v19n05 - Election 2020

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Nomination Ballot Opens Oct. 28 See page 9, or bestofjackson.com/ ballot/

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contents

JACKSONIAN

October 28 - November 10, 2020 • Vol. 19 No. 5

ON THE COVER illustration by Zilpha Young

4 Editor’s Note 6 Election Coverage

14 ‘Moocher’ Economics

16 Reed Food Technology

Jamie Shines

J

amie Shines’ friends call her the “queen of the off-guard,” for her love of taking spontaneous pictures of them when they least expect it. “I take the best off-guards ever,” she emphatically claims.

The 23-year-old developed an interest in photography a yearand-a-half ago, and she has since started her own photography company, Jay L Photography.

“When I first started out, I was just taking pictures of my friends,” Shines says. “I specialize in taking pictures of people when they are laughing or giggling. I don’t really like posed pictures, but I’ve gotten into that.”

Born and raised in Jackson, Shines graduated from Northwest Rankin High School, where she played clarinet in the marching band and sang in the school’s choir. Since graduating in 2015, she presently attends Tougaloo College, where she expects to finish her bachelor’s degree in mass communication in 2021 with a minor in music. Her mother, Arna Shines, works as an English professor at the school.

Outside of photography, Shines boasts a passion for music that traces back to her youth.

“My mother is a singer-songwriter, and she got me into music at a very young age,” she says. “I love gospel music—anything gos-

pel, I’m there. I really like classical music (as well), especially from the baroque period, but I am (primarily) a gospel person.”

Shines sings in several choirs and ensembles at Tougaloo and regularly performs at her church, the New Life Church of God in Christ in Jackson, as well as with the mass choir, Mississippi Southern First Jurisdictional Choir. In addition to the clarinet, she plays the cello, drums and piano.

A few weeks after she started learning piano, the church’s musician moved away. Her father, E.J. Shines, who serves as New Life’s pastor, encouraged her to play for the church, “and I’ve been playing for them ever since,” she says.

In her spare time outside of her studies, photography and working at Sal and Mookie’s, Shines likes to hang out at Van’s Comics, Cards and Games in Ridgeland. As a fan of anime, video games and other hobbies that the shop caters to, she finds herself at the store quite often, even playing Dungeons and Dragons there with a group of friends on most Sundays.

Upon finishing her undergraduate career, Shines plans to pursue a master’s degree in music. Afterward, though, she wants to return to the city she calls home. Presently, she aspires to start a career as a music teacher, professional photographer and freelance writer.

—Richard Coupe

Brothers Jeffrey and Justin Reed co-own and operate the business known for creating custom spice and sauce blends for clients.

17 Jake Milton’s Journey Local film actor Jake Milton describes his introduction into the film industry and his roles thus far.

18 Events 20 Sports 22 Holiday Shopping 22 Puzzle 22 Sorensen 23 astro 23 Classifieds

October 28 - November 10, 2020 • jfp.ms

courtesy Jamie Shines

Kent Moorhead and Pia M. Tornberg break down how Gov. Tate Reeves’ decisions in office have affected Mississippi’s economy.

3

editor’s note

by Donna Ladd, Editor-in-Chief

Learning to Roar in Mississippi from Anne, Hazel and Fannie Lou

October 28 - November 10, 2020 • jfp.ms

Then the mamas won.

We all won.

Mississippi won.

4

As the votes came in, and the vote against Personhood crept up to 58%, JoAnne and I were cheering in her living room. Yes, we were thrilled to see radical legislation going down, but also because Mississippians were standing up, with women in front, to use our power rather than cowering in hopelessness for our state.

I loved seeing all the stunned tweets that night from outsiders astounded that Mississippi could pull off such a hearty defeat of radicals who think it’s fine to treat women like a “handmaid” whose approved use is to have babies on demand and obey men. Women led this movement, most of them mothers. Some were executives; others students. They met in each other’s living rooms and planned how to fight back.

Then the mamas won. We all won.

Mississippi won.

We all know women do not “win” often in Mississippi, certainly not for standing up for women and our choices or to men who make things worse for us all.

We are supposed to be perpetually polite and submissive toward men, too many of whom melt down if we challenge them, even for behavior that has negative effects on the public good. We are not supposed

to self-promote or “show off” our sass, our training or our intelligence in public. We’re to agree and apologize, no matter what.

But Mississippi has long had women warriors who don’t flinch at attempts to make them shut our little mouths, who stare back, who write scathing columns, who get the hell beaten out of them in jail cells without editing one word they still need to say afterward. Our state may not be big on naming buildings after those women or erecting public statues of them, opting instead for angelic marble women bending lovingly over their Confederate heroes like Sen. Jim Eastland’s racist mama got erected in front of the Mississippi Capitol.

During the pandemic, Todd and I started roadtripping to counties around Mississippi getting to intimately know my home and his adopted state—from local history to vicious lynchings, namesakes of towns to less-known fighters for justice and freedom. We retrace the steps and visit gravesites of heroes and scoundrels, filling in blanks in history as we go. Even as confronting just how horrible white supremacists (not just the rednecks) were here, still better is “meeting” courageous women leaders who believed enough in our state’s potential to lay their lives on the line for it.

We went to Ruleville twice to not only celebrate Fannie Lou Hamer’s life and the badassery of telling her story at the 1964 Democratic National Convention, but to better understand what the former sharecropper was like back home. We learned how she dug into the roots and results of racism in her hometown, helping others improve economically and have enough to eat. She taught the children she couldn’t have—a white doctor had sterilized her without permission, taking away her re-

Fred Blackwell; Cam Bonelli; Warren K. Leffler, U.S. News & World Report Magazine/ Public Domain

I

’ll never forget the night Mississippi voters handily defeated the Personhood initiative. I was at my friend JoAnne Morris’ house where we usually watch election returns. I was cautiously optimistic because I’d had a front-row seat to the most impressive display of collective woman power I had ever witnessed in my home state. I’d published piece after piece—news, analysis, opinion—by and about the pushback by the “grassroots mamas” against an extreme attack on abortion rights, in-vitro fertilization and birth-control pills.

This was an exhilarating effort in 2011 because women—Republicans, Democrats, independents, older, young and of various races and ethnicities—just decided they weren’t going to allow this effort chaired by then-Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant to squelch their rights to choose and even stay alive in a political move to control women.

Left to right: Anne Moody, Hazel Brannon Smith and Fannie Lou Hamer were Mississippi women who risked it all to help Mississippi become a better place.

productive choice and freedom forever—to hope and believe that Black lives matter, too. It seems that half of Ruleville is now named for her, and she has a statue—rare for a woman in Mississippi and the U.S.

Last week, we retraced civil-rights activist Anne Moody’s steps down in Wilkinson County, where she started cleaning white people’s houses when she was 9, even as white people were killing Black people around her with no punishment.

In her vital book, “Coming of Age in Mississippi,” Moody talks about how the white woman she worked for as a teenager responded to news about the murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till up in Money. Her boss wasn’t aghast at his death; she started having “Guild” meetings in her home, serving tea to proper white ladies conspiring against the NAACP and dropping the n-word so her worker could hear. A strip of Highway 24 and her childhood street in Centreville is named for Moody now.

contributors

Nick Judin

Kayode Crown

Taylor Hathorn

State reporter Nick Judin grew up in Jackson and graduated from the University of Mississippi. He covers the Legislature, Mississippi politics and the COVID-19 pandemic. Try not to run him over when you see him crossing State Street. He wrote part of the election coverage package.

City Reporter Kayode Crown came to Mississippi from Nigeria where he earned a post-graduate diploma in Journalism and was a journalist for 10 years. He likes rock music and has fallen in love with the beautiful landscapes in Jackson. He wrote a talk for the issue.

Taylor McKay Hathorn is an alumna of Mississippi College’s English program and a student at Asbury Theological Seminary. She enjoys binging TV shows, watching the sun set over the Mississippi River and tweeting her opinions @_youaremore_. She wrote both the arts and food stories.

In Lexington up in Holmes County, we’re digging deeper into Hazel Brannon Smith, a white editor whose memory gives me strength when the North Jackson (or now North Mississippi) Angry Men’s Club members start kvetching because I’m so opinionated or my reporters so thorough.

Hazel herself started out as a fashion plate and a segregationist; she ended up taking on corruption, winning a Pulitzer for her columns about local racist police violence and daring to print the original Mississippi Free Press, a Civil Rights Movement newspaper with a multiracial staff that powerful white people despised and terrorized because they dared tell the truth.

A group of white teenagers even burned a cross in Hazel’s yard, and powerful white men started a rival newspaper to destroy her successful business. They succeeded. She lost everything and died penniless after suffering from Alzheimer’s.

These Mississippi women, and others, give me strength. When I’m frustrated— like when Mississippi’s first woman U.S. senator votes for a U.S. Supreme Court justice who may well help force Personhood on the whole nation and end health care for our neediest—I draw on these women’s memory, and examples for strength, tenacity and a renewed belief that our state’s best days are ahead. Freedom, then and now, is a struggle, and sexism still insists that women shut the hell up and avoid the fight.

I don’t know if it’ll be enough, but I know that women are again going to roar this Election Day. And that includes here in my home state. I’ll meet you at the polls.

Follow Donna and Todd’s discoveries on his Driving History channel on YouTube and soon at donnaladd.com.

October 28 - November 10, 2020 • jfp.ms

P.O. Box 1066 Jackson, MS 39215 Phone: -1-844-VOTELAW Email: info@westbrooks2020.com Paid for and approved by the Committee to Elect Latrice Westbrooks Supreme Court Justice

5

2020 Election Issue

Preparing for Nov. 3: Voting In Unprecedented Times

by Kayode Crown

October 28 - November 10, 2020 • jfp.ms

Hinds County Circuit Clerk Zack Wallace said nothing much has changed in the voting process of Hinds County even in the midst of COVID-19. He explained to the Jackson Free Press exactly how the local process will work.

issued by an accredited Mississippi university, college, or community/junior college; a United States military photo ID; a tribal photo ID; any other photo ID issued by

any branch, department, agency or entity of the United States government or any State government; or a Mississippi voter identification card.

The secretary of state’s website says voters can call 1-844-MSVoter (1-844678-6837) with voter ID queries or assistance in obtaining a Mississippi

Statewide Ballot Measure 1

Statewide Ballot Measure 2

Statewide Ballot Measure 3

Statewide Ballot Measure 1 Initiated by Petition and Alternative by Legislature Initiative Measure No. 65: “, Should Mississippi allow qualified patients with debilitating medical conditions, as certified by Mississippi licensed physicians, to use medical marijuana?”

Statewide Ballot Measure 2 House Concurrent Resolution No. 47

Statewide Ballot Measure 3 House Bill 1796 - Flag Referendum: “ Please vote ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ on whether the following design shall be the official Mississippi State Flag”

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash

This amendment provides that to be elected Governor, or to any other statewide office, a candidate must receive a majority of the votes in the general election.

If no candidate receives a majority of the votes, then a runoff election shall be held as provided by general law. The requirement of receiving the most votes in a majority of Mississippi House of Representatives’ districts is removed.

Find more information on the secretary of state’s website at sos.ms.gov.

MDAH

6

Hinds County

Z

ack Wallace, the Hinds County circuit clerk for the past five years, is seeing a record level of absentee voting this year as the Nov. 3 general election draws near.

“This year for this election, I know we have 7,717 (absentee voters) as of right now,” he told the Jackson Free Press on Oct. 16 in his office. “If my numbers are correct, in 2008, based on the system, we had 7,009 absentee voters; in 2016, we had 5,309, so right now, we are over 7000, and we still have two weeks left to vote, two full weeks.”

As of Oct. 26, the number of received absentee ballots in Hinds had grown to 11,772 after a weekend where voters waited in lines around the block to cast their absentee ballots in person in downtown Jackson.

