Miss. 2014 deaths: Ex-Miss America, Jackson mayor - Mississippi News Now

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS

Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Former Miss America Mary Ann Mobley Collins, former White House spokesman Larry Speakes and Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba were among the notable Mississippians who died during 2014.

State Senate President Pro Tempore Terry Brown also died during the year, as did the wife of U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran. Rose Clayton Cochran, who had dementia, was pulled into a bizarre political scandal during the 2014 election, as critics of her husband took unauthorized photos of her in her nursing home bed to try to discredit the six-term senator.

Other prominent Mississippians who died were former Washington, D.C., Mayor Marion Berry, who was born in Itta Bena; Dr. Aaron Shirley, who helped found the Jackson Medical Mall; and former Mississippi first lady Carroll Waller, who led efforts to restore the Governor's Mansion.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Cordaryl Campbell - Jackson Free Press

Cordaryl Campbell Photo by Trip Burns.

Stepping in to Jason's Deli to speak to former Jackson Showboats player Chris Hyche and current player Cordaryl Campbell, you notice a difference between the two. Hyche's personality stands out, while Campbell scans the restaurant, taking in everything.

When talking to the players, it's obvious that their differences don't stop at their personalities. Hyche is a former Dandy Dozen player out of Provine High School. Campbell played basketball at West Bolivar High School in Rosedale, Miss. Hyche was heavily recruited and decided to attend Jackson State University. Campbell, who was unrecruited, went to Coahoma Community College and worked his way to Tougaloo College.

Neither player have had an easy road to professional basketball, but Campbell wasn't even on any one's radar coming out of high school. The 25-year-old has had to work hard with each step he has made from high school to college to the Jackson Showboats.

The Tougaloo star is finally getting a chance to play his natural position of guard after spending most his time in college playing forward. "It has helped me develop my game," Campbell says. "I can take a bigger player on the post, and I have the athletic ability to drive past guards."

Campbell was the first person in his family to go to college, but he almost didn't get the chance. "I got in some trouble as a teenager," he says. "I was hanging out with the wrong people and not focusing on school or basketball."

It took former Coahoma coach Ira Peterson to get Campbell on track. At Tougaloo, Campbell was mentored by legendary coach Lafayette Stribling. "I grew up watching coach Stribling at Mississippi Valley State," Campbell says. "He taught me so much about life situations and (that) there is more to life than just basketball."

Besides Stribling, Campbell says his mother is the other person he credits with helping him reach success.

Campbell hopes to follow in the footsteps of Hyche. He knows only hard work will get him there, and if the Showboats are successful, there is good chance he will be successful as well.

Also a husband and father, Campbell believes he is better prepared for making it in professional basketball by the road he has traveled. "I have learned to work harder." he says. "I go the extra mile and have learned that life isn't always about the material things."

The Jackson Showboats play their games at Kurt's Gym (125 Gymnasium Drive). All Saturday home games start at 6:45 p.m., and all Sunday games start at 3:45 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults and $2 for children. Find the team on Facebook for more information.

Starkgrass Takes Over the CapitAl City - Jackson Free Press

The Tombigbees weave a love of history and bluegrass through their music, a sound they call “Starkgrass.” Photo courtesy The Tombigbees

Starkville-based bluegrass band The Tombigbees began as a trio, performing at open-mic nights and backwoods bars. In just a little over a year and a half, the group has grown into a septet of multi-instrumentalists with a sound that upright-bassist Brent Varner describes as "Starkgrass." The Tombigbees' music weaves a love of history and distinct twanging bluegrass into modern originals and covers to create something altogether their own.

The group's first line-up consisted of fiddler Tre Watts, 25, and Madison natives Varner, 24, and mandolin-player Hayden Ellis, 25. Varner and Ellis alternated between bass and guitar. Soon after, Charlie Culpepper, 28, who moved to Starkville from Boone, N.C., joined the band on harmonica, banjo and guitar. Anna Katherine Coker, 24, sat in with the band, lending her gentle, soulful vocals to the proceedings, and Evan Alderman, 23, brought a new sound as the drummer and percussionist. As the other musicians became full-fledged members, they connected with John Pipper, 22, who joined on lead guitar, the band's only fully electric instrument. With so many multi-talented artists, The Tombigbees find it easy to alter their sound. "It's not a Tombigbees show if we all don't switch instruments during our set," Varner says.

Since the band formed in spring of 2013, members have dropped in and out, including Watts, who lives in Atlanta, and Ellis, who lives in Jackson. Varner says The Tombigbees welcome past members to play whenever they are available. He attributes the open-arms policy to the band's hometown.

"Starkville is an anomaly," he says. "It's not unusual for someone from another band to bring a harmonica by before a show. There's so much collaboration and support from other bands here."

Balancing college and music is one of the biggest struggles the group faces. Culpepper and Varner are pursuing master's degrees at Mississippi State University in aquaculture and student affairs, respectively, while Coker is earning her bachelor's degree in business administration and Pipper is earning his in accounting. Shows nearly every weekend and rehearsals at least two nights a week can be a strain on band relationships, so The Tombigbees try to be understanding of each others' schedules.

The Tombigbees traveled and played in a number of interesting places in a short time, including Vidalia, La., where the group spent a weekend as the house band for Rifle Point Plantation. "It was way out in south Louisiana, just way out in the sticks, but it was a fun weekend," Culpepper says.

In March, The Tombigbees traveled to Stone Mountain, Ga., to compete in the Stone Mountain Village Blue Grassroots Music & Arts Festival, and won third place in the Old-Time Band Contest. "We played on stages with some quality acts—like, some serious pickers," Varner says. "We were shocked, flattered (and) honored. It was awesome."

Currently, The Tombigbees are writing material for their first album, with about 10 songs finished so far. The band plans to record next spring and release a full-length record in the summer. The group also hopes to expand its influence in 2015, and remind listeners of the traditions and heritage they share. In writing original music, the musicians incorporate true stories. Last year, Alderman found his great grandfather's journal from the 1880s, and when the band sits down to create new songs, he uses that history as inspiration.

"Our music is just our interpretation of traditional, all-American music through the lens of the modern era," Culpepper says.

The Tombigbees return to Martin's Restaurant & Bar for its New Year's Eve Blowout for the second year with a new set of original music and fan favorites in hopes of outdoing last year's show. "We're going to have a good old time," Varner says. "Bring your dancing shoes."

The Tombigbees perform at 9 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 31, at Martin's Restaurant & Bar (214 S. State St., 601-354-9712). For more information, visit martinslounge.net.

Resolve to Have Clean 2015 Elections - Jackson Free Press

In Mississippi, non-presidential federal election years can be a bit of a bore. The Republican establishment picks their guys for U.S. Senate and the congressional seats that aren't occupied by Bennie Thompson, while Thompson himself also skates to an easy victory.

Not only did 2014 put that paradigm on its head in terms of pure entertainment value for news and politics junkies, but also for raising awareness about the way elections have been run in this state since time immemorial and the need for that to change.

Perhaps the best example of this, maybe even in the whole country, was the state's Republican primary for U.S. Senate. The contest, between state Sen. Chris McDaniel and incumbent U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran, should go down as a textbook example of how American democracy should not work.

