Latest news with #Jacksonians
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Jackson Election Day is here: candidates, wards, polling info and what to expect
In just days, Jacksonians will return to the polls one last time to elect a new mayor and decide whether to keep or replace members of the Jackson City Council. June 3 is general election day in the capital city. The primaries and runoffs are in the books — now it's winner takes all. The candidate with the most votes wins their race, no runoffs this time. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and if you're in line by 7 p.m., you'll still be allowed to vote. Voters can find their precinct by visiting the Mississippi Secretary of State's website and entering their address and zip code. Here's everything you need to know. The race to become Jackson's mayor started with 20 candidates - plus two who were disqualified - and has been narrowed down to just six: one Democrat, one Republican and four independents. State Sen. John Horhn, the Democratic nominee, is the heavy favorite to become next mayor as Jackson has not elected a Republican or independent candidate to the position in decades. Horhn defeated incumbent Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba in the Democratic primary and runoff elections held in April. In the runoff, Horhn carried 74.77% of the vote, according to the official results certified by the Mississippi Secretary of State's office. His Republican challenger is Kenneth Gee, a Bailey Magnet High School graduate currently attending Rasmussen University, who has worked as a law enforcement officer. To say Gee faces an uphill battle in the race isn't an exaggeration. In the April 22 GOP runoff, he secured the nomination by winning 100 of the 159 total votes cast, outlasting candidate Wilfred Beal. The four independent candidates are Rodney DePriest, Zach Servis, Lillie Stewart-Robinson, and Kim Wade. Because they're not affiliated with a political party, the independents skipped the primaries and advanced straight to the general election. Five of the seven seats on the council will be up for grabs come Election Day. Two seats — Wards 4 and 6 — have already been decided. That leaves Wards 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 still up for grabs. Ward 4 Councilman Brian Grizzell retained his seat after the April 1 primary, defeating challenger Malcolm May. Grizzell is running unopposed in the general election, therefore winning the seat. It will be his second term on the council. Similarly, Lashia Brown-Thomas became the next Ward 6 councilwoman after defeating Democratic candidate Emon Thompson in the April 22 runoff. She is also running unopposed in the general election. Brown-Thomas replaces incumbent Ward 6 Councilman Aaron Banks, who is not running for reelection this year. More information on the candidates vying for seats on the council can be found on the Clarion Ledger website. In early January, Jackson Municipal Clerk Angela Harris confirmed to the Clarion Ledger that letters had been sent to residents whose wards may have changed due to last year's redistricting. To assist residents who are still unsure of their ward, use the Central Mississippi Planning and Development District's — the group that helped the council with the redistricting process — online tool. Residents can enter their address to check their ward. The tool is available on CMPDD's website. Gray Ouzts, a principal planner with CMPDD, previously told the Clarion Ledger the online tool is open to the public, but residents should confirm they are voting in the correct ward with the city. Residents can also check with the city to verify their polling precinct. To do so, visit Jackson City Hall or call the Municipal Clerk's Office at (601) 960-1035. Contact Charlie Drape at cdrape@ This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Everything to know before voting in Jackson for Election Day on June 3
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Pollen level in Jackson better than most metros: report
JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – How bad is pollen in Jackson? According to a recent report, not as bad as you think. This year's burst of pollen around the metro seems to make everything yellow. From cars to buildings, an onslaught of pollen is unending for many. However, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) ranked the yellow assault as better than average compared to most major metro areas. Out of 100 cities, Jacksonians have the 38th best allergy season. Based on the foundation's metrics, the state has lower-than-average pollen and higher-than-average asthma and allergy specialists. However, lower-than-average medicine use for allergies brought the state's overall ranking down. Health professionals recommend that residents do so to best manage and treat symptoms effectively. Maps show when allergy season will peak in Mississippi According to AAFA, allergies are the sixth leading cause of chronic illness in the United States. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Mississippi children with asthma are over three times more likely to have allergies than children without the chronic disease. Asthma's impact on the state is often deadly; Mississippi has the highest asthma mortality rate nationwide. With a pollen season ranging from February to August across most of the country, suffering for months is an undesirable option. AAFA has some tips to brave past the pollen this year and beyond. Change and wash clothes worn during outdoor activities Clean bedding, floors and fabric furniture once a week Clean blinds, curtains and washable rugs once a month Cover your hair, nose, mouth and eyes while outside Dry your clothes in a clothes dryer or on an indoor rack, not on an outdoor line Keep windows closed, if possible, during pollen season or peak pollen times Limit close contact with pets that spend a lot of time outdoors Limit your outdoor activities when pollen counts are high Remove your shoes before entering your home Shower daily before going to bed Start taking allergy treatments before pollen season begins Use central air conditioning or air cleaners with a certified asthma and allergy friendly filter and/or HEPA filtration to reduce indoor airborne allergens Watch pollen counts and forecasts Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Times
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘The Last of Us' Season 2, Episode 3 Recap: Rate Your Pain
Season 2, Episode 3 What is the appropriate amount of time for a TV character to mourn another TV character? In the old days, when television was less serialized, the answer to that question was usually 'until the episode's closing credits.' Then in the 1990s and 2000s, the 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' creator Joss Whedon was partly responsible for changing the way TV series handle death, with heroes carrying the pain of a loss for multiple episodes — to the point where fans would anxiously wonder whether the show would ever be fun again. In this week's episode of 'The Last of Us,' the credited screenwriter and series co-creator, Craig Mazin, takes a smart approach to the aftermath of Joel's horrible, bloody murder. Mazin jumps the action ahead three months, just as Ellie is getting out of the hospital, and long after she has gotten used to the idea of losing Joel. When Ellie is discharged, she is not mopey or surly. Instead, she is ready to get on with the next phase of her life: finding and killing Joel's assassin, Abby. I question a different choice Mazin makes, however. This is an unusual 'Last of Us' episode in that it lacks any kind of big action or horror set-piece. There is one devastating moment of violence that happens offscreen, and the episode ends with a major threat looming. But unlike in Season 1, where the calmer scenes of people hanging out and living life were balanced with terrifying monster attacks and shootouts, this week Ellie and the Jacksonians mostly just regroup. Given that some disgruntled fans have wondered whether this show can be as entertaining going forward without Joel, I'm somewhat surprised that this episode is so devoid of spectacle. That said, for people like me, who think Ellie is fascinating enough to carry a series, this episode makes a fine case for this season's future. The action this week — such as it is — is understandably Ellie-focused. First, she completes her checkout from the hospital, which involves rating her pain level for the doctor ('nothing … zero') and then getting past Gail, who knows she is not being wholly honest about how Joel's death is affecting her. Gail mentions her own last conversation with him, and how he said that he had wronged Ellie by saving her. Ellie pretends not to know what Joel meant, then spins some therapy-speak to get Gail off her back. 'Man, I wish I could've let him off the hook for whatever it was he was talking about,' she says, before disingenuously adding, 'I guess I'll have to let myself off the hook for that.' Alone and back home, though, walking around an empty house, Ellie's emotional dam breaks. She buries her face in one of Joel's jackets and sobs. Kudos as always to Bella Ramsey, who never holds back in playing Ellie, giving the character's youthful exuberance and raw pain free rein, as needed. Ellie does not get much time to wallow before this episode's plot comes knocking on the door, in the form of Dina. Thanks to conversations she once had with the late Eugene, a former Firefly, Dina has been able to figure out something about Abby's crew. They may be part of a regional militia: the Seattle-based Washington Liberation Front, a.k.a. 'the Wolves.' Ellie's first reaction to this news is to snap at Dina for letting the Wolves get away, but then Dina reminds her, 'This town was wreckage and funerals for weeks.' Besides, 'If you know where they're going to end up, maybe let them get there.' Dina also chastises Ellie for thinking she has exclusive rights to loving Joel. This sentiment will come up again, especially from Tommy, who gets annoyed when Ellie suggests that if he really cared about Joel's memory, he would organize a posse immediately to head to Washington. 