Jackson Jambalaya

It's that time of year! Happy Halloween!

Attorney General Jim Hood issued the following statement.

It appears a resurrection happened in Canton.  After all, it is Halloween. 

State Auditor Shad White issued the following statement.

Democratic Gautier city councilman Tobey Bartee faces Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, former Clinton administration secretary of agriculture and Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Espy, and Tea Party Republican state Sen. Chris McDaniel in Mississippi’s U.S. Senate special election on Nov. 6.

The Justice Department issued the following statement on the Lamar Adams case.

First up was the Punk of the Day, now there is an Idiot of the Day today as someone apparently got a case of the stupid in Simpson County.

They thought they were sooooooooo cute. 

The Department of Finance and Administration issued the following statement. 

Insurance Commish Mike Chaney issued the following statement.

The ouija board speaks truth.

The sentencing hearing for Lamar Adams began today in U. S. District Court in Jackson.  It will resume tomorrow morning .

The Justice Department issued the following statement.

The Justice Department issued the following statement.

A sinkhole struck again.  Check out this WLBT photo:

Update: Pearl moved trick or treating to tomorrow night. 

The city of Jackson issued the following statement.

Matchbook Monday returns today.  JJ hasn't posted any local matchbooks in a while because well, JJ ran out of matchbooks to post.  A reader sent these matchbooks in yesterday so enjoy this look at Jackson's culinary past.  Feel free to add your stories or any information about them in the comments section. Readers can email copies of any old matchbooks to kingfish1935@gmail.com

The November 1 deadline for bids to manage the Jackson Zoo is fast approaching.  Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said four bids have been submitted.  The Lumumba Administration issued a request for proposals to operate the zoo.  The Jackson Zoological Society has a lease agreement to manage the zoo.  The contract expired October 1 but the City Council extended it to December 31.

JPD issued the following statements tonight.

If you can't make it to church today, enjoy this sermon by the late Dr. Frank Pollard of First Baptist Church (Jackson).  He preached from Romans 8: 14-17.

The PERS Board of Trustees seemed happy after hearing from their actuary. The funded ratio for PERS increased and investment returns were up.

So, are things turning up for PERS?

Only if you don’t mind your pocketbook getting raided.

Which description fits your house?

Pitiful.  Just pitiful.  34,000 books up in smoke and we are not talking about Cheech and Chong.  The Northside Sun reported this week:

JPD issued the following statements. 

The Clarion-Ledger called Louis Armstrong, yes, that Louis Armstrong, a "colored trumpet tooter" after he dared to speak his mind about how blacks were treated in the South. 

Allen Smith, Jr.  Thank you, NCAA.  One not-so secret secret in the Ole Miss football scandal has been the identity of booster #14 who was mentioned in the NCAA's notice of allegations against the Ole Miss football program. The NCAA placed Ole Miss on probation through 2020.  The NCAA claimed Rebel Rags gave free merchandise to recruits.  Rebel Rags sued the NCAA, Dan Mullen, and the recruits identified in the allegations for defamation in an effort to clear its name.

The College Humor guys and gals got it right yet again.  Enjoy.

Michael Billings fired back at the Receiver as she tries to strip him of the commissions paid for selling phony timber investments for Lamar Adams.   Court-appointed receiver Alysson Mills, Esq. claimed Lamar Adams paid Billings commission of $3.5 million.  Mills asked the court Tuesday to issue an injunction that freezes Billings' assets that are derived from the fraud.  Billings stood up and hit back at the receiver yesterday in court.

Madison County Schools reported on Facebook:

The latest crime stats are back on the city of Jackson website after being gone for nearly a year.  The car thieves are out but the armed robberies and carjackings are substantially lower than they were a year ago.  House burglaries are at the same level and homicides are higher than a year ago.

A federal grand jury indicted Atlanta political operative Mitzi Bickers on October 22 for bribing Jackson officials.  The indictment alleges she paid bribes to obtain contracts for a proposed convention center hotel as well as management of the wastewater program under a federal consent decree. Bickers worked in the 2014 campaign of Jackson Mayor Tony Yarber and donated $10,000 as well.  The indictment states:

Enoch Sanders defended the Forest Hill band at a meeting of the Jackson City Council last night.

A moving video of the final journey of a WWII vet appeared on Facebook a few days ago.  Aleck Primos died last week at the age of 95 years old.  He saw his share of combat and managed to come back home alive.  Claudia Primos posted this video of  Mr. Primos as he left the State Veteran's Home in Oxford.  Break out the tissues.

