V15n29 - The Death Penalty’s Trials in Mississippi

vol. 15 no. 29

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The Death Penalty’s Trials in Mississippi

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Su Ac mme ti r Guvities ide pp 2 025

Dreher, pp 15-18

RE-DEFINING GANGS Ladd, pp 6-8

GOING OUT WITH A (FLVSH) BVNG! Jessica Smith, p 30

THE DARK SIDE OF MUSIC Micah Smith, p 30

Unleash your wild side

Saturday, April 1 10a.m. – 5p.m.

March 22 - 28, 2017 • jfp.ms

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Also, wondrous water adventures, up-close nature tours and more at the Science Museum!

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JACKSONIAN Roderick Red Imani Khayyam

R

oderick Red believes that sparking change is the best use of art. The 28-year-old filmmaker and producer is using his multimedia business, Red Squared Productions, LLC, to help spread messages of activism to Jackson and beyond.

Red, a Jackson native, went to Murrah High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcast production from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2011. He started Red Squared Productions in 2012.

He generates media content such as commercials and documentaries for businesses and nonprofits in the Jackson area.

Depending on the span of a project, he may act as producer, writer, editor, videographer or in a combination of the roles.

He has worked on a number of projects, including film features for the Mississippi Health Advocacy Program and Springboard to Opportunities, as well as the “We are Jackson” promotional video that the City of Jackson commissioned.

When VICE came to Jackson to film a documentary about HIV in the South, Red acted as the field producer, pulling people together and overseeing production on the local end.

Red Squared Productions is a member of Southern Cult, which is a network of freelance graphic designers, filmmaker,

contents

musicians and more in the Jackson area who collaborate on local projects.

Red also helped create a commercial for Entergy Mississippi.

“It was the first project that we got to see from start to finish,” he says.

Through Southern Cult and his experience as a producer, Red says he’s learned the importance of working with a team.

“The production community in the area is small, so it’s all about networking,” he says.

Planting his business in midtown was a conscious decision for Red. He says he wants to be in the heart of Jackson, where the stories are. “It’s a real community that fosters growth,” he says.

Red says he is looking forward to taking on bigger and better projects and growing his business throughout Jackson and the state. He has a documentary project on the Central Jackson Soccer Organization in the works and plans to break into the film festival circuit soon. “I want to tell stories that get recognized on a regional and national level,” he says.

Red is also the president of the Business Association of Midtown and a member of CityHeart Church’s creative team.

He loves traveling, speaking to students about filmmaking and playing basketball with his small group at church.

—Abigail Walker

cover photo of Execution Room

by MDOT

4 ............ Editor’s Note 6 ............................ Talks 12 ................... editorial 13 ...................... opinion 15 ............ Cover Story 26 ........... food & Drink 28 ......................... 8 Days

courtesy FLVSH BVNG; Imani Khayyam; Imani Khayyam

March 22 - 28, 2017 | Vol. 15 No. 29

8 Conference Calling

Legislation to expand the state’s dyslexia voucher programs and enact several criminal justice reforms could undergo further changes at the Legislature before they become law.

26 Tasty Cuisine

She’s back, and the food is as delicious as ever.

29 ....................... sports 30 .......................... music 31 ........ music listings 32 ...................... Puzzles 33 ......................... astro 33 ............... Classifieds

30 Start with a Bang

“After the (FLVSH BVNG!) shows, it takes 30 to 40 minutes to walk through the crowd because of all the love being spread,” Nixon says. “We have not had one issue or fight.

Phenomenal crowd responses, random heart-to-hearts and heartfelt thank-yous, including the infamous family photo at the end of the night. This is what we do it for—the people, not the money.” —Jonathan Nixon, “Starting with a BVNG”

March 22 - 28, 2017 • jfp.ms

29 ........................ Events

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editor’s note

by Amber Helsel, Managing Editor

Jackson Needs More Camaraderie

U

p until the age of 16 (and except for a brief period when I lived in Leake County), I lived off a little street in Flowood called Jacquelyn Drive in a house that my grandfather built in the 1970s.

While there, friends literally surrounded me. My childhood friend Melanie and her sister Kristen lived next door, and the grandparents of my best friend, Lindsey, lived two houses down (also, her mom and aunt grew up with my mom), and Lindsey and her sister Taylor would often come play at my house.

I have a lot of memories from there, too. Off a driveway connected to my street’s cul-de-sac, a Doberman pinscher once chased me on my bike (which is one reason I’m always a little hesitant around bigger dogs). Across the street, there was the daycare where my mom worked when she was younger, and where I went to preschool.

In my lifetime, the neighborhood even went through two floods within the course of two months.

There was always talk of having a block party, though I don’t think it ever happened. But even without one, we were still a tight-knit community. I remember complaining sometimes that the neighborhood was too small, but sometimes, even now, I think of how much I’d love to go back to that place and back to that sense of camaraderie.

These days, the neighborhood is gone—blown up to make way for a hyperspace bypass. Just kidding. The state bought out most of the other houses on that street, including ours, for the Airport Parkway/ Mississippi Highway 25 Connector Project, though right now, I’m not sure what’s happening with that land. But whatever state

it’s in right now, the feeling of community has always stuck with me. That’s probably part of the reason why I like to keep a close network of people and why I tend to thrive when I’m part of a team.

It’s also why I love the sense of community that much of Jackson seems to have, and it may be what drew me toward the city and keeps pulling me in.

But sometimes, I do notice this weird disconnect between neighborhoods. Some-

We’re all part of one city. times, each area seems to have its own sense of community, but only for itself instead of the whole area. It’s like seeing a problem in small details but forgetting to look at the larger picture.

It’s great to have a sense of pride in your neighborhood, but it’s also important to remember that we’re all part of one city.

Fondren, midtown, Belhaven, downtown, north, south and west Jackson, Leftover and Eastover—all those neighborhoods are tiny pieces that make up a mid-sized city.

So that means that no matter how cool your individual neighborhood is, or how much you love it, it’s still going to have the same infrastructure problems and other issues as the rest of the city. I’ve hit many a pothole on Mill Street near midtown, but

I’m pretty sure a pothole in Fondren was the one that bent the rim of one of my tires. And ongoing construction on Capitol Street in downtown doesn’t help anyone’s tire situation.

When the waterpocalypse happened, the shut-off affected most of the city, not just south or west Jackson. When the Greater Jackson Arts Council was going to lose funding from the City, it wasn’t just going to lose funding for one area. It was going to lose the ability to support the whole arts community. On the better side of that, when the Jackson City Council stayed until late at night to create a resolution against HB 1523, their decision affected Jackson, not just Fondren, Belhaven or downtown.

When neighborhoods have events, it’s not often that the people who attend or the vendors are only from that specific area.

People come from all over the city and metro area just to get a taste of what we have to offer and to take part in it.

It would be one thing if Jackson had enough funding and if the fire hydrants didn’t have to constantly be opened to release water pressure, or if all the schools were properly funded or if the public transportation system wasn’t so messed up.

Jackson doesn’t have the luxury of having its sh*t together (then again, who does?). It’s a beautiful city, but it has problems that can’t be solved by saying, “Let’s focus on this one area.” If that’s how you approach a problem—by fixating on smaller pieces—you’re going to have a harder time seeing everything that’s wrong. Sure, improve downtown, but don’t forget that west and south Jackson need love, too.

What I liked about Fondren’s First Thursday (rest in peace) is that even though it was in Fondren, people from all over the

metro area flocked to it—even to the State Street Concert Series this month. I don’t know what happened behind the scenes, or what bad blood there was, but I was saddened when I heard that, for the time being, FFT is cancelled. It was the highlight of my month, but luckily, I still regularly attend events such as Museum After Hours.

When I talked to Verge JXN Coordinating Producer Kristen Tordella-Williams for the cover story in the arts preview issue (see jfp.ms/verge2017), she talked about the importance of events such as Verge, and I think the same logic could be applied to FFT: “I think we need more (events like) that, especially today. More of a reason to come together despite any differences you might feel, more of a reason to see each other as more human. … Matt (Holl) and I lovingly termed (Jackson) the Wild Wild West because basically you can do whatever you want if you can make it happen.”

So no, I don’t think events like Fondren’s First Thursday are dead. If there’s a need in the community, and I think there is, we’ll make it happen. People in Jackson made the Mississippi Light Festival happen, and that was an incredible sight to behold (and also an extremely crowded one).

We make things happen in our neighborhood and Jackson every day. We just need to make sure that we’re all striving for one ultimate goal: to make the city better.

You can break a large problem into smaller, bite-sized pieces (a thing I am a fan of), but you can’t forget to take a step back and look at the big picture.

Managing Editor Amber Helsel spends a lot of time laughing at her own jokes. She is a demolitions expert and Gemini who likes art, cats, anime, food, music and more. Email story ideas to amber@jacksonfreepress.com.

March 22 - 28, 2017 • jfp.ms

contributors

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Arielle Dreher

Donna Ladd

Imani Khayyam

Andrea Dilworth

Jessica Smith

Zilpha Young

Myron Cathey

Tyler Edwards

News Reporter Arielle Dreher is working on finding some new hobbies and adopting an otter from the Jackson Zoo. Email her story ideas at arielle@jacksonfreepress.com.

She wrote the cover story.

JFP Editor, CEO and co-founder Donna Ladd is a graduate of Mississippi State and Columbia j-school. As a huge Dak Prescott, fan, she is adjusting to her new allegiance to the Dallas Cowboys. She wrote about a gang bill at #MSLeg.

Staff Photographer Imani Khayyam is an art lover and a native of Jackson. He loves to be behind the camera and capture the true essence of his subjects. He took the cover photo.

Freelance writer Andrea Wright Dilworth is a journalism professor with at least five novels floating around in her head, waiting to be set free. She lives in Jackson with her husband and three children. She wrote about Taste Bistro & Desserts.

Freelance writer Jessica Smith is a Jackson-based musician and community activist. She enjoys exploring parts of the city that are unknown to her and meeting new people. She wrote about the FLVSH BVNG! Art & Music Showcase.

Zilpha Young is an ad designer by day, painter, illustrator, seamstress and freelance designer by night. Check out her design portfolio at zilphacreates.com. She designed ads for the issue.

Sales and Marketing Consultant Myron Cathey is from Senatobia. He is a graduate of Jackson State University and enjoys traveling, music, and spending time with family and friends.

Events Editor Tyler Edwards loves film, TV and all things pop culture. He’s a Jackson native and will gladly debate the social politics of comic books.

Send events to events@jacksonfreepress.com. He compiled the event listings.

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“I think we need to send them on for their final judgment at that point, and let God sort it out.”

— Rep. Robert Foster, R-Hernando, on why he believes in the death penalty for those who have committed egregious, evil crimes with clear evidence against them.

Thursday, March 16

Students, parents and advocates gathered at the Mississippi State Capitol to call on lawmakers to slow down the re-write of Mississippi’s education funding formula and hold public hearings.

Friday, March 17

A federal court permanently blocks Mississippi’s law that threatened to close the state’s only abortion clinic by setting a hospital admitting privileges requirement the clinic couldn’t fulfill.

Saturday, March 18

House Speaker Paul Ryan says that he will seek changes to a GOP health care bill to provide more help to older people, after both Republicans and Democrats expressed concerns with the proposed American Health Care Act.

March 22 - 28, 2017 • jfp.ms

Sunday, March 19

The US House Intelligence Committee announces that documents the Justice Department and FBI delivered late last week offered no evidence to support Donald Trump’s claim that former President Barack Obama or his administration wiretapped Trump Tower during the 2016 election.

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Monday, March 20

Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch pledges to be independent or “hang up the robe” in a hearing with the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Tuesday, March 21

Mississippi lawmakers send Senate Bill 2710, which says that cities, state agencies and public colleges cannot prevent employees from asking someone’s immigration status, to Gov. Phil Bryant for approval.

Get breaking news at jfpdaily.com.

A ‘Gang,’ By Any Other Name

by Donna Ladd

A

young, white woman brutally murdered by a 27-year-old man in north Mississippi was the poster child for increasing penalties against gang members who conspire to commit crimes and those who lure them into criminal groups late on bill deadline night at the Mississippi Legislature.

Sen. Brice Wiggins, a Republican former prosecutor on the Gulf Coast, named the 19-year-old victim front as he argued for an overhauled state gang law to deal with the gang “scourge” in Mississippi.

“Jessica Chambers, who we all know was a result of gang activity in Panola County; the first transgender murder in Mississippi was in George County; it was gang-related,” Wiggins told fellow senators well after dinnertime on March 8. He was arguing for an amendment to House Bill 240 that would resurrect earlier efforts to add additional prison time to crimes committed as a result of gang association; create prison time for an adult who “solicits” a minor to join a gang; and widen the definition of “gang” to make prosecution easier.

The problem with Wiggins’ examples, though, were that the Panola County district attorney has said the murder of Chambers was not gang-related and was a “personal crime against Jessica” by Quinton Tellis, 27, whom she might have been romantically involved with. And while a known Latin Kings member, Josh Vallum, had killed Mercedes Williamson, 17, out of fear

Don’t Sweat the Spring

by JFP Staff

I

t’s spring time, which means that the weather is beginning to warm up (hopefully it’ll stay that way).

But spring time also means that southerners are gearing up for another scorchingly hot summer. Here are some things you can do in Jackson before things get ridiculous.

Imani Khayyam

Wednesday, March 15

The University of Mississippi Medical Center announces that it is cutting 195 jobs and eliminating 85 vacant positions to deal with a budget shortfall. … U.S. District Court Judge Derrick Watson blocks Donald Trump’s revised travel ban against Muslim immigrants after hearing arguments that the executive order discriminates on the basis of nationality.

As lawmakers grapple with a tight budget, education remains a top priority p8

Sen. Derrick Simmons, D-Greenville, is opposed to the vaguer language in a last-hour amendment to overhaul Mississippi’s gang law.

of his gang friends discovering that she was transgender, it apparently was not a crime resulting from gang collusion. Vallum pled guilty to the first federal hate-crime charge in the U.S. due to gender identity.

‘Hyper-criminalization’?

