Jackson Jambalaya

Interesting little video questions the future of outlet stores.  The Kavalier argues they dilute  brands while destroying the retail industry.   Coach is cited as one example.  Will we continue to see a proliferation of outlet malls such as the one in Pearl or will manufacturers turn away from the retail crack?

Attorney General Jim Hood issued the following statement.

Madison Police arrested JPD office Larry "Mitch" Perry on November 20, 2018 for two counts of Simple Assault Domestic Violence.   The victim accused Perry of hitting her in the face, pulling her hair, and pulling out their daughter's hair as well.  JJ obtained the police report through a public records request.  It is posted below.

JPD issued the following statement.

Rankin County Justice Court Judge John Shirley posted the following message to the Rankin County Bar:

Sorry for the slow pace today but yours truly has been under the weather.  The city of Jackson continues to delay responding to yet more public records requests submitted by this website. 

Newly-minted New York Democratic Party U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – also a member of the Democratic Socialists of America – thinks the policies of the Democratic Party aren’t progressive enough and that the party needs to move farther to the left.

UMMC sent the following email to Wellness Center members.

MDOC issued the following statement. 

UMMC issued the following press release written by Annie Oeth.

Hemphill Contruction is trying to garnish Marcus Wallace and M.A.C. Construction.   Madison-Rankin Circuit Court Judge Steve Ratcliff awarded a $325,000 judgement in favor of Hemphill against Marcus Wallace and two of his companies.  Hemphill sued Mr. Wallace in 2016 for damages arising out of two projects.  A bonding company forced Hemphill to pay M.A. C. Construction subcontractors that were "stiffed" by M.A.C. 

A student reporter, yes, a student reporter, did something the so-called media in Jackson couldn't be bothered to do: report how much it might actually cost to roll out high-speed internet service to rural areas in Mississippi. Nicole Rigsby reported in The Reflector (MSU):

The trustee in the Bernie Madoff case isn't playing around in his recovery for Madoff's victims.  CNBC reported:

The Medical Marijuana 2020 folks discussed the ballot initiative on the KIM Waaaaaaade radio show Friday.

The fight over whether a Madison woman cast fish hooks at two children in an attempt to  hurt them continued in Madison County Court last Wednesday.  A Madison Municipal Court convicted 80 year-old Mary Watkins of simple assault by threat after she repeatedly cast a fish hook at an 11 year-old boy who was jet skiing on the lake at Natchez Trace Village in Madison.  Watkins appealed the conviction.  She is the Secretary/Treasurer of the Natchez Trace Village Homeowner's Association and has been fighting mightily in court for the right to regulate the lake.

JPD issued the following statement last night.

Tonight on the Wonderful World of Disney....

JPD issued the following statement. 

Mississippi State University issued Susan Felker's obituary:

"Those who heard this sermon were not put to sleep," said the late Dr. Frank Pollard as he continued to preach from The Sermon on the Mount is this 1990 sermon.  If you can't make it to church this morning, enjoy this sermon.

“Governor’s race just got interesting,” read a text message the day after columnist Geoff Pender announced Bill Waller, Jr., will enter the race.

The Daily Show just couldn't let the Smollett story smolder but presented its own take:

Take a step back in time to Saturday afternoons spent in front of the tv.

It's that time of the week.  Enjoy.

JPD issued the following statement. 

Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith qualified to run for Governor in the Democratic primary.  This is not a drill. Repeat. This is NOT a drill.

JPD issued the following statement. 

A family is accusing JPD officers of beating a man to death.  WLBT reported yesterday:

Dizzy Dean was quite the tough guy - when he had over a dozen players to back him up when he swung at a reporter.  Dizzy received quite a bit of bad press during the spring of 1937 as he held out for more money.  He and his wife went to spring training in Florida.  His wife laid down the law - hit an offending writer or don't come home.  Strong stuff from a wife, especially when the man is weak.  Dizzy meekly said yes dear, and went out on a search and destroy mission for one particular sportswriter.

Malco Theatres and Outside the Lines issued the following press releases:

More lawsuits will be filed as part of the SEC's attempt to recover money for victims in the Lamar Adams fraud case.  SEC Receiver Allyson Mills made the announcement in the fourth bi-monthly report she submitted to U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves Wednesday.

