State Auditor Stacey Pickering blasted the Mississippi Department of Education for awarding contracts while trying to get around public purchasing laws in a report. +. In other words, the State Auditor accused the Superintendent of repeatedly giving sweetheart deals to her friends while the Board sat back and watched. Payments were made for hundreds of thousands of dollars with no documentation while numerous contracts were structured to avoid bidding and any review by outside parties.
Rosemary G. Aultman, Chairwoman of the Mississippi State Board of Education, submitted the following column.
Yet another group of owners of a Mugshots franchise have sued fellow Mugshots owner Chris McDonald and several companies he owns, in federal court for alleged fraud and Rico violations. Chad Eron, Jim Walsh, Patrick Johnson, Stephen Arant, and Alex Pitt accused McDonald of borrowing nearly $1 million against their three Mugshots restaurants in Alabama without their knowledge and paying bogus invoices to Mr. McDonald-owned companies. The owner of the Ridgeland Mugshots filed a similar lawsuit in April. Earlier post.
Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey issued the following statement.
Millsaps College and Chism Strategies released its polling results in a "State of the State" memo today. Some highlights of the memo are:
The Clinton Police Department issued the following statement and six colored glossy photographs with arrows and an explanation on the back of each one.
Jackson Mayor Chowke Lumumba asked the Jackson City Council to hire Octagon Group for lobbying services last night. Quincy Mukoro is the owner of Octagon. The current lobbyist is Worth Thomas. The request submitted to the City Council set the maximum compensation for Octagon at $135,000. The term of the contract would be one year. However, Jackson pays much more money than do other cities and counties in Mississippi for lobbying services. Check out what municipal and county lobbyists made in 2016:
Some items appearing on the agenda for tonight's meeting of the Jackson City Council:
Senator Thad Cochran issued the following statement.
The Richard Schwartz & Brent Hazzard radio show has been spicing up the airwaves every Wednesday morning on WMPR. Listen to the hottest talk radio show in Jackson posted below. The two attorneys discussed the JPS takeover.
Sometimes JJ actually wishes it were making up a post and this is one of those times. An employee at the Hinds County Sheriff's Department engaged in a relationship um, on several levels with an inmate. She sent a letter to the inmate, who of course could not keep it to himself. The letter is posted below.
A Madison County grand jury indicted Leronnie Michael in June for Culpable Negligence Manslaughter in the death of Jackson Busby. Madison Police arrested Michael on December 22, 2016 after he allegedly drove the wrong way on I-55 N and struck another car in a head-on collision. Madison Police stated in a press release at the time of the wreck:
The sexual harassment lawsuit against Belhaven University started out with much sound in the media but was ended by the fury of the judge. Unfortunately, the same media that engage in a hi-tech lynching of Belhaven and its employee when attorney Carlos Moore and his client, Erica Stewart, filed the lawsuit couldn't bother to report that the Judge threw out the case, sanctioned the Mr. Moore, fined Ms. Stewart, and said she destroyed evidence.
Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey issued the following statement.
The hot topic in the news is JPS. JJ updated the collection of posts for the JPS takeover, JPS, and MDE. Click on this link to read JJ posts on these subjects. Enjoy.
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Former Ole Miss Head Football Coach Hugh Freeze apologized to Ole Miss fans in this message that was posted on Rebelgrove.com:
If you can't make it to church this morning, enjoy this sermon given by the late Dr. Frank Pollard of First Baptist Church (Jackson).
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service lists the following as the rights of American citizenship: freedom of expression; freedom to worship as you wish; right to a prompt, fair trial by jury; right to vote in elections for public officials; right to apply for federal employment requiring U.S. citizenship; right to run for elected office; and freedom to pursue “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
The Jackson Public School District asked a Hinds County Circuit Court to stop the Mississippi Department of Education from assuming control of the district. JPS filed the petition for a temporary restraining order today and preliminary injunction. JPS filed a similar petition last week in Hinds County Chancery Court but Chancellor Dewayne Thomas said he lacked jurisdiction to rule on the petition. The case is assigned to Judge Bill Gowan.
How bloated is the JPS payroll? Compare the workforce of JPS and Desoto County. Desoto is the largest school district in Mississippi with 6,589 students more than JPS.* However, JPS has nearly a thousand more employees and a much smaller share of JPS's employees are teachers. See how bad the numbers are.
Read the opening paragraph word for word.