Most of today’s most-known street gangs—from the Vice Lords to the Latin Kings to the Simon City Royals—formed decades ago in neighborhoods, juvenile detention centers and prisons, often as a result of racial strife and block segregation between ethnic groups. Over those years,

the word “gang” has long been used colloquially to encompass any young person flashing a distinctive hand signal, wearing a certain color t-shirt or cap or shoestrings, or who is seen hanging out around suspected gang members. And long past a person’s early gang or group dalliances, their names can still show up in police databases as “associates” with groups supposedly conspiring to commit organized criminal activity.

Violence is tragic, but morphing any crime by a suspected “gang” member into a legal conspiracy in order to pile on more prison time—behind bars with

Visit the Jackson Zoo. Most of the animals will be out, and you won’t sweat that much (maybe).

Sit on a local restaurant’s patio while dining and enjoy the spring air.

Run through Jackson streets. Downtown has some of the best running terrain. Plus, most of it has sidewalks.

Bike down the Natchez Trace.

Play Pokemon Go. We know some of our readers still do.

Walk the trails at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science—or really any trail in Jackson.

Find Belhaven Beach. And please tell us where it is.

Pick up some local food and have a picnic at the reservoir.

Make a swimming pool out of a pothole or sinkhole.

Cool off on those days when fire hydrants flood the streets.

Go to the Mississippi State Capitol. Visit before your opportunity to stare down your lawmakers face-to-face is up.

“I’m not like a Marriott or a Holiday Inn or The King Edward: I don’t want repeat customers, so we want to make sure that they leave and they don’t come back to see us.”

—Mississippi Department of Corrections Commissioner Pelicia Hall on her goalsl to rehabilitate inmates and lower the recidivism rate.

means that, suddenly, a gang here is less of an organized criminal enterprise; the wordy new “Mississippi Gang Act” rewrites current law through the amendment, giving law enforcement much more discretion.

The changes give prosecutors the ability to treat non-violence and violent offenses similarly, allowing prosecutors to ask for additional five to 15-year sentences, including for a misdemeanor, if the perpetrator is deemed a gang member.

Sen. Derrick Simmons, D-Greenville, argued that such sweeping language can result in over-criminalization. He said constituents had called to ask why alleged gang members gets the same kinds of additional penalties for minor crimes.

Wiggins defended the language expanding gang-related offenses. But he said prosecutors still have to prove intent. “They have to prove that they were getting into it … to further the ends of the gang,” he said, presenting the question of how the murders of Chambers and Williamson helped him build the case for this legislation.

Some Republicans are concerned about giving prosecutors too much leeway to pile on additional time. “We can’t keep encouraging a culture of over-criminalization,” Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville, said in a Jan. 31 Senate committee meeting discussing the wider gang law, as reported

by The Clarion-Ledger. “There are far too many young people already incarcerated, so whenever we construct a criminal statute, it has to be very narrow.”

Sen. Simmons has long argued that such language can actually lead to more profiling and even calling a suspect a gang member in order to pile on more time, which research shows often increases recid-

—House Speaker Philip Gunn on why top lawmakers have yet to roll out their new education funding formula proposal.

ivism—much criminal and gang activity is hatched behind bars in the U.S.

“With the proper training of officers, without putting the right dollars behind giving all these law-enforcement agencies the professional development and training they need, we just possibly create a situation where, as opposed to promoting community policing, we are in turn promoting Imani Khayyam

other restless “gang” members—can be a dangerous stretch, violence experts say.

Therein lies the rub with far-reaching legislation such as the House Bill 240 amendment, which finally passed that night after much cheerleading from Wiggins and pushback from the bill’s critics.

Wiggins seeks to amend the existing Mississippi Streetgang Act that defines a gang as “any combination, confederation, alliance, network, conspiracy, understanding or similar conjoining in law or in fact, of three ore more persons with an established hierarchy” that commits a felony.

The amendment would define a gang as “an association of three or more persons whose members are involved in criminal gang activity and who collectively identify themselves by adopting a group identity by one or more of the following: a common name, slogan, identifying sign, symbol, tattoo or other physical marking; style or color of clothing or hairstyle; hand sign, hand gesture or finger position; or graffiti.”

“South Mississippi gangs, Clarksdale, Oktibbeha—I know it’s a long night, but I think this is important: Mississippi has a gang problem,” Wiggins told the Senate as numerous news stories flashed on a screen.

“All of the places I just mentioned to you … have convicted gang members in their communities … in your communities.”

He referred to a diversity of prominent gangs including the predominately white Simon City Royals, the Black Gangster Disciples, the Aryan Brotherhood, Latin Kings and MS-13 as he argued that gang investigators need more latitude to pursue gang nembers and the people who lure them into them.

Omitting the “hierarchy” requirement

“We want it right rather than rushed.”

Sen. Brice Wiggins calls gang activity in the state a “scourge.”

hyper-criminalization,” Simmons said at the Jan. 31 committee meeting.

Gulf Coast District Attorney Tony Lawrence, who has helped push for a strong “Mississippi Gang Act,” however, believes law enforcement need much wider latitude to round up gang members in order to make communities safer. He said on Jan. 31 that a task force on the Coast had “declared war” on gangs there in last couple years and needs legislative leeway to do more.

‘Gang Culture Has Changed’

The word “gang” means different things to different people—and the realities

of organized gangs in U.S. cities have shifted over the years. One result is that many of them are not the hierarchical organizedcrime syndicates of past years.

In 2014, the Legislature authorized a $500,000 study on Jackson crime. The BOTEC Analysis Corp. went into communities in Jackson to study causes and realities of crime and violence. Researchers found varying opinions on “gangs” here—some say they are still the gangs of the past, especially since so many young people identify with one or another subset of famous gangs such as the Vice Lords or the Black Gangster Disciples. Others, including within local law enforcement, argue that they are now more groups, “sets” or cliques, which while still soaked with guns (and trauma) and, thus, potentially violent, they are less likely to engage in the kind of conspiratorial crimes of more organized, “real” gangs.

“Gang culture has changed,” one interviewee told BOTEC about Jackson. “No one controls anyone anymore with little cliques all over the city.” This is common in towns around America, experts say. The victims also are pretty consistent; a death like that of Jessica Chambers is unusual in areas usually targeted for gang activity; the most common murder victims are young men of color caught up in cycles of violence.

As Jackson Police Chief Lee Vance puts it, those who many still call “gang” members are more likely to commit violence due to “beefs” and retaliation for previous acts of violence—which BOTEC calls a “group problem,” not a gang problem. “As will be made clear in this assessment,” BOTEC stated, “experts agree that the term ‘gang’ more GANGS see page 8

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is unimportant in addressing crime problems.” BOTEC itself only uses the term “colloquially,” the report added.

BOTEC concluded that the “labels are less important than an accurate assessment of crime patterns.” Put simply, its gang report explained, “Jackson has a bad problem with multi-offending groups.

The solution will emerge from further investigation into the identity of the offenders and the nature of the crimes being committed.”

That is, BOTEC argues, get granular about who is committing what crime in Jackson, and Mississippi, in order to figure out appropriate solutions.

It recommends a systemic approach to fixing the criminal-justice system, from ensuring that police are engaging in evidence-based practices to ensuring that the system itself is not reproducing more criminals and recidivism—and cynicism.

The study warns that the two highest precursors of a young person committing worse crime, gang-related or not, are high drop-outs/school absenteeism and being arrested and put into detention or jail. The more jail, the worse the chances the offender ends up a part of a violent group.

“If jails are a breeding ground for gang involvement, minimizing the length of pre-trial detention should be a priority to ward off further reason for young men to affiliate,” BOTEC warns.

BOTEC recommends the targeted enforcement-plus-services approach of David Kennedy’s “Operation Ceasefire” model, which both identifies those likely to commit crime and with offering services to help turn them around, as well as threats of what will happen if they don’t. Other prevention models include Cure Violence “violence interrupters”—former criminals and gang members who help youth choose better options and stop them from retaliating for violence.

Either way, the state-funded study is clear that the best way to avoid gang and criminal activity is to repair the conditions that cause them. It said Jackson is “trapped in a vicious cycle”: “Many city residents are desperately poor and victimized by violent crime. Government fails to protect them, leading to bitterness and a perception that law enforcement is incompetent or indifferent. Children grow up with no opportunity and turn to crime.”

Often, BOTEC found, young people arm themselves for self-protection because they don’t believe police are there to help them, and they have so few job opportunities that they believe crime is the only way to support their families.

Either way, a belief in beefed-up policing and more prison time without an evidence-based strategy to prevent crime will just lead to even more violence, the researchers warn. “BOTEC recommends working toward a precise understanding of the situation before embarking on a solution,” the report says.

See links to reports mentioned above in this story at jfp.ms/ganglaw and read the JFP’s ongoing “Preventing Violence” series at jfp.ms/preventingviolence.

Compromising on Vouchers, Criminal Justice as ‘Back the Badge’ Bill Goes to Governor

by Arielle Dreher

T

he fate of dyslexia scholarship-voucher expansion efforts, how criminal-justice reforms are implemented and occupational licensing-board oversight are in the hands of a few this week as Mississippi lawmakers conference and compromise on what stays and what goes.

The much-debated dyslexia scholarship legislation to allow students to use taxpayer-funded vouchers in other states if they cannot find services within 30 miles of their home might look different after conference. The Senate added significant amendments to the bill, including a provision that would require school districts to screen kindergartners and first graders for dyslexia with an approved screener test.

Sen. Gray Tollison, R-Oxford, told the Senate during a two-hour-plus debate that adding the screener provision would enable the State to identify a number of students who are not even aware that they have dyslexia. The bill is controversial because families could use the vouchers at non-public schools in other states, as long as they are state, regional or nationally accredited schools.

The legislation is necessary for the state to comply with a 2015 Supreme Court ruling that requires certain occupational regulation boards to have members not directly involved in the industry they regulate. The bill currently would affect 26 boards, Sen. Sean Tindell, R-Gulfport, told the Senate during debates earlier this month.

The Senate amendment creates a commission composed of the governor, the secretary of state and the attorney general that would have oversight over any new regulation those boards want to create in the future; an earlier version of the bill put the governor in charge of all occupational regulations boards.

Backing the Badge

Police officers will become a protected class for hate crimes against them if Gov. Phil Bryant signs the “Back the Badge Act of 2017. The House approved the Senate’s version of the legislation last week. House Bill 645 would increase penalties for felonies or misdemeanors against law-enforcement officers, firefighters or emergency medical technicians that suspects committed “with the specific intent to target an individual or group because of actual or perceived employment.”

The bill caused an outcry mainly from the Black Legislative Caucuses in both chambers this session. The House version of the bill initially focused on increasing penalties for murder, but the Senate’s version is much more broad, adding law-enforcement officials as a protected class under the state’s hatecrime law.

Sen. Sean Tindell, R-Gulfport, authored the Senate language, which is now in the final version of the bill.

He told the Senate back in January that the legislation was in response to the deadly police shootings in Baton It is conference week at the Legislature, meaning lawmakers from the House (pictured) and the Senate have to has out differences and Rouge and Dallas in 2016, but state lawcome out with final legislation both chambers can agree on. enforcement officials did not request the legislation.

Re-entry Reforms and an

Critics of both “Back the Badge” bills say they lack proOccupational Boards Makeover tections for victims of police violence, mainly men of color.

A few lawmakers will determine which criminal-justice Rep. Chris Bell, D-Jackson, told the House Feb. 8 about reforms they want to become law, after a bill containing sever- a time when he was pulled over and feared for his life. Bell al suggestions from the state’s Re-entry Council survived both told lawmakers that he had been 25 years old with no arrest chambers. The Senate changed House Bill 1033 to allow record, but the officer told him to not move as he stood over judges to not incarcerate those who owe outstanding fees or him with a hand on his gun. fines if they are at or below 125 percent of the federal poverty “That was one of the most frightening experiences of guidelines. my life,” Bell told the House in February.

The bill’s author, Rep. Andy Gipson, R-Braxton, told The bill passed the House by a large margin, as it did in the House back when the bill first passed that Mississippi the Senate. would be joining 38 other states that do not have automatic revocation of drivers licenses for crimes, except for Email reporter Arielle Dreher at arielle@ driving-related offenses. jacksonfreepress.com and follow her on Twitter @

House Bill 1425 could win the award this session for arielle_amara for breaking news on the Missis“Best Makeover,” depending on what happens in conference. sippi Legislature.

Imani Khayyam File Phot

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9

TALK | state

Bracing for Budget Cuts, Sparing Ed Funds

by Arielle Dreher

I

March 22 - 28, 2017 • jfp.ms

‘Right Rather Than Rushed’

The Senate, so far, has signaled its intent to not cut the Mississippi Adequate Education Program budget, the state’s education-funding formula, and senators voted to amend the state Department of Education’s appropriation bill to include $2.241 billion to fund MAEP in fiscal-year 2018. The move showed a departure from 10 the House’s confidence that a new funding

formula would be ready this session.

Sen. Gray Tollison, R-Oxford, told the Jackson Free Press earlier this month that the Senate passed the MAEP budget as a signal that it was not planning on cutting MAEP funds this session.

“In a time when agencies are being cut, we’re showing that we’re making education a priority by level-funding it,” he said.

Tollison said any changes to the state’s

to change the formula. Gunn declined to estimate when the new formula would be ready, saying the special session could be as soon as before the session ends April 1 or shortly afterward. “We want it to be right rather than rushed,” he said. “We did not see any point in going forward with MAEP on this end because it’s not our intent to fund through MAEP; it’s our intent to fund through (a) new formula.”

Imani Khayyam File Photo

mpending and deep budget cuts have tainted many-a-committee comment and shadowed several debates this legislative session. With less than two weeks left until lawmakers leave Jackson, they must sign off on a budget that so far means reductions to almost every state agency.

The Mississippi House and the Senate have sent appropriations bills to conference where lawmakers are looking to agree on new agency budgets. Lawmakers will consider slashing budgets below their current levels—after Gov. Phil Bryant cut most budgets five times in the last fiscal year.

