V15n41 - Guys We Love

vol. 15 no. 41

FREE

June 14 - 20, 2017 | subscribe free for breaking news at JFPDaily.com Your Metro Events Calendar is at

JFPEVENTS.COM

WASTEWATER GONE WILD? Kelly III, pp 6 - 7

DAD-CENTRIC EVENTS Cardon, p 18

SOUNDS FROM THE EMPTY HOUSE Smith, p 22

pp 14-16

YES, WE DEVELOP HIV MEDICINES. WE ALSO DEVELOP AND SUPPORT COMMUNITY PROGRAMS FOR HIV PREVENTION, TREATMENT AND CARE.

June 14 - 20, 2017 • jfp.ms

This ad is not intended to imply that the models pictured have HIV.

At ViiV Healthcare, we understand the need to go beyond developing new medicines to help address the unmet needs of the HIV community.

2

SOLELY FOCUSED ON HIV Find out more at viivhealthcare.com/us and follow us

@ViiVUS

JACKSONIAN Bryce Yelverton CAM BONELLI

T

hirty-one-year-old government-relations consultant Bryce Yelverton has dedicated 19 years of his life to helping inner-city kids through Calvary Baptist Church’s ministry, His Heart. “Your ministry and your work starts right outside your front door,” he says.

Clinton native Yelverton graduated from Mississippi College in 2008 with a bachelor’s of science in mathematics. After graduating, he taught at Chastain Middle School from fall 2008 to 2011.

“I chose Chastain because I’ve worked with inner-city families through ministry,” he says. After learning of a position opening at Clinton High School, he applied and got the job and began working there in 2011.

“What’s interesting about my sevenyear teaching career is that I’ve seen the most successful and the most struggling school districts,” Yelverton says.

In 2013, he was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma, which was 15 years after his father’s same diagnosis.

Yelverton says he decided to keep teaching while enduring cancer treatment.

“I wanted my students to know cancer didn’t equal death,” he says. “Hodgkins lymphoma is one of the most receptive cancers to treatment. I had an 85 to 88 percent chance of it going away.”

In May 2014, after doctors said that

contents

Yelverton’s cancer in remission, he resigned from teaching. In August 2015, he decided to join his father’s consulting firm, Yelverton Consulting.

The two-man consulting firm provides services to transportation, county and municipal government, tax collectors and assessors for the state of Mississippi, businesses and more, Yelverton says.

“I get to be an advocate,” Yelverton says. The firm worked on passing the oral parity legislation, which helped classify chemotherapy pills the same as intravenous chemotherapy to lower the cost tremendously for cancer patients.

Although his job keeps him busy, Yelverton says he still makes time to serve with His Heart ministries. He attended the graduation of two Jim Hill High School seniors who are a part of His Heart.

Yelverton says his support system is his family, which includes his wife of five years, Carly, their dog, Walter. “My family and church are most important to me.

My heart has always had a place in Jackson, Clinton and generally Mississippi,” Yelverton says. “I don’t think I’ll ever move. Once you start investing in students and kids in this area, it’s hard to leave them.”

Yelverton says people find their passion to invest in, and his is Jackson.

—Cam Bonelli

cover photo of Sean Michael Cornwell

by Imani Khayyam

6 ............................ Talks 12 ................... editorial 13 ...................... opinion 14 ............ Cover Story 18 ........... food & Drink 20 ......................... 8 Days 21 ........................ Events 21 ....................... sports 22 .......................... music 22 ........ music listings 24 ...................... Puzzles 25 ......................... astro 25 ............... Classifieds

7 Wrapping Around Kids

The state’s most vulnerable children have access to wraparound services that empower families to decide what’s best for their kids—and be served in their homes.

18 A Local Father’s Day Feast

See what’s happening this Father’s Day in Jackson.

22 Sounds from the Empty House

“I think our writing styles are compatible with each other, in that (Judson Wright) writes more abstractly, kind of painting pictures, and I write more straightforward. But we just click. Whether that has something to do with us knowing each other for so long, I don’t know.”

—Nigel Cole, “Sounds from the Empty House”

June 14 - 20, 2017 • jfp.ms

4 ............ Editor’s Note

courtesy The Empty House; courtesy Nandy’s Candy; courtesy Shavonne Thigpen

June 14 - 20, 2017 | Vol. 15 No. 41

3

editor’s note

by Amber Helsel, Managing Editor

Local Adventurers Wanted

W

hen I was younger, I always told myself that when I got older, I’d travel. I’d live somewhere for two years, and then I’d move. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized the importance of home—and also how expensive it is to move and travel all the time. I haven’t fulfilled that dream, and to be honest, I don’t think I ever will. But I’ve found a good compromise: The Jackson metro area is still my home base, but over the last few months, I’ve become an adventurer.

While I’ve been trying to travel more since last year, it was my most recent trip to Memphis (my most nervewracking adventure to date) that really caused that spark to burn bright. I under-estimated the sheer size of the city, so I ended up with no clue what to do, how to use the transit system or where to stay because, on my first day there, I got nothing done.

It turned out OK in the end, but I’ve never felt more helpless than when I was exploring a bigger city all by my lonesome. Even though I was the happiest when I got home, and I wouldn’t necessarily repeat that particular trip again, that experience has been driving me to find ways to venture out further.

Had it not been for my time in Memphis, I probably wouldn’t have taken my recent road trip to Panama City Beach to visit family. I wouldn’t have wanted to because it’s a long drive and a lot of gas. But as a birthday present to myself, I did it. I drove six hours, crossing through Hattiesburg, over Mobile Bay in Alabama with Battlefield Park looming in the distance, and then more

than 100 miles into Florida and to Lynn Haven, which is outside Panama City and Panama City Beach.

While there, I visited Zoo World, where a parrot meowed at me (no joke); I took pictures of the outside of upsidedown WonderWorks, though I didn’t go inside; and my family and I went shopping at Pier Park and played on the beach. The water was so clear that you could see your hands.

After spending way more time

everything I am meant to do here.

I have to admit that it’s depressing to come back from the beach to a place like Jackson. I can’t smell ocean water anymore. I smell hot asphalt and rain.

Tall buildings, grass and pine trees have replaced the swaying palm trees, sand and ocean. Compared to the liveliness on Front Beach Road in Panama City Beach at nighttime, Jackson is almost a ghost town at night.

I’ve found that in all my travels,

Why not be a tourist for a day? than I meant to at Pier Park on Sunday (I blame shopping and food), I started the drive home. I got lost because that’s my thing, and then I finally figured out my way home. About three hours into the drive home, as I crossed the bridge over Mobile Bay, I thought about what it would be like to move to a different city like Mobile or Ocean Springs.

I love living near water, and by far, Ocean Springs is one of my favorite places to visit, so I know I’d love it. I’ve also lived in the Jackson metro area my entire life, so leaving one day, at least for a little while, has always been on my mind.

But I came to the same conclusions that I always do when I think of leaving: A) Even if the Jackson area isn’t perfect, I love it, and B) I don’t think I’ve done

it’s easy to compare Jackson to a certain place and say, “We’re not as cool because we don’t have this.” For example, we don’t have a fairly reliable public-transit system like Memphis. We don’t have a beach like Panama City. We don’t have a downtown with lots of activity like Mobile, and our midtown sure as hell isn’t like Memphis’ midtown.

Since I was away from the city in Florida, I found it easy to trash-talk Jackson (mentally, of course) and to feel depressed about everything we don’t have.

But at some point, I always reminded myself of what we do have. We’ve got a great food scene here. We’ve got so many museums to see, and we’ve got two more opening at the end of this year. We’ve got bars with great pub quizzes (my favor-

ite). We’ve got awesome places to shop. I mean, just look at this year’s Best of Jackson results, and you’ll see what I mean.

Do you know what my next adventure is? Jackson. I haven’t nailed down a date yet, but before I go anywhere else, I’ve decided to be a tourist in my own city. I want to experience the capital city and maybe even the whole metro area like a tourist would, so I’m making those plans.

Even if I do know the city well, it’ll be fun to pretend I don’t, to see some of those spots I’ve gone to for years with fresh eyes. I think that at least once in our lives, all of us should try that.

We should step away from our own perspectives and look at where we live through the lens of someone who isn’t so familiar with the area. We might see things we never noticed before.

For example, I wouldn’t have ever noticed the Windsor Ruins replica behind the Mississippi Museum of Art had it not been for a Pokecrawl I attended. I wouldn’t have noticed the piece of public art by the train tracks in downtown Jackson had it not been for running by the King Edward Hotel one day.

I hear so many people say that there’s nothing to do in Jackson or that they’ll never cross into its city limits because it’s crime-ridden. But you could say that about almost anywhere.

Instead of focusing on the bad stuff, why not focus on the great stuff? Why not be a tourist for a day?

Managing Editor Amber Helsel loves travelling, art, photography, music, anime, cats, snacks and more. She is in permanent chibi form. Email story ideas to amber@ jacksonfreepress.com.

June 14 - 20, 2017 • jfp.ms

contributors

4

Devna Bose

Cam Bonelli

Tyler Edwards

Imani Khayyam

Arielle Dreher

William H. Kelly III

Dustin Cardon

Kimberly Griffin

Editorial intern Devna Bose is a print journalism and pre-law student at the University of Mississippi. She loves spicy food, good music, and all things Mississippi. She wrote Men We Love blurbs.

Editorial intern Cam Bonelli is a photographer and movie buff who can usually be found wearing a Wavves hat. She wrote Men We Love blurbs.

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 wrote a Men We Love blurb.

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 many photos for the issue.

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 about mentalhealth care in Mississippi.

City Reporting Intern William H. Kelly III is a student at Jackson State University and is originally from Houston, Texas. Send him city news tips at william@jacksonfreepress. com. He wrote about the city’s water issues.

Web Editor Dustin Cardon is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi. He enjoys reading fantasy novels and wants to write them himself one day. He wrote the Father’s Day food round-up.

Advertising Director Kimberly Griffin is a fitness buff and foodie who loves chocolate and her mama. She’s also Michelle Obama’s super secret BFF, which explains the Secret Service detail.

OYSTERS

THURSDAY

6/15

ON THE HALF SHELL 5-9 P.M.

FRIDAY

6/16

FLOW TRIBE 10 P.M.

SATURDAY

6/17

ANDREW BRYANT BAND W/ SPECIAL GUEST

Patty Peck Used Car Super Center We strive to offer a large selection of quality used cars, SUV’s, Sedans, Coupes, Minivans and Trucks for our Jackson area shoppers. We work very hard to ensure our customer’s satisfaction, as well as making the car buying process as smooth and enjoyable as possible.

point inspection on all Premium t 146 & Premium CertifyPlus Used Cars

Warranty on every Premium Used car, t Lifetime Powertrain truck, SUV or minivan t Love it or Leave it Money Back Guarantee

10 P.M. MONDAY

6/19

OPEN MIC NIGHT $5 APPETIZERS (Dine in Only)

TUESDAY

6/20

SHRIMP BOIL

KARAOKE

2015 Toyota Corolla LE FWD Stock # P12620, Regular Unleaded I-4 1.8 L/110, Variable, 8920 mi., 29/38 MPG

Sale Price $15,764 Was $16,875

2017 Hydundai Sonata SE FWD

2013 Honda CR-V EX-L FWD

Stock# P12601, 6-Speed Automatic w/OD 19,309 Miles, 25/36 MPG

Stock # U218228A, 5-Speed Automatic 18,242 Miles, 23/31 City

Sale Price $16,361 Was $17,388

Market Price: $18,416

2017 Buick Regal Sport Touring FWD

2016 Buick Encore Convenience FWD

UPCOMING SHOWS

6/24 - The Quickening 7/1 - Wrangler Space (WSP Tribute) 7/14 - Mike Dillon Band 7/15 - Motel Radio 8/27 - Susto

2014 Honda Accord Sedan EX-L FWD

Stock # A031009A, Regular Unleaded V-6 3.5 L/212, Automatic, 67268 mi., 21/34 MPG

Sale Price $17,967 Was $18,866

Stock # P12610, Turbocharged 2.0L/122, Automatic, 27479 mi., 21/29 MPG

Sale Price $20,555 Was $21,479

Stock # P12619, Turbocharged I4 1.4/83, Automatic, 615 mi., 25/33 MPG

Sale Price $21,995 Was $23,777

Advertised price excludes tax, tag, registration, title, and $179.85 documentation fee.

The Patty Peck Promise Lifetime Powertrain Warranty Money Back Guarantee

Honda Certified Express Service Free Car Wash and Vacuum

8/28 - Big Freedia WWW.MARTINSLOUNGE.NET

214 S. STATE ST. DOWNTOWN JACKSON

601.354.9712

4VOOZCSPPL 3PBE 3JEHFMBOE .4 t t XXX QBUUZQFDLIPOEB DPN

June 14 - 20, 2017 • jfp.ms

6/23 - SILAS (The Wiz Tour) w/ Slimm Pusha, DevMaccc & And The Debut of Black Crown (Dolla Black & Savanta Hunter)

5

“We keep hearing from the citizens it’s not working.”

— Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes on the city’s contracts and how the water-metering system continues to glitch for residents

Wednesday, June 7

Hinds County Chancery Judge Dewayne Thomas rules that state banking regulators can revoke payday lender All American Check Cashing’s licenses and force the business to shut down.

Friday, June 9

Mayor-elect Chokwe Lumumba sends an official statement in response to his Republican opponent Jason Wells’ call for a recount, saying there is no reason to suspect any impropriety in the vote counts from Tuesday’s election.

Saturday, June 10

ACT for America, an organization that the Southern Poverty Law Center calls the largest American anti-Muslim group, stages anti-Sharia protests around the country that end up drawing even larger counter-protests by people saying claims of Sharia coming to the United States are unfounded.

June 14 - 20, 2017 • jfp.ms

Sunday, June 11

Fellow Republicans press Donald Trump to come clean about whether he has tapes of private conversations with former FBI Director James Comey and provide them to Congress if he does or possibly face a subpoena. … Puerto Rico’s governor vows to make the U.S. territory the 51st state after statehood wins in a non-binding referendum despite a boycott and low turnout that raises questions about the vote’s legitimacy.

