Monthly Archives: August 2011

Photo by James Cridland (Flickr Creative Commons License)

Here’s a program for those who already have tight household budgets. Let’s be honest, not having internet access at home today is equivalent to not having a set of Britannica or Encarta encyclopedias in the 1990s. You can get by without it, but it can cause frequent inconveniences when you need to look something up. That’s where Comcast comes in.

Comcast recently announced that it would offer a new service called Internet Essentials. Qualified customers can get internet access in their home for $9.95 per month AND can opt to by a new computer for only $149.99 (plus tax) during enrollment. Those who sign up for the offer will never experience a price increase for the service and they don’t have to pay any activation or rental fees for equipment. To qualify, your household must be located within Comcast’s service area with at least one child receiving free school lunches through the National School Lunch Program. You also cannot have an overdue Comcast bill or unreturned equipment and you can not have been a subscriber to Comcast’s Internet service for the past 90 days.

If you qualify and are worried that you won’t know how to use the equipment, no worries. You can get free internet training online, in print, or in person. And if you’re worried about your computer getting viruses or your children venturing to sites that aren’t appropriate, you’ll get parental controls and Norton Security Suite at no additional charge.

Comcast estimates that there are 2.5-3 million people within their service area who qualify for the program, so if you know of someone who may be eligible–spread the word. Their kids can be learning so much more after school in the comfort of their own home.

Photo by Edsel Little of Flickr (Creative Commons License)

Updated: Corrected operating hours for Friday and Saturday.

You can never have too many dining options, right? Well, welcome West Jackson’s newest restaurant–Sweet Ida’s. Located across from JSU’s baseball field on John R. Lynch Street, the restaurant offers fare that’ll bring comfort to your hungry soul.

Sweet Ida’s kicks the day off with breakfast from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. At that time, you can choose from three platters named after the family. For example, if you wake up with a sweet tooth, then grab $4.50 and try Pappa Toe’s Breakfast. You’ll get three pancakes or two waffles, two eggs, and your choice of meat (2 strips of bacon, 1 sausage patty, or 1 turkey patty). And if you’re not quite sure if a a platter is your cup of tea, then choose from the cinnamon rolls, sausage and buscuit, grits, coffee and other items that line their menu.

You can also go for the Chicken and Waffles or Fish and Grits–both of which are served all day.

Breakfast will eventually wear off, and your stomach will call a meeting for lunch. When that happens, Sweet Ida’s has you covered with $6 daily lunch specials. Here’s what you can expect:

Monday – Red Beans and Rice (with sausage, corn on cob [or side salad], and a corn bread muffin)

Tuesday – Meatloaf (with mashed potatos, english peas, and a roll)

Wednesday – Fried Chicken (2 pcs white or dark meat, mac n cheese, green beans and a roll)

Thursday – Spaghetti & Meat Sauce (with a tossed salad and a toasted bun)

Friday – Whiting fillets (2 pieces, fries, cole slaw, and hush puppies)

If you’re not in the mood for one of the specials (or if you swing by on a Saturday), Sweet Ida’s offers 1/4-pound burgers, ribs, catfish, whiting, and chicken wings. Add a side of baked beans, cole slaw, corn on the cob, tossed salad, or sweet potato fries, and you’ll have a soul that’s comforted like no other.

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Sweet Ida’s

932-B John R. Lynch Street (across from JSU Baseball fields)

Jackson, Mississippi 39203

(601) 376-9432

http://www.sweet-idas.com

Hours (subject to change)

Monday-Thursday: 6 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Friday-Saturday: 6 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Sunday: Closed

Also, be sure to check them out on Facebook.

Dear friends and family of West Jackson. We’ve missed you, and being that it’s been a couple of weeks since our last post, we’re sure that you’ve missed us.You can blame Curnis for the short break since he decided to take a vacation to play in the sand at Gulf Shores.  But never fear. He’s back, rested up, and he’ll be posting some more West Jackson goodness to the blog in very short order. Here are a few pictures from his trip.

P.S. You may notice that this is being posted under Curnis’s (my) name. The third-person narrative is intended for dramatic purposes only.

All photos edited with Instagram.