Stories for April 2019

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Tuesday, April 30

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April 18 Mississippi Tornado Count Now at 44, Ties Record

The National Weather service is now confirming 44 tornadoes in Mississippi from the April 18 outbreak, tying the record for a single event.

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Jake Mangum

Sports fans would be hard-pressed to find many college baseball players who enjoyed a week as good as Mississippi State University outfielder Jake Mangum.

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GOP Rep: Mississippi Needs Hate Crimes Law for LGBT, Disabled People

A Mississippi Republican is calling on her colleagues to support an update to the state's hate-crime laws in the wake of two recent attacks that she believes anti-gay prejudice may have motivated.

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Trump Sues Banks to Try to Block House Subpoenas for Records

President Donald Trump, his family and the Trump Organization filed a lawsuit against Deutsche Bank and Capital One in an attempt to block congressional subpoenas seeking their banking and financial records.

Monday, April 29

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Shiro Opens, Roderick Red Named to Top 50 Under 40 and Canopy Children's Mental Health Summit

Jackson resident Samuel "Sam" Tilahun partnered with Yosef Ali, owner of Aladdin Mediterranean Grill in Fondren, to open an Ethiopian restaurant called Shiro Cafe & Restaurant in downtown Jackson on Monday, April 22.

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Mississippi Flag Ordered Out of Park Near Statue of Liberty

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday ordered that the Mississippi flag, which carries a Confederate emblem, be replaced by the American flag at a state park that overlooks the Statue of Liberty.

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Felecia Nave

It was a warm homecoming for Felecia M. Nave, unanimously named as the 20th president of Alcorn State University on Wednesday by Mississippi College Board trustees.

Friday, April 26

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Hillary Watkins

Jackson State University senior Hillary Watkins was one of 21 competitors who entered the Metropolitan Opera National Council District Auditions on Jan. 12.

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Jacksonians Contemplate Dreams and Aspirations With 'Before I Die' Wall

The Greater Jackson Arts Council and Visit Jackson unveiled Jackson's "Before I Die" wall, a project that artist and activist Candy Chang began in 2015.

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Officials Say They'll Make Up Teacher Raise Shortfall Later

State officials said Wednesday that they'll make up a $10 million to $15 million shortfall in funding for teacher raises of $1,500 apiece after the Mississippi Department of Education miscounted the number of eligible teachers.

Thursday, April 25

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Democrats, Activists 'Infuriated' as Hood Defends Six-Week Abortion Ban

Abortion-rights activists and some Democratic leaders are unhappy with Mississippi's leading Democratic candidate for governor, state Attorney General Jim Hood, after his office filed a brief in defense of the state's new six-week abortion ban.

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JSU President and MSU Professor Honored and Millsaps Research Grant

The Mississippi Business Journal recently named Jackson State University President William Bynum Jr. as one of the top 100 chief executive officers in the state for 2019.

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Alyssa Montes

Mississippi Valley State University is currently on its longest winning streak of the season, with five games in a row, as it heads into the final scheduled series of the season against Jackson State University.

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Mississippi Education Agency is $14M Short on Teacher Raises

A miscalculation by the Mississippi Department of Education has left a gap of $12 million to $14 million in funding for this year's promised teacher pay raise.

Wednesday, April 24

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Reeves Falsely Claims Hood Will Let 'Terrorists and Rapists' Vote

Mississippi Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican candidate for governor this year, misled voters on Tuesday when he claimed that state Attorney General Jim Hood would allow "terrorists and rapists" to vote from prison if elected.

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Officials Warn of Possible Measles at Third Hattiesburg Site

Mississippi officials say they're investigating a third site where a traveler passing through Mississippi could have infected people with measles.

Tuesday, April 23

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New Stage Explores a De-Industrializing World With 'Sweat'

New Stage Theatre will perform Lynn Nottage's play "Sweat," a production about a group of people in a factory town who are dealing with the repercussions of a de-industrializing world, April 23-May 5.

