The Memo

The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Tuesday it will not bring charges against Tupelo police officer Tyler Cook over last Junes’ shooting death of Antwun “Ronnie” Shumpert.

In a written statement, federal authorities said the decision comes following “a comprehensive, independent review of the circumstances related to Shumpert’s death.”

Daily Journal local government reporter Caleb Bedillion (7:40) joins Derek and Brad on today’s episode to discuss that review and the latest news on the Shumpert case.

The review was conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the FBI. It also revealed some new information about the altercation between Cook and Shumpert.

Meanwhile, Shumpert’s family continues to press a wrongful death civil suit against Cook and the city of Tupelo. Caleb talks about that suit, which is currently set to go to trial in December.

Also on today’s show, business editor Dennis Seid (20:48) talks about the fidget spinner craze that has swept the nation. Several local retailers carry the toys, which sell for around $5 to nearly $20, and have been selling them at a torrid pace.

Education reporter Emma Kent (30:16) discusses a new addition to the Tupelo Public School District’s summer meals program. In an attempt to reach more students in need of free breakfasts and lunches, the district will use mobile food vans to bring those meals to various locations in Tupelo.

Photographer Adam Robison (36:00) also talks about his photo essay that goes inside a watch repair shop – Scott’s Watch and Jewelry in Tupelo. Owner Thomas Scott has been repairing watches for 50 years.

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On today’s weekend edition, M. Scott Morris (13:31) joins Derek and Brad to review “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.” Scott said the movie, like the original, is a fun ride featuring explosions, fights and flying high through space. Several of the characters also are dealing with various family issues that add some complexity to the plot.

Derek has the highlights of the weekend entertainment scene (20:49). This weekend, that means Tupelo’s annual GumTree Festival. Nearly 100 street vendors will have booths featuring pottery, paintings, posters, prints and more. This year, there also will be a Junior Art Market for high school students to sell their artwork. Then there is a lot of live music, with the singer-songwriter competition and Saturday night’s GumBash. Grammy Award-winning country musician Lari White will perform on Saturday afternoon.

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How will possible changes to Obamacare affect Mississippi?

Daily Journal health reporter Michaela Morris (5:52) joins Derek and Brad on today’s episode to discuss that question, as Congress considers a replacement for the federal healthcare law.

One of the key issues to watch, Michaela said, will be what happens to federal Medicaid money. Currently, 760,000 Mississippians depend on Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program for health care. And Mississippi receives a lot of federal money for the program, roughly $3 billion a year.

But Congress is looking to curb Medicaid spending, and the bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives last week – the American Health Care Act – would move to a block grant model that would cap the amount of money states receive. That could leave Mississippi in a financial hole and could impact individuals receiving care through Medicaid and hospitals that get Medicaid reimbursements. Medicaid serves poor children, poor pregnant women, disabled individuals and many of those living in nursing homes.

Michaela said another key issue will be how the law treats pre-existing conditions. On the one hand, there needs to be a mechanism to incentivize people to get health insurance before they are sick. At the same time, lawmakers need to be careful of not making it too difficult for some people to be able to afford coverage.

The issue now moves to the Senate, and it will be interesting to see what emerges. The Republicans hold a narrow majority in that chamber and may have a difficult time crafting a proposal that appeals to both far right and moderate members.

Meanwhile, Daily Journal Capitol Bureau chief Bobby Harrison (19:20) joins today’s episode to talk about the issue of a state lottery and whether it will be considered during June’s special session of the Mississippi Legislature.

Gov. Phil Bryant made headlines last week when he said he would consider including the enactment of a lottery in the special session with the funds being used for transportation needs, if the Mississippi Economic Council supports the idea.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Philip Gunn formed a commission to study the possibility of a lottery, although he also made it clear he does not support having one. And Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves has said he doesn’t want to see any issues considered in the special session other than the three budget bills that must be passed.

But the issue of a lottery keeps coming up, and that could mean momentum is building for it to eventually be passed some time in the near future.

And we’re also joined by Daily Journal chief photographer Thomas Wells (26:43), who discusses his recent photo essay on cemetery art. Thomas notes that many people fail to appreciate the craftsmanship on the hand-made carvings that can be found cemeteries throughout Northeast Mississippi.

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Food editor Ginna Parsons (9;29) joins Derek and Brad on today’s weekend edition to discuss a recipe for homemade popsicles using fresh fruit. Ginna recently made the fruit pops after a trip to the beach using kiwis, blueberries, strawberries and pineapple. She also talks about Cook of the Week Carolyn Cole of Tupelo, who specializes in Chinese food and Cajun recipes.

