#Ronnie Musgrove | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

goalhofer · 5 years

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Last MLB Player To Wear Each Jersey Number: Pittsburgh

1: Homer Howell (1947)(retired for Billy Meyer 1954)

2: Erik Gonzalez (2019-present)

3: Cole Tucker (2019-present)

4: Mike Brown (1985-86)(retired for Ralph Kiner 1987)

5: Lonnie Chisenhall (2011-present)

6: Starling Marte (2012-present)

7: Alex Presley (2011-13)

8: Wilie Stargell (1962-82)(retired for Stargell 1982)

9: Bill Mazeroski (1956-72)(retired for Mazeroski 1987)

10: Bryan Reynolds (2019-present)

11: Humberto Cota (2001-06)(retired for Paul Waner 2007)

12: Colin Dickerson (2018-19)

13: Ronny Cedeno (2009-10)

14: Ryan Vogelsong (2016)

15: Pablo Reyes (2018-present)

16: Kang Jung-Ho (2015-19)

17: Austin Meadows (2018)

18: Pedro Florimon; Jr. (2016)

19: Colin Moran (2018-present)

20: Richie Hebner(1968-71)(retired for Harold Traynor 1972)

21: Roberto Clemente (1955-72)(retired for Clemente 1973)

22: Andrew McCutchen (2009-17)

23: Mitch Keller (2019-present)

24: Chris Archer (2018-present)

25: Gregory Polanco (2014-present)

26: Adam Frazier (2016-present)

27: Kevin Newman (2018-present)

28: John Jaso (2016-17)

29: Francisco Cervelli (2015-19)

30: Kyle Crick (2018-present)

31: A.J. Schugel (2016-17)

32: Elias Diaz (2015-present)

33: Never issued (retired for Johannes Wagner 1956)

34: Trevor Williams (2016-present)

35: Keone Kela (2018-present)

36: Jose Osuna (2017-present)

37: Edgar Santana (2017-present)

38: Max Moroff (2016-18)

39: Chad Kuhl (2016-present)

40: John McCall (1950)(retired for Danny Murtaugh 1977)

41: Takahashi Hisanori (2012)

42: Le Hancock (1995-96)(retired league-wide for Jackie Robinson 1997)

43: Steven Brault (2016-present)

44: Kevin Kramer (2018-present)

45: Michael Feliz (2018-present)

46: Chris Stratton (2019-present)

47: Francisco Liriano (2019-present)

48: Richard Rodriguez (2018-present)

49: Parker Markel (2019-present)

50: Jameson Taillon (2016-present)

51: Jason Martin (2019-present)

52: Clay Holmes (2019-present)

53: Melky Cabrera (2019-present)

54: Denny Bautista (2008-09)

55: Josh Bell (2016-present)

56: Donnie Veal (2009)

57: Nick Burdi (2018-present)

58: Jacob Stallings (2016-present)

59: Joe Musgrove (2018-present)

60: Keon Broxton (2015)

61: Mpho' Ngoepe (2017)

62: William Davis (2019-present)

63: Alex McRae (2018-present)

64: Montana DuRapau (2019-present)

65: J.T. Brubaker (2019-present)

66: Dovydas Neverauskas (2017-present)

67: Dario Agrazal (2019-present)

68: Clay Holmes (2018)

69: Daniel Ortiz (2017)

70: Yefry Ramirez (2019-present)

71: Brian Burres (2010-11)

72: Geoff Hartlieb (2019-present)

73: Felipe Vazquez (2016-present)

74: Never issued

75: Alex Presley (2010)

76: Never issued

77: Luis Escobar (2019-present)

78: Never issued

79: Never issued

80: Never issued

81: Never issued

82: Never issued

83: Never issued

84: Never issued

85: Lastings Milledge (2009-10)

86: Never issued

87: Never issued

88: Rick White (2005)

89: Never issued

90: Never issued

91: Never issued

92: Never issued

93: Never issued

94: Never issued

95: Never issued

96: Never issued

97: Joe Beimel (2011)

98: Never issued

99: Never issued

#Jerseys #Sports #Baseball #MLB #Pittsburgh Pirates #1940s #1980s #1960s #1970s #1950s

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blairemclaren · 3 years

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Melody Bruce Musgrove Death - Obituary, Melody Bruce Musgrove Has Died

Melody Bruce Musgrove Death – Obituary, Melody Bruce Musgrove Has Died

Melody Bruce Musgrove Death – Obituary, Funeral, Cause Of Death Melody Bruce Musgrove, former director of the Office of Special Education Programs for the U.S. Dept. of Education and wife of former MS Gov. Ronnie Musgrove, died Monday at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, where she was being treated for leukemia. Through a social media announcement, DeadDeath learned on September 27, 2021, about the…