6

Monday, June 12

Thousands of anti-government activists challenge President Vladimir Putin’s rule protest across Russia; police arrest main opposition leader Alexei Navalny outside his Moscow home.

Tuesday, June 13

The Community College Board announces that tuition and fees at Mississippi’s 15 community and junior colleges will rise 13 percent this fall.

Get breaking news at jfpdaily.com.

Public Works Pushes Back on Subcontractor

by William H. Kelly III

T

he City’s Public Works Department is seeking to pay outside companies for assistance due to its lack of a qualified staff and potential damages to antennae’s and water towers.

Wanda Knotts, deputy director of solid waste and water/wastewater utility, spoke on at the May 30 council meeting ,requesting more than $200,000 to pay Mueller Systems and AquaLaw. Mueller Systems, based in North Carolina, is a subcontractor of Siemens Industry Inc., which is under fire locally for alleged violations of its $91-million performance contract agreement. Mueller would be operating under a maintenance contract and responsible for managing automatic water metering infrastructure technology in Jackson.

No Baths for Citizens?

Knotts said her department moved money from a business office and the O.B. Curtis Water Treatment Plant in order to support two professional contracts that the city needs to maintain this fiscal year.

“[O]ne (contract) is for our automatic metering infrastructure, and the other one is AquaLaw, and it’s a total of $265,000,” she told the city council.

Knotts said Mueller grants 98.5-percent system reliability, which reduces the number of estimates distributed to residents from the automatic meter readings.

AquaLaw is a Virginia law firm that

Dad

Joke City

by Micah Smith

W

e all have a bit of inner dad. At least once in your life, when someone has said, “I’m tired,” you’ve probably replied, “Hi, Tired. I’m …” For this year’s Men We Love issue, we decided to channel that unadulterated dad-ness into some Jackson-specific jokes. Yes, they’re cringe-worthy, and that’s exactly why we love them.

Imani Khayyam

Thursday, June 8

Special Judge Larry Roberts reschedules Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith’s retrial for state charges of hindering a prosecution to July 31.

What you missed in the June special session p8

The Mueller Systems contract would be approximately $265,000 for water metering maintenance fees. The Siemens contract cost the City about $91 million for services.

specializes in environmental law and is representing the City of Jackson with its proceedings regarding the wastewatertreatment facility battle between Hinds and Rankin counties.

Ward 4 Councilman De’Keither Stamps believes the council should consider the city attorney as an alternative to Aqualaw. “We need to discuss with our legal department (if) we want to go forward with this lawsuit, looking at the current situation …,” Stamps said. “Because we spend a lot of money on lawsuits, and re-

cent developments and changes may affect our decision going forward.”

Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes followed. “We keep hearing from the citizens it’s not working,” Stokes said. “I thought we had everything where we were in house now. We’re not dealing with other cities out of the city limits of Jackson in terms of billing and collection.”

Stokes added that some citizens are not taking baths or flushing bathroom toilets to keep water bills low in their homes.

• Did you know the state capital is related to “Pirates of the Caribbean”? Yeah, it’s Jack’s son.

• Which JFP issue is the handiest? “Men We Glove.”

• Which local restaurant is a contradiction?

Walker’s Drivin’.

• What’s a nuisance on the road and a help in the kitchen? A pothole-der.

• What do you call it when Mayor Yarber doesn’t win or lose? A bow tie.

• What’s the safest neighborhood for chimes? Bell-haven.

“[T]he only cash cow that I see in the next two years to save the state of Mississippi is the BP money.”

“We have expressed concerns about the tax cuts and what it will do to the ratings.”

— Rep. Steve Holland, D-Plantersville, during the special session last week, referring to the BP lawsuit settlement funds

— State Fiscal Officer Laura Jackson told a committee during the special session about credit rating agencies’ reservations about Mississippi’s recent tax cuts

Wrapping Around the Most Vulnerable

by Arielle Dreher

Along with her husband and daughters, Shavonne Thigpen (left) experienced wraparound services for almost a year to help the family support one another and her son, Terry (right), who suffers from autism and sensory and mental-health disorders.

Families at the Table

The School of Social Work at the University of Southern Mississippi runs what is now called the Wraparound Institute in coordination with the Department of Mental Health and Medicaid, which provide funds to offer the services to the state’s most vulnerable young people.

Minors who are Medicaid-eligible and involved in

renewed in further years due to unqualified applicants and applicants who are unavailable at the requested response times.

“Based on the talents that I’m getting now based on applicants. No,” Knotts said.

“My estimation, it takes at least 20 people to maintain this infrastructure with the meter issues that we have also.”

The Council’s Solution

The Siemens contract has not expired, which brings the question many on council is asking: “Why are we paying Mueller?”

“I don’t think the concern is with Mueller. … It is the position at which the City of Jackson has been placed due to the wording—stop me if I say anything wrong, city attorney—or lack of milestones that have been placed in the contract for the wa-

other systems like the juvenile-justice system, Child Protection Services or about to be sent away for in-patient psychiatric care are eligible to participate in the Wraparound program, Tamara Hurst, an assistant professor at the School of Social Work, said. The program is unique because it gives the families a voice and a choice about what they want to do for their child’s health and care.

“If the family is not engaged in the process, they are much less likely to follow through,” Hurst said. “They are at the table; any decisions that are made, they are making those decisions.”

Wraparound facilitators and therapists walk families through what their options are to get their child support—a different approach than a doctor telling the families what to do for their children. Canopy Children’s Solutions, Youth Villages, Pine Belt Mental Healthcare Resources and other community mental health centers around the state are serving families around the state with the program. USM’s role is mainly training facilitators in how to negotiate and facilitate family discussions and meetings.

The Wraparound program is also critical for moving the state away from institutional care for kids, focusing on kids receiving services that are community-based.

“For a long time, the go-to method or treatment was just put them in a hospital, let’s put them in a hospital to stabilize them,” Hurst said.

That’s not the case anymore. Wraparound teams are available from the state’s many mental-health providers, and the program is growing.

ter metering replacements,” Hendrix said.

“This is ridiculous.”

“Stop paying them,” Stamps echoed.

Stokes and Stamps have tried to sue Siemens in the past, but the council voted it down each attempt.

The Siemens contract required the company to install water meters around the city to save the City money. Incoming Mayor Chokwe Lumumba has said he will consider suing Siemens.

Director of Public Works Jerriot Smash and Knotts explained that the Siemens contract entails software upgrades and battery warranties but does not include water-meter infrastructure maintenance because it is a performance contract, not maintenance. He added that services from Mueller are needed in the case that there

more WRAPAROUND, see page 8

are issues with towers and metering technology. The city council suggested that the public works department consider funds for in-house training instead.

“In order for me to support something like this, I would need to see a budget revision that not just includes the contractual agreement for the private company but more money for training,” Stamps said.

He added that he would rather support something of higher monetary value that includes training for students to be properly equipped.

Mueller Systems could not be reached as of press time. A response from Mueller will be added online when reached..

Email city reporting intern William Kelly at william@jacksonfreepress.com and follow him on Twitter at @William_Reports.

June 14 - 20, 2017 • jfp.ms

Application Denied

Knotts says the department needs the extra assistance from Mueller due to the “lack of staff to support infrastructure.”

“First of all, we went out, and we published an RFP, a request for proposal, to maintain this infrastructure. And this infrastructure has a whole lot more to do than a meter,” Knotts said. “We need the assistance. We published an RFP twice. We did not get anyone who responded so we reached out to Mueller, the manufacturer of the system, and they provided us with a proposal.”

She stressed that the technology associated with the towers around the city requires internal support, such as staff and equipment, to be properly maintained. The contract with Mueller Systems is likely to be

Courtesy Shavonne Thigpen

T

erry Thigpen had been to four residential acutetreatment facilities before he was 10 years old, until his mother, Shavonne, discovered the Wraparound Initiative. It was an alternative to sending Terry away for treatment for his autism as well as sensory motor and mental-health disorders.

Instead, a team of facilitators could come to the Thigpen home and establish boundaries, help work on tensions and work to get Terry the community-based support he needs. Shavonne said the Wraparound program did not feel right at first, with lots of paperwork and professionals, from mental health-care practitioners to facilitators in the home.

But it paid off after a few months, she said.

“(Once) everybody in the support system was following the objectives—because everyone was on the same page, we saw progress,” Shavonne told the Jackson Free Press.

Shavonne and her husband have two daughters, both older than Terry, with one still living at home. She said the Wraparound facilitators helped her realize that her daughter felt forced to take on parenting roles when helping around the house with Terry.

“We didn’t know she felt that way,” Shavonne said.

The Thigpens live in Batesville, Miss., but to access additional services such as therapy for Terry, Shavonne drove him the 45 minutes north to Southaven every week.

With the support at home and the encouragement to stay involved in the community, especially with other activities like sports teams for Terry, things at home got better.

Shavonne said the family used wraparound services for almost 11 months, and the family had no critical events with Terry over the following year.

7

TALK | state

Special Session: Too Little, Too Late?

by Arielle Dreher

G

tions in an attempt to fix the state’s lagging revenues. Senators did not vote on the amendment after Sen. Chris McDaniel, REllisville, raised a point of order.

Rep. John Read, R-Gautier, the House Appropriations Committee chairman, told the House that he believes the state’s economy will take a positive turn, and deep tax cuts and breaks will pay off in a few years.

Reeves ruled the amendment “not germane” to the legislation because it dealt with a different part of state law.

Sen. David Blount read from one of the credit-rating reports to make his point that revenue matters. “‘(It is) our expecta-

June 14 - 20, 2017 • jfp.ms

WRAPAROUND from page 7

8

tion that Mississippi could continue to experience budget pressures as it manages through budget reductions and incremental revenue loss from the scheduled impleImani Khayyam

ov. Phil Bryant tried to smooth out the state’s economic appearance and patch up additional budget holes in the June 5 special session, but Democrats were not too pleased with the way he went about it. Still, at least all state agencies now have a budget for the new fiscal year, which starts in July.

In the one-day session, Bryant sought to improve the State’s status in credit rating agencies’ eyes by increasing its rainy-day fund cap to 10 percent instead of 7.5 percent, among other small changes, included in his Financial and Operations Responses That Invigorate Future Years Act, called the FORTIFY Act for short.

Most Democrats cried foul at the measure, saying if Republicans really wanted to address the state’s shaky credit ratings, they should reconsider or repeal the massive tax cuts of the past six years under Republican control of the Legislature.

In 2016, the Republican supermajority led the Legislature in passing the Taxpayer Pay Raise Act, which Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves praised as the largest tax cut in Mississippi history. The tax cut will divert $415 million from the State of Mississippi’s general fund over the course of several years, and it goes into effect July 1.

Senate Democrats offered an amendment that brought forward tax-code sec-

“We’re hoping that families realize that this is available for them,” Elizabeth McDowell, a coordinator at the Wraparound Institute, said. “Families don’t know where to turn. … [T]here shouldn’t be anywhere in the state where they can’t access wraparound, so we go everywhere in the state.”

Still Struggling for Access

Wraparound services worked so well for Shavonne that she left her higher-paying job to work with other families. She is now a family -support specialist for Youth Villages in Hernando. She works with parents who opt-in to wraparound services. As a mother who has gone through the process, she can help other parents work through the sometimes-difficult process.

One family Shavonne helped has transitioned so well that the son went from stealing cars and using alcohol to graduating with his GED and working a part-time job, she said. Shavonne said her experience made her re-evaluate how she looked at her role as a parent, and she realized that she had to think about her son’s future.

mentation of recent tax changes,’” Blount told the Senate. “That’s why a number of us stood and offered the amendment we did; if you’re concerned about the long-term budget situation as a state, you’ve got to look at the revenue side.”

“I had to say it’s not about me—I wanted it to be about me or my other kid, but it wasn’t about me, it was about him and whatever it took for him,” she said. “If I could say one thing (to other families), I would say, your reality is not going to change by ignoring the obvious. Seek the resources to help that child.”

Wraparound is not a one-time fix, and mental-health and behavioral disorders do not go away overnight. Terry had to return to acute care when he entered his turbulent teenage years. Shavonne says she regretted not having a therapist in place for him at that time so he would have stable supports despite the changes he was going through physically and emotionally.

The Wraparound Initiative started even before advocacy organizations filed a 2010 lawsuit against the State of Mississippi for its over-reliance on institutionalization for its system of mental-health care for children. Mississippi received federal grant dollars to start the program, called MYPAC (short for Mississippi Youth Programs Around the Clock), and by 2011, Wraparound trainers from the University of Maryland came down to work with Mississippians at USM.

To date, the Wraparound program has helped thousands of vulnerable kids in the state. Data from the USM

The Senate voted to pass the FORTIFY Act, and initially, Sen. Hob Bryan, DAmory, held the bill on a motion to reconsider potentially bringing lawmakers back for a second day of special session. Gov. Bryant tweeted out his disapproval, blaming Senate Democrats for costing taxpayers another $70,000. Sen. Bryan retracted his motions, however, and the House took up the bill around 7 p.m. Monday night.

State Fiscal Officer Laura Jackson was in the House Appropriations Committee when representatives debated the bill. She said the Department of Finance and Administration knew about the impact of tax cuts on the state’s ratings for a while.

“They do mention in the ratings reports the uncertainty of the tax cuts,” Jackson told the committee. “We have expressed concerns about the tax cuts and what it will do to the ratings.”

The FORTIFY Act got out of the House Appropriations Committee by a vote of 11-7. Democrats lambasted the bill on the floor, pointing to budget cuts that have led to people kicked out of programs funded through Medicaid and the Department of Mental Health.

“I’m not against fortifying, but I am against all of the charades that we’re using now to deceive our people that good things aren’t going to happen. … [T]he

School of Social Work shows that almost 3,000 kids received Wraparound services in fiscal-year 2016, with 2,335 of those children diverted from out-of-home placements in institutions.

Funding for the Wraparound Institute does not appear to be a part of the large budget cut the Department of Mental Health will face starting this July.

The Legislature directed DMH to prioritize funding for community-based services, after the federal government sued the department for its adult system of mental-health care, in the appropriation bill for the agency.

The 2010 lawsuit filed initially to support more community-based services for kids in the state, like Terry, is now a lawsuit on behalf of one Mississippi child.

Now Terry is 14 and about to enter high school. Currently, Shavonne still drives him the 45 minutes to Southaven for therapy once a week and group therapy twice a month. She said Wraparound services made both Terry and her as his mother accept him for who he is.

“He is going to be who he is going to be, often times … (and) the services offered through Wrap(around) help him to accept him better for who he is and allowed me to get services he needs,” Thigpen said.

Comment at jfp.ms.

TALK | state only cash cow that I see in the next two years to save the state of Mississippi is the BP money,” Rep. Steve Holland, D-Plantersville, said, referring to the BP lawsuit settlement funds the Legislature will have to appropriate.

Fixing the Sweeps At the special session, lawmakers continued their mop-up of legislation from 2016 that swept several special funds back into the state’s general fund. The 88-page Senate Bill 2001 passed with some resistance from Democratic lawmakers.

Several state agencies use special funds as pass-through dollars to fund external programs, from children’s advocacy centers to law enforcement disability payments.

Most viral stories at jfp.ms:

1. “Lumumba Wins Mayor’s Race, Republican Candidate Wells Wants Recount” by Donna Ladd and William Kelly III 2. “Lumumba Responds to Republican Opponent’s Call for Recount” by William Kelly III 3. “JSU Reels After President Search Budget Cuts”

by Arielle Dreher 4. “Tommy Kirkpatrick” by Jack Hammett 5. “A Pre-Huey Long Mississippi” by Joe Atkins

State agencies will now have to request funding for those programs directly from the Legislature, after lawmakers voted to sweep $9.7 million back into the general fund on Monday.

Senate Appropriations Chairman Sen. Buck Clarke, R-Hollandale, told the Senate the bill has no effect on the fiscal-year 2018 budget that will begin July 1 and that it frees up some of the “trapped” funds, after the Legislature passed Senate Bill 2362 back in 2016.

Democrats pointed out that agencies that previously relied on these funds might get hit even harder as budget cuts begin in the new fiscal year.

“It appears to me that agencies that are most impacted by this bill, specifically

Most viral events at jfpevents.com:

1. Museum After Hours-Man and Machine, June 15 2. Juneteenth Heritage Festival, June 17 3. Thacker Mountain Radio Hour, June 17 4. Make ‘Em Laugh to This: A Comedy Show, June 17 5. Farm to Ferment Series: Part 1, June 21 Find more events at jfpevents.com.

the attorney general’s office, should receive a smaller cut in the general-fund appropriation than other agencies because they’re now having to assume additional responsibilities,” Blount said on the Senate floor.

Agencies will still be responsible for administering the special-fund programs, Clarke said, but instead of appropriating the special funds themselves, they will have to ask the Legislature for money.

Clarke pointed out that several agencies took budget cuts.

“All agencies have had to take cuts... and if you’re going to plus up someone else’s budget, where’s it going to come from?”

Clarke said.

When Rep. Read presented Senate Bill 2001 on the floor, House Democrats brought up budget cuts, then tax cuts.

“What have we benefited from giving (away) all of these tax cuts?” Rep. Adrienne Wooten, D-Jackson, asked Read.

“There are some movements of companies coming down (from Tennessee),” Read said. “I think the economy is going to take a turn, and I think, give us a couple years and see what happens, we might surprise you on that.”

Funding AG, Transportation Lawmakers had little to say about the three budget bills they failed to pass during the regular session, causing the governor to call the June special session in the first place.

The Mississippi Department of Transportation, the attorney general’s office and State-Aid Road Construction now all have budgets for the new fiscal-year.

The attorney general’s office is still looking at a 14-percent budget cut. The Department of Transportation budget bill did not include a list of what House Transportation Committee Chairman Rep. Charles Busby, R-Pascagoula, called “pet projects” but otherwise looked the same as before the House attempted to add funding mechanisms for road repair in the regular session.

Busby told the House Appropriations Committee that he would continue to work to get support for funding the state’s roads and bridges through a maintenance program.

Lawmakers also passed two cleanup bills for the secretary of state’s office that clarify certain settlements his office is required to pay.

Email state reporter Arielle Dreher at arielle@jacksonfreepress.com.

MILLSAPS EXECUTIVE MBA

A GREAT INVESTMENT

100% ROI • 45% INCREASE IN SALARY Enroll today. Classes start January 2018.

millsaps.edu/roi Delicious

Flickr

Delicious

Flickr DeliciousFacebook Twitter Flickr

Facebook

Mixx MySpace StumbleUpon FacebookSlash Dot MySpace

Slash Dot

Mixx

Reddit Skype Slash Dot

Mixx

Twitter

MySpace Retweet Twitter StumbleUpon

Digg

Skype StumbleUpon

FriendFeed YouTube Technorati Skype

Retweet

Digg Retweet

Digg Technorati

LinkedIn Technorati

June 14 - 20, 2017 • jfp.ms

Millsaps College’s Executive MBA is a Globally Top Ranked Program.

9

HOME IMPROVEMENT AND HOME MAINTENANCE

6/14/17 6/25/17

LOT L A B S N IO T A IN M O POP-UP N

RULES: 0OF WPUF QFS QFSTPO 1MFBTF WPUF POMZ JO DBUFHPSJFT XIFSF ZPV IBWF QFSTPOBM LOPXMFEHF t 1MFBTF DIFDL ZPVS TQFMMJOH Best Plumber/Plumbing Service

Best Roofers / Roofi ng Company

Best Heating & AC Service

Best Lawn Care

Best Tree Service

Best Gardening Center

Best Contractor Best Local House Cleaner/Service

Best Interior Design

Best Painter/Painting Service

Best Local Pest Control

Mailed ballots must arrive by 6/23/17

Vote online until 6/25/17

Top nominees move on to Finalist Ballot on July 5th!

BESTOFJACKSON.COM

1DPH 3KRQH ( 0DLO <RX PXVW LQFOXGH \RXU QDPH DQG D YDOLG SKRQH QXPEHU RU H PDLO DGGUHVV IRU \RXU EDOORW WR EH FRXQWHG &DXWLRQ :H FDOO PDQ\ YRWHUV WR FKHFN IRU YRWHU IUDXG 'RQ·W IDNH SKRQH QXPEHUV

5HWXUQ WR WKH DGGUHVV EHORZ E\ -XQH -DFNVRQ )UHH 3UHVV 6 &RQJUHVV 6WUHHW 6XLWH -DFNVRQ 06

´%HVW RI -DFNVRQµ LV D UHJLVWHUHG VHUYLFH PDUN LQ WKH VWDWH RI 0LVVLVVLSSL

&2%% ).30%#4)/.3 2E 2OOFING s 2EPAIRS )NSURANCE #LAIMS 7ELCOME

Ask about our 50-YEAR Labor Warranty!

Now offering the SYSTEM ADVANTAGE PLATINUM ROOFINGâ&#x201E;¢ LIMITED WARRANTY

Owner, Michael Dier and his family

June 14 - 20, 2017 â&#x20AC;¢ jfp.ms

For as long as you own your home â&#x20AC;&#x201C; backed by Owens Corning.

10

Trusted Contractors. Proven Products. â&#x201E;¢

RESIDENTIAL ROOFING SPECIALIST

Vote Best Roofers / Roofing Company!

601 . 9 66 . 8233 Locally Owned & Operated

Vote Us â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Best Roofersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in Best of Jackson 2017! www.bestofjackson.com

Lower the Heat and Your Electric Bill!

Reduce the Heat In Your Living Room, Sunroom or Bedroom

.BJO 4USFFU 4UF .BEJTPO t .4 #SBOEPO XXX SFBEZ SPPG DPN t

Authorized Window Film Dealer Prestige Dealer Network www.solarcontroljackson.com â&#x20AC;¢ 601.707.5596 â&#x20AC;¢ 291 US-51 E4, Ridgeland, MS

Vote Us Best Painting Services 2017!

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d Appreciate Your Vote!

Best Tree Service www.bestofjackson.com

Residential and Commercial Painting Services Servicing Central MS Get A Free Estimate EZ Pay - Paint Now, Pay Later 640 Lakeland East Dr., Ste. A | 601-955-1151 | cjoy@certapro.com | jackson.certapro.com

Vote Best HVAC! Vote Best Plumbers!

Repair Services and Installation s Residential and Commercial (OUR 3ERVICE !VAILABLE s ,OCALLY /WNED AND /PERATED )N "USINESS /VER YEARS

For Advertising Call 601.361.6121 Ext. 11

BESTOFJACKSON.COM

20 plus Years of Experience 5625 Hwy 18 Jackson, MS 39209

601.372.7676

June 14 - 20, 2017 â&#x20AC;¢ jfp.ms

Read About Finalists And Winners Vote Now for 2017â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Best of Jackson

CertaPro Painters® of Jackson, MS

11

Broadening Experiences

O

n a cold morning in February, I drove away from my house in Montana and began a road trip, traversing the middle of the country until I arrived in Jackson, Miss. I was coming here for a service project through the AmeriCorps organization, in which I would be working with students of various ages at Genesis and Light Center.

Along the way, I stopped at a required training in Denver and networked with people across the region who were also working with AmeriCorps. We shared ideas and promised to keep in touch during our months or years of service.

My service with this organization allowed me the opportunity to meet and interact with students who were quite different from any I had taught and mentored in the past. In aspects such as geography, personal experiences, race, religion and social interactions, the students were all new to me, yet I was able to relate my own experiences and perspectives to them, which became shared experiences. I met people at local colleges, attempting to recruit volunteers. I even appeared on TV a couple times, advertising our efforts at Genesis and Light. My time there improved my teaching and job skills, and my understanding of the community and my place within it.

My next project was at another nonprofit organization called SR1 (Scientific Research). While there, I worked with public-school students who needed help in a variety of subject areas. Tutoring and mentoring them after school, along with extracurricular activities such as shark tagging on the Gulf Coast and pregnancy-prevention courses, exposed me to the wide range of opportunities an afterschool program can provide given adequate resources and parental support. The underlying factor behind my life-altering experiences the last four years after moving to Mississippi is the existence of the AmeriCorps program and its reach into the state.

But under the White House’s current budget proposal, the AmeriCorps program would cease to exist. The organization operates under the auspices of the Corporation for National and Community Service, and the proposed budget cuts CNCS funding. Data from Volunteer Mississippi, which works in conjunction with local AmeriCorps chapters, show 546 members in 11 programs throughout the state in the 2016-2017 program year. Members served in missions ranging from nutrition education to childhood literacy to financial literacy to veteran assistantships to food distribution to community-garden maintenance. The CNCS designated $20.1 million to support Mississippi communties through national services and social-innovation initiatives. Through a public-private partnership, an additional $4.6 million went toward communal improvement and engagement. Dating back to 1994, 15,000 AmeriCorps members from Mississippi served more than 31 million hours and accumulated $58.3 million to help with studentloan repayment and graduate-school investment. Project locations span from Delta State University to the Gulf Coast.

At a time in our nation’s history when we desperately need community involvement and a sense of local and national purpose, AmeriCorps is one of the organizations that can provide it. Without this program, students would not have money to repay loans or help with further schooling, while seniors would not develop a renewed belief in their ability to change lives. Without the program, I would not have moved to Mississippi, and therefore, would not have experienced things and met people here and in the region who have changed my perspectives in numerous ways.

Mike McDonald attended the University of Montana. He enjoys listening to rap music, writing short stories and reading books about American history.

12 June 14 - 20, 2017 • jfp.ms

The students were all new to me

Long-game Economics Requires Investing in Kids

T

he typical economic-development strategy for Mississippi Republicans in recent years has been a game of tax cuts, supposedly so that corporations and companies will relocate and set up shop here in the state. The theory is to make the state as “business friendly” as possible to create jobs for Mississippians.

New and more jobs are important, but the long-game economic plan of the state should focus on its future: our children. The Annie E. Casey Foundation released its annual Kids Count report this week, and Mississippi ranked 50th (again) in a report that focuses on child economic and family well-being, education and health.

Researchers agree that poverty is a primary reason for the state’s last-place finish. While the percentage of children living in poverty in Mississippi has declined by a few percentage points, one in three kids in the state are still in poverty. Fixing that statistic is not simple, but it is economic.

In 2016, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves jammed his Taxpayer Pay Raise Act through the Legislature despite outcry from House and Senate Democrats. What’s more is that the plan focused on eliminating the franchise tax, which corporations and businesses pay, as well as small business and self-employment taxes. It also phases out the 3-percent income tax.

On the whole, the tax cut benefits businesses and corporations more than individuals. A Mississippian would only save up to $150 annually with the tax break, while the state coffers will lose $415

million over the next decade.

The Mississippi Kids Count Report, released earlier this year, says the Legislature should consider an earned income-tax credit for low-income families to help children get out of poverty and move the state off the bottom of the national rankings.

But tax policy to benefit the state’s poorest and most vulnerable children is not something you hear about much these days from the Capitol.

But we should. Long-game economic policy needs to be focused on future Mississippians, not the short-term wealth or campaign donations that corporate tax cuts help to realize.

Children of color are at a greater disadvantage here, research from Mississippi State University shows. In this state, 19 percent of white children ages 5 and under are growing up in poverty, compared to 36 percent of Hispanic children and 54 percent of African American children.

Lawmakers need to make policy, specifically tax policy, with this in mind. The data are there, and research shows that investing in children early in life leads to better outcomes later—and develops a stronger work force. Passing policies to support the state’s poor children should be a priority for all lawmakers. There are plenty of advocates for infrastructure funding, another long-game strategy, but one rarely hears about smart policies for kids.

We must start discussing and making policy for new generations of Mississippians—before it’s too late to break the cycle of entrenched poverty.

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.

Amber Taylor

EDITORIAL Managing Editor Amber Helsel State Reporter Arielle Dreher JFP Daily Editor Dustin Cardon Music Editor Micah Smith Events Listings Editor Tyler Edwards City Reporting Intern William Kelly III Writers Richard Coupe, Bryan Flynn, Shelby Scott Harris, Mike McDonald, Greg Pigott, Julie Skipper Interns Khadijah Brandi Belton, Cam Bonelli, Rachel Fradette, Jack Hammett, Kristina Norman 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 Consultant Myron Cathey 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 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

The Jackson Free Press is the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s awardwinning, locally owned newsweekly, reaching over 35,000 readers per week via more than 600 distribution locations in the Jackson metro areaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and an average of over 35,000 visitors per week at www.jacksonfreepress.com. The Jackson Free Press is free for pick-up by readers; one copy per person, please. First-class subscriptions are available for $100 per year for postage and handling.

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. Š Copyright 2017 Jackson Free Press Inc. All Rights Reserved

The Curious Case of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Those Mothersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

â&#x20AC;&#x153;D

id yâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;all hear about the 6-year-old boy who got kidnapped from Kroger this morning?â&#x20AC;?

It was the first thing I heard from my mother when I stumbled into the kitchen in a grump for my orange juice after I took my sister to school on that tragic day. That stopped me right there.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;What?â&#x20AC;? I asked.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mmm-hmm, his mama went into Kroger and left him in the car,â&#x20AC;? my mother replied as she began breakfast. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When she came back out, they took off with the little boy. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a damned shame. They couldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve stolen the car and took the little boy out.

Now, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s missing. I just pray they find him.â&#x20AC;?

I shook my head.

The optimist in me was sure he would be found.

Almost as a reflex, I took out my phone to check Facebook.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Please find my nephewâ&#x20AC;? was one of the first posts I see on my news feed. My eyes were glued to an adorable little boy in his cap and gown with another picture of him smiling in an orange shirt. My stomach was in knots.

I continued scrolling to see that his name was Kingston, and he was indeed 6.

Even worse, this was the day of his promotion ceremony, I came to learn from posts that his family members shared.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oh my God,â&#x20AC;? I said aloud, then thought to myself, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oh, please find this little baby so he can go to his promotion ceremony with his friends. It wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be fair at all if he couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t.â&#x20AC;?

That really hit home because my younger sister would be promoted from elementary to middle school soon, and I would be absolutely sick if anything happened to her on that day.Â

The worst was yet to come. Even though I knew better, I checked the story on WLBTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Facebook page for updates, and I dared to check the comments and got exactly what I expected, mostly about Kingstonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mother.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;OK, but this never would have happened if she took him in the store.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Is she stupid?â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why was a child out at this time of night? Ridiculous!â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Maybe she set this up? This seems really suspicious.â&#x20AC;?

And the list went on.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oh sure, blame the damn mother,â&#x20AC;? I said and sighed. It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a sigh of disbelief or disappointment. Needless to say, when I had found out this childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s picture and saw that he was African American, I knew that some people would blame the mother.

No, this was a sigh of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t they ever get tired of doing this?â&#x20AC;? When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a minority, you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make a mistake that white parents easily could have made.

My mind traveled back to last summer to a story about a mother who forgot to take her child to daycare and left her in the car while she worked for eight hours. I expected a few raised eyebrows and judgments cast as I read the comments, but there wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t much. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Poor woman. This must be so tragic for her.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Any mother could make that mistake.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;She already lost her child. Why be so rough on her?â&#x20AC;?

Someone much bolder than I commented under the story, pointing out that it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t contain the name of the mother, the child or her picture.

She must be white, the commenter said.

That comment received a lot of backlash, but it did spark something in my mind. Usually, there are mugshots, childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pictures and the names of the parents, but it was strangely absent from that article, even though others identified her as Amy Bryant of Brandon. There was even another article on EveryMom.com called â&#x20AC;&#x153;This Mom Forgot to Drop Her 2-YearOld at Daycare and the Child Died. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Why I Wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Judge Her.â&#x20AC;?

Of course, there are negligent white parents who also receive judgment, but there is bias in how it is framed. Consider the article titles, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mother Forgot Her Childâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mother Left Her Child.â&#x20AC;? The first sounds like an honest mistake, and the other sounds like an irreversible, unforgivable action that deserves no sympathy.

Our community needs to examine the implicit bias against black mothers that immediately draws condemnation and conspiracy theories, but sympathy for white parents who make similar mistakes.

If one deserves sympathy and the benefit of the doubt, so does the other.

Amber Taylor is a 19-year-old accounting major with a minor in theater arts at Dillard University in New Orleans. The Jackson native and alum of the Youth Media Project.

When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a minority, you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make a mistake that white parents could make.

Listings Thur.4/13 6/22 Listingsfor forFri. Fri. 6/16 4/7 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Thur.

Cars 3 The LostG Smurfs: Village PG All Eyez On Me R Going in Style R Rough Night PG13 47 Meters Down The Case for PG13 Christ PG The Book of Henry PG13 The Zookeeperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s The WifeMummy (2017) PG13 PG13 Ghost in the Shell 3-D The Mummy PG13 (2017) PG13 The Boss Baby It Comes at Night PGR Power Leavey Rangers Megan PG13 (2017) PG13 My Cousin Rachel PG13

Wonder Woman Beauty and the Beast (2017) PG13 PG Captain Kong: Skull Island Underpants: The First Epic Movie PG PG13 Logan Pirates of the R Caribbean: Dead The MenShack Tell NoPG13 Tales PG13 Get Out R Baywatch R

Everything, Life R Everything PG13 (Sun â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Thur only) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 The Belko PG13 Experiment R OPENS WED.6/21 (Sun â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Thur only) Transformers: The Last Knight PG13

T k WO i t cSISTERS h e n

Best Fried Chicken, Best of Jackson 2003-17 707 N Congress St., Jackson | 601-353-1180 Mon thru Fri: 11am-2pm â&#x20AC;˘ Sun: 11am - 3pm

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

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

June 14 - 20, 2017 â&#x20AC;˘ jfp.ms

Editor-in-Chief and CEO Donna Ladd Publisher Todd Stauffer Associate Publisher Kimberly Griffin

13

David Lewis

O Devna Bose

ne of the first projects Greater Jackson Arts Council Project Specialist David Lewis coordinated for the organization are some of the recently painted traffic boxes in downtown Jackson.

Lewis graduated from Mississippi State University in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in architecture and is currently working on his master’s degree in urban development at Jackson State University.

Jermaine Sims

J

June 14 - 20, 2017 • jfp.ms

ermaine Sims, 33, has many titles, including award-winning massage therapist and deejay, but the one he holds closest to his heart is his position as the offensive coordinator for the Wingfield High School football team.

The Jackson native is the oldest of four, and he held football in high regard while in school, he says. “Growing up here, of course, every Jackson kid will have the 14 same story,” Sims says. “It’s hard times.

There’s a lot of single-parent homes, including mine.”

Sims says that older boys he looked up to in his neighborhood played sports, and once he got to high school, he was determined to do the same. He played everything from wide receiver to quarterback on the gridiron and continued playing at Coahoma Community College and Jackson State University. After graduating from JSU in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education with a concentration in recreation administration, he knew he wanted to give back to Wingfield.

“Remembering how I was shown the way by those guys, it made me want to come back and give back,” he says. “I always wanted to be a coach. It was almost like a dream-come-true to be offered a coach position at my alma mater.”

Sims says he couldn’t imagine his life without football. “Football changed my life,” he says. “I definitely wouldn’t be in this position had it not been for those football players who showed me the way, so I just want to give back.” —Devna Bose

Devna Bose

“My design background really influenced the reason why I stayed in Jackson,” Lewis says. “As I was going and travelling a lot—with architecture school you get to go on a trip every year—that allowed me to see a bunch of different cities.

When I went into college, I thought, ‘I’m just going to go out and do architecture somewhere.’ But the more that I saw other cities and saw other places, I just want to see that happen in Jackson.”

In 2015, former Team JXN Chairman Ben Allen invited Lewis to join the organization, which is dedicated to entrepreneurial and community growth in Jackson. Nine months later, Lewis took an internship opportunity at the Arts Council in summer 2016, and the internship developed into a job. As the project specialist, Lewis handles the social-media accounts for the Arts Council, runs Food Truck Fridays, orchestrates mural and public-art projects and looks for new public-art projects to bring to Jackson. —Cam Bonelli

Shon Harris

J

ackson native Shon Harris, 38, has been bartending since 1999.

His favorite part of the job is that it allows him to meet people from all backgrounds.

“That’s probably the most rewarding part,” Harris says. “And everybody likes me because I got all the alcohol. … I’ve been behind the wood for so long. I have a passion for it. It sounds generic, but I

imani khayyam

Cam Bonelli

I

t’s almost Father’s Day, which means that it’s time to celebrate the men we love, and we’re not just talking about fathers. Many men in the Jackson metro area are contributing to the community in different ways, from highlighting the state’s positives, to helping Jackson become a better city, to making us laugh. Here are some of this year’s Men We Love.

Sean Michael Cornwell

F

or 11 years, Sean Michael Cornwell has been living in Mississippi as a mortgage banker with RedRock Mortgage. Cornwell, who is a 37-year-old native of Enid, Okla., attended the University of Central Oklahoma and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design in 2002.

Immediately after college Cornwell

really like what I do.”

Harris has worked at businesses such as Last Call Sports Grill in Jackson. In 2011, Harris combined his love of bartending and entrepreneurship to create Good Spirits Bartending Service.

“I wanted it to have value to this community, as well as provide the state with something nice that residents can be proud of,” he says.

Good Spirits Bartending Service provides professional bartenders for party functions. So far, he says it has been smooth sailing, but he looks forward to the obstacles that might arise because they mean that he’s making progress.

“When they come my way, I know I’m not stagnant,” he says.

Over the course of his career, Harris has worked all kinds of events, from AARP functions to the Jackson Hip Hop Awards. When he’s not bartending, he enjoys trying different types of bourbons and scotch whiskey.

—Devna Bose moved to Denton, Texas, with a friend to start a graphic and video design company.

While the venture did not pan out, it did lead him to move back Oklahoma and get involved in the mortgage industry.

As a mortgage banker, Cornwell says problem-solving is a necessity when it comes to helping people get the house they want.

“With graphic design we were taught to be problem-solvers, and mortgages are similar. I sometimes consider myself a ‘mortgage designer,’” he says.

Cornwell says that he likes to use his design talents to inspire others. For instance, if a couple of people are starting a business from the ground up, he does not mind making a logo for free.

He says that his life goal is to be a better man every day and to always be there if people need him.

“I want people to remember me as Sean, the man who made the world around him better,” Cornwell says.

—Khadijah Brandi Belton

P

atrick Jerome, 35, has honed a multitude of talents, including being a stand-up comedian and Rainbow Natural Grocery Cooperative’s community outreach director. He graduated from Millsaps College in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in political science.

As Rainbow’s community outreach director, Jerome works to inform shoppers about products and keeps shareholders in the know about company changes.

Jerome is also a comedian, photographer, blogger, website developer, humor

Julian Rankin

J

ackson native Daniel Ball, who is gay, has been involved in LGBT advocacy since he was a teenager, volunteering with peer support groups and serving on the board of directors for the advocacy group CNAC at age 19.

After graduating from the University of Mississippi in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in business management, he went on to work as a human resource manager at the Nissan plant in Canton.

“I enjoyed the job, and I was good at it, but I didn’t love it,” Ball says.

In 2015, he changed his a career path

Daniel Ball

cultural heritage, he says. For example, his father’s friend, author Willie Morris, would perform magic tricks by pulling a dollar out of Rankin’s ear. Morris would tell him and other children, “I just want you to know kids there is a gold mine between your ears,” which Rankin says was a reference to the creativity in Mississippi’s art, writing and storytelling.

Rankin’s family moved to North Carolina for his dad’s work around middle school, and he went to high school and then college there. In 2009, Rankin graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in creative writing.

“(With) access to Mississippi storytelling and all the stories that we have, it was just a natural thing to pursue,” Rankin says about his degree.

As the director of marketing and communications for MMA, Rankin works to engage the community through outreach and partnerships. His work with the museum, he says, allows him to weave together various art forms in the state.

Rankin, 30, lives in Fondren with his wife, Caroline, and their son, Julian.

—Kristina Norman

to do professionally what he had been fighting for most of his adult life—a job with the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBT rights organization, as the faith and outreach organizer.

“I left Nissan and was offered the job with the (HRC) on the day of the Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality,” Ball says. “I took the biggest pay cut at the time, and said ‘God, please give me a sign that I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing,’ and I think that was a sign.”

Ball, 27, has a 13-year-old nephew, who is bi-racial and was in foster care for two years in Alabama. He got custody in November 2016, and the adoption was finalized in February of this year.

“I try to keep him engaged in different issues so that he’s always aware,” Ball says. “He comes to the rallies we have, he volunteers at the office, and we go to the coffee shop together and play chess.”

His nephew is a huge part of why he feels so honored to be named a Jackson Free Press Man We Love, he says.

“It’s these little forms of affirmation that remind you people are always watching,” he says. “This is something I can show my nephew and show him that this is what you can accomplish through hard work and being a good person.”—Tyler Edwards

June 14 - 20, 2017 • jfp.ms

Jack Hammett

Patrick Jerome

writer and self-described “low-level adventurer” in his spare time.

“There’s enough absurdity out there that all you have to do is take a close look,” Jerome says on his comedy. “Relay that information to people, and it’s going to be comedy gold.”

In his spare time, he takes photos along the Pearl River for his personal website, Pearl River Flow.

“Garbage,” he says of his approach to photography. “I take pictures of garbage. … I think that not only do people view the world as disposable, they see the world as their trash can. ...

“I think that if people saw the items as art, as things that would be evocative and memorable, they’d remember them for longer—and maybe be a little more mindful about dumping them in the river.”

Abandoned shoes are what started his interested in the river’s conservation, Jerome says. His uploads to Twitter capture attention because he points out what he sees in the environment.

Jerome also serves as a board member for the Mississippi Humanist Association. The organization does things such as brings guest speakers to Jackson, and does school-supply drives and a book drive for Big House Books.

—Jack Hammett

courtesy Julian Rankin

U

tica resident Carlton Turner, 42, is an active member of the Jackson arts scene and the executive director of the community-arts organization, Alternate ROOTS.

Although Turner attended the University of Mississippi and Alcorn State University, he received his bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from Charter Oak State College in Connecticut in 2014 and returned to Utica to start his family with his wife, Brandi.

He is also the co-founder and co-

S

torytelling runs in Julian Rankin’s blood. He is the current director of media and public relations and soonto-be director of art and public exchange for the Mississippi Museum of Art—and story is an integral part of his job.

Rankin’s dad, Tom, who is a photographer, folklorist and documentarian, came to Mississippi from Atlanta when Rankin was 1 to live in Shaw in the Delta.

Because of his dad’s profession, Rankin grew up exposed to the state’s rich

Imani Khayyam

Kevin Edwards

Carlton Turner

artistic director of the Mississippi-based performing arts group M.U.G.A.B.E.E., which blends jazz, hip-hop, spoken-word poetry and soul music together.

Turner describes Alternate ROOTS as a member-service organization that supports artists working at the intersection of arts and activism. He first got involved as an artist. He started working with ROOTS in 2004 as a regional development director.

He also serves on several boards and committees in the community.

“As an artist working around the Jackson area, working with other socially conscious artists, I always wanted my artwork to have an impact on society and community,” Turner says.

Turner became executive director in 2009. “We’ve been able to provide resources to artists all across the southeast and build a network of artists and cultural workers that are supporting each other,” Turner says.

Through creating a relationship between the arts, activism and community, Alternate ROOTS works to support artists who are doing work for social justice. “It is very much an organization that is run by artists to support artists,” Turner says.

—Devna Bose

15

W IMANI KHAYYAM

hile Christopher Lomax was working to develop an app, he noted that at the time, Mississippi didn’t have many technology incubators or co-working spaces. That gave him the idea to found Mantle, which is a technology incubator and co-working space for creators and entrepreneurs to work and receive guidance on launching their creations, in April 2016.

Lomax was born on the Gulf Coast in Pascagoula, but he was raised in Mobile, Ala. He received his bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2004 from the University of Mississippi and then graduated from UM’s law school in 2009. He received his master’s of business administration from Millsaps College in 2013. Lomax moved to Jackson in 2010.

He named Mantle after the part of an oyster that produces a pearl from sand and debris that get trapped inside, with the idea of creating a proverbial tech sandbox in Jackson.

On the business’ future, Lomax, 37, says, “We are in the process of transforming from more of a focus on co-working and working to what we’re calling ‘Mantle City Club,’” he says. “…

You’re not precluded if you have an office elsewhere, but we still want all those creatives, entrepreneurs, those types of people to have a place that is their clubhouse so that they can run into other people that are doing the same thing to hopefully spur innovation and entrepreneurship in Jackson and Mississippi.”

—Maya Parker

COURTESY KAMEL KING

from page 15

Chris Lomax

June 14 - 20, 2017 • jfp.ms

David Lewis is making a difference.

GJAC is proud to have him on our team.

16

Kamel King

K

amel King, a Jackson native, is a practicing entertainment attorney, educator and proponent for Mississippi tourism who loves music. He says his work as the special projects manager for Visit Mississippi allows him to share the state’s gems with others. “We just have so many resources,” he says. “First of all, we’re the birthplace of America’s music. And our culinary history has influenced the entire world. I get to help proliferate Mississippi’s brand to the rest of the world in the right way.”

King’s company, The Copyright King, brings together his love for music and the law. “I’ve loved music since I was a kid following my father, Lee King. He was a promoter and radio host who toured with James Brown out of high school,” he says.

Kamel King attended Tougaloo College. He received his pre-law degree and bachelor’s degree in international relations in 2003 and his law degree from Mississippi College School of Law in 2006. From 2006 to 2016, he was director of operations and in-house counsel for Terminal Recording Studios. From 2007 to 2013, he practiced at Frascogna Courtney PLLC. He started his business, Copyright King LLC, in 2012.

Starting this month, King will teach an entertainment law class at Mississippi College.

“I look forward to sharing my experiences and giving young law students a bird’s eye view on what it’s really like to be a part of this industry, that it’s real work,” he says.

In addition to his many professional hats, King is a father. “I have a 4-year-old daughter (Kennedy),” he says.

“She keeps me very busy. Fatherhood is about time. It’s about having a relationship where your children can be honest with you. I can talk to my parents about anything, and that has given me the selfesteem to feel like I can do anything.”

—Kendra Wright

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

AMERICAN/SOUTHERN CUISINE

1693 Red Zone Grill -BLFPWFS 3E +BDLTPO t Delicious handmade assortments served fresh daily.

1908 Provisions 'BJSWJFX 4U +BDLTPO t

AFTER 8 PM Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s SOCIAL HOUR at

Experience traditional Southern flavors with an up-scale twist.

Relax with family and friends, or enjoy a special night out.

The Iron Horse Grill 8 1FBSM 4U +BDLTPO t The smell of charcoal greets you, the music carries you inside.

The Manship Wood Fired Kitchen / 4UBUF 4U +BDLTPO t

$5 small plates $5 select well drinks and wine

The Manship transforms the essence of Mediterranean food while maintaining a southern flair.

Two Sisters Kitchen / $POHSFTT 4U +BDLTPO Southern-style lunch buffet. Mon-Fri, Sun.

Zoeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Restaurant 5FSSZ 3E +BDLTPO t Zoeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Restaurant offers fresh New Orleans style comfort food

4500 I55 Frontage Rd., Highland Village Ste. 244, Jackson, MS (601) 982-8111 | bravobuzz.com

inspired by and found in the Heart of Mississippi.

MEXICAN/LATIN

Jacoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our motto. Serving up made to-order burritos, soups, fresh salads and much more.

BARBEQUE

Chimneyville Smoke House )JHI 4U +BDLTPO t Family style barbecue restaurant and catering service

Cinco de Mayo MEXICAN RESTAURANT

Mon. - Sat. 11am -10pm Sun. 11am - 9pm 880 Lake Harb our Dr. Ridgeland, MS | (601) 957-1882

in the heart of downtown Jackson.

E & L Barbeque #BJMFZ "WF +BDLTPO t Serving BBQ to Jackson for over 25 years, we smoke every rib,

The â&#x20AC;&#x153;Best Butts in Townâ&#x20AC;? features BBQ chicken, beef and pork along with burgers and poâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;boys.

The Pig and Pint / 4UBUF 4U +BDLTPO t Winner of Best of Jackson 2016 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Best BBQ.â&#x20AC;? Serving competition-style BBQ and a great beer selection.

Come experience our one of a kind dishes by

Chef Danny Eslava 2016 - 17 Best of Rankin Best Chef 2481 Lakeland Drive Flowood | 601.932.4070

June 14 - 20, 2017 â&#x20AC;˘ jfp.ms

tip and link and top it with our award winning BBQ sauce!

Hickory Pit $BOUPO .BSU 3E +BDLTPO t

17

LIFE&STYLE | food&drink

A Local Dad’s Day

by Dustin Cardon

1908 Provisions (734 Fairview St., 601-9483429 ext. 305, fairviewinn.com) For Father’s Day, 1908 Provisions will host a special brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. that will feature items such as an ice-cream bar and a carving station. The meal is $22.95 per adult, $11.95 for children ages 5 to 15, and children ages 4 and under eat free.

$GUV QH ,CEMUQP

$'56 6*#+ (11& 575*+ *#22; *174 4:30-7PM 7 DAYS A WEEK 1/2 Nigiri/Maki roll

&#+.; .70%* /'07 3000 Old Canton Road, Suite 105, Jackson | (601)981-3205 Like us on Facebook! www.surinofthailand.com

Try our $9.99 Lunch Special

Gyro and cottage fry and

$5 Gyros

Tuesdays | 4 - close

Campbell’s Bakery (3013 N. State St., 601362-4628; 123 Jones St., Madison, 769-3002790; campbellsbakery.ms) Campbell’s is offering Father’s Day teacakes in the shape of bow ties and neckties.

Every Thursday 8 pm

June 14 - 20, 2017 • jfp.ms

BRAVO! Italian Restaurant & Bar (4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 244, 601-982-8111, bravobuzz.com) On Father’s Day, Bravo! will serve brunch from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The menu will feature blackened redfish Benedict, crabmeatand-cheese omelets, New Orleans-style shrimp and grits, breakfast pizza and more.

The Strawberry Café (107 Depot Drive, Madison, 601-856-3822) On Father’s Day, Strawberry Café will serve brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The menu will have shrimp and grits, crab cake Benedict, French toast and more.

Ladies Night & Karaoke

18

Seafood R’evolution (1000 Highland Colony Pkwy., Suite 9015, 601-853-3474, seafoodrevolution.com) On Father’s Day, Seafood R’evolution will serve brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The menu will feature mimosas and bloody Marys, the restaurant’s signature “Death by Gumbo” dish, chicken and biscuit sandwiches, R’evolution Benedict, which has poached eggs, sugar-cured ham, a sweet corn biscuit and Sriracha hollandaise, Creole crab cakes and more.

Char Restaurant (4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 142, 601-956-9562, charrestaurant.com) For Father’s Day, Char will serve brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The menu will have dishes such as custard-fried French toast, fried green tomatoes, chicken and waffles, crab cakes, chopped steak, pan-seared Atlantic salmon and more.

208 West Capitol St. Jackson, MS Across from Hilton & King Edward

601-944-0402

Tuesday - Saturday: Open at 5

132 Lakeland Heights Suite P, Flowood, MS 601.992.9498 www.zeekzhouseofgyros.com 11 am - 9 pm

Nandy’s Candy (1220 E. Northside Drive, Suite 380, 601-362-9553) For Father’s Day, Nandy’s Candy will have treats such as chocolate tool boxes, chocolate letters that say words such as “dad” and “pop,” caramel popcorn, caramel sauce, chocolate ties, guitars, tennis racquet, sea-salt caramels and more.

courtesy Nandy’s Candy

Anjou Restaurant (361 Township Ave., 601707-0587, anjourestaurant.net) On Father’s Day will serve its brunch menu, which features eggs Benedict, quiche Lorraine, mimosas and more along with live music from local artist David Keary. The brunch menu will be available from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Keary performs from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Reservations are recommended.

Sugar Magnolia Takery (5417 Highway 25, Suite F, Flowood, 601-992-8110, sugarmagnoliatakery.com) For Father’s Day, Sugar Magnolia Takery will offer bowtie-shaped iced cookies, golf ball-shaped petit fours, and specialty cakes and other pastries with “World’s Greatest Dad” decorations. Sugar Magnolia will also have specials on food for preparing breakfast in bed the week of Father’s Day and grab-andgo barbecue available all day on Saturday.

Celebrate dads with local businesses such as Nandy’s Candy.

Table 100 (100 Ridge Way, Flowood, 601-4204202, tableonehundred.com) Table 100’s Jazz Brunch is from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and features live music by the Raphael Semmes & Friends. The menu includes eggs Benedict, buttermilk fried chicken, gulf blue crab claws, Gulf shrimp and grits, and more.

Babalu Tapas & Tacos (622 Duling Ave., Suite 106, 601-366-5757, eatbabalu.com) Babalu will serve brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The menu will feature dishes such as torrijas, which is Babalu’s version of French toast, breakfast tortas with Black Forrest ham and pork belly, scrambled egg and potato tacos, pomegranate mimosas and more.

Amerigo (6592 Old Canton Road, 601-9770563; 155 Market St., Flowood, 601-992-1550; amerigo.net) Amerigo will serve Father’s Day brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Ridgeland location and 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Flowood location. In addition to the regular brunch menu, Amerigo will offer $4 bloody Marys, a special pork chop dish served on a cedar plank and a daily fish special.

Primos Café (515 Lake Harbour Drive, Ridgeland, 601-898-3600; 2323 Lakeland Drive, Suite A, Flowood, 601-936-3398; primoscafe. com) For Father’s Day, Primos will offer a half-price slice of cake or a free treat from their bakery case for dads with the purchase of a meal on Friday, June 16, and Saturday, June 17.

Aladdin Mediterranean Restaurant (730 Lakeland Drive, 601-366-6033) On Father’s Day, June 18, Aladdin will serve from its regular menu, and dads will get free desserts.

This list is not complete. To see and add more, visit jfp.ms/fathersday2017.

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

Two of Dadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Favorites:

BARS, PUBS & BURGERS 4th & Goal * / +BDLTPO t

Wing Wars Champions. Freshly prepared food thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s never frozen. 360 degree view of sports on 16 HD TVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Fenianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pub & 'PSUJm DBUJPO 4U +BDLTPO t

Visit All Our Stores For the Best Beer Selection!

Classic Irish pub featuring a menu of traditional food, pub sandwiches & Irish beers on tap.

Green Room #PVOET 4U +BDLTPO t Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re still #1! Best Place to Play Pool - Best of Jackson 2016

Hal and Malâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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.

Martinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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.

STEAK & SEAFOOD

Eddie & Rubyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Snack Bar 7BMMFZ 4U +BDLTPO t Eddie & Rubyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Snack Bar is one of the original fish houses that still serve their original homemade batter recipe.

Ellis Seafood .FBEPXCSPPL 3E +BDLTPO t 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.

Eslavaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Grille Eslavaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Grille -BLFMBOE %S 'MPXPPE t Seafood, Steaks and Pasta

Seafood, steaks and pastas with a Latin influence.

Griffinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fish House 8 $BQJUPM 4U +BDLTPO t Griffinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fish House focuses on casual dining with mainstream American dishes. Now with a bar area serving alcoholic beverages.

Tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Beauxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s )JHIXBZ & $MJOUPO t # 5FSSZ 3E #ZSBN t Tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Beauxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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.

Zeekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;z House of Gyros -BLFMBOE )FJHIUT 4VJUF 1 'MPXPPE t

y wo

ur Ma o t a r e

t loca od Mar

tion!

Gose n o l e F term Rye Pale a W in rrap Stout â&#x20AC;˘ T-Rexâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d e T â&#x20AC;˘ i s o n I m p e r i a l T ow n L a g e r a S e rican Dog â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ Lucky Yuenglingagunitas r u H g Co. Co. Salty mblin eph â&#x20AC;˘ e â&#x20AC;˘ L n i w e Ga cr Br g Jos NOLA i Brewin Gose other â&#x20AC;˘ Wisea B i l ox T ow n A l e B r T a n Luckyght to ack & l Strai ling B Yueng r gro i l l yo u

wl

s r e t ar

u e Beef q d Hea Choic

s l u l g i n r A n G o y r n ou k Ca

Y

c

la B d n Aa

USD

Our gyro cones are hand stacked with quality meat, homemade sauces, and one of a kind pita bread.

ASIAN

Brandonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new dine in and carry out Japanese & Thai Express.

Fusion Japanese and Thai Cuisine 5SFFUPQT #MWE 'MPXPPE t " )XZ .BEJTPO t Specializing in fresh Japanese and Thai cuisine, our extensive menu features everything from curries to fresh sushi.

Surin of Thailand 0ME $BOUPO 3E +BDLTPO t Jacksonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Newest Authentic Thai & Sushi Bar with 26 signature martiniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and extensive wine list.

Woodland Hills

Shopping Center Fondren â&#x20AC;˘ 601-366-5273

Maywood Mart

1220 E. Northside Dr â&#x20AC;˘ 601-366-8486

Westland Plaza

2526 Robinson Rd â&#x20AC;˘ 601-353-0089

English Village

904 E. FortiďŹ cation St. â&#x20AC;˘ 601-355-9668

June 14 - 20, 2017 â&#x20AC;˘ jfp.ms

Bonfire Grill 4FSWJDF %S #SBOEPO t

19

WEDNESDAY 6/14

THURSDAY 6/15

FRIDAY 6/16

CAET Supper Club is at CAET Wine Bar.

The Good Old-Fashioned Country Gospel Concert is at Hinds Community College in Raymond.

John Y. Gibson signs copies of “Into the Silence” at Lemuria Books.

BEST BETS June 14 - 21, 2017 Patrick Melon

WEDNESDAY 6/14

Nick White signs copies of “How to Survive a Summer” at 5 p.m. at Lemuria Books (Banner Hall, 4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite 202). Reading at 5:30 p.m. $26 book; call 601-366-7619; lemuriabooks.com. … James McMurtry performs at 7:30 p.m. at Duling Hall (622 Duling Ave.). The folk singer-songwriter performs. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. $15 in advance, $20 at the door; call 877-9876487; ardenland.net.

THURSDAY 6/15

Eric Riggs

“Museum After Hours: Man & Machine” is at 5:30 p.m. at Mississippi Museum of Art (380 S. Lamar St.).

The monthly event takes place every third Thursday. This month’s installment includes a pop-up exhibition from artist Rory Roark, music, a ’sipp-Sourced menu from chef Nick Wallace, and a screening of “Bonnie & Clyde.” Free admission; call 601-960-1515; msmuseumart.org.

New Orleans funk-fusion band Flow Tribe performs Friday, June 16, at Martin’s Restaurant & Bar.

of four; call 601-624-7882; racesonline.com. … Flow Tribe performs at 10 p.m. at Martin’s Restaurant & Bar (214 S. State St) The band from New Orleans is known for its blend of funk, R&B, soul, Rock and hip-hop. For ages 21 and up. $15; call 601-354-9712; martinslounge.net.

MONDAY 6/19

SATURDAY 6/17

The Last Boil is from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Cathead Distillery (422 Farish St.). Includes beers and crawfish for sale, games, distillery tours and more.

For all ages. Free admission, food

by TYLER EDWARDS prices vary; find it on Facebook. … “Make ’Em Laugh to This” Comedy Show is from 8 p.m. at jacksonfreepress.com Offbeat (151 Wesley Ave.). StandFax: 601-510-9019 up comedians include Doug GilDaily updates at lon, Johnny Bratsveen, Mandy jfpevents.com Iacklen, Holly Perkins and Mark Brooks. $5; find it on Facebook.

June 14 - 20, 2017 • jfp.ms

events@

Arian Thigpen (standing) and Keni Bounds star in the comedic play “Boeing-Boeing,” which runs June 15-18 and June 22-25 at Black Rose Theatre Company in Brandon.

FRIDAY 6/16

LeFleur East Flash Dash is at 7 p.m. at Highland Village Shopping Center (4500 Interstate 55 N.). The 5K race features food trucks, glow sticks, music from the Pat20 rick Harkins Band, and more. $30 individual, $100 family

SUNDAY 6/18

engaged to him without knowing about each other. Additional dates: June 15-17, 7:30 p.m., June 18, 2 p.m., June 22-24 7:30 p.m., June 25, 2 p.m. $10 in advance, $15 at the door; call 601-825-1293; blackrosetheatre.org.

“Million Dollar Quartet” is at 2 p.m. at New Stage Theatre (1100 Carlisle St.). The play brings together Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins.

Additional dates: June 14-17, 7:30 p.m. June 15-17, 7:30 p.m., June 18, 2 p.m., June 22-24 7:30 p.m., June 25, 2 p.m. $35, $28 seniors, students and military; call 601-9483533; newstagetheatre.com. … “Boeing-Boeing” is at 2 p.m. at Black Rose Theatre (103 Black St., Brandon). The comedy is about a bachelor in Paris and three stewardesses

The Southern Prohibition Beer Dinner is from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Barrelhouse (3009 N. State St.). Barrelhouse Executive Chef Stephen Kruger presents five original recipes paired with Southern Prohibition brews. Limited seating. $48.47 per person; find it on Facebook.

TUESDAY 6/20

Jeffrey B. Howell signs copies of “Hazel Brannon Smith: The Female Crusading Scalawag” at 5:30 p.m. at Lemuria Books (Banner Hall, 4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite 202). Reading at 5:30 p.m. $35 book; call 601-366-7619; lemuriabooks.com. … Rodgers + Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” is at 7:30 p.m. at Thalia Mara Hall (255 E. Pascagoula St.). The play tells the classic fairytale story of Cinderella, the wicked stepmother, Prince Charming and more. $35$75; call 601-960-1537; jacksonbroadway.com.

WEDNESDAY 6/21

Farm to Ferment Series: Part 1 is from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at The Hatch (126 Keener Ave.). Participants learn to make their own fermented foods at home, including kimchi, sauerkraut and fermented pickles. $30; call 601354-5373; find it on Facebook.

JFP Chick Ball July 22, 6 p.m.-midnight, at Hal & Mal’s (200 Commerce St.). The fundraiser features local food vendors, drinks, music and a silent auction. Proceeds benefit the Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Contact to donate money or items, or to volunteer. $5; call 601-362-6121, ext. 16; jfpchickball.com.

COMMUNITY Thacker Mountain Radio Hour June 17, 6 p.m., at Clinton High School (401 Arrow Drive, Clinton). Features musicians Jarekus Singleton and Caroline Herring, and writer Rick Cleveland. $15; thackermountain.com.

FOOD & DRINK CAET Supper Club June 14, 6 p.m.-8 p.m., at CAET Wine Bar (3100 N. State St.). The Von Schleinitz wine dinner features specialty dishes from owner Derek Emerson and Executive Chef Meredith Pittman. $130; find it on Facebook.

Southern Prohibition Beer Dinner June 19, 7-9 p.m., at Barrelhouse (3009 N. State St.). Executive Chef Stephen Kruger presents five original recipes paired with Southern Prohibition brews.

Limited seating. $48.47; find it on Facebook.

Farm to Ferment Series: Part 1 June 21, 5-7 p.m., at The Hatch (126 Keener Ave.). Participants learn to make their own fermented foods at home. $30; find it on Facebook.

SPORTS & WELLNESS LeFleur East Flash Dash June 16, 7 p.m., at Highland Village Shopping Center (4500 Interstate 55 N.). The 5K race features food trucks, glow sticks, live music and more. $30 individual, $100 family of four; racesonline.com.

STAGE & SCREEN “Million Dollar Quartet” June 14-17, 7:30 p.m., June 18, 2 p.m., June 20-24, 7:30 p.m., June 25, 2 p.m., at New Stage Theatre (1100 Carlisle St.). The play brings together Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins. $35, $28 seniors, students and military; call 601-948-3533; newstagetheatre.com.

can you resist?

ore

“Boeing-Boeing” June 15-17, 7:30 p.m., June 18, 2 p.m., June 22-24 7:30 p.m., June 25, 2 p.m., at Black Rose Theatre (103 Black St., Brandon). The comedy is about a bachelor and three stewardesses engaged to him. $10 in advance, $15 at the door; blackrosetheatre.org.

Pascagoula St.). The play tells the classic fairytale story of Cinderella. $35-$75; call 601-960-1537; jacksonbroadway.com.

• The Grahams June 20, 7:30 p.m. The husband-and wife-Americana music duo performs. Travis Linville also performs. $10 in advance, $15 at the door; ardenland.net.

“Make ’Em Laugh to This” Comedy Show June 17, 8-11 p.m., at Offbeat (151 Wesley Ave.). Stand-up comedians include Doug Gillon, Johnny Bratsveen, Mandy Iacklen, Holly Perkins and Mark Brooks. $5; find it on Facebook.

CONCERTS & FESTIVALS Events at Duling Hall (622 Duling Ave.) • James McMurtry June 14, 7:30 p.m. The folk singer-songwriter performs. $15 in advance, $20 at the door; ardenland.net.

• Sugarcane Jane June 17, 9 p.m. The Mississippi-native folk-rock band performs. $10 in advance, $15 at the door; ardenland.net.

Good Old-Fashioned Country Gospel Concert June 15, 6:30 p.m., at Hinds Community College (501 E. Main St., Raymond). The concert features the Potter’s Clay Quartet, the Born Again Quartet, the Tenn Trio and Jack Hollingsworth. Donations encouraged; hindscc.edu.

Rodgers + Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” June 20, 7:30 p.m., at Thalia Mara Hall (255 E.

SLATE

the best in sports over the next seven days

by Bryan Flynn, follow at jfpsports.com, @jfpsports

MLB and college baseball are set to take center stage now that the NBA and the NHL have crowned champions. Baseball will stay in the limelight until the NFL preseason cranks up in August.

THURSDAY, JUNE 15

MONDAY, JUNE 19

CFL (6:30-10 p.m., ESPN3): Two former UM Rebels are on the Ottawa Redblacks roster as the team takes on the Montreal Alouettes.

College baseball (1-9 p.m., ESPN): Games five and six of the 2017 College World Series see the winners from the first two games clash and the losers of the opening games try to avoid elimination.

FRIDAY, JUNE 16

Cricket (7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., ESPN3): For something different, try the 2017 Royal London One-Day Cup, which features Britain’s best cricket teams.

TUESDAY, JUNE 20

College baseball (1-9 p.m., ESPN): The losers of games three and four try to avoid elimination, and the winners of those games try to push ahead in the 2017 College World Series.

SATURDAY, JUNE 17

College baseball (2-10 p.m., ESPN): Games one and two kick off the 2017 College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21

SUNDAY, JUNE 18

College baseball (1-9 p.m., ESPN/ ESPN2) The 2017 College World Series continues with game three on ESPN and game four on ESPN2. ... X Games (1-2 p.m., ESPN2): Extremesports fans can tune in for “World of X Games: Boise Park Qualifier” to see which athletes made it to X Games Minneapolis on July 13.

College baseball (6-9 p.m., ESPN): Watch game nine of the 2017 College World Series. … MLB (9 p.m.-midnight, ESPN): The New York Mets will try to right their season on the West Coast against the LA Dodgers.

There won’t be a major sporting event such as the Olympics or World Cup over the next few months, but there will be plenty of baseball to watch, as well as the Canadian Football League and arena football for a gridiron fix.

frappe An old school favorite returns

Juneteenth Heritage Festival June 17, 1-7 p.m., at Battlefield Park (953 W. Porter St.). The celebration features music, art, food, a medical and legal fair, and more. Free; find it on Facebook.

LITERARY & SIGNINGS Events at Lemuria Books (Banner Hall, 4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite 202) • “How to Survive a Summer” June 14, 5 p.m.

Nick White signs copies. Reading at 5:30 p.m. $26 book; lemuriabooks.com.

• “The Five Manners of Death” June 15, 4:30 p.m. Darden North signs copies. Reading at 5:30 p.m. $32.99 book; lemuriabooks.com.

• “Into the Silence” June 16, 5 p.m. John Gibson signs copies. $20 book; lemuriabooks.com.

• “Hazel Brannon Smith: The Female Crusading Scalawag” June 20, 5:30 p.m. Jeffrey B. Howell signs copies. Reading at 5:30 p.m. $35 book; call 601-366-7619; lemuriabooks.com.

EXHIBIT OPENINGS Museum After Hours: Man & Machine June 15, 5:30 p.m., at Mississippi Museum of Art (380 S. Lamar St.). Includes a pop-up exhibition from Rory Roark, live music, a ’sipp-Sourced menu, and a screening of “Bonnie & Clyde.”

Free admission; msmuseumart.org.

BE THE CHANGE Strike Out Alzheimer’s June 21, 6-8:30 p.m., at Metro 24 Bowling Center (3003 John R. Lynch St.). Proceeds go to Alzheimer’s treatment efforts. $15 in advance, $20 at the door; eventbrite.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.

June 14 - 20, 2017 • jfp.ms

JFP-SPONSORED

21

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

June 14 - Wednesday

June 15 - Thursday The Big Muddy, Vicksburg - Doug Bishop & James Bailey free Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m.

Drago’s - Johnny Barranco 5:30-8 p.m.

F. Jones Corner - Raul Valinti & the F. Jones Challenge Band 10 p.m. $5 Fitzgerald’s - Joseph LaSalla Georgia Blue, Flowood - Aaron Coker Georgia Blue, Madison - Phil & Trace Hal & Mal’s - Taylor Hildebrand Hinds Community College, Raymond - Potters Clay Quartet, the Born Again Quartet, the Tenn Trio & Jack Hollingsworth 6:30 p.m.

Iron Horse - Mike Munson 6 p.m.

Kathryn’s - Greenfish 6:30 p.m.

Old Capitol Inn - Chad Wesley Pelican Cove - Jason Turner 6 p.m.

Shucker’s - Road Hogs 7:30 p.m.

Soulshine, Flowood - Andy Tanas 7-10 p.m.

Table 100 - Andrew Pates 6 p.m.

Underground 119 - Jesse Robinson & Friends 7-10 p.m. free

June 14 - 20, 2017 • jfp.ms

June 16 - Friday

22

Ameristar, Vicksburg - Mr. Sipp 8 p.m. $10 The Big Muddy, Vicksburg Osgood & Blaque free Bonny Blair’s - Larry Brewer & Doug Hurd 7:30-11:30 p.m.

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

Char - Ronnie Brown 6 p.m.

Drago’s - Barry Leach 6-9 p.m.

F. Jones Corner - Smokestack Lightning midnight $10 Fitzgerald’s - Sonny Brooks & Rick Moreira 8 p.m.

Georgia Blue, Flowood - May Day

June 17 - Saturday Ameristar, Vicksburg - Forever Abbey Road 8 p.m. free

Shucker’s - Acoustic Crossroads 3:30 p.m. free; Faze 4 8 p.m. $5; Chad Perry 10 p.m. free Soulshine, Flowood - Luckenbach 7-10 p.m.

Soulshine, Ridgeland - Jason Turner 7-10 p.m.

Uncle Ray’s - Koolkid Ridge, Willi B, Loud Pack & more 7 p.m. $5 Underground 119 - Duwayne Burnside 8 p.m.

Anjou - Stevie Cain 6-9 p.m.

The Big Muddy, Vicksburg - Sam Joyner free Bonny Blair’s - Sid Thompson & DoubleShotz 7:30-11:30 p.m.

Char - Bill Clark 6 p.m.

Clinton High School - Thacker Mountain Radio Hour feat.

Jarekus Singleton & Caroline Herring 6 p.m. $15 Drago’s - Ronnie McGee 6-9 p.m.

Duling Hall - Sugarcane Jane 9 p.m. $10 advance $15 door F. Jones Corner - Big Money Mel & Small Change Wayne 10 p.m. $1; Smokestack Lightning midnight $10 Fitzgerald’s - Johnny Crocker & Debbie Buie 6:30 p.m.

Georgia Blue, Flowood - Andy Tanas Georgia Blue, Madison - Jim Tomlinson Hal & Mal’s - Leo Moreira free Hideaway - Atomship, Candybone & Rock Vault 8 p.m. $10 Iron Horse - Adib Sabir Trio 9 p.m.

Kathryn’s - The Axe-identals 7-11:30 p.m.

Martin’s - Andrew Bryant Band w/ Bobby Chiz 10 p.m.

Offbeat - Comedy Show feat. Doug Gillon, Jonny Bratsveen, Mandy Lacklen & more 8-11 p.m.

Pelican Cove - Andrew Pates 2 p.m.; Hired Guns 7 p.m.

Sounds from the Empty House

by Micah Smith

June 18 - Sunday Char - Big Easy Three 11:45 a.m.1:45 p.m.; Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m.

Kathryn’s - Steel Country 6-11 p.m.

Pelican Cove - Steele Heart noon; Larry Brewer & Doug Hurd 5 p.m.

Shucker’s - Greenfish 3:30 p.m. free Table 100 - Dan Michael Colbert 6-9 p.m.

June 19 - Monday

Caroline Herring

DIVERSIONS | music

courtesy The Empty House

Alumni House - Pearl Jamz 5:30-7:30 p.m. free Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m.

Drago’s - Johnny Barranco 5:30-8 p.m.

Duling Hall - James McMurtry w/ Jonny Burke 7:30 p.m. $15 advance $20 door Fitzgerald’s - Larry Brewer 7:30 p.m.

Hal & Mal’s - New Bourbon Street Jazz Band Kathryn’s - Jeff Maddox 6:3011:30 p.m.

Old Capitol Inn - Jonathan Alexander Pelican Cove - Chad Perry 6 p.m.

Shucker’s - Lovin Ledbetter 7:30 p.m.

Table 100 - Andy Henderson 6 p.m.

Georgia Blue, Madison - Shaun Patterson Hal & Mal’s - Chad Wesley Iron Horse - 19th Street Red 9 p.m.

Kathryn’s - Xtremez 7-11:30 p.m.

Martin’s - Flow Tribe 10 p.m. $15 advance $17 door Old Capitol Inn - Lee Harrington Pelican Cove - Fannin Landin’ 7 p.m.

Pop’s Saloon - Burnham Road Shucker’s - Acoustic Crossroads 5:30 p.m. free; Faze 4 8 p.m. $5; Aaron Coker 10 p.m. free Soulshine, Flowood - Daniel & George 7-10 p.m.

Soulshine, Ridgeland - Thomas Jackson 7-10 p.m.

Wasabi - Henry Rhodes & Friends 9 p.m.-midnight WonderLust - Cocktail Party feat.

DJ Taboo 8 p.m.-2 a.m. $5 cover

Tom Fahey

MUSIC | live

Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m.

Hal & Mal’s - Central MS Blues Society 7 p.m. $5 $3 members Kathryn’s - Barry Leach 6:3011:30 p.m.

Pelican Cove - Doug Hurd & Chris Link 6 p.m.

Table 100 - Andrew Pates 6 p.m.

June 20 - Tuesday Bonny Blair’s - Don Grant & Sonny Brooks 7:30-11:30 p.m.

Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m.

Drago’s - Johnny Barranco 5:30-8 p.m.

Duling Hall - The Grahams w/ Travis Linville 7:30 p.m. $10 advance $15 door Fenian’s - Open Mic free Fitzgerald’s - Hunter Gibson & Rick Moreira 7:30 p.m.

Hal & Mal’s - Progressive Jazz feat.

Raphael Semmes & Friends 6-9 p.m. free Kathryn’s - Rockin’ the Keys 6:3011:30 p.m.

Pelican Cove - Sid Thompson 6 p.m.

Table 100 - Chalmers Davis 6 p.m.

June 21 - Wednesday Char - Tommie Vaughn 6 p.m.

Drago’s - Johnny Barranco 5:30-8 p.m.

Fitzgerald’s - Chris Houchin 7:30 p.m.

Kathryn’s - Larry Brewer & Doug Hurd 6:30-11:30 p.m.

Pelican Cove - Jonathan Alexander 6 p.m.

Shucker’s - Dylan Moss 7:30 p.m. free Table 100 - Andy Henderson 6 p.m.

6/15 - Girlpool - Republic NOLA, New Orleans 6/16 - The Bar-kays - Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, Memphis 6/18 - Pegi Young & the Survivors - Saturn, Birmingham

(Left to right) Nigel Cole and Judson Wright formed hip-hop duo The Empty House and release their first mixtape, “New Day,” on May 22.

F

or many years, musicians Judson Wright and Nigel Cole were friends and ran in the same circles, but they didn’t make music together—at least, not outside of the school band. After graduating from Madison Central High School in 2012, the members of their friend group broke off to attend universities around the state but stayed in touch.

In May 2013, Wright formed R&B, funk and jazz-fusion act The CUT with shared friends Vinson and Vincent McMurtery, and Ben Atkinson while many of them were at the University of Southern Mississippi. Meanwhile, Cole attended the University of Mississippi and was mostly making music for himself.

That changed in fall 2016, when Wright and Cole were both in Jackson for Thanksgiving. While the two hung out, Wright showed his friend a few hip-hop instrumentals that he received from producers for whom he had worked as a session musician.

“I got really close to a few hip-hop producers, especially one (K-Twist from Utica, N.Y.), who gave me a bunch of beats,” Wright says. “But I was like, ‘Man, I like a lot of these. I just don’t know what to do with them.’ I played some of them for Nigel, and he said, ‘These are great.’ Basically, we kind of started riffing on them in the car when we were just talking. I think, just naturally over the next few days, we kind of grew to realize, ‘Hey, we could make an entire project out of these.’”

Over the holiday break, they holed up in the home of Wrights’ parents and began writing and recording what would become “New Day,” the first mixtape from their hip-hop duo, The Empty

House. In that first writing session, Cole says, they finished about eight of the songs that ended up on the 12-track tape, which they released on May 22.

“It just came at the right time,” he says. “I don’t know. We just had a burst of creativity, and we had to get it out.”

It helped that they already had solid instrumentals to write over, Wright says.

While K-Twist was the primary producer, “New Day” also features instrumentals from Captain, a producer based in Ventura, Calif., and Yasiin Clemens of Mt. Clemens, Mich. Given that Wright and Cole are also musicians, it shouldn’t surprise friends and fans that they also made a beat for one song on the mixtape, “Honor and Applause.”

While the duo is making a few of its own instrumentals for future releases, Wright says there will always be room for talented producers in The Empty House.

There are common elements in many hiphop beats that he wouldn’t necessarily put in himself, but they are important to the group’s sound, he says.

The Empty House is still evolving and open to new collaborations, but Cole says that they plan for the group to stay a two-man team for the foreseeable future.

“It gets messy when you add other people,” he says. “The chemistry may not be quite right. We bounce off each other well. … It’s going, you know. It’s working. I think our writing styles are compatible with each other, in that he writes more abstractly, kind of painting pictures, and I write more straightforward. But we just click. Whether that has something to do with us knowing each other for so long, I don’t know.”

The Empty House’s “New Day” is available now at soundcloud.com/theemptyhouse.

FREE LOW BALANCE ALERTS YOU WISH YOU HAD IN COLLEGE.

Held Over By Popular Demand They came together to make music. They ended up making history.

New Stage Theatre Presents Bank freely with Squad Student Banking.

It comes with free low balance alerts, free online banking, no monthly fee, a smartphone app, and more. Partner with Trustmark to begin teaching your kids the ins and outs of handling money.

JERRY LEE JOHNNY CARL ELVIS CASH PRESLEY LEWIS PERKINS

TRUSTMARK.COM/STUDENTBANKING

Trustmark - Jackson Free Press

MEDITERRANEAN GRILL

TRY THE YOSEPH BURGER TODAY 100% Angus Beef / Gyro Meat Tzatzik Sauce / Shredded Romaine American Cheese 730 Lakeland Dr. Jackson, MS | 601-366-6033 | Sun-Thurs: 11am - 10pm, Fri-Sat: 11am - 11pm W E D ELIVER F OR C ATERING O RDERS Fondren / Belhaven / UMC area

Book by COLIN ESCOTT and FLOYD MUTRUX Original Concept and Direction by FLOYD MUTRUX Inspired by ELVIS PRESLEY, JOHNNY CASH, JERRY LEE LEWIS and CARL PERKINS

Directed by Randy Redd Sponsored by

For tickets: 601-948-3531 or

newstagetheatre.com Originally developed and produced by Relevant Theatricals, John Cossette Productions and Northern Lights, Inc. at the Goodman Theatre, Robert Falls, Artistic Director - Roche Shulfer, Executive Director and transferred to The Apollo Theatre, Chicago, IL, 2008 Produced by the Village Theatre, Issaquah, Washington, Robb Hunt, Producer - Steve Tompkins, Artistic Director, 2007 and Seaside Music Theater, Daytona Beach, FL, Tippin Davidson, Producer - Lester Malizia, Artistic Director, 2006 “Million Dollar Quartet” is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials are supplied by Theatrical Rights Worldwide (TRW), 1180 Avenue of the Americas, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10036. (866) 378-9758 www.theatricalrights.com

June 14 - 20, 2017 • jfp.ms

4.375 x 8.375

23

Last Week’s Answers song) 47 Jan. 1, e.g.

48 Dwarf planet that dwarfs Pluto 50 ___ ipsum (faux-Latin phrase used as placeholder text) 52 Longtime “Saturday Night Live” announcer Don 55 Epiphany 59 “Way to botch that one” 61 Elevator innovator Elisha 62 In ___ (properly placed) 63 “___, With Love” (Lulu hit sung as an Obama sendoff on “SNL”) 64 Golden goose finder 65 Trial run 66 Enclosures to eds.

67 Sorts

BY MATT JONES

33 Great value 35 Ended gradually 37 “Oh, well!”

39 Actor Oka of “Heroes” 42 Deck for a fortuneteller 43 Prefix with space or plane 46 They clear the bases 49 Island with earth ovens called ‘umus 51 Eggplant, e.g.

52 Sound from an exam cheater 53 Frenchman’s female friend

Down

“Hm ...” —I think it’s stuck in the middle.

Across

June 14 - 20, 2017 • jfp.ms

1 “Listen up,” long ago 5 Allude (to) 10 1/8 of a fluid ounce 14 Perennial succulent 15 “I’d Be Surprisingly Good For You” musical 16 Certain mortgage, informally 17 Extinct New Zealand birds 18 Current host of “Late Night” 20 Far from optimal 22 Basic PC environment 23 Like lycanthropes 24 JetÈ, for one

24

26 Grand Coulee or Aswan, e.g.

28 “Kilroy Was Here” rock group 30 Anthony of the Red Hot Chili Peppers 34 Go off to get hitched 36 Mr. Burns’ word 38 This and that 39 Ceilings, informally 40 Past time 41 Emo band behind 2003’s “The Saddest Song” 43 “Ad ___ per aspera” 44 They may use tomatoes or mangoes 45 “Am ___ Only One” (Dierks Bentley

1 “Mad Men” star Jon 2 1966 N.L. batting champ Matty 3 Trap on the floor, slangily 4 “Tik Tok” singer 5 Vacation spot 6 Annually 7 Needs no tailoring 8 “I Love Lucy” neighbor 9 Zodiac creature 10 Times to use irrigation 11 Sax player’s item 12 “The Mod Squad” coif 13 Battleship call 19 It may be sent in a blast 21 One way to crack 25 ___ out a living (just gets by) 26 IOUs 27 Hawaii hello 29 II to the V power 31 Genre for Cannibal Corpse or Morbid Angel 32 Start

54 Decomposes 56 “Bonanza” son 57 Kroll of “Kroll Show” 58 Admonishing sounds 60 Abbr. after Shaker or Cleveland ©2017 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@ jonesincrosswords.com)

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 #828

BY MATT JONES Last Week’s Answers

“Sum Sudoku”

Put one digit from 1-9 in each square of this Sudoku so that the following three conditions are met: 1) each row, column and 3x3 box (as marked off by heavy lines in the grid) contains the digits 1-9 exactly one time; 2) no digit is repeated within any of the areas marked off by dotted lines; and 3) the sums of the numbers in each area marked off by dotted lines total the little number given in each of those areas. Now do what I tell you— solve!! psychosudoku@gmail.com

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):

Actress Marisa Berenson offers a line of anti-aging products that contain an elixir made from the seeds of a desert fruit known as prickly pear. The manufacturing process isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t easy. To produce a quart of the potion requires 2,000 pounds of seeds. I see you as having a metaphorically similar challenge in the coming weeks, Gemini. To create a small amount of the precious stuff you want, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m guessing youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have to gather a ton of raw materials. And there may be a desert-like phenomena to deal with, as well.

There are three kinds of habits: good, bad and neutral.

Neutral habits are neither good nor bad but use up psychic energy that might be better directed into cultivating good habits. Here are some examples: A good habit is when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re disciplined about eating healthy food; a bad habit is watching violent TV shows before going to bed, thereby disturbing your sleep; a neutral habit might be doing Sudoku puzzles. My challenge to you, Cancerian, is to dissolve one bad habit and one neutral habit by replacing them with two new good habits. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, cosmic forces will be on your side as you make this effort.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dear Dr. Astrology: Good fortune has been visiting me a lot lately. Many cool opportunities have come my way.

Life is consistently interesting. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve also made two unwise moves that fortunately didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t bring bad results. Things often work out better for me than I imagined they would!

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m grateful every day, but I feel like I should somehow show even more appreciation. Any ideas? â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Lucky Leo.â&#x20AC;?

Dear Lucky: The smartest response to the abundance you have enjoyed is to boost your generosity. Give out blessings. Dispense praise. Help people access their potentials.

Intensify your efforts to share your wealth.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):

Years ago, a fan of my work named Paul emailed to ask me if I wanted to get together with him and his friend when I visited New York. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Maybe you know her?â&#x20AC;? he wrote. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the artist Cindy Sherman.â&#x20AC;? Back then I had never heard of Cindy. But since Paul was smart and funny, I agreed to meet. The three of us convened in an elegant tea room for a boisterous conversation. A week later, when I was back home and mentioned the event to a colleague, her eyes got big, and she shrieked, â&#x20AC;&#x153;You had tea with THE Cindy Sherman.â&#x20AC;? She then educated me on how successful and inďŹ&#x201A;uential Cindyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s photography has been. I predict you will soon have a comparable experience, Virgo: inadvertent contact with an intriguing presence. Hopefully, because Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve given you a heads up, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll recognize whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happening as it occurs, and take full advantage.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never get access to the treasure thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s buried out under the cherry tree next to the ruined barn if you stay in your command center and keep staring at the map instead of venturing out to the barn. Likewise, a symbol of truth may be helpful in experiencing deeper meaning, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not the same as communing with the raw truth, and may even become a distraction from it. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s consider one further variation on the theme: The pictures in your mindâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eye may or may not have any connection with the world outside your brain. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s especially important that you monitor their accuracy in the coming days.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):

Maybe it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t such a good idea to go gallivanting so heedlessly into the labyrinth. Or maybe it was. Who knows?

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still too early to assess the value of your experiences in that maddening but fascinating tangle. You may not yet be fully able to distinguish the smoke and mirrors from the useful revelations. Which of the riddles youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve gathered will ultimately bring frustration, and which will lead you to wisdom? Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one thing I do know for sure: If you want to exit the labyrinth, an opportunity will soon appear.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

Over the years Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve read numerous news reports about people who have engaged in intimate relations with clunky inanimate objects. One had sex with a bicycle. Another se-

duced a sidewalk, and a third tried to make sweet love to a picnic table. I hope you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t join their ranks in the coming weeks. Your longing is likely to be extra intense, innovative and even exotic, but I trust you will conďŹ ne its expression to unions with adult human beings who know what theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re getting into and who have consented to play. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an old English word you might want to add to your vocabulary: â&#x20AC;&#x153;blissom.â&#x20AC;? It means â&#x20AC;&#x153;to bleat with sexual desire.â&#x20AC;?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):

Your life in the coming days should be low on lightweight diversions and high in top-quality content. Does that sound like fun? I hope so. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d love to see you enjoy the hell out of yourself as you cut the ďŹ&#x201A;uff and focus on the pith ... as you efďŹ ciently get to the hype-free heart of every matter and refuse to tolerate wafďŹ&#x201A;ing or stalling. So strip away the glossy excesses, my dear Capricorn. Skip a few steps if that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cause any envy. Expose the pretty lies, but then just work around them; donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get bogged down in indulging in negative emotions about them.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):

Inventor, architect and author Buckminster Fuller lived to the age of 87. For 63 of those years, he kept a detailed scrapbook diary that documented every day of his life. It included his reďŹ&#x201A;ections, correspondence, drawings, newspaper clippings, grocery bills and much other evidence of his unique story. I would love to see you express yourself with that much disciplined ferocity during the next two weeks. According to my astrological analysis, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in a phase when you have maximum power to create your life with vigorous ingenuity and to show everyone exactly who you are.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):

You have a cosmic license to enjoy almost too much sensual pleasure. In addition, you should feel free to do more of what you love to do than you normally allow yourself.

Be unapologetic about surrounding yourself with ďŹ&#x201A;atterers and worshipers. Be sumptuously lazy. Ask others to pick up the slack for you. Got all that? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just the ďŹ rst part of your oracle. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the rest: You have a cosmic license to explore the kind of spiritual growth thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s possible when you feel happy and fulďŹ lled. As you go through each day, expect life to bring you exactly what you need to uplift you. Assume that the best service you can offer your fellow humans is to be relaxed and content.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):

You have to admit that salt looks like sugar, and sugar resembles salt. This isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t usually a major problem, though.

Mistakenly sprinkling sugar on your food when you thought you were adding salt wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hurt you, nor will putting salt in your coffee when you assumed you were using sugar. But errors like these are inconvenient, and they can wreck a meal. You may want to apply this lesson as a metaphor in the coming days, Aries. Be alert for things that outwardly seem to be alike but actually have different tastes and effects.

HJC96N! ?JC: &- &&/(%6B"&'/(%EB

EJG8=6H: 6 76HH EGD H=DEH ;6I=:GĂ&#x2021;H 96N )"E68@ B>C> EA6C 6C9 H6K: 'PVS 6O %BUFE 'JFME -FWFM 5JDLFUT

706$)&34 0/-: (00% '03 3&(6-"3 4&"40/ (".&4

0OF #BTT 1SP 4IPQT (JGU $BSE -*.*5&% 50 5)& '*345 163$)"4&4

0OF DBNP . #SBWFT $BQ

ONLY $36

22Ć&#x192;Ä&#x201C;Ä&#x201C;Ä&#x201C;Ĺł K ` OÄ?Ć&#x192;>KĆ&#x192;`&O&T

8&OO&OO&HH& K ` OĹ&#x2019; >8Ć&#x192; >KĆ&#x192;T& 0 TO

BULLE TIN BOARD: Classifieds As low as $25!

HELP WANTED FOR SALE Pool Installers/Great Pay/Start Immediately Install above-ground pools. Average pay of about $900.00-$1200.00 per pool. Must own or have access to a Bobcat or front loader. Call 918-2492562 for details.

Cemetery Lots 4 Lots in Lakewood Memorial, Sec. 16.

Currently selling 1,400 ea. Will sell all four for 700 ea. 228 392 8372 Kubota L2350D 4x4 1993 25HP, Manual Transmission, diesel tractor with only 450 hours. $2150 Call me: 6016544933

TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD:

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

Deadline: Mondays at Noon.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):

Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a possible plan for the next 10 days: Program your smart phone to sound an alarm once every hour during the entire time youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re awake. Each time the bell or buzzer goes off, you will vividly remember your lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main purpose. You will ask yourself whether or not the activity youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re engaged in at that speciďŹ c moment is somehow serving your lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main purpose. If it is, literally pat yourself on the back and say to yourself, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Good job!â&#x20AC;? If itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not, say the following words: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am resolved to get into closer alignment with my soulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s codeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the blueprint of my destiny.â&#x20AC;?

Homework: Do a homemade ritual in which you vow to attract more blessings into your life. Report results at FreeWillAstrology.com.

June 14 - 20, 2017 â&#x20AC;˘ jfp.ms

CANCER (June 21-July 22):

25

DAD

Deserv the Be es st

May not be used for catering. Expires September 30, 2017.

•••• • ••• •••• •• ••••• • ••• •• •••••• •

$5 OFF • ••• • • •• • •• • • •

$10 OFF • ••• • • •• • •• • • •

••••••• •• •• •••• ••• ••• • •••••

Cannot be combined with other discounts or offers.

Shut Up and

WRITE!

START DATE: JUNE 24, 2017

Resolved to write?

Register now for JFP Editor Donna Ladd’s new creative non-fiction class series.

All levels welcome in the 101 classes.

Meets Saturdays 12 to 2:30 p.m.

June 24, July 8, 15, Aug. 5 Class will schedule 5th Meeting + Free Freelance Writing Workshop Classes recorded; attend online or watch later.

Japanese & Thai Express

25% OFF

$262

June 14 - 20, 2017 • jfp.ms

Mention this ad includes snacks + workbook

26

Download our new app!

Mon. - Sat., 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Maywood Mart Shopping Center 1220 E. Northside Dr. 601-366-5676 www.mcdadeswineandspirits.com Please Drink Responsibly

Meets at JFP in Capital Towers, 125 S. Congress St., #1324, writingtochange.com Must register: Call 601-966-0834 or email class@writingtochange.com

Dine In and Carry Out

Open Every Day 11:00 am - 9:00 pm 118 Service Dr Suite 17 Brandon, MS 601-591-7211

MONDAYS 9PM - 1AM

n Fe

ns

b Pu

i a SPONSORED BY

is

e th

p

c la

e

to

be

rO fo

pe

n

M

ic

&

Ka

o ra

ke

!

HT

IG N C

I M N

E OP

WITH

COMING UP

_________________________

WEDNESDAY 6/14

NEW BOURBON STREET JAZZ BAND

Wednesday, June 14

Dining Room - Free _________________________

THURSDAY 6/15

MATT NOOE

TUESDAYS STARTING AT 9PM

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

TAYLOR HILDEBRAND Dining Room - Free

JAMES MCMURTRY you CAN make it here to this great show!

Saturday, June 17

_________________________

FRIDAY 6/16

CHAD WESLEY Dining Room - Free

_________________________

SATURDAY 6/17

LEO MOREIRA

Dining Room - Free _________________________

MONDAY 6/19

SUGARCANE JANE Neil Young bandmate Anthony Crawford and wife Savana Lee playing folk rock

Tuesday, June 20 THE GRAHAMS AND THOMAS LINVILLE husband and wife americana duo with a special guest

Thursday, June 22

CENTRAL MS BLUES SOCIETY PRESENTS:

BLUE MONDAY Dining Room - 7 - 10pm

$3 Members $5 Non-Members _________________________

TUESDAY 6/20

RAPHAEL SEMMES & FRIENDS

Dining Room - Free _________________________

UPCOMING: _________________________

6/22 D’Lo Trio 6/23 Thomas Jackson 6/24 Crooked Creek 6/26 Blue Monday 6/27 Raphael Semmes & Friends 6/28 New Bourbon Street Jazz Band

_________________________ OFFICIAL

HOUSE VODKA

Visit HalandMals.com for a full menu and concert schedule

601.948.0888 200 S. Commerce St. Downtown Jackson, MS

ROBERT EARL KEEN how can you say no to THE robert earl keen?

Thursday, August 10

just announced!

ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO legendary country rock star in jackson in the flesh

Saturday, August 19

just announced!

THACKER MTN. RADIO HOUR LIVE FROM DULING famed oxford live radio show comes to Jackson!

just announced!

Monday, October 2

RAINBOW KITTEN SURPRISE no rainbows. no kittens. yes good music.

JX//RX COMPLETE SHOW LISTINGS & TICKETS

dulinghall.com

June 14 - 20, 2017 • jfp.ms

MATT COLLETTE WITH

27

Join Us On Our

Expanded Patio 7ZR ORFDWLRQV WR VHUYH \RX

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

/WNIF^ 3ZSJ !

E TH G

Now Featuring Live Music

O RO M

E RE N

-Pool Is Cool-

We’re still #1!

Best Place to Play Pool Henry Rhodes and Friends | 9pm

Best of Jackson 2017

6TSIF^ 3ZSJ $

INDUSTRY HAPPY HOUR

Selling your home ?

We buy homes fast!

Daily 11pm -2am

DAILY 12pm BEER- 7pm SPECIALS

POOL LEAGUE Mon - Fri Night

Live Sports & Karaoke

HAPPY HOUR 5-7 Everyday 2 For $7 Any Beer, $5 House Wine, $4 Wells Sushi and Hibachi grill 100 E. Capital St. Suite 105, Jackson MS www.wasabijacksonms.com 601.948.8808

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

Our Lounge is now open until 8pm Mon-Sat www.thecountrysquireonline.com

Chad Odie: 601.283.4026 noblehomebuyers@icloud.com noblehomebuyers