May 1 2014 - The Mississippi Link
Transcription
May 1 2014 - The Mississippi Link
www.mississippilink.com Vol. 20, No. 27 May 1 - 7, 2014 50¢ Know the signs - page 16 American Stroke Month Tornadoes kill 11 as storm moves across South Photo of the Week MAYOR TONY YARBER TAKES OATH OF OFFICE Storm damage in Pearl, Miss., April 28, 2014 PHOTO BY KEVIN ROBINSON By Adrian Sainz and Jeff Amy Associated Press TUPELO, Miss. - A dangerous storm system that spawned a chain of deadly tornadoes over three days flattened homes and businesses, forced frightened residents in more than half a dozen states to take cover and left tens of thousands in the dark Tuesday morning, April 27. As the storm hopscotched across a large swatch of the U.S., the overall death toll was at least 28, with 11 killed in the South on Monday and 17 in the central U.S. on Sunday. On Tuesday morning, many woke to sirens, tornado warnings, damaged property and downed trees. Forecasts showed Georgia as the next likely target, with 89 counties under a tornado watch until 11 a.m. Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee were hit with the brunt of the storm Monday. In Mississippi, Republican State Sen. Giles Ward huddled in a bathroom with his wife, four other family members and their dog Monday as a tornado destroyed his two-story brick house and flipped his son-in- law’s SUV upside down onto the patio in Louisville. “For about 30 seconds, it was unbelievable,” Ward said. “It’s about as awful as anything we’ve gone through.” The dangerous weather jangled nerves a day after the three-year anniversary of a historic outbreak of more than 60 tornadoes that killed more than 250 people across Alabama on April 27, 2011. The storm even sent staff at a TV news station running Tornado Continued on page 5 The LA Clippers Donald Sterling Case: ‘Silence is not golden.’ By Leon Williams Special to The Mississippi Link Inside “Repugnant!” “Stupidity!” “Unacceptable!” These are descriptions used by current and former NBA players describing their outrage at racist remarks recently credited to LA Clippers owner, Donald Sterling. There’s no quarrel over the unacceptability of Sterling’s purported comments. However, the social, political and economic tapestry upon which black America is woven has been under siege historically and continues to face mounting assaults against civil liberties and freedoms, many of which were considered settled law. The Tea Party inspired political attacks on voting rights of minority citizens, education and resistance to increases in the minimum wage presently fuel relentless bombardments on every aspect of presentday African American existence. In the same manner, recent decisions against Affirmative Action by the U.S. Supreme Court also threaten to turn the clock back. Government subsidy-inspired deadbeat Cliven Bundy’s conjecture that black Americans were perhaps better off as slaves may seem unconnected to Sterling’s comments, but further scrutiny reveals the thought Prayer for Jackson’s Mayor Yarber Page 10 process is inextricably linked. The adage silence is golden provides the bedrock upon which present day bigotry exists. Fox News pundits and other conservative operatives who supported Bundy tooth and nail, but now can’t distance themselves from him fast enough, are not motivated by the fact Bundy is a racist, but instead, are motivated by the fact he Sterling AP PHOTO/MARK J. TERRILL verbalized it. The NBA player’s outrage is also eral, nor the players in particular. In driven by Sterling’s verbalization fact with few exceptions, the league of his sentiments. Even more dis- and its players have remained silent! Suggestions of boycotts and imposed sanctions against the Clippers COMMENTARY organization should serve as a model turbing is their silence in face of the for not only black Americans, but all aforementioned onslaughts against Americans who value equality and African American culture in general. fairness as it relates to other instituBasketball is a game, but the tions. game of life, rife with unfaltering The lesson to be learned for NBA displays of inequality, injustice and players in particular is two-fold: in insensitivity concerning the realities spite of their affluence and status, we of the day-to-day existence of black are all in the same boat. But most of Americans has not inspired the same all, silence is not golden! level of outrage by the NBA in gen- DeAnna Tisdale in concert, “An Enchanted Evening” Page 4 With his hand on the old family Bible held by wife Rosalind Yarber, Mayor Yarber takes oath to serve the city of Jackson. Oath is being administered by Judge Frank Sutton. PHOTO BY JAY JOHNSON See photos on page 3 Conquering cancer: Susan G. Komen and Fannie Lou Hamer - different backgrounds, a common cause Hinds County Tax Collector Eddie Fair (C) and employees raise cancer awareness. By Ayesha K. Mustafaa Editor Hinds County Tax Collector Eddie Fair stood with his employees at his office Monday, April 28, 2014, as they wore their solidarity t-shirts to work, exclaiming: “My God is bigger than the cure.” One employee went further noting that when you are in for the fight of your life - like conquering cancer, then “fight like a girl!” The employees of the Hinds County Tax Collector’s office and their boss participated in the 2014 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure through downtown Jackson, April 12, 2014. They were the largest government agency in the annual race, with just over 20 joining in. Fair said they were motivated to come out and show solidarity with employee Tawana Mallard Mississippians cherish Easter Egg Roll at The White House who is battling stage 4 breast cancer. Fair also revealed that he is a cancer survivor and the nephew of Fannie Lou Hamer who died from the disease. “I am proud of my workers who pitched in and showed their concern about cancer,” Fair said. “They bought the t-shirts they are wearing with their own money, which in turn was donated to help purchase medicine for cancer patients.” Fair said one of his priorities is to bring attention to the Fannie Lou Hamer Cancer Foundation. There are citizens who don’t have insurance and cannot afford medical care, he said. So the state senate recently allocated $300,000 to the Foundation. “That’s a start,” Fair said. “But we need $6 million to make the Foundation work.” Thursday, April 24, 2014, the Fannie Lou Hamer Cancer Foun- dation (FLHCF) and the Mississippi Network for Cancer Control and Prevention hosted a developmental fundraising meeting. The meeting was held at the Ruleville Community House, 114 Church St., in Ruleville, Miss. Freddie White-Johnson is founder and president of the FLHCF and program director of the MS Network for Cancer Control and Prevention at University of Southern Mississippi. “We invited about 25 key stakeholders, including Eddie Fair, who is a native of Sunflower County and relative of the late Fannie Lou Hamer. “Mr. Fair wants to eliminate cancer mortality in our state. Through resources, expertise and Cancer Continued on page 2 Share this issue with a friend by mailing it to: Page 5 2 • the mississippi link May 1 - 7, 2014 Cancer Continued from page 1 referring donors, he is a big asset. At this workshop, we provided an overview of the last meeting and discussed additional steps required to move us forward through fundraising initiatives.” According to WhiteJohnson, participation in phase II of construction of the headquarters for the Fannie Lou Hamer Cancer Foundation, which is a statewide organization), More employees who ran in the Susan G. Komen Run for a Cure race. will help provide a necessary critical sense of the need to erect the $5.5 million cancer center, replete with furnishings and named in honor of Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer. “This project, from process to completion, will give back to the community both in terms of improved health status and as an economic catalyst, in ways that provide a tangible reminder of the good things that overflow from the work that we do,” said White-Johnson. She said the FLHCF also focuses on children with cancer, in 2012 assisting an 8-year-old boy battling cancer. “We are calling for one million heroes to donate $1, which has been posted on Facebook, Twitter, etc.,” she added. If anyone would like to donation, they can do it by mail: FLHCF, P. O. Box 755, Ruleville, MS 38771 or make a Paypal donation through their website at www.flhcf. com Fair and employees show off t-shirt backs supporting cancer survivor Twana Mallard. PHOTOS BY AYESHA K. MUSTAFAA www.mississippilink.com www.mississippilink.com May 1 - 7, 2014 THE mississippi link • 3 Swearing-in Ceremony of Mayor Tony Yarber at City Hall Thursday, April 24, 2014, Jackson, Miss. photos by Jay Johnson Flora Library patron Dr. Francie A. Brown In spite of huge obstacles and with total commitment, our friend and patron, Francie A. Brown of Bentonia, Miss., completed her doctoral studies with New Foundation Theological Seminary in Terry, Miss. and will graduate May 3, 2014. Brown, 60, overcame her lack of keyboard experience and her fear of the computer and plunged into her work, having been inspired by her friend and pastor, Dr. Benjamin Wallace of Eden CME Church, Carrollton, Miss. She said he told her, “Something about you tells me that God has work for you and you need to get to it.” Brown dedicated herself to the task, stumbling into the library every day with terrible, crippling arthri- Brown tis pain. Two weeks before completing her dissertation, Brown was hit by a car. Undaunted and still enthusiastic, she soldiered on. This kind of determination is rare and admirable. We at the Flora Library are so proud of Francie (now Doctor of Theology) and wish her the very best of everything. LOCAL 4 • the mississippi link May 1 - 7, 2014 Tisdale coming to Jackson for “An Enchanted Evening” concert The Mississippi Link Newswire DeAnna Esther Marie Tisdale, daughter of the late publisher of The Advocate newspaper Charles Tisdale and its current publisher Alice Tisdale, is coming to Jackson. She will be in grand classical style Thursday, June 19, 2014, at 7:30 p.m., when she performs at the Belhaven Center for the Arts, 835 Riverside Dr. She also sung at the July 1, 2013 inauguration of the late Mayor Chokwe Lumumba at the Convention Center. Just last month in Washington, D.C., at the Black Press Conference, she stood in for her family to accept the Legacy Award honoring her father’s work posthumously. DeAnna is currently pursuing a graduate performance diploma in vocal performance from the Boston Conservatory, where Kathryn Wright is her vocal instructor. Her aspiration is to make her own path as an opera singer. She has performed the role of the Forester’s Wife and covered the role of the Fox in Janacek’s opera The Cunning Little Vixen. She studied the role of Nannetta from Verdi’s Falstaff with the world-renowned Martina Arroyo Foundation’s Prelude to Performance program. She has also covered Santuzza from Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana at the University of Southern Mississippi. DeAnna has been in the chorus of Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana and Puccini’s La Boheme with the University of Southern Mississippi and J. Strauss’ Die Fledermaus with the Mississippi Opera. She sang with the Mississippi Opera in their 2009-2010 Champagne season as a soloist in The Best of Opera Choruses and as a chorus member in Die Fledermaus. During the summer of 2009, Tisdale she traveled to Rome where she took part in the Opera Festival di Roma, a one-month school to train rising opera singers. Winning 1st place in a regional NATS competition in November 2011 was right on the heels of her accomplishment in July 2011 when she performed in Los Angeles, at the 102nd Annual NAACP Convention during the Spingarn Awards. DeAnna received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in music/ vocal performance from Tougaloo College and her Master of Music (M.M.) degree in vocal performance from the University of Southern Mississippi, where she graduated both magna cum laude. She is also continuing the legacy of her father Charles Tisdale and the work that he started with the Jackson Advocate newspaper in Jackson as its associate publisher. Tickets to the June concert are $25 and can be reserved at 601-948-4122 or by email at alicethomastisdale@gmail. com. To learn more about DeAnna, visit her website at www. deannatisdale.com The Jackson Medical Mall ‘Neighborhood Clean Up Day’ Volunteers The Mississippi Link Newswire The Jackson Medical Mall Foundation (JMMF) held its annual ”Neighborhood Cleanup Day” Saturday, April 12, 2014, 8 a.m. to 12p.m. This event is one of the Foundation’s many efforts in making a difference for the East Village/Homestead Heights Community. Volunteers, sponsors, and partners joined with the JMMF staff to work together to make East Village/Homestead Heights shine. Among them were church members, family members and friends who were looking for the opportunity to give community service. Participants were treated with pizza after the cleanup. The JMMF also accepted monetary donations and paper products toward the successful cleanup day. A dumpster and cherry pickers were also required. Monetary donors received receipts as this is a non-profit effort. The Jackson Medical Mall Foundation is a non-profit organization and management arm of the Jackson Medical Mall, based in Jackson. JMMF promotes health care and economic development, benefiting an underserved population in a designated revitalization district. The Jackson Medical Mall is a modern medical complex that pro- vides medical care, human services, and state-of-the-art ambulatory health care for the urban poor and the economically disadvantaged residents of Jackson. It is the only facility of its kind in the nation that provides to the community a collective of quality healthcare, human services, and an economic development component. Renamed the Jackson Medical Mall Thad Cochran Center, in 2001, the Mall is a hub of growth and revitalization. For ways to participate in the next clean up or to assist the programs of the JMMF, call Erskine Brown at 601-982-8467 ext. 27 or fax to 601982-8468. JMMF is located at 350 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave., Suite 107, Jackson, MS 39213. Visit the JMMF website at www.jacksonmedicalmall.org. www.mississippilink.com www.mississippilink.com May 1 - 7, 2014 THE mississippi link • 5 Tornado Continued from page 1 for cover. NBC affiliate WTVA-TV chief meteorologist Matt Laubhan in Tupelo, Miss., was reporting live on the weather around 3 p.m. when he realized the twister was coming close enough that maybe he and his staff should abandon the television studio. “This is a tornado ripping through the city of Tupelo as we speak. And this could be deadly,” he said in a video widely tweeted and broadcast on YouTube. Moments later he added, “A damaging tornado. On the ground. Right now.” The video then shows Laubhan peeking in from the side to see if he is still live on the air before yelling to staff off-camera to get down in the basement. “Basement, now!” he yelled, before disappearing off camera himself. Later, the station tweeted, “We are safe here.” Weather satellites showed tumultuous clouds arcing across much of the South over the course of the day Monday. The system is the latest onslaught of severe weather a day after a halfmile-wide tornado carved an 80mile path of destruction through the suburbs of Little Rock, Ark., killing at least 15. Tornadoes or severe storms also killed one person each in Oklahoma and Iowa on Sunday. Six people died in Winston County, Miss., on Monday, including a woman who perished in the day care center she owned in Louisville, county Coroner Scott Gregory told The Associated Press late Monday. Louisville is the county seat and home to about 6,600 people. It was unclear if any children were in the day care center at the time, said William McCully, acting spokesman for the Winston County Emergency Management Agency. Earlier Monday, emergency officials attending a news conference with Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant said seven people had been killed statewide. State Director of Health Protection Jim Craig said officials were working with coroners to confirm the total. It was unclear if the deaths in Winston County were included in that tally. In southern Tennessee, two peo- ple were killed in a home when a suspected tornado hit Monday night, Lincoln County Emergency Management Director Mike Hall said. The winds destroyed several other homes as well as a middle school in the county that borders Alabama, Hall said. Along Mississippi Highway 397 on the eastern edge of Louisville early Tuesday, firefighters could be seen picking through the remains of an unidentified number of pulverized mobile homes. Lt. Brian Arnett of the Starkville Fire Department said they were searching for three people who were unaccounted for. About 100 yards away, 20 firefighters linked hands and waded through an area where woodframe homes had been heavily damaged. Trees in Louisville had been snapped in half and stripped of their branches, while sheet metal had twisted itself around road signs and tree trunks. Rescue workers stepped gingerly over downed power lines. The tornado in Louisville also caused water damage and carved holes in the roof of the Winston Medical Center, according to an Associated Press reporter at the center. There were about 15 patients in hospital rooms and eight or nine in the emergency room, where evacuations were underway. “We thought we were going to be OK then a guy came in and said, ‘It’s here right now,’” said Dr. Michael Henry, head of the emergency room. “Then boom ... it blew through.” One of the deaths in Mississippi involved a woman who was killed when her car either hydroplaned or was blown off a road during the storm in Verona, south of Tupelo, said Lee County Coroner Carolyn Gillentine Green. In northern Alabama, the coroner’s office confirmed two deaths Monday in a twister that caused extensive damage west of the city of Athens, said Limestone County Emergency Director Rita White. White said more victims could be trapped in the wreckage of damaged buildings, but rescuers could not reach some areas because of downed power lines. Separately, Limestone Commis- sioner Bill Latimer said he received reports of four deaths in the county from one of his workers. Neither the governor’s office nor state emergency officials could immediately confirm those deaths. Numerous watches and warnings were still active in Alabama, with forecasters warning the severe weather could continue all night. In Tupelo, Miss., a community of about 35,000 in northeastern Mississippi, every building in a twoblock area south of U.S. Highway 78 suffered damage, officials told a reporter on the scene. Some buildings had their roofs sheared off, while power lines had been knocked down completely or bent at 45-degree angles. Road crews were using heavy machinery to clear off other streets. The Northeast Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo had received 30 patients as of Monday night, four of whom were being admitted with non-life-threatening injuries, said center spokeswoman Deborah Pugh. Pugh said the other 26 patients were treated for minor injuries and released. Bryant declared a state of emergency Monday in advance of the storms, which sent emergency officials rushing to put plans in place. With the wind howling outside and rain blowing sideways, Monica Foster rode out a tornado warning with her two daughters, ages 10 and 12, inside a gas station near Fayette, Ala. One of the girls cried as the three huddled with a station employee in a storage area beside a walk-in cooler. Foster, who was returning home to Lynn on rural roads after a funeral in Tuscaloosa, said she typically would have kept driving through the deluge. “I wouldn’t have pulled in if I didn’t have the two girls,” she said. Amy reported from Louisville, Miss. Associated Press writers Jack Elliott Jr. and Emily Wagster Pettus in Jackson, Miss; Janet McConnaughey in New Orleans; Jay Reeves in Birmingham, Ala.; AP Photographer Butch Dill in Fayette, Ala.; Phillip Lucas in Atlanta; Russ Bynum in Savannah, Ga., contributed to this report. Mississippians cherish experience at White House Egg Roll Tiffany Williams and Jessica Bryant with children Semaj and Semyah at White House The Mississippi Link Newswire Jackson, Miss. youth Semaj and Semyah Bryant, accompanied by their mother Tiffany Williams and aunt Jessica Bryant, were among 30,000 guess on the South Lawn of the White House for the 136th Easter Egg Roll, April 21, 2014. The trip to Washington, D.C. for the occasion was made possible by local businessman Leroy Walker and the McDonald’s Corporation. Walker provided the family with four tickets, drawing their names in a lottery to make the trip. The 2014 Egg Roll theme was “Hop Into Health, Swing Into Shape” and was part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” initiative encouraging fitness and healthful eating among children. There was so much excitement entailed in “rolling an egg with a spoon and then finding others on the White House lawn.” Souvenirs given to the participants were decorated eggs signed by President Barack and Michelle Obama. Williams and Bryant, with the children, attended cooking stations, participated in games and crafts, took pictures with the Easter Bunny and stood behind a replica of the president’s podium. While in the nation’s capital, the family visited the office of their U.S. Senator, Thad Cochran. Cochran’s office afforded them a tour of the Capitol. Storm damage in Sweet Home sub-division in Pearl, Miss. PHOTOS BY KEVIN JOHNSON HEALTH 6 • the mississippi link May 1 - 7, 2014 www.mississippilink.com Study: Statins may lead some patients to pig out By Lindsey Tanner AP Medical Writer CHICAGO - Ten years of U.S. data suggest cholesterollowering statins are giving patients a license to pig out. Calorie and fat intake increased among statin users during the decade - an indication that many patients might be abandoning heart-healthy lifestyles and assuming that drugs alone will do the trick, the study authors said. They said the goals of statin treatment should be to help patients achieve benefits unattainable by other methods, “not to empower them to put butter on their steak.” Statins may keep cholesterol low even if people eat less healthy food and slack off on exercise, but those bad habits can contribute to obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and other problems that are bad for the heart. The study was published online April 24 in JAMA Internal Medicine. Dr. Rita Redberg, the journal’s editor, said the study “raises concerns of a potential moral hazard of statin use,” in addition to already known potential side effects risks including muscle aches and diabetes. “Statins provide a false reassurance,” she said. “People seem to believe that statins can compensate for poor dietary choices and sedentary life.” The researchers examined 1990-2010 government health surveys involving nearly 28,000 adults aged 20 and older. Different people were surveyed each year, underwent physical exams and blood tests, and reported their food intake. The portion who used statins steadily increased, from eight percent in the first year to 17 percent in the final year. Statin users in the first year consumed on average 2,000 calories daily; those in the final year consumed 2,192 daily calories. Average fat intake also increased, from 72 grams daily to 82 grams daily. Experts generally recommend no more than 77 grams daily for adults consuming 2,000 calories daily. The increase was seen in total fat intake and saturated fats, the least healthy kind. Average body-mass index among statin users increased from 29 - just below the cutoff for obesity - to 31, or one point higher than that cutoff. Diabetes also increased - 29 percent of statin users had it in 2010 versus 22 percent in the study’s first year. A link between statin use and diabetes has been documented previously, but reasons for the trend in the study are uncertain. Calories and fat intake were lower among statin users than nonusers early on, but by the final years that difference vanished. Calories, fat intake and diabetes remained stable among adults not using statins, and there was a smaller increase in body-mass index among nonusers, although the average BMI remained in the overweight category throughout. The study doesn’t prove that statin use prompted patients to slack off, or that there is a true link between the drugs and the changes seen. But the researchers said the results raise troubling questions. If, for example, the average statin user is eating 192 more calories daily than 10 years ago, that could translate into many extra pounds each year - unless activity levels also increased, said Dr. Martin Shapiro, the senior author and an internist and researcher at the University of California in Los Angeles. The study “certainly doesn’t mean that everyone responds this way, but the concern is that people who are on statins ought to be particularly careful about how many calories they eat and what kinds of foods they eat,” he said. “They don’t appear to be doing that.” Shapiro said the results mirror his own experience taking statins. With a family history of heart disease, Shapiro said he had carefully controlled his weight and avoided high cholesterol foods. But Shapiro said he “began to be less stringent” about his diet after his doctor prescribed a statin to lower his “bad” cholesterol. Heart disease prevention guidelines issued last November by the American Heart FILE - This June 14, 2011, file photo, shows the drug Lipitor at Medco Health Solutions Inc., in Willingboro, N.J. In a study published online Thursday, April 24, 2014, in JAMA Internal Medicine, 10 years of U.S. data suggest cholesterol-lowering statins are giving patients a license to pig out. AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File Association and American College of Cardiology stress the need for healthy lifestyles and include recommendations for regular exercise and heart-healthy eating. But they also would broaden statin use about one-third of U.S. adults would be told to consider taking the drugs under the guidelines. The study authors said they worry that expanded statin use could lead more people to abandon healthy lifestyles. But Dr. Neil Stone, a North- western University heart specialist who chaired the guidelines committee, said he disagrees. Stone said the study “fits right in with the guidelines’ message” that prevention is best achieved by following a heart-healthy lifestyle and appropriate statin use, rather than striving for an arbitrary cholesterol level. “My patients have always been taught that it’s not just enough to take medicine,” Stone said. Report: Health exchanges’ drug coverage confusing By Carla K. Johnson AP Medical Writer CHICAGO - The hunt for a health plan that would cover a particular drug or a favorite doctor proved particularly frustrating for many consumers navigating the new insurance exchanges under the federal government’s health care overhaul, according to a report released April 28. In nearly half the 85 health plans analyzed, it was difficult or impossible for people to determine what drugs were covered, according to the report by market research firm Avalere Health, the first systematic analysis of consumer experience on the exchanges. The report analyzed health plans in five states that relied on the federal HealthCare. gov website, as well as staterun exchange plans in Washington, D.C., and a dozen states. A directory of doctors was somewhat easier to find, but there were still some cases in which it was a very demanding search, the report found. What’s more, the websites typically ranked plans by premium price, which could have misled patients who needed a specific costly medication if it wasn’t covered by the cheapest plan, Avalere spokeswoman Caroline Pearson said. “It was very difficult for consumers to get a more nuanced view of what their plans covered,” Pearson said. In some cases, a consumer would have to click six times to find drug coverage information. Even worse, no links to lists of covered drugs existed for some health plans. That forced consumers to search insurance company websites, and, even if they found the covered drug lists, it could be tough to determine The Mississippi Link TM Volume 20 • Number 27 May 1 - 7, 2014 © copyright 2014. All rights reserved. Publisher.................................................Jackie Hampton Editor.......................................................Ayesha K. Mustafaa Online Editor...........................................Lonnie Ross Religion Editor........................................Daphne Higgins Sports Writer:.........................................Tim Ward Graphics..................................................Marcus Johnson Photographers........................................Kevin Robinson & Jay Johnson Member: which lists went with the exchange plans they were comparing, Pearson said. “Many chronic conditions rely on medications for management and to keep people out of the hospital,” Pearson said. “If your drug is not covered, then you’re responsible for the full cost or you have to switch to a different drug. The impact on the patient could be several thousands of dollars a year.” The situation should improve soon, Pearson said, noting the government will require plans on the federal exchange for 2015 to have direct links to lists of covered drugs, also known as formularies. “It has long been difficult for consumers to tell what prescriptions are covered by different plans, which is why the health care law has taken steps to make this informa- The Mississippi Link [USPS 017224] is published weekly by The Mississippi Link, Inc. Offices located at 2659 Livingston Road, Jackson, MS 39213. Mailing address is P.O. Box 11307, Jackson, MS 39283-1307 or e-mail us at: [email protected]; Please visit our website at: www.mississippilink.com. Phone: (601) 896-0084, Fax 896-0091, out of state 1-800-748-9747. Periodical Postage Rate Paid at Jackson, MS. Deadline: The deadline for submitting items to be considered for publication is Tuesday at 10 a.m. Subscriptions are $32 per year; $64 for two years or $96 for three years. Postmaster: Send all address changes to The Mississippi Link, P.O. Box 11307, Jackson, MS 39283-1307. Advertising: For all advertising information, please call (601) 896-0084. The Mississippi Link accepts no responsibility for unsolicited materials and in general does not return them to sender. Manuscripts and photographs submitted for publication are welcome by The Mississippi Link, but no responsibility can be taken for sources considered to be authoritative, because the publication cannot guarantee their accuracy. Reproduction or use, without permission, of editorial or graphic content, is prohibited. tion more readily available,” said Health and Human Services spokesman Aaron Albright. The pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc. funded the analysis; Avalere maintained control over the content. Nevada was the only state exchange the report analyzed with a tool to search for drugs so consumers could shop for a health plan based on their medications. But the tool didn’t estimate out-of-pocket costs and was confusing when trying to differentiate between different tiers of medications. Nevada’s website had other problems, which weren’t mentioned in the report, requiring officials to authorize a special enrollment period for thousands of people who may have tried to sign up but were thwarted by consistent errors. An independent auditor early this month said Nevada’s ex- FILE - In this March 31, 2014 file photo, navigator John Jones explains the many options to a client seeking help buying health insurance at the Family Guidance Center in Springfield, Ill. AP Photo/Seth Perlman, File change failed to meet key performance benchmarks and recommended Xerox, its designer, be assessed penalties. For each website, Avalere analyzed the accessibility of information for five health plans, scoring it by the number of clicks and whether a consumer would have to hunt from an insurance company’s home page or was directed to a dedicated page with the needed information. “It’s very important that we focus on how to make plan Subscribe TODAY comparison much easier than it was in most exchanges in the first year,” said Robert Krughoff, president of Consumers’ Checkbook, a nonprofit group that developed a model comparison tool with some features that several state-run exchanges are planning to add. “None of the sites has done a good job helping consumers compare out-of-pocket costs,” Krughoff said. “That results in consumers wasting thousands of dollars a year.” 2659 Livingston Road • Jackson MS, 39213 601-896-0084 • www.mississippilink.com The Mississippi Link Name Address City, State, Zip Phone e-Mail CHECK r 1 year ONE $32 1 year subscription r 2 year $64 2 year subscription r 3 year $96 3 year subscription Thank you for your order. Order a subscription for a friend! NATIONAL www.mississippilink.com May 1 - 7, 2014 THE mississippi link • 7 Employee opens fire at Fedex sorting center By Kate Brumback The Associated Press KENNESAW, Ga. - A FedEx employee wearing ammunition draped across his chest “like Rambo” opened fire Tuesday, April 29, at a package-sorting center outside Atlanta, wounding six people before apparently committing suicide, police and witnesses said. In addition to a shotgun, the gunman also had an undisclosed number of Molotov cocktails, but he did not use them in the attack, police said. The shooter, who was not publicly identified, was found dead inside. He worked as a package handler at the sprawling facility, Cobb County police Sgt. Dana Pierce said. Investigators have an idea of what his motive may have been, but they were not prepared to disclose it yet, Pierce said. Three of the wounded were hospitalized in critical condition, including two who were in surgery with life-threatening injuries. The gunman first shot a security guard at a shack outside the building before heading inside, Pierce said. David Titus, a FedEx truck driver, said he was just coming to work around 6 a.m. when he saw a security guard get shot in the abdomen. He said he heard more gunfire later from inside the building. “It was chaos,” Titus said. “Everyone was running, ducking and hiding, trying to get out of there.” FedEx clerk Liza Aiken said she was working when she heard something drop, looked to her left and saw the gunman. “He had bullets strapped across his chest like Rambo” and held a knife, Aiken said at the entrance to a parking lot where employees had gathered after the attack. Before she could continue, a woman wearing a FedEx jacket told Aiken to stop talking and led her away. The two people in surgery were a 28-year-old man and a 52-year-old woman. The third critical victim was a 22-yearold man, said Dr. Michael Nitzken of Wellstar Kennestone Hospital. Another man, 38, remained at the hospital but was stable. Two other victims - a 42-year-old woman and a 19-year-old man were treated and released. The FBI and other agencies were working to collect evidence at the package center in Kennesaw. The facility about 25 miles north of Atlanta sorts packages and loads them onto vehicles for delivery. It’s next to the general-aviation airport for suburban Cobb County. After the attack, police blocked roads leading to the FedEx center. The company offered no details about the attack, saying only that it was “focused on the needs of our team members and cooperating with the law enforcement investigation of this tragedy.” The package center was shut down and surrounded by crime-scene tape. The full investigation is expected to take a long time because authorities have to search every part of the 500,000-square-foot facility for evidence. FedEx Employee Lisa Aiken, wearing bandana, is embraced by a coworker as other FedEx employees gather at a skating rink following a shooting at a FedEx facility in Kennesaw, Ga., on Tuesday, April 29, 2014. A shooter described as being armed with an assault rifle and having bullets strapped across his chest opened fire Tuesday morning at a FedEx station outside Atlanta, wounding at least six people before police found the suspect dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot. AP Photo/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Brant Sanderlin Botched execution offers new evidence to attorneys By JIM SALTER The Associated Press ST. LOUIS (AP) -- A bungled execution in Oklahoma provides death penalty opponents with a fresh, startling example of how lethal injections can go wrong. But the odds of successfully challenging the nation’s main form of capital punishment will probably hinge on exactly what caused the inmate’s apparent agony. If four-time convicted felon Clayton Lockett suffered because of a collapsed vein or improperly inserted IV, the legal landscape might not change much. If the execution drugs or the secrecy surrounding them played a role, defense attorneys for other prisoners could have powerful new evidence to press the U.S. Supreme Court to get involved, legal experts say. A day after the execution went awry, attorneys for some deathrow inmates began planning new appeals or updating existing cases based on events in Oklahoma. Many called for moratoriums and independent investigations. “Every prison is saying, `We have it under control, trust us,’” said Texas attorney Maurie Levin, who spent Wednesday preparing new briefs questioning that state’s execution practices. “This just underscores in bold that we can’t trust them, and prisons have to be accountable to the public and transparent in the method by which they carry out executions.” The 38-year-old Lockett, convicted of shooting a woman and watching as two accomplices buried her alive, was declared unconscious 10 minutes after the first of three drugs was administered Tuesday. Three minutes later, he began breathing heavily, writhing, clenching his teeth and straining to lift his head. Authorities halted the execution, but