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hellodistinguishedstudentllama · 4 years

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RT @StuPolitics: It wasn’t that long ago that Mississippi had serious people as governor. People like Haley Barbour, Ronnie Musgrove, Ray Mabus and William Winter. No more, alas. Now just ideologues. https://twitter.com/rachelbitecofer/status/1242985027341881352 from FB Mashes https://twitter.com/GuerinGreen/status/1243021472630591488 https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

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mrhenryharrell · 4 years

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RT @StuPolitics: It wasn’t that long ago that Mississippi had serious people as governor. People like Haley Barbour, Ronnie Musgrove, Ray Mabus and William Winter. No more, alas. Now just ideologues. https://twitter.com/rachelbitecofer/status/1242985027341881352 from @gueringreen - twitter https://twitter.com/GuerinGreen/status/1243021472630591488

#Guerin Green

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theliberaltony · 5 years

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via Politics – FiveThirtyEight

With the 2020 Democratic presidential primary underway, it’s easy to overlook elections happening in 2019. There are also not that many statewide elections this year, but one to keep your eye on is the gubernatorial race in Mississippi, which holds its primary today. Although the state is firmly Republican, Democrats could still have an outside shot of winning on Nov. 5. At the very least, uncertainty on the Republican side could muddy the Mississippi waters with a runoff election later this month.

The main event today is the Republican primary, and the front-runner’s prospects are less certain than they once were. Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves started out as the heir apparent to outgoing Republican Gov. Phil Bryant; he has raised far more money than his primary opponents while also picking up endorsements from major conservative organizations such as the National Rifle Association and Americans for Prosperity. But his approach as lieutenant governor has rubbed some Republicans the wrong way, leaving the door open for two primary opponents: former Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr., whose father was governor in the 1970s, and state Rep. Robert Foster, who made national headlines for refusing to allow a female reporter shadow his campaign, as no other man would be present. (Waller has also said he won’t meet with women by himself.)

And although Reeves has continued to lead in the limited number of primary polls out there, the most recent one should worry him: In late July, Mason-Dixon found Reeves ahead of Waller by just 10 percentage points, 41 percent to 31 percent (with Foster at 13 percent). As a result, it’s now unclear whether Reeves can win a majority of the vote to avoid an Aug. 27 primary runoff, and some insiders speculate that Reeves could actually lose in a runoff due to an “Anyone but Tate” sentiment.

Meanwhile, the likely Democratic nominee has actually won statewide in Mississippi four times already: Attorney General Jim Hood first won office in 2003 and has been reelected three times since, winning every race by a double-digit margin. Hood does have one notable primary opponent — Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith — but Smith has raised barely any money, although as a black candidate, he could perhaps win over the support of African Americans, who largely vote Democratic. And the one poll testing Hood against Smith way back in January 2018 did find them nearly tied. That said, Hood already has his eyes set on the general election — his first ad seems geared toward winning over conservative voters with talk about taking care of the land, reloading ammunition and going to church. Winning those voters will be important, too, if Hood stands a chance of winning in November.

And that’s because despite Hood’s winning track record as a Democrat in Mississippi, he still faces an uphill climb in the general election. The two most recent polls testing Hood against Reeves and Waller found the Democrat trailing each Republican head-to-head, though earlier this year Mason-Dixon did find Hood narrowly ahead of Tate. Remember, Mississippi is about 15 points more Republican than the country as a whole, according to FiveThirtyEight’s partisan lean metric,1 and it’s one of the most “inelastic” states in the country, meaning there aren’t a lot of swing voters to help push a Democrat over the edge. This is mainly due to extremely high levels of racially polarized voting, as most African Americans vote Democratic and most whites vote Republican.

But even if Hood wins the most votes in November, there’s a rule left over from the Jim Crow era that could still stop him from becoming governor: Mississippi requires a candidate to win a majority of the vote and a majority of the 122 districts in the state House of Representatives. This provision was codified in the state’s 1890 constitution, which still governs Mississippi today, as part of an effort to remove blacks from political power and enable white minority control of a state that had a black majority at the turn of the century. So if a candidate doesn’t win at least 62 districts while winning a majority of the vote, the House decides the election.