'Don't talk to me like I didn't know him,' Tommy growls. He says his brother would have gone to any extreme to save Tommy's life, but not to avenge him — not if it was too dangerous. Ellie though? She is not going to abandon her quest for justice, no matter how foolhardy. She tries first to go through official channels, even taking the time to craft a speech for the town council, arguing that the deep bond among reliable neighbors is what holds Jackson together, 'not potluck dinners.' The council, though, is more persuaded by the people in the crowd who argue that Joel, while special, was not that much more special than all the other people who died that day. Also, sending skilled fighters to Seattle leaves Jackson less protected from the next potential attack. So … no posse. But when Dina shows up again at Ellie's house later that night, she already knows her friend is going to ride out anyway. She asks Ellie what route she is planning to take (Ellie: 'Northwest?'), whether she has any medical supplies and whether she can make it across the wilderness in Chuck Taylor sneakers. Then she joins Ellie: a posse of two, sharing one horse. Mazin again compresses time in the latter half of this episode, covering the long ride from Wyoming to Washington in about 10 minutes of screen time. (That trip is around 870 miles long on modern roads. Post-cordyceps, that trail is probably more winding.) These scenes are pleasantly congenial, as these two continue to casually flirt with each other, even as they both agree — out loud, at least — that their New Year's Eve kiss was a drunken mistake. Dina has long since reconciled with Jesse. But the longing in Ellie's eyes as she looks at Dina — while sharing close quarters in a tent — suggests Ellie is not over her. The episode ends on a cliffhanger of sorts, as Ellie and Dina arrive at the outskirts of an eerily quiet Seattle, overgrown with moss and vines. We see them head unimpeded into the city, cockily speculating that there may not be that many Wolves. (Ellie: 'There's about to be a whole lot less'). We also see an inattentive security guard, who tells a small army of Wolves that the road ahead is clear. The armored vehicles and troops may be headed straight for our heroes, with neither side aware. The most chilling moment this week though happens before Ellie and Dina reach the city, at the crossroads of the Seattle Trail. Earlier in the episode, there is an interlude showing a group of multigenerational travelers at that same crossroads, all clad in tunics, all with identical scars on their cheeks that resemble wide smiles. When Ellie and Dina arrive later, they find those pilgrims' corpses — including the body of a young girl — and are convinced that the Wolves were responsible. Even those travelers, before the slaughter, worried about being ambushed by Wolves. If so, these Wolves would be very unlike the ones we saw in Jackson, who, Abby aside, seemed to prefer to keep violence to a minimum. Clearly there is a lot more to their story than we have been told so far — and maybe more than Ellie is ready to hear. She needs this to be a simple tale of good versus evil, where she is the righteous warrior, slaying incorrigible fiends. But that is not the kind of saga she was born into. Side Quests
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kevin Parkinson and Quint Withers faced off in Jackson Ward 7 runoff election. Who won?
Kevin Parkinson is likely the Democratic nominee for Ward 7 on the Jackson City Council, narrowly defeating opponent Quint Withers in Tuesday's runoff election, according to the unofficial results. Parkinson, a former educator, received 53.14% of the vote, or 1,533 votes, compared to Withers 46.86%, or 1,352 votes, according to Tuesday's unofficial results. The Mississippi Secretary of State still needs to certify the results, so they are subject to change. All 15 precincts had reported as of 9 p.m. The Secretary of State must still certify the results. Parkinson and Withers received the highest vote total in the April 1 Democratic primary, defeating three other Democratic challengers, but not the 50%-plus-one needed to win outright. Now, Parkinson will head to the June 3 general election where he will face Republican Taylor Turcotte, who ran unopposed in the primaries, and independent Ron Aldridge. Independent candidates do not hold primary elections. In a statement to the Clarion Ledger, Parkinson thanked his supporters, as well as his opponents. Read the statement below: "We feel incredibly blessed and incredibly grateful for everyone who turned out to vote. A large team of volunteers and supporters have worked very hard to get us to this point, and I'm so honored to be part of this movement for a safer, stronger, more prosperous Jackson. I'd also like to thank my opponents, who ran strong campaigns; together we make democracy work. As we push towards the general election, we will continue to work hard and we intend to earn the votes of Jacksonians throughout the ward." This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson MS' Ward 7 elects Democratic nominee for Jackson City Council seat
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lumumba, Horhn share final messages with Jackson voters ahead of April 22 runoff election