M. Scott Morris (17:17) reviews “Zookeeper’s Wife.” Based on a true story, the movie features Jessica Chastain and Johan Heldenbergh and is set at the Warsaw Zoo shortly before the Nazi invasion. Scott said it is a powerful movie with a sense of dread, although it is slow at times. He also warns that the atrocities can be difficult to watch and parents might want to be cautioned before taking children.

Derek (23:20) talks about the weekend entertainment scene. Both the Blue Suede Cruise and Dudie Burger Festival are this weekend. They also talk about the lineup for June’s Elvis Festival, including the new Music at the Mill event.

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Municipalities across Mississippi held primary elections on Tuesday, beginning the process of filling seats for mayor, city council/ aldermen and, in some cases, police chief.

Daily Journal reporters Caleb Bedillion and William Moore (6:03) join Brad and Chris on today’s episode to break down the election results from Tupelo and Lee County.

In Tupelo, Mayor Jason Shelton easily defeated Candice Knowles to win re-election to four more years in office. The two met in Tuesday’s Democratic primary, but there are no Republican candidates in the race.

Both incumbents also advanced in city council races. Lynn Bryan won the Republican primary for Ward 2 and will serve another term since there are no Democrats on the ballot. Nettie Davis advances to the general election in Ward 4 and will face Henry Daniels in June. In that general election, Tupelo also will have contested races in wards 3, 5 and 6.

Caleb also discusses the dynamic between the mayor and city council and how the candidates are almost running together as a team package.

Meanwhile, incumbent mayors won in Saltillo and Nettleton, and the Baldwyn mayor advanced to the general election. Aldermen did not fare as well across Lee County, however, and several incumbents lost their seats on Tuesday. The Baldwyn police chief was easily re-elected, while the Nettleton police chief race heads to a run-off.

We’re also joined by Daily Journal Capitol Bureau chief Bobby Harrison (20:25) , who discusses the upcoming special session of the Mississippi Legislature.

Gov. Phil Bryant has called the session for June 5, but has not yet announced what issues it will address. At the very least, lawmakers will take up budget bills for the office of Attorney General Jim Hood, for the state transportation department and for the state Aid Road Program.

Meanwhile, some lawmakers are calling for him to also add other items, such as a lottery, bond bill or internet tax in order to provide more money for infrastructure needs. And others wonder if Bryant will include the school funding formula.

Bobby also talks about the issue of the lottery and what kind of impact it may have if it was enacted.

Education reporter Emma Kent (27:29) joins us to talk about the push for schools to add technology to meet testing needs, as well as the new president at Itawamba Community College.

Last year, the Mississippi Assessment Program, or the state test, was administered completely online for the first time, and some districts have had to make technology adjustments this year based on their experiences. Many districts are adding more devices and expanding their wireless network capabilities in order to keep up with the testing demands.

Also, Itawamba Community College announced on Wednesday it hired Jay Allen to be its next president. Allen will replace current president Mike Eaton, who announced his retirement in February. He is currently president and CEO of Hopkinsville Community College in Kentucky and also has held leadership positions at Hinds Community College and at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College-Perkinston.

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On today’s weekend edition, photographer Adam Robison (4:44) joins Derek and Brad to talk about his recent photo essay on a Tupelo High School senior project that created a new mural at the Tupelo Community Garden. Adam photographed students Ashton Davis, Nathaniel Aycock and Reed McNeal at various points in the process from February until last week’s installation.

M. Scott Morris (13:47) reviews “Born in China.” The Disneynature documentary-style film features several animals living in the wild. Scott said it presents strong storylines, even though some of them appear to have been manipulated by editing.

Derek (22:13) has the highlights of the weekend entertainment scene, including Oxford’s Double Decker Arts Festival; Fulton’s Bluegrass, Blues and BBQ Festival and Tupelo’s GumTree Museum of Art gala. Also, the Tupelo High jazz ensemble has a vocal jazz performance next weekend.

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Tupelo Public School District officials are gearing up to roll out the district’s STEM initiative when the upcoming school year begins in August. Daily Journal education reporter Emma Kent (4:44) joins Derek and Brad on today’s episode to explain the initiative and outline the district’s plans for expanding on science, technology, engineering and math.

A major part of the initiative will be the use of Full Option Science System (FOSS) kits. These will include teaching and learning materials designed to provide hands-on exposure to science concepts. They will be phased into kindergarten to sixth-grade classrooms beginning in the fall.