It's hard to recall any discussion of big ideas and solutions to Mississippi's myriad problems in that campaign, which never seemed to break out of the muck. There was name-calling and race-baiting, which is bad enough. But equally problematic was a nauseatingly lack of transparency from either campaign. This extended to surrogates, including Bishop Ronnie Crudup's pro-Cochran political-action committee All Citizens for Mississippi.

Also, consider the special election for Jackson mayor resulting from the untimely death of Mayor Chokwe Lumumba in February. Mayoral elections in Jackson are always crowded, messy affairs, but the truncated timetable of this particular contest brought into focus the importance of candidates supplying complete, timely information.

In large part because of our commitment to transparency, the public came to better understand the influences of such groups as Hayes Dent Public Strategies, a Republican firm that worked for then-Councilman Tony Yarber, and Citizens for Decency, a PAC that attorney Precious Martin founded to help Yarber's opponent, Chokwe A. Lumumba.

And let's not forget the daily battles we wage for government officials and their communications staffers to obtain basic public information to disseminate to citizens who own that information.

It's no wonder Mississippi, by one measure this year, drew the dubious distinction as the nation's most corrupt state. This, even as study after study shows that states that are most committed to transparency and integrity tend to have better economic health.

All is not lost, however. Election season is again upon us, and Mississippians will return to the polls next November to elect their legislators, constitutional officers, county leadership and representatives to other offices.

In short, 2015 will be a chance for candidates and the public to act on the lessons of the past year, and demand accountability from office-seekers and incumbents. We look forward to spirited, substantive debate in 2015 that, if conducted transparently and honestly, will only make Mississippi better in the years to come.

Miss. 2014 deaths: Ex-Miss America, Jackson mayor - Mississippi News Now

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS

Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Former Miss America Mary Ann Mobley Collins, former White House spokesman Larry Speakes and Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba were among the notable Mississippians who died during 2014.

State Senate President Pro Tempore Terry Brown also died during the year, as did the wife of U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran. Rose Clayton Cochran, who had dementia, was pulled into a bizarre political scandal during the 2014 election, as critics of her husband took unauthorized photos of her in her nursing home bed to try to discredit the six-term senator.

Other prominent Mississippians who died were former Washington, D.C., Mayor Marion Berry, who was born in Itta Bena; Dr. Aaron Shirley, who helped found the Jackson Medical Mall; and former Mississippi first lady Carroll Waller, who led efforts to restore the Governor's Mansion.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Cordaryl Campbell - Jackson Free Press

Cordaryl Campbell Photo by Trip Burns.

Stepping in to Jason's Deli to speak to former Jackson Showboats player Chris Hyche and current player Cordaryl Campbell, you notice a difference between the two. Hyche's personality stands out, while Campbell scans the restaurant, taking in everything.

When talking to the players, it's obvious that their differences don't stop at their personalities. Hyche is a former Dandy Dozen player out of Provine High School. Campbell played basketball at West Bolivar High School in Rosedale, Miss. Hyche was heavily recruited and decided to attend Jackson State University. Campbell, who was unrecruited, went to Coahoma Community College and worked his way to Tougaloo College.

Neither player have had an easy road to professional basketball, but Campbell wasn't even on any one's radar coming out of high school. The 25-year-old has had to work hard with each step he has made from high school to college to the Jackson Showboats.

The Tougaloo star is finally getting a chance to play his natural position of guard after spending most his time in college playing forward. "It has helped me develop my game," Campbell says. "I can take a bigger player on the post, and I have the athletic ability to drive past guards."

Campbell was the first person in his family to go to college, but he almost didn't get the chance. "I got in some trouble as a teenager," he says. "I was hanging out with the wrong people and not focusing on school or basketball."

It took former Coahoma coach Ira Peterson to get Campbell on track. At Tougaloo, Campbell was mentored by legendary coach Lafayette Stribling. "I grew up watching coach Stribling at Mississippi Valley State," Campbell says. "He taught me so much about life situations and (that) there is more to life than just basketball."

Besides Stribling, Campbell says his mother is the other person he credits with helping him reach success.

Campbell hopes to follow in the footsteps of Hyche. He knows only hard work will get him there, and if the Showboats are successful, there is good chance he will be successful as well.

Also a husband and father, Campbell believes he is better prepared for making it in professional basketball by the road he has traveled. "I have learned to work harder." he says. "I go the extra mile and have learned that life isn't always about the material things."

The Jackson Showboats play their games at Kurt's Gym (125 Gymnasium Drive). All Saturday home games start at 6:45 p.m., and all Sunday games start at 3:45 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults and $2 for children. Find the team on Facebook for more information.

Quietly, Campaign Season Starts Over Holiday Break - Jackson Free Press

State Rep. Cecil Brown, a Jackson Democrat, has said that he would challenge Republican Lynn Posey to represent the Central District on the Mississippi Public Service Commission, which regulates utility companies in the state. Photo by Trip Burns.

Despite the election being almost one year away, candidates are already announcing runs for local and state races in next year's statewide election, when voters will choose leadership for state and county government.

Already, State Rep. Cecil Brown, a Jackson Democrat, has said that he would challenge Republican Lynn Posey to represent the Central District on the Mississippi Public Service Commission, which regulates utility companies in the state.

Because of changes made during the last round of redistricting, Brown would have to face off against Republican Rep. Bill Denny, who chairs the House committee that oversees reapportionment.

On Dec. 26, Sanford Johnson—who is deputy advocacy director for Jackson-based Mississippi First—announced that he would run as a Democrat in District 26 to succeed state Rep. Chuck Espy, D-Clarksdale, who is not seeking reelection. Johnson lives in Clarksdale, but is often in Jackson working at the Capitol on education-policy issues. A Starkville native, Johnson launched a website to raise $20,000 for his war chest, which has already raised nearly $9,000.

Jeffery A. Stallworth also unveiled a Facebook page and fundraising website for his candidacy for Hinds County Board of Supervisors representing District 3. The pastor of Word and Worship Church in Jackson, Stallworth also ran for Hinds County tax assessor in 2007.

Stallworth also has a case pending before the Mississippi Supreme Court in which he is challenging a state requirement to register as a sex offender. In 2002, Stallworth pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor sexual assault of a woman in Maryland, requiring him to register as a sex offender in Mississippi. But because a Maryland judge expunged the conviction in 2010, Stallworth argues that he should not have to appear on the Mississippi sex offender registry. The Mississippi attorney general's office, which is representing the state, disagrees with Stallworth's argument. Oral arguments in the case were scheduled for Dec. 1, but no ruling has been made.

Peggy Hobson-Calhoun, the current District 3 supervisor and president of the board, has not announced whether she is running for reelection.

Finally, only two candidates appear to be visibly campaigning for the Jackson Ward 3 special election—Kenneth Stokes, who formerly held the seat, and Albert Wilson, who ran in 2013 and in the special election for mayor earlier this year. If Stokes recaptures the Ward 3 seat, he will have to resign from the county board.

JFP 2015 College Basketball Preview - Jackson Free Press

Last college basketball season, all six of Mississippi's Division I teams missed the NCAA Tournament. The closest any team came to the Big Dance was the University of Southern Mississippi. Neither SEC school, Mississippi State University or the University of Mississippi, made the postseason National Invitational Tournament. The Bulldogs had a losing record, and the Rebels didn't get an invite.