Absentee voting started Sept. 12.

People can come to the circuit clerk’s office in downtown Jackson and in Raymond to vote absentee until the Saturday before Election Day—Oct. 31 this year—if they provide a valid reason and present a photo ID. People can request an absentee ballot by mail until Nov. 2.

The exhaustive list of acceptable photo-identification cards based on Secretary of State Michael Watson’s guidelines include: a driver’s license; a government issued photo ID card; a United States passport; a government employee photo; identification card; a firearms license; a student photo ID

2020 Election Issue

courtesy Working Together Jackson

Special Rules Until December

Absentee voting previously only covered those 65 or older, those who won’t be in the county on election day, the temporarily or permanently disabled, or those at work that day. This year, Mississippi legislators passed House Bill 1521 to prepare for elections during COVID-19. The law expanded the reasons for which one can request an absentee ballot to include “a physician-imposed quarantine due to COVID-19” Working Together Jackson in association with or a person caring for a deLeague of Women Voters set up a stand to pendent with the virus. offer free notary services for absentee vote Other provisions in the by-mail—one of two required notarizations. new law included the necessity of absentee mail-in ballots to be postmarked by Election Day and Use Current Address for Voting received no later than five business days af- The Hinds circuit clerk said that ter the election. Also, absentee ballots cast at people should not wait for Election Day the office of the circuit clerk will be counted to update and verify their voter registration on Election Day and announced simulta- based on where they stay. neously with all other votes cast that day.

“If we send you your jury summons

Wallace said he is concerned about the (or) we send you a notification card to say

your precinct has changed, (we) don’t want the mail to be returned to us, and you are marked inactive,” Wallace said.

“If I send you your jury summons, and you have moved to another address across town, which is still in Hinds County, the jury summons will come back to me,” he added. “If we keep sending you some information, eventually the system is going to go ahead and mark you inactive. And when you go to the polls and vote, they have you as inactive. That is why I tell people to update and verify their information regularly, even if they move within Hinds County. I won’t know you move unless you tell me.”

Wallace said people should make sure that they are registered to vote in their current address; those who move will be able to vote in a different place as long as it is in Hinds County.

“It’s our responsibility to vote,” he said. “It’s our responsibility to update our information, so our vote will count. Our future is our responsibility.”

Intending voters can check www. yallvote.sos.ms.gov for the current status of their voter registration.

161,000 Registered Voters in Hinds

The body charged with conducting the November election in the 108 precincts of Hinds County is the five-member election commission. Chairwoman and District 2 representative Toni Johnson told the Jackson Free Press in her office in downtown Jackson that Hinds County has more than 161,000 voters and said the commission is working hard to make voting safe.

“Vote, vote, vote,” she said in her message to the people of the county. “It’s going to be safe; it’s going to be secure, please be patient, be kind, and of course, practice social distancing and let’s adhere to the (Centers for Disease Control) guidelines. We are doing our best to get people (fast) in and out and not disenfranchise people.”

Polls will open on Nov. 3 at 7 a.m. and officially close at 7 p.m, with those in line at that time still able to cast their votes.

“We encourage voters to wear masks or face coverings,” Johnson said. “We will have those provided for voters; we will also have Lysol, bleach wipes, hand sanitizers, as well as face shields on hands for the poll workers.”

Other measures to make the polling places safe include putting stickers on the ground to mark the recommended 6 feet of social distancing inside the precincts and limiting the number of people inside at a time, Johnson explained.

“If voters do not wear masks, they

won’t be turned away,” the chairwoman added, reflecting the decisions of state leaders to not mandate masks for voting. “But we are encouraging people to cover their faces on the inside (of the precinct).”

Hinds County Election Commission Chairwoman Toni Johnson said the body is doing everything to make the polling station safe on Election Day.

Johnson said the poll workers have all completed training, which incorporated talks about social distancing. “(We hired) extra poll workers to make sure that machines, tables and tablets are being sanitized at least once an hour as the voters flow in and out of the precincts,” she said. “We will have poll workers that will be screening and cleaning; we ask them to do it for at least once every hour.”

“We ask voters to be patient, be kind because we do anticipate long lines,” she added. “As you see outside for absentee voting, the poll workers are doing the best they can.”

There are about 30 billboards placed across the county that say: “Voting in Hinds County is Safe and Secure; Vote on Nov 3rd.” Johnson said the county put them up to put the people’s minds at rest and encourage participation in the voting process.

“We have our precincts staffed appropriately,” the commissioner said. “We have taken the measures that we need to do to make sure voters have what they need.

They should not be afraid to come out and vote and cast their ballot.”

The voters can determine their precinct location by inputting their address in the polling-place locator at www.sos. ms.gov/PollingPlace. more ELECTION, p 8

October 28 - November 10, 2020 • jfp.ms

time it may take to send out absentee ballots and receive them back. Wallace urges the electorate to lobby legislators to make changes to the electoral process in the future. “We definitely need to talk to our Legislature, share our concerns with them,” Wallace said. “If you don’t share your concerns with them, they can’t change the law to benefit the voters.”

“While you have some voters who get their mail in two days, we have some other voters get their mail in a week, week and a half, something we don’t have control over,” Wallace added. “So I try not to let that bother me, but we definitely want to make sure the voters are taken care of.”

Secretary of State Watson in his Safety-at-the-Polls Guide said that “any voter exhibiting any symptoms of COVID-19 on Election Day, which include but are not limited to coughing, vomiting, headaches, fever, sore throat, congestion, or loss of taste and/or smell, is encouraged to vote curbside and not enter the polling place.”

Wallace explained how that will work: “When someone pulls up (at the polls) and (do) not get out of the vehicle, they will have to call the polling station or get someone to go in and let poll workers know that someone needs curbside voting; the poll worker will come to the car and let them vote.” They can find out the number of their precinct by calling 601-968-6555.

courtesy Toni Johnson

Voter Identification Card. “(The absentee voters can) come in person; they must have a reason. We ask for their ID, also if someone is 65 years or older, or they have a temporary or permanent disability,” Wallace said. For those who are out of town on Election Day, the circuit clerk can mail an application ballot, which must be notarized. Those with a temporary or permanent disability don’t need to have their ballot notarized; they can have a witness, aged 18 and above, who is not necessarily a registered voter.

“We are talking college students, truck drivers, nurses—some nurses can’t vote if they are going to be required to work some 12-hour shift,” Wallace added concerning those covered by absentee voting. “During this pandemic, you have some nurses, maybe they are out of town, and not coming back until after the election, we mail them a ballot, no problem at all. We just try to make sure that we get the address right.”

On the Saturday before Election Day, the close of absentee voting time is extended from 12 noon to 5 p.m., Wallace said. The absentee voting taking place at the circuit clerk’s office is with 6-feet social-distancing markings on the floor to mitigate COVID19 spread. To date, the virus has killed 178 in Hinds County out of 7,987 recorded infections as of Oct. 26.

7

2020 Election Issue WTJ’s Get-Out-the-Vote Effort Working Together Jackson, an organization that brings together institutions to drive development in the city, is involved in increasing voter participation in the coming election. They are setting up a phone-call effort to encourage people to come out and vote.

On Oct. 17, WTJ, in association with the League of Women Voters, set up stands offering free notary services for those voting absentee at two Jackson locations—the Jackson Medical Mall at Woodrow Wilson Avenue and New Horizon Church International on Ellis Avenue near Interstate 20.

WTJ Senior Organizer Chevon

from page 7

“We have targeted areas in Jackson, mostly in south and west Jackson, people who fit that criteria,” she added. “We have people contacting them probably on average three times between now and the election, to turn out more voters we suspect might not vote based on their track record.

Those who volunteer to call people will have with them a voter guide prepared by WTJ, and information regarding the respondent’s precinct and how to get there on Election Day if they need transportation help.

Chatman said the group is not transporting voters, but pointing them to Mississippi MOVE at 665-205-MOVE for a ride to the polls.

COURTESY SABIR ABDUL-HAQQ

October 28 - November 10, 2020 • jfp.ms

Mississippi MOVE Technology and Communications Lead Sabir Abdul-Haqq said those who need transportation to the polling booth in Hinds County can call his organization at 665-205-MOVE.

8

Chatman said a “splattering” of people showed up, hence they came up with a new strategy—offering free notary services by appointment. Interested voters can call 601-376-9461 between now and Nov. 2, come with an ID and the absentee voting application or ballot to be notarized.

The collaboration also has an initiative to encourage voter participation in this election. WTJ Senior Organizer Chevon Chatman said they want to reach thousands of people before Election Day and will set up a phone bank on Nov. 3 to call on people to go out and vote.

“Our goal is to have 100 WTJ leaders (and) people within our network contacting about 3,000 infrequent voters who are registered to vote in Jackson,” she told the Jackson Free Press. “We got the list from One Voice (a Jackson-based advocacy group). The search query was around people who voted in 2012 and/ or 2018 but not 2016.”

Helping Others Get to the Polling Station Mississippi MOVE has set up an operation covering dozens of counties in the state to help voters get to the polls if need-

Six Items We Wish Were on the Nov. 3 Ballot

ed. The group has been doing this for the past five years but decided on a bigger push for this general election.

Mississippi MOVE Technology and Communications Lead Sabir Abdul-Haqq told the Jackson Free Press that the 501c3 organization collaborates with different organizations to publicize its offer of free Election Day transit service.

“We are getting the word out to communities through community partners like NAACP, like the League of Women Voters, like some of the schools that have civic engagement or community organizing functions, churches,” he said.

“People can call our number, and they can text us, leave us a voicemail, and we’ve got some dispatch staff that will get that information to drivers in the community, and we’ll be able to take people to the poll.”

In the 2019 Mississippi state election, the organization offered 60 rides in the Jackson metro area and the Pine Belt area, mostly in Hattiesburg in Forrest county, Jones County, and on the Gulf Coast in Biloxi and Gulfport.

“We have helped folks who are elderly and disabled, and folks who may have been out-of-state students that just registered to vote, but did not have reliable transportation to get to the voting precinct,” AbdulHaqq said.

“MOVE stands for Motivating and Organizing Voters for Empowerment,” he added. “We don’t care who you vote for; we don’t care the color of your skin, demographics, who you worship, any of those things.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused Mississippi MOVE to make some modifications to its operations. It received a donation of 10,000 face masks from another organization, and the drivers will wear them for the Nov. 3 election, and they will provide passengers with the same. They will also make hand sanitizer available.

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On Election Day Hinds County Election Commission Chairwoman Johnson described what the people should expect when they come into the precinct on Election Day. “When you come in, you will need to have your ID; the poll worker will check your ID to see if your name is on the poll book; they will then ask you to sign the pad because we will be using electronic poll books. You will sign your name, and the poll worker will then give you the ID back,” Johnson said.

On the ballot, the voter has nine choices to make. There are candidates listed for president, Senate and House of Representatives elections, three nonpartisan judicial elections, and three ballot initiatives.

“Once you get the ballot, the voter will have a few minutes to go over to the private area to complete their ballot,” Johnson said.

“Then they will proceed to the machine to scan it in. Typically, you’ll get a sticker, and that is the end of the process.”

Email story tips to city/county reporter Kayode Crown at kayode@jacksonfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter at @kayodecrown.

1. A bill allowing City restaurants to apply for state grants that pay for plexiglass dividers.

2. A county Canoe Squadron that rescues marooned residents during times of severe flooding.

3. A program that reimburses Jackson residents for bottled water they have to buy during boil-water notices.

4. A bill that allows business owners to fine patrons who improperly wear their masks in counties and cities under mask mandates.

5. Funding for public schools to acquire up-to-date technological equipment and software that would improve students’ virtual learning experience.

