Community leaders in Clarksdale, where Ryan Coogler’s hit film “Sinners” was set but not filmed Jordan and the rest of the cast and crew to visit the grounds where the Jim Crow era vampire movie takes place “We are extending an open invitation to you and the creative team behind ‘Sinners’ to visit Clarksdale to walk the streets your vision reimagined to meet the people whose real stories echo through every frame breathing legacy that inspired your work and the people who are sustaining and reimagining its future,” local activist Tyler Yarbough wrote to Coogler on behalf of the Clarksdale community the movie was a box office success for millions of viewers worldwide But for it to be a success to all the people who played a role in it making it to the big screen – including the thousands of people who call Clarksdale home and represent chapters of Mississippi’s past and future – a public screening of “Sinners” with the cast and crew involved could be held in Clarksdale your film captures the soul of this place: our history “…We would also be honored to collaborate with you to host a public screening and celebration here in Clarksdale and future that continue to define our city and to connect Mississippi creatives with your work.” in part based the film on the blues music and stories shared with him as a young boy Adding a supernatural element to the racially divided past the state dealt with in the 1930s and beyond the flick has sold out movie theaters in more populated parts of Mississippi many of the residents have not had the opportunity to see how the stories they know so well were represented on the big screen “Just as your uncle’s Blues Music and making this film lit a fire in you we believe a visit to Clarksdale from you could light an even bigger one for the next generation And we would be proud to welcome you back to where it all began,” the letter concluded Coogler had not publicly responded to the letter If he does take Yarbrough up on the offer to visit Clarksdale a full tour of the town is promised with stops including Red’s Juke Joint and Morgan Freeman’s Ground Zero Blues Club Sinners follows twin brothers Smoke and Stack as the duo returns to their Mississippi Delta hometown in 1932 to open a juke joint Their opening night shindig is met with unwelcome bloodthirsty guests and members of the Ku Klux Klan trying to crash the party Other members of the cast include Miles Caton Although the flick was filmed in Louisiana there was a physical connection to Mississippi at the end when Buddy Guy and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram appeared in the ending credits scene Guy is honored on the Mississippi Blues Trail and Ingram is a Clarksdale-born guitarist who helped with the film’s soundtrack Copyright 2025 SuperTalk Mississippi Media Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly SuperTalk Mississippi Media is Mississippi’s leader in news SuperTalk Mississippi Media covers every inch of the state Community leaders in a northwestern Mississippi city where Ryan Coogler's "Sinners" is based are petitioning for a public screening despite not having an operating movie theater The horror box office smash follows twin brothers Smoke and Stack in the 1930s as the duo returns to Clarksdale Chaos ensues when unwelcome bloodthirsty guests disrupt their shindig Although set in the small city, the movie was reportedly filmed in several locations in Louisiana. As Capital B News first reported local activist Tyler Yarbrough of Clarksdale had to travel 80 miles to see the film twice which the 26-year-old credited for capturing the essence of the Mississippi Delta which will serve as a creative arts community facility Don't let them in!: What to know about the vampire invitation featured in 'Sinners' We are waiting.'Yarbrough felt compelled to rally for Coogler and the "Sinners" cast to visit Clarksdale and collaborate on a public screening “There needs to be a coming home to these Black creators who are making these million-dollar films and being connected with our folks on the ground," he told Capital B News And I think not only is it important for the folks who live here Yarbrough welcomed the crew to stop by other staples including the "authentic" Red's Juke Joint and Ground Zero Blues Club During his press tour, Coogler revealed that "Sinners" was inspired by his late Uncle James, who taught him about blues music and tales about his life in Mississippi. It’s why the film doesn’t just entertain; it feels lived-in "Just as your uncle’s Blues Music and making this film lit a fire in you we believe a visit to Clarksdale from you could light an even bigger one for the next generation," the petition continued And we would be proud to welcome you back to where it all began." Clarksdale is about 155 miles northwest of Jackson Mississippi and about 80 miles southwest of Memphis USA TODAY reached out to Yarbrough and Coogler's team for comment Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY (Photo from Orlando Paden's campaign website) State Representative Orlando Paden won the Democratic Primary runoff on Tuesday in the race to be the next Mayor of Clarksdale Incumbent Mayor Chuck Espy did not seek re-election to a third term Paden finished second in the seven-person April 1 Democratic Primary with Bubba O’Keefe leading the field Paden has served in the Mississippi House of Representatives since 2016 representing House District 26 He is the Vice Chairman of the House Housing Committee and serves on the House committees on Accountability Voters will now decide who will be the next mayor of Clarksdale between Paden and Independent