And considering Republicans currently have a 73-46 edge over Democrats in the House,2 they will likely retain their majority in the House in 2019. Given the stakes, a group of black Mississippians has filed a lawsuit challenging the rule and has asked a federal court to keep the state from using it in 2019. Granted, the GOP nominee may win outright and make this all for naught, but this rule has come into play before. In 1999, neither major-party candidate won a majority and each won 61 districts, so the Democratic majority in the House backed Democrat Ronnie Musgrove, who narrowly led in the popular vote.

Whatever happens today, suffice it to say that Mississippi could have its first competitive gubernatorial contest since 2003, when Musgrove lost reelection by 7 points. And the race to capture the Magnolia State governor’s mansion begins in earnest today.

#IFTTT #Politics – FiveThirtyEight #politics #538 #Geoffrey Skelley

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todaynewsstories · 6 years

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MLB roundup: A’s tie Astros atop AL West

Right-hander Trevor Cahill gave up only an infield single over seven innings Saturday afternoon, and the Oakland Athletics completed a 10-game climb into first place in the American League West with a 7-1 victory over the Houston Astros in Oakland, Calif.

Aug 18, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Trevor Cahill (53) pitches to the Houston Astros in the first inning at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Villa-USA TODAY Sports

With the win, the A’s are now tied for first in the division with the defending champions, who had held a solo lead in the division since June 14.

Khris Davis doubled twice and drove in two runs as the A’s knocked out Houston left-hander Dallas Keuchel (9-10) in the sixth inning en route to their second straight win against the Astros in the three-game series.

The A’s, who trailed the Astros by 10 games on July 10, moved into at least a tie for first place in the AL West in any month after April for the first time since Aug. 25, 2014. Cahill (5-2) faced 22 batters and got 21 outs.

Cardinals 7, Brewers 2

Miles Mikolas pitched six effective innings and won his fifth straight decision as St. Louis beat visiting Milwaukee.

The latest solid showing by Mikolas helped the Cardinals win for the 14th time in 17 games. St. Louis also improved to 21-10 since interim manager Mike Shildt replaced Mike Matheny on July 15 and inched ahead of Milwaukee for the second National League wild-card spot.

Mikolas (13-3) improved to 5-0 in his last nine starts since a 5-1 loss to Atlanta on June 29 by allowing one run on five hits. He struck out seven without a walk and threw 62 of 91 pitches for strikes.

Mariners 5, Dodgers 4 (10 innings)

A bases-loaded balk by Dylan Floro with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning brought home the winning run as Seattle defeated visiting Los Angeles.

Mitch Haniger led off the 10th with a single off Dodgers left-hander Caleb Ferguson (3-2). Cameron Maybin grounded into a fielder’s choice, just beating the throw to first to avoid a double play. Robinson Cano reached on an infield single, sending Maybin to second. The Dodgers brought on the right-handed Floro to face Nelson Cruz, who walked to load the bases.

With Kyle Seager, who homered earlier in the game, at the plate and an 0-1 count, Floro came set and then stepped awkwardly off the mound, with first base umpire Andy Fletcher calling the game-ending balk.

Rockies 5, Braves 3 (10 innings)

DJ LeMahieu hit a long home run to straightaway center field to highlight a two-run rally in the 10th inning and give Colorado another late victory at Atlanta.

In addition to LeMahieu’s 10th homer, the Rockies added another 10th-inning run on a single by Nolan Arenado and defeated the Braves for the third straight night. Wade Davis earned his 34th save by working a perfect 10th inning.

Atlanta led 3-0 going into the ninth, when the Rockies tied the score against closer A.J. Minter. After retiring the first two batters, Minter allowed a double to Trevor Story and a single to David Dahl. Ian Desmond doubled to left to drive home two runs. Gerardo Parra tied the score by lobbing a single to left field.

Padres 7, Diamondbacks 6

Pinch hitter Christian Villanueva singled home Travis Jankowski from second with two out in the bottom of the ninth to give host San Diego a walk-off victory over Arizona, snapping a five-game losing streak.

The loss reduced Arizona’s lead over Colorado in the National League West to a half-game.

Aug 18, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics first baseman Matt Olson (28) hits a double to send designated hitter Khris Davis (2) in for a run against the Houston Astros in the sixth inning at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Villa-USA TODAY Sports

Paul Goldschmidt tied the game at 6-6 in the top of the seventh with his fourth hit, a single that drove home A.J. Pollock for his fourth RBI.

Red Sox 5, Rays 2

Boston scored four runs in the first inning and added J.D. Martinez’s major-league-leading 38th home run later in defeating visiting Tampa Bay.

David Price (13-6) went seven innings in winning his fourth consecutive decision. He hasn’t taken a loss since July 1. Price gave up two runs on five hits with two walks. He fanned eight as the Red Sox won for the 13th time in their last 15 games.