A month ago, Rep. John Read, RGautier, told the House Appropriations Committee that the budget process was “not going to be pretty” due to lagging revenues.

Legislative Budget Office reports show that total collections for February were actually $17.8 million below estimates.

“I don’t like it, no one at this table likes it, but we’re going to do the best we can,” he said at the Feb. 28 committee meeting.

Almost a month later, budget bills are all in conference, waiting for lawmakers to take the ax to most agencies.

Mississippi has lost primarily sales and individual income-tax revenue this year, Legislative Budget Office revenue reports show. Last week, Senate and House Democrats pointed to tax cuts as the “elephant in the room.”

Using Mississippi Department of Revenue data, Democrats looked at the impact of tax cuts and credits from 2012 to 2016 and held a press conference on their findings. The state coffers lost more than $466 million in the last and current fiscal years due to several pieces of legislation from altering the state’s tax code, to exempting certain items from taxation including hunting supplies and tractors, to creating an alternative method to apportion income tax. Department of Revenue projections show that fiscal-year 2018, which starts July 1, will mean an over $353 million general fund revenue loss for the state.

Sen. Gray Tollison, R-Oxford, said the Senate position on education funding for the coming fiscal (and school) year is to not cut the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, the main source of state funding to public schools.

education funding formula would have minimal impact for schools next year.

The EdBuild recommendations to change the state’s education funding formula to a weighted student formula suggests a phasein period for the new funding mechanism in order to not throw any school districts off-balance at first.

The House stance on changing the state’s education formula remains optimistic. It initially passed the education funding appropriations bill with no funds for MAEP because House Speaker Philip Gunn, RClinton, told reporters on March 9 that his understanding was that the MAEP budget would be voted on in whatever legislation the new formula comes out in.

“Our line of thinking was this will all be taken up when we do the new formula; it would be funded at that time. That’s why we did what we did,” Gunn said March 9.

At this point, lawmakers could suspend the rules and bring up a bill during the 2017 legislative session, or more likely, Gov. Phil Bryant will call a special session

‘Seat at the Table’

Last week, hundreds of Mississippians rallied at the Capitol for a “Seat at the Table” during discussions about re-writing the state’s education funding formula. Business leaders, parents and students called on lawmakers to hold public hearings about the new formula and how it would affect districts around the state. They also called on lawmakers to fund the new formula at the level called for under current state law.

Howard Sanders, a retired educator and superintendent from Hollandale, called out the Legislature at the Capitol Thursday, saying MAEP has only been fully funded once. “How do you know MAEP won’t work if it’s only been fully funded one time?” he asked legislators.

EdBuild is the New Jersey nonprofit advising Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and House Speaker Philip Gunn in their formula rewrite efforts, which are largely taking place behind closed doors, leading to the protest.

The group’s recommendations taken as a whole start at a base level of funding, which

CEO Rebecca Sibilia says is higher than what the Legislature now funds.

“If the Legislature were to adopt our recommendations as a whole, it would still call for a higher level of investment than what’s being funded currently,” Sibilia told the Jackson Free Press. “In order to move to that new funding structure as we wrote in our report, you want to phase in those districts that stand to gain more money and districts that stand to lose money.”

EdBuild suggests that a successful phase-in for the formula would be no more than an 8-percent increase for those districts that stand to gain more funding from the re-write and no more than a 3-percent cut in funding to those districts that will lose state funds in the re-write.

Both the Senate and the House positions on the new formula so far both include the phase-in option, but it remains to be seen which of EdBuild’s recommendations lawmakers will choose.

Sibilia said she hopes that lawmakers take EdBuild recommendations, especially for student weights, in totality.

“We are hoping that they will adopt those weights in totality, so what that means is that you are going to end up with some districts that are most likely positioned to receive significantly more money or, in some cases, less money though not as significant,” she said.

Email state reporter Arielle Dreher at arielle@jacksonfreepress.com and follow her on Twitter at @arielle_amara for breaking news from the Legislature.

Most viral stories at jfp.ms:

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rother Hustle: “Welcome to this very important Compensatory Investment Request Support Group meeting. While democracy transitions into an oligarchy, the common, poor and financially challenged communities must brace themselves for a severe beatdown. The politicians’ cutbacks will become the people’s setback in the areas of economics, health care, education, housing, etc.

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‘No Evidence’ March 22 - 28, 2017 • jfp.ms

“James Clapper and others stated that there is no evidence Potus colluded with Russia. This story is FAKE NEWS and everyone knows it!”

—@realDonaldTrump on Twitter

Why it Stinks: On his personal Twitter account, President Donald Trump used Clapper’s decision to not comment on the ongoing investigation into the Trump administration and campaign’s ties to Russia to conclude that there must be “no evidence” of such collusions. We already know this is not true (see: Michael Flynn’s resignation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ recusal from said investigations), so to say there’s “no evidence,” while calling allegations of a serious collusion fake news, is what has become the new norm 12 very of this new administration: absolute absurdity. Still, facts do matter.

Last-Hour Gang Law Overhaul Is Self-Defeating

W

hen Sen. Brice Wiggins, R-Pascagoula, stood up at the last hour to amend state gang law at the Mississippi Legislature on March 8, he committed what can be called a “tell.” The former prosecutor was determined to help police and prosecutors have greater latitude to pursue “gang” members (see page 6), but he didn’t choose the best examples.

For one, he used the tragic murder of Jessica Chambers by a man believed to be associated with a gang to argue for adding additional charges if a crime was committed as part of gang collusion.

But, in that case, the prosecutor has said that the crime was “personal,” not part of gang activity. If it didn’t have to do with gang activity, it’s not a great example for expanding the gang law and shouldn’t be used to emotionally cloud an important conversation about reducing gang violence. And even if she had been killed in a gang ritual, it doesn’t argue for sending someone labeled a “gang member” to prison for additional years for a misdemeanor as Wiggins is also trying to do.

It does make a lot of sense to research and discuss the true causes of gang violence and figure out how to repair conditions and trauma that lead someone to join a crime syndicate or build up to violent crime. It does not make sense to sneak into a different bill late at night and add in a replacement gang law that you couldn’t get passed sooner to make it easier to call someone a gangster so you can more easily arrest and lock them up longer.

What is really wrong, though, is ignoring a

comprehensive report by the BOTEC firm that the Legislature itself paid half a million dollars for that explores causes and solutions for gang violence and warns about the dangers of increasing recidivism by only choosing a criminalization approach.

Put succinctly, what the Legislature may be about to do if they do not change or strike that amendment in conference can, and probably will, make our communities more dangerous. It will not help to expand the meaning of “gang” and then pile on more jail and prison time—especially since many people who have just flirted with gang activity, or just called themselves a group name, actually become hardened criminals in prison.

Mississippi has shown signs of embracing smarter criminal-justice alternatives and strategies in recent years, although it comes in fits and starts.

The evidence is incontrovertible that most of these lock-em-up strategies are self-defeating and build out the cycle of violence even further.

The laws are on the books to arrest suspected gang members for serious crimes already; the two men Wiggins referred to at the Capitol were both apprehended. Trying to use those cases to make it easier to round up a young person looking for belonging with a hand sign is disingenuous at best, and dangerous to our state at worst. Mississippi must be smarter about crime prevention every single day and night. We need consistent, evidence-based solutions and a laser focus on creating opportunity and solving the conditions that breed crime. Any other approach will waste our time and resources.

Email letters and opinion to letters@jacksonfreepress.com, fax to 601-510-9019 or mail to 125 South Congress St., Suite 1324, Jackson, Mississippi 39201. Include daytime phone number. Letters may be edited for length and clarity, as well as factchecked.

Jackson Free Press Ad.qxp_Layout 1 3/14/17 6

RUSS LATINO

EDITORIAL Managing Editor Amber Helsel State Reporter Arielle Dreher JFP Daily Editor Dustin Cardon Music Editor Micah Smith Events Listings Editor Tyler Edwards Writers Richard Coupe, Bryan Flynn, Shelby Scott Harris, Mike McDonald, Greg Pigott, Julie Skipper Consulting Editor JoAnne Prichard Morris ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY Art Director Kristin Brenemen Advertising Designer Zilpha Young Staff Photographer Imani Khayyam ADVERTISING SALES Sales and Marketing Consultants Myron Cathey, Roberta Wilkerson Sales Assistant Mary Osborne Digital Marketing Specialist Meghan Garner BUSINESS AND OPERATIONS Distribution Manager Richard Laswell Distribution Raymond Carmeans, Clint Dear, Michael McDonald, Ruby Parks Assistant to the CEO Inga-Lill Sjostrom Operations Consultant David Joseph ONLINE Web Editor Dustin Cardon Web Designer Montroe Headd CONTACT US: Letters letters@jacksonfreepress.com Editorial editor@jacksonfreepress.com Queries submissions@jacksonfreepress.com Listings events@jacksonfreepress.com Advertising ads@jacksonfreepress.com Publisher todd@jacksonfreepress.com News tips news@jacksonfreepress.com Fashion style@jacksonfreepress.com Jackson Free Press 125 South Congress Street, Suite 1324 Jackson, Mississippi 39201 Editorial (601) 362-6121 Sales (601) 362-6121 Fax (601) 510-9019 Daily updates at jacksonfreepress.com

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The Jackson Free Press welcomes thoughtful opinions. The views expressed in this newspaper are not necessarily those of the publisher or management of Jackson Free Press Inc. © Copyright 2017 Jackson Free Press Inc. All Rights Reserved

T

he Jackson Free Press recently published an editorial criticizing my organization, Americans for Prosperity, for opposing a bill that would impose sales taxes on all online purchases made in Mississippi—even when the seller has no presence in the state. House Bill 480 ultimately died in the Senate, and for good reason. Besides taking more money out of the private economy and growing the footprint of government, the law plainly contradicts the U.S. Constitution.

The Commerce Clause of the Constitution gives Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce. On that basis, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled more than two decades ago in Quill Corp. v. North Dakota that a state could not require companies with no physical presence within its borders to collect sales taxes.

Quill has never been overturned and remains the law of the land.

Recently, a couple of states have attempted to create laws or rules that test the Quill decision. Alabama and South Dakota have both enacted a requirement on out-of-state companies to collect sales taxes when the volume of their sales exceeds a certain amount. Since this directly contradicts Quill, both cases have triggered lawsuits.

In fact, last week, a South Dakota court ruled that its law was unconstitutional and enjoined enforcement. Mississippi’s legislation, modeled after Alabama and South Dakota, would surely have ended in court as well, where many legal scholars agree it would likely be struck down.

There is little reason for Mississippi to experiment with an online sales tax and risk expensive litigation when Alabama and South Dakota both have constitutional test cases on the move. We could not rely on any revenue from the tax while its very legality is in doubt.

The taxation of online retailers is one of those few policies best left to Congress.

The Constitution is clear on Congress’ authority to regulate interstate commerce, and only that body could devise a nationwide framework for online taxation. The alternative is that each state sets its own rules, resulting in a hodgepodge of regulations that would dramatically increase the cost of compliance, seriously hurt small

businesses and ultimately drive up prices for consumers.

Beyond the obvious legal challenges, there is another reason to oppose this law.

Namely, without corresponding cuts, the law would result in Mississippians paying more in taxes and growth of an alreadybloated government.

There is a persistent narrative that government is shrinking in Mississippi, but facts don’t back it up. The numbers speak for themselves. Total state appropriations, including federal sources, have increased from $18.2 billion in fiscal year 2013 to $20.9 billion in fiscal year 2017. General fund appropriations increased from $4.8 billion to $5.8 billion in that same time period. Mississippi now has the fourth-largest public sector in the country. It’s not fair to continually ask taxpayers to pay more.

Tax revenues are slowing, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It means the state will finally have to curb wasteful and unnecessary spending to fund priorities. But more importantly, and positively, it means that the private sector is keeping more of the capital it earns to be reinvested in our economy.

The Jackson Free Press editorial notes that local retailers, who must collect sales taxes, feel frustrated that online retailers do not. However, imposing new taxes on Internet transactions will not be the panacea that “brick-and-mortar” businesses are hoping for. Convenience, selection and price drive the trend toward online shopping. The reason that sites such as Amazon can offer low prices is not because they enjoy a small tax advantage, but because they enjoy lower overhead costs—and they relentlessly innovate to lower costs further.

The JFP also accuses those who oppose an online sales tax of “hypocrisy.”

But there is nothing hypocritical about following the text of the Constitution or advocating for our government to live within its means. Ultimately, there is no good reason for lawmakers to support an unconstitutional tax mechanism that will grow government.

Russ Latino is the Mississippi State Director of Americans for Prosperity. He and his wife live in Madison with their two children.

It’s not fair to continually ask taxpayers to pay more.

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CRUEL & UNUSUAL? The Death Penalty’s Trials in Mississippi

R

ichard Jordan, then 29, needed money, so he drove to Gulfport, Miss., looking for it back in 1976. There, he called the Gulf National Bank, asked to speak with a loan officer and was directed to Charles Marter. Once he had Marter’s name, Mississippi Supreme Court opinions say Jordan ended the call, then looked up Marter’s address in a local phone book and went to his house. He entered the home pretending to be an employee of the electric company, then kidnapped Charles’ wife, Edwina, who was there alone with her 3-year-old son. The toddler was still sleeping upstairs as Jordan forced Edwina to drive them into a deserted area of the DeSoto National Forest.

What happened next in the woods is disputed in court records, but either way, Jordan shot Edwina in the back of the head.

Jordan’s defense team claimed that Edwina tried to run away, and Jordan attempted to fire a warning shot and missed. The State of Mississippi argued that Jordan killed Edwina as she kneeled in front of him “execution style.” The bullet, court records say, entered her skull at the lower right area of her brain and exited her left eye.

Jordan left her body in the woods and disposed of the murder weapon in the Big Biloxi River. He called Charles Marter, claiming his wife was alive and demanding a ransom of $25,000. Charles was supposed to drop off the money on the side of Highway 49 on a blue jacket that Jordan left there for him.