candidates Milton Gardner and Scotty Meredith in the June 3 General Election By joining our newsletter, you are confirming that you agree with the Privacy Policy inspired Ryan Coogler's "Sinners," but has no way of watching the box office smash due to having no open theater They're hoping a screening will change that A local from Clarksdale, Mississippi, has launched a petition to secure a screening of Sinners because the small predominantly Black town has no open theater to see the film they helped inspire Tyler Yarbrough drove nearly 80 miles—twice—to watch Sinners where public transportation is scarce and the median income hovers around $35,000 making a trip to see the film their town inspired isn’t a realistic option Yarbrough launched a petition to ask Ryan Coogler and the Sinners cast to host a screening for Clarksdale residents The open letter, addressed to “Mr and the extraordinary Sinners Cast and Crew,” sends an open invitation to visit Clarksdale to witness the legacy that inspired Sinners and host a public screening and celebration “We are extending an open invitation to you and the creative team behind Sinners to visit Clarksdale breathing legacy that inspired your work and the people who are sustaining and reimagining its future,” Yarbrough wrote He spotlighted several Black-owned arts and entertainment businesses he believes would make great stops on a local tour and shared his hope to collaborate with Coogler and the talented cast behind the film which has already grossed over $161 million worldwide at the box office “We would also be honored to collaborate with you to host a public screening and celebration here in Clarksdale,” Yarbrough wrote and future that continue to define our city and to connect Mississippi creatives with you and your work.” The petition has quickly gained traction it’s fewer than 2,600 signatures away from reaching its goal RELATED CONTENT: Ryan Coogler Sets The Record Straight On His Groundbreaking “Sinners” Deal As Box Office Success Grows (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=b9508bae-07bd-46ea-a7a2-5c4267ac7d86&cid=2b3b1cf8-11b9-409d-a906-ab6746c50467'; cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "b9508bae-07bd-46ea-a7a2-5c4267ac7d86" }).render("a20691935f1e407f839f80b59a31f5fe"); }); Residents of Clarksdale, Mississippi, where the film Sinners was set, are pushing for a local screening in the small town where there is no movie theater, Capital B reports Resident Tyler Yarbrough applauded Coogler for doing his homework and making the film authentically Mississippi Delta Yarbrough said he had to travel roughly 80 miles to see the film as there is no active movie theater in the small town where Sinners is set Yarbrough noted that there's limited public transportation in the area and many residents lack the financial resources to afford a car in Clarksdale a majority Black town that boasts a population of 14,000 and a median income of 35,000 Yarbrough started a petition to host a local screening of the film along with an invitation to Coogler and the creative team "to walk the streets your vision reimagined breathing legacy that inspired your work and the people who are sustaining and reimagining its future.” Over 1,000 people have signed the petition, which has garnered national attention an Academy Award-winning filmmaker and director an Academy Award winner for Best Production Design Yarbrough also hopes to hold a public forum with the Sinners team and other residents and farmers who are working to revitalize the Mississippi Delta “If you’re going to be talking about Mississippi bring some money to Mississippi," one community member said Yarbrough believes the possible screening and forum could be an opportunity for creatives to connect with the roots of the film “There needs to be a coming home to these Black creators who are making these million-dollar films and being connected with our folks on the ground,” he said The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live. vampire-horror film by now (which you should expeditiously) it takes place all the way back in 1932 in Clarksdale And while the film does a great job at depicting the small Mississippi Delta town and all it has to offer what you may not know is that the real-life modern-day citizens who live there won’t even be able to see the film—or at least not locally And the reason why is because Clarksdale doesn’t have a movie theater in town All three theaters that once used to be there have either closed or been turned into music venues or community use spaces the cast and creative team behind the film to come to Clarksdale His hope is that they can “walk the streets your [Coogler’s] vision reimagined The 26-year-old community activist is also pushing for Coogler and Jordan to host a public screening and celebration of the film right there in Clarksdale so residents can experience the full-circle moment “There needs to be a coming home to these Black creators who are making these million-dollar films and being connected with our folks on the ground the petition has received over 4,000 signatures and has been amplified by major Hollywood folks such as Oscar-winning director Matthew Cherry Oscar-winning production designer for “Black Panther and “Sinners” Hannah Beachler Passing this on...standby!!” she wrote in a post to X/Twitter Here’s hoping something can be done by the folks in Clarksdale rewritten or redistributed without permission https://www.pressregister.com/paden-sykes-earl-and-downing-tentatively-take-clarksdale-democratic-runoff Click here for additional copyright information about this article