Better MS Report

David Hampton, editorial director, The Clarion-Ledger: The most contentious and divisive political issue in the country is abortion. It is a religious/moral/ethical issue that does not lend itself to logic, or reason, middle- ground compromise or practical politics. It also does not lend itself to voter initiatives, but that is what Mississippi voters face with [...]

The Clarion-Ledger: We might not want to call it the Mississippi Miracle just yet, but news that state revenue has perked up should end some “poor mouthing” by politicians that there won’t be enough money to adequately fund education next year. State government ended the fiscal year June 30 with about $62 million in the [...]

The Clarion-Ledger: The only time each week Dominique Caldwell gets to see her 2-year-old son is for an hour and a half at the Harrison County office of the Department of Human Services. She and her husband are accused of underfeeding their son, although his weight never registered below normal, according to court documents. The [...]

The Clarion-Ledger: Sunday church dinners haven’t been the same at Oak Hill Baptist Church in northwest Mississippi. Fried chicken and soda are banned. Collard and mustard greens are seasoned with smoked turkey necks instead of pork. And on other days, the parking lot doubles as a walking track. “It’s not about the major things, but [...]

The Clarion-Ledger: Unlike most other children his age, 7-year-old Austin Carter can’t tell his dad about his day in school. “I don’t have the luxury,” said Chris Carter, 32, of Jackson. “I can’t wait for that day to come.” How long that will take is unknown; Austin’s language problems stem from autism. A range of [...]

Sid Salter, syndicated columnist: While most of the attention and all of the yard signs are concentrated on who the new slate of statewide and legislative officials will be after the 2011 elections, veteran public officials know that the ticking time bomb that constantly requires attention once those officials are elected is the state’s Medicaid [...]

The Clarion-Ledger: Colon cancer deaths are falling across the U.S. – but not in Mississippi. “It doesn’t surprise me in the least,” said Dr. Christopher Lahr, an associate professor and colorectal surgeon at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. “The severity of the colon cancer we see in this state is much higher.” In some [...]

THE CLARION-LEDGER: In more than half of Mississippi’s 82 counties, the life expectancy for men, women, or both, dropped during a recent seven-year period. And you were liable to die sooner in Holmes than in any other county in the United States. Those findings are in a new study showing that even though Americans in [...]

THE CLARION-LEDGER: Paramedics with American Medical Response are adding several services that will increase a patient’s chances of making it to the hospital and recovering quickly. “We have added weapons to our arsenal to help prevent death,” said AMR spokesman Jim Pollard. AMR today will ask Hinds and Madison counties supervisors to allow them to [...]

THE NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI DAILY JOURNAL: North Mississippi Health Services made the cut as one of the top health systems in the country, based on an analysis by a national industry magazine. Thompson Reuters compiles the annual rankings, which are published in Modern Healthcare magazine. Tupelo-based NMHS was one of 57 systems in the top 20 [...]