When Jordan went to collect the money, two officers were waiting to arrest him. He escaped, but police later caught

him at a roadblock. He confessed to killing Edwina and told the officers where to find her body. Jordan was first convicted and sentenced to death in 1976, and has been waiting to die for about 40 years due to multiple sentencing trials and shifts in Mississippi’s death sentencing law as well as subsequent legal challenges to the use of certain lethal-injection drugs in the state.

The now-70-year-old has been sentenced to death four times as well as had five capital sentencing trials, litigation necessary because Mississippi law keeps changing. At one point, Jordan was sentenced to life in prison without parole—until the court determined that at the time, state law did not permit that sentence based on Jordan’s case. Once the Legislature did change state law, Jordan asked for a life in prison sentence, but prosecutors decided to pursue the death penalty again instead.

The State might be able to kill Jordan and others on death row if an effort to change Mississippi’s death-penalty law succeeds this legislative session. Still, litigation challenging several components of the state’s lethal-injection procedures, including a drug the State plans to use, will likely keep the 46 inmates, by the state’s public defender’s count, on death row in limbo for the foreseeable future.

Time to ‘Change the Language?’

The State of Mississippi is litigating legal challenges to the state’s lethal-injection law directly. Mississippi last executed a prisoner in June 2012, Mississippi Department of Corrections records posted online show.

Currently, Mississippi’s method of ex-

ecution is lethal injection with a cocktail of three drugs. State law describes its chosen form of the death penalty this way: “The manner of inflicting the punishment of death shall be by continuous intravenous administration of a lethal quantity of an ultra short-acting barbiturate or other similar drug in combination with a chemical paralytic agent until death is pronounced.”

Mississippi has struggled in recent years to comply with this law, largely due to an inability to find those drugs listed in the statute, state officials say. In court records, the State claims it has struggled to obtain an “ultra short-acting barbiturate” or a “similar drug” to use in its place, and it is litigating challenges its proposed use of a drug called midazolam in its place.

In July 2015, the Mississippi Department of Corrections abruptly changed its lethal injection-protocol policies, claiming that it could not acquire pentobarbital, what was supposed to be the first drug in the three-part series needed for executions.

MDOC changed its protocol to include alternatives if it could not acquire the drug, including midazolam.

This change spurred the shift in focus in lethal-injection litigation for attorneys challenging the death penalty who argue that midazolam is not a substitute for pentobarbital, arguing among other things, that it’s not in the same drug class. Midazolam is in the benzodiazepine drug class, while pentobarbital is in the barbiturate drug class that state law requires.

House Bill 638 would change this policy entirely. The language of the bill calls for “the sequential intravenous administra-

tion of a lethal quantity of the following combination of substances: an appropriate anesthetic or sedative, a chemical paralytic agent and potassium chloride, or other similarly effective substance.”

Attorney General Jim Hood, the only statewide elected Democrat in Mississippi, has pursued the death penalty even in questionable cases, like that of Michele Byrom.

He told reporters in January that the bill, which lawmakers also introduced in the 2016 legislative session before it died, is necessary for executions to resume.

“There’s some language in there that says ‘a fast-acting barbiturate,’ and that’s what we’ve been litigating all this time. …

Well, there are no more barbiturates out there that are fast-acting that are available for executions, so we want to take that out of there,” Hood said at a press conference in January about his legislative priorities.

The legislation would also allow alternative methods of executions, including nitrogen hypoxia (death by inhaling lethal gas) and electrocution. Initially, Rep. Robert Foster, R-Hernando, had included firing squads as an alternative in the bill he authored. That version passed the House, but the Senate took the firing squads out.

Foster says lethal injection is the best option, and that the bill is broad enough to enable the state to continue to use the method to kill inmates. The State would only choose other methods like a gas chamber or firing squad if lethal injection is deemed illegal, he said.

“If lethal injection continues to be

March 22 - 28, 2017 • jfp.ms

by Arielle Dreher

more DEATH, see page 16 15

DEATH from page 15

courtesy MDOC

New Mississippi Department of Corrections Commissioner Pelicia Hall will have to deal with the state’s new death-penalty law if the Legislature chooses to change it.

up to (where) the courts need to move on (some cases),” Hood told reporters then.

Legal wrangling could stall that hope, however. The lethal-injection litigation saga has continued into the new year with new constitutional claims in federal court against Mississippi’s lethal-injection law.

March 22 - 28, 2017 • jfp.ms

Stopping ‘Botched Executions’

Mississippi’s lethal-injection litigation nightmares are coming mainly from the MacArthur Justice Center in New Orleans where attorney James Craig, who represents several Mississippi inmates on death row, works. In September 2015, three inmates on death row, including Richard Jordan, filed a federal complaint against the state 16 for violating their rights to due process and

“to be free from cruel and unusual punishment” under the U.S. Constitution.

Lawyers amended this complaint just months after the Mississippi Department of Corrections changed its lethal-injection protocol that July to substitute a drug called midazolam as one of the three drugs in the series that creates the lethal injection. Midazolam, Craig and other attorneys allege, could create a substantial risk of harm to those on death row.

The State denies that midazolam creates a risk and but does admit in court documents that “MDOC intends to use midazolam as the first drug in Plaintiffs’ executions and that midazolam is classified as a benzodiazepine.”

The legal challenge against midazolam relies on the question of whether or not it is really “a similar drug” to the increasingly hard-to-get barbiturates, which Mississippi law currently allows. Midazolam is a sedative considered a “benzodiazepine” drug class—not a “barbiturate.” Lawyers and advocates against the death penalty—and against the use of midazolam—argue that midazolam is not a true anesthetic, therefore not guaranteeing that it will render a person unconscious, which is its purpose.

Oklahoma state employees used midazolam in the botched execution of Oklahoma inmate Clayton Lockett in 2014; the procedure took 40 minutes before he finally died of a heart attack.

Arizona and Ohio officials also used Midazolam in two executions where prisoners “showed visible signs of pain before dying,” as Newsweek reported.

The U.S. Supreme Court did not deem midazolam unconstitutional in a case from Oklahoma, leaving the potential for future litigation about the drug open, since its ruling only applied to the evidence that Oklahoma inmates presented. In its 2015 Glossip v. Gross ruling, Justice Samuel Alito wrote that the prisoners failed to identify known and available alternative methods of executions that “entail(s) a lesser risk of pain.” The 5-4 decision on June 29, 2015, came down just a month before MDOC announced that it would change its deathpenalty protocols to include midazolam.

If House Bill 638 becomes law, this legal question will be moot—because the new wording broadens the language, allowing the state to legally use midazolam.

Attorney General Hood sent a statement to the Jackson Free Press about the current bill to change the state’s death-penalty law.

“Because we cannot obtain the first drug in the three-drug protocol and now are experiencing difficulty obtaining the

needs to use midazolam in its place.

If House Bill 638 becomes law, Craig said he expects to amend Jordan, Chase and Loden’s complaint in federal court accordingly. Discovery materials in the case are due in September 2017, meaning the trial will likely not be held until 2018, but amending that complaint could delay that litigation even longer and keep the three inmates alive until it is resolved. Craig said he could amend the complaint to add that nitrogen hypoxia and electrocution, both listed as alternative methods of execution courtesy MDOC

challenged in the courts, we’ll go back and use some methods that have been used for decades,” Foster told the Jackson Free Press.

“I think firing squad would be just as good as any of them, I mean it gets the job done, and it definitely makes the message clear.

It’s pretty much foolproof—that’s why I would prefer the Senate not (have) taken that out.”

Rep. Andy Gipson, R-Braxton, invited conference on the bill, meaning he did not concur with the changes the Senate made to the bill. This means there’s still a chance that the option to add firing squad as an alternative back into the bill. He told the Jackson Free Press that he is inclined to keep the legislation alive, but said he had not decided on specifics by press time.

Attorney General Hood seemed optimistic that the State would be able to begin executing inmates again in 2017 during a January press conference. “I think towards the end of the year, probably. I think it’s teed

second and third drugs, we have requested a change in the language on the types of drugs to be utilized, as well as alternative means,” the statement said.

Advocates oppose the use of midazolam as well as the broad language in the bill, however. The ACLU of Mississippi, which opposes the death penalty generally, also opposes House Bill 638. Blake Feldman, one of the advocacy coordinators there, said midazolam is to blame for several botched executions—and that it is disturbing that state officials would want to use a drug that

Richard Jordan (pictured) is the oldest member of death row in Mississippi; he is 70 years old and has waited for the State to kill him for four decades.

has been the root of problems elsewhere.

“We can’t ignore that what this bill does is it very seriously increases the chances of a botched execution. … The death penalty is a gross injustice, but a botched execution by the State paid for with tax dollars in our name is as bad as you can get,” Feldman told the Jackson Free Press.

While Richard Jordan, Ricky Chase and Thomas Loden’s midazolam complaint will be moot if House Bill 638 passes, the three death-row inmates will continue to challenge the use of a three-drug lethalinjection procedure as unconstitutional.

That is, the state’s legal problems over the death penalty are far from over.

Likely ‘More Delay’

Craig and lawyers representing Jordan, Chase and Loden still allege that Mississippi’s three-drug protocol is unconstitutional.

Craig said he was surprised that Mississippi’s proposed legislation does not change its death penalty more drastically. States embracing the death penalty use lethal injection, but the majority that actually executed prisoners in 2016 used a single-drug lethal injection, often made up of a high dose of pentobarbital. That is the kind of drug that Mississippi claims it cannot get, saying it

in the proposed legislation, also violate his clients’ constitutional right to no cruel or unusual punishment.

“I think we would end up bringing a different set of claims in Judge (Henry) Wingate’s court. Assuming he doesn’t immediately ban it, that’s another almost year, two years delay to what’s already going on right now,” Craig said.

Judge Wingate himself was temporarily blocked from handling new cases last week after Chief U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola directed court clerks to assign any new civil cases to three semi-retired judges instead of Wingate, the Associated Press reported. Wingate has a backlog of pending cases that need to be ruled on before he can take on any new cases.

Texas, Georgia and Missouri executed prisoners in 2016 using one-drug lethal injections that Craig says are more humane than the three-drug cocktail in Mississippi.

He added that around 90 percent of his legal claims against Mississippi’s lethal injection procedure would be moot if the State moved to using a single-drug pentobarbital lethal injection.

State officials, including the attorney more DEATH, see page 18

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DEATH from page 16 general, claim they have had trouble getting their hands on pentobarbital, however, but a recent public-records request by the MacArthur Center seems to challenge this.

MDOC released its lethal-injection drug inventory forms showing the state is in possession of midazolam—but does not have any other drugs necessary for the three-drug injection.

Additionally, MDOC said that no records exist showing “any and all efforts or attempts made by MDOC to acquire” any such drugs. That is, it is unclear how hard the State is working to get the additional drugs in order to proceed with executions.

March 22 - 28, 2017 • jfp.ms

Imani Khayyam / File Photo

The ‘Alternative Methods’

Mississippi would be the second state in the country to enact a method called nitrogen hypoxia if House Bill 638 becomes law. Rep. Foster, aware that the lethal-injection litigation is stalling the death penalty, added several other measures the State could carry out in lieu of the lethal injection. Originally his bill added nitrogen hypoxia (lethal gas), firing squad and electrocution in that order as alternatives to lethal injection—if that method is deemed unconstitutional.

Most states with the death penalty use lethal injection to execute people. Oklahoma, after all its negative lethal-injection headlines seems to be moving forward with a new method: nitrogen gas.

In 2015, Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin signed a bill to allow the state to use the method to execute its prisoners on death row, and last September, the attorney general there suggested that the state needs to develop a protocol for the new method.

The only hang-up for nitrogen hypoxia is that there are no reports of it ever being used to legally execute a human, the Associated Press reported in 2015. In May 2016, a grand jury in Oklahoma issued a report about what went wrong in another botched lethal-injection execution, and in that report, suggested that nitrogen gas could be a better alternative for the state to use, The Oklahoman reported.

Robert Dunham with the Death Penalty Information Center, which tracks death penalties and executions nationwide, confirmed that Mississippi would be the second state to add nitrogen hypoxia to state law. Dunham said no scientific evidence supports the method because it’s never been done on humans before. Gas chambers that were previously used for the death penalty used different gas, usually cyanide, Dunham said. Hypoxia is sometimes used 18 to put animals to death, but the American

Veterinary Association guidelines say it is not appropriate for all species of mammals.

American Veterinary Medical Association developed guidelines in 2013 that describe hypoxia. “Some animals may exhibit motor activity or convulsions following loss of consciousness due to hypoxia; however, this is reflex activity and is not consciously perceived by the animal,” it said. “In addition, methods based on hypoxia will not be appropriate for species that are tolerant of prolonged periods of hypoxemia.”

Nitrogen hypoxia would most likely be subject to Eighth Amendment challenges for cruel and unusual punishment,

Rep. Foster says the House seems to be overwhelming for the death penalty in the state. House members passed his bill by a vote of 74-44 this session, and the Senate passed its amended version (with no firing squad) by a vote of 38-13.

Foster said he is in favor of executing those who commit the most egregious crimes with undeniable evidence.

“When people do just horrible acts of evil, not crimes of passion, but just terrible acts of evil, then I do think (there should be a death penalty). It does save us money if we do it earlier than drag it out for 50 years, but it’s not so much about the financial side,” he told the Jackson Free Press.

“It just sets a precedent. I don’t think it’s right for them to be able to live their life out in jail and get three meals and have access to workout equipment and access to

Attorney General Jim Hood asked the Legislature to pass House Bill 638 to help move the State’s pending litigation around the death penalty forward.

Dunham said, as would electrocution. Tennessee lawmakers added the electric chair in 2014 as a back-up execution method, but courts there chose not to rule on if it is cruel or unusual punishment until the lethal injection method there is deemed unconstitutional. Mississippi switched from using an electric chair to a gas chamber to execute inmates on death row in the 1950s through the 1980s to kill 35 death-row inmates.

In 1984, the Legislature first added lethal injection as an option, and then by 1998 removed the gas provision from state law.