Local news coverage is critical for a strong and vibrant community local publications are dying because of monopolistic Big Tech Over 30% of all newspapers are expected to close within the next three years Help support local news by making a donation today You would be supporting a local institution founded upon principles of integrity and strong editorial standards and have roots embedded in our local community Realtime Radar Hourly Forecast 7-Day Forecast Based on data from National Weather Service and OpenWeather If you are an existing Print subscriber click HERE for your login info you can also easily register or login with an existing Google you can also easily use an existing Google User Help/Support Page Copyright floyd@pressregister.com © Copyright 2025 The Clarksdale Press Register, 123 Second Street - Clarksdale, MS 38614  | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy A Hinds County judge on Wednesday put a period on a short-lived case involving the city of Clarksdale leaders and the Clarksdale Press Register The city filed a petition for a temporary restraining order on Feb which Hinds County Chancellor Crystal Wise Martin granted Feb meaning no one from the newspaper was represented at the hearing Martin said the newspaper knew of the accusations and determined the newspaper acted inappropriately "After review of the verified Petition and Attorney Certification the Court finds that the Petition is well taken," Martin wrote in the order "The injury in this case is defamation against public figures through actual malice in reckless disregard of the truth and interferes with their legitimate function to advocate for legislation they believe would help their municipality during this current legislative cycle The Respondents are well aware of the accusations against them as they have already received a draft of the verified Petition and further notice is not needed until such hearing." Original story: Mississippi Delta newspaper ordered to remove editorial by judge, vows to fight said he found out about the restraining order through a friend so had no idea of the allegations and did not have a chance to respond The newspaper was forced by the restraining order to remove the editorial from its website but Emmerich said now that the restraining order petition was withdrawn and the case is closed explaining her actions from the week before "A TRO 'may be issued where "immediate and irreparable injury or damage will result" before such time as a [formal] hearing on the matter can be held," she wrote in her final order when all parties could argue their positions Martin said in her ruling that she dismissed the case with prejudice as requested by the city of Clarksdale but that she is still prepared to address the matter further means the city cannot reopen the case nor bring a new lawsuit on the same matter and willing to adjudicate the matter herein on the merits," Martin wrote She then ordered the petition to be dismissed and the case closed Updated action: Clarksdale MS withdraws defamation lawsuit over Clarksdale Press Register editorial The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting First Amendment rights has been a vocal supporter of the Clarksdale newspaper and what it believes was an attack on the freedom of the press The group will continue to monitor the situation despite the removal of the restraining order "While we are relieved the city has voted to drop its vindictive lawsuit it doesn’t unring this bell," FIRE attorney David Rubin said in a news release "The Press Register is exploring its options to ensure that the city refrains from blatantly unconstitutional censorship in the future." https://www.pressregister.com/clarksdale-democratic-runoff-election-today A couple of outgoing mayoral posts will soon be filled in the Mississippi Delta voters were able to narrow the field of candidates the electorate took to the polls to vote for a leader to take the place of current mayor Chuck Espy In the crowded Democratic primary consisting of seven office-seekers According to the Clarksdale Press Register O’Keefe earned a little over 26% of the vote The runoff election will be held on Tuesday Whoever is elected to represent the Democratic Party will face independent challengers Milton Gardner and Scotty Meredith in the general election on Tuesday After choosing not to seek reelection, Cleveland Mayor Billy Nowell left big shoes to fill in the college town. Voters in the Delta city made it clear that they wanted former alderman and police chairman Paul Janoush to occupy the mayor’s seat. Per the Bolivar Bullet taking down challenger Adriann Steen-Brown No Republican or independent candidates tossed their hat in the ring making Janoush the next top city official in Cleveland Read More it’s getting major love from some major stars And his latest move—and what he’s telling people to do is just further proof of that Read More Jordan got in the mood for his roles — specifically the intimate ones with his love interests Read More Read More Pictures) (Getty Images)“Sinners” is one of the earliest blockbusters of 2025 The fifth collaboration between director Ryan Coogler and actor Michael B Jordan is also their most ambitious yet as the ladder plays a pair of twin brothers who battle supernatural forces while opening up a new juke joint in Jim Crow era Mississippi see five spoiler-free reasons why you should see the movie (and don’t leave until the screen is completely Black) Read More That means writer/director Ryan Coogler will get the chance few Black filmmakers get: the opportunity to create an extended cinematic universe Read More Read More Read More Jordan’s character is seen wearing in the film Read More Read More A Mississippi judge issued a temporary restraining order Tuesday requiring the Clarksdale Press Register to remove an editorial from its website The ruling was sparked by the city of Clarksdale who sued the newspaper saying the critical opinion piece was libel deception erode public trust,” lambasted Clarksdale city officials for failing to notify the news media before holding a special meeting in early February where a tax resolution on alcohol “This newspaper was never notified,” the article read “We know of no other media organization that was notified.”   