Lockett died of a suspected heart attack more than 40 minutes after the process began. An autopsy was conducted Wednesday to determine his precise cause of death, and Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin named a member of her cabinet to lead a review of the state’s execution procedures. The White House said the execution fell short of the humane standards required. Courts, including the Supreme Court, have been reluctant to halt executions over arguments that they violate an inmate’s constitutional guarantee against cruel and unusual punishment. In four rulings over the past 135 years, the Supreme Court has upheld the use of the firing squad (1879), the electric chair (1890), the ability of a state to try FILE - This June 29, 2011 file photo provided by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections shows Clayton Lockett. Oklahoma prison officials halted the execution of Lockett Tuesday, April 29, 2014, after the delivery of a new threedrug combination failed to go as planned.. AP Photo/Oklahoma Department of Corrections, File to execute a condemned inmate by electrocution again after a first attempt failed (1947) and lethal injection (2008). The Constitution “does not demand the avoidance of all risk of pain in carrying out executions,” Chief Justice John Roberts said in the court’s 2008 decision upholding Kentucky’s lethal injection system. Still, a minority of the high court has shown some recent trepidation about the secrecy of the process used by many states. Many states - Oklahoma, Texas and Missouri among them - purchase execution drugs from lightly regulated compounding pharmacies and refuse to name the supplier, whether the drug has been tested, even who is part of the execution team. In February, three justices - two short of the required five - said they would have blocked the execution of Michael Anthony Taylor in Missouri. A month later, four justices fell one vote short of blocking the execution of another Missouri inmate, Jeffrey Ferguson. They offered no explanation for their vote. If Tuesday’s problems are traced to a collapsed vein, the high court “probably won’t feel a lot more pressure to step in,” said Thomas Goldstein, an experienced Supreme Court lawyer who also has represented death-row inmates. But if the injection chemicals themselves and the state’s secrecy emerge as important factors, “there will be great pressure for them to hear a case and require transparency.” Madeline Cohen represents Charles Warner, an Oklahoma inmate who was scheduled to be executed Tuesday just hours after Lockett. She said she plans new appeals on behalf of Warner, whose execution was postponed for at least two weeks. She also is pressing for an independent investigation of Lockett’s death, including examination of his remains by an independent pathologist. In Missouri, convicted killer Russell Bucklew is scheduled to die May 21. His attorney, Cheryl Pilate, said she plans to file new appeals next week seeking to halt the execution or at least delay it until the state’s procedures “are subject to full disclosure.” The potential for something to go wrong is escalated for Bucklew, Pilate said, because he suffers from a lifelong medical condition that has left his blood vessels malformed and weakened. It’s so bad that he often bleeds from the eyes, Pilate said. “Executions are not medical acts,” Pilate said. “They are experiments conducted on human subjects with no accountability or oversight.” The White House stopped short of suggesting a moratorium. Legislatures and governors could also order investigations or a temporary halt to executions. So far, only Oklahoma’s governor has taken action. Missouri’s protocol has been upheld by the courts and Gov. Jay Nixon continues to support “the ultimate punishment” for the “most merciless and violent crimes,” spokeswoman Ansley Channing said. Ohio planned to follow its normal procedures, including an exam of the condemned inmate three weeks before the execution to evaluate his veins and plan for the insertion of intravenous needles. Jerry Cox, president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, said the botched Oklahoma execution should “shock the conscience of all Americans,” even those who previously supported the death penalty. “Most of the world and virtually all democracies have abandoned the death penalty,” Cox said. “This is just horrific.” Tuesday’s problems marked the third time this year that an execution raised concerns about an inmate’s suffering. In January, Ohio inmate Dennis McGuire took 26 minutes to die, gasping repeatedly as he lay on a gurney with his mouth opening and closing. That same month, Oklahoma inmate Michael Lee Wilson’s final words were, “I feel my whole body burning.” --Associated Press Writer Mark Sherman in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report. 8 • the mississippi link May 1 - 7, 2014 JPS educators honored among best in the state Jim Hill teachers Tracee Thompson and Susan Bender with principal, Bobby Brown The Mississippi Link Newswire Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) recognized Jim Hill teachers Susan Bender and Tracee Thompson as two of the best educators in the state. Bender, the 2014 Jackson Public Schools (JPS) Teacher of the Year, was a Congressional District finalist and runner up to Mississippi Teacher of the Year. Thompson was recognized as the only Milken Award winner in the state of Mississippi for the 2013-2014 school year. She was the 2013 JPS Teacher of the Year. Pecan Park Principal Wanda Quon, the 2014 JPS Administrator of the Year, was also one of the honorees recognized by MDE during an annual luncheon held April 23, 2014. MDE hosts the event to honor JPS Supt. Dr. Cedrick Gray accepts a check for nearly $33,000 from The LeFleur’s Bluff Chapter of the Links to provide summer reading books for JPS middle school students. sored Raring to Read, a book drive and fundraiser held March 29 with collection points at all 11 McDonald’s locations in the city of Jackson. Residents of the city gave generously to the program. Funds were still pouring in days after the Saturday event and totaled more than $34,000. All JPS students are required to read during the summer months to prepare for the fall school term. Summer reading helps to prevent learning loss that can occur over the summer. This drive supports the District’s literacy goals by helping to ensure that the District’s middle school students have books to read during the summer. “We look forward to a lasting relationship with the middle schools of Jackson as we provide resources for all students to improve literacy,” said Links President Rowan and Murrah technology students win trip to D.C. competition Murrah students the District Teachers of the Year and District Administrators of the Year from public school districts across the state. Held in downtown Jackson, the program featured a performance by the Callaway High School band as well as speeches by State Superintendent Dr. Carey Wright and the 2013 National Teacher of the Year from Washington state, Jeff Charbonneau. Raring to Read drive pays off for JPS middle school students The Mississippi Link Newswire The LeFleur’s Bluff Chapter of the Links, Inc., presented a check for nearly $33,000 to Superintendent Dr. Cedrick Gray at Jackson Public Schools’ central office headquarters on April 16, 2014. Collected through a city-wide reading campaign, the funds will be used to purchase summer reading books for JPS middle school students. “We are extremely excited that the community has come together through the body of the LeFleur’s Bluff Chapter of the Links and McDonald’s,” said Dr. Gray. “We’re very grateful that our students will have an opportunity to read this summer without barriers that have been lifted by the generous donations of the citizens in the Jackson area.” The LeFleur’s Bluff Chapter of the Links, Inc., spon- www.mississippilink.com Dorothy Stokes. Members of The Links joining Stokes in the presentation to Dr. Gray and Jackson Public Schools were Yvonne Brooks, Lurlene Irvin, Danita Joyner, Davetta Lee, Debra McGee, Eleanor Mitchell, Rica Lewis Payton, Erin Pickens, Gailya Porter, Linda Smith, Sharolyn Smith, Dorothy Stokes, Kimberly Sweet, and Armerita Tell. Along with The Links, McDonald’s, and Jackson Public Schools, additional supporters of Raring to Read included the City of Jackson, WJTV News Channel 12, BankPlus, Kixie 107.5 F.M., 99 JAMS, and Gospel 1300. Donations to the Raring to Read are still being accepted. Donors may visit any local BankPlus and make a monetary contribution to the Jackson Public Schools Summer Reading program. Rowan students The Mississippi Link Newswire Technology Student Association (TSA) members from Rowan Middle School and Murrah High School have earned a chance to compete at the National TSA Conference to be held in Washington, D.C., June 26-July 1, 2014. Both teams qualified based on their outstanding achievements at the annual state conference. The teams brought home the following state awards: Rowan Website Design, 1st place Agriculture and Biotechnology Design, 2nd place Environmental Focus, 3rd place Medical Technology Issues, 3rd place Murrah Chapter Team, 1st place Website Design, 3rd place Expenses, including travel, lodging and meals for the 28 qualifying students and their chaperones from the two schools, total more than $26,000. Rowan and Murrah are both planning fundraising events as well as accepting donations to ensure these deserving students get a chance to compete on the national level. “Both TSA chapters are networking together to make this trip a reality, not a dream for our students,” said Rowan Principal Dr. Shimelle Mayers. “This will be an experience of a lifetime for our children.” To help the team with expenses to make the trip, visit Murrah High School TSA’s online fundme.com site. To find out other ways to donate, call Murrah at (601) 960-5380 or Rowan at (601) 960-5349. Or e-mail one of the contacts below. Connie Navarro-Allen, Murrah TSA sponsor Damian Davis, Murrah TSA sponsor Dr. Shimelle Mayers, Rowan principal Michael Johnson, Rowan TSA sponsor. EDUCATION www.mississippilink.com May 1 - 7, 2014 THE mississippi link • 9 Tougaloo College announces 2014 commencement speaker Brown University President to address Tougaloo’s Class of 2014 The Mississippi Link Newswire Tougaloo College announced the schedule for the 2014 Commencement Week, which starts with the Wednesday, May 14 Seniors’ Consecration Service at 6 p.m. in Woodworth Chapel. Other events include the Thursday evening (May 15 at 6 p.m.) Golden Class Dinner; the traditional alumni picnic (May 16 at 5 p.m.) and the Annual Alumni Banquet that will take place on Saturday, May 17 at 7 p.m. at the Hilton Jackson Hotel. Rev. Dr. Marcus Cosby will serve as the speaker for the Baccalaureate Service that will be held in Woodworth Chapel at 8 a.m. on Sunday, May 18. He is the senior pastor of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. The Commencement Exercise will be held on the Campus Green at 10 a.m. on Sunday, May 18 (in the event of rain, the event will be moved to the Kroger Gymnasium). The commencement speaker will be Christina Hull Pax- son, Ph.D., nineteenth president of Brown University, Providence, R.I. Dr. Paxson’s invitation and acceptance as commencement speaker will be coupled with a celebration and commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Brown-Tougaloo Partnership (BTP). The BTP has had more than 500 student, faculty and staff participants who have engaged in various exchanges including: student leaders, scholars and summer research opportunities. JSU media relations specialist wins PRism Award of Excellence The Mississippi Link Newswire Shelia Hardwell Byrd, media relations specialist in Jackson State University’s University Communications, has won an Award of Excellence PRism from the Public Relations Association of Mississippi. Byrd received the highest award in the category for a feature story she wrote about Timothy Kendrick, a 2013 JSU graduate who overcame cancer. Byrd also received an Award of Merit for a feature story she wrote about a JSU alumnus who cared for victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. Both stories were picked up by the media, including The Clarion-Ledger, USA Today and a host of Gannett papers. The awards were presented April 17. PRAM began the PRism Awards program to honor and recognize outstanding work in the field of public relations by professionals and students within the state of Mississippi. PRAM is a network of 11 chapters throughout the state consisting of nearly 600 members. The association includes memberships for students majoring in public relations and professionals who hold positions in a variety of fields including corporations, industries, government entities, not-forprofits and agencies. PRAM members are concurrent members Shelia Hardwell-Byrd of the Southern Public Relations Federation, a net- fessionals in Alabama, Florida, work of more than 1,300 pro- Louisiana and Mississippi. WHAT IS BEHIND CANCER-DEATH DECLINE? Largely due to anti-smoking efforts that have led to a decline in deaths related to lung cancer, cancer-related death rates continue to fall in the United States. A recent report from the nation’s leading cancer institutions notes that death rates from all cancers combined decreased by 1.8 percent per year among men and by 1.4 percent per year among women. Two-thirds of the falloff is attributable to declines in four major cancers: lung, colorectal, breast, and prostate. The report also draws attentions to the fact that onethird of cancer patients over 65 have other health conditions (diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, and cerebrovascular disease) that can lower their chances of survival. Thus, general health impacts cancer outcomes. Health care professionals encourage people of all ages to take charge of their health by making smart lifestyle and nutrition choices, seeing their doctor regularly for checkups and health screenings, and monitoring their bodies for any changes that should be brought to the attention of medical professionals. THE MISSISSIPPI CANCER INSTITUTE is a premier cancer treatment center. To schedule a consultation, please call (601) 249-5510. We are located at 1501 Aston Avenue. Diabetes (and its related complications) is the most common health problem affecting cancer patients. Christina Paxon, Brown University president Rev. Dr. Marcus Cosby, senior pastor, Wheeler Ave Bishop Joseph Warren Walker III to address Alcorn graduates at its 143rd Commencement Convocation The Mississippi Link Newswire Humanitarian and Philanthropist Bishop Joseph Warren Walker III, a servant leader and the charismatic pastor of Mount Zion Baptist Church of Nashville, Tenn., will impart final words of wisdom unto Alcorn graduates at its 143rd Commencement Convocation on Saturday, May 10, at 8:30 a.m. in the Davey L. Whitney HPER Complex on the Lorman campus, announced Executive Vice President and Provost Samuel L. White. Alcorn will award degrees to nearly 600 students who have applied to receive 440 bachelor’s and 156 master’s degrees. Walker will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree at the ceremony. Bishop Walker was reared in Shreveport, La., in the 1970s and he grew up in a household parented by Deacon Joseph and Rosa Walker. His parents emphasized the importance of education. After obtaining his Bachelor of Arts degree from Southern University in Baton Rouge, a Master of Divinity degree from Vanderbilt University, Bishop Walker proceeded to earn a Doctor of Ministry degree from Princeton University. In 1992, at the age of 24, Bishop Walker began his pastorate at Mount Zion with 175 members. Today, the ministry has grown to over 28,000 and continues to grow at a phenomenal rate. Under his leadership, Mount Zion’s ministry has expanded beyond its original location on historic Jefferson Street to seven weekly services in three physical locations and includes www. mtzionanywhere.org. Bishop Walker’s philanthropic efforts shifted to a new level with the founding of the non-profit Drs. Joseph and Stephaine Walker Foundation. The Foundation is committed to helping people help themselves and to helping those around them lead productive, satisfying lives. The mission of the Foundation is primarily advanced through education, mentorship and outreach. The Foundation gives thousands of dollars each year to deserving students and also awards a scholarship in the name and memory of his late wife, Dr. Diane Greer Walker. A recipient of numerous awards and honors, Bishop Walker sits on noteworthy boards, including the Board of the American Red Cross, and holds a governorappointed post on the Tennessee Human Rights Commission. He also serves on the Executive Council and as Bishop of Senior Pastors in the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship, International. In July 2013, he was chosen to succeed International Presiding Bishop Paul S. Morton Sr. in 2015. Bishop Joseph Warren Walker III Bishop Walker was recognized in the March 2010 emonies. Wednesday, May 7 Nashville Post Magazine as 10 a.m., School of Agrione of Nashville’s most well educated and influential min- culture, Research, Extension, isterial leaders. In early 2013, and Applied Sciences, Ray The Root.com named him Johnson Assembly Center 2 p.m., School of Educaas one of the 20 Top Black Preachers in the country, and tion and Psychology Teacher most recently, EBONYrecog- Induction Ceremony, Oaknized him on its “Power 100” land Memorial Chapel 5 p.m., School of Graduate list as one of the nation’s most influential African-American Studies Reception, Dr. Clinton Bristow, Jr. Dining Hall leaders. Deeply concerned about - Gold Room Thursday, May 8 America’s youth and young 1 p.m., School of Nursing adults, Bishop Walker explains his passion behind Pinning Ceremony, Davey L. Mount Zion’s College Min- Whitney HPER Complex 3 p.m., School of Arts and istry, which provides to thousands of college students a Sciences, James L. Bolden positive environment for aca- Campus Union Ballroom 5 p.m., School of Business demic adroitness and spiriPinning Ceremony, Dr. Clintual growth. “God has called me to ton Bristow Jr. Dining Hall SHIFT this generation into a Gold Room 6 p.m., International and new paradigm of excellence - to spur them to leave some- Multicultural Student Conthing of substance on record gratulatory, J. D. Boyd Lithat extends beyond two to brary - Medgar Wiley Evers Auditorium three generations forward.” Friday, May 9 Bishop Walker is married 9 a.m., Army ROTC Comto the former Dr. Stephaine Hale, who is an assistant pro- missioning Ceremony, Oakfessor of Pediatrics and Neo- land Memorial Chapel. The convocation can be natology at Vanderbilt University. Both agree that their viewed online at www.almost joyous accomplishment corn.edu, with a live stream to date has been the birth of beginning 15 minutes before their daughter, Jovanni Wil- the ceremony. Alcorn State University low Walker, who was born in is a premier comprehensive May 2012. Family members and land-grant university that deguests attending commence- velops diverse students into ment convocation and school globally competitive leadceremonies are asked to ar- ers, and applies scientific rerive early as event locations search through collaborative traditionally fill to capacity. partnerships that benefit the communities, Overflow areas will be pro- surrounding state, nation, and world. vided. For additional information, Following is a compilation of other commencement cer- call (601) 877-6142. 