‘Let God Sort It Out’

While some lawmakers do not believe in the death penalty, based on how House and Senate members voted on the bill this session, most agree that the state needs to follow its own laws. Hood said in January that it is his job to enforce the law, and if the law is going to be changed, the Legislature will need to do that.

Based on the support for his firingsquad amendments in 2016 and this year,

medical care potentially better than we’re giving to some of our veterans in some cases, for the rest of their lives. … I think we need to send them on for their final judgment at that point and let God sort it out.”

Dunham said national public opinion is not on the Mississippi Legislature’s side when it comes to alternative methods of execution. Public support for lethal injection as a method of execution is waning, but a majority still favors it, however, over the alternatives. A YouGov poll from 2015 shows that a majority of those polled about methods of execution including hanging, gas chambers, firing squads and the electric chair believe that they are all cruel and unusual. Dunham said Mississippians’ support of those alternatives could lead national public opinion—and business development in the state—to suffer as a result.

“Even if the public in Mississippi thought that (alternatives) were OK, it’s bad for business because it creates an image of the state as being barbaric,” he said.

“That is not a good atmosphere for

economic development.”

Mississippi is one of 31 states that have a death penalty. The number of state executions nationally has declined in recent years.

The Death Penalty Information Center reported 28 executions country-wide in 2015 and 20 in 2016. Other states use different lethal-injection protocols, some using single-drug injections, while others use threedrug injections like Mississippi. Dunham said House Bill 638 signals Mississippi is in line with national trends with states dealing with how to execute its prisoners by legal injection when drugs they want are no longer available or just difficult to obtain.

“Some states are looking to change the chemicals that they use, but not the process,” Dunham told the Jackson Free Press.

“Others are looking to move from multiple to single drugs, and others are looking to back-up methods of execution.”

An Exhausting Legal Process

A person sentenced to the death penalty technically gets a chance at one federal and one state appeal, but several inmates in the state were able to file additional petitions after Mississippi created the Office of Capital Post Conviction Counsel that did not, in some cases, raise the proper claims, leading to more litigation.

André de Gruy, the state public defender, said only about two of the 46 inmates on death row have exhausted their appeals outside of a lethal-injection claim, meaning the rest of inmates on death row are challenging their death sentences for other reasons.

“The vast majority of cases are not being held up because of this,” de Gruy said.

Craig filed a separate post-conviction relief petition on Richard Jordan’s behalf last summer. Because Jordan has had to wait four decades and is now 70, executing him should be considered “cruel and unusual punishment,” the petition argues.

At one point, Jordan was eligible for an agreement to a sentence of life in prison without parole, but the Mississippi Supreme Court ruled that the “life” sentence was unlawful under law at the time of his crime. Craig argues that Jordan was at a disadvantage in court even in 1998 during his fifth sentencing trial.

“Jordan had to confront a jury that would, because of the deaths of (his) family members in the intervening years ... never experience the emotional force of testimony of those who loved him dearly,” Jordan’s latest petition to the Mississippi Supreme Court says. “In short, Jordan was denied the very type of evidence that routinely spells the difference between life and death in capital trials in Mississippi.”

Email state reporter Arielle Dreher at arielle@jacksonfreepress.com and follow her at @arielle_amara for breaking news.

Eugene C. Brown, Jr., D.D.S.,M.S.

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hen brainstorming names On any given day, patrons can for her new restaurant, Can- observe Brewster moving between the dice Brewster kept coming dining area and the kitchen, greeting back to one word: taste. Her most people by name as they enter the reasoning was that if the food doesn’t taste restaurant. One recent Friday, she was good, nothing else matters. explaining to diners that the Neapolitan

The Flowood native, who is owner sherbet cake, with strawberry, orange and head chef, opened Taste Bistro & and lime layers inside a clear case was Desserts in late October 2016, but this made with all natural ingredients—and is not her first culinary venture. At no food coloring.

21, she opened Lit’l Gourmet, a cater- One way she achieves her desired ing business, in downmenu diversity is through town Jackson. She later Taste Bistro’s weekly plate opened Candy’s Confeclunch specials, which intions, which specialized clude shrimp and grits, in desserts and imported pork tenderloin and carcandies. After taking a amelized-bacon meatloaf. decade-long break from While the specials change the industry, the time felt weekly, the restaurant has right to create what she staples such as chicken and calls a hybrid of the two. pasta salads, along with

“Ten years was just sides, and homemade deslong enough to start missserts that Kim Niskala, Candice Brewster ing it. It’s like having a Brewster’s baby sister, opened Taste child: You forget the long makes in-house. Niskala’s Bistro & Desserts in hours and all that comes carrot cake won the best October 2016. along with it. No matter dessert award at the Mishow long the hours or sissippi Burn Foundation’s hard days, it’s so worth it because our Fire and Ice benefit last year. customers are so amazing,� she says.

Brewster says all the dishes and des Her vision for Taste Bistro was to sert have one thing in common: “Every offer a menu that has something for single thing we make here, whether it’s a everyone, and that she herself would chicken salad or a special dish, is comfind appealing. pletely from scratch. If we make some “A huge pet peeve of mine is when I thing with a chicken stock, we make the go to a restaurant, and I open the menu, chicken stock.� and there is really nothing that jumps Taste Bistro & Desserts (5419 out at me,� she says. “Either there’s Highway 25, Suite L, Flowood, 769-235nothing I’m in the mood for, or there’s 6232) is open Monday through Friday from really nothing that I would order. There 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10:30 should be something for everyone, so we a.m. to 2:30 p.m. For more information, visit do a lot of different things here.� tastebistroanddesserts.com.

Imani Khayyam

Fusion Japanese and Thai Cuisine 5SFFUPQT #MWE 'MPXPPE t " )XZ .BEJTPO t

Taste Bistro & Desserts owner Candice Brewster tries to keep the Flowood restaurant’s menu as diverse as possible.

JFPmenus.com Paid advertising section. Call 601-362-6121 x11 to list your restaurant

BARS, PUBS & BURGERS 4th & Goal * / +BDLTPO t Wing Wars Champions. Freshly prepared food that’s never frozen. 360 degree view of sports on 16 HD TV’s

Bonfire Grill 4FSWJDF %S 4VJUF #SBOEPO t Locally owned and operated restaurant specializing in handcrafted burgers and authentic New Orleans style po-boys.

Fenian’s Pub & 'PSUJm DBUJPO 4U +BDLTPO t Classic Irish pub featuring a menu of traditional food, pub sandwiches & Irish beers on tap.

Green Room #PVOET 4U +BDLTPO .4 t We’re still #1! Best Place to Play Pool - Best of Jackson 2016

Hal and Mal’s 4 $PNNFSDF 4U +BDLTPO t Pub favorites meet Gulf Coast and Cajun specialties like red beans and rice, the Oyster Platter or daily specials.

Martin’s Restaurant and Lounge 4PVUI 4UBUF 4U +BDLTPO t Lunch specials, pub appetizers or order from the full menu of po-boys and entrees. Full bar, beer selection.

MEXICAN/LATIN

Jaco’s Tacos 4 4UBUF 4U +BDLTPO t Tacos, burritos and quesadillas. Tex-Mex at its finest and freshest.

HEALTHY Freshii .BD,FO[JF -O 'MPXPPE t Eat. Energize. That’s our motto. Serving up made to-order burritos, soups, fresh salads and much more.

STEAK & SEAFOOD Ellis Seafood .FBEPXCSPPL 3E +BDLTPO t

Eslava’s Grille Eslava’s Grille -BLFMBOE %S 'MPXPPE t Seafood, Steaks and Pasta

Seafood, steaks and pastas with a Latin influence.

Griffin’s Fish House 8 $BQJUPM 4U +BDLTPO t Griffin’s Fish House focuses on casual dining with mainstream American dishes. Now with a bar area serving alcoholic beverages.

T’Beaux’s )JHIXBZ & $MJOUPO t # 5FSSZ 3E #ZSBN t T’Beaux’s serves up fresh seafood including oysters, shrimp and crab legs and the best crawfish this side of Louisiana.

MEDITERRANEAN/GREEK Aladdin Mediterranean Grill -BLFMBOE %S +BDLTPO t Delicious authentic dishes including lamb dishes, hummus, falafel, kababs, shwarma.

March 22 - 28, 2017 • jfp.ms

8 8PPESPX 8JMTPO "WF t &MMJT "WF Serving Jackson over 25 years with our freshly fried seafood and boiled cajun shrimp, snow crab legs, and seasonal crawfish.

27

WEDNESDAY 3/22

SATURDAY 3/25

WEDNESDAY 3/29

Holi Mela—The Festival of Colors is at the Hindu Temple Society of Mississippi in Brandon.

Terri Blackstock signs copies of “If I’m Found” at Lemuria Books.

History Is Lunch is at the William F. Winter Archives and History Building.

BEST BETS March 22 - 29, 2017

History Is Lunch is from noon to 1 p.m. at the William F. Winter Archives and History Building (200 North St.) Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum presents “Stephen D. Lee—A Higher-Education Perspective.” Free; call 601-576-6998; mdah.ms.gov.

Roderick Red

WEDNESDAY 3/22

Author Carolyn J. Brown signs copies of her book, “The Artist’s Sketch,” on Thursday, March 23, at Lemuria Books.

THURSDAY 3/23

The Bettye Jolly Lecture is at 4:30 p.m. at the Eudora Welty House (300 N. State St.). Jackson native and Pulitzer Prize-winner playwright Beth Henley delivers the Bettye Jolly Lecture. Two scenes from “Crimes of the Heart” are staged. Reception follows. Free; call 601-353-7762; email foundation@eudorawelty.org; eudorawelty.org. … Carolyn J. Brown signs copies of the “The Artist’s Sketch” at 5 p.m. at Lemuria Books (Banner Hall, 4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite 202). Reading at 5:30. $35 book; call 601-366-7619; lemuriabooks.com.

SATURDAY 3/25

Derek Blanks

Sal & Mookie’s Annual Street Carnival is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sal & Mookies (565 Taylor St.). Includes games, jump zones, prizes, a dunking booth, pizza and ice-cream eating contests, and more. Proceeds benefit Batson’s Children’s Hospital. Admission TBA; call 601-3681919; find it on Facebook. … CARA’s Jail-N-Bail Fundraiser is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Whole Foods Market (4500 Interstate 55 N. Frontage Road). Supporters are “arrested”

by TYLER EDWARDS and require $250 to be raised in order to be released. Proceeds go to developing a senior dog sanctujacksonfreepress.com ary. Free to participate; call 601Fax: 601-510-9019 209-0667; find it on Facebook.

Daily updates at … Festival of Laughs is from 8 jfpevents.com p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Mississippi Coliseum (1207 Mississippi St.).

Comedians Mike Epps, Sommore, Bruce Bruce and Arnez J perform. $47-$95; call 601-961-4000; ticketmaster.com.

March 22 - 28, 2017 • jfp.ms

events@

Comedian Sommore performs as part of Festival of Laughs on Saturday, March 25, at the Mississippi Coliseum.

FRIDAY 3/24

“The River Niger” is 10 a.m. at Jackson State University (1400 John R. Lynch St.). The Joseph A. Walker play is about a family whose son returns from the Air Force not the hero they anticipated. $10, $5 students and senior adults; 28 call 979-2426; email nadia.c.bodie@jsums.edu; jsums.edu.

SUNDAY 3/26

“Vigils” is at 7:30 p.m. at The Warehouse Theatre (1000 Monroe St.). The play is about a widow whose firefighter husband died two years earlier trying to save a baby in a burning house. This play is part of the “Unframed at New Stage Theatre” series. For mature audiences. Doors open at 7 p.m. Additional dates: March 24-25, 7:30 p.m. $10; call 601-948-3533; newstagetheatre.com.

MONDAY 3/27

The Capital Area Bar Association Golf Tournament is from noon to 4 p.m. at Country Club of Jackson (345 St Andrews Drive). The tournament is a four-person scramble.

Lunch begins at noon, the shotgun start is at 1 p.m., and an awards reception follows. $175; find it on Facebook.

TUESDAY 3/28

“Murder Is Golden—A Golden Girls Parody” Dinner Theater is from 7 to 9 p.m. at Georgia Blue (223 Ridge Way, Flowood). The murder mystery dinner theater features the Golden Girls and includes a three-course meal, drinks, tax and tip. $48; call 601-850-2318; email fringedinnertheatre@gmail.com; fringedinnertheatre.com.

WEDNESDAY 3/29

Hari Kunzru signs copies of “White Tears” at 5 p.m. at Lemuria Books (Banner Hall, 4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite 202). Reading at 5:30 p.m. $26.95; lemuriabooks.com. …

The Veterans of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement Conference is at 6:30 p.m. at Tougaloo College (500 County Line Road, Tougaloo). Movement veterans, scholars, community organizers, educators and students convene for strategy sessions on modern-day issues. Includes book signings, spoken word, open mic, poetry, dancing and music. Additional dates: March 30, 10 a.m., March 31, 9:30 a.m., April 1, 10 a.m., April 2, 3 p.m. $25 one day, $75 weekend pass; call 977-7914; tougaloo.edu.

SPORTS & WELLNESS

Events at the William F. Winter Archives and History Building (200 North St.) • History Is Lunch March 22, noon-1 p.m.

Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum presents “Stephen D. Lee—A Higher-Education Perspective.” Free; call 601576-6998; mdah.ms.gov.

• History Is Lunch March 29, noon-1 p.m.

Stephen Cushman, professor at the University of Virginia, presents “Surrender According to Johnston and Sherman.” Free; call 601-5766998; mdah.ms.gov.

Orange the World 5K Run/Walk and Health & Wellness Expo March 25, 8 a.m., at Tougaloo College (500 W. County Line Road). The race is to end violence against women and girls.

The expo includes free health and mental-health screenings, nutrition advice and more. $15 for students, $25 for adults; find it on Facebook.

Spring 2017 Consignment Sale March 23-25, 10 a.m.-noon, at Mississippi Trade Mart (1200 Mississippi St.). Families sell thousands of children’s items at discounted prices. Free entry; call 601-974-5835; find it on Facebook.

Fondren Flea March 25, 9 a.m., in Fondren.