Beyond remanding officials for neglecting to notify the media about the meeting the piece went on to question the motivation behind the resolution and whether commissioners or the mayor received a “kickback” or if they used the measure as an excuse to spend “a few nights in Jackson to lobby for this idea – at public expense.”  five days after the editorial was published the Clarksdale Board of Mayor and Commissioners voted to sue the newspaper for libel The board noted that a public notice was created for the meeting but the city clerk forgot to email a copy to Floyd Ingram the editor and publisher of the Clarksdale Press Register The lawsuit from the city asserts lobbying efforts for the tax proposal to the state legislature were hindered by the “libelous assertions and statements” made by Ingram in the editorial Hinds County Chancery Court Judge Crystal Wise Martin ruled in favor of the city’s request for a temporary restraining order requiring the newspaper to take the editorial down “The injury in this case is defamation against public figures through actual malice in reckless disregard of the truth and interferes with their legitimate function to advocate for legislation they believe would help their municipality during this current legislative cycle,” Martin wrote in the ruling said in an interview that he will challenge the judge’s order at a hearing next week Emmerich said the editorial was straightforward criticism of the city council not appropriately giving notice about the special meeting “I’ve been in this business for five decades and I’ve never seen anything quite like this,” Mr He also said the editorial was clearly free speech protected under the First Amendment of the U.S Chuck Espy, the Democratic mayor of Clarksdale, told The New York Times that the opinion piece was filled with “malicious lies.” “The only thing we’re asking for in city government is to simply write the truth “And I’m very thankful that the judge agreed to impose a T.R.O against a rogue newspaper that insisted on telling lies against the municipality.”  The court battle is the latest in what has become a longstanding conflict between the Press Register and Clarksdale city officials. In 2023, Emmerich accused Mayor Espy of offering him $30,000 to fire his publisher Floyd Ingram he’s on a jihad to get rid of a very competent publisher in Clarksdale and even personally offered to pay me $30,000 if I would fire him,” Emmerich said in March of 2023 “I don’t think that’s ever happened to me in my 35 years as president of Emmerich Newspapers.” The judge’s ruling sparked a dust storm of criticism from press advocates in Mississippi and nationwide a First Amendment lawyer for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression blasted the lawsuit and restraining order with a public statement on Thursday:  Clarksdale asked a court to order a local newspaper to remove an editorial asking why the city was not being more transparent about a proposed tax increase a court ordered the Clarksdale Press Register to delete the online editorial the government can’t determine what opinions may be shared in the public square A free society does not permit governments to sue newspapers for publishing editorials FIRE is exploring all options to aid the Press Register in defending these core expressive rights.” The National Press Club also took to social media to condemn the lawsuit and ruling: WASHINGTON, February 20 – National Press Club President @MikeBalsamo1 today issued the following statement after a judge ordered a Mississippi newspaper, The @Press_Register to delete an editorial that criticized government officials — National Press Club (@PressClubDC) February 20, 2025 The Mississippi Press Association also took exception to the ruling “We fully support the rights of the Clarksdale Press Register and all of our members to report on the business of local government and to offer editorial comment on their opinion pages,” MPA President George R “We support the Clarksdale newspaper’s efforts to seek relief in this case and to have a terrible decision reversed.” Arguments from both sides will be heard by a judge during a court hearing scheduled for Feb https://www.pressregister.com/final-election-numbers-released-clarksdale-mayor-and-commissioner-races Just days after the city of Clarksdale was granted a temporary restraining order against the Clarksdale Press Register for publishing an editorial that city leaders called defamatory The Clarksdale Press Register wrote an editorial saying city officials did not notify the media of a special-called meeting held Feb The editorial also criticized city leaders for some of their decisions which is what led to the filing of the petition filed a voluntary dismissal with prejudice of the restraining order Blackmon deferred all comments to city attorney Melvin Miller who was not available by phone and did not return a call seeking comment for this story Attorney David Dunbar on