The three SWAC schools—Jackson State University, Mississippi Valley State University and Alcorn State University—all failed to win the SWAC basketball tournament and receive the automatic bid. To be fair, it is hard for Mississippi's SWAC schools to make any postseason tournament due to scheduling needs and perception of the conference.

Southern Miss made the NIT and hosted Toledo in the first round for 66-59 win. The Golden Eagles beat SEC team Missouri in the second round 71-63. USM lost in the third round falling 81-73 to Minnesota, the eventual tournament champion. Baseball has been successful in this state for a few years. Football had an amazing season that leaves everyone wondering if it can be replicated. Is it basketball's turn to shine in Mississippi?

Southern Miss Golden Eagles

Coach: Doc Sadler (149-107 overall, 1st season at USM)

2013-14 season: 29-7 overall, 13-3 Conference USA

2014-15 season so far: 5-5

Radio: 105.1 FM

Arena: Reed Green Coliseum

Last season recap:

Southern Miss had a legit argument to be a NCAA Tournament team last season. The Golden Eagles finished in a four-way tie for first in the conference with Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee and Tulsa.

Due to conference realignment, Conference USA didn't have the basketball pedigree it once had. That meant when Tulsa won the conference tournament, they got the automatic bid for the Big Dance. That left Louisiana Tech and Southern Miss heading to the NIT, while Middle Tennessee got left out of the postseason. The Golden Eagles easily could have taken the place of a major-conference team with a so-so record. Instead, Southern Miss had a nice run in the NIT before falling.

2014-15 outlook:

After last season, everything changed for USM. Southern Miss lost coach Donnie Tyndall to Tennessee and all five primary starters. That left USM looking for a new coach and in the midst of an NCAA investigation.

The Golden Eagles return Matt Bingaya, who will get a chance to be the main playmaker. Jeremiah Eason, Norville Carey and Chip Armelin also return to the Eagles' bench.

USM hired Doc Sadler, former head coach at UTEP and Nebraska. He was working as an assistant at Iowa State before Southern Miss. Sadler has his work cut out for him with the major player losses from last season. The Golden Eagles have Davon Hayes back from injury and the team added Rasham Suarez.

Prediction:

Southern Miss is rebuilding this season. There isn't any chance of a NCAA Tournament bid unless the Golden Eagles put it all together for a run in the C-USA Tournament. It will be tough for USM to even make the NIT this season. Just look at their 4-3 record thus far if you want proof of how rough things are going to be.

Jackson State Tigers

Coach: Wayne Brent 11-20 overall record, all at JSU entering 2nd season)

2013-14 season: 11-20

2014-15 season so far: 2-11

Radio: 95.5 FM

Arena: Lee E. Williams Center

Last season recap:

It was a building year for first-year coach Wayne Brent at Jackson State. The Tigers struggled to a 5-8 start in the out of their conference schedule. JSU went 7-9 in conference play. Tenth-seed Grambling State University upset the seventh-seed Tigers were upset in the SWAC Tournament. It had to be tough for a coach like Brent, who has been a winner everywhere he has gone. He probably knew it would be a slow process, but how much time will JSU give Brent to turn things around?

2014-15 outlook:

Last year was laying the foundation for the future. This season should build on that foundation. Jackson State has to replace its top scorers from last season. No returning Tiger scored double digits last season. That doesn't mean there aren't players returning with some experience, including Javeres Brent, Treshawn Bolden, Derrell Taylor, Donaveon Robinson, Janarius Middleton and Marcus Love. The Tigers signed Kaven Bernard, Dre'Sean Looney and Yettra Specks out of junior college. JSU also added Tennessee State transfer Jaleel Queary. Nonconference play is always tough for Jackson State. The Tigers lost 8 of their 13 out-of-conference games on the road last year.The most important part of the season begins in the new year. That is when JSU starts conference play.

Prediction:

It is all about SWAC play and the conference tournament for the Tigers. Being from a one-bid conference like the SWAC, JSU must make the most of SWAC play, and JSU only makes the Big Dance by winning the SWAC tournament. Winning the regular season title and not winning the tournament is the easiest path to the NIT. A postseason berth seems out of reach this season, but the JSU program could really take a leap with a tournament bid. It all comes down to how the Tigers respond to SWAC play.

Mississippi Rebels

Coach: Andy Kennedy (192-115 overall, 171-101 entering 9th season at Ole Miss)

2013-14 season: 19-14 overall, 9-9 SEC

2014-15 season so far: 8-3

Radio: 93.7 FM

Arena: C.M. Tad Smith Coliseum

Last Season Recap

It was the Marshall Henderson show last year for Ole Miss. The Rebels weren't getting any outside love with Henderson on the roster as he was one of the few players in college basketball that was a lightning rod for fan reactions.

Things started well with a seven-game winning streak to start the season and a 9-4 start in non-conference play. Ole Miss looked to be in position to make a return trip to the NCAA Tournament after their nice run in the 2012-13 season. The Rebels started conference play by winning five of their first six games. That got Ole Miss off to a 14-5 start before the wheels fell off.

Ole Miss finished 5-9 and fell out of the tournament conversation. February did the Rebels in as they went 3-5 and lost their first two games to start March for a 3-7 stretch.

2014-15 outlook:

Henderson is gone, but the Rebels should be better with Jarvis Summers leading the show. Summers doesn't need to take a large volume of shots like Henderson to make an impact. Ladarius White, Sebastian Saiz, Martavious Newby, Aaron Jones, Dwight Colby and Anthony Perez join summers this season. That is a good core to go with Tennessee State University transfer M.J. Rhett and community-college transfer Stefan Moody.

This season started off with a bit of a stunner as Charleston Southern pulled a 66-65 upset on the Rebels at the Tad Pad. Ole Miss won its next five straight games including wins over a ranked Creighton team, beating previously undefeated Cincinnati and a big road win over Oregon.

Ole Miss has the talent to make a run at the tournament. Summers is one of the few players not from Kentucky that could be player of the year in the SEC.

Finishing out non-conference play strong and not suffering a letdown in the middle of conference play will help the Rebels build a nice resume this season. There is nothing that should keep Ole Miss from being the third to fifth best team in the SEC.

Prediction:

Ole Miss should aim for nothing lower than making the NIT. This team has too much talent not to make the postseason this year. Summers might have to carry the Rebels at points, but he is good enough to do so.

The NCAA Tournament is possible if this team can finish above .500 in conference play and finish the non-conference slate strong. A great showing in the conference tournament can't hurt, either.

Kennedy really needs this team to make the postseason. He owns every coaching record at Ole Miss, but if basketball is going to matter at the school, the fans should hold him to a higher standard.

It is far past time for this program to make a leap. Ole Miss should be more than just a hope to make the NIT each season. If Kennedy is going to build something special at Ole Miss, this program needs to become a consistent NCAA Tournament contender.

Mississippi State Bulldogs

Coach: Rick Ray (record 24-41 entering 3rd year at MSU and overall)

2013-14 season: 14-19 overall; 3-15 SEC

2014-15 season so far: 1-5

Radio: 105.9 FM The Zone

Arena: Humphrey Coliseum

Last season recap:

Mississippi State University started last season with a 6-8 record in the non-conference schedule. The Bulldogs' out-of-conference losses were respectable against Utah State, UNLV and TCU. MSU began conference play going 4-2 before the wheels came off. Mississippi State lost 13 straight conference games as the young team seemed to hit a wall.

