News

How Mississippi and Emmett Till shaped the March on Washington

As many across the nation remain in shock and disbelief at the recent verdict in the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, his case has become hauntingly reminiscent of another black teenager gunned down nearly 60 years ago, where his accusers also went forth free.

The murder of Emmett Till is just as relevant today as it was in 1955 when his death not only sparked an avalanche of public outrage and fear across the south. But it also gave courage and determination to the weary and downtrodden – now wiling to die for equal rights. […]

Family Medicine

UMMC to enter lease agreement for Grenada Lake Medical Center

With approval Thursday from the State Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees, University of Mississippi Medical Center leaders will sign an agreement to lease the 156-bed Grenada Lake Medical Center from the Grenada County Board of Supervisors.
 
Under the agreement, UMMC would begin managing GLMC Sept. 1, and lease the facility beginning Jan. 1. Under the terms, UMMC would pay the county about $1.8 million annually to retire the facility’s $37.4 million debt. […]

News

Woman held without bond in toddler’s death

A Hinds County woman is being held without bond after being charged with capital murder in the death of her 1-year-old son. Tiffany Michelle Menifield remains behind bars at the Hinds County Detention Center after appearing in court on Saturday, July 27.

Menfield, 25, who lives in the 600 block of Hampton Circle in Jackson, was charged after her son, Tyree McDonald, died on Sunday, July 18 at UMC Hospital. […]

Education

Aug. 30 deadline set for parents to scan fingers

Parents have until Aug. 30 to register for a finger-scanning system to sign children in and out of federally subsidized child care.

Jill Dent, director of the Division of Early Childhood Care and Development at the state Department of Human Services, announced the deadline last Wednesday.

By then, parents and other caregivers will have to visit county DHS offices to scan their fingers into the system, or lose their subsidy. […]

News

Jackson police officer hit by car on I-55

Police Chief Lindsey Horton has confirmed the death of a Jackson Police Officer, his first since being named to his new post earlier this month. Horton said 35-year Bruce Jacob was killed Saturday afternoon after being hit by a motorist in the southbound lanes of I-55 and Northside Drive.

Jacob, a Precinct Four officer, and a five year veteran of the police force, received a call about debris on the roadway of I-55 south about 1:30 p.m. He had reportedly retrieved a barbecue grill that had fallen off a truck and was putting it in the trunk of his cruiser when another vehicle came from behind and hit him.

Jacob was taken to UMC where he died of multiple blunt-force trauma, Hinds County Coroner Sharon Grisham Stewart said.
[…]

News

Lumumba sworn in Monday as Jackson mayor

Chokwe Lumumba was sworn in Monday as the mayor of Jackson, Mississippi’s capital and the largest city in the state.

Lumumba is an attorney who served the past four years on the Jackson City Council. A civil rights activist, he was active in a black nationalist group decades ago, but ran as a mainstream candidate who would represent all city voters.

The Clarion-Ledger reports that the first true test for Lumumba will come quickly – a Sept. 15 budget deadline, which he’ll face with a new City Council. […]

News

MDOT and partners dedicate Habitat home in Jackson

The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) recently held a dedication ceremony for a Habitat for Humanity project in which employees from both agencies volunteered hours of their time to help construct a beautiful 1,200 square foot home for Pedro and Shawn Galloway.
 
The ceremony was held Monday, June 17, in front of the Habitat home, located on Englewood Street in Jackson. Representatives from each agency gave remarks about the project, including: MDOT Central Transportation Commissioner Dick Hall; Vice President, Habitat for Humanity Metro Jackson, Johnny Ray; Deputy Attorney General Mike Lanford; Assistant Attorney General Roy Tipton; and Executive Director, Habitat for Humanity Metro Jackson, Cindy Griffin. […]

News

Chokwe Lumumba, ex-black nationalist, wins Jackson mayor’s race

A Mississippi attorney and one-time civil rights activist who was involved in a black nationalist group decades ago has been elected mayor of Jackson, the state capital.

The Clarion-Ledger reported late Tuesday that Jackson City Councilman Chokwe Lumumba was elected mayor, receiving about 85 percent of the vote against three independent candidates.

He will succeed Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr., who finished third in this year’s Democratic primary. […]

News

NAACP honors former leader, Medgar Evers, in Jackson

NAACP leaders from around the country gathered in Jackson recently to honor the memory of their former leader, Medgar Evers and to hold their annual meeting.

Evers was assassinated nearly 50 years ago outside his home in Jackson.

NAACP president Benjamin Todd Jealous and board chairwoman Roslyn Brock helped Evers’ widow, Myrlie Evers-Williams, lay a wreath at the home, now a museum on Thursday, May 16.

Evers-Williams told nearly 200 people that she still remembers hearing the shot that killed her husband in their carport on June 12, 1963. She and their three young children, Darrell, Reena and Van, were waiting up for him. […]

News

Dems pick Lumumba in Jackson mayor runoff

Jackson City Councilman Chokwe Lumumba (SHOW-kway Lu-MOOM-bah) has defeated businessman Jonathan Lee in the Democratic primary runoff for Jackson mayor.

The Clarion-Ledger reports that unofficial results show the 65-year-old Lumumba winning 55% of the vote Tuesday.

The Democratic nominee is expected to become mayor. No Republican is running, though independent candidates Francis Smith, Jr., Richard Williams, Jr., and Cornelius Griggs are on the June 4 general election ballot. The new term begins July 1. […]