10 • THE mississippi link May 1 - 7, 2014 A prayer for the new mayor of Jackson By Rev. CJ Rhodes, M. Div. Special to The Mississippi Link The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can go quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live. (I Timothy 2:1-3). It was my honor to have been asked to offer the invocation at the swearing-in ceremony for Mayor Tony T. Yarber. It was a powerful service, and Mayor Yarber shared a dynamic message to us about his servant leadership and the future of our capital city. The prayer follows in its entirety: Lord, You are Alpha and Omega. And the government rests upon Your shoulders. For the revolutionary love and legacy of our late mayor, Chokwe Lumumba, and for the sage and quiet leadership of Acting Mayor Charles Tillman, we give You thanks and praise. And now, O Lord, we praise You that by Your grace we photo by jay johnson have seen another peaceful transfer of executive power. Everyday people throughout our city have called upon Tony T. Yarber to serve and lead us as our next mayor. We thank You that this educator and motivator has been chosen to lead the City with Soul at such a time as this. In days and years to come, guide Tony as he initiates progressive infrastructure improvements, promotes an aggressive approach to crime reduction, and innovates in order to support economic stability downtown and around town. We intercede for Tony and for the noble task that is before him. Grant him Abra- ham’s faith, Joseph’s integrity, Joshua’s courage, David’s heart, Solomon’s wisdom, and Peter’s boldness. Grant him spiritual wisdom and supernatural insights beyond his 36 years. Show forth Your glory through his administration and help him shepherd Jackson with excellence so that peace and prosperity will be our portion. Bless also our First Lady Rosalind, and Carmen, Cameron, and Toni Michelle. Envelope the First Family with Your protection and care. As we move Jackson ahead together, let Your favor radiate over every ward and every sub, every business and every Black Baptist churches look to youth for leadership By Sharyn Jackson Special to The Mississippi Link The moment Ashton Bell told his congregation that he wanted to preach, he might as well have scored a touchdown in one of his Roosevelt High School football games. At the time, Bell was a 15-year-old drummer, singer and organ player at King of Kings Baptist Church in Des Moines. But he didn’t know he was ready to preach from the pulpit until something inside told him one Sunday to stand up and say that he’d been called to ministry. His spontaneous declaration resulted in a thrilling reaction from the pews. “The whole church goes crazy,” said Bell, now 18, remembering that day. “‘Yeah! Yeah!’” Bell’s spirited and supported entry into ministry at one of Des Moines’ black Baptist churches was not singular. He is one of five young ministers, ages 18 to 27, who have been welcomed into church leadership by an older generation of pastors and congregants hoping to keep young people engaged in the religion. All five of these young ministers are friends - two of them cousins - who support one another as they approach a common endeavor with individual strengths. They are working to keep other young people interested in the church via pop culture and social media, addressing modern issues, being a peer and applying the Bible to today’s challenges for 20-somethings. Their involvement comes at a time when shrinking participation by youth has caused alarm among many religious denominations. Millennials are less likely to be affiliated with a religion than their parents’ and grandparents’ generations were when they were young, a 2010 survey from the Pew Research Center’s Religion & Public Life Project found. While young members of historically black churches are more involved in religion than the general population, their affiliation still pales in comparison with that of their older counterparts. One in five African-Americans under age 30 is unaffiliated, compared with one in eight African-Americans of all ages and one in 14 AfricanAmericans over age 50, according to Pew. The effort to retain young members in Des Moines’ black Baptist churches is part of a greater movement to keep the church relevant and long-lasting. “We have a deep concern and make a concerted effort towards attracting and retaining those that have grown up within our convention,” said the Rev. Morris Tipton, spokesman for the National Baptist Convention, USA. Morris’ organization, the unifying body of national Baptist churches, boasts a membership of approximately seven million individuals, including Des Moines’ young ministers. Part of the effort to retain young people involves recognizing them as potential lead- home, every church and every school. Unite us across gender and generation, colors and creeds, so that we will be one city, with one aim, moving toward one destiny, for Your glory and the good of our city. Bless Tony and bless Jackson, our capital city. In Your Name we pray, Amen. The Rev. CJ Rhodes serves as rector of Oakland Memorial Chapel and director of student Religious Life at Alcorn State University. He is a graduate of the University of MS and Duke University. Pastor Rhodes is married to Allison Thomas-Rhodes. www.mississippilink.com Message from the Religion Editor By Daphne Higgins Religion Editor The past few days have been very interesting to say the least. I want to share as much as I can with you but yet, I want to be respectful of your time and the space that I have been allotted. So, with that being said, I’m going to do my best to keep it short, but yet informative. I’d like to begin by thanking the chairs of the Couples Ministry of College Hill M. B. Church for a very entertaining and enriching morning of study. The Couples Ministry recently hosted a breakfast for all couples of the church and had as the guest speaker for the morning, Rev. Green and Barbara Davidson, of Alabama. Their presentation to all who were present was very enlightening and entertaining. As servants of God, they reminded all of us, that God has joined us together to make and keep each other happy and it is our duty as man and wife to honor that commitment. However, the flair that they brought to the presentation is one that you would have had to witness for yourself. Again, I say - Good job to all involved in the planning and implementation of the program. It was definitely an experience. Now on to the weather news reports began late Saturday evening of warnings about torrential rains hitting central Mississippi. Well, those storms made their arrival Monday afternoon just as announced. Many area schools dismissed early and those that did not, did cancel all afterschool activities. Parents of younger children hurriedly made preparations for their youngsters’ care while the older students headed home to prepare themselves for the storm ahead. Unfortunately, there were several outages, flash floods, excessive winds, fallen trees and yes, deaths that occurred Monday afternoon/evening. As I thought about all of the commotion that was going on during the storm, I reflected on the warnings that were given earlier and how everyone began to fall into place to make sure that they were prepared for what the rest of the day had to offer. Wow, I thought, everyone’s snapping into place because of the uncertainty of the day. I concluded that as believers, we are given the choice of free will and I praise God for that but we also have a choice in adhering to the National Weather Service. Why would we move so methodically for the unknown but not show God that same respect for what is known - His only begotten Son. The last thing on my list of sharing is the observance of National Day of Prayer. The official day is the first Thursday of May, which this year is May 1, 2014. The National Day of Prayer calls on all people of different faiths in the United States to pray for the nation and its leaders. This year’s theme is “One Voice, United in Prayer,” emphasizing the need for individual, corporately and individually to place their faith in the unfailing character of their Creator, who is sovereign over all governments, authorities and men. To further highlight the theme, Romans 15:6 was chosen as the scripture for the year. It reads: “So that with one mind and one voice, you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Remember, prayer changes things. Regardless of the day or the hour, let us always look to the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit for a new beginning - because He is our all and all. If you will, please recall the verse that I often share with you - Isaiah 52:7 (NIV), which reads: “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, Your God reigns!” The Mississippi Link, a messenger for news in and around the state of Mississippi, would like to not only share your news but all who would like to tell others about the Lord’s goodness and about their places of worship and even those religious institutions that are visited. Contact Daphne M. Higgins at religion@mississippilink. com. Fax 601-896-0091 or mail your information to The Mississippi Link, 2659 Livingston Road, Jackson, MS 39213. ers, Tipton said. In the past, he said, leadership in black Baptist churches was reserved for older pastors. “The youngAshton Bell, a minister who got his start at the King er pastors had of Kings Missionary Baptist Church in Des Moines, is to sit back one of the youngest ministers in Des Moines at just and wait your 18 years old.Photo: Bryon Houlgrave/The Register turn,” he said. In recent years, convention leadership noticed young people defecting from the church, and feared the loss of membership could result in a loss of leverage as a socially conservative and largely Democratic group that weighs in on College Hill M. B. Church, 1600 Florence Ave., Jackson, Intercessory Prayer Ministry public policy. In the last few years, said will host a National Day of Prayer Hour on Thursday, May 1, at noon. The observance Tipton, an effort to give young will take place in the Room 11 of the R. E. Willis Annex. National Day of Prayer calls on leaders “a greater voice” has all people of different faiths in the United States to pray for the nation and its leaders. grown. Young ministers in turn reach For more information call 601.355.2670. their peers more authentically than older pastors can. “They’ve got a better idea Evangelist Temple House of Refuge for all Nations C.O.G.I.C., 704 University Blvd, about what kinds of challengJackson, will host a Love Day Celebration, on Sunday, May 4, 2014, at 11:30 a.m. es people their age are faced honoring Supervisor W Marie Johnson. The speaker will be Bishop C. David Willis and with,” said Anthea Butler, a professor of African-American the Evangelist Temple Mass Choir will render the music. The event theme is “Rooted religious history at the Univerand Grounded in Christ.” For more information call 601.665.9967 or 601.352.5405. sity of Pennsylvania. “They’re not some older person talking down to someone younger.” St. Mark Church, 1638 Clinton-Raymond Rd., Clinton, will have its annual Women’s/ “The data is pretty clear that the younger generation is more Mother’s Day Program beginning at 10:15 a.m. on Sunday, May 11, 2014. For more liberal, more socially coninformation, call 601-813-8704. Rev. Willis Washington Jr., is pastor-teacher. scious,” said Eddie Glaude Jr., a professor of religion and African-American studies at PrincSaint Paul A.M.E. Church is holding a spring flea market on the lawn Saturday, May eton University. “I hope that’s 3, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Vendor spaces are still available. Contact Connie Thompson reflected in these ministries, because we definitely need it, at 601-212-3500 or download the packet from our website. especially in black communities.” R e i g n i n g A n n o u n c eme n t s www.mississippilink.com May 1 - 7, 2014 A Servant’s Heart - Part II By Pastor Simeon R. Green III Special to The Mississippi Link Real servants do every task with dedication! Real servants are faithful! Real servants keep a low profile because self-promotion and servanthood don’t mix. They don’t serve for the approval of others; they live for an audience of one. The Apostle Paul said, “If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10). You won’t find many real servants in the limelight. Can others depend on you? Can God? Are there promises you need to keep, vows you need to fulfill, or commitments you need to honor? This is a test - God is testing your faithfulness. If you pass the test, you’re in good company: Abraham, Moses, Samuel, David, Daniel, Timothy and Paul were called “Faithful Servants of God”. Jesus taught the parable of the talents to emphasize this truth. He said, referring to the servant who failed to use his one talent: “Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents” (Matthew 25:28). Fail to use what you’ve been given and you’ll lose it. Use what you’ve got and God will increase it. Real servants don’t leave a job half done and they don’t quit when the going gets tough. Faithfulness is a rare quality. Many folks don’t know the meaning of it; they make commitments casually, then, break them for the slightest reason without hesitation or remorse. Every week churches and organizations have to improvise because volunteers didn’t prepare, show up, or even call to say they weren’t coming. In Heaven, God is going to openly reward people we’ve never heard of on earth; people who taught emotionally disturbed children, cleaned up after elderly, nursed AIDS patients, or served in a thousand unnoticed ways. Listen: “Throw yourselves into the work of the Master; confident that nothing you do for Him is a waste of time or effort” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Rev. Simeon R. Green III is pastor of Joynes Road Church of God, 31 Joynes Road, Hampton VA 23669. He is married to Velma L. Green. He honorably served in the U.S. Army for 20 years. Rev. Green is a member of the National Association of Evangelism Church of God, Anderson, Ind. He serves as chairman of the Southeastern Association of The Church of God, Inc. The Top 10 Gospel Songs from the Billboard Gospel Charts for the week of May 1 SONGS ARTISTS ALBUM College Hill Missionary Baptist Church 1. Every Praise 2. Beautiful Day 3. I Can Only Imagine 4. Help Erica Campbell featuring Lecrae 8:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. 5. Break Every Chain Tasha Cobbs 6. Beautiful 7. It’s Working 1600 Florence MaliAvenue Music MONDAY: 39204 Murphy Jackson, MS William 8. Amazing Fax: 601-355-0760 Ricky Dillard & New G 9. Live Through It 10. We Are Victorious Hezekiah Walker Since 1907 Jamie Grace B I B L E B A S E D • C H R I S T C E N T E R E D • H O LY S P I R I T L E D Tamela Mann Worship Services SUNDAY: Ph: 601-355-2670 Sunday School 9:30 a.m. Intercessory Prayer 9:00 a.m. WEDNESDAY: James Fortune & FIYA Prayer Service 6:30 p.m. Classes: Children • Youth • Adult - 7:00 p.m. www.collegehillchurch.org • [email protected] Donnie McClurkin Featuring Tye Tribbett To listen to snippets of these songs, please visit billboard.com/charts/gospel-song Moving the Masses Toward the Mission of the Master THE mississippi link • 11 preser v e Twelve blessings of singleness By Shewanda Riley Columnist One of my favorite songs to play when I was a gospel radio announcer was “When the Praises of God are Going Up” by James Moore and the Mississippi Mass Choir. I liked it for a number of reasons (it was anointed) plus it was long enough (the extended version being over seven minutes long) to take a break from the studio. This was before the days of digital automation in broadcasting and we were still playing records. And when I thought about the part of “the blessings,” the question that came to my mind was which ones? There is indeed more than one kind of blessing from God. Regardless of what some say or try to make singles (especially those of us over a certain age!!!), there is a blessing to being single. Many like to say that the gift of singleness allows those who are unmarried to fully devote themselves to the Lord as stated in I Corinthians 7:32. Deuteronomy 28:2-14 says that blessings will overtake us when we obey the voice and commands of God. As I meditated more on these various blessings, God showed me “the 12 blessings of singleness.” 12 Blessings of Singleness • Blessing of Anticipation - Have the assurance that no matter how long the wait, God will answer our prayers and fulfill our hearts desires. • Blessing of Revelation Know that we are able to go deeper into God’s word and develop a more spiritually mature life. • Blessing of Restoration Believe that as we embrace d God’s grace, no longer will we be held hostage by the mistakes of our past. • Blessing of Resurrection - Accept that sometimes in order for God to bring to life the seeds of destiny inside of us, some things (attitudes, etc) must die. • Blessing of cheerful obedience - Realize that it’s not just enough to be obedient but to have the right attitude while being obedient. • Blessing of Pursuing Purpose - Make the lifechanging decision to seek after your God ordained professional, spiritual and personal purpose. • Blessing of Repentance Be willing to honestly admit to yourself and God about your past sins…and commit to changing destructive behaviors. • Blessing of Submission Commit to allowing God to show us the importance of trusting his will and letting go of the desire to control our lives. • Blessing of Integrity - Seek to build a life and character that honors God both in public and private. • Blessing of Sincerity - Decide that living a life purely motivated by a desire to do right. • Blessing of Solitude Recognize that seasons of solitude are designed to build 100 percent dependence on God. • Blessing of Vision and Directed Focus - Stay focused while following after Godly visions and plans for our lives. In the next few weeks, we’ll explore how God has designed these blessings to overtake you and change your life as you impact others. Shewanda Riley is a Dallas-based author, speaker and educator. She can be reached at lovehangover@ juno Shekinah Glory Baptist Church “Shining the Radiant Light of His Glory” W E E K LY A C T I V I T I E S NewSunday Bethel Missionary Baptist Church 9:30 a.m. Fulfillment Hour (Sunday School) Pastor, Dr. F. R. Lenoir 11:00 a.m. MorningSunday Worship Service School - 9:15 a.m. 1750 Sunday www.nhcms.org Bishop Ronnie C. Crudup, Sr. Worship Services 8:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. Sunday School 9:30 a.m. 1770 Ellis Avenue • Jackson, MS 39204 OFFICE. 