Cities that were counting on getting some sales tax revenue from lottery ticket sales are going to be disappointed.  WJTV reported today:

This is a repost from March 7, 2011.  Be patient, all will be made clear soon enough.


Should the Hinds County Board of Supervisors pay $40,000 to Derrick Johnson for redistricting voters in the county per his contract? Pete Perry, Chairman of the Hinds County Republican Executive Committee, told the Board in its regular meeting this morning Mr. Johnson's contract was not legal and he would go to court if necessary to block payment.

Andria Jones will not go to jail after she agreed to a civil settlement with the Attorney General in a Medicaid Fraud case.

Riding high in April, shot down in May.  The classic lyrics perfectly describe the crash of Lamar Adams and his fortunes as his wife will only get to keep a pittance of what she once had.  U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves approved a settlement agreement between SEC Receiver Alysson Mills and Vicki Adams Tuesday.  

What can you say? Kid got game.

JPD issued the following statement.

The Tate Reeves for Governor Campaign issued the following statement.

Pelahatchie Mayor Ryshonda Beechem issued the following statement.

It seems Tonarri Moore was arrested in Jackson for disobeying a police officer and public drunkenness:

As noted last fall in a previous column, the 2003 election cycle saw Mississippi voters make some interesting choices in terms of the 2019 election cycle in our state.

The Justice Department issued the following statement.

Rankin-Madison District Attorney John Bramlett issued the following statement.

State Treasurer Lynn Fitch issued the following statement.

JJ is still waiting on a public records request from the city of Jackson despite submitting it on January 22. JJ asked for a roster of all JPD employees on January 1, 2018 and January 1, 2019.  Public Records law states the government has to provide the records within 7 business days or else provide a reason for the delay in writing.  The clerk's office responded as it was supposed to do on January 31:

Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney issued the following statement. 

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety issued the following statement.

Welcome to another edition of Matchbook Monday. Feel free to add your stories or any information about them in the comments section as you enjoy these blasts from the past. Readers can email copies of any old matchbooks to kingfish1935@gmail.com.

JJ published this post on March 1, 2011.  The post reports what the Hinds County Board of Supervisors pulled during redistricting eight years ago.  Why is JJ re-posting this story?  Be patient.  All will be made clear soon enough. 

The Hinds County Board of Supervisors adopted one of four redistricting proposals submitted by Derrick Johnson last night.  The plan splits Clinton in half and adds two precincts (approximately four thousand black voters) to District 1, increasing the black voting age population from 55% to 60% in that district (The current map, the accepted map, and the video of the entire meeting are posted below.). The courthouse was packed as over 150 people attended the meeting. All of the media showed up to cover the hearing as well.

The Board posted three proposed maps yesterday at the offices in downtown Jackson yesterday morning at 9:00 AM. However, the maps were not posted at the Raymond office until after 1:00 PM.  To make matters worse, the proposal that was adopted last night, was NEVER made available for public viewing at any county offices or on the county website. The first time any member of the public viewed the plan was at 6:00 PM last night, when the meeting started.

 Update: Suspect died at hospital.  Police identified him as Pierre Woods.

Rankin County deputies shot a man who pointed a firearm at a law enforcement officer today in Pelahatchie.  Police Chief Joe Daughtry said police responded to a call reporting shots fired.  The standoff lasted for over an hour.  Tear gas was eventually used in the house, forcing the suspect to emerge.  Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey said the suspect pointed a firearm at a law enforcement officer.  The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation will investigate the shooting.  Chief Daughtry and Sheriff Bailey provided more information at a brief press conference.

The healthcare watchdog organization Leapfrog Group gave "C's" and "D's" to all but one Jackson-area hospital for patient safety.  Only Mississippi Baptist Medical Center scored an "A" rating. Leapfrog states on its website that factors such as infection rates,  mistakes, errors, and accidents determine the score.  The hospitals are graded every six months.  Leapfrog provided the following ratings to local hospitals*:

This column was submitted by Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann. 

This week, the State filed suit against the federal government seeking at least $25 million for damage to 8,000 acres of 16th Section land belonging to three school districts in southwest Mississippi.

It was not an easy decision to make, but it was the right one for our children. The background is important:

Published in yesterday's Clarion-Ledger:

JPD recently ditched the Comstat crime reporting system for the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports.  WLBT's highly esteemed star investigative reporter C.J. attended the first public command staff discussion of UCR and came away rather troubled:

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety issued the following statement.