6. Establishing a system of pothole warning signs for roads dangerously ridden with potholes.

T H

A N N U A L

2 0 2 1

B

est of Jackson voting is divided into two stages—a Nominations ballot and a Final ballot. We must receive your mailed nominations ballot by Nov. 6, 2020, or you may submit it online by midnight on Nov. 8, 2020. If you opt for the paper ballot, you must tear it from your copy of the Jackson Free Press ™ (no photocopies allowed). We will announce the finalists on Nov. 25, 2020, and then you can vote on the final ballot until midnight on Dec. 6, 2020.

N O M I N A T I O N B A L L O T powered by

RULES READ FIRST: Please read before completing your ballot, as violations will disqualify your entire ballot and possibly your chance to win: 1. We encourage you to nominate in at least 20 categories. We will discard ballots that repeat the same vote in non-relevant categories.

2. No photocopied ballots will be accepted. Your ballot must be this newsprint version or cast

REMEMBER THAT BEST OF JACKSON HONORS OUR LOCALLY OWNED BUSINESSES AND PERSONALITIES WHO LIVE AND WORK IN THE JACKSON METRO CURRENTLY. Please vote

only for the best local, authentic choices (see jfp.ms/bojlocal/ for more info on the rules and who is qualified), and “new” means it opened or started Dec. 1, 2019, or later. online at vote.jacksonfreepress.com.

3. Your ballot must include your real first and last name with local phone number and email address for verification (if needed). Do not ask friends and family from outside the Jackson metro area to nominate you or your business.

4. Each voter must choose every nomination cast on his or her ballot; similar and identical ballots will be investigated and perhaps discarded.

5. You are welcome to campaign by asking

P E O P L E

M U S I C

Note: Vote for one local person, include first and last name, and include business they work for if applicable.

Must spell correctly for it to count!

Barber Barista Bartender Best Dressed Chef Facialist/esthetician Hair stylist First responder Fitness trainer Local business owner Makeup artist Massage therapist Nail technician Photographer Professor Real Estate Agent Server/waitperson Sexiest bartender Teacher (must include school) Urban warrior Visual artist (living)

Best Local Band (original music) Bar College student hangout Cover band Happy hour Live music venue Local Musician Local Singer Place for cocktails Place to dance Place to drink cheap Place to play pool Place to watch the game Pub quiz/trivia night Service industry hangout Virtual music performance

C O M M U N I T Y & C U L T U R E Annual event Art gallery Arts organization Best Socially Distancing Activity in Jackson Category we left off Community garden/nature attraction Dance group Festival Kids’ event Virtual Live theater/theatrical group Local podcast Locally owned business Museum New addition to Jackson Nonprofit organization Public forum/speaker series Radio personality/team Radio station Reason to live in Jackson Stage play Tourist attraction Virtual Fundraiser/Charity

F O O D

&

people to nominate you, but you must not offer financial incentives or discounts, set up computers or scripts with any votes prechosen, or ask to see someone’s ballot.

6. It is important to spell names correctly for nominations to count; take time to look them up or ask, please.

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9

courtesy Cindy Hyde-smith; Courtesy Mike Espy

“The only people interested in debates are reporters and losing candidates,” U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith said on Oct. 14. She has maintained a consistent strategy of avoiding public scrutiny and most of the press in her 2020 campaign, refusing to debate challenger Mike Espy.

Former U.S. Rep. and Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy spoke to the Jackson Free Press about the contrasts between himself and the incumbent he hopes to unseat. “If you don’t campaign, you’re disrespecting your constituency,” he said. “It’s as if you’re taking them for granted.”

2020 Election Issue

Espy v. Hyde-Smith, Westbrooks v. Griffis

by Nick Judin

October 28 - November 10, 2020 • jfp.ms

I 10

t was an early September evening at a Mike Espy rally perfectly suited for 2020. A sea of cars, not people, clustered below the stage. Espy had yet to arrive. The speech of the hour came from Court of Appeals Judge Latrice Westbrooks, a candidate for the Mississippi Supreme Court.

“Young people ask me: Why should we vote? Why should we care? And I tell them, see what’s happening in our country. Ahmaud Arbery. George Floyd. Jacob Blake. The decisions that are going to be made in those cases are going to be made by elected officials. Whether you vote or not,” Westbrooks exclaimed.

Contained in that speech was all the passion of the moment, the same focused anger that had built all summer long, honed in protests on the street and petitions in the halls of power.

“In Mississippi, your coroner is elected. The coroner is the person who decides whether your death is accidental, a sui-

cide, a homicide ... Your district attorney is elected. Your attorney general is elected.

Your judges are elected. Your jury comes from registered voters. That,” Westbrooks finished, “is why you should care.”

On Nov. 3, 2020, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Mississippi heads to the polls.

On the ballot, the presidential election headlines a contest that includes the long-awaited Senate rematch between former U.S. Rep. and Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy and incumbent U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith.

In addition, a competitive race for Mississippi’s Supreme Court District 1, which includes the Jackson metro area, pits Court of Appeals Judge Latrice Westbrooks against appointed incumbent Justice Kenny Griffis.

The nominally non-partisan judicial election has taken on a distinctly political valence with 2020’s presidential elections looming above.

Rounding out the ballot, voters are

faced with three initiatives on a broad range of issues. Initiative Measure 65 would enshrine access to medical marijuana in the state’s constitution, mandating a plan to provide the treatment to qualified Mississippians by August 2021.

An alternative measure, 65A, provides a murky allowance for a medicalmarijuana program with few concrete steps toward its establishment.

House Concurrent Resolution 47 would put an end to the state’s electoralcollege system, which demands candidates for statewide office receive both a majority of the vote and wins in a majority of Mississippi House of Representatives districts.

If adopted, a simple majority of voters would suffice for an election.

House Bill 1796 may return a state flag to Mississippi: one the State Flag Commission selected earlier this year after the old one finally came down. A ring of stars and the words “In God We

Trust” encircle a magnolia emblazoned on a red, yellow and blue background.

Espy vs. Hyde-Smith Rematch

After the presidential contest, the rematch between former U.S. Rep Mike Espy and Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith tops Mississippi’s ballot. With Mississippi polling comfortably in President Donald Trump’s favor, it is the Espy-Hyde-Smith election that may hint at the state’s political future.

Espy, a Democrat and a veteran of the Clinton administration, has run a campaign that has taken on increasing national significance, drawing the endorsements of former President Barack Obama, current presidential candidate Joe Biden and Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson, a party pillar in Mississippi.

The former U.S. Agriculture secretary has run a different kind of campaign for a Democrat in Mississippi, clearly betting on a larger and more excited voter base. He hasn’t tiptoed

Election on Nov. 3 The election is on Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Anyone who registered to vote by Oct. 5 is eligible to cast a ballot. Voters must bring a state-accepted form of photo ID to the voting booth.

Absentee voting is available to voters over the age of 65, if you will be away from your polling place on the day of the election, if you cannot leave work while polls are open, if you have been placed under a physician-imposed quarantine or if you are caring for someone under a physician-imposed quarantine.

Voters over the age of 65 or those with chronic illnesses are eligible for a free mask and face shield at all Mississippi State Department of Health county testing locations. A list of locations can be found at msdh.ms.gov.

All voters should maintain their distance wherever possible at the polling place, and remain masked for the entire duration of the voting process, unless a poll worker explicitly asks you to remove your mask to verify your identity.

More information on voting, absentee voting, polling locations and voter ID is available on the secretary of state’s website at sos.ms.gov.

two years! How can you not stand before the people? How can you not pass any bills?”

Espy contrasted this with his own record in the U.S. House.

“I’ve already been a congressman where I’ve worked with Republicans.

My first bill I passed as a freshman was a major economic-development deal. …

Thad Cochran signed on to it, and Ronald Reagan signed it into law. I did that when I was 33 in 1986. There’s no way I’m not going to do that in a more assiduous way (as senator.)”

The challenger, once considered a long shot in a consistently red state, is looking to erase the distance between himself and Hyde-Smith in the polls, leveraging the passive campaign she has run as an incumbent, but also the overwhelming national support he has received since announcing his campaign. He believes he can win.

Experience and Perspective: Westbrooks v. Griffis

A competitive matchup of competing judicial philosophies headlines the state’s Supreme Court races, as Judge Latrice Westbrooks attempts to unseat Justice Kenny Griffis for an eight-year term in District 1, which bisects the state, serving the Jackson metro area and much of the Mississippi Delta.

Both candidates spoke with the Jackson Free Press in Oct. 23 phone interviews, describing their legal and judicial experience, contrasting their philosophies and priorities ahead of the election.

Former Gov. Phil Bryant appointed Griffis in 2019, succeeding Chief Justice William Waller, who would later challenge then Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves for the Republican nomination for governor. Previously, Griffis served as a judge on the Mississippi Court of Appeals from 2003 to 2019, and was selected for the position of chief judge prior to his 2019 appointment.

It’s this experience that Griffis argues is foundational to his bid for a full term on the state’s highest court. “I’ve written 1,000 majority opinions,” Griffis said in the interview. “I’ve got two decades of proven appellate judicial experience.”

Westbrooks’ most recent experience is also at the appellate level. She was elected to the Mississippi Court of Appeals in 2016, after a varied legal career that includes time spent as a private lawyer, a public defender and an assistant district attorney. This diversity of experience, Westbrooks says, puts her in a uniquely qualified position to see where the state’s judicial system can improve.

“Being a prosecutor, being a public defender, that is the best kind of trial experience you can get as an attorney,” she said in the interview. “I’ve been in trenches. I’ve had to present evidence, I’ve had to con-

vince juries. I understand from different perspectives what is required.”

In her role on the appellate level, she “can see what’s happening on the trial level … that avails you the opportunity to have that discussion with other judges and justices, to inform them from your perspective.”

But identity and the perspective it brings is also a meaningful issue in the District 1 election. Westbrooks pointed out that only 4 Mississippi Supreme Court

Court of Appeals Judge Latrice Westbrooks says her varied legal and judicial experience makes her an ideal candidate for the Mississippi Supreme Court: “Being a prosecutor, being a public defender, that is the best kind of trial experience you can get as an attorney.

I understand from different perspectives what is required.”

justices have been women. If elected, she would be the first Black woman to have ever joined its ranks.

“(Our laws) impact you, impact me… they impact everyone. Representation is critically important. You have representation at the table where decisions are being made. But no one who looks like me is sitting at that table,” Westbrooks said.

Griffis is less interested in the topic.

“The issue of race and gender has been brought up, and it’s not been brought up by me. I just believe that this race should be based on our experience and our judicial philosophy,” he said.

Both Westbrooks and Griffis have distinct judicial projects they wish to pursue if elected. For Westbrooks, the right to a fair trial for all criminal defendants demands an expansion of the public defender’s office.

Westbrooks is concerned that most court-appointed public defenders, operating on an hourly basis, lack the ability to determine their own strategy in court. “You have public defenders who are actually more ELECTION p 12

October 28 - November 10, 2020 • jfp.ms

doesn’t. I believe in the continuation of the Affordable Care Act, she doesn’t. I believe in coverage for preexisting conditions, she doesn’t,” he said.

Espy’s television ads have portrayed him as a senator for all Mississippians without vilifying conservative voters. Instead, they focus on issues like health care, painting a picture of Hyde-Smith as an ineffective senator who is not passing legislation that helps Mississippians.

Cindy Hyde-Smith’s campaign did not respond to a request for an interview.

The differences between the candidates extend far beyond health care, the banner issue in the Senate contest. The political analysis website fivethirtyeight.com tracks Hyde-Smith’s voting record as 95% aligned with President Trump and 10th among all active U.S. senators.

In his closing argument to the Jackson Free Press, Espy attacked Hyde-Smith’s effectiveness as much as her partisanship, saying she was trying to tout her predecessor’s record as her own.