The Ridgeland Board of Aldermen extended a moratorium on hotel construction for another thirty days Tuesday night. The moratorium was brought up for a discussion and vote despite not being on the agenda. The Madison County Journal reported today:
A Social Studies quiz supposedly given to students at Murrah High School is making the rounds on Facebook. It uses the words "injuns" and the reading level might leave something to be desired. Read for yourself. JJ sent a copy of the quiz to JPS this morning and asked for a comment but has not yet received a response. A mother of a Murrah High School Senior posted on Facebook that the quiz was not a fabrication and that it was given to her son's class. One hopes this quiz is indeed a hoax.
Attorney General Jim Hood issued the following press release.
A firestorm of criticism erupted in July when a man accused of shooting a seven year-old child in Jackson was released under house arrest and didn't have to post a bond. However, Jackson Municipal Court Judge Ali "Firm but Fair" Shamsiddeen defended his decision on the Charles Evers radio show on WMPR on July 19. Judge Shamsiddeen also said that he didn't want to place him in jail because he was accused of harming a child and prison life is rather "tough" on such defendants. Judge Shamsiddeen made quite a few colorful remarks and even discussed the case with the defendant's father on the air.
A mistrial was declared in State v. Joshua Archie. Circuit Judge John Emfinger declared the mistrial after the jury could not reach a verdict. Archie was indicted for capital murder in the 2012 death of Party City (Ridgeland) Manager Bobby Adams.
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Crime has popped back up in the news recently. Take a break from the crime stories and watch this campy video that explains The Godfather to Millenials.
State Auditor Stacey Pickering issued the 2017 report of legislative expenses. It is posted below.
Check out this guy and his friends partying away in the Hinds County jail.
The phones of Freeze saga continues. The latest chapter involves the alleged use of burner phones. The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday:
Update #3 (9/21/2017): Johnson was arrested and is in custody.
Update #2 (9/20/17): Judge Kidd revoked his bond although Johnson still remains at large.
Update: It gets better. Bond was only $1,000. That's right. Stab a cop, Hinds County Judge continues the suspect's bond at $1,000.
Shamsid-dunce might want to pay attention to this post. JPD has a suspect in a stabbing death that took place on Woodrow Wilson Drive. JPD tweeted:
UPDATE: SANDERS CAPTURED.
The Mississippi Department of Corrections issued the following statement.
The Flag Chapel Fight took place Sunday afternoon at Lake Hico. The fight almost looked like a real boxing match. There were boxing gloves, a referee, and even rounds. Blows were traded but unfortunately no one yelled "stick and move." However, the fight ended when someone pulled a gun and start shooting. The video is posted below. The gun is fired around 15:00.
A group of parents of children enrolled in Jackson Public Schools sued the Mississippi Department of Education today in federal court in an attempt to block an MDE takeover of JPS. The lawsuit is posted below.
Kiiiiiiiim Wade went totally off the chain Friday in his opening monologue. The thought of a JPS takeover was just too much for him to handle. Listen for yourself.
There is talk in some Jackson circles that this website is working with the Republicans to take over Jackson Public Schools. JJ doesn’t normally respond to chatter, because someone is always throwing stones at this website. However, the Mississippi Department of Education’s decision to take over Jackson Public Schools is a story that is very emotionally-charged and upset quite a few people. Some see it as another example of the state yet again trying to take something from Jackson. Others see it as Mississippi once again showing its own brand of racism, although some are inclined to see racism in anything. Others are just plain confused and genuinely scared because their children’s education is at stake. JJ will attempt to explain why it has an interest in JPS.
You can't make this up. Attorney Generalissimo James Tiberius Hood issued the following statement.
Airbnb issued the following notice last weekend:
If you can't make it to church this morning, enjoy this 1987 sermon from the late Dr. Frank Pollard.
Does modern music suck or are such complaints merely what one hears every generation? Watch Thoughty2's analysis on Youtube below and decide for yourself.
Former state GOP executive director, elected Republican official, and chief of staff to Kirk Fordice, Mississippi's first Republican Governor since Reconstruction, Andy Taggart has publicly challenged his party to step up and "lead the charge in finally removing from our state flag the representation of the Confederate battle flag."
Stingray made an appearance on Youtube a few days ago:
The Mississippi Hospital Association failed in its attempt last month to get a court to stop Medicaid from awarding a lucrative managed care contract to three competitors. MHA's proposal scored sixth out of seven bids. Hinds County Chancellor rejected the petition for a temporary restraining order and said MHA had not exhausted its administrative remedies.