The long losing streak ended any postseason chances but there were flashes of potential. They finished the season with a win over Vanderbilt before losing to archrival Ole Miss in the SEC tournament.

2014-15 outlook:

It has been a slow rebuilding process for Ray and the Bulldogs. Mississippi State is one of the deepest teams in the SEC. The young Bulldogs now have to show that they are all grown up and ready to play for competitive postseason play.

The good news is that Gavin Ware, Craig Sword, Fred Thomas, Trivante Bloodman, I.J. Ready and Roquez Johnson all return this season, bringing back four of their top five leaders in scoring from last season. Sword is working his way back from a back injury, and the Bulldogs will be better if he gets healthy.

Mississippi State needs some production from newcomers Oliver Black, Maurice Dunlap and Demetrius Houston. MSU will finally get Fallou Ndoye, ineligible last season, on the court.

The Bulldogs have an easy non-conference schedule even with losses to TCU and a surprising Tulane. Only Florida State and Oregon State should pose a threat. Mississippi State doesn't play in a basketball power conference, which is a good thing. That should allow MSU be in games all season.

Prediction:

It is time for MSU to turn the corner in Ray's third year. If he is the man for the job, this team should make the postseason due to all the returning players.

That doesn't mean the Bulldogs will make the Big Dance, but they should make the NIT. They have a tough stretch of games from Jan. 28 to Feb. 25 that could make or break this season.

MSU can't afford to hit another wall during the conference slate and go on a long losing streak. If that happens again with such a weak non-conference slate, you have to wonder what the problem is: Rick Ray or the players. Ray won't be on the hot seat this season, but if MSU doesn't make a leap toward the postseason, he must prove himself next season.

It is going to be close, but I think Mississippi State will make the jump and earn a NIT berth. Things would have to go perfectly for the Bulldogs to go dancing.

Resolve to Have Clean 2015 Elections - Jackson Free Press

In Mississippi, non-presidential federal election years can be a bit of a bore. The Republican establishment picks their guys for U.S. Senate and the congressional seats that aren't occupied by Bennie Thompson, while Thompson himself also skates to an easy victory.

Not only did 2014 put that paradigm on its head in terms of pure entertainment value for news and politics junkies, but also for raising awareness about the way elections have been run in this state since time immemorial and the need for that to change.

Perhaps the best example of this, maybe even in the whole country, was the state's Republican primary for U.S. Senate. The contest, between state Sen. Chris McDaniel and incumbent U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran, should go down as a textbook example of how American democracy should not work.

It's hard to recall any discussion of big ideas and solutions to Mississippi's myriad problems in that campaign, which never seemed to break out of the muck. There was name-calling and race-baiting, which is bad enough. But equally problematic was a nauseatingly lack of transparency from either campaign. This extended to surrogates, including Bishop Ronnie Crudup's pro-Cochran political-action committee All Citizens for Mississippi.

Also, consider the special election for Jackson mayor resulting from the untimely death of Mayor Chokwe Lumumba in February. Mayoral elections in Jackson are always crowded, messy affairs, but the truncated timetable of this particular contest brought into focus the importance of candidates supplying complete, timely information.

In large part because of our commitment to transparency, the public came to better understand the influences of such groups as Hayes Dent Public Strategies, a Republican firm that worked for then-Councilman Tony Yarber, and Citizens for Decency, a PAC that attorney Precious Martin founded to help Yarber's opponent, Chokwe A. Lumumba.

And let's not forget the daily battles we wage for government officials and their communications staffers to obtain basic public information to disseminate to citizens who own that information.

It's no wonder Mississippi, by one measure this year, drew the dubious distinction as the nation's most corrupt state. This, even as study after study shows that states that are most committed to transparency and integrity tend to have better economic health.

All is not lost, however. Election season is again upon us, and Mississippians will return to the polls next November to elect their legislators, constitutional officers, county leadership and representatives to other offices.

In short, 2015 will be a chance for candidates and the public to act on the lessons of the past year, and demand accountability from office-seekers and incumbents. We look forward to spirited, substantive debate in 2015 that, if conducted transparently and honestly, will only make Mississippi better in the years to come.

Miss. 2014 deaths: Ex-Miss America, Jackson mayor - Mississippi News Now

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS

Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Former Miss America Mary Ann Mobley Collins, former White House spokesman Larry Speakes and Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba were among the notable Mississippians who died during 2014.

State Senate President Pro Tempore Terry Brown also died during the year, as did the wife of U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran. Rose Clayton Cochran, who had dementia, was pulled into a bizarre political scandal during the 2014 election, as critics of her husband took unauthorized photos of her in her nursing home bed to try to discredit the six-term senator.

Other prominent Mississippians who died were former Washington, D.C., Mayor Marion Berry, who was born in Itta Bena; Dr. Aaron Shirley, who helped found the Jackson Medical Mall; and former Mississippi first lady Carroll Waller, who led efforts to restore the Governor's Mansion.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Cordaryl Campbell - Jackson Free Press

Cordaryl Campbell Photo by Trip Burns.

Stepping in to Jason's Deli to speak to former Jackson Showboats player Chris Hyche and current player Cordaryl Campbell, you notice a difference between the two. Hyche's personality stands out, while Campbell scans the restaurant, taking in everything.

When talking to the players, it's obvious that their differences don't stop at their personalities. Hyche is a former Dandy Dozen player out of Provine High School. Campbell played basketball at West Bolivar High School in Rosedale, Miss. Hyche was heavily recruited and decided to attend Jackson State University. Campbell, who was unrecruited, went to Coahoma Community College and worked his way to Tougaloo College.

Neither player have had an easy road to professional basketball, but Campbell wasn't even on any one's radar coming out of high school. The 25-year-old has had to work hard with each step he has made from high school to college to the Jackson Showboats.

The Tougaloo star is finally getting a chance to play his natural position of guard after spending most his time in college playing forward. "It has helped me develop my game," Campbell says. "I can take a bigger player on the post, and I have the athletic ability to drive past guards."

Campbell was the first person in his family to go to college, but he almost didn't get the chance. "I got in some trouble as a teenager," he says. "I was hanging out with the wrong people and not focusing on school or basketball."

It took former Coahoma coach Ira Peterson to get Campbell on track. At Tougaloo, Campbell was mentored by legendary coach Lafayette Stribling. "I grew up watching coach Stribling at Mississippi Valley State," Campbell says. "He taught me so much about life situations and (that) there is more to life than just basketball."

Besides Stribling, Campbell says his mother is the other person he credits with helping him reach success.

Campbell hopes to follow in the footsteps of Hyche. He knows only hard work will get him there, and if the Showboats are successful, there is good chance he will be successful as well.

Also a husband and father, Campbell believes he is better prepared for making it in professional basketball by the road he has traveled. "I have learned to work harder." he says. "I go the extra mile and have learned that life isn't always about the material things."

The Jackson Showboats play their games at Kurt's Gym (125 Gymnasium Drive). All Saturday home games start at 6:45 p.m., and all Sunday games start at 3:45 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults and $2 for children. Find the team on Facebook for more information.