The district also received permission from the Mississippi Department of Education to revamp its middle school college and career curriculum to align with the STEM initiative. Under the new curriculum, students will focus on a different STEM career pathway each nine weeks. Pathways include computer science, engineering and banking finances.

Also, Tupelo High will add an AP computer science class. And teachers will receive lots of training, including a group that will go to Cal Berkeley this summer.

Also on today’s show, business editor Dennis Seid (15:19) talks about the scheduled reopening of the Chick-fil-A restaurant at Thompson Square on May 4.

The new restaurant will have a slightly smaller footprint than the previous building, and it has shifted to the west. The biggest change will be a dual point drive-through.

In anticipation of the reopening, the restaurant will have a give-away in which the first 100 customers will receive a free chicken sandwich every week for a year. Dennis has the details.

Dennis also talks about the upcoming opening of the Texas Roadhouse restaurant in the former Vanelli’s location. And more restaurants – Which Wich, Zaxbys, Pyro’s Pizza and Fox’s Pizza Den – are on the way.

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On today’s weekend edition, food editor Ginna Parsons (6:54) joins Derek and Brad to talk about a new recipe for panzanella, more commonly called Mediterranean bread salad. Ginna also discusses this week’s Cook of the Week, Barbara McNeece of Aberdeen. Her specialties include homemade banana pudding and fried peach pies.

M. Scott Morris (14:58) reviews “Going in Style.” He said the movie has flaws and lacks sophistication, but benefits from a great cast that makes it enjoyable to watch.

Derek (20:15) has the highlights of the entertainment scene. The Tupelo Film Festival will open on Thursday, April 20 with Glenn Payne’s short film “Tinker.” Other events include The Great Dying at Ajax, slam poet Sha’condria “Icon” Sibley at Link Centre, Casting Crowns at the Arena and “Lend Me a Tenor” in Ripley.

 

 

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As the first class of the Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program prepares to graduate in May, the rigorous teacher education program continues to grow.

Daily Journal education reporter Emma Kent (7:07) joins Derek and Brad on today’s episode to discuss the innovative collaboration between Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi.

The program was created in 2012 as an attempt to attract more of the state’s best and brightest students to become teachers. METP students receive a full scholarship, including tuition, room and board, stipends, a study abroad experience and other perks. They must also commit to teaching for five years in Mississippi after graduation.

Since its creation, each school has seen a dramatic increase in the ACT scores of entering freshmen education majors. The program also has helped reshape perceptions about the field of teaching.

Also on today’s show, business reporter Dennis Seid (18:35) discusses the housing market in Northeast Mississippi, which has been on the upswing.

Area real estate professionals said this year may be even busier than usual as the market climbs out of the Great Recession. Last year saw the highest number of homes sold in the region since 2007. And in February, national home sales jumped to their second highest level in more than a decade. Right now, the market definitely favors sellers, but that could cause challenges for first-time home buyers.

And Daily Journal local government reporter Caleb Bedillion (24:31) talks about the latest controversy involving the proposed new Lee County jail.

Last week, county leaders served the city of Tupelo with a two-year notice that it intends to terminate a 22-year-old agreement under which the county agreed to house Tupelo’s prisoners.

County leaders denied the action was an act of retaliation for their belief that city leaders have tried to interfere with their efforts. Instead, they insist it was a backup plan.

On Monday, Tupelo Mayor Jason Shelton and Sheriff Jim Johnson met to try to smooth strained relations. They emerged from that meeting promising renewed efforts at cooperation and improved communication.

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On today’s weekend edition, food editor Ginna Parsons (9:48) breaks down this week’s food section. Cook of the Week Angie Wise serves a salad with every meal she prepares for her family, and has many recipes for elaborate, flavorful salads. Ginna also discusses a new recipe she tried for chicken and herbs. She said it exceeded her expectations – the sauce cooked down into something between a spaghetti sauce and a barbecue sauce and the chicken was fall-off-the-bone tender.

M. Scott Morris (24:18) reviews “Ghost in the Shell.” He said the futuristic action thriller starring Scarlett Johansson is intellectual but lacking in emotional appeal.

Derek is out, but Brad and Chris (32:16) break down this week’s entertainment scene – “Ax of Murder” by Tupelo High School Theatre Co., Tupelo Comedy Arts Festival, the Pied Piper Players tea and sing, and the Tim McGraw and Faith Hill concert.

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