behalf of the Clarksdale Press Register Publisher Floyd Ingram and Emmerich Newspapers responded to the notice of dismissal acknowledging the restraining order and motion to dismiss the case "Our understanding is that pursuant to Mississippi Rule of Civil Procedure 41(a)(1) the City's suit has been dismissed without further action," Dunbar wrote Hinds County Chancellor Crystal Wise Martin initially granted the temporary restraining order based solely on the city's claims without hearing a response from the newspaper owner of the Clarksdale paper's parent company said he believes the city changed its mind because of the attention it received from national media He said now that the city has changed its position the paper will restore the editorial's online version Lici Beveridge is a reporter for the Hattiesburg American and Clarion Ledger Follow her on X  @licibev or Facebook at facebook.com/ licibeveridge This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page In a wide-open race to replace current Clarksdale mayor Chuck Espy Orlando Paden is now the favorite to become the city’s newest mayor after winning a Democratic primary runoff over Bubba O’Keefe Tuesday A jam-packed field of seven candidates was dwindled to Paden and O’Keefe after the pair garnered the most votes in the April 1 election O’Keefe earned the most of the initial vote (26%) while Paden was a close second by a margin of just over one point garnering 57.6% (1,728 votes) to O’Keefe’s 42.4% (1,271 votes) RELATED: Horhn unseats Lumumba in Democratic primary for Jackson mayor has run a campaign centered around improving public safety He also boasted playing a hand in bringing state money to the area via his position in the House of Representatives such as helping secure a $2 million increase in funding for Clarksdale Public Schools in fiscal year 2025 $7 million for dorm improvements at Coahoma Community College “Together, we can build a thriving community where our economy is strong, our neighborhoods are safe and clean, our youth have a voice, and our culture is celebrated,” Paden said on his campaign website ahead of the election “I ask for your trust and support as I step forward to serve you in a greater capacity O’Keefe made a call for unity in the Delta city but we came out victoriously,” O’Keefe said on social media Wednesday “We got the message out and it was and still is this: that Clarksdale can be a better place and we can come together – black and white Paden will now face two independent challengers https://www.pressregister.com/shooting-pecan-street-leaves-clarksdale-woman-dead-three-arrested A newspaper in the Mississippi Delta was ordered to take down an editorial that criticized public officials for an alleged violation of the state's Open Meetings Act The Clarksdale Press Register wrote an editorial saying city officials did not notify the media of a special-called meeting held Feb The petition for a temporary restraining order says the comments made in the editorial were defamatory an attorney with the nonprofit Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression disagrees “The city of Clarksdale, Mississippi, thinks it knows better than the Founders," FIRE attorney Adam Steinbaugh said in a statement "Clarksdale has asked a court to order a local newspaper to remove an editorial asking why the city was not being more transparent about a proposed tax increase a court has ordered the "Clarksdale Press Register" to delete the online editorial “The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) is exploring all options to aid the Press Register in defending these core expressive rights.” Lawsuits are typically filed in the county in which the incident occurred where the newspaper's parent company is located Per state law, notices announcing special-called meetings are required to be posted at the public entity's regular meeting place in a location visible to the public at least an hour before the meeting The statute also says notices must be published on the entity's website if it has the capability at least one hour before the meeting begins Notice to the Press Register never happened and by the admission of city clerk Laketha Covington who according to the petition "forgot to e-mail a copy of the notice to Mr The editorial questioned the city commissioners' motives in seeking a 2% "sin tax" on marijuana cigarettes and alcohol "to get more revenue into the city especially to take care of police and fire," according to the videotaped meeting shared on Facebook the resolution also said revenue from the tax would fund economic development "The money — our money — can now be spent to 'support and promote public safety crime prevention and continued economic growth in the city,'" the editorial said chamber of commerce and their pet projects toy giveaways at Christmas and hosting events where politicians can hand out goody bags to voters?" The meeting in question lasted approximately 2½ minutes. The city commissioners voted unanimously to send a resolution seeking approval for the tax to the Legislature where 60% of those voting must support the measure before the tax can be levied Chancellor Crystal Wise Martin sided with the city and issued the TRO without hearing a defense from the newspaper said neither he nor the paper were ever served with a notice of the petition and were unaware until a friend told him about it "I've been in this business 50 years and I've never seen a situation where an editorial was the recipient of a temporary restraining order," Emmerich said "It's kinda weird because it published last week It's kind of nonsensical that you