Resolve to Have Clean 2015 Elections - Jackson Free Press

In Mississippi, non-presidential federal election years can be a bit of a bore. The Republican establishment picks their guys for U.S. Senate and the congressional seats that aren't occupied by Bennie Thompson, while Thompson himself also skates to an easy victory.

Not only did 2014 put that paradigm on its head in terms of pure entertainment value for news and politics junkies, but also for raising awareness about the way elections have been run in this state since time immemorial and the need for that to change.

Perhaps the best example of this, maybe even in the whole country, was the state's Republican primary for U.S. Senate. The contest, between state Sen. Chris McDaniel and incumbent U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran, should go down as a textbook example of how American democracy should not work.

It's hard to recall any discussion of big ideas and solutions to Mississippi's myriad problems in that campaign, which never seemed to break out of the muck. There was name-calling and race-baiting, which is bad enough. But equally problematic was a nauseatingly lack of transparency from either campaign. This extended to surrogates, including Bishop Ronnie Crudup's pro-Cochran political-action committee All Citizens for Mississippi.

Also, consider the special election for Jackson mayor resulting from the untimely death of Mayor Chokwe Lumumba in February. Mayoral elections in Jackson are always crowded, messy affairs, but the truncated timetable of this particular contest brought into focus the importance of candidates supplying complete, timely information.

In large part because of our commitment to transparency, the public came to better understand the influences of such groups as Hayes Dent Public Strategies, a Republican firm that worked for then-Councilman Tony Yarber, and Citizens for Decency, a PAC that attorney Precious Martin founded to help Yarber's opponent, Chokwe A. Lumumba.

And let's not forget the daily battles we wage for government officials and their communications staffers to obtain basic public information to disseminate to citizens who own that information.

It's no wonder Mississippi, by one measure this year, drew the dubious distinction as the nation's most corrupt state. This, even as study after study shows that states that are most committed to transparency and integrity tend to have better economic health.

All is not lost, however. Election season is again upon us, and Mississippians will return to the polls next November to elect their legislators, constitutional officers, county leadership and representatives to other offices.

In short, 2015 will be a chance for candidates and the public to act on the lessons of the past year, and demand accountability from office-seekers and incumbents. We look forward to spirited, substantive debate in 2015 that, if conducted transparently and honestly, will only make Mississippi better in the years to come.

Miss. 2014 deaths: Ex-Miss America, Jackson mayor - Mississippi News Now

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS

Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Former Miss America Mary Ann Mobley Collins, former White House spokesman Larry Speakes and Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba were among the notable Mississippians who died during 2014.

State Senate President Pro Tempore Terry Brown also died during the year, as did the wife of U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran. Rose Clayton Cochran, who had dementia, was pulled into a bizarre political scandal during the 2014 election, as critics of her husband took unauthorized photos of her in her nursing home bed to try to discredit the six-term senator.

Other prominent Mississippians who died were former Washington, D.C., Mayor Marion Berry, who was born in Itta Bena; Dr. Aaron Shirley, who helped found the Jackson Medical Mall; and former Mississippi first lady Carroll Waller, who led efforts to restore the Governor's Mansion.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Cordaryl Campbell - Jackson Free Press

Cordaryl Campbell Photo by Trip Burns.

Stepping in to Jason's Deli to speak to former Jackson Showboats player Chris Hyche and current player Cordaryl Campbell, you notice a difference between the two. Hyche's personality stands out, while Campbell scans the restaurant, taking in everything.

When talking to the players, it's obvious that their differences don't stop at their personalities. Hyche is a former Dandy Dozen player out of Provine High School. Campbell played basketball at West Bolivar High School in Rosedale, Miss. Hyche was heavily recruited and decided to attend Jackson State University. Campbell, who was unrecruited, went to Coahoma Community College and worked his way to Tougaloo College.

Neither player have had an easy road to professional basketball, but Campbell wasn't even on any one's radar coming out of high school. The 25-year-old has had to work hard with each step he has made from high school to college to the Jackson Showboats.

The Tougaloo star is finally getting a chance to play his natural position of guard after spending most his time in college playing forward. "It has helped me develop my game," Campbell says. "I can take a bigger player on the post, and I have the athletic ability to drive past guards."

Campbell was the first person in his family to go to college, but he almost didn't get the chance. "I got in some trouble as a teenager," he says. "I was hanging out with the wrong people and not focusing on school or basketball."

It took former Coahoma coach Ira Peterson to get Campbell on track. At Tougaloo, Campbell was mentored by legendary coach Lafayette Stribling. "I grew up watching coach Stribling at Mississippi Valley State," Campbell says. "He taught me so much about life situations and (that) there is more to life than just basketball."

Besides Stribling, Campbell says his mother is the other person he credits with helping him reach success.

Campbell hopes to follow in the footsteps of Hyche. He knows only hard work will get him there, and if the Showboats are successful, there is good chance he will be successful as well.

Also a husband and father, Campbell believes he is better prepared for making it in professional basketball by the road he has traveled. "I have learned to work harder." he says. "I go the extra mile and have learned that life isn't always about the material things."

The Jackson Showboats play their games at Kurt's Gym (125 Gymnasium Drive). All Saturday home games start at 6:45 p.m., and all Sunday games start at 3:45 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults and $2 for children. Find the team on Facebook for more information.

Quietly, Campaign Season Starts Over Holiday Break - Jackson Free Press

State Rep. Cecil Brown, a Jackson Democrat, has said that he would challenge Republican Lynn Posey to represent the Central District on the Mississippi Public Service Commission, which regulates utility companies in the state. Photo by Trip Burns.

Despite the election being almost one year away, candidates are already announcing runs for local and state races in next year's statewide election, when voters will choose leadership for state and county government.

Already, State Rep. Cecil Brown, a Jackson Democrat, has said that he would challenge Republican Lynn Posey to represent the Central District on the Mississippi Public Service Commission, which regulates utility companies in the state.

Because of changes made during the last round of redistricting, Brown would have to face off against Republican Rep. Bill Denny, who chairs the House committee that oversees reapportionment.

On Dec. 26, Sanford Johnson—who is deputy advocacy director for Jackson-based Mississippi First—announced that he would run as a Democrat in District 26 to succeed state Rep. Chuck Espy, D-Clarksdale, who is not seeking reelection. Johnson lives in Clarksdale, but is often in Jackson working at the Capitol on education-policy issues. A Starkville native, Johnson launched a website to raise $20,000 for his war chest, which has already raised nearly $9,000.

Jeffery A. Stallworth also unveiled a Facebook page and fundraising website for his candidacy for Hinds County Board of Supervisors representing District 3. The pastor of Word and Worship Church in Jackson, Stallworth also ran for Hinds County tax assessor in 2007.

Stallworth also has a case pending before the Mississippi Supreme Court in which he is challenging a state requirement to register as a sex offender. In 2002, Stallworth pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor sexual assault of a woman in Maryland, requiring him to register as a sex offender in Mississippi. But because a Maryland judge expunged the conviction in 2010, Stallworth argues that he should not have to appear on the Mississippi sex offender registry. The Mississippi attorney general's office, which is representing the state, disagrees with Stallworth's argument. Oral arguments in the case were scheduled for Dec. 1, but no ruling has been made.

Peggy Hobson-Calhoun, the current District 3 supervisor and president of the board, has not announced whether she is running for reelection.