James Tulp reviews The Great Revolt: Inside the Populist Coalition Reshaping American Politics by Salena Zito.   Mr. Tulp is a radio talk show host at WYAB-FM, 103.9.  His show appears Monday through Friday at 7:00 AM.

The Great Revolt’ Review: An Answer to Hillary’s ‘What Happened’

85%, 91%, 98%

These were the odds on November 7, 2016 that Hillary Clinton would win the election by the New York Times, CNN, and the Huffington Post, respectively.

How did so many political experts get it so wrong?

As the Nov. 6 general election looms less than two week away in Mississippi, the fabled “stretch run” for the campaigns is underway. The campaign finance reports have revealed their last real secrets until after the campaigns are completed.

Need rehab? Check out this program.

Several legislators issued the following statement.

The Wall Street Journal lacerated the Governor and Senator of New York for refusing to debate their opponents.   The Journal editorialized yesterday:

 Nothing like being caught in a bureaucratic nightmare where everyone points the fingers at each other while spinning around the poor citizen so much that his head flies off. A friend posted this on Facebook yesterday.

Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey issued the following statement.

Trash-talking Michael Jordan is never a good idea, even when in high school.

Walt Grayson left WLBT for WJTV.  Mr. Grayson will begin his new gig a week from today. 

Fondren Fitness will open at the site of the old Rainbow Co-op in Fondren. FinditinFondren.com reported:

We had an interesting discussion a few weeks ago about men's shoes.  Apparently you guys liked the subject because the post got a bunch of hits. The video posted below shows how cheaply made some of these so-called name-brand shoes are.

The city of Jackson issued the following statement.

Thieves stole a pair of restored classic motorcycles Friday.

JPD issued the following statement. 

Renowned Jackson photographer James Patterson passed away today.

If you slept late and can't make it to church this morning, enjoy this sermon from the late Dr. Frank Pollard.  He preached from 2 Corinthians 9: 6-11 in this edition of Sunday Morning Sermon.

In 2017 Gallup reported Mississippi had retained its spot as the most religious state in the U.S., with 59% of residents calling themselves “very religious” and another 29% “moderately religious.”

Lamar Adams lived it up as a big-cat Ole Miss football booster while his recruiters swindled the elderly out of millions of dollars in phony timber investments as part of a Ponzi scheme.   Adams gave hundreds of thousands of dollars in ill-gotten gains to Ole Miss. So says the Court-appointed receiver in a report submitted to the U.S. District Court in S.E.C. v. Lamar Adams yesterday..  Receiver Allyson Mills also reported she is gearing up for a fight to recover millions of dollars in commissions from Michael Billings and William McHenry. She identified more recruiters that sold phony shares and put them on notice she intends to recover their commissions as well.

The U.S. Army International Sniper Competition was held this week.  Check out the results. 

Kenny Wayne is going bad boyz on the State Auditor.  The former General Manager of Canton Municipal Utilities said he will fight the State Auditor's demand that he repay $78,612.  The demand letter orders Kenny Wayne Jones to repay $75,000 in severance pay and $3,612 for personal spending on a CMU credit card.  However, Mr. Jones said he CMU is responsible for the payment.  Mr. Jones told the Clarion-Ledger:

Former MSU Quarterback Matt Wyatt dissects several SEC games on Youtube every week.  The analysis is pretty good and is told at a level that an average fan can understand. This week's edition features the Mizzou-Bama, Auburn-Tennessee, and LSU-UGA games. Enjoy

Kill someone, get out of prison in ten years.  Hinds County Circuit Judge Tomie Green once again gave a convicted murderer a light sentence.  Catch and release on the deferred plan.

Governor Phil Bryant issued the following press release.

The Rankin County Sheriff's Office is assuming temporary law enforcement duties for the town of Pelahatchie.  The Police Chief quit this week.  The Board of Aldermen approved a memorandum of understanding with Rankin County tonight at a special board meeting. The Sheriff will not charge the town for the services.  Deputy Chris Picou will assume the temporary duty.  The notice of the meeting was not issued until this afternoon.  Mayor Ryshonda Beechem did not attend the meeting. 

The Pearl River Valley Water Supply District issued the following press release and photos.

Update (10/25/18): Found safe in Texas.


Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey issued the following statement.

The mid-term grades for the SEC are out....

One of the professors at Ole Miss urged people to harass Senators in restaurants.  Campus Reform managed to snag the tweet before he hid behind "protected" status on Twitter.

Brookhaven Mayor Joe Cox urged the Mississippi High School Activities Association to lift the suspension of the Forest Hill High School band from all MHSAA events.  The Daily Leader reported:

The Justice Department issued the following statement.