would issue a temporary restraining order on an article that was published a week ago I don't think there's a lot of rhyme or reason for what you're doing here." Clarksdale officials accused Publisher Floyd Ingram of publishing libelous statements in the editorial leading their networking with state lawmakers to gain support for the tax "to have been chilled and hindered due to the libelous assertions and statements by Mr While publishing false information about an individual may be construed as defamation and libel Supreme Court ruled in 1964 that public figures have a higher bar set for determining whether libel has occurred in that they must prove malicious intent on the part of the newspaper The petition claims that "Within the context of his title Ingram also strongly stated or implied the reason he did not receive notice to the Feb 2025 meeting was because the Board and its members received 'kick-back,' 'just want a few nights in Jackson to lobby for this idea - at public expense,' 'give away candy at Halloween toy giveaways at Christmas and hosting events where politicians can hand out goody bags to voters,' and made the community 'suspicious." the editorial took a different approach and questioned whether that was a possibility "Have commissioners or the mayor gotten kick-back from the community Maybe they just want a few nights in Jackson to lobby for this idea - at public expense," is what was written in the editorial Newspaper editorials are opinions written from the perspective of the newspaper staff The editorial also said by failing to notify the media ahead of the meeting officials needlessly created an air of distrust especially since the newspaper agreed that the city needed to boost its police force It said the newspaper staff became suspicious "Our Clarksdale Board of Mayor and Commissioners have stumped their toe on this one let their focus drift and made us suspicious," the paper concluded The editorial was removed from the website but Emmerich said the paper is determined to fight it "Small local news outlets are barely making it financially and so when you have an entity like the mayor and the city council which have financial resources through taxation and they start dragging these little newspapers into court you can shut a newspaper down," Emmerich said Clarksdale officials touted the ruling as a victory “The City of Clarksdale won today,” Mayor Chuck Espy said in a Facebook post “The judge ruled in our favor that a newspaper cannot tell a malicious lie and not be held liable.” order placing a prior restraint on The Clarksdale Press Register and requiring the newspaper to remove an editorial about the city of Clarksdale An order requiring The Clarksdale Press Register to remove an editorial from its website and other online portals was lifted on Feb more than a week after the prior restraint was authorized by a judge in Jackson The publishing gag was initially granted by Chancery Court Judge Crystal Wise Martin after the city of Clarksdale filed a lawsuit Feb. 14 arguing that the editorial, headlined “Secrecy, deception erode public trust” — pulled from the site but republished Feb. 27 — was defamatory During a board meeting on Feb city commissioners voted to voluntarily dismiss the lawsuit against the Press Register asserting that they had reached a compromise with the newspaper’s owner “I am very thankful that this matter is now resolved due to the efforts of the owner of The Clarksdale Press Register and the city of Clarksdale,” Mayor Chuck Espy said “I am thankful to the owner of the paper for meeting the city halfway with having clarifying language that clearly clarifies Clarksdale’s position the Clarksdale Press Register’s position.” told the Tracker that he had not communicated with city leadership since they filed their suit and that the offer to clarify the article was made before the lawsuit was filed The city filed its motion to dismiss the case with the court Feb 24 and Wise Martin lifted her order two days later according to court filings reviewed by the U.S and willing” to rule on the merits of the case Emmerich told the Tracker he believes the city was influenced by the “tsunami of support” the newspaper received in the wake of the order particularly from First Amendment advocates “I think with the overwhelming support throughout the nation and the adverse publicity they realized they had made a big mistake and so they changed their mind,” Emmerich said “I warned them that this was going to happen and embarrass the city and them The Clarksdale Press Register was ordered to remove an editorial from its website and other online portals on Feb The editorial, headlined “Secrecy, deception erode public trust” — pulled from the site but archived here — was published on Feb and detailed how the mayor’s office had failed to properly notify the public of a special meeting held four days prior “Mayor Chuck Espy has always touted how ‘open’ and ‘transparent’ he is and he is ‘not like previous administrations of the past 30 years,’” the editorial said While notice of the meeting was posted on the door of City Hall We know of no other media organization that was notified.” In an affidavit, the city clerk admitted that she had not emailed the media a notice announcing the meeting, as required by state law publisher and editor of the Press Register approached her after the meeting to ask about its subject and she said that she gave him a copy of the notice a resolution passed during the meeting and other materials Chancery Court Judge Crystal Wise Martin granted the city’s motion for a temporary restraining order without