Boston also maintained its 10 1/2-game lead over the New York Yankees in the American League East by going 52 games over .500 in running its record to 88-36.

Yankees 11, Blue Jays 6

Rookie Miguel Andujar homered, drove in three runs and fell a triple shy of the cycle as New York powered past Toronto in a matinee at Yankee Stadium.

Andujar became the fifth Yankee to reach 20 homers with one out in the fifth when he drove an 0-1 changeup from Sean Reid-Foley (0-2) into the left field seats to make it 8-0.

Giancarlo Stanton homered again when he connected on Reid-Foley’s 2-0 fastball, sending it into the Toronto bullpen beyond the left-center-field fence with two outs in the fourth. It was Stanton’s 32nd homer and seventh in his last 12 games.

Orioles 4, Indians 2

Jonathan Villar and Cedric Mullins each homered, and Alex Cobb went the distance as Baltimore defeated host Cleveland.

Villar’s three-run shot and the solo homer from Mullins — his first in the major leagues — gave Baltimore all of its offense and proved enough for Cobb, who turned in one of his best efforts this season as the Orioles ended the Indians’ six-game winning streak.

Cobb (4-15) gave up two runs on five hits with three strikeouts and a walk. He needed just 100 pitches (69 strikes) for the complete game, his first since 2013 when pitching with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Pirates 3, Cubs 1

Joe Musgrove pitched seven strong innings for Pittsburgh in a win over visiting Chicago.

Adam Frazier was 2-for-4 with an RBI double, and Corey Dickerson was 3-for-3 with a walk and a double for the Pirates, who ended a five-game losing streak.

Ben Zobrist homered for the Cubs, who had their three-game winning streak halted.

Marlins 7, Nationals 5 (10 innings)

Isaac Galloway hit a two-out, two-run single in the top of the 10th inning, and JT Riddle drove in four runs to lead Miami to victory at Washington.

Drew Steckenrider (4-2), who blew a save chance in the ninth, picked up the win. Brett Graves pitched a scoreless 10th to pick up his first career save as a pro. The Marlins snapped a six-game overall losing streak and a 12-game road losing skid.

Slideshow (16 Images)

Riddle gave Miami a 5-4 lead with a solo homer in the top of the ninth, and Adam Eaton matched him with a solo shot in the bottom of the frame, setting up Galloway’s heroics.

Mets 3, Phillies 1

Jacob deGrom continued to make his case for the National League Cy Young Award, shrugging off a 41-minute rain delay and tossing his third career complete game to lead New York past host Philadelphia.

The Mets have won six of 10. The Phillies, who remain atop the NL wild-card race by a half-game, have lost six of 10.

DeGrom (8-7) allowed an unearned run — due to an error questionably charged to him — on seven hits and no walks while striking out nine. It was the third straight win for deGrom, who lowered his major-league-leading ERA from 1.81 to 1.71 while reaching 200 strikeouts for the second straight season.

Angels 11, Rangers 7

Albert Pujols had a solo home run and four RBIs, Shohei Ohtani hit a pinch hit three-run homer, Taylor Ward added his first career major league home run and Los Angeles won in a slugfest at Texas.

Pujols ended a 6-6 tie with an RBI single, Ohtani followed with his 13th homer of the season and Ward had a solo shot to complete a five-run top of the seventh against reliever Eddie Butler (2-3).

Rain delayed the start of the game by 2 hours, 26 minutes.

Tigers 7, Twins 5

Mikie Mahtook homered and drove in four runs, and Ryan Carpenter collected his first career victory as Detroit held off host Minnesota.

Mahtook’s second homer of the season, a three-run shot in the fifth, gave Detroit a lead it wouldn’t relinquish. Ronny Rodriguez contributed a two-run double, and Jim Adduci added two hits and a run scored.

Carpenter (1-1), a rookie left-hander, gave up three solo homers but lasted 5 1/3 innings. Shane Greene got the last four outs for his 26th save.

Royals 3, White Sox 1

Alex Gordon homered, and Jorge Bonifacio drove in the go-ahead run as Kansas City held on at Chicago.

Nicky Delmonico homered for Chicago’s only run. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the White Sox.

Royals starter Brad Keller (6-5) limited the White Sox to one run on seven hits in five innings. He walked none and struck out five to collect his second win in as many starts.

Reds 7, Giants 1

Jose Peraza and Dilson Herrera homered off Madison Bumgarner, and Matt Harvey took a shutout into the seventh inning as host Cincinnati downed San Francisco for a second straight night.