Residents and churches across Fondren set up flea market type sales. Includes on a master list of sales to direct shoppers. Free; email angie@ fondren.org; find it on Facebook.

Street Carnival March 25, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., at Sal and Mookies (565 Taylor St.). Includes games, jump zones, prizes, a dunking booth, pizza and ice-cream eating contests, and more. Proceeds benefit Batson’s Children’s Hospital. Admission TBA; call 601-368-1919; find it on Facebook.

Events at the Jackson Medical Mall Foundation (350 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave.) • A Gathering with a Goal March 26, 4 p.m.

Features food and information from the community on the work to improve Jackson Public Schools. Free; find it on Facebook.

• EmployAbility Job Fair March 29, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Promotes the hiring of Mississippians with disabilities. Free; mdrs.ms.gov.

Veterans of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement Conference March 29, 6:30 p.m., at (500 County Line Road, Tougaloo). Movement veterans, scholars, community organizers, educators and students convene for strategy sessions on modern-day issues. Includes book signings, spoken word, open mic, poetry, dancing and music. $25 one day, $75 weekend; call 601-977-7914; mscivilrightsveterans.com.

Fifth Annual Run Up for Downs March 25, 5-8 p.m., at Old Trace Park (137 Old Park Trail, Ridgeland). Features a one-mile fun run and a

SLATE

Thursday, March 23

College basketball (6-11:30 p.m., CBS/ TBS): The NCAA Men’s Tournament round of 16 begins, with four games over two networks and the hope for chaos to reign since my bracket is dead.

Friday, March 24

College basketball (6-11:30 p.m., CBS/ TBS): Watch the final teams take their spots in the NCAA Men’s Tournament Elite Eight.

Saturday, March 25

College basketball (5-11 p.m., TBS): Tune in for a double-header of NCAA Men’s Tournament games to see the first two teams reach the Final Four.

Sunday, March 26

KIDS

3.21-mile run/walk. Proceeds benefit The Lily Pad, Central Mississippi’s first café to employ and train individuals with disabilities. $15, $35 for teams; call 601-899-9696; find it on Facebook.

Chi-O Crawfish Boil March 25, 1-4 p.m., at Millsaps College (1701 N. State St.). Ticket includes three pounds of crawfish, corn, potato and a soft drink. Musician Chris Gill performs. $10 in advance, $15 at the door; ardenland.net.

by Bryan Flynn

If your bracket isn’t busted after the first weekend of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, feel free to rub it in with the rest of us.

It didn’t take long for mine to get blown to bits over the first two days.

Touch A Truck Jackson March 24-25, 9 a.m., at Trustmark Park (1 Braves Way, Pearl). Offers hands-on opportunities for children to explore, climb and touch trucks, emergency response vehicles, heavy machinery and other equipment. $5; call 601-948-2357; touchatruckjackson.com.

Moonlight Market March 23, 6-8 p.m., at Farmer’s Market (929 High St.). Features cooking demonstrations, and fresh vegetables, dairy products, meats and more for sale from Mississippi farmers. Proceeds benefit the Mississippi Food Network and local farmers. $40 individuals, $75 couples; msfoodnet.org.

Festival of Laughs March 25, 8-11 p.m., at Mississippi Coliseum (1207 Mississippi St.). Comedians include Mike Epps of “Next Friday” and “The Hangover,” Sommore, Bruce Bruce and Arnez J. $47-$95; ticketmaster.com.

the best in sports over the next seven days

College basketball (1-5 p.m., CBS): The NCAA Men’s Tournament Elite Eight ends with a double-header to complete the Final Four. … College basketball (11 a.m.-1 p.m., ESPN): Strangely, the first two NCAA Women’s Tournament regional finals games are split up, at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.

FOOD & DRINK

“Vigils” March 24-26, 7:30 p.m., at Warehouse Theatre (1000 Monroe St.). The play is about a widow whose husband died two years earlier trying to save a baby in a burning house. This event is part of the “Unframed at New Stage Theatre” series. For mature audiences. $10 admission (cash or check only); newstagetheatre.com.

Capital Area Bar Association Golf Tournament March 27, noon-4 p.m., at Country Club of Jackson (345 St Andrews Drive). The tournament is a four-person scramble. Lunch begins at noon, the shotgun start is at 1 p.m. $175; call 601-956-1415; find it on Facebook.

STAGE & SCREEN “The River Niger” March 24, 10 a.m., at Jackson State University (1400 John R. Lynch St.). The play is about a family whose son returns from the Air Force not the hero they anticipated. $10, $5 students and senior adults; jsums.edu.

Monday, March 27

College basketball (7-11 p.m., ESPN): Teams play the last two Regional Finals games for the NCAA Women’s Tournament a double-header like it naturally should be played.

Tuesday, March 28

College baseball (11 a.m.-2 p.m., SECN+): Take a break from basketball and set your DVR as the University of Mississippi hosts Arkansas-Little Rock in a lunchtime baseball game.

Wednesday, March 29

College softball (6-8 p.m., SECN+): A softball battle between two in-state universities, MSU and MVSU, is a perfect way to finish off hump day.

MSU is still alive in the Women’s Tournament, but the team’s Sweet 16 game was not announced by press time.

Check the JFP Sports Blog to find out about the Bulldogs’ next challenge.

Follow Bryan Flynn at jfpsports.com, @jfpsports

CONCERTS & FESTIVALS Chicago March 22, 8 p.m., at Thalia Mara Hall (255 E. Pascagoula St.). The “rock-and-roll band with horns” performs. Doors open at 7 p.m. $46-$350; call 877-987-6487; ardenland.net.

Vertical Church Band March 24, 7 p.m., at Crossgates Baptist Church (8 Crosswoods Road, Brandon). The Contemporary-Christian and worship band from Chicago performs. $10, $20 VIP; call 601-825-2562; crossgates.org.

American Made Tour March 24, 7 p.m., Mississippi Coliseum (1207 Mississippi St.). The country-music concert features Justin Moore, Lee Brice and Brett Young also perform. $26-$57; call 601-961-4000; ticketmaster.com.

The Band U.S March 24, 9 p.m., at Duling Hall (622 Duling Ave.). The rock band performs. $15 in advance, $20 at the door; ardenland.net.

Holi Mela—The Festival of Colors March 25, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., at Hindu Temple Society of Mississippi (173 Vernon Jones Ave., Brandon).

Features Indian food, mehendi designs herbal tattoos, kids’ activities, music, dance and more.

Free; call 601-992-3331; find it on Facebook.

LITERARY & SIGNINGS Events at Lemuria Books (Banner Hall, 4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite 202) • “Pure Heart: A Spirited Tale of Grace, Grit and Whiskey” March 22, 5 p.m. Troy Ball signs copies. Reading at 5:30 p.m. $26.99 book; call 601-366-7619; lemuriabooks.com.

• “The Artist’s Sketch” March 23, 5 p.m. Carolyn J. Brown signs copies. Reading at 5:30. $35 book; call 601-366-7619; lemuriabooks.com.

• “If I’m Found” March 25, 2 p.m. Terri Blackstock signs copies. $24.99; lemuriabooks.com.

• “Ice Ghosts: The Epic Hunt for the Lost Franklin Expedition” March 25, 4 p.m. Paul Watson speaks and signs copies. $27.95 book; call 601-366-7619; lemuriabooks.com.

• “Blooming at the Texas Sunrise Motel” March 27, 4 p.m. Kimberly Willis Holt speaks and signs copies. $16.99 book; call 601-3667619; lemuriabooks.com.

• “Lighter Than Air: Sophie Blanchard, the First Woman Pilot” March 28, 5 p.m. Matthew Clark Smith signs copies. Reading at 5:30 p.m. $16.99 book; lemuriabooks.com.

• “White Tears” March 29, 5 p.m. Hari Kunzru signs copies. Reading at 5:30 p.m. $26.95; call 601-366-7619; lemuriabooks.com.

EXHIBIT OPENINGS FLVSH BVNG! Art & Music Showcase, Vol. 3 March 24, 9 p.m., at Martin’s Restaurant & Bar (214 S. State St.). Artists T. J. Legler and Jonathan Faulkner create art live. Musicians Levitation Jones, Phulti, Malignate, TVBOO and Tricky Jr. perform. Features 3D visual stage artist Videonauts. $10 in advance, $15 at the door; find it on Facebook.

BE THE CHANGE Social Activism 101 March 22, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at Jackson Medical Mall Foundation (350 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave). Features a panel discussion dedicated to promoting equality throughout the state with social justice organizations. Free; call 601-354-3408; find it on Facebook.

CARA’s Jail-N-Bail Fundraiser March 25, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at Whole Foods Market (4500 Interstate 55 N. Frontage Road). Supporters are “arrested” and require $250 to be raised in order to be released. Proceeds go to developing a senior dog sanctuary. Free; find it on Facebook.

Hair Ball 2017 March 26, 7:30 p.m., at Hal & Mal’s (200 Commerce St.). Includes music, food, drinks, a hair competition, a silent auction and more. Proceeds benefit the Little Light House of Central Mississippi. $55 in advance, $65 at the door; hairstylistsofthesouth.com.

Check jfpevents.com for updates and more listings, or to add your own events online. You can also email event details to events@jacksonfreepress.com to be added to the calendar. The deadline is noon the Wednesday prior to the week of publication.

March 22 - 28, 2017 • jfp.ms

COMMUNITY

29

DIVERSIONS | music

Starting with a

exactly what they did.”

Draper, 21, whom fans know as deejay TVBOO, has been in-

Texas, where he lived for a short time before returning to Mississippi in 2016. Nixon also launched Courtesy FLVSH BVNG

BVNG

by Jessica Smith

A

n absentee headliner wasn’t exactly how Jackson natives Mitch Draper and Jonathan Nixon planned to launch their new monthly event series, the FLVSH BVNG! Art & Music Showcase, in January.

Houston, Texas-based deejay LUZCID was scheduled to perform but ended up missing out on the first show due to the inclement weather. However, the absence did not stop the show one bit, Draper says.

“The people rarely even noticed or cared that the headliner would not be joining us,” he says. “You could tell they arrived to specifically jam out, and that’s

(Front left to right) Jonathan Nixon and Mitch Draper launched their monthly EDM and visual-arts event series, the FLVSH BVNG! Art & Music Showcase, in January.

volved with the Jackson entertainment scene since he was about 13 years old, first as a drummer. As deejay Malignate, Nixon, 25, has performed all over the country, even taking his talents to South

by Southwest Music Festival in

the initial FLVSH BVNG! series while in Texas, but the events were smaller and more sporadic.

After the closing of downtown venue Big Sleepy’s, where Nixon and Draper had begun hosting EDM shows, the duo

wanted to do something grander for their next endeavor. Lights, live artwork, creative stage design, costumes, and EDM and dubstep music create the aura of FLVSH BVNG! The response to the first event exceeded expectations. The duo decided to scale back for the second show in February, but the crowd was even bigger than the previous one.

Draper and Nixon say that they intend to host a FLVSH BVNG! event every month, featuring local and national music and visual artists.

This month’s showcase, which takes place Friday, March 24, at Martin’s Restaurant & Bar, will feature music from Phulti, DJ Tricky Jr., and headliner Levitation Jones, who is an experimental dubstep deejay based in Rhode Island. Nixon and Draper will also be revealing their side project, an experimental collaboration called GVNG BVNG. This month’s featured visual artists are Jonathan Faulkner and T.J. Legler.

Nixon says that he and

Draper have worked to create an environment that allows for synergy between the crowd and entertainers, and after only two events, people seem to be appreciating how unique it is.

“After the shows, it takes 30 to 40 minutes to walk through the crowd because of all the love being spread,” Nixon says. “We have not had one issue or fight.

Phenomenal crowd responses, random heart-to-hearts and heartfelt thank-yous, including the infamous family photo at the end of the night. This is what we do it for—the people, not the money.”

Draper says one goal for FLVSH BVNG! is to build a platform to start festivals, and the end goal for him and Nixon would be taking the show on the road.

However, they want people to gravitate toward Mississippi first.

FLVSH BVNG! Art & Music Showcase, Vol. 3, is at 9 p.m., Friday, March 24, at Martin’s Restaurant & Bar (214 S. State St.). Admission is $10 in advance or $15 at the door. Visit flvshbvng.com.

ALL STADIUM SEATING Listings for Fri. 3/24 – Thur. 3/30

Power Rangers (2017) PG13

A United Kingdom PG13

Life

R

Logan

CHiPS

R

The Shack PG13

R

Slamma Jamma PG

Get Out

Beauty and the Beast (2017) PG

Lego Batman Movie PG

The Belko Experiment

A Dog’s Purpose PG

R

R

March 22 - 28, 2017 • jfp.ms

Hidden Figures PG Kong: Skull Island PG13 La La Land PG13

GIFT CARDS AVAIL ABLE

30

Movieline: 355-9311

DAILY BARGAINS UNTIL 6PM Online Tickets, Birthday Parties, Group & Corporate Events @ www.malco.com

Happy Hour

Mon - Fri 3-6pm Saurday 11-6

$1 Off Beer

MUSIC | live

Music listings are due noon Monday to be included in print and online listings: music@jacksonfreepress.com.

March 22 - Wednesday Alumni House - Acoustic Crossroads 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m.

Fitzgerald’s - Johnny Crocker 7:30 p.m.

Hal & Mal’s - New Bourbon Street Jazz Band 6 p.m. free Johnny T’s - Mac Music 5-8 p.m. free Kathryn’s - Jeff Maddox 6:30 p.m.

Martin’s - Spoonfed Tribe 8 p.m. ages 21 and up Pelican Cove - Ronnie Brown 6 p.m.

Shucker’s - Silverado Band 7:30 p.m. free Thalia Mara Hall - Chicago w/ JD & the Straight Shot 8 p.m. $46.50-$350 ardenland.net

Iron Horse Grill - Steve Powell Quartet 9 p.m.