“She has not passed any bills,” Espy said. “She’s not had any town meetings.

She said she passed CHIP (the Children’s Health Insurance Program): that was a lie.

That was Thad Cochran. She’s voted 21 times against Mississippi’s citizens by voting against (covering) pre-existing conditions.”

Espy said the consequences to HydeSmith’s leadership are an increasingly invisible Mississippi on a national scale. “I was shaving in my house the other day.

Hurricane Sally was coming, and I had my ear on the path of the storm,” Espy said. “I heard a national weather forecaster say the hurricane would hit ‘a landmass between Mobile and New Orleans.’

I nearly cut myself. That is a metaphor … Cindy Hyde-Smith is doing it. In

courtesy Latrice Westbrooks

around support from Black Democrats like Thompson and Obama, unlike the Jim Hood campaign for governor in 2019, when Democrats would not use an Obama robocall until the night before the election. And during a presidential election year, where Democrats hope to take over the U.S. Senate, Espy raised a remarkable $3.9 million in donations in recent weeks, compared to the incumbent’s $85,000.

Hyde-Smith, the Republican incumbent, has chosen a much different strategy, avoiding the public scrutiny that dogged her in the candidates’ first contest in 2018 by simply avoiding non-Republican press, as well as direct confrontations with her opponent. Her focus in campaign ads on “liberals” and national Dems shows an effort to win over white conservative voters in Mississippi for a second victory over Espy with a limited public presence and an endorsement from President Trump, who she proudly supports across the board.

In an Oct. 23 interview with the Jackson Free Press, Espy said Hyde-Smith’s refusal to engage with the press or public debates is an insult to the people of Mississippi. “If you don’t campaign, you’re disrespecting your constituency. It’s as if you’re taking them for granted,” Espy said.

Previously, Hyde-Smith mocked the notion that she should have to participate in a debate with Espy, as if it were beneath her. “The only people interested in debates are reporters and losing candidates,” the senator quipped on Oct. 14. “There’s stark differences between the two of us,” she said the day before. “I don’t know what there is to debate.”

Espy agreed that the differences between the two candidates are striking.

“I believe in Medicaid expansion, she

11

Meet the Candidates United States President

Joseph R. Biden Jr. for President and Kamala D. Harris for Vice President, Democrat Donald J. Trump for President and Michael R. Pence for Vice President, Republican

United States Senate Mike Espy, Democrat

2020 Election Issue appointed by the court, and you have public defenders who are actually salaried and operate as a public defender’s office. And there are only four of those in the state.”

“The public-defender system needs to be able to operate on the same level as the district attorney’s office,” she said, explaining that Mississippi’s public defenders needed more resources to properly hold the state accountable.

“The district attorney’s office does not have to go to the court to ask for funds to, (for example) hire an expert. They

from page 11

judicial system’s digital capabilities, Griffis wants to consolidate many of the rules for the various courts across the state.

“One of the reasons that lawyers have become so expensive and unaffordable for regular people is that we have 23 sets of rules that govern the practice of law. We’ve got different rules for Chancery Court and different rules for Circuit Court and Justice Court. We’ve got so many rules that … some lawyers are driven out of court.”

A reduction in attorneys available to practice in distinct areas of the law drives courtesy Kenny Griffis

Cindy Hyde-Smith, Republican Jimmy L. Edwards, Libertarian

U.S. House Of Representatives 1st Congressional District Antonia Eliason, Democrat Trent Kelly, Republican

U.S. House Of Representatives 2nd Congressional District Brian Flowers, Republican Bennie G. Thompson, Democrat

U.S. House of Representatives 3rd Congressional District Dorothy Dot Benford, Democrat Michael Guest, Republican

U.S. House Of Representatives 4th Congressional District

October 28 - November 10, 2020 • jfp.ms

Steven M. Palazzo, Republican

12

No challenger Supreme Court Justice, Supreme Court District 2(Southern), Position 3

Mike Randolph No challenger Supreme Court Justice, Supreme Court District 3 (Northern), Position 3

Josiah Dennis Coleman

Percy L. Lynchard

Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Kenny Griffis boasts decades of experience for his first election to maintain his appointment to the state’s highest court. “I’ve written 1,000 majority opinions,” he told the Jackson Free Press. “I’ve got two decades of proven appellate judicial experience.”

have a budget they operate out of.”

“But the public defender may go before a judge (for their strategy) who says ‘the DA’s office is not using that type of evidence, so I’m not going to allow you to use that expert.’”

Griffis did not “necessarily agree” with Westbrooks’ plan to expand the public defender’s office, but acknowledged the need for “conversations (on) whether we need to continue with a county-based publicdefender office or move … to statewide or district-based.”

His key issues are the simplification of the state’s judicial rules and technological innovation. “We’ve learned through this COVID crisis that our courts need to be more up to date with technology,” Griffis explained. His plan is to expand digital access to court documents and public accessibility to court hearings.

But in addition to modernizing the

up the price of those services, Griffis said: “We’ve got to take these 23 sets of rules and update those. We’ve got to reduce the sheer volume of those rules.”

While judicial elections in Mississippi are non-partisan, there are distinctly political overtones to the Westbrooks-Griffis race.

Griffis’ campaign ads tout him as a “constitutional conservative,” and the justice has acquired the endorsements of Republicans like Phil Bryant, Delbert Hosemann and Michael Guest.

Westbrooks has appeared at campaign rallies with former Rep. Mike Espy and drawn endorsements from key Democratic figures, including U.S. Congressman Bennie Thompson.

Initiative 65: Medical Marijuana

Mississippi’s most contentious ballot initiative is also its most complex: Initiative Measure No. 65 is a ballot measure

that proposes two separate plans for creating a medical-marijuana program for Mississippi.

Initiative 65 is the original measure, which amends the state constitution to direct the Mississippi State Department of Health to establish a medical-marijuana program by August 2021. From that point forward, Mississippians suffering from 22 different “debilitating medical conditions,” including glaucoma, sickle-cell anemia, post-traumatic stress disorder, epilepsy and more, would be eligible to acquire up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana with a certification from a Mississippi-licensed physician.

Initiative 65A, which Rep. Trey Lamar, R-Senatobia, added to the ballot in early March with House Concurrent Resolution 39, is the legislative counteroffer. If 65A passes, the Legislature will be tasked with creating a medical-marijuana program at a later date limited solely to individuals with terminal medical conditions.

U.S. Senate candidate Mike Espy supports Initiative 65, telling the Jackson Free Press that “I encourage everyone to vote for 65. It alleviates suffering. From what I’m reading, this is a possible source of relief for those who need it.”

Joining Espy in supporting the initiative is Antonia Eliason, a law professor at the University of Mississippi and a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Mississippi’s 1st congressional district. Eliason said in an Oct. 26 interview that Initiative 65 is “extremely well-thought out and crafted,” a measure necessary to provide suffering Mississippians with treatments for chronic illnesses previously banned.

U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith opposes Initiative 65, on the grounds that expanded access to medical marijuana should be “something the Legislature can control,” as she told WJTV in October.

The Mississippi State Department of Health and the Mississippi State Medical Association also oppose Initiative 65, pushing instead for Mississippians to adopt the alternative measure.

State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs shared his fears in a MSMA press release that “Initiative 65 would inappropriately require us to divert already-limited resources for the benefit of an incredibly complicated industry.”

Dr. Jennifer Bryan, chairwoman of the MSMA board of trustees, told the Jackson Free Press in an Oct. 26 interview that Initiative 65 lacks the “guard rails” necessary to protect Mississippians.

For Bryan, the certification 65 provides patients is too broad. “The doctor

has no say over the patient walking into a dispensary and getting joints to smoke, or gummy bears, or whatever form of medical marijuana they want,� she said.

Furthermore, she worries that the tax revenue from medical marijuana, which 65 diverts entirely to pay for the program itself, includes no money for public-health initiatives.

Eliason, however, sees 65A as a ruse meant to delay access to medical marijuana indefinitely. “The reality is if Initiative 65A passes, there’s not going to be any medical marijuana, because they’re going to find ways to stymie it—they’ve done it for decades.�

Eliason, who teaches contract law at the University of Mississippi, called 65A a textbook example of an illusory promise.

Bryan agreed that the stipulations of 65A were extremely vague, but said that was a positive. “The lack of specificity is there because (then) we could write something that makes sense when we get input from physicians and health leaders.�

The concerns over tax revenues, Eliason says, are misguided. “This program is paying for itself. You can’t have it both ways,� Eliason said. “This is medical marijuana: it’s really limited. If we were talking about recreational marijuana, then I would definitely want

to see some tax revenue coming back in.�

Most opponents of Initiative 65, even those who prefer the alternative measure, call for a “no� vote on both measures. Voters supporting the push for a concrete roadmap to medical marijuana in the state must vote “for approval of either� in the first box and “Initiative 65� in the second.

House Concurrent Resolution 47: Ending State Electoral College Mississippi’s own version of the electoral college is a relic of its racist 1890 constitution, which sets up two necessary requirements for candidates seeking election to statewide office including governor: a majority of votes as well as victory in a majority of House of Representative districts, of which there are 122.

House Concurrent Resolution 47, authored by Rep. Charles Jim Beckett, R-Bruce, removes that second requirement entirely, meaning candidates for statewide office in Mississippi can win with a simple majority of votes.

The 1890 constitution, drafted in the wake of Reconstruction and years of sanctioned white violence in reaction to the post-Civil War enfranchisement of Mississippi’s Black population, included provisions of the district requirements for statewide elections as well as a raft of other restrictions intended to, in the words

of Mississippi Gov. James K. Vardaman, “eliminate the n****r from politics.� The new restrictions, as well as a sustained campaign of racist intimidation, violence and murder successfully disenfranchised Black Mississippians until the 1960s era.

In an interview with the Jackson Free Press, candidate Mike Espy shared his support for H.C. 47, calling the state’s electoral college system “crazy.� “That’s a facet of the 1890 constitution. That should’ve been gone 20 or 30 years ago,� he said. If HCR 47 succeeds at the ballot in November, it will be.

New Magnolia Flag on Ballot Four years after the adoption of the 1890 constitution, the Mississippi Legislature adopted a new state flag, replacing the earlier Magnolia tree. The blue, white and red tricolor included a prominent Confederate saltire, the “southern cross� from Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia—the flag that became the symbol of the “lost cause� of the Confederacy in the South after the war.

Over a century later, increasing opposition to the state flag’s Confederate imagery remained a key issue in popular protests erupting in response to police brutality and systemic racism in Mississippi and across the nation.

In June, following the police killing

of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn., Mississippians gathered in front of the governor’s mansion to demand a new social contract, one without the Confederate nostalgia that suffused so much of the state’s official imagery. Speakers from Black Lives Matter Mississippi called for a change in the state flag, and protesters shouted for change at the Confederate flag hanging above the capitol.

Less than a month later, that change arrived. The Mississippi Legislature cobbled together a supermajority capable of suspending the rules—late in the extended session—and adopting a bill to remove the state flag, establishing a committee to collect designs for a new one.

The design contest selected a flag put designed by Mississippians Rocky Vaughan, Sue Anna Joe and Kara Giles, with a magnolia bloom as the focal point on a field of blue, red and bronze. The flag bears the words “In God We Trust,� an inclusion mandated in the bill that established the flag commission.

If Mississippians vote to accept the new state design, it will end the long saga of the state’s Confederate flag. If they reject it, the flag commission will begin the process anew, gathering input from Mississippians to put on the ballot next year.

Email state reporter Nick Judin at nick@ jacksonfreepress.com.