The late Dr. Frank Pollard went back to Genesis 6:5-7 in this 1990 sermon about the Great Flood.

Established in 1885 on February 22nd to venerate George Washington’s birthday, Presidents Day in 1971 was moved to the third Monday in February to accommodate three-day weekends for federal employees. It then morphed into a celebration of all presidents. Today it has morphed again into just another day when the Post Office and banks are closed.

My Fair Lady appears tomorrow and Wednesday at Tinseltown and Malco.

Give Richland Police Chief William James credit for defending his cops.  While others hide behinds Mayors and legal teams, Chief James stood tall and proud for his officers as he took to Facebook to provide more information on police chases that begin in Richland but end in Jackson.  Chief James posted:

Yet another sexual harassment lawsuit was filed against Hinds County Sheriff Victor Mason in U.S. District Court today.  Former HCSO Lieutenant Janie Myles sued Sheriff Mason for sexual harassment, racial discrimination, and sex discrimination. Sheriff Mason settled three sexual harassment lawsuits in early January.  The lawsuit is posted below.  Start on page 2 to read the disgusting allegations.

UMMC issued the following statement written by Kate Royals. 

Note: This is a Repost from February 23, 2011.  Simply put, this was one of the most shameful episodes this correspondent has ever witnessed in government.  The arrogance was on full display that night as Mr. Johnson showed nothing but bare contempt for the voters while Board President George Smith was befuddled every time he was asked a question.  The video should be watched.  Why is an old story reposted? Be patient.  All will be made clear soon enough.  

The Hinds County Board of Supervisors held a public hearing last night on redistricting. The Board hired Derrick Johnson to  handle the redistricting chores.  JJ video-taped the entire hearing and posted it below.  Before watching the video, it is important to remember several things:

Rankin-Madison District Attorney John Bramlett issued the following statement.

Today's edition of Flashback Friday looks at how Northpark Mall came to be.  As Jackson's population moved to North Jackson and Madison County, the demand for a shopping mall grew.  A developer planned to build a $60 million mall in the early 80's by Watkins Drive.  Enter Ridgewood Mall.   Maurice Joseph and Buster Bailey jumped in to land a mall on their opposing East County Line Road properties.  However, one thing was forgotten in the rush to build a mall - the homeowners of nearby subdivisions.  The Jackson property was subject to restrictive covenants.  Read below to see what happened.

JPD issued the following statements about two homicides that occurred yesterday.

JJ wishes you a Happy Valentine's Day....

You know it's campaign season when the Battle of the Polls begins.  The folks at Mason-Dixon released a poll that showed The Tater and The Hair at a dead heat in the race to replace Governor Phil Bryant.  However, an internal polling memo for the Tate Reeves campaign is floating around that shows the Lieutenant Governor with a sizeable lead over the Attorney General.

Jeff Good posted the following message on Facebook.

Note: This is a repost from January 20, 2010. Be patient.  All will be made clear soon enough.


Did you know that Hinds County just awarded $40,000 to Derrick Johnson to handle redistricting for the county? Neither did anyone else as the item was not included in the agenda for the December 20, 2010 meeting but was brought up at the end of the session (Copy of Agenda) with no notice to the public. Minutes from the meeting state Supervisor Robert Graham made a motion"

Y'all love the shoe smack posts so here is another one.  Nothing like seeing a true craftsman at work.  Our man Steve at Bedo's Leatherworks in Virginnie performed the Lazarus act on some shoes that should have been left for dead.  Moral of the post: Don't ever give up on a pair of shoes.  If they are well-made, they can usually be restored. See for yourself. 

Just think..... we've gone from this:

OK, troops,  a homeless veteran will be buried tomorrow in Newton at 10 AM.   Spread the word and urge some people to attend the service.  The press release is posted below.

Madison-Rankin District Attorney John Bramlett issued the following statement.

Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba issued the following statement about police chases yesterday.

Nothing passive about this verb.  Check out the active Verb below.

Retired Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice Bill Waller, Jr. will apparently run for Governor in the Republican primary.  Geoff Pender reported in the Clarion-Ledger today:

State Auditor Shad White issued the following statement.