Kathryn’s - Acoustic Crossroads 7 p.m. free Martin’s - Flvsh Bvng! Art & Music Showcase feat. Levitation Jones, Tricky Jr., Phulti & more 10 p.m. $10 advance $15 door MS Coliseum - Justin Moore, Lee Brice & Brett Young 7 p.m. $46-$318 Pelican Cove - Stace & Cassie 7 p.m.

Reed Pierce’s, Byram - Snazz 9 p.m. free Shucker’s - Barry Leach 5:30 p.m. free; Aaron Coker 8 p.m. $5; Jason Turner 10 p.m. free Soulshine, Flowood - Crooked Creek 8 p.m.

Soulshine, Ridgeland - Casey Phillips 7 p.m.

WonderLust - DJ Taboo 8 p.m.

Reed Pierce’s, Byram - Chasin’ Dixie 9 p.m. free Shucker’s - The Axe-identals 3:30 p.m. free; Aaron Coker 8 p.m. $5; Chad Perry 10 p.m.

Soulshine, Flowood - Casey Phillips 7 p.m.

Spacecamp - Fides, Sage Boy, Holy Vision & The Tallahatchies 7 p.m. $5 WonderLust - Drag Performance & Dance Party feat. DJ Taboo 8 p.m.-3 a.m. free before 10 p.m.

NEW YEAR’S

with

March 26 - Sunday

Burgers & Blues - Jesse Smith 4-7 p.m.

Char - Big Easy Three 11 a.m.; Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m.

Kathryn’s - Steel Country 6 p.m.

Pelican Cove - Jonathan Alexander noon; Andrew Pates Band 5 p.m.

Shucker’s - Acoustic Crossroads 3:30 p.m. free Sombra Mexican Kitchen - John Mora 11 a.m.

Table 100 - Jazz Brunch feat.

Raphael Semmes Trio 11 a.m.

Wellington’s - Andy Hardwick 11 a.m.

Risko Danza

3AT $EC s 9pm-2am

MARCH 24 - Friday Bonny Blair’s - Ron Etheridge 7-11 p.m. free Burgers & Blues - Jessie Powell Duo 6 p.m.

Cerami’s - Linda Blackwell & James Bailey 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Char - Ronnie Brown 6 p.m.

Crossgates Baptist Church, Brandon - Vertical Church Band 7 p.m. $10 admission $20 VIP Duling Hall - U.S 9 p.m. $10 advance $15 door F. Jones Corner - The Blues Man 10 p.m. $1; Sherman Lee Dillon & the MS Sound midnight $10 Fitzgerald’s - Larry Brewer 3 p.m.; Faze 4 8 p.m.

Georgia Blue, Flowood - Shaun Patterson Georgia Blue, Madison - Stevie Cain Hal & Mal’s - Bill & Temperance

March 25 - Saturday Bonny Blair’s - Steve Chester 7-11 p.m. free Burgers & Blues - Acoustic Crossroads 6 p.m.

College Hill M.B. Church - Annual Gospel Concert 6 p.m. free

March 27 - Monday

Nellie Mack Project F. Jones Corner - Big Money Mel & Small Change Wayne 10 p.m. $1; Sorrento Ussery midnight $10 Fitzgerald’s - Johnny Crocker 3 p.m.

Georgia Blue, Flowood - Brandon Greer Georgia Blue, Madison - Ryan Phillips Hal & Mal’s - Jonah Sissoyev free The Hideaway - Splendid Chaos 9 p.m. $10 Iron Horse Grill - Nellie Mack Project 9 p.m.

Kathryn’s - Todd Thompson & the Lucky Hand Blues Band 7 p.m. free Martin’s - Vibe Street w/ 360 Degrees 10 p.m.

MS Coliseum - Festival of Laughs feat. Mike Epps, Sommore, Bruce Bruce & Arnez J 8 p.m. $58.80-$69.05 Ole Tavern - Capital City Roller Girls Fundraiser feat. DJ Glenn 9 p.m. $5 Pelican Cove - Mojo Trio 2 p.m.; Sid Thompson & DoubleShotz 7 p.m.

3/22 - Earth Wind & Fire - The Orpheum, Memphis 3/23 - Mayday Parade - House of Blues, New Orleans 3/24 - Big Freedia - Saturn, Birmingham 3/26 - KYLE - Republic NOLA, New Orleans

Bonny Blair’s - Lumpy Lumbley 7-11 p.m. free Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m.

Fitzgerald’s - Hunter Gibson & Chris Link 7:30 p.m.

Hal & Mal’s - Central MS Blues Society (rest) 7 p.m.

Kathryn’s - Barry Leach 6:30 p.m. free

% &ORTIl CATION 3T s www.fenianspub.com -ON &RI AM AM s 3AT PM AM s 3UN PM AM

March 28 - Tuesday Bonny Blair’s - Don & Sonny 7:30-11:30 p.m. free Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m.

Fenian’s - Open Mic Fitzgerald’s - Doug Hurd 7:30 p.m.

Kathryn’s - Andrew Pates 6:30 p.m. free Last Call Sports Grill - Top-Shelf Tuesdays feat. DJ Spoon 9 p.m.

March 29 - Wednesday Alumni House - Pearl Jamz 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m.

Fitzgerald’s - Johnny Crocker 7:30 p.m.

Hal & Mal’s - Sherman Lee Dillon & the Dillionaires free Johnny T’s - Jonte Mayon 5-8 p.m. free Kathryn’s - Larry Brewer & Doug Hurd 6:30 p.m. free Pelican Cove - Brian Jones 6 p.m.

Shucker’s - Shayne Weems 7:30 p.m. free

March 22 - 28, 2017 • jfp.ms

Bonny Blair’s - Hired Guns 7-11 p.m. free Burgers & Blues - Adib Sabir Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m.

F. Jones Corner - Dexter Allen’s Blues Challenge 10 p.m. $5 Fitzgerald’s -Larry Brewer 3 p.m.; Chris Houchin 8 p.m.

Georgia Blue, Flowood - Brian Jones Georgia Blue, Madison - Jonathan Alexander Hal & Mal’s - D’Lo Trio free Iron Horse Grill - Seth Power 6 p.m.

Kathryn’s - Amanda Jones 6:30 p.m. free Pelican Cove - Andy Tanas 6 p.m.

Shucker’s - Acoustic Crossroads 7:30 p.m. free Soulshine, Flowood - Ron Etheridge 7 p.m.

Sylvia’s - The Blues Man & Sunshine McGhee 9 p.m. free

Dag Anderson

March 23 - Thursday

31

BY MATT JONES

for instance?

44 John’s “Double Fantasy� collaborator 45 Blackhawks and Red Wings org.

46 Montana moniker 49 1978-’98 science magazine 51 “___ death do us part�

54 Act histrionically 55 What the three longest answers are actually held together by 57 XTC’s “Making Plans for ___�

58 Adjust, as a skirt 59 Corset shop dummy 60 Newspaper piece 61 Creator of a big head 62 React to Beatlemania, perhaps

31 Actress Vardalos 34 “George of the Jungle� creature 36 First name mentioned in “Baby Got Back�

37 Jewish house of prayer 39 Carmichael who coined the phrase “black power�

40 Cannon fodder for the crowd?

42 Seafood in a “shooter�

43 Elsa’s sister 46 Folds and Harper, for two 47 Unreal: abbr.

48 Type of dancer or boot

49 “In My Own Fashion� autobiographer Cassini 50 Sticky note note 51 Pasty luau fare 52 ___ facto 53 “Sex on Fire� group Kings of ___ 55 “Weekend Update� cohost Michael 56 Haul a trailer Š2017 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@ jonesincrosswords.com)

Last Week’s Answers

For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents per minute. Must be 18+. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800 655-6548. Reference puzzle #816.

Down

“Stuck on You� —so smooth, you can’t even tell.

Across

1 A-list notable 6 “Big Blue� company 9 Exudes affection 14 Tell jokes to 15 Perrins’s partner in sauce 16 TV host with a book club 17 Slow reaction to making tears?

19 1980s attorney general Edwin 20 157.5 deg. from N 21 Insurer’s calculation 22 Gave bad luck to 23 ___ Lingus (carrier to Dublin) 24 Red-sweatered Ken from a 2016

presidential debate 25 Voracious “readers� of old audiobooks, slangily?

31 Responsibility shirker’s cry 32 Coyote’s cries 33 Gulf Coast st.

35 Bitty amount 36 Test versions 37 Ditch 38 “All Things Considered� co-host Shapiro 39 Ninja Turtles’ hangout 40 ___ and variations 41 Three fingers from the bartender,

1 Ill-bred men 2 Auckland Zoo animals 3 Fortune founder Henry 4 Strong following?

5 Doctor’s orders, sometimes 6 Societal woes 7 Bird’s bill 8 Could possibly 9 Franchise whose logo has three pips 10 Letter tool 11 “Bang a Gong (Get It On)� rockers 12 Facility 13 Leave hairs everywhere 18 Britain’s neighbor, to natives 22 Prominent part of a Nixon caricature 23 K2’s continent 24 Haunted house warning 25 Brewer of Keystone and Blue Moon 26 Top floor 27 “Quadrophenia� band 28 Pacific Northwestern pole 29 Craftsperson, in steampunk circles 30 Nickelodeon’s green subtancein-trade

BY MATT JONES Last Week’s Answers

“Celebrity Sudoku�

Solve this as you would a regular sudoku, except using the nine given letters instead of numbers. When you’re done, each row, column and 3x3 box will contain each of the nine given letters exactly one time. In addition, one row or column will reveal, either backward or forward, the name of a famous person. psychosudoku@gmail.com

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Best Thai Food

March 22 - 28, 2017 • jfp.ms

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32

3000 Old Canton Road, Suite 105, Jackson | (601)981-3205 Like us on Facebook! www.surinofthailand.com MIS TWUEORFN IOHD 35(665($'< 0RQGD\ 0DUFK 30

ARIES (March 21-April 19):

Of course you want to get the best of everything. But that doesn’t mean you should disdain cheap thrills that are more interesting and gratifying than the expensive kind. And of course you enjoy taking risks. But there’s a big difference between gambling that’s spurred by superstitious hunches and gambling rooted in smart research. And of course you’re galvanized by competition. But why fritter away your competitive fire on efforts to impress people? A better use of that fire is to use it to hone your talents and integrity.

If you own an untamable animal like a bull, the best way to manage it is to provide a fenced but spacious meadow where it can roam freely. So said famous Zen teacher Shunryu Suzuki, using a metaphor to address how we might deal with the unruly beasts in our own psyches. This is excellent advice for you right now, Taurus. I’d hate to see you try to quash or punish your inner wild thing. You need its boisterous power! It will be a fine ally if you can both keep it happy and make it work for you.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):

If I were to provide a strict interpretation of the astrological omens, I’d advise you to PARTY HARDY AND ROWDY AND STRONG AND OFTEN! I’d suggest that you attend a raging bash or convivial festivity once every day. And if that were logistically impossible, I’d advise you to stage your own daily celebrations, hopefully stocked with the most vivacious and stimulating people you can find. But I recognize that this counsel may be too extreme for you to honor. So I will simply invite you to PARTY HARDY AND ROWDY AND STRONG at least twice a week for the next four weeks. It’s the medicine you need.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):

You are on the verge of achieving a sly victory over the part of you that is unduly meek and passive. I believe that in the coming weeks you will rise up like a resourceful hero and at least half-conquer a chronic fear. A rumbling streak of warrior luck will flow through you, enabling you to kill off any temptation you might have to take the easy way out.

Congratulations in advance, my fellow Cancerian! I have rarely seen our tribe have so much power to triumph over our unconscious attraction to the victim role.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):

Leo journal entry, Thursday: Am too settled and stale and entrenched. Feeling urges to get cheeky and tousled. Friday: So what if I slept a little longer and arrived late? Who cares if the dishes are piling up in the sink? I hereby refuse law and order. Saturday: I’m fantasizing about doing dirty deeds. I’m thinking about breaking the taboos. Sunday: Found the strangest freshness in a place I didn’t expect to.

Sometimes chaos is kind of cute and friendly. Monday: The nagging voice of the taskmaster in my head is gone. Dingdong. Let freedom ring!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):

William Boyd writes novels, which require him to do copious research about the real-world milieus he wants his fictional characters to inhabit. For example, to ensure the authenticity of his book, “Waiting for Sunrise,” he found out what it was like to live in Vienna in 1913. He compares his process of searching for juicy facts to the feeding habits of a blue whale: engorging huge amounts of seawater to strain out the plankton that are good to eat. Ninety percent of the information he wades through is irrelevant, but the rest is tasty and nourishing. I suspect you’ll thrive on a similar approach in the coming weeks, Virgo. Be patient as you search for what’s useful.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):

Here’s a new word for you: enantiodromia. It’s what happens when something turns into its opposite. It’s nature’s attempt to create equilibrium where there has been imbalance. Too much NO becomes YES, for example. A superabundance of yin mutates into yang, or an overemphasis on control generates chaos. Flip-flops like these tend to be messy if we resist them, but interesting if we cooperate.

I figure that’s your choice right now. Which will it be? The latter, I hope. P.S.: The reversals that you consciously co-create may not be perfect. But even if they are baffling, I

bet they will also be amusing and magnificent.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):

When I was 24, I lived in rural North Carolina and had a job washing dishes in a city four miles away. I was too poor to own a bicycle, let alone a car. To get to work I had to trudge down backroads where hostile dogs and drunk men in pick-up trucks roamed freely. Luckily, I discovered the art of psychic protection. At first I simply envisioned a golden force field surrounding me. Later I added visualizations of guardian animals to accompany me: two friendly lions and two sheltering wolves. Maybe it was just the placebo effect, but the experiment worked. My allies made me brave and kept me safe. You’re welcome to borrow them, Scorpio, or conjure up your own version of spirit protectors. You’re not in physical danger, but I suspect you need an extra layer of protection against other people’s bad moods, manipulative ploys and unconscious agendas.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

I’m not suggesting you should listen to your heart with rapt attention every waking minute for the next four weeks. I don’t expect you to neglect the insights your mind has to offer. But I would love to see you boost your attunement to the intelligent organ at the center of your chest. You’re going to need its specific type of guidance more than ever in the coming months. And at this particular moment, it is beginning to overflow with wisdom that’s so rich and raw that it could unleash a series of spiritual orgasms.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):

The empty space at the end of this sentence has intentionally been left blank.