The Jackson Public School District appealed the suspension of the Forest High School band. A volcano of controversy erupted when members of the Forest Hill band performed a skit where several students dressed in scrubs pointed replicas of AK-47s at other students dressed as SWAT team members during the halftime performance at Brookhaven High School on October 5.  The skit was based on a scene in the 2002 movie, John Q.  The performance took place a week after two police officers were murdered in Brookhaven.  The Mississippi High School Activities Association suspended the band from all MHSAA activities for the remainder of the school year and fined the school $2,500.

As of this year, nine states and the District of Columbia – including Alaska, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Maine, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington – have legalized the possession and recreational use of marijuana. Those same nine states plus 22 more have legalized the use of medical marijuana – including Arkansas, Florida, and Louisiana – in variable amounts under variable conditions.

Got to watch what you say when everyone has a smartphone, as the junior Senator from Mississippi found out yesterday. The Daily Caller reported:

State Auditor Shad White issued the following statement.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation issued the following statement. 

JPD issued the following statement. 

So this one dude just felt like dropping in to Tiger Stadium.

Forest Hill band director Demtri Jones said he was fired by JPS Superintendent Dr. Errick Greene on Friday.  Mr. Jones revealed the firing today on Facebook, in an interview with local social media influencer Othor Cain.   The loss of the band director is not the only problem facing Forest Hill High School.  The Mississippi High School Activities Association fined the school $2,500 and suspended the band from all MHSAA activities.

Will the greenery of Mynelle Gardens fade away? The Northside Sun reported in the current issue: 

Whales + snowflakes =

The city of Jackson issued the following statements. 

President Trump will "probably" support the reform of marijuana laws. Fox Business News reported:

Are cops allowed to defend themselves in Jackson?

If you can't make it to church this morning, enjoy this 1989 sermon from the late Dr. Frank Pollard.  He preached from Hebrews 9: 27-28.

Record numbers of jobs and job growth in Mississippi top political speeches by incumbent politicians these days.

Yes, more Mississippians have jobs now than before the Great Recession.

Yes, more Mississippians have jobs now than ever before.

But, there is more to the story.

If you were dumb enough to use Google+, well, you got a nasty surprise this week. The Wall Street Journal reported:

Secretary of State Hibbit Hosemann issued the following statement.

The debut of the final season of Game of Thrones is still at least six months away.  If you need a GOT fix, check out Wisecrack's dissection of Season 7.

UPDATE: JPS Superintendent issued this statement:

 Superintendent Dr. Errick L. Greene: Jackson Public Schools intends to appeal the sanctions levied against the Forest Hill High School band by the Mississippi High School Activities Association.

Big Mama has had enough.  The Jackson bail bondswoman spoke her mind about the crime in Jackson and the recent shooting of two two-year-old children.

JPD officers are complaining that they are sidelined, even when cleared after a shooting.  Justin Vicery and Therese Apel reported yesterday in the Clarion-Ledger:

The Mississippi Department of Education finally released the 2017 school ratings.  MDE was going to release them a month ago but at least one school district protested.    The number of "A" school districts slightly increased but the number of "F" school districts more than doubled. 

For some strange reason, this video is therapeutic.

 Marquis Flowers is back in prison.  The Parole Board revoked his parole after he was arrested and charged with capital murder in the deaths of two Brookhaven police officers. 

JPD issued the following statement and mug shot.

Sad but true. 

JPD issued the following statement.

State Auditor Shad White issued the following statement.

Jackson Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Errick Greene said JPS is investigating the Forest Hill-Brookhaven halftime show.   WJTV reported:

Watch Hurricane Michael as it comes ashore. 

UMMC issued the following press release.

After the national fabric was almost rent in twain during the bitter fight over the confirmation of now Associate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, what next for the U.S. Supreme Court? The short answer is judicial business as usual.

Man loses his dog but is reunited after three years in Georgia. Enjoy.

The Justice Department issued the following statement. 

The Battle of Culley Lake continues to rage as the owners of the lake and Natchez Trace Village Property Owners Association slug it out in court over who exactly controls the lake.   A Madison County Chancellor ruled in February that the Culley family controls the lake but the Association wants a rematch and appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court. 

It will come as no surprise to readers that the robbery of a Yazoo County 911 Dispatcher while on duty was an inside job.  WLBT reported last night:

JPD issued the following statement. 

The Stingray we once knew is no more.

Lame.  Not even one Robert Deniro kick.

Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey issued the following statement.