Harvey (6-7) retired the first 10 batters he faced and took a no-hitter into the sixth before Joe Panik beat out an infield single with two outs.

Bumgarner (4-5) went six innings and gave up six runs (five earned) and eight hits. He walked two and struck out six.

—Field Level Media

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harriesatgarth · 7 years

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Ratings Change: Franken’s Minnesota Seat Starts as Likely for Democrats

Sen. Al Franken’s resignation puts another Democratic seat into the 2018 mix, but it’s still unclear whether his departure provides Republicans with a legitimate takeover opportunity.

In order to handicap a race, it’s helpful to know where the contest will take place and who is running. In this case, we know the place is Minnesota, where Hillary Clinton narrowly won in 2016, 46-45 percent, despite Donald Trump’s surge in the Midwest. And where Republicans haven’t won a Senate race since Norm Coleman’s 2-point win in 2002.

But we don’t know whom DFL Gov. Mark Dayton will appoint, if that person would seek election to fill the remainder of the term, and who the eventual GOP nominee will be. Those are all key components to understanding the contours of the race.

We’ll add the seat to the 2018 class as Likely Democratic until some of those outstanding questions have answers. Minnesota’s other Senate seat, held by DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar, is already on the 2018 docket (and rated as Solid Democratic), which means both seats will be on the ballot next year. http://ift.tt/2ADOmD6;

If Republicans have their hearts set on picking off Franken’s old seat, they’ll be running against the partisan lean of Minnesota and history.

Over the last 70 years, there have been 27 times when both of a state’s Senate seats were up for election. In 24 of those instances (89 percent of the time), one party won both seats.

Most recently, Republicans won regular and special Senate elections in Oklahoma and South Carolina in 2014. Republicans did the same thing in 2008 in Wyoming and Mississippi, even though Democrats had high hopes at one point for former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove, before he lost to appointed-GOP Sen. Roger Wicker, 55-45 percent.

In two of the three instances in which candidates from different parties won concurrent Senate races, the split results maintained the partisan status quo before the election, which wouldn’t help Republicans in Minnesota.

In Idaho in 1962, Democratic Sen. Frank Church won re-election while appointed GOP Sen. Len Jordan’s victory retained the Republican seat. And in South Carolina in 1966, Republican Sen. Strom Thurmond won re-election, just as Democrat Fritz Hollings held the Democratic seat after defeating the incumbent in the primary.

The third case of a split result was in New Hampshire in 1962, when Republican Sen. Norris Cotton won re-election, while his party lost the state’s other Senate seat. The Senator who had been appointed to fill that vacancy and who ran to fill the rest of the unexpired term, Maurice Murphy Jr., lost in the Republican primary, and Democrat Thomas McIntyre defeated GOP Rep. Perkins Bass in the general election.

An appointed senator and potential open seat gives Republicans an opportunity in a seat that wasn’t even part of the 2018 class. But the GOP will need a solid candidate and the quality of the field will likely be determined by the perceived strength of the Democratic nominee.

View Article at Inside Elections

http://ift.tt/2AYEyWD

#Ratings Change: Franken’s Minnesota Seat Starts as Likely for Democrats

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wastoon35 · 7 years

Text

Ratings Change: Franken’s Minnesota Seat Starts as Likely for Democrats

Sen. Al Franken’s resignation puts another Democratic seat into the 2018 mix, but it’s still unclear whether his departure provides Republicans with a legitimate takeover opportunity.

If Republicans have their hearts set on picking off Franken’s old seat, they’ll be running against the partisan lean of Minnesota and history.

Over the last 70 years, there have been 27 times when both of a state’s Senate seats were up for election. In 24 of those instances (89 percent of the time), one party won both seats.

View Article at Inside Elections

http://ift.tt/2AYEyWD

#Ratings Change: Franken’s Minnesota Seat Starts as Likely for Democrats

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wassible196258 · 7 years

Text

Ratings Change: Franken’s Minnesota Seat Starts as Likely for Democrats

Sen. Al Franken’s resignation puts another Democratic seat into the 2018 mix, but it’s still unclear whether his departure provides Republicans with a legitimate takeover opportunity.

If Republicans have their hearts set on picking off Franken’s old seat, they’ll be running against the partisan lean of Minnesota and history.

Over the last 70 years, there have been 27 times when both of a state’s Senate seats were up for election. In 24 of those instances (89 percent of the time), one party won both seats.

