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How appropriate that the swearing in of America’s first African-American president happens the day after Martin Luther King Jr. Day. King would no doubt be pleased to see this fruit of his labor. Certainly he envisioned a time when his nation might look beyond one’s race or gender in an election, and many Americans did just that in electing ... [Full Story »] 

Score one for the video poker industry. Less than a month after Commerce approved an ordinance aimed at controlling pool halls and game rooms, the city finds itself backing down sharply. City Manager Clarence Bryant told the city council at Monday night’s work session that an Atlanta firm representing the video gaming industry fired off two ... [Full Story »] 

Four years ago, when Pat Bell assumed office as chairman of the Jackson County Board of Commissioners, her priority was fiscal accountability. By and large she (and her fellow commissioners) achieved that. Her successor, Hunter Bicknell, would be wise to follow suit. Bell entered office at a time when the economy was strong and tax revenue was ... [Full Story »] 

An employee of the Tobacco Outlet, South Elm Street, was arrested Dec. 30 for selling alcohol to a minor. Commerce police, along with a confidential informant and personnel of the Department of Revenue, went to 11 stores that sell alcohol by the package. Only at the Tobacco Outlet did the underage informant succeed. There, the police report ... [Full Story »] 

By Willis Cook A new movie was released in December: “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” starring Keanu Reeves. The story is about an alien (Reeves) who comes to earth to warn humans that we are too pugnacious, violent and dangerous to be allowed to live and unless we reform, somebody is going to pull the plug. As a publicity gimmick, when the ... [Full Story »] 

The Commerce Police Department is looking for a black male suspect in the 2 a.m. armed robbery of a woman New Year’s Day. According to the incident report, the victim, a 30-year-old white female, said she was in the vicinity of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and East Cordes Place — an area known for drug sales — “looking for her ... [Full Story »]