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Kent Moorhead & Pia M. tornberg The Man Behind Mississippi’s Failing ‘Moocher’ Economy

October 28 - November 10, 2020 • jfp.ms

The theories of ALEC, Laffer, Reagan, Bush and Reeves have yet again failed.

14

have less money to use for roads, schools, military and so on. And who could argue?

Then Laffer claims that if you pay higher taxes, the same thing will happen— more taxes will lead to less money for the government to use. That math is certainly arguable. But there is a middle point on the curve that is “just right,” Laffer promises.

That level is, of course, very low taxes.

The curve is made to look scientific and factual. But is it? Well, it was the curve Ronald Reagan eagerly adopted as proof that his tax cuts would pay for themselves.

And it has been the basis for GOP economic politics ever since. George W. Bush and now Donald Trump embrace the faulty logic. In every case, the government had to borrow trillions to cover the losses.

But what facts prove Laffer right? A

100% tax

Region of declining revenue

Revenue Maximizing Point

The Laffer Curve GOVERNMENT REVENUE

M

ississippi’s economy is sinking.

We are among the worst in about everything, and we are dependent on money from taxpayers in other states. And this was before coronavirus. Gov. Tate Reeves is, of course, responsible for the crisis by obediently following the economic dogmas of Arthur Laffer— magical thinking repeatedly proven wrong.

In 2013 a Chicago meeting seeded what is happening in Mississippi right now. ALEC—the American Legislative Exchange Council, which Jackson Free Press has reported on—arranged the gathering.

Laffer is ALEC’s premier economist.

Then-Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves spoke, assuring the ALEC crowd that Mississippi was doing everything ALEC wanted. Business taxes were being reduced, and “with every bill that crosses my desk ... I ask: does this benefit the private sector?” Reeves said.

He assured ALEC that his attention lay with helping private companies. “It’s working,” he said to end his speech.

Arthur Laffer also spoke. He is one of the most important brains behind Republican economic policies. His “Laffer Curve” supposedly proves that taxes need to be very low—and it doesn’t have bad consequences. The curse supposedly proves that if you pay “too little” in tax, the government will

Editor-in-Chief and CEO Donna Ladd Publisher & President Todd Stauffer Associate Publisher Kimberly Griffin Creative Director Kristin Brenemen REPORTERS AND WRITERS City Reporter Kayode Crown State Reporter Nick Judin State Intern Julian Mills Contributing Writers Dustin Cardon, Bryan Flynn, Alex Forbes, Jenna Gibson, Tunga Otis Torsheta Jackson, Mike McDonald, Anne B. Mckee, EDITORS AND OPERATIONS Deputy Editor Nate Schumann JFPDaily.com Editor Dustin Cardon Executive Assistant Azia Wiggins Editorial Assistant Shaye Smith Consulting Editor JoAnne Prichard Morris

Region of increasing revenue

TAX RATE

0% tax

ALEC relies on Authur Laffer’s “scientific” curve supporting low taxes.

conservative magazine asked him exactly that in 1981. His answer: nothing really.

No research, no facts. “[I]’s a pedagogic device that allows one to explain the point to a congressman or senator very quickly and get them to understand the point,” he said.

The curve has no standing among economists, and most avoid referring to it.

But it’s not just economists dismissing the dogma; it has been tested over and over, most recently in Kansas where it led to severe cuts in schools and public services.

Now it is Mississippi’s turn. In eight years we sank from 36th to 44th in economic performance, according to ALEC’s own metrics in their annual “Rich States, Poor States ALEC-LAFFER State Economic Competitiveness Index.” Most other indexes have us at or near rock bottom.

In 2013 in Chicago, Laffer put Mississippi in the 10th spot on his ALEC-Laffer State Economic Outlook Rankings—his tool to rank a state’s future progress. That 10th place did not contain any real numbers, but he was sure we would do fine because we were implementing his policies.

A couple of years later, Mississippi cut taxes more and continued to refuse to expand Medicaid. The state’s situation forced Laffer in 2016 to lower Mississippi’s ranking. His dogmas had failed, but he was undeterred. Then, he said Mississippi was No. 17 in economic outlook. “Don’t worry, be happy” was his take, because ”Mississippi is on track to continue their upward trend.”

The reality is that in 2019, Mississippi was the last of the 50 states in health care with many local hospitals disappearing, due a refusal to expand Medicaid combined with tax cuts that would supposedly pay for themselves. Then came the pandemic. U.S.

News & World Report says we are now No. 46 in education, No. 45 in infrastructure, and No. 48 in economic health. The theories of ALEC, Laffer, Reagan, Bush and Reeves have yet again failed.

Taxes are fairly low in Mississippi, until you add in “hidden taxes”—costs you pay in lieu of taxes, like health care or pricey car tags. Existing taxes usually fall unfairly on people with low income, since big corporations and rich people with clever accountants can find ways of paying very low taxes or none at all. The top 1%, the super-rich, are responsible for 70% of unpaid taxes.

But it is even worse. U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., called Mississippi a “moocher state.” To understand how wrong Laffer’s numbers are, you must know that Mississippi gets more federal money than any other state. For every dollar Mississippians pay to the IRS, the federal government sends $2 back to Mississippi. It’s fair to say taxpayers outside Mississippi pay for the low taxes of rich Mississippians.

So how much longer can Mississippi afford Arthur Laffer and his curve? How long can we afford Tate Reeves and his devotion to a failed economic theory?

Pia Moorhead Törnberg is an investigative journalist and taught journalism at Stockholm University in Sweden. Kent Moorhead is a documentary filmmaker from Mississippi and has also taught documentary filmmaking. Moorhead and Törnberg have produced several films together, including “The Most Segregated Hour,” which won Best Documentary at the 2005 Crossroads Film Festival in Jackson. They live in Stockholm, Sweden, and also have a residence in Oxford, Mississippi.

This column does not necessarily reflect the views of the JFP.

ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY Senior Designer Zilpha Young Contributing Photographers Seyma Bayram, Acacia Clark, Nick Judin, Imani Khayyam, Ashton Pittman, Brandon Smith ONLINE & DIGITAL SERVICES Digital Web Developer Ryan Jones Web Editor Dustin Cardon Social Media Assistant Robin Johnson Web Designer Montroe Headd Let’s Talk Jackson Editor Kourtney Moncure SALES AND MARKETING (601-362-6121 x11) Marketing Writer Andrea Dilworth Marketing Consultant Mary Kozielski Advertising Designer Zilpha Young Events Assistant Leslyn Smith DISTRIBUTION Distribution Coordinator Ken Steere Distribution Team Yvonne Champion, Ruby Parks, Eddie Williams TALK TO US: Letters letters@jacksonfreepress.com Editorial editor@jacksonfreepress.com Queries submissions@jacksonfreepress.com Listings events@jacksonfreepress.com Advertising ads@jacksonfreepress.com Publisher todd@jacksonfreepress.com News tips news@jacksonfreepress.com Jackson Free Press 125 South Congress Street, Suite 1324 Jackson, Mississippi 39201 Editorial and Sales (601) 362-6121 Fax (601) 510-9019 Daily updates at jacksonfreepress.com The Jackson Free Press is the city’s award-winning, locally owned news magazine, reaching more than 35,000 readers per issue via more than 600 distribution locations in the Jackson metro area—and an average of over 35,000 visitors per week at www. jacksonfreepress.com. The Jackson Free Press is free for pick-up by readers; one copy per person, please.

First-class subscriptions are available to “gold level” and higher members of the JFP VIP Club (jfp.ms/ vip). The views expressed in this magazine and at jacksonfreepress.com are not necessarily those of the publisher or management of Jackson Free Press Inc. © Copyright 2020 Jackson Free Press Inc.

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October 28 - November 10, 2020 • jfp.ms

On November 3rd, Mississippians will have

15 J155912_13_Jackson Free Press_MS_4.375x11.25_FC21ENEWC60959FP.indd 1

10/16/2020 4:25:25 PM

food&drink

Reed Food Technology: The Next Generation by taylor McKay hathorn courtesy reed Food technology

2018 Santa Carolina “Carolina” Reserva Pinot Noir 91 points - Tim Atkin | $15

The 2018 displays aromas and flavors of strawberries, raspberries, and cherries with attractive whiffs of burnt matchstick and dried wintergreen. Hints of licorice meld with a beautiful graphite minerality to add depth as flavors of lemon zest accent the soaring red fruits. At just $15 and 91-points from Master of Wine Tim Atkin, this is one of the year’s strongest Pinot Noir values!

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October 28 - November 10, 2020 • jfp.ms

921 East Fortification Street (601) 983-5287 www.katswine.com/tasting-team @KatsWine

16

Jeffrey Reed (left) and Justin Reed (right), sons of original owner R.J. Reed, presently own and operate their father’s spice- and sauce-blending business.

J

effrey Reed is part of the second generation of his family to own and operate Reed Food Technology. His father, R.J. Reed, started the spice-blending business in 1995. After Tyson Food bought out McCarty Food in Jackson, Tyson gave R.J. the opportunity to change his job description. He sold the company a few breading recipes that he had created and realized that he would like to become a vendor.

His business, Reed Food Technology, creates custom spice, sauce and other types of blends for its clients. “(A customer) comes to us and tells us a dream they have,” Jeffrey Reed says. “We do all the research, get the flavor profile the way the customer wants it, and we package it for them.”

When the company began, it mainly sold seasonings in 50-pound bags and contracted with another business to do the blending. Since buying its own production facility in 1998, though, Reed Food Technology has been able to produce different packaging sizes, which opened the business to different segments of the market.

“We’ve got a lot of smaller, momand-pop-type operators all the way up to Fortune 500 companies,” Reed says. “We’ve got a very diverse book of customers.”

No matter the size of the client, Reed says that the company’s job is to help grow businesses by producing their ideal flavor profiles—as determined in the initial consultation process.

Such a service is rare in Mississippi.

“We hear all the time—mainly from political people—that they don’t know something like this exists in the state,” Reed says. Though Reed remarks that there are other dry-blenders in the state, he says that his family’s Pearl-based business sets itself apart by offering packaging for sauces, marinades, batters, breadings and more, and by allowing customers to fulfill their own vision for their products.

In the future, the owner would like to see Reed Food Technology’s locations expand its ability to fulfill customer visions by offering hot-fill products, which have longer shelf-lives than other products. Reed noted that the process is complex, requiring appropriate equipment and “know-how.” “(Hot-filling) is putting the material in its final, elevated temperature in the package,” he says. “It’s difficult to do because there are drawbacks—it could continue to cook for hours or days inside the pallet. You have to find a way to reduce the temperature to stop the cooking process.”

Reed Food Technology employs 56 workers at their metro location and an additional 35 at their site in north Mississippi, which specializes in flour mixes and is managed by Reed’s brother, Justin Reed.

“We’re able to offer our customers a wider breadth of products by having more than one category of products for restaurant operators,” Jeffrey Reed says.

For more information, visit reedfood. com or call 601-939-4001.

FILM

Actor’s Journey: Jake Milton Starring as Himself

by Taylor McKay Hathorn

J

courtesy Jake Milton

ake Milton’s first taste of acting came when he an empty home but found himself trapped with the lady tling with guilt after surviving a school shooting.

Prior to accepting the role, Milton had done shortreenacted scenes from “The Father of the Bride” of the house.

Milton’s early success allowed him to network with film and web-series work. His favorite, “Grief Monster,” after his mother showed the 1991 film to him and was inspired by the COVID-19 panhis siblings. “‘Father of the Bride’ demic. “I loved it because of what I and II were staples at my house, and it was birthed out of,” Milton says. they still don’t get old for me,” Milton “There’s not much growing in the recalls. But his true awakening came a world; people feel halted and stunted. little later when he watched “Titanic” (This movie) was about getting to be for the first time. resilient in that way.”