Finally, only two candidates appear to be visibly campaigning for the Jackson Ward 3 special election—Kenneth Stokes, who formerly held the seat, and Albert Wilson, who ran in 2013 and in the special election for mayor earlier this year. If Stokes recaptures the Ward 3 seat, he will have to resign from the county board.

Resolve to Have Clean 2015 Elections - Jackson Free Press

In Mississippi, non-presidential federal election years can be a bit of a bore. The Republican establishment picks their guys for U.S. Senate and the congressional seats that aren't occupied by Bennie Thompson, while Thompson himself also skates to an easy victory.

Not only did 2014 put that paradigm on its head in terms of pure entertainment value for news and politics junkies, but also for raising awareness about the way elections have been run in this state since time immemorial and the need for that to change.

Perhaps the best example of this, maybe even in the whole country, was the state's Republican primary for U.S. Senate. The contest, between state Sen. Chris McDaniel and incumbent U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran, should go down as a textbook example of how American democracy should not work.

It's hard to recall any discussion of big ideas and solutions to Mississippi's myriad problems in that campaign, which never seemed to break out of the muck. There was name-calling and race-baiting, which is bad enough. But equally problematic was a nauseatingly lack of transparency from either campaign. This extended to surrogates, including Bishop Ronnie Crudup's pro-Cochran political-action committee All Citizens for Mississippi.

Also, consider the special election for Jackson mayor resulting from the untimely death of Mayor Chokwe Lumumba in February. Mayoral elections in Jackson are always crowded, messy affairs, but the truncated timetable of this particular contest brought into focus the importance of candidates supplying complete, timely information.

In large part because of our commitment to transparency, the public came to better understand the influences of such groups as Hayes Dent Public Strategies, a Republican firm that worked for then-Councilman Tony Yarber, and Citizens for Decency, a PAC that attorney Precious Martin founded to help Yarber's opponent, Chokwe A. Lumumba.

And let's not forget the daily battles we wage for government officials and their communications staffers to obtain basic public information to disseminate to citizens who own that information.

It's no wonder Mississippi, by one measure this year, drew the dubious distinction as the nation's most corrupt state. This, even as study after study shows that states that are most committed to transparency and integrity tend to have better economic health.

All is not lost, however. Election season is again upon us, and Mississippians will return to the polls next November to elect their legislators, constitutional officers, county leadership and representatives to other offices.

In short, 2015 will be a chance for candidates and the public to act on the lessons of the past year, and demand accountability from office-seekers and incumbents. We look forward to spirited, substantive debate in 2015 that, if conducted transparently and honestly, will only make Mississippi better in the years to come.

Money, Ministry and Stewpot's Future - Jackson Free Press

Stewpot, a pillar in the Jackson community for its service to the homeless population, has a long history of struggling to make ends meet. As a nonprofit ministry, it can only operate on the funds it receives from donations and grants—which were dramatically lower in 2015 due to scaled-back government support and the loss of a United Way grant.

Executive Director Frank Spencer is charged with making the numbers work. He has recently faced great cuts in grants from both the city and federal government, mostly due to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's decision to move away from funding temporary shelters in favor of more permanent housing solutions, he says. As a result, Spencer says he was left with only one decision—to close Stewpot's two emergency shelters.

Between the time that he announced the decision in August and the announced closing date of Nov. 25, however, Stewpot received enough in donations—$200,000, mostly from individual donors—to keep the shelters open.

Still, Spencer has a long road ahead to secure funding for Stewpot in coming years. Now, Stewpot must seek alternative resources or work to change the emergency shelters into transitional shelters.

Spencer recently spoke to the Jackson Free Press about the challenges ahead.

Billy Brumfield and Matt's House (shelters) are both remaining open. Did you actually get the $200,000 you said you needed?

Yeah. We got $100,000 from an anonymous couple. And we had $100,000 of specific gifts or grants for Brumfield.

What can you do in the future to avoid this situation?

We need sustained funding. The two grants that we lost, one is United Way, and their emphasis now is education with the reduced amount that they get in. The other is HUD, where they're not interested in emergency shelters anymore.

And what we have are emergency shelters—these two locations, where people off the street can come in ... it's a short-term emergency housing to try to tackle the problems that they have. Women and children, we can house them at our facilities and help them get employable.

Are Matt's House and Brumfield the only two emergency shelters with Stewpot?

Yes.

Does this problem with HUD changing their priorities actually make it so that you need more donations per year?

Oh yeah. That's the reason we asked the city council to fund us because we didn't think our donor base would be able to support these additional ministries. I think that's probably the case even though we got $200,000, because the people who gave us $100,000 have never contributed to Stewpot. The others, for the most part, were not people who contribute to Stewpot, so they're new efforts.

So we're going to face that situation again in the coming year to be able to fund those two facilities, which are now getting no support except for contributions. The city did give us $23,000 for Brumfield, but they were going to give that to us anyway.

The majority of (the contributors) Stewpot did not know before, and I can't count on those contributions for 2016. So we're kind of in a limbo state.

One thing you need to understand about Stewpot is the ethos of Stewpot. ... We minister to the extent we get funds. We don't have a pot of money sitting off to the side that we can draw on. If we did not have the money for other ministries, then we can't have them. I took a big chance on keeping Brumfield and Matt's House open because if we didn't get any funds, we would have been in the hole.

Is there anything that you can do to know about regulation changes beforehand?

HUD was a complete surprise. And that was a large amount of money, specifically for Matt's House. You had what could be called a legacy grant from HUD where they automatically renewed it every year. So they didn't do it—put us in a horrible hole.

(HUD) made restrictions on the city's funds so they weren't able to give us money from HUD. Heather, who's on my staff, goes to all of the relevant meetings that keeps up with HUD and meets with HUD all the time—that was a complete surprise. There's nothing that we could have done differently this year.

Who would have thought United Way would depart from their previous behavior and devote all their energy towards education in the same month? So it was a blow to the face, I'll tell you.

What else do you need from the community besides donations?

Donations are very, very important to us, because with that there's so much you can do. Right now we have food. I hate to say that because there's people that are out collecting, going to give it to us. We get a lot of donations of clothes. Clothing's not an issue. It's just mainly donations, being able to pay the staff.

When you're talking about Matt's House and Billy Brumfield, what are those funds doing at those places, and what are they paying for? Utilities, staff?

It's everything. When we lose $200,000 out of our budget, a lot of it went from just general support for those ministries as well as others. One thing we have to do ... If somebody gives us a check designated for something we have to use it for that purpose and we're audited for that by our CPA's to make sure what people designate funds for have to be used for that purpose.

What would it take to get Matt's House on that platform so that you could get HUD funding for it?

We would have to change it from an emergency shelter to a longer-term shelter. The thing is, we hate to do that. I'm in a quandary because the city of Jackson needs these emergency shelters, and so they need to stay open. If those two shelters weren't open, I don't know what would happen with the homeless.

I don't know what they'd do because nobody else takes the number of people that we do.

Getting people in the moment they become homeless and giving them shelter, that primarily happens in an emergency shelter, not rapid-rehousing?

Right. (With) rapid-rehousing you actually put the person in what qualifies as permanent housing, and then you give them services. They are housed first, and then services are provided. Emergency shelter is just somebody needs shelter quick, and so you get them into the shelter.