View Article at Inside Elections

http://www.insideelections.com/news/article/ratings-change-frankens-minnesota-seat-starts-as-likely-for-democrats

#Ratings Change: Franken’s Minnesota Seat Starts as Likely for Democrats

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wargiry584 · 7 years

Text

Ratings Change: Franken’s Minnesota Seat Starts as Likely for Democrats

Sen. Al Franken’s resignation puts another Democratic seat into the 2018 mix, but it’s still unclear whether his departure provides Republicans with a legitimate takeover opportunity.

If Republicans have their hearts set on picking off Franken’s old seat, they’ll be running against the partisan lean of Minnesota and history.

Over the last 70 years, there have been 27 times when both of a state’s Senate seats were up for election. In 24 of those instances (89 percent of the time), one party won both seats.

View Article at Inside Elections

http://ift.tt/2AYEyWD

#Ratings Change: Franken’s Minnesota Seat Starts as Likely for Democrats

0 notes

theodoreashley94026c · 7 years

Text

Ratings Change: Franken’s Minnesota Seat Starts as Likely for Democrats

Sen. Al Franken’s resignation puts another Democratic seat into the 2018 mix, but it’s still unclear whether his departure provides Republicans with a legitimate takeover opportunity.

If Republicans have their hearts set on picking off Franken’s old seat, they’ll be running against the partisan lean of Minnesota and history.

Over the last 70 years, there have been 27 times when both of a state’s Senate seats were up for election. In 24 of those instances (89 percent of the time), one party won both seats.

View Article at Inside Elections

http://ift.tt/2AYEyWD

0 notes

blackkudos · 4 years

Text

Frank Melton

Frank Ervin Melton (March 19, 1949 – May 7, 2009) was the mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, United States, from 4 July 2005 until his death on 7 May 2009. Melton, an African American, defeated the city's first black mayor Harvey Johnson, Jr. Melton won 63 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary against Johnson, who had served two terms. Melton quickly swept into action to rid Jackson of drug-related crime, improve economic development, and improve city infrastructure. Since Melton became mayor, he touted economic-development projects totaling over $1.6 billion, creating at least 4,500 jobs in the city. Others pointed out that many of those projects were in the works when he started in office. However he was embroiled in several controversies while being mayor, including questionable power breaches and criminal misdemeanor activity.

Early life

Melton was born in Houston, Texas on March 19, 1949, to his parents Herbert Melton and Marguerite Haynes-Melton, both of whom were active members of the University Presbyterian Church in Houston. Prior to graduation from high school and following in the grid-iron footsteps of one of his earlier Booker T. Washington Eagles quarterback idols, Eldridge Dickey (Tennessee State Univ., Oakland Raiders), Frank was a popular, studious, and disciplined Quarterback for the Eagles. Melton graduated from Booker T. Washington High School. He moved to Nacogdoches, Texas to earn a BA at Stephen F. Austin State University. In college, he took a position with the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, serving as Director of Recreation at its Lufkin State School.

Early career

He entered broadcasting after graduation, first as a Sports Anchor for KTRE TV in Lufkin, Texas and then, in 1977, as general manager of KLTV TV. He climbed the ranks at KLTV TV before becoming president of Buford Television, Inc. In 1984, he became Chairman and CEO of WLBT TV Inc, in Jackson, Mississippi, in which position he remained until 2002.

Melton served as the head of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics for 14 months, appointed by former Mississippi Governor Ronnie Musgrove in December 2002. Governor Haley Barbour, who defeated Musgrove in the 2003 gubernatorial election, dismissed Melton and other holdover political appointees when he took office. Melton also served in numerous other fields, including serving as the director of the Governor's Criminal Justice Task Force, after being appointed by former Governor Kirk Fordice.

Melton served on the national board of directors for the Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI), the Liberty Broadcasting Board of Directors, and the NBC Affiliates Board of Directors. He served on the Liberty Broadcasting board of directors; the Wave board of directors, the Community Broadcast Group, and the NBC Affiliates board of directors.

Community work

Melton also worked as a member of the board of directors for United Way and the Jackson Chamber of Commerce. He was an instructor at Jackson State University. He gave numerous speeches in the inner-city high schools and city universities.

As mayor

Melton led drug sweeps and drug raids. The city's narcotics unit was reduced and few drug arrests were made. Many citizens were pleased to see him take this hands-on and vocal approach to addressing the city's problems. Yet many city residents, including the NAACP and the ACLU, have disagreed with the mayor's crime-fighting tactics and what they call illegal and unconstitutional actions. He wore a Jackson Police Department badge and carried a gun.