“I remember feeling emotional at

Resilience is nothing new to the end (of the movie), and I love beMilton, who spent the last three years ing able to bring that to people. Film caring for a dying relative. “They were gives you the freedom to be emotional a huge supporter of me and always when in life, we pull back,” Milton helped me, and this was a time when tells the Jackson Free Press. they needed someone to help them,

Although Milton acknowledges and I did that,” he says. that many actors “cut their teeth” by Jake Milton played Henry Lyle, a teacher who survives a school shooting, in local

Milton plans to carry these lesperforming in plays and that he got his filmmaker Chris Wesley Moore’s 2019 feature film, “A Stranger Among The Living.” sons of resilience into his future career. start on the stage, he always knew that “I look forward to continuing to work, and I hope to his goal was screen acting. “I did ‘MASH’ (onstage), and other actors and directors. “Some people say that if you someone asked if I wanted to audition for an independent don’t have an agent, you don’t have a career. There’s some get substantial work—work that means something to me,” he says. “I hope that leads towards working with people that film. I hoped it wasn’t a serial killer,” Milton quips. truth to that, but it’s still possible to get out there,” he says.

Milton’s own career arc proves his theory, as he com- I’ve looked up to and respect, whether it’s someone who’s

That first opportunity thrust Milton into the spot- light, as he received the leading role in “Captive,” which, pleted his first role in a feature film earlier this year. “A known or someone who comes along and isn’t.” just as he had hoped, was not a horror movie. It was Stranger Among the Living,” which local filmmaker Chris Follow Milton on Instagram @the_only_jakemilton. instead the story of a thief who had expected to burglarize Wesley Moore directed, relates the story of a teacher wres-

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17

EVENTS

Looking for something great to do in Jackson? Visit JFPEVENTS.COM for more.

COMMUNITY

BE THE CHANGE

Table Topics: Aliens, Cults, and a Shirtless Abraham Lincoln Oct. 30, noon-1 p.m., Zoom. Jennifer Brannock, Curator of Rare Books and Mississippiana at the University of Southern Mississippi, describes the sometimes spooky side of special collections. Free admission; call 601-432-4111; mlc.lib.ms.us.

E-Waste Collection Day Oct. 30, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., at The Farmer’s Table (929 High St.). Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership, Keep Mississippi Beautiful, Mississippi Farmers Market and Mississippi Recycling Coalition collaborate to provide an opportunity for businesses and individuals from the Jackson metro area to safely and responsibly dispose of their e-waste. See online listing for full list of acceptable electronics. All items are recycled. Most items are no cost to submit. Exceptions include a $2 fee for flat-screen computer monitors, a $5 fee for CRT computer monitors and a $15 fee for all televisions. Fees cover the costs of proper handling of hazardous components contained in these devices. All traffic in the drop-off area is one-way only, so participants are encouraged to stay in their vehicles and allow event staff to unload materials. See description; call 601-919-0062; email Christopher@magnoliadatasolutions.com; find it on Facebook.

Mistletoe Marketplace Nov. 4-7, at Mississippi Trade Mart (1200 Mississippi St.). The women’s charitable organization hosts the 40th annual holiday market. Tickets this year are sold for 3-hour shopping sessions, allowing for sanitizing between shifts. Virtual shopping tickets are also available. Sub-events beyond normal shopping hours take place throughout the duration. See full list of sub-events online at jfpevents.com. $15 virtual or adult, $10 senior, $5 child (6-12); call 601-948-2357; email info@mistletoemarketplace.com; ci.ovationtix.com.

2nd Annual Jackson Adult Prom: Enchanted Forest Nov. 7, 8 p.m., at Jackson Square Promenade (2460 Terry Road, Jackson). A Slay Productions presents the “Enchanted Forest”-themed event consisting of music and dancing with a DJ, live music performances, games and prizes, the crowning of a prom king and queen, vendors with food and drinks, and more. Tickets are limited due to social distancing requirements. Masks are required. Prize for best mask. Must be 21 to enter. $40 General admission, $25 early bird, $80 VIP, $100 couple VIP; call 601-339-0391; email aslayproductions@gmail.com; Eventbrite.

KIDS

October 28 - November 10, 2020 • jfp.ms

Spooktacular Family Nature Detectives Oct. 31, 10 a.m.-noon, at Mississippi Museum of Natural Science (2148 Riverside Drive). The conservation educators at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science lead a group of parents and children on a mission to solve some of the mysteries of the natural world in this playful learning event.

For children ages 6-8. Group not to exceed ten people, adults and children. Masks and social distancing required. Most of event is held outside.

Reservations required. Families should bring one blindfold and a reusable water bottle and dress for the trails (i.e., bug spray, closed toed shoes). $10 admission; call 601-576-6000; email denise. mason@mmns.ms.gov; find it on Facebook.

18

Mama & Me: Babywearing African Dance Oct. 31, 2-2:30 p.m., at Old Trace Park (304 Highway 51, Ridgeland). Niketa Pecan, of Golden Aura Counseling and Wellness, leads an African dance class for mothers and babies. Participants bring a baby carrier/wearer, water, mask and a blanket for stretching. Babies must be at least 6 weeks old, and strong enough to hold their head up. Halloween costumes are encouraged. Class is limited to 10 families so that social distancing can be adequately observed. Zoom link to class is also available. $8 class; payable via CashApp or PayPal; call 786-603-1748; email niketapechan@ gmail.com; Eventbrite.

FOOD & DRINK “A Decent Proposal” Nov. 9, 7-9 p.m., at Char Restaurant (4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 142).

The Detectives present an interactive, comedic theatrical performance while attendees dine.

Seating and cocktails begin at 6 p.m. Guests will be seated only with members of their own party, with tables socially distanced to six feet apart. $49 plus tax and gratuity; call 601-956-9562; thedetectives.biz.

2020 Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk Jackson, MS Nov. 7, 8 a.m.-noon, at The District at Eastover (1250 Eastover Drive). The Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk Series honors New York City firefighter Stephen Siller, who lost his life on Sept. 11, 2001, after strapping on his gear and running through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to the Twin Towers. Register at Eventbrite. $30 adults, $25 first responders and military, $20 kids 13-17, $15 kids 12 and under. Call 718-9871931; email info@tunnel2towers.org; tunnel2towers.org.

Paper Drive-Thru Oct. 29, 5-7 p.m., at Pearl City Hall (2420 Old Brandon Road, Pearl). The MSCVP and Pearl PD sponsor the event collecting paper products to benefit the victims of domestic violence. Donations of unopened packages of toilet tissue, Kleenex, paper towels, napkins, plates and cups are welcomed. Candy is offered for children, and costumes are welcome. Free admission; call 601-932-4198; email rolson@mscvp.org; find it on Facebook.

SPORTS & WELLNESS

of vehicles. $25 admission; call 601-664-7600; email mississippibraves@braves.com.

2020 Spooky ‘Cross Festival Oct. 31-Nov. 1, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., at Mag Ridge BMX Track (338 NE Madison Drive, Ridgeland). The Mississippi Cyclocross Project hosts the cyclocross event for all ages and experience levels. Free kids’ races.

Costume competition. $35 adult fee, all kids races free, $10 first-time participant; email info@ mscxcup.com; find it on Facebook.

Tatum Henry Single Release Party Oct. 31, 7:30-10 p.m., at The District at Eastover (1250 Eastover Drive). The local artist celebrates the release of her first single, “Cooperate.” Free admission; call 662-507-5072; email mitchellmcginnis1@gmail.com; tatumhenry.com.

Reggae Yoga Vibration Nov. 8, 5-6 p.m., at Old Trace Park (304 Highway 51, Ridgeland). Niketa Pechan of Golden Aura Counseling and Wellness leads a class that fuses yoga with reggae music.

The class explores the concepts of self-liberation, strength, unity and love. The class is also offered via live stream, through Zoom. Link available upon request. $10 class; call 786-603-1748; email niketapechan@gmail.com; eventbrite.com.

Alzheimer’s Conference Nov. 9-11, 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Virtual. The organization supporting advancement in the care and treatment of Alzheimer’s patients offers the free virtual conference for all who are caring for someone with dementia. Topics include COVID-19, self-care, research, brain health, grief and more. Continuing Education credits are available for social workers, nursing home administrators, activity professionals, PTs and PTAs. Free admission; call 601-826-7139; email kridavis@alz.org; alz.org.

STAGE & SCREEN Events at Chuckles Comedy House (6479 Ridgewood Court Drive) • Guy Torry Oct. 30-Nov. 1, 7:30 & 10 p.m.

The writer, actor and comedian performs. $20 general admission, $40 VIP; call 769-2575467; jackson.chucklescomedyhouse.com.

• Corey Holcomb Nov. 6-8, 7:30 & 10 p.m.

The comedian performs. $32 general admission, $50 VIP; call 769-257-5467; jackson. chucklescomedyhouse.com.

CONCERTS & FESTIVALS Jamey Johnson - Pearl Day Drive-In Event at Trustmark Park Oct. 30, 5:30 p.m., at Trustmark Park Stadium (1 Braves Way, Pearl). The country music artist headlines the Pearl Day Drive-In event. Guests attend inside their vehicles. Strollers and lawn chairs are allowed outside

Rutabaga Jones Oct. 31, 8 p.m., at Martin’s Downtown (214 S. State St.). The funk band performs. $10 cover, food and drink prices vary; call 601-354-9712; find it on Facebook.

The Holly Rogers Oct. 31, 8 p.m., at Hal and Mal’s (200 Commerce St.). The three-piece band performs. $5 cover; call 601-948-0888.

St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Tank and the Bangas & S.G. Goodman Nov. 7, 3-8 p.m., at Renaissance at Colony Park (1000 Highland Colony Parkway, Ridgeland). The local shopping destination, along with Southern Beverage Company, First Commercial Bank, and producers Wratchet Entertainment Group and Ardenland, host the first in a new series of live, socially distanced outdoor concerts. No coolers, outside food or beverage, tents or umbrellas are allowed.

Guests must undergo health check before entering venue. Masks required. $25-$125; call 601-519-0900; find it on Facebook.

LITERARY Welty at Home | A Virtual Book Club Nov. 2, 9, noon-1 p.m., Zoom. The Eudora Welty Home and Gardens, along with the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, hosts a virtual book club. The current book choice is “The Golden Apples,” a short story collection by Eudora Welty. Dr. Suzanne Marrs leads discussions on each story in the collection. See website for reading schedule. Books may be purchased from the Eudora Welty House & Garden gift shop. Shipping available. Free event, book prices vary; call 601-353-7762; welty.mdah.ms.gov.

“Down Along with That Devil’s Bones” Book Discussion Nov. 3, noon, Facebook Live.

Conner Towne O’Neill discusses his book with author Jerry Mitchell. Free book discussion, $26.95 signed, first edition book; call 601-3667619; lemuriabooks.com.

Learning Tree Book Club Nov. 7, 2-3:30 p.m.,

Zoom. The children’s book club gets together via Zoom to read and talk about books on the first Saturday of each month. Books provided. Free admission; call 601-372-0229; email communitylibrary.ms@gmail.com; find it on Facebook.

ARTS & EXHIBITS Creative Healing Studio Oct. 28, Nov. 4, 12:30-2 p.m., Zoom. Licensed art therapist Susan Anand leads a weekly art therapy gathering via Zoom for adults being treated for cancer or with a cancer diagnosis in their past. In response to COVID-19, the group meets on Zoom every Wednesday of the month. Please register by noon on the Tuesday before the event. Free online; call 601-960-1515; email smainlay@aol.com.

CREATIVE CLASSES Sculpt a City with Kristen Tordella-Williams and Phoenix Savage Oct. 31, 2-4:30 p.m., at Mississippi Museum of Art (380 S. Lamar St.).