Catastrophe struck a favorite watering hole for those who visit Grayton Beach in Florida.  The Red Bar burned down during the night.

Credit: WJHG-TV Twitter

Change. In terms of Mississippi government, change isn’t merely coming – and we’re talking major changes – it’s in great measure already here and identifiable.

Gannett issued the following press release about Digital First's takeover attempt of Gannett.

Lord Protector Jim Hood issued the following statement.

The NCAA vacated 33 wins by the Ole Miss football team.  Rebel Grove reported:

Mississippi Department of Corrections Commissioner Pelecia Hall recently complained that her office was bombarded with public records requests.  She asked the legislature to weaken the public records laws for MDOC as she claimed the agency could not respond to the requests as required by law.  JJ filed a public records request for the public records requests submitted since December 1, 2018 and posted them below.   Read and review for yourself.

Madison-Rankin District Attorney John Bramlett issued the following statement.

Former Hinds County Sheriff Tyrone Lewis won a defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife, Tony Davis, and several other defendants in Hinds County Chancery Court yesterday. Hinds County Sheriff Tyrone Lewis sued in June 2015 for an injunction as well as damages against the defendants. Sheriff Lewis claimed they acted together to slander and defame him through social media over several months in 2015 prior to the August primary.  Attorney Dennis Sweet IV posted this message on Facebook yesterday:

Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey issued the following statement.

Improv at its best.  A famous pianist was supposed to perform one night on The Tonight Show but as fate would have it, he accidentally slammed a car door on his hand that day and was unable to perform.  How did the King if Late Night handle this catastrophe?

Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann issued the following statement.

Sunday Morning with Ward 3 City Councilman Kenneth Stokes and Reverend P.J. Williams.  "Why do we need this black leadership it they scared?"  "If you're scared of white folks and don't want to go downtown, come by my office."  The fun starts at 14:15.

The Mississippi State Department of Health issued the following statement. 

Jackson Animal Control Officer Paul Perry pleaded guilty to First Offense DUI and Destruction of County Property in 2016.  Mr. Perry has been under fire recently for refusing to seize vicious dogs that kill pets in Jackson.

The Mississippi Department of Insurance issued the following article.

JPD issued the following statement.

The late Dr. Frank Pollard preached from Psalms 53:1 in this 1990 sermon.  Enjoy the sermon if you can't make it to church this morning.

What would Adam Smith, the father of modern capitalism, think of capitalism in America today?

Take a break from the cold, the politics, and just everything period.

It appears some chicanery took place at a Millsaps frat back in 1994:

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety issued the following statement.

Attorney General Jim Hood issued the following statement.

The Justice Department issued the following statement.

 Update (6:20 PM): JPD is replacing the Comstat reports with Uniform Crime Reports.  They will be posted on the city website on the 15th of every month. 

The city of Jackson no longer posts crime statistics on the city's website.  See for yourself. 

State Senators John Polk and Lydia Chassaniol are trying to bring a bit of pork to Winona.  Check out SB #2963:

Canton Municipal Utilities overcharged customers who lived more than a mile outside of Canton. The public utility also illegally transferred surplus revenue to the city of Canton and the Canton Redevelopment Authority.  So ruled the Public Service Commission on January 25. 

Imagine the reaction these commercial would get today....

The Northeast Jackson pit bulls are back thanks to the actions of one incompetent animal control owner and a scumbag homeowner.  Unfortunately, more people complained to the Jackson City Council about Animal Control Officer Paul Perry's refusal to seize dogs that terrorize neighborhoods. 

Madison/Rankin District Attorney John Bramlett issued the following statement.

Madison/Rankin District Attorney John Bramlett issued the following statement. 

Mississippians haven't had their fill of Phil as they gave him a 60% job approval rating in the latest Mason-Dixon poll.  60% of registered voters approved of his job performance while 33% disapproved.  Meanwhile, 56% of the respondents approved of President Trump's job performance.  The sample was 625 likely Mississippi voters with a margin of error of four points.

Dark days are coming to Madison next week:

Attorney Shanda Yates submitted this column. 