In April 2006, Melton lambasted Hinds County District Attorney Faye Peterson because she would not put his star witness, Christopher Walker, on the stand to testify against Albert "Batman" Donelson, the alleged leader of the Wood Street Players. The district attorney had to drop Walker from the witness list because the defense provided affidavits showing that Walker had long lived with mayor. Melton had given Walker a copy of his credit card, a car, cash and other assistance. The mayor responded that he was offering Walker "witness protection."

Soon after Donelson was acquitted, Melton held a press conference with Walker, during which he accused the county's first black female district attorney of having an affair with a murdered bail bondsman, an allegation that was not substantiated. Within days of that press conference, federal investigators revoked Walker's probation because he had failed nearly a dozen drug tests during the period leading up to the Donelson trial.

After a series of articles and photographs appeared in spring 2006 showing that Melton was carrying concealed firearms without a permit, and amid increasing editorials calling for authorities to curtail Melton's actions, Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood investigated Melton's actions. On June 1 Hood sent Melton a letter warning of prosecution if he continued to carry weapons into places where they were prohibited, further warning him he was not a police officer. Melton told the Jackson Free Press that he did not have to heed Hood's warning, and continued to carry weapons wherever he wanted. In late July 2006, the head of the ACLU racial profiling division arrived in Jackson to address reports of racial profiling related to Melton's raids and techniques.

In September 2006, Mayor Melton, with his detective bodyguards and a group of youths, called the "lawn crew" because they traveled with Melton, ostensibly to help with neighborhood clean-up, raided half a duplex on Ridgeway Street without a warrant. Witnesses say that Melton attacked much of the rental duplex with a large stick. He cut his hand during the incident and had to go to the hospital for stitches. He reportedly returned with the young men, with sledgehammers to finish destroying that side of the duplex. Police arrested the tenant, Evans Welch, on drug possession, but he was discharged within days for lack of evidence. No warrant was issued for the raid, nor was the owner of the duplex—Jennifer Sutton—notified of any intention to conduct the raid or damage her property. After news of the demolition broke on Sept. 1, both the attorney general and the district attorney investigated the incident.

Melton and bodyguards Michael Recio and Marcus Wright were indicted on September 15, 2006, on multiple felony charges in the Ridgeway Street demolition, including burglary, conspiracy and the inducement of a minor to commit a felony. Melton was also indicted on three gun charges—a felony for carrying his weapon onto a college campus, two misdemeanors for the church and public park—the same day. Later in the year, Melton took a guilty plea on the gun misdemeanors and plead no-contest on the felony. The terms of both his bond and his probation for the gun charges did not allow him to be around firearms, supervise children under 17, leave his home past midnight without 48 hours' prior permission from his probation officer, consume drugs or alcohol, or use police equipment in any way. Melton, Michael Recio and Marcus Wright were acquitted on all counts filed in the Ridgeway Street incident on April 26, 2007. The prosecution dropped the inducement of a minor charge during the trial.

Some civil-rights leaders defended Melton, including Charles Evers, older brother of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers, and Stephanie Parker-Weaver, daughter of the first openly known interracial couple in Jackson. Parker-Weaver helped lead a campaign to convince Jacksonians of Melton's innocence, including a rally at City Hall with signs stating "Vote Melton Not Guilty." He also drew support from many white conservatives in Jackson who appreciated his crime-fighting methods. Prominent businessman Leland Speed, and families of similar conservatives, provided much of Melton's financial support. Melton told some conservatives that he would take the city past race politics, and explained why he ran as a Democrat. "Most of you are Republican," he said. "The reality is, if you're an African American in Jackson, you have to run as a Democrat to win." He added: "I don't like either party." He later on stated he viewed Joseph Stalin, John F. Kennedy, and Mao Zedong as his political influences, which caused him more controversy and cost him support from conservatives.

Other African American leaders, including the president of the state NAACP, Derrick Johnson, and the director of the ACLU of Mississippi, Nsombi Lambright, called for justice for the victims of Melton's unorthodox and illegal crime-fighting strategies. They said he was profiling poor blacks in the city. Those groups are leading an effort to start a civilian review board, in part in response to Melton's methods.

Melton was a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition, an organization formed in 2006 and co-chaired by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston mayor Thomas Menino.

On November 16, 2007, Mayor Melton appointed Hinds County Sheriff Malcolm McMillin as Jackson's new police chief, after reassigning the police chief Shirlene Anderson to a new post within his administration. Sheriff McMillin decided to keep his post as Hinds County Sheriff in addition to acting as the chief of the Jackson Police Department, becoming the first person in Mississippi's history to serve as both County Sheriff and City Police Chief. After reviewing the applicable state laws and ethics rules, counsel determined the Sheriff could head both agencies legally and be compensated from both. He was confirmed by the Jackson City Council on a 4-2 vote. In securing McMillin as Police Chief, Mayor Melton promised not to interfere in the operations of the police department and to remain focused on other mayoral duties.