Artists Kristen Tordella-Williams and Phoenix Savage, art professors at Millsaps College and Tougaloo College, respectively, conduct the hands-on art-making workshop for adults and children alike in The Art Garden. The workshop finds its inspiration in “Leonardo Drew: City in the Grass.” Participants create architecture features using wire and handmade paper. Ages 10 and up. A supply list is provided if participants prefer to bring their own wire tools. Free admission; call 601-960-1515; msmuseumart.org.

Events at New Stage Theatre (1100 Carlisle St.) • Playwriting for Adults with Joseph Frost Nov. 2, 9, 7-8:30 p.m. Joe Frost leads the six-week workshop designed to help writers of every level navigate the process of generating and developing new play ideas through in-class exercises in structure and dialogue, sharing newly created short scripts, navigating feedback and polishing through rewrites. Ages 18 and up. $150 fee for six-week class; call 601-9483533; email sfrost@newstagetheatre.com.

• Build Your Book: Musical Theatre 101 for Adults Nov. 3, 10, 5:30-7 p.m. Carol Joy Sparkman leads the 4-week musical theater workshop focused on building repertoire, audition skills and vocal technique. Participants learn to select songs that highlight their range, tone and vocal quality, allowing them to fully showcase their talent in any audition. Participants submit a video recording for instructor response and bring a prepared song on the first day of class. Ages 18 and up. All skill levels welcomed. $100 fee for four-week workshop; email sfrost@newstagetheatre.com.

• Art of the Audition for Theatre Nov. 9, 5:30-7 p.m. Francine Reynolds leads the fourweek class training actors in proper audition technique. The class offers tips for textual analysis and clarifying specifics when making authentic acting choices. Participants work with prepared and cold reading material, discuss emotionally and intellectually taking charge of the audition, and learn to maximize chances of landing the role. Participants bring a prepared 60-second memorized monologue to first session. All skill levels. Ages 18+. $100; call 601-948-3533 ext. 245; email sfrost@newstagetheatre.com; newstagetheatre.com.

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

Visit JFPEVENTS.COM for more.

HALLOWEEN: ePLEX Haunted House Oct. 28-31, 11 a.m.-9 p.m., at ePLEX Connection City (200 Bass Pro Drive, Suite 200, Pearl). The esports and virtual reality arena celebrates Halloween with a selection of 15-minute “haunted” virtual experiences including Paranormal Activity, Affected: The Manor, Time Zombies, and more. Kid friendly experiences also available. $10 for 15-minute virtual reality experience; call 601-932-0111; email play.pearl@theeplex.com; find it on Facebook.

Halloween Pet Parade & Costume Contest Oct. 29, 5:30-8:30 p.m., at Chipper & Coco (120 District Blvd., Suite D113). The pet supply shop hosts the event for customers and their pets, featuring a pet parade and costume contests. Free event; call 601-487-1596; email chipperandcoco@gmail.com; find it on Facebook.

Troopers and Treats Oct. 29, 6-8:30 p.m., at Mississippi Coliseum (1207 Mississippi St.).

Mississippi Highway Patrol Troop C Enforcement Division hosts the event providing a safe place for children to celebrate Halloween and meet some of their local first responders. Free Event; call 601-420-6342; find it on Facebook.

HKS October Harvest Festival Oct. 30, 5-7 p.m., at Hawkins Field. The old terminal at Jackson’s historic civil/military airport plays host to the trunk-or-treat-type event for area children. All CDC, state and local health and safety guidelines are followed, and each child receives a free, five-count family pack of face masks as one of their treats. Free admission; call 601-9395631; find it on Facebook.

Harvest Festival Oct. 30, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Fairview Learning Academy (1909 Boling St.).

Greater Fairview presents the drive-through festival providing an opportunity for children to “trunk-or-treat” safely. Masks are required. Free event; call 601-362-6447; email fairviewprmm@ gmail.com; find it on Facebook.

Howl-o-ween at the Bark Park Oct. 31, 10-11 a.m., at Clinton Bark Park (913 Old Vicksburg Road, Clinton). Clinton Parks and Recreations hosts the event for dog-loving members of the community. Participants are invited to bring their dogs and join in the pet parade, pet and pet/owner costume contests, and doggie trickor-treating. Costume contests are judged in five categories: small, medium, large, and people/pet combo. Judging begins promptly at 10:15 a.m.

Social Distancing will be encouraged. Free event; call 601-924-6082; email khobbs@clintonparksandrec.com; find it on Facebook.

Trick or Treat at the Two Mississippi Museums Oct. 31, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., at Two Mississippi Museums (222 North St., Jackson). The Jackson museums invite visitors to the Halloween trickor-treat event. Guests uncover mysteries from Mississippi’s past on the scavenger hunt and visit socially distanced trick-or-treat stations placed throughout the building for spirited holiday fun.

Free admission; call 601-576-6946; email info@ mdah.ms.gov; find it on Facebook.

Volunteer: Trunk the City Oct. 31, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., at Terry Road Community Church (160 Daniel Lake Blvd.). Give Outrageously hosts the event geared toward providing a safe and fun way for Jackson’s children to trick-or-treat. Volunteers are needed to decorate their cars and pass out candy to trunk-or-treaters. This year, due to COVID-19, trunk-or-treaters are given their treats in their cars, as they are driven by the line of decorated vehicles by their parents or caregiv-

ers. Those interested in volunteering should contact GO for details. Free admission; email giveoutrageously@gmail.com; find it on Facebook.

Halloween Costume Safari Day Oct. 31, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., at McClain (874 Holly Bush Road, Brandon). The Brandon resort and safari park hosts the event where kids trick-or-treat in a drive-through safari parade. Kids dressed in costumes get in free all day. The parade takes place between 5-6 p.m. Guests must remain in their cars at all times while inside the safari park.

Free admission to kids in costumes, $12.15 all others; call 601-829-1101; email guestrelations@ mcclain.ms; find it on Facebook.

HalloTEEN Oct. 31, 2 p.m., at Mississippi Museum of Art (380 S. Lamar St., Jackson). The Mississippi Museum of Art hosts a fall event for teens, featuring an afternoon of crafts, trivia, a Halloween-themed gallery talk and door prizes.

The event takes place in the Art Garden with the interactive installation “Leonardo Drew: City in the Grass” and incorporates activities inspired by “Van Gogh, Monet, Degas and Their Times” as well as the museum’s permanent collection exhibition, “New Symphony of Time.” No preregistration required. Admission TBA; call 601960-1515; msmuseumart.org.

City of Pearl Drive-Through Trick or Treat Street Oct. 31, 5-7 p.m., at Pearl City Hall (2420 Old Brandon Road, Pearl). The metro area city holds a drive-through version of trickor-treating at City Hall. Children stay inside their vehicles while volunteers deliver candy bags to them in order to facilitate social distancing.

Free event; call 601-552-8877; email pearlpiratepete@hotmail.com; find it on Facebook.

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Drive-In Movie Night Oct. 31, 5:30-9 p.m., at FBC Richland (1102 Highway 49 S., Richland).

The Richland church offers a safe, familyfriendly alternative to trick-or-treating with the drive-in movie event. Families are invited to park their cars in the church’s back parking lot, turn on their radios, and enjoy the movie. Each child receives a free bag of candy, and three food trucks will be onsite offering food options. Nonperishable food donations accepted to benefit Grace Harvest Food Pantry. Free admission, vendors’ prices vary; call 601-939-1715; email fbcr@fbcrichland.org; find it on Facebook.

Pop’s Saloon Halloween Bash Oct. 31, 8 p.m., at Pop’s Saloon (2636 S. Gallatin St., Jackson).

The local night spot hosts the event featuring band Pop Fiction and an appearance by “LoSho” of the Amazon Prime series “Twisted Carnival.”

Costume contests with cash prizes for best dressed couple, sexiest costume and scariest costume. Contestants must sign up by midnight. $15 cover, food and drink additional; call 601961-4747; find it on Facebook.

Halloween Costume Blowout at Shuckers On the Rez Oct. 31, 9 p.m., at Shuckers on the Rez (116 Conestoga Road, Ridgeland). The oyster bar holds the Halloween party and costume contest featuring live music from three bands and cash prizes for winning costumes. Judging begins at midnight. $10 admission, food and drink additional; call 601-853-0105; email shuckersrez@hotmail.com; find it on Facebook.

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October 28 - November 10, 2020 • jfp.ms

EVENTS

19

sports

New Sporting Association Sweeps through Jackson

by Carlton McGrone

20

Fotograf Petter Elstad

October 28 - November 10, 2020 • jfp.ms

Q

uidditch is not only a real, full-contact sport that four members of the same gender on the field at once, a “I had a lot of stuff going for me in just my first year is popular on college campuses, but it is also alive prominent rule that was shaped during the sport’s begin- (of playing quidditch), so I got really hyped for it and really in Jackson. The fantasy game originated from the nings. This very specific parameter keeps non-gender-con- wanted to keep playing,” he says. I was the starting keeper pages of J.K. Rowling’s “Harry (a quidditch position that mimics a tradiPotter” series, but has since been adapted tional goalkeeper in soccer), a top scorer for into a collegiate competition that has our team. Now I’m back, and there’s not rebranched into a worldwide recreational ally a team here, so I’ve taken it upon myself sport. Enthusiasts like Jackson native Phillip to create that team.”

Keck are attempting to keep the thrill alive

While in Norway, Keck and his teamthrough the COVID-19 pandemic. mates were not as burdened with quaran Though a fledgling organization, tines and the viral spread as U.S. citizens Keck’s Jackson Quidditch Association has have been. Well aware of the struggles that joined this steadily growing, niche sphere of awaited him in the face of his endeavors, “muggle” quidditch. Keck hopes that with he plans to move one step at a time, even if enough participants, the JQA will eventhose steps are miniscule in scope. tually be able to play alongside the scant

“I’m trying to get literally anyone number of quidditch teams in the South who’s interested to play,” Keck explains. “… including at the University of Southern I’m pretty ambitious and like to set longMississippi, Louisiana State University and term goals, so I’m hoping in a few years that Loyola University in New Orleans. maybe we can build this up and create a

During a phone interview on Oct. 21, whole league in Jackson and the surroundKeck sounded cautiously optimistic about ing areas. Though, I’ve had to take a step getting the organization up and running. back, and now I’m going to try recruiting

“I had a lot of momentum going people individually.” forward. I created all of the social media

“I’m just trying to get people over the accounts, and I was ready to create these presumptions of the sport. I definitely think events, but now I’m a bit discouraged. the pandemic has not helped at all. I’ve had Though, I feel like if the pandemic begins several people tell me that they would try it, to settle down a bit, I can get a team moving except there’s the COVID stuff going on. along,” Keck explains.

Though we are taking several safety precau For the unaware, quidditch (with a Athletes, including Jackson Quidditch Association founder Phillip Keck (second tions during practice.” lowercase “q” as opposed to the fantasti- from right), play a quidditch match at the Oslo Open 2019 in Oslo, Norway.

Keck says that the team would follow cal Quidditch) is a full-contact sport that the same safety precautions as his team in requires only cleats and a mouthguard to play, and borrows forming individuals safe on and off the field, providing a Norway had followed. Players would sanitize equipment elements from both soccer and rugby. Those accustomed to community of like-minded, equality-focused athletes. before and after practice, with limited equipment sharing. the game in the books and movies will recognize the rules.

This championing of inclusivity does not stop on a They would keep the same brooms throughout, and pass to

Two teams, seven on each side of the field, attempt local scale, though, as several leagues and major competi- one or two partners. Additionally, practices would include to outscore one another by chucking the quaffle (a slightly tions have steadily popped up around the globe and annu- as little contact as possible, and hand sanitizer would be in deflated volleyball) through hoops while dodging thrown ally draw players together on an international scale. close proximity at all times. bludgers (in this case dodgeballs). Games have stretched on Over the past 10 years, quidditch fanatics have en- Those following the realm of college sports are aware for hours while the specialized seekers chase the snitch (a joyed major competitions such as the European Cup, Asia that there have been many victories and tragedies when tennis ball a neutral player carries).