601-371-1427 • FAX. 601-371-8282 www.newhorizonchurchms.org Monday S U N D A Y Intercessory Prayer 9:00 a.m. Wednesday Sunday Morning Worship - 10:30 a.m. Tuesday 6:30 p.m. Prayer Time & Bible Study Thursday6:30 p.m. WOAD AM 1300 - 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Adult Choir Rehearsal Live Radio Broadcast Saturday 11:00 a.m. Youth & Young Adult Choir Rehearsal Please join us in any or all of these activities. You are WELCOME! “A Church Preparing for a 485 W. Northside Drive • Jackson, MS Home Not Built by Man” 601-981-4979 • Bro. Karl E Twyner, pastor New Bethel M. B. Church • 450 Culberston Ave. • Jackson, MS 39209 601-969-3481/969-3482 • Fax # 601-969-1957 • E-Mail: [email protected] 9:00 a.m. - Worship Services Michael T. Williams Pastor Prayer Service 6:30 p.m. Classes: Children • Youth • Adult - 7:00p.m. W E D N E S D A Y 7:00 p.m. - Bible Class T V B R O A D C A S T 8:00 a.m. - Channel 14 (Comcast) Prayer Everyday: 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. GET YOUR CURRENT NEWS AND WATCH AP VIDEOS ONLINE AT: www.mississippilink.com H oly Temple M.B. Chur ch 5077 Cabaniss Circle - Jackson, MS 39209 (601) 922-6588; [email protected] Sunday School - 8 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship - 9:30 a.m. Tuesday Bible Study - 6:30 p.m. “The Church That’s on the Move for Christ for Such a Time as This” ________________________ REV. AUDREY L. HALL, PASTOR REV. DR. AVA S. HARVEY, SR., OVERSEER Opinion 12 • the mississippi link May 1 - 7, 2014 Racist NBA owner has fouled out By George E. Curry NNPA Columnist NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who replaced David Stern just two months ago, did what we’ve all been waiting for - he showed Los Angeles Clippers bigoted owner Donald Sterling the nearest exit and told him not to look back. Tuesday, April 29, Silver banned Sterling from the NBA for life and fined him $2.5 million, the maximum allowed under the NBA constitution and bylaws. Of course, that’s only shoe shine money for someone worth $1.9 billion. Still it sends a powerful message not only to Sterlling, but to others, that at least one sector of America is willing to confront brazen racism. Now, the NBA Board of Governors needs to complete what Silver started by forcing Sterling to give up ownership of the Clippers. Unless you’ve been under a rock or just landed from Mars, you should know by now that Sterling, who has a long and acrimonious history with people of color, exposed his true feelings about African Americans in a conversation with his mistress, Vanessa Stiviano, who is almost 50 years his junior. The conversation was apparently taped surreptitiously in Sterling’s home by Stiviano, who describes herself as part Mexican and part black. A nine-mintute segment of the conversation was posted Saturday to celebrity website TMZ. A 15-minute excerpt was later posted by Deadspin. There was this exchange in one segment: VS: I don’t understand, I don’t see your views. I wasn’t raised the way you were raised. DS: Well then, if you don’t feel - don’t come to my games. Don’t bring black people, and don’t come. VS: Do you know that you have a whole team that’s black, that plays for you? DS: You just, do I know? I support them and give them food, and clothes, and cars, and houses. Who gives it to them? Does someone else give it to them? Do I know that I have - who makes the game? Do I make the game, or do they make the game? Is there 30 owners that created the league? At one point, Sterling said: “It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you’re associating with black people. Do you have to…?” “You can sleep with [black people]. You can bring them in, you can do whatever you want. The little I ask you is not to promote it on that … and not to bring them to my games…” “I’m just saying, in your lousy f******* Instagrams, you don’t have to have yourself with, walking with black people.” “Don’t put him (Magic Johnson) on an Instagram for the world to have to see so they have to call me. And don’t bring him to my games.” Finally, there was the following exchange: DS: You think I’m a racist, and wouldn’tVS: I don’t think you’re a racist. DS: Yes you do. Yes you do. VS: I think you, youDS: Evil heart. DS: It’s the world. You go to Israel, the blacks are just treated like dogs. VS: So do you have to treat them like that too? DS: The white Jews, there’s white Jews and black Jews, do you understand? VS: And are the black Jews less than the white Jews? DS: A hundred percent, fifty, a hundred percent. VS: And is that right? DS: It isn’t a question - we don’t evaluate what’s right and wrong, we live in a society. We live in a culture. We have to live within that culture. VS: But shouldn’t we take a stand for what’s wrong? And be the change and the difference? DS: I don’t want to change the culture, because I can’t. It’s too big and too [unknown]. VS: But you can change yourself. DS: I don’t want to change. If my girl can’t do what I want, I don’t want the girl. I’ll find a girl that will do what I want. Believe me. I thought you were that girl - because I tried to do what you want. But you’re not that girl. Sterling, 81, has a long history of antagonizing blacks. In 2009, he paid $2.7 million to settle a suit accusing him of discriminating against blacks, Latinos and families with children at an apartment building he owned in Los Angeles. In addition, NBA Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor, who spent 22 years with the Clippers, filed a suit against Sterling in 2009 for wrongful termination. According to the Los Angeles Times, “In his deposition, Baylor spoke about what he called Sterling’s ’plantation mentality,’ alleging the owner in the late 1990s rejected a coaching candidate, Jim Brewer, because of race. “Baylor quoted Sterling as saying: ‘Personally, I would like to have a white Southern coach coaching poor black players.’ Baylor said he was shocked. “‘And he [Sterling] looked at me and said, ‘Do you think that’s a racist statement?’ I said, ‘Absolutely. That’s plantation mentality.’” Donald Sterling is the Paula Deen of professional basketball. Accordingly, the NBA should stick a fork in him and tell him he’s done. George E. Curry, former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine, is editor-in-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA.) He is a keynote speaker, moderator, and media coach. www.georgecurry.com. You can also follow him at www.twitter. com/currygeorge and George E. Curry Fan Page on Facebook. Rancher Cliven Bundy and ‘The Negro’ By Lee A. Daniels NNPA Columnist As is typical of blowhards, Cliven Bundy, the conservative movement’s most recently defrocked hero/criminal, opened his mouth once too often. In doing so, the Nevada rancher revealed who he really is behind all the Stars-andStripes flag-waving and man-of-theWest rhetoric. The man who has grazed his cattle on federal land for more than two decades but has refused to pay the minimal grazing fees the government charges all ranchers (Bundy now owes about $1 million) is an arch-racist as well as a chiseler. On Saturday, April 19, Bundy, speaking to a small group of his supporters - and, fortunately for the rest of us, a New York Times reporter and photographer - went off-message to hold forth on a number of topics, including race. According to the Times, Bundy said: “I want to tell you one more thing I know about the Negro,” as he recalled driving past a Las Vegas public housing project, “and in front of that government house the door was usually open and the older people and the kids - and there is always at least a half dozen people sitting on the porch - they didn’t have nothing to do. They didn’t have nothing for their kids to do. They didn’t have nothing for their young girls to do.” Bundy didn’t stop there: “And because they were basically on government subsidy, so now what do they do? They abort their young children, they put their young men in jail, because they never learned how to pick cotton. “And I’ve often wondered, are they better off as slaves, picking cotton and having a family life and doing things, or are they better off under government subsidy? They didn’t get no more freedom. They got less freedom.” Did Cliven Bundy form those views just from driving past - once? twice? - a federally subsidized housing project where black Americans live? Or did they come from the stew of racist notions that still have wide circulation in the political ideology conservatism - Bundy claims to be an adherent. Some of his well-known enablers among the conservative echo chamber of politicians, talk-show jockeys and pundits quickly distanced themselves from Bundy as soon as the Times story appeared. Others, doubling-down, claimed his racist views were irrelevant to what they asserted were his proper resistance to federal government overreach. But it’s too late for that flimflam. Beyond the laughable hypocrisy of Cliven Bundy, chiseler, asserting that “the Negro” is too dependent on government largesse, his words underscore that American conservatism’s central motivating force from the long-ago past to the present has always been the oppression of “the Negro.” For one thing, consider that Bundy brought up the topic himself - and not only made it clear he thinks blacks were better off when the vast majority were enslaved but would be better off now if reduced to something approximating slavery. Bundy’s views aren’t at all unique among American conservatives. Especially since President Obama took office, conservatives, high and low, have shown an obsession with twisting the truth about Negro slavery. If it’s not the Tea Party fanatics contending that President Obama’s intent is to “enslave” whites; it’s white conservatives – and their black front-men such as Ben Carson, Herman Cain and Allen West – asserting that blacks who vote Democratic are unthinkingly content to laze about on the Democratic “plantation.” If it’s not the Family Leader, an Iowa-based conservative group, proclaiming that blacks were better off during the Slave era because the slave-owners kept their families in- tact - a brazen lie - it’s former U.S. Senator Jim DeMint, now head of the powerful, conservative Heritage Foundation, declaring on a rightwing Christian talk show earlier this month that the slaves were not emancipated by “big government” but by “a growing movement among the people, particularly people of faith that [slavery] was wrong.” I’ve no doubt that the ignorance on display in the conservative movement’s obsession with American slavery is largely a deliberate gambit to obscure how evil - and widely accepted among whites - slavery and its successor, legalized racism, was. But I also think that, as with Cliven Bundy, some of it stems from the deep-rooted fear of what “freedom” for black Americans means for those whites who need the crutch of white supremacy to feel good about themselves. If blacks were “free,” you could get black Americans contributing a full measure of their talent to American society. Why, you might get a Paul Robeson, or an Althea Gibson, or a Leontyne Price, or even a president of the United States. And then, what would America be? Lee A. Daniels is a longtime journalist based in New York City. His latest book is Last Chance: The Political Threat to Black America. Supreme Court continues to limit Affirmative Action By Julianne Malveaux NNPA Columnist The Roberts Supreme Court decided recently that voters in the state of Michigan had the right to ban affirmative action policies in college admissions. The challenges to affirmative action have roots in the 1976 Bakke case, where the 38-year-old Alan Bakke sued because his application to medical school was rejected and he felt that he was displaced in favor of a minority student. The Supreme Court ordered Bakke admitted to the University of California at Davis, and also ruled that affirmative action was permis- sible under law. What bothers me most about these anti affirmative action cases is the implicit white skin privilege that compels them. College admissions are an art, not a science. Students whose parents contribute generously to a college get an edge. In the name of diversity, a student from California, regardless of race, may get a bit of an edge at Dartmouth or Columbia. A violist, newspaper editor, or budding sports star, might also get a break. Meanwhile, obdurate and privileged whites don’t go after these people. Their ire is directed toward African Americans and other people of color. Justice Sonia Sotomayor got it completely right when she said that race still matters. When the Supreme Court upholds these anti affirmative laws, they deny history. Make it plain. The Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964, a scant 60 years ago. Affirmative action policies were developed shortly after that so that the formerly closed doors of academia could be opened. Affirmative action had a short shelf life before it was challenged in 1978, just 14 years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act. The opponents of affirmative action say that the color blindness that the Civil Rights Act mandated prevents remediation from past discrimination. What about contemporary discrimination? The University of Michigan, in its admissions policies, has evaluated students by a points system. Students get extra points if they have participated in Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses. How many high schools in troubled Detroit have access to these classes? Yet the people of Detroit pay taxes to support a college that discriminates against them. When the anti-affirmative action crowd talks about fairness, do they take this into consideration? In a few weeks we will commemorate the 60th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education. While it took some time for Brown to be implemented, it was a Supreme Court decision that opened doors to equal education for those who have been discriminated against. ? www.mississippilink.com Ask Alma Alma Gill NNPA Advise Columnist Alma Gill’s newsroom experience spans more than 25 years, including various roles at USA Today, Newsday and the Washington Post. Email questions to: [email protected]. Follow her on Facebook at “Ask Alma” and twitter @almaaskalma. Reverend needs heavenly advice Dear Alma, My brother-in-law is a minister, but he’s also an oblivious, selfcentered fool. He irritates people by doing things like sitting in my 94-yearold mother’s favorite chair and acts hurt when we tell him to get up. Or he goes shopping and is late for the big dinner. I said we shouldn’t wait for him, but that’s a hard one to enforce. I try to not let it get to me, but part of me says he needs to be told that he is not the center of our universe. My poor sister is constantly making excuses for him. How long should we suck it up, or is it time to finally dish some out? W.P., Springfield, Va. Family gatherings; they’re a blessing, aren’t they? Some relatives come from far away; others just drive across the bridge. But, oh, what a time it is … for the first good hour. Which group will you hang with - the ones on the couch watching the game, the ones drinking in the basement and doing whatever, or the ones at the kitchen table? I’m a kitchen table kinda girl myself. That’s where you find out everybody’s business. LOL. Sorry, this isn’t about me; it’s about your BIL - the minister who wants all the attention. I can hear him now: “Hello, world. Yea, the one that revolves around me.” Sounds like your BIL is accustomed to having things go his way. Whatever he says, it’s fine. Whatever he does, it’s fine. Many in his congregation affirm that for him every Sunday, don’t you know. I know because my father was a minister, and I watched how he was treated. We sometimes dis- cussed this very topic while riding home from service or after visiting with church members. We’d talk about how ministers have to work on their humility. They’re local celebrities, and that makes it very hard. Since your BIL is a minister, I would be remiss if I didn’t refer to a Bible verse. The one that comes to mind goes something like, “God resists the proud or the scornful, but He gives grace to the humble.” We all could use some extra grace, can I get an amen. Just like compassion, humility doesn’t always come naturally. I know I’ve taken the long road in answering your question, but I think it’s important to understand where your BIL is coming from. Clearly, the Reverend-Mister-Local-Celebrity in your family has taken it to the next level. Yes, you could have a talk with him, but not at a holiday gathering. Do it in smaller company, maybe even the next time you call your sister and he answers the phone. Ask him, straight up: “What’s up, Chuck? Why you always taking Mama’s seat?” Then take two steps back and remind him of his ability to humble himself and acknowledge the needs of others. He’ll be shocked and taken aback but also wise enough to listen to what sounds, to him, like a compliment. Family gatherings and special events are just that - special events. It’s not the time to let him, her or them “have it.” Use these celebrations to build unforgettable memories and traditions that will live forever within your heart. Alma To tell or not to tell Hi Alma, The mom of one of my 10-year-old daughter’s friends confided in me that her husband had been physically and verbally abusive to her several times. (Unfortunately, as many people do in this situation, she did not press charges because she didn’t want her kids to have to deal with the fallout.) The husband and wife are separated now. Now my daughter’s friend has invited her to a birthday party at her dad’s new house. The husband has been polite to me and my child, but I’m uncomfortable with the situation, particularly since I have some experience with an abusive partner who was a “nice person” to outsiders. I’m planning to tell my daughter she can’t go (but not tell her the real reason). What do you think? I’ve pointed the mom to some resources on domestic violence and counseling. Here’s hoping she can heal. Cautious, Reisterstown, Md. Dear Cautious, I see your red light earrings flashing, and I can understand why. But you’re wrong on this one. I say you should let your daughter go. Here’s why: your daughter is 10. It’s a birthday party. Her best friend’s father has never hurt his own daughter or yours. If he had, I suspect his wife would not allow him to host a birthday party. You said yourself that the BFF’s father has been polite to you and your daughter. You also said you’re familiar with abusers being “a nice person to outsiders.” So why not let your daughter go? She was not the only one invited to the party. I’m sure other adults (parents and family members) will be there. A part of me wonders if you think that by allowing your daughter to attend you would be giving approval to the father’s behavior. Don’t worry; that’s not so. Unless her mom asked you not to participate, I just can’t come up with a good reason for your daughter not to go. This isn’t a sleepover. Don’t make this a grown-up issue for your daughter. I understand that you and the other mother