I would like to move to a model where we don't have to put people out after a short period of time to work with them more. And we've been looking at possible rapid-rehousing projects.

A shelter that a person can stay in for 90 days is going to, by nature, serve less people than something like an emergency shelter.

Yes. Absolutely yes.

Is that one of your big concerns?

What I'm concerned about is people on the street because it's dangerous out there. If I had to list my priorities, I would say women with children were at the top and then people being on the street and not having any place to go to.

Obviously, you can't implement any new programs or services without new funding, but if you could what would be your priority?

My top priority right now would be to get social workers to work with the people we have to service them better.

Is there a specific part of the homeless community that is underserved?

Well yeah, many of the people we deal with are underserved. The people who come in for lunch are certainly not served to the extent that they need to be to get them to be productive citizens.

If you were to go over to Stewpot right now, you'd see on the street at least one woman and one man who really, really need extensive service. They're underserved ... they're off their medicine. They do pretty good when they're taking it; when they're not taking it, they can be dangerous.

Cordaryl Campbell - Jackson Free Press

Cordaryl Campbell Photo by Trip Burns.

Stepping in to Jason's Deli to speak to former Jackson Showboats player Chris Hyche and current player Cordaryl Campbell, you notice a difference between the two. Hyche's personality stands out, while Campbell scans the restaurant, taking in everything.

When talking to the players, it's obvious that their differences don't stop at their personalities. Hyche is a former Dandy Dozen player out of Provine High School. Campbell played basketball at West Bolivar High School in Rosedale, Miss. Hyche was heavily recruited and decided to attend Jackson State University. Campbell, who was unrecruited, went to Coahoma Community College and worked his way to Tougaloo College.

Neither player have had an easy road to professional basketball, but Campbell wasn't even on any one's radar coming out of high school. The 25-year-old has had to work hard with each step he has made from high school to college to the Jackson Showboats.

The Tougaloo star is finally getting a chance to play his natural position of guard after spending most his time in college playing forward. "It has helped me develop my game," Campbell says. "I can take a bigger player on the post, and I have the athletic ability to drive past guards."

Campbell was the first person in his family to go to college, but he almost didn't get the chance. "I got in some trouble as a teenager," he says. "I was hanging out with the wrong people and not focusing on school or basketball."

It took former Coahoma coach Ira Peterson to get Campbell on track. At Tougaloo, Campbell was mentored by legendary coach Lafayette Stribling. "I grew up watching coach Stribling at Mississippi Valley State," Campbell says. "He taught me so much about life situations and (that) there is more to life than just basketball."

Besides Stribling, Campbell says his mother is the other person he credits with helping him reach success.

Campbell hopes to follow in the footsteps of Hyche. He knows only hard work will get him there, and if the Showboats are successful, there is good chance he will be successful as well.

Also a husband and father, Campbell believes he is better prepared for making it in professional basketball by the road he has traveled. "I have learned to work harder." he says. "I go the extra mile and have learned that life isn't always about the material things."

The Jackson Showboats play their games at Kurt's Gym (125 Gymnasium Drive). All Saturday home games start at 6:45 p.m., and all Sunday games start at 3:45 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults and $2 for children. Find the team on Facebook for more information.

Quietly, Campaign Season Starts Over Holiday Break - Jackson Free Press

State Rep. Cecil Brown, a Jackson Democrat, has said that he would challenge Republican Lynn Posey to represent the Central District on the Mississippi Public Service Commission, which regulates utility companies in the state. Photo by Trip Burns.

Despite the election being almost one year away, candidates are already announcing runs for local and state races in next year's statewide election, when voters will choose leadership for state and county government.

Already, State Rep. Cecil Brown, a Jackson Democrat, has said that he would challenge Republican Lynn Posey to represent the Central District on the Mississippi Public Service Commission, which regulates utility companies in the state.

Because of changes made during the last round of redistricting, Brown would have to face off against Republican Rep. Bill Denny, who chairs the House committee that oversees reapportionment.

On Dec. 26, Sanford Johnson—who is deputy advocacy director for Jackson-based Mississippi First—announced that he would run as a Democrat in District 26 to succeed state Rep. Chuck Espy, D-Clarksdale, who is not seeking reelection. Johnson lives in Clarksdale, but is often in Jackson working at the Capitol on education-policy issues. A Starkville native, Johnson launched a website to raise $20,000 for his war chest, which has already raised nearly $9,000.

Jeffery A. Stallworth also unveiled a Facebook page and fundraising website for his candidacy for Hinds County Board of Supervisors representing District 3. The pastor of Word and Worship Church in Jackson, Stallworth also ran for Hinds County tax assessor in 2007.

Stallworth also has a case pending before the Mississippi Supreme Court in which he is challenging a state requirement to register as a sex offender. In 2002, Stallworth pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor sexual assault of a woman in Maryland, requiring him to register as a sex offender in Mississippi. But because a Maryland judge expunged the conviction in 2010, Stallworth argues that he should not have to appear on the Mississippi sex offender registry. The Mississippi attorney general's office, which is representing the state, disagrees with Stallworth's argument. Oral arguments in the case were scheduled for Dec. 1, but no ruling has been made.

Peggy Hobson-Calhoun, the current District 3 supervisor and president of the board, has not announced whether she is running for reelection.

Finally, only two candidates appear to be visibly campaigning for the Jackson Ward 3 special election—Kenneth Stokes, who formerly held the seat, and Albert Wilson, who ran in 2013 and in the special election for mayor earlier this year. If Stokes recaptures the Ward 3 seat, he will have to resign from the county board.

Miss. 2014 deaths: Ex-Miss America, Jackson mayor - Mississippi News Now

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS

Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Former Miss America Mary Ann Mobley Collins, former White House spokesman Larry Speakes and Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba were among the notable Mississippians who died during 2014.

State Senate President Pro Tempore Terry Brown also died during the year, as did the wife of U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran. Rose Clayton Cochran, who had dementia, was pulled into a bizarre political scandal during the 2014 election, as critics of her husband took unauthorized photos of her in her nursing home bed to try to discredit the six-term senator.

Other prominent Mississippians who died were former Washington, D.C., Mayor Marion Berry, who was born in Itta Bena; Dr. Aaron Shirley, who helped found the Jackson Medical Mall; and former Mississippi first lady Carroll Waller, who led efforts to restore the Governor's Mansion.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Cordaryl Campbell - Jackson Free Press

Cordaryl Campbell Photo by Trip Burns.

Stepping in to Jason's Deli to speak to former Jackson Showboats player Chris Hyche and current player Cordaryl Campbell, you notice a difference between the two. Hyche's personality stands out, while Campbell scans the restaurant, taking in everything.

When talking to the players, it's obvious that their differences don't stop at their personalities. Hyche is a former Dandy Dozen player out of Provine High School. Campbell played basketball at West Bolivar High School in Rosedale, Miss. Hyche was heavily recruited and decided to attend Jackson State University. Campbell, who was unrecruited, went to Coahoma Community College and worked his way to Tougaloo College.

Neither player have had an easy road to professional basketball, but Campbell wasn't even on any one's radar coming out of high school. The 25-year-old has had to work hard with each step he has made from high school to college to the Jackson Showboats.

The Tougaloo star is finally getting a chance to play his natural position of guard after spending most his time in college playing forward. "It has helped me develop my game," Campbell says. "I can take a bigger player on the post, and I have the athletic ability to drive past guards."

