackson Mayoral candidates filed required statements of economic interest except for Chokwe Lumumba, Jr. and Mayor Tony Yarber.  Mississippi law requires all office-holders and candidates to submit a statement of economic interest form to the Mississippi Ethics Commission.  The Commission posts them online. Posted below are the filings for each candidate.

Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith wants to postpone his retrial that is scheduled to begin on June 12.  He argued in a motion filed yesterday that he intends to use the testimony of Christopher Butler to help his case but can not do so until pending criminal cases against Mr. Butler are adjudicated.  Mr. Smith was indicted for improperly helping criminal defendants.  His January trial ended in a mistrial.  However, the two sides have been battling back and forth so here are the latest developments in the case.

I-85 in Atlanta will actually reopen Monday.  The two sections that were destroyed in a fire were replaced in a month.  The Georgia Department of Transportation produced this pretty cool time-lapse video of the reconstruction:

JPD issued the following press release. 

The ACLU sued the Madison County Sheriff's Department on behalf of ten black Madison County residents for allegedly targeting blacks.  The complaint charged that the arrest rate for blacks was nearly five times the arrest rate for whites.  Deputies were accused of using roadblocks, jump-out patrols, and warrantless searches of homes to harass the black community. The lawsuit was filed Monday in U.S. District Court and is posted below.

There's been no shortage of sports news recently, but the story that intrigued this writer most was under the radar this past weekend – unless you were in Cincinnati. You, as I, might have missed it.

Source: MLB

JJ came across these old newspaper articles about a Jackson soldier who was captured by the Nazis after his B-17 was shot down over East Prussia in World War II:

JPD posted the following statements and pictures on Twitter.

Tired of Fast & Furious ____ or comic book movies at the theatre?  Guess which movie is coming to Jackson in June:

Police are looking for 18 year-old Curtis Wilson.  Wilson is a suspect in several Rankin County burglaries.  He resides at 1714 Lake Trace in Jackson (39211).  His pictures are posted below.  If you see him, contact the police immediately. 

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

or a postmortem on the elections in Jackson and the burbs that took place last week. 

My favorite chapter of Nietzche's Beyond Good and Evil is "Epigrams and Interludes". The philosopher chooses to collect a wide array of various thoughts and place them into one chapter.  I have decided to post my observations about last week's elections in the Jackson metro area in the same vein instead of writing one big monster column.  Enjoy.

Hinds County public defender Christopher Routh was routed at the Mississippi Supreme Court.  Hinds County Circuit Judge Jeff Weill ordered the incarceration of Mr. Routh for the remainder of the business day.  Mr. Routh appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court but the court upheld Judge Weill.  Mr. Routh found out the hard way that it is never a good idea to disobey a judge in open court.   The Court gave a pretty good idea of where it was going in the opinion in the first two sentences :

Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey issued the following statement.

Rankin County Sheriff issued the following statement. 

Mississippi Treasurer Lynn Fitch issued the following statement.

Hinds County Sheriff Victor Mason claims he has "qualified immunity" from a sexual harassment lawsuit since he is a law enforcement officer and is thus protected from "First Amendment" claims.  Former Hinds County Chief Deputy Cheryl Matory and deputy Tomeca Barnes sued the Sheriff in U.S. District Court in January for alleged sexual harassment, sex discrimination, and First Amendment retaliation.  The complaint included quite a few lurid details as his former Chief Deputy charge he tried to use her to arrange sexual encounters with another employee.  Earlier post.

Saturday Night Live nailed Morning Joe last night. 

The late Dr. Frank Pollard preaches on the Last Supper in this 1989 sermon. 

Collection of all posts on the Gold Coast.

Sheriff L.G. Holyfield.  Imagine that name spoken with the voice of John Facenda.  Such was the effect of that name on the Gold Coast.  Other Sheriffs made excuses as the whiskey flowed during prohibition in Mississippi.  Sheriff Holyfield just stopped them.  His tenure as Sheriff was a reign of terror for the Gold Coast. 

"Mississippi finishes last – again – among all states in annual health ranking," read the December headline in the Biloxi Sun-Herald. "Mississippi dropped to dead last this year among all 50 states in the annual 'America’s Health Rankings' released by the United Health Foundation," continued the story. "As one of the nation’s poorest states, Mississippi has a legacy of poor health because poverty is often a driver, and consequence, of bad health."