have bonded over shared sorrows, but you can’t let the pain and suffering of your marriages overshadow a very fun time and lifelong memory for your daughters. Joint custody arrangements, especially after a spiteful split, can be extremely exasperating. It’s horribly difficult to move past the hurtful events and heartbreaking history you have with an expartner. The key is to put your child first. Alma Editorials and Letters to the Editor may be e-mailed to [email protected] or mailed to 2659 Livingston Road, Jackson, MS 39213. The views and opinions expressed on the Op/Ed pages are not necessarily the views and opinions of The Mississippi Link. The Mississippi Link also reserves the right to edit all material for length and accuracy. CLASSIFIED www.mississippilink.com May 1 - 7, 2014 THE mississippi link • 13 ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS RE-ADVERTISMENT FOR BIDS NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR A SPECIAL EXCEPTION Sealed bids will be received by the City of Jackson, Mississippi until 3:30P.M., local time, May 27, 2014 at Jackson City Hall, for the Brookwood Drive Bridge Replacement, City Project No. 13B4500, The entire projects must be completed within 45 calendar days. The contract will be subjected to liquidated damages in the amount of five hundred dollars ($500.00) per calendar day for each consecutive calendar day in which the contract time is exceeded. The City of Jackson is committed to the principle of non-discrimination in public contracting. It is the policy of the City of Jackson to promote full an equal business opportunity for all persons doing business with the City. As a precondition to selection, each contractor, bidder or offeror shall submit a completed and signed Equal Business Opportunity (EBO) ordinance. Failure to comply with the City’s ordinance shall disqualify a contractor, bidder or offeror from being awarded an eligible contract. For more information on the City of Jackson’s Equal Business Opportunity Program, please contact Pam Confer in the office of Economic Development at (601) 960-1638. Copies of the ordinance, EBO Plan Applications and a copy of the Program are available at 200 South President Street, Warren Hood Building, Second Floor, Jackson, Mississippi. One (1) copy of the Plans, Specifications, and Contract Documents may be procured from the Engineering Division upon payment of $50.00 dollars, which will not be refunded. Please contact Charles Williams Jr, P.E., at (601) 960-1656 for directions or any additional information for procurement of plans and specifications. The Standard Specifications adopted by the City Council may be procured from the Department of Public Works, if desired upon payment of $5.00 dollars for each specification. A Pre-Bid Conference will be held on May 13, 2014 at 2:00 P.M. local time, in the 5th floor conference room of the Warren Hood Building, 200 South President Street, Jackson, Mississippi. All potential contractors, subcontractors, and other interested parties are encouraged to attend. Bidders must be qualified under Mississippi law and possess a certificate of responsibility issued by the Mississippi State Board of Contractors establishing its classification as to the value and type of construction on which it is authorized to bid. Each bidder must deposit with its proposal, a bid bond or certified check in an amount equal to five percent (5%) of the total bid for the work, payable to the City of Jackson, as the bid security. The successful bidder shall furnish a Performance Bond and Payment Bond each in the amount of one hundred percent (100%) of the contract amount awarded. Attorneys-infact who sign Bid Bonds or Payment Bonds and Performance Bonds must file with each bond a certified and effective dated copy of their power of attorney. Proposals shall be submitted in triplicate, sealed and deposited with the City of Jackson’s City Clerk prior to the hour and date designated above. Each bidder shall write its certificate of responsibility number on the outside of the sealed envelope containing its proposal. The City of Jackson reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive any and all informalities Synarus Green Chief Administrative Officer Terry Williamson Legal Counsel ZONING CASE NO. 3864 By virtue of and pursuant to the authority and direction of that Ordinance by the City Council of Jackson, Mississippi, appearing in Minute Book 3G at page 115 thereof, notice is hereby given to all persons interested in or in any way affected thereby, that Darlene Harper has filed with the Planning Board for the City of Jackson, an application requesting a Special Exception to operate a residential child care center in an R-1 (Single-Family) Residential District for property located at 3211 Jayne Ave., in the First Judicial District of Hinds County, Mississippi, and being more particularly described as: LOT 2, BLOCK 7, WEST PARK ADDITION. Said application will be heard at the City Planning Board Hearing in the Andrew Jackson Conference Room, First Floor, Warren A. Hood Building, 200 S. President Street in Jackson, Mississippi, at 1:30 p.m., on NOTICE OF APPEAL FOR A USE PERMIT ZONING CASE NO. 3863 ZONING CASE NO. 3861 By virtue of and pursuant to the authority and direction of that Ordinance by the City Council of Jackson, Mississippi, appearing in Minute Book 3G at page 115 thereof, notice is hereby given to all persons interested in or in any way affected thereby, that Thuy Tran Woo has filed with the Planning Board for the City of Jackson, an application requesting a Special Exception to operate a professional office for a fashion design & art studio in an R-1A (Single-Family) Residential District for property located at 4570 Old Canton Rd., in the First Judicial District of Hinds County, Mississippi, and being more particularly described as: By virtue of and pursuant to the authority and direction of that Ordinance by the City Council of Jackson, Mississippi, appearing in Minute Book 3G at page 115 thereof, notice is hereby given to all persons interested in or in any way affected thereby, that Highland Village Holdings, LLC has filed with the Planning Board for the City of Jackson, an application requesting a Use Permit to allow for accessory automobile parking to serve commercial use immediately across from Old Canton Rd in an R-1A (Single-family) Residential District on property located at 1305 Kimwood Drive (Parcel 535-2) and 1306 Kimwood Drive(Parcel 535-4) , in the First Judicial District of Hinds County, Mississippi, and being more particularly described as: LOT 3, KIMWOOD SUBDIVISION, PART 1. Said application will be heard at the City Planning Board Hearing in the Andrew Jackson Conference Room, First Floor, Warren A. Hood Building, 200 S. President Street in Jackson, Mississippi, at 1:30 p.m., on Wednesday, May 28, 2014, at which time all parties interested in or affected thereby will be heard both pro and con on said question, after which a record will be established upon which the City Planning Board can make its recommendation to the City Council of Jackson. Any objection thereto may be made by any person owning property within the area, and if made in writing must be filed with the City Zoning Administrator before said time if a hearing thereof or consideration thereof is desired, or by counsel on said date. If a request is made to the Zoning Administrator at least 72 hours in advance, the City will take steps to accommodate citizens need for interpreters or auxiliary aids for the visually/hearing impaired. WITNESS my signature this 24th day of April 2014. SECTION 4. This Ordinance shall take effect thirty (30) days after passage and proper publication. Said application was heard by the City Planning Board on Wednesday, March 26, 2014 with a recommendation to deny. The applicant has filed an Appeal of the recommendation of the Planning Board. The Case will be heard at the City Councils Zoning Meeting in the Council Chambers, First Floor, City Hall, 219 S. President Street in Jackson, Mississippi, at 2:30 p.m., on Monday, May 19, 2014. WITNESS my signature this 24th day of April 2014. 05/1/2014, 05/15/2014 ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE JACKSON HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION (JHPC) WILL HOLD ITS MONTHLY MEETING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014, AT 11:00 A.M. IN THE ANDREW JACKSON CONFERENCE ROOM (RM. 105) OF THE WARREN HOOD BUILDING, 200 SOUTH PRESIDENT STREET, JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI. I. APPLICATIONS FOR CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS A. CURRENT BUSINESS 1. CASE NO. 2013-35&36, REQUEST BY: UNIVERSITY PLACE, LLC (APPLICANT: CLARENCE CHAPMAN) TO AMMEND THE ORIGINAL COA TO BUILD 88 NEW TOWNHOMES FOR PROPERTY LOCATED ON VARIOUS PARCELS IN THE FARISH ST. HISTORIC DISTRICT. II. OTHER ITEMS ORDINANCE OF THE CITY W JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI ESTABLISHING THE HONORARY RENAMING OF OAK FOREST DRIVE (FROM MCDOWELL ROAD 10 COOPER ROAD) TO LEONARD TERRELL DRIVE. WHEREAS, on Wednesday, October 30, 2013, the Jackson Public School District, along with the entire City of Jackson, lost a distinguished citizen and public servant with the passing of Mr. Leonard 13. Terrcll: and WHEREAS, the long-time head custodian al Marshall Elementary School, Mr. Terrell was a beacon of light to the Marshall Elementary Family and derived significant gratification from helping others; and WHEREAS, is fitting and proper that Oak Forest Drive (from McDowell Road to Cooper Road) be renamed in his honor. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED: Section 1. Thai the Jackson City Council does hereby designate the honorary renaming of Oak Forest Drive (from McDowcll Road to ‘Cooper Road) to Leonard Terrell Drive. Section 2. That the City Clerk shall notify all appropriate City Departments and oilier necessary parties of said honorary designation. III. ADJOURN SECTION 2. The City Clerk shall notify the United States Postal Service, the Mississippi Department of Transportation, the Public Safety Communication Division, all appropriate City, County and State entities, and all necessary parties of the renaming of said street SECTION 3. The City Engineer is authorized and directed to make appropriate revisions to the official map of the City of Jackson, Mississippi to reflect the renaming of said public street and to take further appropriate actions as required by Ordinance to affect said street renaming. 1306 Kimwood Drive(Parcel 535-4) Lot 2, Kimwood Subdivision, Part 1. 05//1/2014, 05/15/2014 NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING OF THE JACKSON HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION SECTION 1. The name of Highland Drive (from Riverside Drive to Lakeland Drive) be hereby changed to Museum Boulevard. 1305 Kimwood Drive (Parcel 535-2) Lot 1, Kimwood Subdivision, Part 1. Less to City for St /s/Ester L. Ainsworth Zoning Administrator City of Jackson, Mississippi /s/Ester L. Ainsworth Zoning Administrator City of Jackson, Mississippi ORDINANCE OF THE CTTY COUNCIL OF JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI RENAMING HIGHLAND DRIVE (FROM RIVERSIDE DRIVE TO LAKELAND DRIVE) TO MUSEUM BOULEVARD. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI THAT: 05/1/2014, 05/15/2014 NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR A SPECIAL EXCEPTION ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS WHEREAS, the Jackson City Council finds that it is proper and fitting that the name of Highland Drive (from Riverside Drive to Lakeland Drive) be changed to Museum Boulevard. /s/Ester L. Ainsworth Zoning Administrator City of Jackson, Mississippi ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS WHEREAS, the renaming of Highland Drive to Museum Boulevard would result in the museum’s location being more identifiable to tourists and would address concerns regarding response times in the event of an emergency at the museum; and WITNESS my signature this 24th day of April 2014. ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS 05//1/2014, 05/8/2014 WHEREAS, the Mississippi Children’s Museum desires to rename Highland Drive (from Riverside Drive to Lakcland Drive) to Museum Boulevard; and Wednesday, May 28, 2014, at which time all parties interested in or affected thereby will be heard both pro and con on said question, after which a record will be established upon which the City Planning Board can make its recommendation to the City Council of Jackson. Any objection thereto may be made by any person owning property within the area, and if made in writing must be filed with the City Zoning Administrator before said time if a hearing thereof or consideration thereof is desired, or by counsel on said date. If a request is made to the Zoning Administrator at least 72 hours in advance, the City will take steps to accommodate citizens need for interpreters or auxiliary aids for the visually/hearing impaired. 05//1/2014 ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI DESIGNATING THE HONORARY RENAMING OF GLENDALE STREET (FROM BAILEY AVENUE TO RONDO STREET) TO PASTOR KEITH TONKEL WAY. WHEREAS, Pastor Keith Tonkel, a community leader in the City of Jackson, has been an advocate for civil rights and humanitarian causes; and Council Member Barrett- Simon moved adoption; Council Member Yarber seconded. WHEREAS. Pastor Keith Tonkel has served for many years as pastor of Wells Memorial United Methodist Church in the Bailey Avenue Community; and Yeas- Barrett-Simon, Priester, Stamps, Tillman and Yarber. Nays- Whitwell. Absent- Cooper-Stokes. WHEREAS, Pastor Keith Tonkel recently celebrated his 75th birthday with a Diamond Celebration at Wells Church in the City of Jackson. Council Member Yarber moved adoption; Council Member Stamps seconded. Yeas- Barrett-Simon, Priester. Stamps, Tillman and Yarber. Nays- Whitwell. Absent- Cooper-Stokes. ATTEST: Brenda Free City Clerk I, Brenda Free, the duly appointed, qualified City Clerk and lawful custodian of records of the City Council of Jackson, Mississippi and seal of said City, certify that the foregoing is a true and exact copy of an Ordinance passed by the City Council at a regular meeting on the 25th dav of March, 2014, and recorded in Minute Book “6E”, pages 529- 530. WITNESS my signature and official seal of office, this the 29th day of April, 2014. Brenda Pree, City Clerk 05/1/2014 NOW THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED: ATTEST: Brenda Pree, City Clerk I, Brenda Pree, the duly appointed, qualified City Clerk and lawful custodian of records Of the City Council of Jackson, Mississippi and seal of said City, certify that the foregoing is a true and exact copy of an Ordinance passed by the City Council at a regular meeting on the 25th day of March, 2014, and recorded in Minute Book “6E”, page 531. WITNESS my signature and official seal of office, this the 29th day of April, 2014. Brenda Pree, City Clerk 05/1/2014 5/8/2014 HOUSE FOR RENT Jackson - $450 Month (3) Three Bedroom, 1 Bath, Electric Stove, Reunion Backyard, Gas, Hot Water Heater 110/220 Hookup, Washer and Dryer Hookup. 2903 Smith Robinson St. Call 601.668.2776 Section 1: That the Jackson City Council does hereby designate the honorary renaming of Glendale Street (from Bailey Avenue to Rondo Street) to Pastor Keith Tonkel Way. Section 2: That the City Clerk shall notify all appropriate City Departments and other necessary parties of said honorary designation. Council Member Yarber moved adoption: Council Member Barrett-Simon seconded. Yeas- Barrett-Simon, Priester, Stamps, Tillman and Yarber. Nays- Whitwell. Absent- Cooper-Stokes. ATTEST: Brcnda Pree City Clerk I, Brenda Free, the duly appointed, qualified City Clerk and lawful custodian of records of the City Council of Jackson, Mississippi and seal of said City, certify that the foregoing is a true and exact copy of an Ordinance passed by the City Council at a regular meeting on the 25th day of March, 2014, and recorded in Minute Book “6E”, page 529. WITNESS my signature and official seal of office, this the 29th day of April, 2014. Brenda Pree, City Clerk 05/1/2014 ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Advertisement for Bids Bid 2288 – Food Service Gas Combi-Ovens Sealed, written formal bid proposals for the above bid will be received by the Board of Trustees of the Jackson Public School District, in the Business Office, 662 South President Street, Jackson, Mississippi, until 10:00 A.M. (Local Prevailing Time) May 12, 2014, at which time and place they will be publicly opened and read aloud. The Board of Trustees reserves the right to reject any and all bids, to waive informalities, and to withhold the acceptance of any bid if approved for forty-five calendar days from the date bids are opened. Proposal forms and detailed specifications may be obtained free of charge by emailing [email protected], calling (601) 960-8799, or documents may be picked up at the above address. 04/24/2014, 05/1/2014 ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Advertisement for Bids Bid 2286 - Bakery Products (Bread) Sealed, written formal bid proposals for the above bid will be received by the Board of Trustees of the Jackson Public School District, in the Business Office, 662 South President Street, Jackson, Mississippi, until 10:00 A.M. (Local Prevailing Time) May 08, 2014, at which time and place they will be publicly opened and read aloud. The Board of Trustees reserves the right to reject any and all bids, to waive informalities, and to withhold the acceptance of any bid if approved for forty-five calendar days from the date bids are opened. Proposal forms and detailed specifications may be obtained free of charge by emailing [email protected], calling (601) 960-8799, or documents may be picked up at the above address. 04/24/2014, 05/1/2014 CLASSIFIED 14 • THE mississippi link May 1 - 7, 2014 www.mississippilink.com legal ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS RESOLUTION DECLARING A NEED TO LEASE SCHOOL FACILITIES NOTICE TO BIDDERS City of Jackson Jackson, Mississippi Sealed bids will be received by the City Clerk of Jackson, Mississippi, at 219 S. President Street, Jackson, Mississippi 39201 or at Post Office Box 17, Jackson, Mississippi 39205 until 3:30 PM, local time, May 27, 2014, at which time they will be publicly opened and read aloud for: BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of the Jackson Public School District, Jackson, Mississippi (herein referred to as the “District”), as follows: 1. A need exists in the District for the acquisition, renovation, improvement, construction and equipping of up to one (1) school facility within the District. 2. The District cannot provide the necessary funds to pay the cost or its proportionate share of the cost of the renovations, acquisitions, improvements, construction and equipping of the school facilities required to meet the present needs of the District. 