Campbell was the first person in his family to go to college, but he almost didn't get the chance. "I got in some trouble as a teenager," he says. "I was hanging out with the wrong people and not focusing on school or basketball."

It took former Coahoma coach Ira Peterson to get Campbell on track. At Tougaloo, Campbell was mentored by legendary coach Lafayette Stribling. "I grew up watching coach Stribling at Mississippi Valley State," Campbell says. "He taught me so much about life situations and (that) there is more to life than just basketball."

Besides Stribling, Campbell says his mother is the other person he credits with helping him reach success.

Campbell hopes to follow in the footsteps of Hyche. He knows only hard work will get him there, and if the Showboats are successful, there is good chance he will be successful as well.

Also a husband and father, Campbell believes he is better prepared for making it in professional basketball by the road he has traveled. "I have learned to work harder." he says. "I go the extra mile and have learned that life isn't always about the material things."

The Jackson Showboats play their games at Kurt's Gym (125 Gymnasium Drive). All Saturday home games start at 6:45 p.m., and all Sunday games start at 3:45 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults and $2 for children. Find the team on Facebook for more information.

Mississippi man appeals fraud conviction - Mississippi News Now

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A Mississippi man is appealing his conviction for fraud involving debris removal following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Aubrey Brant Sturdivant of Waynesboro is serving a 41-month prison sentence for a 2013 conviction in federal court in Jackson for conspiracy to defraud the government.

Sturdivant was indicted in 2011. Prosecutors say Sturdivant had a contract for debris removal in Wayne County that paid him specified amounts based on the diameter of that tree or limb brought in.

Prosecutors say a county inspector would prepare a debris-removal ticket that tallied the work.

Prosecutors say Sturdivant submitted inflated debris removal tickets resulting in increased compensation under the contract.

Sturdivant has appealed his conviction to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The court has scheduled oral arguments for Jan. 7 in New Orleans.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Quietly, Campaign Season Starts Over Holiday Break - Jackson Free Press

State Rep. Cecil Brown, a Jackson Democrat, has said that he would challenge Republican Lynn Posey to represent the Central District on the Mississippi Public Service Commission, which regulates utility companies in the state. Photo by Trip Burns.

Despite the election being almost one year away, candidates are already announcing runs for local and state races in next year's statewide election, when voters will choose leadership for state and county government.

Already, State Rep. Cecil Brown, a Jackson Democrat, has said that he would challenge Republican Lynn Posey to represent the Central District on the Mississippi Public Service Commission, which regulates utility companies in the state.

Because of changes made during the last round of redistricting, Brown would have to face off against Republican Rep. Bill Denny, who chairs the House committee that oversees reapportionment.

On Dec. 26, Sanford Johnson—who is deputy advocacy director for Jackson-based Mississippi First—announced that he would run as a Democrat in District 26 to succeed state Rep. Chuck Espy, D-Clarksdale, who is not seeking reelection. Johnson lives in Clarksdale, but is often in Jackson working at the Capitol on education-policy issues. A Starkville native, Johnson launched a website to raise $20,000 for his war chest, which has already raised nearly $9,000.

Jeffery A. Stallworth also unveiled a Facebook page and fundraising website for his candidacy for Hinds County Board of Supervisors representing District 3. The pastor of Word and Worship Church in Jackson, Stallworth also ran for Hinds County tax assessor in 2007.

Stallworth also has a case pending before the Mississippi Supreme Court in which he is challenging a state requirement to register as a sex offender. In 2002, Stallworth pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor sexual assault of a woman in Maryland, requiring him to register as a sex offender in Mississippi. But because a Maryland judge expunged the conviction in 2010, Stallworth argues that he should not have to appear on the Mississippi sex offender registry. The Mississippi attorney general's office, which is representing the state, disagrees with Stallworth's argument. Oral arguments in the case were scheduled for Dec. 1, but no ruling has been made.

Peggy Hobson-Calhoun, the current District 3 supervisor and president of the board, has not announced whether she is running for reelection.

Finally, only two candidates appear to be visibly campaigning for the Jackson Ward 3 special election—Kenneth Stokes, who formerly held the seat, and Albert Wilson, who ran in 2013 and in the special election for mayor earlier this year. If Stokes recaptures the Ward 3 seat, he will have to resign from the county board.

Miss. 2014 deaths: Ex-Miss America, Jackson mayor - Mississippi News Now

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS

Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Former Miss America Mary Ann Mobley Collins, former White House spokesman Larry Speakes and Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba were among the notable Mississippians who died during 2014.

State Senate President Pro Tempore Terry Brown also died during the year, as did the wife of U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran. Rose Clayton Cochran, who had dementia, was pulled into a bizarre political scandal during the 2014 election, as critics of her husband took unauthorized photos of her in her nursing home bed to try to discredit the six-term senator.

Other prominent Mississippians who died were former Washington, D.C., Mayor Marion Berry, who was born in Itta Bena; Dr. Aaron Shirley, who helped found the Jackson Medical Mall; and former Mississippi first lady Carroll Waller, who led efforts to restore the Governor's Mansion.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Cordaryl Campbell - Jackson Free Press

Cordaryl Campbell Photo by Trip Burns.

Stepping in to Jason's Deli to speak to former Jackson Showboats player Chris Hyche and current player Cordaryl Campbell, you notice a difference between the two. Hyche's personality stands out, while Campbell scans the restaurant, taking in everything.

When talking to the players, it's obvious that their differences don't stop at their personalities. Hyche is a former Dandy Dozen player out of Provine High School. Campbell played basketball at West Bolivar High School in Rosedale, Miss. Hyche was heavily recruited and decided to attend Jackson State University. Campbell, who was unrecruited, went to Coahoma Community College and worked his way to Tougaloo College.

Neither player have had an easy road to professional basketball, but Campbell wasn't even on any one's radar coming out of high school. The 25-year-old has had to work hard with each step he has made from high school to college to the Jackson Showboats.

The Tougaloo star is finally getting a chance to play his natural position of guard after spending most his time in college playing forward. "It has helped me develop my game," Campbell says. "I can take a bigger player on the post, and I have the athletic ability to drive past guards."

Campbell was the first person in his family to go to college, but he almost didn't get the chance. "I got in some trouble as a teenager," he says. "I was hanging out with the wrong people and not focusing on school or basketball."

It took former Coahoma coach Ira Peterson to get Campbell on track. At Tougaloo, Campbell was mentored by legendary coach Lafayette Stribling. "I grew up watching coach Stribling at Mississippi Valley State," Campbell says. "He taught me so much about life situations and (that) there is more to life than just basketball."

Besides Stribling, Campbell says his mother is the other person he credits with helping him reach success.

Campbell hopes to follow in the footsteps of Hyche. He knows only hard work will get him there, and if the Showboats are successful, there is good chance he will be successful as well.

Also a husband and father, Campbell believes he is better prepared for making it in professional basketball by the road he has traveled. "I have learned to work harder." he says. "I go the extra mile and have learned that life isn't always about the material things."

The Jackson Showboats play their games at Kurt's Gym (125 Gymnasium Drive). All Saturday home games start at 6:45 p.m., and all Sunday games start at 3:45 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults and $2 for children. Find the team on Facebook for more information.