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Gov. Bryant Declares April 'Unity Month,' Not 'Confederate Heritage Month'

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant declared that April is the "Month of Unity" in Mississippi, departing from past years when he declared April "Confederate Heritage Month."

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App Will Explain Slaying That Spurred Civil Rights Activism

A mobile app is being developed to explain places and events connected to a killing that galvanized the civil rights movement.

Monday, April 22

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Mississippi Man's Viral Beating Draws Probe of Possible Hate Crime

When Trevor Gray left a local bar to go to an after party in the early hours of April 13, the Wayne County, Miss., native could not have known that he would leave with his jaw broken in two places, nor that a video of a man beating him would go viral on social media and draw national attention.

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Poetry Out Loud, LeFleur Museum District and Silhouettes at the Art Museum

Mississippi Public Broadcasting will air its footage of the 2019 Poetry Out Loud competition statewide on MPB Television at 8 p.m. on Friday, April 26, with a second airing scheduled for 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 28.

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10 Local Stories of the Week

There's never a slow news week in Jackson, Miss., and last week was no exception. Here are the local stories JFP reporters brought you in case you missed them.

Friday, April 19

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Magnolia Bayou

Gulfport, Miss., native Magnolia Bayou is one of several bands that is attracting notice from outside the state. The band is embarking on a national tour, which includes a stop at Jackson's Duling Hall on Friday, April 19.

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Mississippi Approves License Plates With New State Flag Design

Mississippi residents who want a state flag without the Confederate battle emblem will soon be able to display one on their license plate.

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Jackson Zoo Reopening Saturday

The Jackson Zoo will re-open as scheduled at 9 am on Saturday, April 20th, following cleanup from Thursday's storms.

Thursday, April 18

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Hood Takes Heat for Blackface Photos, Says Leave Trans Rights Up to Schools

A Hattiesburg woman confronted Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood on Tuesday over yearbook photos from the 1980s that show members of his college fraternity wearing blackface.

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Terrence Hunter

Terrence Hunter, a second-year student at the University of Mississippi School of Law, will travel to New York City this summer to work as an intern with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

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JSU MADDRAMA Wins Art Awards, Pan-Hellenic Council Gala at USM and UMMC Doctor Honored

Members of Jackson State University's MADDRAMA performance group received top honors during the 2019 National Association of Dramatic and Speech Arts Conference in Baltimore from April 2-6.

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Trump Tried to Seize Control of Mueller Probe, Report Says

Public at last, special counsel Robert Mueller's report revealed to a waiting nation Thursday that President Donald Trump had tried to seize control of the Russia probe and force Mueller's removal to stop him from investigating potential obstruction of justice by the president.

Wednesday, April 17

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Hop into Local Events

This Easter, celebrate with local businesses and events.

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Tips for the Lazy Gardener

If you're like me and would rather let nature do most of the work in your yard, here are some spring gardening tips that require minimal effort.

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Bishop Gunn Brings Natchez Rock ‘n’ Roll to Europe and Back

In barely two years, Bishop Gunn has gone from playing local gigs around Natchez to performing before crowds of thousands around the nation, and garnering national and international acclaim.

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Amazing Teens 2019

In the current political climate in the U.S., teens have shown that they are a force to be reckoned with, and that they are pretty amazing. Each year the Jackson Free Press honors some of the local teens doing amazing things in the Jackson metro area.

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A Dream Continued in the Mississippi Delta

To date, no political prowess has organized the force necessary to eliminate the Mississippi Delta region's systemic poverty and economic blight. Some, however, fought harder than others.

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The Pink House Deals With ‘Heartbeat Bill’ Fallout

"Jesus loves you, mommy. Mommy, please don't kill me," a child's voice pleads from a large speaker system outside Mississippi's last abortion clinic, which is known among its defenders as "The Pink House."

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EDITOR'S NOTE: Set an Example for the Next Generation

As women, we need to band together to make sure we set good examples for the younger generation. We need to show them that it's OK to be whatever kind of woman they want to be, that they don't have to fit that mold.