Incumbent Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and challenger Sen. John Horhn made final campaign pushes — and shared closing messages with Jackson voters — ahead of Tuesday's high-stakes Democratic mayoral runoff. Jackson voters will head to the polls once more to choose between Lumumba and Horhn for the Democratic mayoral nomination. The winner will move on to the June 3 general election, where they'll face the Republican nominee and four Independent candidates. The April 1 Democratic primary election saw Horhn dominate with 48.4% of the vote compared to Lumumba's 16.8%, according to the official election results certified on April 10. Horhn and Lumumba beat out 10 other Democratic candidates vying for Jackson's top office in the primary elections. Horhn, who has run for mayor multiple times previously, fell just shy of the 50%-plus-one needed to win outright. Lumumba is seeking his third term in office. The winner of the Democratic contest between Horhn and Lumumba will most likely become Jackson's next mayor as the city has not elected a Republican or Independent candidate to the position in decades. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m on Tuesday. Voters can find their precinct by visiting the Mississippi Secretary of State's website and entering their zip code and address. Jackson runoff election guide: Horhn vs. Lumumba in Jackson mayoral runoff; City Council races also on April 22 ballot Here's how Lumumba and Horhn have made their final preparations — and what their message is to Jackson voters ahead of the runoff. Since the April 1 primary, Lumumba said he has been canvassing Jackson neighborhoods and meeting directly with residents. He said he plans to continue "engaging with residents" Tuesday as voters cast their ballots. "My main focus has always been and continues to be talking directly with voters," Lumumba said in an email Monday. "I have had the honor and privilege to connect with Jacksonians all over the city. I have spent time visiting residents during our many neighborhood canvasses, attended neighborhood association meetings, along with many other community events. I've also had the opportunity to fellowship with residents at numerous churches." Lumumba will host a watch party at the Ice House in Downtown Jackson after polls close at 7 p.m. It is the same venue he hosted his "State of the City Address" in October 2024. Below is Lumumba's message to Jackson voters ahead of the runoff: "Perhaps my main message, which is for every voter, is that this election matters. Your voice matters. People often sit out local elections when most of the decisions that affect our lives are made at the local level. Jacksonians have accomplished a lot working together. We have paved 144 streets. We have secured hundreds of millions of dollars to improve our infrastructure. This is the kind of impact I hope we will continue to make, working together." Similar to Lumumba, Horhn said he's been canvassing around Jackson and meeting with potential voters ahead of the runoff. "We hosted a series of events this past weekend and are spending our final hours meeting with individuals across the city," Horhn said in an email Monday. Horhn will host his election night watch party at The Rookery in Downtown Jackson at 7:30 p.m. Below is Horhn's message to Jackson voters ahead of the runoff: 'Tomorrow, you have the power to shape our city's future. For too long, our city has been in decline. Clear evidence of this can be seen through the thousands of people moving away from our city each year. A shrinking city creates a shrinking economy putting stress on all the citizens and businesses who stay. Our citizens deserve better. Jackson is ready for businesses that thrive, streets that are safe, infrastructure that works, and opportunities that lift up every neighborhood. As a State Senator I've fought for Jackson, securing millions for our roads, housing, jobs, infrastructure, cultural attractions, and community programs. All of my Jackson efforts in the legislature cannot grow to their full potential without strong leadership at City Hall. I'm ready to lead as your mayor to restore trust, accountability, transparency, and create unity. We will work together to fix short-term problems quickly while also creating long-range plans together that look into the future. I'll work tirelessly to unite our city, ensuring every voice from South Jackson, West Jackson, North Jackson, Northeast Jackson, Northwest Jackson, Downtown, Fondren, Midtown, Belhaven, Farish Street, and is heard. Now is the time for unity and love more than ever, not division and hate. We must come together as a community no matter your race, class, religion, or background if we want a better city. To quote Dr. King, "We must all learn to live together as brothers, or we will all perish together as fools." I'm asking that all of us come together tomorrow to choose a brighter future. Let's rebuild our city and take pride in Jackson." This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Horhn, Lumumba share messages ahead of Democrats' mayoral runoff