allowing the newspaper to argue against it ruling that the Press Register must unpublish the article “The injury in this case is defamation against public figures through actual malice in reckless disregard of the truth,” Wise Martin wrote in her order “and interferes with their legitimate function to advocate for legislation they believe would help their municipality during this current legislative cycle.” The city praised the ruling in a post to its official Facebook page “The judge ruled in our favor that a newspaper cannot tell a malicious lie and not be held liable,” Mayor Espy said just let it be the truth; be it good or bad.” City Attorney Melvin Miller II added: “The City touts this as a victory for truth Not even newspapers can imply lies against City officials conducting city business and get away with it.” director of advocacy at Freedom of the Press Foundation said in a statement that an order compelling a newspaper to take down an editorial critical of the government was blatantly unconstitutional “The underlying lawsuit here appears frivolous for any number of reasons,” Stern said “But even in constitutionally permissible defamation lawsuits it’s been well-established law for decades that the remedy for plaintiffs is monetary damages Adam Steinbaugh, a First Amendment lawyer at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, also noted that the Supreme Court ruled in New York Times v Sullivan that governments can’t sue for libel The editorial was removed from the Press Register website on the morning of Feb The newspaper did not respond to requests for comment A full hearing on granting a permanent injunction is scheduled for Feb The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker catalogues press freedom violations in the United States. Email tips to [email protected] Using U.S. Press Freedom Tracker incidents or number counts in an article or paper? We’re happy to answer questions about methodology and guide you through the database so you get the most accurate information for your needs. Email: [email protected] U.S. Press Freedom Tracker is led by the Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF). The Tracker is an open source database with a downloadable API. All other original content is licensed under a Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution International License Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker A Mississippi judge on Wednesday vacated her order that a newspaper remove its editorial criticizing local officials, days after a city decided to drop the lawsuit that spurred it The judge’s order had been widely condemned by free speech advocates as a clear violation of the paper’s First Amendment rights Chancery Judge Crystal Wise Martin had issued the restraining order against the Clarksdale Press Register last week telling it to remove from its website a Feb Deception Erode Public Trust.” The piece criticized the city for not sending the newspaper notice about a meeting the board held regarding a proposed tax on alcohol The board of commissioners dropped the suit Monday at the request of Mayor Chuck Espy who cited an offer from the paper’s owner to run a clarification Emmerich Newspapers president Wyatt Emmerich said he made that offer before the city filed its lawsuit and that it was no longer on the table Emmerich had offered to clarify that the council said the lack of notification wasn’t a deliberate attempt to hide the meeting according to a text message Emmerich sent to the city attorney The text also offered to clarify that a sentence questioning whether there was “kick-back from the community” should have said “push back.” The city’s lawsuit called the editorial libelous and said it “chilled and hindered” the city’s efforts to lobby for the tax with state legislators The newspaper and other critics of the ruling said the order was a clear example of prior restraint in violation of the First Amendment The order drew widespread criticism from press groups and free speech advocates around the country including the National Press Club and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression had agreed to represent the newspaper in court a ribbon cutting ceremony was held signaling the opening of an IRS Call Center located in downtown Clarksdale The new Call Center is a part of the agency’s “Lifting Communities Up” (LCU) initiative created in 2022 to generate a more diverse workforce provide long-term federal employment opportunities and economic growth in communities outside Washington The Call Center will field calls from the public and will house approximately sixty employees.  The Lifting Communities Up initiative was developed to help rebuild underserved communities by creating IRS job opportunities through taxpayer services This effort in Mississippi is designed to build economic development in the community This past August,  IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel travelled to Clarksdale to inspect the project under construction.   “Since we began the pilot program in 2022 under former Commissioner Chuck Rettig we’ve been working to cultivate new opportunities in underserved communities by recruiting and retaining a workforce that is reflective of the diversity in the Delta region,” says Werfel “Together with our federal and local partners reflect our commitment to supporting diverse communities and helping to connect with taxpayers I am proud to say that we are making a difference in the Delta region.”  “We are grateful to Commissioner Werfel and the entire IRS team for their commitment to creating this project and these jobs which will have such a powerful economic impact in Clarksdale and Coahoma County,” says Jon Levingston Executive Director of the Crossroads Economic Partnership.    Stay updated by following Coahoma Community College on social media premium content - for subscribers onlyClick to subscribe https://www.pressregister.com/clarksdale-reports-21st-homicide-2024 Clarksdale celebrates more than the blues with a host of holiday happenings hosts its Christmas parade with several lights “Clarksdale is a wonderful place to visit for music fans especially for fans of the blues and the genres that it gave birth to like rock ’n’ roll,” said music writer Kevin Wierzbicki who has spent many hours listening to Mississippi legends throughout the Delta." Visitors to Clarksdale may stand at the “Crossroads” sign where DeSoto Avenue and State Street intersect (Highways 49 and 61) and visit the town’s many juke joints to listen to modern blues musicians perform nightly “a visit to the Ground Zero Blues Club for some live music may even result in a sighting of club co-owner and movie star Morgan Freeman.” includes unique accommodations such as The Shack Up Inn with its restored sharecropper cabins moved to the property that was once the Hopson Plantation a young and struggling Mississippi native who longed to master the blues guitar stood at the crossroads outside Clarksdale and made a deal with the devil that turned his life starward For though Robert Johnson has been named a master of the Delta blues style — a later influence on many blues and rock 'n' roll musicians from Eric Clapton to The Rolling Stones — his recording career lasted a mere seven months Johnson died mysteriously outside Greenwood Whether people buy into the Johnson story or not visitors to Clarksdale may stand at the “Crossroads” sign where DeSoto Avenue and State Street intersect (Highways 49 and 61) and visit the town’s many juke joints to listen to modern blues musicians perform nightly The Mississippi Delta town is a music lover’s paradise who has spent many hours listening to Mississippi legends throughout the Delta The Delta Blues Museum, which has been around for 45 years, contains hundreds of relics. Visitors can see the remains of blues singer Muddy Waters’ cabin — the place where Mud lived when he worked at Stovall Farms as a sharecropper and tractor driver Come for the blues that accompanies Clarksdale deep in the heart of the Mississippi Delta but don’t miss all this small town has to offer including special events this holiday season Lodging includes unique accommodations such as The Lofts at the Five and Dime modern condos in Clarksdale’s former Woodworth building and The Shack Up Inn with its restored sharecropper cabins moved to the property that was once the Hopson Plantation There are several great restaurants in Clarksdale that range from Abe’s BBQ at the Crossroads to fine dining plus culinary flavors in between such as Stone Pony Pizza and Meraki Roasting Company coffee shop which helps support local youth but it’s easy to find the right gift for the music lover on your list visitors can check out Cat Head Delta Blues and Folk Art where a wealth of blues music and associated memorabilia is for sale and where blues maven and author Roger Stolle is happy to share his knowledge,” Wierzbicki said It’s easy to see why Southern Living named Clarksdale one of the Best Small Towns in Mississippi for 2024 This time of year, Clarksdale celebrates more than the blues with a host of holiday happenings. On New Years, the Crossroads features live music on New Year’s Eve at various venues throughout the city. For more information on holiday events, visit christmasinclarksdale.com The 15th annual Clarksdale Film Festival and Music Festival will be Jan 24-26 at various venues throughout downtown Clarksdale The Tater Superbad Blues Festival will be Saturday with its dozen day stages and 20-plus night venues hosting 100-plus blues acts The Cat Head Mini Blues Festival follows April 13 Ground Zero Blues Club celebrates its anniversary with a weekend of music May 23-24 365 days a year,” said Sue Griffin of Visit Clarksdale “Our website’s music calendar updates every Wednesday and our events/festival listing offers links to event websites.” For more information, visit www.visitclarksdale.com News Tips:newstips@theadvocate.com Other questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.com Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInCLARKSDALE (WMC) - One person is dead and three others were rushed across state lines for treatment after an overnight shooting in Clarksdale Clarksdale police officers responded to reports of shots fired in the 1400 block of Choctaw Street at 9:40 p.m City officials say 31-year-old Howard Harris was dead upon arrival Three other victims were sent to a Memphis hospital for treatment Click here to sign up for our newsletter Click here to report a spelling or grammar error https://www.pressregister.com/clarksdales-pete-johnson-passes-away-monday-afternoon (WMC) - Police in Clarksdale are investigating a fatal shooting that happened Monday evening An officer spotted a vehicle speeding with flashing lights just after 9:30 p.m The driver of that vehicle drove to the hospital Officers determined the shooting happened at a home on Home Street A masked man entered the home to burglarize it The suspected burglar fired at least two shots The homeowner suffered injuries that are not life-threatening https://www.pressregister.com/snow-blankets-clarksdale-most-roads-and-streets-clearing-quickly https://www.pressregister.com/clarksdale-policeman-terminated-because-duty-accident