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Brandie Wigley

One of the reasons Brandie Wigley decided to do the Jackson Public Schools Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps Cadet of the Year contest was because she found out that a Provine High School student has not won the title in 36 years.

Tuesday, April 16

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Mississippi AG Candidate Vows to Defend Six-Week Abortion Ban

State Rep. Mark Baker, a Republican candidate for Mississippi attorney general, is pledging to take the state's recently passed abortion ban all the way to the Supreme Court.

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D.K. Metcalf

Former University of Mississippi wide receiver D.K. Metcalf is one of the players who will be at the 2019 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 25, waiting to learn where his football career takes him next.

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Mississippi Lottery Board Adopts Rules on Ethics and Records

The governing board for the upcoming Mississippi Lottery is setting rules for ethics and public records. It is also taking steps to hire bankers to provide financial services and a person to run day-to-day operations.

Monday, April 15

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Catastrophic Fire Engulfs Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

A catastrophic fire engulfed the upper reaches of Paris' soaring Notre Dame Cathedral as it was undergoing renovations Monday, threatening one of the greatest architectural treasures of the Western world as tourists and Parisians looked on aghast from the streets below.

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Man Pleads Guilty to Burning Cross in Black Mississippi Neighborhood

A Mississippi man who burned a cross in a predominantly African American neighborhood in Covington County pled guilty to federal charges on Friday.

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Alicia Brown

Mississippi State University says Alicia Brown of Petal, an honors student majoring in chemical engineering, is one about 65 students nationwide receiving a Truman Scholarship.

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Garver Chain Reaction Challenge, Godfrey's, Jackson Youth Fish Tales Rodeo and Good Problems at Offbeat

Germantown Middle School in Madison was the first school in Mississippi to participate in the Garver Chain Reaction Challenge on Thursday, April 11.

Friday, April 12

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Mississippi School Board Votes to Take Over 2 Districts

Two school districts in Mississippi's Delta region will be the first to be folded into a new statewide district aimed at improving academic performance.

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Millsaps Student Fulbright Grant, JSU Receives AP Awards and Jackson Heart Study Graduate Program

Millsaps College senior DJ Hawkins recently received a Fulbright grant to teach and study in Russia as an English teaching assistant.

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AG Candidate Vows to Defend State Funding for Anti-LGBT Adoption Agencies

If Mississippians make state Rep. Mark Baker their next attorney general, he vows to fight so that religiously affiliated adoption agencies that accept state funds can continue to legally discriminate against LGBT families.

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Amelia Key

Amelia Key calls her art-making a "process of discovery." She does not really know what the piece is going to look like at the beginning, she says.

Thursday, April 11

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MSU Digitizes Endangered Citizens Council Radio Tapes

Stephanie Rolph was a graduate student at Mississippi State University in the mid-2000s when she found a collection of reel-to-reel audio recordings of the Citizens Forum, a broadcast once helmed by the segregationist Citizens Council.

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Doug Nikhazy

The University of Mississippi used a strong start from freshman pitcher Doug Nikhazy to facilitate a sweep over the University of Florida over the past weekend.

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Taggart Intends 'Crusade' Against Drugs as Attorney General

Republican Andy Taggart of Madison says he's running for Mississippi attorney general to wage a "crusade" against illegal drugs.

Wednesday, April 10

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Mississippi Speaker Touts Rural Broadband Law, But Questions Remain

When Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn began looking at ways to solve the lack of high-speed broadband access that plagues much of rural Mississippi last summer, he turned to utility companies to understand the problem.

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Edward Watson

Mississippi Business Journal recently named Edward Watson, general counsel at Jackson State University, as one of the top 40 attorneys in the state as part of its 2018 Leaders in the Law awards.

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Mississippi Gets Low Grades on Federal Housing Inspections

The subsidized apartments that house some of Mississippi's poorest residents have failed 10% of health and safety inspections.

Tuesday, April 9

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Jackson Unveils 'Data Portal' to Increase Transparency

Jackson residents can now use an online data portal to see how the city is spending their money and planning to change Jackson.