Political campaigns always bring out the comedians and this week's election was no exception.  One rather crude letter made the rounds.   It's posted below.  Pretty much every campaign worker and political insider has already seen it. However, the names are redacted and it will be taken down after the weekend (or possibly sooner) so laugh while you can.  Don't bother trying to sneak in the names through comments.  They won't be approved.  Enjoy.

The Canton Board of Aldermen voted 4-0 yesterday to terminate Rudy Warnock as city engineer.  Aldermen Les Penn, Eric Gilkey, and Andrew Grant did not attend the special called meeting.  Mr. Warnock is engaged in a court fight with Canton Municipal Utilities as well. The court denied CMU's motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction earlier this week. 

The U.S. Department of the Interior designated the Mississippi State Capitol as a national historic landmark.*  The Capitol has been lauded for many years as a beautiful work of art.  Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewel stated in the press release:

IMS Engineers obtained a "project management" contract from the Jackson City Council in December 2015 to manage projects funded by the 1% sales tax.  The amount of the fee for the contract was $840,000.  The term was one year.  Mayor Tony Yarber's administration tried to renew the contract and increase the fee to $1.5 million but the Sales Tax Commission objected to the renewal.  JJ obtained copies of the invoices submitted by IMS and posted them below. They make for some interesting reading.

Brad Chism and Millsaps College released an analysis of the election results and their poll conducted last week.  It is posted below.  The precinct results were posted earlier today as well.

Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey issued the following statement. 

Insurance Commish Mike Chaney issued the following statement. 

The precinct report for the Jackson municipal elections are posted below. Enjoy. 

Jackson physician Carl Reddix pleaded guilty to one count of bribing Chris Epps when he was MDOC Commissioner.   It was quite a fall for the physician who was a mover and shaker in the black power structure of Jackson.  The court will sentence Dr. Reddix on August 1. He could serve up to ten years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or less.  The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Daniel Jordan. 

The Mississippi Truth Journal issued the following statement on Facebook.

Speaker of the House Philip Gunn (R-DOR) issued the following statement.

Note: The Clarion-Ledger still has not covered this lawsuit. 

A former Downtown Jackson Partners secretary will go to trial in Madison County court on August 22 in a lawsuit filed by the organization.  DJP sued Linda Brune in 2014 for allegedly embezzling over $43,000.

Note: Click here to see the precinct results.

Congratulations to Chokwe Antar Lumumba, Jr.  He came, he saw, he kicked ass.  Voters wanted a change and said so last night.  He lost three years ago but instead of quitting, he got tough.  He wanted the job more, he worked his butt off, and was willing to do what it took to win.  Never underestimate a ground game in local politics.  He won the race fair and square last night.  It's now his turn to show what he can do and if he can indeed revive Jackson.   Congratulations to Mr. Lumumba. 

Here are the final vote tallies from last night.

As the last choice of the NFL Draft, Chad Kelly will spend the next year being called “Mr. Irrelevant.”

But it says here Kelly possesses the arm strength, athleticism and toughness to become relevant, indeed, in the NFL.

Kelly, at the end of his junior season and in the Sugar Bowl that came later, was playing the position of quarterback as well as anyone in college football. Clearly, he has the physical tools to succeed in “the league.”

We'll just have to wait and see if he can develop the discipline.

Election night is finally here.  This is the election night thread.  Fire away with comments and results. 

Standard & Poor's issued the following press release about Mississippi's financial condition.

The Clarion-Ledger's Anna Wolfe performed a public service last week when she interviewed each of the five major Jackson mayoral candidates.  A link to each story is posted below for your convenience.  Consider this post to be an election day thread on all municipal races.

Senator Thad Cochran issued the following press release.

A shame this wasn't an oil gusher but check out what took place on Heatherwood last night.

Finally!  The trailer for season five of House of Cards was released today.  Enjoy.

JPD issued the following press release. 

The media is focused on the Jackson Mayor's race but there is a hotly contested race in Pearl.  Jake Windham is attempting to oust Mayor Brad Rogers from the seat he has held for two terms.  Consider this post to be an open thread about the Pearl Mayor's race. 

Check out this section of the Berkeley Police Department's website.

JJ was going to write an editorial endorsing Madison Mayor Mary Hawkins-Butler as it did four years ago but decided instead to tell a story that took place twenty years ago.