Thursday, October 11, 2007

Natchez & Mississippi in the News

This is the first installment of an irregular series where I bring you articles about Natchez and Mississippi that have appeared where you might not have seen them.

I was prompted to do this by seeing Mississippi make the Editorial Page of today's New York Times. As I predicted in my previous article, our corruption scandals are starting to get national attention. Read The United States Attorneys Scandal Comes to Mississippi.

The Concordia Sentinel has an interesting article about our new Federal Courthouse, which will be officially dedicated on October 22. It points out that when our community is willing to work together, historic preservation can become economic development. Read Federal Courthouse Dedication Scheduled in Natchez.

When I read this article, I thought about how worrisome it is that our current Mayor and Board of Aldermen so insulted the Department of Archives & History, a major player in preservation funding. Until we make some changes in our City's leadership, funding for historic preservation and its attendant economic development is going to be hard to come by. So sad - and so short sighted.

In the same issue is an interesting column about noted Natchez historical figure Winthrop Sargent. Read Sargent: The Newly Wed, the Warrior, and the American.

In case you missed it, Mississippi's governor's race made yesterday's New York Times. Read In Mississippi, Democrat Runs in GOP Lane.

If you run into articles about Natchez in other publications, send me the link.

UPDATE: I just ran across this interesting tidbit on MSNBC:
"Iowa is one of only two states - Mississippi is the other - that have never sent a woman to Congress or the governor's mansion. None have been tested in Iowa's presidential caucuses; any who campaigned here dropped out before the vote."

Did you know that? I knew Mississippi had never elected a woman governor or member of Congress, but I had no idea there was only one other state. We'll just have to do something about that! The article was predicting that Hillary Clinton would win the Iowa caucuses in January, and I doubt Mississippi will do that. There are no women running for Governor. So we'll just have to find a woman to run for Congress in 2008, where we just happen to have an open seat right here. Any ideas?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great article on the new Federal Court House and how it ties in with economic development as well as historic preservation. Our neighbors across the creek really scooped the Natchez Democrat on this one! How did that happen?

Also enjoy all of Mr. Nelson's articles, this one on Sargent and especially an earlier one on the bluffs, how fragile they are and how they have continued to collapse through the centuries.

legalschnauzer said...

On the subject of corruption in Mississippi courts re: the Paul Minor case, your readers might be interested in my Legal Schnauzer blog. I've done an extensive series of post showing that the Minor case was wrongly decided, and Judge Henry Wingate's rulings were highly suspect. I live in Alabama and have been the victim of corrupt GOP state judges over here. The Minor case caught my eye because it has connections both to my case and the Don Siegelman prosecution in Alabama. My blog was cited (blurb/footnote No. 3) by Scott Horton of Harper's in his most recent post on the Minor case.

http://legalschnauzer.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Our own district will be an open seat, as Chip Pickering has opted not to seek reelection in '08. Of the possible candidates, I have not heard of a single woman interested. Amy Tuck's name was circulated early, but she quickly said she wasn't interested. She would have obviously been a viable candidate.

Anonymous said...

Wait...wasn't jon Hinson in Congress?

Anonymous said...

I'm a native Mississippian (male) that is a proud supporter of Hilary Clinton. I'm thinkong of starting an organization called "Hicks for Hilary." Contact Casey to sign up.

Unknown said...

I've been called a lot of things in my life, but this is the first time I've been called a hick!

Anonymous said...

Authorities in natchez, ms have been alerted many times to drug trafficing at 392 Fry Ave. The chief of police lives one street over and that does not deter traffic. As many as 50 vehicles a day have been reported traversing fry ave. to this house which is a dead end road! Who cares?

next door to hell

Anonymous said...

Authorities in natchez, ms have been alerted many times to drug trafficing at 392 Fry Ave. The chief of police lives one street over and that does not deter traffic. As many as 50 vehicles a day have been reported traversing fry ave. to this house which is a dead end road! Who cares? Who do you suggest i talk to? It needs to be stopped; please advise; tia