Controversies and criminal proceedings

July 19, 2006 - Jackson Mayor Frank Melton received criticism from advocates for the homeless when he used the city's emergency order to enforce a 10 p.m. curfew for the city's homeless population. According to Michael Stoops, executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless in Washington, the curfew is the first of its kind in the nation. He also said that it effectively amounts to a modern Jim Crow law.

July 26, 2006 - Frank Melton raises security concerns with US House of Representative, and senior Homeland Security Committee Democrat, Bennie Thompson (MS) when Melton applied for, and was issued, a United States Capitol Police badge and identification card. The card allowed Melton, armed, to bypass security in Federal Buildings, congressional offices and Congress. Wilson Livingood, sergeant-at-arms for the U. S. House, stated in the report to Thompson dated Aug. 17 that Melton showed a Jackson Police Department credential to Capitol police.

August 26, 2006 - See above for Ridgeway incident.

Nov. 15, 2006 - Melton pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors for carrying a weapon into a church and a park, and no contest to a reduced charge on what had been a felony count involving a gun onto the grounds of the Mississippi College School of Law.

March 1, 2007 - Judge Tomie Green issued a warrant for the arrest of Frank Melton. The warrant was issued on the basis of probation violation because Melton resumed going on midnight club raids, while wearing an unofficial badge, among other possible violations.

March 7, 2007 - Frank Melton left the hospital in the early morning and returned home without alerting the Sheriff's Department. After his ankle bracelet alerted his probation officer that he was back at home, the sheriff called and told Melton to turn himself in to Hinds County authorities, where he was put into the medical ward of the jail.

March 8, 2007 - The Mississippi Supreme Court vacated the arrest warrant for Frank Melton, and asked that Hinds County Circuit Judge Tomie Green be recused without explaining the reasons for either decision.

April 24, 2007 - Frank Melton goes on trial for felony charges stemming September 15, 2006 demolition of a house on Ridgeway Street.

April 26, 2007 - Frank Melton is found not guilty on all counts.

February 2, 2009 - Melton's federal civil rights trial for demolishing the Ridgeway house began.

February 24, 2009 - Melton's federal civil rights trial ended in a mistrial when jurors notified the judge that they could not arrive at a verdict. The case was scheduled to be retried on May 11.

Mayoral re-election bid

Melton filed to run for re-election for the 2009 election. However, on March 17, 2009, the Jackson Democratic Municipal Executive Committee disqualified Melton in a unanimous vote because Melton did not meet the city's residency requirements. He did not file homestead exemption on his home in Jackson but on his home in Tyler, Texas, where his wife Ellen lives. The unanimous vote took Melton's name off the ballot for the May 5, 2009 primary.

Melton filed a lawsuit against the Jackson Democratic Municipal Executive Committee to have his name returned to the ballot. On March 26, 2009, Jones County Circuit Court Judge Billy Joe Landrum ordered Melton restored as a Democratic mayoral candidate. Landrum said Melton "overwhelmingly rebutted" the charge by showing documents with his Jackson home address, including his Mississippi driver's license, utility bills and voting records.

On May 5, 2009, Melton lost his bid for re-election, coming in third in the vote totals.

Death

On election night, Melton was rushed to the hospital. He had suffered a cardiac arrest at his Jackson home. He died shortly after midnight on Thursday, May 7, 2009, less than two days after losing the election. His wife, Dr. Ellen Melton, was at his side. He died at St. Dominic Jackson Memorial Hospital in Jackson, MS.

#03/19 #05/07

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daisyfasarmer · 7 years

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Ratings Change: Franken’s Minnesota Seat Starts as Likely for Democrats

Sen. Al Franken’s resignation puts another Democratic seat into the 2018 mix, but it’s still unclear whether his departure provides Republicans with a legitimate takeover opportunity.

If Republicans have their hearts set on picking off Franken’s old seat, they’ll be running against the partisan lean of Minnesota and history.

Over the last 70 years, there have been 27 times when both of a state’s Senate seats were up for election. In 24 of those instances (89 percent of the time), one party won both seats.

View Article at Inside Elections

http://ift.tt/2AYEyWD

#Ratings Change: Franken’s Minnesota Seat Starts as Likely for Democrats

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