You have no doubt seen at least one article discussing the “Landowners Protection Act” which is pending before both the House and Senate. But, if you aren’t a lawyer or one of the large corporate sponsors of the bill, have you paid attention? Many supporters of the Act have gone out of their way to convince the public that these bills mean nothing to the average citizen; that your life will not be impacted. Some have even gone so far as to grossly misstate the scope and reach of the proposed bill2. However, what you haven’t heard is the truth.

Will rural Mississippi finally get some of that new-fangled broadband service?   The pastoral life has its advantages but also one serious drawback: slow internet service when it is available at all. The legislature passed a bill last week that authorizes the electric co-ops to offer broadband service to their members.  Supporters likened it to the 1930's crusade to electrify rural Mississippi. The bill sped through the House and Senate with little fuss.  After all, who wants to be against baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and rural broadband?

The Justice Department issued the following statement.

A Mason-Dixon poll states Attorney General Jim Hood leads Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves 44% to 42% with 14% undecided.  The poll was conducted last week among 625 Mississippi registered voters.  The margin of error was +/- 4%.

Almost 40 years of covering Mississippi government and politics suggests to me that an election year isn’t the best time to enact something as controversial as legalizing medical marijuana.

Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves issued the following statement:

Secretary of State Giggit Hosemann issued the following statement. 

The Madison Police Department issued the following statement.

The well has run dry for those who don't pay their water bills in Jackson as the city is stepping up efforts to cut off water services for delinquent accounts.  Public Works Director Bob Miller said there are 20,000 delinquent accounts.  If the city does not improve its collections, the utility will be challenged to make $13 million in bond payments this year.

If like me, you didn't watch that little scrum in Atlanta yesterday, you might have missed one of the better commercials.  Game of Thrones met Budweiser.  Seriously.  Enjoy.

Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey issued the following statement. 

JPD issued the following statement.

The money is starting to pile up in the race to replace Jim Hood as Mississippi's Attorney General.  State Representative Mark Baker (R-Lynyrd Skynyrd)  and State Treasurer Lynn Fitch are running for Republican nomination for A.G.  Ms. Fitch raised $366,699 at the end of January while Mr. Baker raised $330,641.  However, Mr. Baker has $378,902 cash on hand while the Treasurer has $281,769.

Jackson Animal Control Officer Paul Perry finally got off his lazy ass and did his job- after WLBT got involved.  WLBT reported:

The Mississippi State Medical Association issued the following press release.

Check out Bourbon Street this afternoon:

Never let it be said that Eli's favorite target doesn't know how to have some fun.

Don't want to watch that piddlin' little even that starts after 5:00 PM today? They Shall Not Grow Old and The Wizard of Oz appear today in Jackson on the big screen.  Please go see They Shall Not Grow Old if you can.  The movie is riveting and places you in a front row seat to The Great War.

"There is nothing more demanding than the Sermon on the Mount" said the late Dr. Frank Pollard as he began to preach in this 1990 sermon.  Dr. Pollard preached from Matthew 7:1-12.  If you can't make it to church this morning, don't worry, JJ is bringing church to you.  Enjoy.

Started your tax return yet? I have and it's so disappointing.

Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey issued the following statement.

The Mississippi Supreme Court issued the following statement.

The Jackson Zoo has been in the news again as the Lumumba administration is replacing the zoo's management.  The Jackson Zoological Society has managed the zoo since 1986.  However, the lease expired last year.  The city issued a RFP and received three bids.  ZoOceanarium LLC earned the highest score.  The City Council voted Tuesday to negotiate a contract with the Missouri-based company.  The ZoOceanarium and Jackson Zoological Society proposals are posted below if readers are bored and have nothing else to do.

One of the most bizarre events in boxing history took place a mere six months after the Rumble in the Jungle.  George Foreman needed some therapy after Ali embarrassed him in Zaire.  The Tower of Power decided he would fight five boxers in one night.  Each crum bum, I mean boxer, would try to last three rounds with George.  ABC broadcast the event.  Cossell was the announcer.  What could possible go wrong? Did I mention who the thingy commentator was?

UMMC issued the following press release written by Kate Royals.

Given up for dead, Blackberry is back with the Keytwo, powered by Android.  If you are like me and can't stand typing on glass, there is hope for you.

A lawsuit charged the Catholic Diocese of Jackson with covering up a case of child rape that took place in 2004 at St. Richard Catholic Church. The lawsuit provides sickening details one hopes aren't true:

JPD issued the following statement.