The serene hiatus you just glided through comes to you courtesy of Healing Silence, an ancient form of do-it-yourself therapy. Healing Silence is based on the underappreciated truth that now and then it’s restorative to just SHUT UP and abstain from activity for a while. (As you know, the world is crammed with so much noise and frenzy that it can be hard to hear yourself think—or even feel.) With Healing Silence, you bask in a sanctuary of sweet nothingness for as long as you need to. Please try it sometime soon. Wrap yourself in the luxurious void of Healing Silence.

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Meet singles right now! No paid operators, just real people like you. Browse greetings, exchange messages and connect live. Try it free. Call now: 800-513-9842

Help Wanted NOW HIRING DRIVERS J&D Transit is hiring non-emergency drivers. Must be 25 yo, clear MVR, background, and drug screen. Come to 120 Southpointe Dr, Byram MS or call 601-203-2136.

RePublic Schools is looking for dynamic, determined teachers to join our Jackson middle schools. Must have an unwavering belief that all children can achieve at high levels and change the world. Must be willing to obtain certification if not currently licensed.

Competitive salary and full benefits. Visit http://www.republiccharterschools.org/ careers to apply Print and Digital Marketing Representative We’re looking to add a special new member to the JFP/BOOM Jackson sales team. You should have sales or customer service (retail, restaurant) experience, along with a drive to build your career while helping local businesses get ahead in the Jackson Metro. You must be personable, outgoing, persistent, and willing to learn. Commission-driven position with a paid training period and access to benefits; potential $3,000$5,000/mo and beyond! Visit our Jobs Page to apply.

TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD:

Post an ad, call 601-362-6121, ext. 11 or fax to 601-510-9019.

Deadline: Mondays at Noon.

Metro Teens:

Apply now to join this summer’s

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):

I hope you won’t feel the need to say any of these things: 1. “I’m sorry I gave you everything I had without making sure you wanted it.” 2. “Will you please just stop asking me to be so real?” 3. “I long for the part of you that you’ll never give me.” Now here are things I hope you will say sometime soon: 1. “I thrived because the fire inside me burned brighter than the fire around me.” (This declaration is lifted from novelist Joshua Graham.) 2. “I’m having fun, even though it’s not the same kind of fun everyone else is having.” (Borrowed from author C.S. Lewis.) 3. “I’m not searching for who I am. I’m searching for the person I aspire to be.” (Stolen from author Robert Brault.)

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):

Are you fantasizing more about what you don’t have and can’t do than what you do have and can do? If so, please raise the “do have” and “can do” up to at least 51 percent.

(Eighty percent would be better.) Have you been harshly critiquing yourself more than you have been gently taking care of yourself? If so, get your self-care level up to at least 51 percent. (Eight-five percent is better.) Are you flirting with a backward type of courage that makes you nervous about what everyone thinks of you and expects from you?

If so, I invite you to cultivate a different kind of courage at least 51 percent of the time: courage to do what’s right for you no matter what anyone thinks or expects. (Ninety percent is better.)

Homework: What’s the part of you that you trust the least? Could you come to trust it more? Testify at Freewillastrology.com.

Be part of the diverse, dynamic YMP newsroom, reporting on issues related to juvenile justice and other issues vital to teenagers. Learn writing, reporting, editing, video, photography and podcast skills.

June and July in downtown Jackson.

Enrollment is free; 25 spots available.

Write: info@youthmediaproject.com for details

Be the Media!

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2SHQ VHYHQ GD\V D ZHHN 1030-A Hwy 51 • Madison Behind the McDonalds in Madison Station

601.790.7999

1002 Treetops Blvd • Flowood Behind the Applebee’s on Lakeland

601.664.7588

March 22 - 28, 2017 • jfp.ms

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):

BULLE TIN BOARD: Classifieds As low as $25!

Services Teachers Wanted

33

PAID ADVERTISING SECTION. CALL 601-362-6121 X11 TO LIST YOUR BUSINESS

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------------- H E A LT H C A R E / W E L L N E S S ----------------

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The Headache Center

Renaissance at Colony Park, Suite #7205, Ridgeland, (601)366-0855 Accurately diagnoses headache syndromes and tailors an individualized treatment plan for you that includes lifestyle modification and FDA-approved medical treatments.

-------------------- HOME SERVICES -------------------Solar Control

291 US-51 E4, Ridgeland, MS 39157 (601)707-5596 Mississippi’s only full-service 3M Authorized window film dealer.

Services include, residential, graffiti shield and automotive tinting.

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Tri-county Tree Service

Jackson, (601)940-5499 Personalized and courteous services to valued customers in Madison, Hinds, Rankin or Jackson County. Contact us today for a FREE NO HASSLE ESTIMATE.

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J & J Wholesale Service & Repair

3246 Hwy 80 W., Jackson, (601) 360-2444 Certified Technician, David Rucker, has 40+ years of experience.

Mr. Rucker specializes in a/c, front end, part replacement, brakes, select services and repairs. Appointments only.

-------------------- BANKS/FINANCIAL ------------------Members Exchange

107 Marketridge Dr. Ridgeland, 5640 I-55 South Frontage Rd. Byram 101 MetroPlex Blvd. Pearl, (601)922-3250 Members Exchange takes the bank out of banking. You will know right away that you are not just a customer, you are a member.

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Guaranty Trust

2 Professional Parkway, Ste A Ridgeland, (601)307-5008 Your friendly source for mortgage advice and service in FHA, USDA, VA, Jumbo and conventional mortgages.

------------------- FOOD/DRINK/GIFTS ------------------Beckham Jewelry

4800 N Hwy 55 #35, Jackson, (601)665-4642 With over 20 years experience Beckham Jewelry, manufactures, repairs and services all types of jewelry. Many repairs can be done the same day! They also offer full-service watch and clock repair.

Fondren Cellars

Where Mississippi’s Sports Legends Come to Live!

633 Duling Ave, Jackson, (769)216-2323 Quality wines and spirits in a relaxed environment. Voted Best Wine and Liquor store by Jackson Free Press readers.

Nandy’s Candy

Maywood Mart, 1220 E Northside Dr #380, Jackson, (601)362-9553 Small batch confections do more than satisfy a sweet tooth, they foster fond traditions and strong relationships. Plus, enjoy sno-balls, gifts for any occasion and more!

McDade’s Wine

Maywood Mart, 1220 E Northside Dr #320, Jackson, (601)366-5676 McDade’s Wine and Spirits offers Northeast Jackson’s largest showroom of fine wine and spirits. Visit to learn about the latest offerings and get professional tips from the friendly staff!

Playtime Entertainment

1009 Hampstead Blvd, Clinton, (601)926-1511 Clinton’s newest high energy video gaming and sports grille destination.

-------------------- TOURISM/ARTS ----------------------Mississippi Museum of Art

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DIS GROUP

380 South Lamar St. Jackson, (601) 960-1515 MMA strives to be a fountainhead attracting people from all walks to discuss the issues and glories of the past and present, while continuing to inspire progress in the future.

Ardenland

2906 North State St. Suite 207, Jackson, (601) 292-7121 Jackson’s premiere music promoter with concerts around the Metro including at Duling Hall in Fondren. www.ardenland.net

March 22 - 28, 2017 • jfp.ms

Natural Science Museum

34

2148 Riverside Dr, Jackson, (601) 576-6000 Stop by the museum and enjoy their 300-acre natural landscape, an open-air amphitheater, along with 2.5 miles of nature trails. Inside, meet over 200 living species in the 100,000 gallon aquarium network.

Mississippi Children's Museum

2145 Museum Boulevard, Jackson, (601) 981-5469 The Mississippi Children’s Museum provides unparalleled experiences that ignite a thirst for discovery, knowledge and learning in all children through hands-on and engaging exhibits and programs focusing on literacy, the arts, science, health and nutrition.

FAMILY FUN 0RQGD\ ă 6DWXUGD\ • D P ă S P • msfame.com /DNHODQG 'ULYH • Jackson, MS 39216

---------------- BEAUTY SHOP/SALON ------------------Barnette’s Highland Bluff

4400 Old Canton Rd, Jackson, (769) 230-4648 Barnette’s specializes in custom hair color as well as beautiful precision cuts.

HAPPY HOUR ALL DAY, EVERY DAY IN OUR BAR AREA S PECIALS IN CL UD E

BAR DRINKS

16oz DOMESTIC ............ $2 HOUSE WINE ................ $3 MARGARITAS ................. $3

SMALL PLATES

PORK TACO ................... $3 CHIPS AND QUESO ....... $4 BBQ NACHOS ............... $5

1060 E County Line Rd #22, Ridgeland, MS 39157 601-899-0038

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-Pool Is Cool-

We’re still #1!

Best Place to Play Pool Best of Jackson 2017

INDUSTRY HAPPY HOUR Daily 11pm -2am

DAILY 12pm BEER- 7pm SPECIALS

POOL LEAGUE Mon - Fri Night

DRINK SPECIALS "52'%23 s 7).'3 s &5,, "!2 GATED PARKING BIG SCREEN TV’S LEAGUE AND TEAM PLAY B EGINNERS TO A DVANCED I NSTRUCTORS A VAILABLE

444 Bounds St. Jackson MS

601-718-7665

WEDNESDAY

3/22

SPOONFED TRIBE 8 P.M.

THURSDAY

3/23

OYSTERS ON THE HALF SHELL 5-9 P.M.

FRIDAY

3/24

FLVSH BVNG! ART & MUSIC SHOWCASE VOL. 3

FT.

LEVITATION JONES 10 P.M. // 18+

SATURDAY

3/25

VIBE STREET W/ 360 DEGREES 10 P.M.

TUESDAY

3/28

SHRIMP BOIL

KARAOKE UPCOMING SHOWS

3/31 - Space Kadet w/ Special Guest 4/6 - Papadosio (Pattern Integrities Spring Tour) 4/7 - And The Echo w/ Shake It Like A Caveman 4/14 - CBDB 4/15 - The Low End Theory Players (Tribe Called Quest Tribute) 4/28 - The Weeks Record Release Show w/ the Lonely Bicsuits 4/29 - Backup Planet & the Heavy Pets “The Heavy Planet Tour” 5/5 - Heart Byrne (Talking Heads Tribute Band) 5/11 - Naughty Professor WWW.MARTINSLOUNGE.NET

214 S. STATE ST. DOWNTOWN JACKSON

601.354.9712

COMING UP

_________________________

WEDNESDAY 3/22

NEW BOURBON STREET JAZZ BAND

Dining Room - Free _________________________

Friday, March 24

SOUTHERN SOUL ASSEMBLY

THURSDAY 3/23

D’LO TRIO

Dining Room - Free _________________________

FRIDAY 3/24

Restaurant Open as Usual _________________________

SATURDAY 3/25

JONAH SISSOYEV

Dining Room - Free _________________________

THE BAND U.S.

rock band whose mission is to keeping rock music alive and well in the southeast

Thursday, March 16 Thursday, March 30

MOTEL RADIO the stonecoats

SUNDAY 3/26

HAIR BALL BENEFITING

THE LITTLE LIGHTHOUSE

Food, a silent auction and entertainment.

Tickets are $55 in advance & $65 at the door available for purchase at www.hairstyleistsofthesouth.com

_________________________

indie rock band hailing from new orleans with an atmospheric, hamony-driven sound and unique dual frontman arrangement

Friday, March 31 JAIMOE’S JASSSZ BAND legendary drummer and founding member of the Allman Brothers Band

MARCUS KING BAND songwriter. guitarist. singer. bandleader. at only 20 years old.

Tuesday, April 4

MONDAY 3/27

PENNY & SPARROW

BLUE MONDAY Dining Room - 7 - 10pm

indie folk singer/songwriter duo with soul-piercing songs

$3 Members $5 Non-Members _________________________

DREW HOLCOMB & THE NEIGHBORS

CENTRAL MS BLUES SOCIETY PRESENTS:

TUESDAY 3/28

PUB QUIZ

w/ Jimmy Quinn

Dining Room - 7:30pm - $2 to Play

_________________________ UPCOMING _________________________ 3/29 Sherman Lee Dillion & The Dillionares 3/30 Chris Gill _________________________ OFFICIAL

HOUSE VODKA

Visit HalandMals.com for a full menu and concert schedule

601.948.0888 200 S. Commerce St. Downtown Jackson, MS

lowland hum

and sharing stories from their heart

Wednesday, April 5 sean mcconnell

drawing influences from tom petty and bob dylan, they have found their place in today’s landscape of singer/songwriter americana

Saturday, April 8

JOJO’S SLIM WEDNESDAY

the band focuses on the sound of new orleans that keeps listeners dancing all night

JX//RX

COMPLETE SHOW LISTINGS & TICKETS

dulinghall.com

March 22 - 28, 2017 • jfp.ms

HIGH TOP

35

Chocolate Covered Strawberries Year Round

The Snoball Window is Open (Limited Flavors Until Easter)

Handcrafted Easter Treats

Mon-Sat 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. t 601.362.9553 t Maywood Mart t Jackson, MS t nandyscandy.com

Try our custom blends.

Come see us in The Quarter off Lakeland, near Cups

...and check out our

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Country Squire Radioâ&#x20AC;? podcast every Wednesday at Podasterynetwork.

Bring home a box of fresh and local vegetables

From our Farm to your Table!

learn more about our historic shop at www.thecountrysquireonline.com

Sign up for our Spring & Summer CSA now!

Visit our website www.twodogfarms.org for more details!

256 First St. Flora, Ms (662) 719-0285 www.twodogfarms.org

www.tbeauxs.com

1*3% q $!&,'& q ' 3 '&,3+

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CSA shares start April 17th-July 17th

*** limited shares so please hurry!

Crawfish (LIVE & BOILED) SEAFOOD GUMBO POâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;BOYS SHRIMP & CRAB LEGS HAMBURGERS FRIED SEAFOOD

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601.968.5171 Get Free Tea With Purchase

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