Cup and International Quidditch Association World Cup, dealing with COVID among team members. Games have

Similar to basketball’s handicap of dribbling, as well as semi-pro leagues such as America’s Major League been postponed or outright cancelled, players have opted quidditch requires players to run with a broom (or any Quidditch and Europe’s Quidditch Premier League. All of out of the season, and schedules have been drastically gutsimilar long, cylindrical object) between their legs. While them offer the most highly skilled athletes a stage to com- ted. Most NFL stadiums remain desolate with artificial onlookers often regard it as a hilarious spectacle, those who pete for national rankings. crowds filling the cracks that the coronavirus has left. have played appreciate it as a fast-paced, heart-thrumming In the midst of the planning stages of the Jackson For the cautious, though, sports during a pandemic battle of athletes.

Quidditch Association, Keck had lofty goals for the team seem possible, but as depicted ad nauseum, caution can

“I think it’s a really, really cool sport,” Keck says. “I that would eventually branch into a Jackson league of quid- only take a team so far. really like the message that it builds, this message of inclu- ditch teams. His dedication toward introducing quidditch A turbulent road lies ahead of Keck and the Jackson sivity and equality. I just like the core principles of the game to Jackson stems from his own achievements in the sport.

Quidditch Association in the form of an invisible, highly itself.”

“I was getting my master’s in Norway, and I randomly contagious opponent.

Like traditional college sports, team members and fans decided to go to this quidditch thing thinking that this However, Keck’s dedication and optimism spell good form tight association and monstrous fandoms around the would be pretty funny,” he says. “I ended up playing for news for this budding organization and for the local spread institutional or locational teams they cheer for. Some of the about a year, joining the Norwegian national team and go- of this fantastical sport. He hopes Jacksonians will soon most dedicated fan bases orbit around Texas-native teams ing to the European Quidditch Cup, and was supposed to be able to cheer for quidditch enthusiasts in their natural Lone Star Quidditch, Austin Outlaws and University of go to the World Cup—then COVID happened.” habitat—on broom, dodgeball in hand and a fiery deterTexas at Austin’s four quidditch teams.

After landing back in the U.S., Keck was determined mination electrifying their bodies.

Unlike traditional sports, quidditch was built around to start his own team in order to keep playing the sport that For more information, find the Jackson Quidditch rules that allow fair co-ed play. Teams are capped at only he had become infatuated with overseas.

Association on Facebook.

SHOPPING

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he autumn season comprises more than just Halloween. After all the youngsters have collected the usual bucketfuls of candy, you may still find yourself wanting to enjoy some tranquil fall-colored decor. Consider sprucing up your home with these items.

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Where 2 Shop

Ceramic Painted Pumpkin

$12.75, Mississippi Museum of Art

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21

35 Meals in a shell 38 National Coming ___ Day 41 Backgrounds for fireworks 42 Entertain 44 A in a Wagner opera?

45 Albuquerque coll.

48 Had high hopes 50 With 54-Across, 1994-1998 Nickelodeon show set in the town of Paradise Valley 53 Valley that’s the site of the Reagan Presidential Library 54 See 50-Across 56 “And others” 57 “Alas” 58 Mark of “The Full Monty” 59 Okay, but not great 60 Ballot markings 61 The Big Board, for short

BY MATT JONES

30 Protective auto accessory 31 Put together 32 “___ Boot” (1981 film remade as a Hulu series) 33 Eggs in nigiri sushi 34 Magazine unit 35 Sleeping sickness transmitters 36 Emperor who abdicated on 4/30/2019 37 Movie theaters 38 Title for the Virgin Mary 39 What some music stores sell 40 Danson of “The Good Place” 42 “___ on both your houses!”

43 Comedian Eugene who plays Gene on “Bob’s Burgers” 46 Cpl. and Sgt., e.g.

47 “Fantastic” character in a Roald Dahl book 48 Traveler’s reference 49 Norw. neighbor 51 Agricultural warehouse 52 Nonchalance 55 First openly transgender NCAA Division I athlete ___ Allums

Last Week’s Answers

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Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800 655-6548. Reference puzzle #944.

Down

“Unstated” --shows not set in a specific state, for a long time.

Across

1 To be, to Brutus 5 “___ Haw” (show with the segment “Gloom, Despair and Agony On Me”) 8 Wound remnant 12 Two-way 13 Root beer brand that “has bite” 15 1991 NHL MVP Brett 16 2004-2007 Nickelodeon show with Emma Roberts set somewhere in the eastern U.S. 18 Penne ___ vodka (pasta dish) 19 Long-running soap where the location

of Salem wasn’t revealed until 2013 21 ___ New York (upscale department store chain) 22 Tallahassee-to-Tampa dir.

23 Sinus doc 24 Video game designer Sid who created the “Civilization” series 25 “En ___!” (fencer’s call) 27 Starter starter?

28 It helps connect older computers to newer devices 33 Current CW show set in “Rockland County”

1 Collegiate URL tag 2 Desserts served in bars 3 African sightseeing trips 4 Boosler of stand-up 5 13.1-mile races, informally 6 Switch ending 7 Peter Shaffer play about a stableboy 8 “If I Ever Fall in Love” R&B group (1992) 9 Conduit under a road 10 “The House of the Spirits” author Isabel 11 Demolition expert 13 Ocean floater with a bell 14 Armenia and Georgia, once 17 Liar, relatively politely 20 Word before tender or guardian 21 ___ Recordings (label co-founded

by Lil Jon) 26 Rainforest inhabitant 28 Sch. founded by Thomas Jefferson 29 “La mer” salt

October 28 - November 10, 2020 • jfp.ms

DISCOVER OUR

22

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“At every crossroad, be prepared to bump into wonder,� wrote Scorpio poet James Broughton. I believe that’s stirring advice for you to keep in mind during the coming weeks. Broughton’s words inspired me to come up with a corollary for you to heed, as well: “At every turning point, be ready to stumble into an opportunity disguised as a problem.� I’ve got one more clue for you. Last night in my dream, my Scorpio poetry teacher offered a thought that’s well-suited for you right now: “Whenever you want to take a magic twisty leap into the big fresh future, be willing to engage in one last wrestling match with the past.�

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

Actor Gary Busey is quirky and kooky, but his peculiar rants sometimes make good sense. Here’s one that I suspect might be useful for you to consider during the next two weeks: “It’s good for everyone to understand that they are to love their enemies, simply because your enemies show you things about yourself you need to change. So in actuality enemies are friends in reverse.� I don’t mean to imply that your adversaries and nemeses are totally accurate in their critiques of you. But there may be a thing or two you can learn from them right now that would truly improve your life.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):

Musician John Coltrane described one of his life goals as follows: “There are forces out here that bring suffering to others and misery to the world,� he said. “But I want to be the opposite force. I want to be the force which is truly for good.� Even if that’s not an intention at the core of your longterm plans, Capricorn, I recommend you consider adopting it during the next few weeks. Being a vigorous and rigorous force for good will be especially needed by the people with whom you associate—and will also result in you attracting interesting benefits.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):

Known as “the bad boy of bridge,� Aquarian-born Geir Helgemo is a champion in the card game of bridge. At times he has been the top-rated player among Open World Grand Masters. But in 2019, he was suspended from the World Bridge Federation for a year because he tested positive for taking testosterone supplements that are banned. Why did he do it? He hasn’t said. There is some scientific research suggesting that testosterone may boost cognitive function, but other evidence says it doesn’t. I’d like to use Helgemo’s foolishness as a teaching story for your use, Aquarius. According to my astrological analysis, you’re approaching the peak of your competence and confidence. There’s no need for you to cheat or sneak or misbehave in a misplaced effort to seek an even greater advantage. In fact, righteous integrity will enhance your intelligence.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):

“I might really have gone round the bend,� confessed Botswana author Bessie Head. “I mean people who get visions and see a gigantic light descend on them from the sky can’t be all there, but if so I feel mighty happy. If one is happy and cracked it’s much better than being unhappy and sane.� Although I don’t expect your state of mind in the coming weeks will be as extreme as Bessie Head’s, Pisces, I do suspect it will have resemblances to her dreamy cheerfulness. If I had to give a title to this upcoming phase, it might be “Wise Folly.� And yes, I do think your “craziness� will generate useful insights and fertile revelations.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):

Aries poet Charles Baudelaire championed the privilege and luxury of changing one’s mind. He thought it was natural and healthy to always keep evolving beyond one’s previous beliefs and attitudes, even if that meant one might seem inconsistent or irrational. “It is lamentable,� he once proclaimed, “that, among the Rights of Human Beings, the right to contradict oneself has been disregarded.� I bring these thoughts to your attention, dear Aries, so that you will feel at peace with the prospect of outgrowing rules, strategies, and approaches that have worked well for you up until now—but that have outlived their usefulness.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):

The horoscopes I write are my love letters to you. As I compose them, my goal is to celebrate your beauty and

strength even as I discern what’s lacking in your life and what confusions might be undermining you. In my philosophy of life, that’s how love works at its best: remaining keenly aware of the good qualities in the beloved while helping them deal with their problems and heal their wounds. I suggest that in the coming weeks you adopt my approach for use with your own close relationships. Your allies are in special need of both your praise and your rectifications.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):

When Charles de Gaulle was 15 years old, he wrote “General de Gaulle,� a short story in which he envisioned himself, many years in the future, as a general in the French army.

Thirty-five years later, his imaginary tale came true, as he became a general of the free French army fighting against Germany in World War II. In the spirit of de Gaulle’s prophecy, and in accordance with current astrological omens, I encourage you to compose a comparable tale about your own destiny. Have fun as you visualize in great detail a successful role you will play months or even years from now.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):

In 1903, archaeologists digging in a cave in Cheddar Gorge, England found the fossilized remains of “Cheddar Man,� a person who had lived there 9,000 years earlier. In 1997, DNA tests revealed that a teacher named Adrian Targett, who was living a half-mile from the cave, was a direct descendant of Cheddar Man. I propose that we invoke this scenario to serve as a metaphor for you in the coming months. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, your ancestors are likely to play a bigger role in your life than usual. Connections between you and them will be more vivid and influential and worthy of your meditations.

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LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):

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According to the film Amadeus, composers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791) and Antonio Salieri (1750–1825) were adversaries who disliked and undermined each other.

But there’s evidence that this was not entirely true. In fact, they collaborated on creating a cantata that was performed

by Nancy Storace, a famous singer they both admired. It’s unlikely they would have cooperated in such a way unless they had a working relationship. I suspect that a comparable correction is due in your world, Leo. It’s time to dissolve a misunderstanding or restore a lost truth or fix an old story that got some of the facts wrong.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):

The coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to ask for help and seek support. I urge you to be forthright in doing so! Resources that have been inaccessible before may be more available now. I suspect you will be able to capitalize on the luck and skill of allies who have benefited from your favors in the past. Their successes could bring you blessings and their breakthroughs should inspire you to instigate breakthroughs in your own life. Be straightforward: Ask them to lend their influence in your behalf.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):

In the 1970s, an Englishman named Stephen Pile founded the Not Terribly Good Club. It was designed to be a gathering place for mediocre people whose lives were marked by inadequacy and incompetence. To organize his thoughts about the club’s themes, Pile eventually published a book entitled The Book of Heroic Fallures. Unfortunately, it sold so many copies that he got expelled from his own club. He had become too successful! I suspect that in the coming months, you may have an experience akin to his. The odds are good that you’ll find interesting success in an area of your life where you have previously been just average.

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