3. The District desires to sell, lease, lend, grant, or otherwise convey to a corporation, individual or partnership, with or without consideration, or to permit such corporation, individual or partnership to use, maintain or operate as part of public school facilities, pursuant to Sections 37-7-351 through 37-7-359 of the Mississippi Code of 1972, as amended (the “Act”) up to one (1) school facility together with other real or personal property which may be necessary, useful or convenient for the purposes of the District. Any such sale, lease, loan, grant or conveyance shall be for a period of time not to exceed twenty (20) years, and title to any real property transferred by the District shall revert to the District at the expiration of such term. 4. The District desires to lease or lease-purchase up to one (1) school facility, which may include the school facilities sold, granted, or otherwise conveyed by the District pursuant to paragraph 3 above. 5. The District proposes to take final action upon the question of the sale, lease, loan, grant or other conveyance of such school facilities, and on the question of leasing or lease-purchasing such school facilities, at a regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of the District to be held at 5:30 p.m. on May 20, 2014, at the Board’s regular meeting place in the Board Meeting Room located at 621 South State Street, in the City of Jackson, Mississippi, which date is not less than thirty days after the date of first publication of this resolution, unless prior to such meeting a petition signed by not less than twenty percent (20%) or fifteen hundred (1,500), whichever is less, of the qualified electors of the District shall be filed with the District requesting that an election be called on such question. If such a petition is timely filed, the District shall, not later than its next regular meeting, adopt a resolution calling an election to be held within the District upon the questions of authorizing the Board to sell, lease, lend, grant or otherwise convey such facilities, and to lease or lease-purchase such facilities. Such election shall be called and held, and the result determined, pursuant to and as provided by the Act. 6. The Board retains the firm of Young Law Group, PLLC to serve as bond counsel to provide legal assistance relating to the structuring, sale, issuance, and closing of the Lease and provide other legal services as are typically provided by bond counsel in similar transactions. Bond counsel shall be paid a reasonable and customary fee for its services, such fees to be approved by the Board at a later meeting, and shall be reimbursed for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses in connection with its services as bond counsel. Having received a majority of the affirmative votes of the Board, the Resolution passed on April 1, 2014. BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE JACKSON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT Sealed, signed bids are invited and will be received by the City of Jackson, Mississippi, until 3:30 P.M. in the City Clerk’s Office of Jackson, the bid must be stamped in by 3:30 P.M. Tuesday, May 20, 2014, at which time said bids will be publicly opened at the City Hall located at 219 South President Street (City Council Chambers) in City Hall for the following: 00190-052014 07078-052014 07045-052014 07208-052014 24 Month Sale of Salvage Defaced/Bent Aluminum Signs Bent/Twisted Steel Post & Various Other Scrap Iron Three Axle 50 Ton Lowboy Trailer Tandem Axle Lowboy Tractor (3) 58,000 G.V.W. Truck-108 CA with 12 CYD BIDS ARE NOW AVAILABLE AT WWW.JACKSONMS.GOV. The above must comply with the City’s specifications. Copies of proposal forms can be obtained from the Purchasing Division, 200 South President Street, Room 604, Hood Building, Jackson, Mississippi 39201. Copies of bid specifications are filed with the City Clerk for public record in accordance with House Bill No 999, 1986 Regular Session of the Mississippi Legislature. The City of Jackson is committed to the principle of non-discrimination in Public Purchasing. It is the policy of the City of Jackson to promote full and equal business opportunities for all persons doing business with the City. As a pre-condition to selection, each contractor, bidder or offer shall submit a completed and signed Equal Business Opportunity (EBO) Plan Application, with each bid submission, in accordance with the provisions set forth by authority of the City of Jackson’s EBO Ordinance. Failure to comply with the City’s EBO Ordinance shall disqualify a contractor, bidder or offer, from being awarded an eligible contract. For more information on the City’s EBO Program, please contact the Office of Economic Development at (601)960-1638. Copies of the EBO Ordinance, EBO Plan Application and a copy of the EBO Program are available with the Office of Economic Development at 218 South President Street, Second Floor, Jackson, Mississippi. The City reserves the right to reject any and all bids. The City also reserves the right to waive any and all informalities in respect to any bid submitted. Bid awards will be made to the lowest and best bidder quoting the lowest net price in accordance with specifications. The award could be according to the lowest cost per item; or to the lowest total cost for all items; or to accept all or part of any proposal. Delivery time may be considered when evaluating the bid proposal. In those cases where it is known prior to advertising that the City’s intention is to award according to the lowest total cost for all items, or in some variation thereof, statements to this affect will be included on the proposal form. Absence of such statement means the City will make that determination during the bid review. Hellene Greer, CPPB, NPCA, Manager Purchasing Division (601) 960-1533 04/24/2014, 05/1/2014 04/17/2014, 04/24/2014, 05/1/2014, 05/8/2014 ZOO DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT The City of Jackson, Mississippi (“City of Jackson”) is committed to cultivating and ensuring the quality of life of its citizens, through various programs, employment, initiatives, and assistance. The City encourages all persons, corporations, and/or entities doing business within the City, as well as those who seek to contract with the City on various projects and or conduct business in the City, to assist the City in achieving its goal by strongly considering City residents for employment opportunities. The City of Jackson is committed to the principle of non-discrimination in public contracting. It is the policy of the City of Jackson to promote full and equal business opportunity for all persons doing business with the City. As a pre-condition to selection, each contractor, bidder or offeror shall submit a completed and signed Equal Business Opportunity (EBO) Plan, with the bid submission, in accordance with the provisions of the City of Jackson’s Equal Business Opportunity (EBO) Ordinance. Failure to comply with the City’s Ordinance shall disqualify a contractor, bidder or offeror from being awarded an eligible contract. For more information on the City of Jackson’s Equal Business Opportunity Program, please contact of the Division of Equal Business Opportunity at 960-1856. Copies of the Ordinance, EBO Plan Applications and a copy of the Program are available at 200 South President Street, Second Floor, Jackson, Mississippi. Contract Documents may be obtained from and/or examined at the offices of the City of Jackson’s Public Works Department Engineering Division located at 200 S. President Street, Suite 424, Jackson, Mississippi 39201. Telephone 601.960.1823. Prospective bidders may obtain copies of all materials required for bidding purposes. For General Contractors and subcontractors, there is a NON-refundable deposit of $50.00 for hard copies and no charge for electronic, or e-mail copies. Bid preparation will be in accordance with the Instructions to Bidders bound in the project manual. The City reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive any and all irregularities in respect to any bid submitted or to accept any proposal which is deemed most favorable to the City of Jackson. Willie C. Bell, Jr., Interim Director Department of Public Works Kwame Kenyatta Deputy CAO Terry Williamson Deputy City Attorney 04/24/2014, 05/1/2014 Crossword Solution Cryptogram Solution © Feature Exchange © Feature Exchange Sudoku Solution © Feature Exchange www.mississippilink.com May 1 - 7, 2014 Spring Contractor’s AUCTION 5th Annua May 1-3, 2014 l 10 am Start Time Daily – 2236 Hwy 49 Brooklyn (Hattiesburg), MS 39425 Day One - Online Only Featuring hundreds of items selling ABSOLUTE from Ingalls Ship Building and 2 local junior colleges. Bidding ends May 1st at 2pm. Day 2 Day 3 10am Start Time 10am Start Time Featuring heavy trucks Featuring farm equipand trailers, ment and attachments, construction equipment vehicles and and attachments. miscellaneous items. Call 601-450-6200 For More Information WWW.MMAOFMS.COM Detailed Info and Photos Available on our website. MARTIN & MARTIN AUCTIONEERS, INC. Jeff Martin MSAL #1255 Spring Contractor’s AUCTION 5th Annua l May 1-3, 2014 10 am Start Time Daily – 2236 Hwy 49 Brooklyn (Hattiesburg), MS 39425 Day One - Online Only Featuring hundreds of items selling ABSOLUTE from Ingalls Ship Building and 2 local junior colleges. Bidding ends May 1st at 2pm. Day 2 10am Start Time Day 3 10am Start Time Featuring heavy trucks Featuring farm equipand trailers, ment and attachments, construction equipment vehicles and and attachments. miscellaneous items. Call 601-450-6200 For More Information WWW.MMAOFMS.COM MARTIN & MARTIN AUCTIONEERS, INC. Detailed Info and Photos Available on our website. 3.556x4 Jeff Martin MSAL #1255 THE mississippi link • 15 Martin & Martin Pick Up Auctioneers he ississippi T M At The Following Locations: j a c k s o n SPORTS MEDICINE Bully’s Restaurant Fortification and I-55 3118 Livingston Road Two Sisters Kitchen cash & carry 707 North Congress - Jackson, MS Capitol Street and Monument Street Upton tire City Hall Countyline Road and State Street 219 S President St Murphy USA Garrett Office Complex 6394 Ridgewood Rd (North Jackson) Revell Ace Hardware 2659 Livingston Road PASS Terry Rd (South Jackson) Dollar General Rite Aid 3957 Northview Dr (North Jackson) 380 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave Dollar General Rite Aid 2030 N Siwell Rd 114 E. McDowell Rd Dollar General Rite Aid 4331 Highway 80W 6075 Old Canton Rd Dollar General 5990 Medgar Evers Blvd CAN T ON Dollar General A&I 1214 Capitol St (Downtown Jackson) 716 Roby Street - Canton, MS Dollar General B&B 304 Briarwood Dr 702 West North Street - Canton, MS Dollar General 5thBoutique Store Annu3355 2855 McDowell Rd May 1-3, 2014 al North Liberty - Canton, MS 10 am Start TimeGeneral Daily – 2236 Hwy 49 Dollar Bully’s Store Brooklyn (Hattiesburg), MS 39425 104 Terry Rd Church Street - Canton, MS Day One - Online Only JJ Mobil Community Mart Featuring hundreds of items selling Northside DriveShip andBuilding Flagg and Chapel ABSOLUTE from Ingalls 743 Ruby Street - Canton, MS local junior colleges. JSU2Student union Fryer Lane Grocery Bidding ends May 1st at 2pm. 1400 J. R. Lynch Street Martin Luther King Drive - Canton, MS 10am Day 2 Start10amTime Day 3 Trust Start Time Liberty Bank and Hamlin Floral Design Featuring heavy trucks Featuring farm equip2325 Livingston Rd. 285 Peace Street - Canton, MS and trailers,PASS ment and attachments, lumpkins construction equipmentbbqvehicles and Joe’s Sandwich & Grocery and attachments. items. 182 Raymondmiscellaneous Road 507 Church Street - Canton, MS McDade’s Market K & K One Stop Call 601-450-6200 Northside Drive 110 West Fulton Street - Canton, MS For More Information McDade’s Market #2 Lacy’s Insurance WWW.MMAOFMS.COM 653 Duling Avenue 421 Peace Street - Canton, MS & MARTIN AUCTIONEERS, INC. Detailed Info and Photos Available on our website. MARTIN Jeff Martin MSAL #1255 Picadilly Cafeteria Soul Set Barber Shop Jackson Medical Mall 257 Peace Street - Canton, MS 350 W Woodrow Wilson Avenue Trailer Park Grocery Piggly Wiggly 22 Westside Drive - Canton, MS 2875 McDowell Road B Y R A M 3.33x4 46 Web Shell Food Mart Dollar General 5492 Watkins Drive 125 Swinging Bridge Dr. PASS Satellite TV Difference Spring Contractor’s AUCTION Goldberg Actos 48 Web Link Apr27_MCAN HAVIOR’S AUTO CARE 5495 I-55 South Frontage Road VowelL’s Market Place 5777 Terry Road C L I N T ON Dollar General 807 Berkshire St - Clinton, MS R I D G E L AN D Rite Aid 398 Hwy 51 T erry Mardi Gras Café 106 West Cunningham Avenue R a ym o n d Hinds Community College Welcome Center 505 E. Main Street Sunflower Grocery 122 Old Port Gibson Street, Raymond, MS Love Food Mart 120 E. Main Street, Raymond, MS Raymond Public Library 126 W. 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Week of April 27, 2014 16 • the mississippi link May 1 - 7, 2014 www.mississippilink.com May is American Stroke Month The Mississippi Link Newswire Knowing these two things may save a life from stroke, and during American Stroke Month in May, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association asks all Americans to learn them which may save a life. 1. Know if you are at risk for stroke. 2. Know the stroke warning signs and what to do in a stroke emergency. Stroke is the No. 1 preventable cause of disability and the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. Someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds, yet 80 percent of strokes are preventable. “Knowing if you are at risk for stroke is highly important, because many risk factors can be modified and controlled,” said Wendy Barrilleaux, Stroke Program coordinator, St. Dominic Primary Stroke Center and American Stroke Association volunteer. “The No. 1 stroke risk factor is high blood pressure. Nearly 78 million Americans have high blood pressure and many more aren’t even aware that they have it. It’s important to check your blood pressure regularly and talk to your doctor about healthy levels for you.” Through the American Stroke Association’s Together to End Stroke initiative, the association provides information and tools to help people to prevent, treat and beat stroke. A free stroke risk as- sessment, available at StrokeAssociation.org/strokemonth helps individuals to evaluate their personal stroke risk and to work with their doctor to begin a prevention plan. Together to End Stroke, nationally sponsored by Covidien, a global healthcare product company, teaches the acronym F.A.S.T. to help people to recognize a stroke and what to do if one occurs: • F - Face Drooping: Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. • A - Arm Weakness: Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward? • S - Speech Difficulty: Is speech slurred, are they unable to speak, or are they hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence like, “The sky is blue.” Is the sentence repeated correctly? • T - Time to call 9-1-1: If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get them to the hospital immediately. “Prevention is the best cure, but in the event of a stroke emergency, quick recognition and treatment may have a dramatic impact on the outcome,” said Mark Turco, M.D., chief medical officer, Covidien Vascular Therapies. “If you are at risk for stroke or spend time with someone who is, learning and sharing the stroke warning signs to where this process started last year. What they have put on the table is totally unacceptable.” If the NNPA files a motion in opposition to the revised plan, as expected, the judge has a number of options from which to choose, including making a final decision on the merits of the case or ordering the defendants to come up with a more comprehensive plan. After being sued by the Justice Department and the Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund, the major tobacco manufacturers were found guilty in 2005 of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corruption Organizations Act (RICO) when they deliberately misled the public about the dangers and addictiveness of smoking. U.S. Judge Gladys Kessler ordered them to halt the offending practices and place a series of full-page ads in newspapers and commercials on network TV during prime time for a year, reported by Target Market News to be valued between $30 million and $45 million, acknowledging their wrongdoing. The defendants - Philip Morris USA, Inc., Altria Group, Inc., R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (in its own capacity and as successor to Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation and American Tobacco Co.) and Lorillard Tobacco Company - went along with a plan proposed by the judge that excluded all Black-owned newspapers and broadcast companies. The tobacco companies submitted a revised plan after the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB), two trade associations whose member businesses reach more than 95 percent of all African Americans, filed an amicus or friend of the court brief chal- lenging the original plan to run court-ordered ads only in White and Latino publications and on the three major television networks. In an amicus brief supporting the Black Press, the NNPA said, “To rectify the damage created by Defendant in their targeting of African American communities, this Court should require Defendants to use NABOB and NNPA member organizations to fulfill its remedial order. Blackowned print and visual media remain a primary method of receiving information for African Americans.” After accepting the filing by NNPA and NABOB, Judge Kessler ordered the defendants to address the issues raised by the two trade associations and cable networks that later filed similar briefs protesting the arrangement that favored the three major broadcast networks over them. Among those joining the action were Fox Network News, Viacom (the parent company of BET, MTV and VH1), Univision, TV One, Radio One, CW Network and A&E Television Networks. Under its latest plan, the tobacco firms propose advertising in only 14 of approximately 200 Black newspapers: The Arizona Informant, the Denver Weekly News, the Inner-City News should be a priority.” Additional stroke signs include: Sudden severe headache with no known cause; sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; or sudden confusion or trouble understanding. Together to End Stroke offers a free “Spot a Stroke F.A.S.T.” mobile app for iOS and Android, including the warning signs and a searchable map to find local hospitals recognized for heart and stroke care. For more information about stroke or American Stroke Month activities, visit StrokeAssociation.org/strokemonth. Follow #StrokeMonth on Facebook and Twitter to add your voice to the conversation. About the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association: The American Stroke Association is devoted to saving people from stroke - America’s No. 4 killer and a leading cause of serious disability. The association teams with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent, treat and beat stroke. The Dallas-based association was created in 1997 as a division of the American Heart Association. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-888-4STROKE or visit strokeassociation.org. Kessler Campbell (Conn.), the Gary Crusader (Indiana), the Louisville Defender, Insight News (Minnesota), the St. Louis American, the Omaha Star, the Ohio City News, Black Chronicle (Nebraska), the Portland Skanner, the Seattle Skanner, the Milwaukee Courier and the Charlotte Post. The tobacco companies proposed reducing what it called “major-circulation newspapers,” i.e. white dailies, from 29 to 27, eliminating the Boston Herald, the Florida TimesUnion, the Fort Worth StarTelegram, the Fresno Bee, the New York Post, the New York Sun [which has closed], the Orlando Sentinel, the Palm Beach Post, the Sacramento Bee, the San Diego Union-Tribune and the Tallahassee Democrat from the original list. Added were: the Baltimore Sun, the Birmingham News, the Charleston Post & Courier, the Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Miss., the Memphis Commercial Appeal, the Detroit Free Press, the New Orleans Picayune, the Newark Star-Ledger and the News Journal in Delaware. Remaining on both ad buy lists were: the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Boston Globe, the Charlotte Observer, the Chicago Sun-Times, the Chicago Tribune, the Dallas Morning News, the Houston Chronicle, the Los Angeles Times, the Miami Herald, the New York Daily News, the New York Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Tampa Bay Times (formerly the St. Petersburg Times), USA Today, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post. New tobacco ‘apology’ ads plan still excludes most black media By George E. Curry NNPA Editor-in-Chief WA S H I N G TON, D.C. - A revised plan for major tobacco companies to purchase courtordered ads to admit that they deliberately misled the public about the dangers of smoking would add nine white-owned newspapers to the list of publications carrying tobacco ‘apology’ ads. But then it shuts out more than 90 percent of black newspapers and all black-owned radio and television stations, according to documents filed in federal court. “If they had asked, we could have helped them develop a better plan than this,” said National Newspaper Publishers Association Chairman Cloves Campbell. “They didn’t consult us and the end result is that we’re back www.mississippilink.com May 1 - 7, 2014 THE mississippi link • 17 A-TEAAM: mentoring black boys for a better future By Stephanie R. Jones Contributing Writer Tears were flowing even before Peggy Rhodes’ son Billy Rhodes was named an Ambassador of the Year from Blackburn Laboratory Middle School. She sat with other parents snapping photos of their sixth-grade sons, graduates of the Ambassadors of The Evers Academy for African American Males - the A-TEAAM. “I was so proud,” Peggy Rhodes said. The program has helped her son and she thinks it will help him as he makes decisions later in life, said Rhodes, who has two other children. Billy is the youngest. “I hope he will go on to be a mentor to other kids.” Billy was mentored by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Jackson Alumnae Chapter. The boys from Blackburn and Nichols Middle School in Canton were recognized Sunday during a banquet at Jackson State University for their participation in the program, where they were mentored by adults from various civic and social service organizations in the Jackson area and Canton. The Ambassadors of The Evers Academy for African American Males mentoring program is administered by the Juanita S. Doty (JSD) Foundation in partnership with the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Institute. It inspires young males of color to honor the life and live the legacy of Medgar Evers, slain civil rights leader and NAACP field director for Mississippi. The Community Engagement and Empowerment Network (CEEN), comprised of 21 community-based organizations, provides mentors for the boys. The men and women mentors taught the boys the skills of leadership. Sunday’s program, April 27, 2014 was hosted by Juanita Sims Doty and emceed by Byron Brown and Erin Pickens of WJTV - Channel 12. The boys heard from Jackson’s newly elected Mayor Tony Yarber and his recent campaign opponent Atty. Chokwe Antar Lumumba. The two embraced on stage in a show of unity and encouragement to the boys. Yarber said the three things young men need are acknowledge- ment, acclamation and affirmation. He explained to the boys that they are essential to the future of this country, that they are important. “Don’t be like us,” Yarber challenged the boys. “Be better than us.” Lumumba’s father, the late Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba, was a mentor in the program and honorary co-chairman of the ATEAAM. Chokwe Antar Lumumba was presented with a photo of his father with Myrlie Evers Williams and Jackson Public Schools Superintendent Cedrick Gray. Dwight Luckett Sr., superintendent of Canton Public Schools, likened the struggle of young black males to war. “We have to have a vision. We have to have a plan of action to back that. We have to arm our young soldiers in this war,” Luckett said. He urged the boys to learn good manners, good morals, respect for elders and respect for girls and women. Tim Collins, vice-president of the board of trustees of Jackson Public Schools, said Yarber and Lumumba were good representatives of the community and told the boys they, too, could achieve success. He said the boys needed to see doctors, lawyers, public servants and art teachers in the audience. JPS Superintendent Gray gave the boys the ABCs: Align themselves with good people; Believe they are special; and Commit to do the right thing. While Evers Wil- liams told the boys they “are the light that will lead us in the future.” An inaugural award, Health Equity Ambassador, Advocate and Leader (HEAAL) was given to Dr. Yvonne T. Maddox, acting director, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. Other awardees included: Nichols Middle School: Ambassador Joshua Jackson, Ambassador of the Year. Ambassador Rigoberto Leon, Honorable Mention. Blackburn Laboratory Middle School: Ambassador D’Quon Sanders, Honorable Mention The Ambassadors of the Year received bikes compliments of Regions Bank. photos by Jay Johnson 18 • the mississippi link May 1 - 7, 2014 www.mississippilink.com Book Review: “Things I Should Have Told My Daughter: Lies, Lessons & Love Affairs” Pearl Cleage by By Terri Schlichenmeyer Book Reviewer “Dear Diary….” You’ve written that many times in your life. Those little hurts, schoolgirl crushes, firsts, lasts, and thoughts. It’s all written in your journal so you’d see where you came from and where you’re going. But would you want your children or grandchildren to read your journals, unedited, warts and all? Pearl Cleage thinks she might. Maybe. And in her new book, “Things I Should Have Told My Daughter,” she explains why. The “no” came as no surprise; as a 15-year-old, Pearl Cleage’s daughter, Deignan, declined the opportunity to read her mother’s journals. So when Cleage offered to keep the journals for her granddaughter to read someday, Deignan turned her down, saying that the tod- c.2014, Atria $23.99 / $27.99 Canada • 320 pages dler didn’t need to read them, either. Deignan figured she understood what happened in Cleage’s life. She was there for much of it, after all, but Cleage wondered if the things her daughter never knew were just as important as the things she knew. There were lessons to learn, and Cleage chose to begin with January 9, 1970. Twenty-one-year-old Cleage was at a party that night, commiserating with the wife of a friend on his way to jail. Politics and activism were a major part of Cleage’s life then. She had many friends in the SNCC, had met Coretta Scott King, was a supporter of Angela Davis and, later, worked with Maynard Jackson. Racial issues were on her mind a lot then, as was sexism and feminism. Though it would alter her plans for her future, Cleage thought about having a baby in her mid-twenties. She didn’t mention it to her then-husband, Michael Lomax, but she often wondered what their child might look like. In August of 1974, she found out. Giving birth wasn’t hard. Motherhood sometimes was. And as her daughter grew, so did Cleage. Still politically active, she honed her writing skills and became a playwright, columnist, and author. She got divorced. Her mother died as Cleage’s career and her love life thrived. Yes, things happened that her granddaughter “probably” didn’t need to know, but Cleage is overall “glad” she wrote them down anyhow. You know those nature shows where you watch a flower open in quick-time? That’s what reading “Things I Should Have Told My Daughter” is like: we watch an accomplished writer Crossword Puzzle blossom before our eyes, in a book written while she bloomed. But that’s not the only appeal here: author Pearl Cleage gives us a front-row seat, not only to her life but to the social issues of the days in which she journaled. That allows us to see history in the eyes of an idealistic young woman, then a new mother, then someone who’s on the edge of attaining her dreams - all perspectives for which we know the outcome but getting there, as they say, is half the fun. Though clarifying notes might’ve been occasionally helpful (particularly in determining ownership of pronouns), this is one diary you needn’t read furtively. For you, “Things I Should Have Told My Daughter” is a book you should see. Sudoku The challenge is to fill every row across, every column down, and every 3x3 box with the digits 1 through 9. Each 1 through 9 digit must appear only once in each row across, each column down, and each 3x3 box. © Feature Exchange Cryptogram A cryptogram is a puzzle where a sentence is encoded by substituting the actual letters of the sentence with different letters. The challenge of the puzzle is to ‘decode’ the sentence to reveal the original English sentence. We have provided a few of the decoded letters to help get you started. Hint: Quote by Steve Jobs © Feature Exchange This Week’s Horoscopes You are more perceptive than usual this morning and see other people's true colors. 1/21 - 2/19 Aquarius ACROSS 1. Small licorice treats 5. Rancor 9. Realm 10. Asian country 11. False bible god 12. Correct 13. Brief storm 15. Ripen 16. President James ___ 18. PC valley 21. Dined 22. German letter topper 26. City Boca ___ 28. Too 29. Birds “thumb” 30. Connection 31. Promotion 32. Kaput DOWN 1. Nails 2. Asian nation 3. Swain 4. Italian sausage 5. Exercise place 6. Regions 7. Slang 8. Weighed down 10. Infrequent 14. Gap 17. Midland 18. Biblical woman 19. European country 20. Abated (2 wds.) 23. Lotion ingredient 24. U.S. Department of Agriculture 25. Has toed 27. Bullfight cheer © Feature Exchange You may be on a major winning streak today so just go with the wind behind your back before it changes direction. 7/23-8/21 Leo You may discover a secret or the hidden pleasures of some other situation this week. 2/20 - 3/20 Pisces Keep up the pace today without straining so when its time to take a rest, you'll have a new accomplishment under way! 8/22 - 9/23 Virgo This week something lost or forgotten may suddenly come to light, surprising you. 3/21 - 4/20 Aries 4/21 - 5/21 Taurus For the greatest gain just sustain your positive thinking levels without burning out before the week is over. 9/24 - 10/23 Libra Conflicting energies may have left you drained of late, but realignment is now underway that allows you to get back in tune. You're restless now and you'll be active, needing stimulus like a good suspense novel or play to keep you interested. 10/24 - 11/22 Scorpio You may find yourself better able to take charge of your daily routine and let it energize you all this week. 5/22 - 6/21 Gemini You may be bored, especially with your routine and this may cause you to seek out a different type of social interest today. 11/23 - 12/22 Sagittarius Put aside time-wasting diversions today and go with what really makes you feel alive and energized. 6/22 - 7/22 Cancer This should be a happy, relaxed, and successful period, one in which you could take advantage of all opportunities. 12/23 - 1/20 Capricorn (For puzzle answer keys, see page 14) GE T YOU R C U R R EN T NEWS ONLINE AT: © Feature Exchange www.mississippilink.com ENTERTAINMENT www.mississippilink.com May 1 - 7, 2014 THE mississippi link • 19 Report: FOX cancels Michael Limbaugh takes a shot at Lemon; alludes to CNN Ealy’s ‘Almost Human’ eurweb.com Bad news for Michael Ealy. Deadline.com is reporting that his Fox series “Almost Human,” starring the actor as a cyborg cop, has not been picked up for a second season. According to the website, the futuristic drama costarring Karl Urban got off to a slow start in November but held enough ground to at least earn renewal consideration, often finishing on par with its Monday companion (the already-renewed drama “The Following”). In fact, the March season (and series) finale of “Almost Human” logged a 1.5 rating in 18-49, matching the Live+Same Day rating for last night’s finale of “The Following.” (The Following is a bigger DVR draw). personality’s sexuality Michael Ealy in FOX’s “Almost Human” According to Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva, “Almost Human’s” chances started to slip once Fox’s drama pilots started coming in. “Gotham” (costarring Jada Pinkett Smith), “The Red Band Society” (costarring Octavia Spencer) and “Empire” (starring Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson) are all considered strong contenders for a series pickup, which didn’t bode well for “Almost Human.” Urban played a human cop paired with Ealy’s lifelike combat-model android in “Almost Human,” from the “Fringe” team of JJ Abrams and J.H. Wyman. Columbus Short fired from ‘Scandal’ eurweb.com Well, this is not exactly a surprise. According to reports, “Scandal” actor Columbus Short is history as far as that show is concerned. Sources connected with ABC - as you’ve probably already guessed - say it’s because the network decided to release him due to allegations of domestic violence. In fact, the actor just released this statement to TMZ: “At this time I must confirm my exit from a show I’ve called home for three years, with what is the most talented ensemble in television today.” He continues: “Everything must come to an end and unfortunately the time has come for Harrison Wright to exit the canvas. I wish nothing but the best for Short Shonda, Kerry and the rest of the cast…” Dang, it’s almost like it was predestined to happen ‘cause in the series’ season finale, he caught a bullet, so now … As we reported, Short’s wife just got a restraining order against him after he allegedly put a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her. He’s also been charged in connection with another incident with domestic violence and child abuse. He was arrested for yet another incident of alleged domestic abuse. And he was arrested recently for allegedly clocking a dude in a bar. The-Dream accused of beating his ex; releases song inspired by Donald Sterling ban eurweb.com The-Dream has made headlines this morning on two fronts. TMZ is reporting that he’s wanted by New York authorities for allegedly punching, kicking, and strangling his ex-girlfriend, who was pregnant at the time. And in the midst of this, he found time to record and release a record last night ripping racist LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling. The alleged domestic incident took place in April 2013 at the Plaza Hotel, roughly three months before Dream’s ex-GF Lydia Nam gave birth to his son, TMZ reported. It’s unclear what prompted the alleged attack and if Nam ever sought medical attention - but for some reason, she didn’t file a police report until November, which is when she described the alleged assault to police. According to law enforcement sources, Dream (real name Terius Nash) is now wanted for questioning by police in connection with Nam’s The Dream allegations - which means if they find him, he’ll be taken into custody. Dream insists Nam is lying, and sources close to the producer tell TMZ that he thinks she’s a vengeful wom- an plotting to use this alleged crime as a way to extend her visa in the U.S. (Nam is Canadian.) According to law enforcement sources, Dream was already arrested in connection with a separate domestic violence incident (also involving Nam) last June in Newport Beach, Calif., but she refused to press charges. As a result, the D.A. rejected the case. As for his song, it’s called “Black” and was posted as a video yesterday, hours after NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced that Sterling has been banned for life and fined $2.5 million for his racist remarks. The song’s chorus: “I feel real black right now.” eurweb.com Another day, another beef. This time, the contenders are Rush Limbaugh and Don Lemon. The feud between the talk show hosts is one of many stemming from Donald Sterling’s racist comments. While addressing the Sterling situation on April 28, Limbaugh mentioned how the things said by the LA Clippers’ owner were causing him problems in light of the fact that he “did not give enough money to Obama.” From there, it was on as Lemon reacted to Limbaugh by telling his fellow CNN commentator Erin Burnett, “If we didn’t know then, that Rush Limbaugh is a stunt king, then we know now.” The back and forth continued April 29 as Limbaugh weighed in while firing a shot at CNN and Lemon’s sexuality. “Over at CNN, they interpreted that to mean that I was defending Sterling.” the conservative firebrand said. “How did they get there? I don’t know how they get there. Erin Burnett played the sound bite and then went to Mr. Black Hole himself, Lemon Limbaugh Don Lemon (who sleeps with men, proudly) for comment.” Lemon wasn’t the only one to catch it from Limbaugh, who blasted media watchdog Media Matters for not picking up on the fact that he was making a joke. “These people have no sense of humor, particularly when it comes to Obama,” Limbaugh stated while giving his theory on why Sterling has landed on a lot of people’s bad side. “They have no sense of humor whatsoever. Everybody listening to this program knew I was making a joke (and a quite good one, by the way, if I say so myself) that if Sterling had just given a little bit more to Obama, everything would be okay.” Limbaugh then shifted back to Lemon as he started mocking the CNN commentator’s infamous question about whether it really is “preposterous” to think the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 plane flew into a black hole. “You have a story like Sterling and all these people go on TV,” Limbaugh said, “and they try to out do each other being the most offended, the most outraged, the most hurt, the most harmed, the most sensitive, the most in touch and so forth… Crackpots everywhere.” 20 • the mississippi link May 1 - 7, 2014 www.mississippilink.com piggly wiggly April 30 - May 6, 2014 110 East Academy Canton, MS 1150 East Peace St. Canton, MS STORE HOURS: Monday - Saturday / 7 a.m. - 9 p.m. Sunday 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. 225 Meadowbrook Rd. JACKSON, MS 2875 McDowell Rd. 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