Brookhaven Mayor Joe Cox said thank you for the apology but that isn't good enough.  He wants some heads to roll* after what took place at the halftime show of the Brookhaven-Forest Hill game Friday night in Brookhaven.  He posted this message on Facebook:

Any sermon that begins with the opening line of "Jerry Clower, where are you when we need you?" is going to be worth watching.  The late Dr. Frank Pollard preached from Joshua, chapters 5 and 6, in this edition of Sunday Morning Sermon. 

And so it begins, the anomaly versus the tsunami, the hope versus the expectation, the last Democrat versus the next-in-line Republican.

Mississippi's only Democrat holding statewide office, Attorney General Jim Hood, has officially announced his candidacy for Governor. His all-but-announced governor-in-waiting opponent will be Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves.

 Brookhaven suffered a horrible tragedy this week when two police officers were killed last weekend.  The administration at Forest Hill High School in Jackson must have been living in a Jackson pothole and missed the news.  How else to explain what took place last night.  See the picture below.

Not. Going. To. Say. A. Word.

Rameon Stewart went back to jail this morning after a Jackson Municipal Court Judge revoked his house arrest and placed him under a pair of  $200,000 bonds.  Judge Taurean Buchanan released the 16 year old suspect on his own recognize and placed him under house arrest after JPD arrested him for  armed robbery and aggravated assault.  However, Hinds County Attorney Gerald Mumford asked the court to reconsider and revoke the conditions of Stewart's release. 

Attorney General Jim Hood issued the following statement.

It is rather disappointing that there will be no debate in the Senate races, but as usual, Mississippi is in the minority.  19 states will enjoy debates in their respective U.S. Senate races.  However, Mississippians will not be able to see their Senate candidates engage in debate as none have been scheduled.  Only 8 states won't have Senate debates.  Lump Mississippi in with California and New York (Cue up the Pace Picante Sauce Commercial.)

Future Darwin Award Prospects.....

The Justice Department issued this statement.

Hinds County Public Defender was really disturbed by National Night Out.  He decided to go out and protest the West Jackson National Night Out meeting in a rather colorful manner.  He called the police "a filthy institution" and said there were "pigs of all stripes and colors out here."  He started yelling "traitor" and "treasonous" while Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba was speaking.  He starts yapping at 4:30. 

OOOOOOOOk.    Here is one for the books.  WLBT reported last night:

Mississippi Treasurer Lynn Fitch issued the following statement. 

The Clinton Police Department issued the following statement. 

The receiver in the Lamar Adams ponzi scheme case sued  to recover over $16 million in commissions from several "promoters" in U.S. District Court Monday.  The promoters allegedly helped Adams sell his phony timber investments to unsuspecting investors.  Prominent among the defendants is former Lord Snow employee Mike Billings although Lord Snow is prominently mentioned in the complaint.  Receiver Alysson Mills also sued William McHenry and Terry Kelly as well as companies they owned.

JJ reported yesterday that the suspect in the robbery of a Belhaven woman at gunpoint was allowed to go home without posting bond:

Our knucklehead of the day is Ole Miss football Lineback Kevontae' Ruggs managed to knock himself out while targeting an LSU ball-carrier:

A 2019 gubernatorial battle between incumbent Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves of Rankin County and incumbent Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood of Chickasaw County stacks up as an instant classic old school political street brawl – the likes of which hasn’t been seen in Mississippi since Republican Haley Barbour squared off against Democrat Ronnie Musgrove in 2003.

JPD issued the following statement.

Want to be popular in Mississippi? Grow some hair.  A poll conducted by Chism Strategies and Millsaps College states that Governor Phil Bryant and Attorney General Jim Hood garnered the highest approval ratings out of all Mississippi politicians.  It also said Mississippians approved of a state lottery while a majority stood behind President Donald Trump.

JPD issued the following statement. 

Attorney General Jim Hood issued the following statement.

The Justice Department issued the following statement.

UMMC issued the following press release. 

Someone went wobbly on PERS.  State Representative Jeff Smith (R- Clark Oil & Gas) actually made a pretty good point about PERS on Facebook:

State Auditor Shad White issued the following statement.

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety issued the following statement. 

A recording of the scanner traffic of Brookhaven police officers responding to a fatal call appeared on Youtube. The video is posted below. All hell breaks loose at 1:30. The recording starts with the officers responding to a shootout. The first mention of officers down is at 2:20.   Everyone knows what took place that horrible morning.  The two officers were killed in a shootout with Marquis Flowers.  Flowers is in custody but at the hospital. 

Collection of PERS posts.

PERS needs more money yet again.  Our legislative Solons are now forced to confront the unwelcome reality that PERS needs an extra $100 million after playing ostrich for years when it came to any discussions about the retirement system.  Jeff Amy reported for the Associated Press last week: