Columns
The Board of Supervisors (BOS) approved the FY 2013 budget by a 4-1 vote (Stokes voting no). I voted for this budget because we addressed many issues left unanswered in the past and removed/added them to the budget. The process was not...
“I think It’s the worst we’ve ever faced in my lifetime. It’s out of control. You’ve got a president with a different set of values than everybody. Obama is the most liberal president we’ve ever had.”...
Fall has arrived and, within a few days, October leaves will bring a spread of yellow, orange, brown and rust - fall colors, except for the evergreens. These colors are a harbinger for the State Fair. A half-million plus will walk the midway...
Hi y’all!
Yockanookany Ned here.
Years ago I had the pleasure of knowing and becoming friends with Tom Collins. (An easy name to remember.) Tom was the owner and proprietor of ‘The Q and M Bait Shop’ located...
Several unrelated things this week caused me to reflect on events in my life that need to be shared. I’m not talking about personal events but rather national occurrences. Tuesday I was attending Grandparent’s Day at my great-...
Ok, i have been officially scared out of my mind. I am teaching my 15-year-old John how to drive.
There is nothing quite like the fear felt by a doting parent in the passenger seat as his young son approaches a busy intersection. If he...
My sister, who lives in Arizona, called a few days ago to remind me of Dad’s birthday in late August. If Dad were living, he would be 120 years old. He was born in rural Bolivar County in 1892.
In my mind, as a pre-...
Politicians. Predictable as always and the Madison County Board of Supervisors are no different in that respect. You know the formula. Spend, spend, spend. Give sweet deals to the friends. Ignore anyone who questions the divine right of...
According to recent estimates, approximately 10 million men in the U.S. have testosterone deficiency but very few are receiving treatment. Men are living longer and are interested in maintaining their quality of life. Testosterone replacement...
Crash! Rattle! Roll! Welcome to a Sunday afternoon drive in the Bold New City.
I mean, what’s going on with the roads in Jackson? This is getting ridiculous. I understand our city has the misfortune of sitting on top of some...
August was still in single digits when digital school bells announced the start of another year. How can it be?
Back in the day we had the school year and we had summer; two distinct seasons that did not overlap. Each held the other at...
Over the years, as a gardener, a garden writer, and a garden traveler, I’ve first and last subscribed at least for a while to all of the garden magazines available. From the slick pages and high-end landscaping of Garden Design to the...
I recently returned to Ireland after a 32-year absence. Apparently, nobody missed me much.
Thirty-two years ago, Ireland was the poorest country in Europe and I was a backpacker with a scraggly orange beard.
Today, Ireland is...
Well, another four years has rolled around, it’s election season again, and thus I feel compelled to write my quadrennial letter to the editor at the Northside Sun. When I last wrote in 2008, I was appealing to the best in all of us as...
WE ARE OFF and running. We have suffered and have endured the extreme heat in July, cabin fever has set in. A break in the schedule is to attend the Natchez Food and Wine Festival. This festival is a regularly scheduled event the last weekend...
On some mornings my Clarion-Ledger makes me wish I lived in a country where I didn’t speak the language. Last Saturday, for example, I learned that the First Baptist Church of Crystal Springs, responding to a handful of its members...
On July 13th the USA International Ballet Competition Organization, hereinafter referred to as IBC, conducted an honorary dinner for W.D. (Billy) Mounger at the Country Club of Jackson and on the following night a gala...
You can tell Jackson’s Precinct Four Commander James McGowan loves his job. From the time he was a child, he wanted to be a policeman. He loves the job so much he would do it for free.
With a wife and family, that might be a bit...
It's important we all understand the term "debt service" as it applies to the federal government's borrowing to finance its operation. At this point in time 40 percent of our spending comes from debt. The Treasury Department...
The E911 fund for Hinds County will run out of money in March 2014 if contracts with Airwave LLC are not terminated in October when it is legal for the county to do so, according to a spreadsheet obtained by this columnist. County and municipal...
when I changed the date on my editorial page, I realized this will publish on my birthday. Time for my annual column of personal retrospection. I will be 54.
It seems like yesterday, I was having to admit to middle age. Now I am having...
What is that particle within that magnetically draws me closer to a screen door?
Perhaps it is the proximity to a porch with rocking chairs or a swing hanging low or a kitchen where tomatoes sit upside down on the counter.
...
Did you ever plan a dinner party and consider inviting a new guest? Or a weekend trip - shopping excursion or hunting trip, with space for one more person? How did you decide whom to choose? And how did it turn out - amiably, with a prospect of...
THE GAMES of the gods place warriors from countries around the world into battle every fourth year. The ancient Olympic Games were said to have been founded by Hercules, son of Zeus. This year’s games may not be in the home of the gods...
What does the Hospitality State need to do to welcome more jobs?
Some answers might come from a recent CNBC ranking (“America’s Top States for Business 2012”). It tells an interesting story about us....