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Reeves Vows Culture War Against ‘Liberals’ in Campaign for Governor

Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves set the tone in his race for Mississippi governor Monday evening, telling supporters at a campaign event: "The radical liberals have taken aim at Mississippi's culture and Mississippi's values."

Monday, April 8

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Mississippi City May Update Old, Broken Parking Meters

The city of Jackson, Mississippi, may replace its old and broken parking meters with newer versions that work with smartphones.

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GOP Candidate Says Truck Burglarized While at Party Event

A Republican candidate for Mississippi governor says someone broke into his truck and stole campaign files while he was at an event.

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Analysis: Some Issues Unsolved by Lawmakers Will be Back

As in any session, there were important issues on which the Mississippi Legislature didn't make laws, or even really consider.

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Ben Hubbard

Mississippi Coding Academies, a program that Innovate Mississippi launched in Jackson in 2017, named Ben Hubbard as its statewide director of development and outreach on March 21.

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Early Easter Events, and Van's CCG and Names & Faces Lounge Opening

Repeat Street and Dogwood Festival are both celebrating Easter early on Saturday, April 13, with an outdoor Easter market and Easter Bunny Festival.

Friday, April 5

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OPINION: Last Days of 2019 Session Expose Deception, Manipulation

On the last day of the 2019 session, Mississippi lawmakers were stunned to discover school vouchers had appeared in an appropriation bill at the very last minute.

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OPINION: Baker's 'Sovereignty' Comment Shows Disrespect for Voters, Law

At a recent campaign stop, Republican candidate for attorney general and Mississippi State Rep. Mark Baker claimed the 1965 Voting Rights Act, a pivotal law in black Americans' struggle for equal rights and representation, violated Mississippi's "sovereignty."

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Black Plaintiffs Accept 2 New Mississippi Senate Districts

African American residents who sued Mississippi say they are accepting legislators' plan to redraw two state Senate districts in a way that could increase black representation at the state Capitol.

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Mississippi Reps Vote 'Nay' on Violence Against Women Act

All three Republicans in Mississippi's Congressional delegation voted against renewing the Violence Against Women Act on Thursday.

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Moguls in the Making, USM Online Teacher Program and Belhaven Spring Dance Concert

Five Jackson State University students traveled to Detroit from Friday, March 29, through Saturday, March 31, to take part in an entrepreneurial program called "Moguls in the Making."

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Living in Virtual Reality with Lobaki

Vince Jordan and his son, Josiah, began experimenting with developer kits for software to use in virtual reality in 2014. In 2016, the two decided to form Lobaki while engaged in an online virtual-reality session.

Thursday, April 4

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Paige Taylor

Pitcher Paige Taylor led Alcorn State University to five victories in a recent eight-game winning streak before finally losing in a midweek double-header against the University of Memphis on Tuesday, April 2.

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Trump EPA Weighs Reviving Massive Mississippi Flood Project

As Mississippi's governor toured massive flooding in the state, the Trump administration said Wednesday that it is giving another look to a long-dead flood control and drainage project in the Mississippi Delta that the George W. Bush administration rejected.

Wednesday, April 3

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Of Pirates and Zombies and Sherlock Holmes

When the zombie apocalypse came to small Mississippi town Ovett, people acted immediately, killing zombies and eventually throwing one of them off a bridge. As all this happened, Curtis Everitt kept his camera rolling. Everitt is the director of photography for Blair Kelly's upcoming film, "Splat," for which the bridge is one of the settings.

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Vegan Food for All

When Lataurius Rodgers first went vegan, she craved hot wings and began seeking out equally satisfying solutions. Then, she found something: "wings" made out of cauliflower.

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Crossroads Film Festival 2019

The Crossroads Film Festival, which is in its 20th year, is April 11-13 at Malco Grandview Cinema in Madison, though some films will screen at Hal & Mal's. For more information, visit crossroadsfilmfestival.com.

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OPINION: Legislature Needs More Sunlight, New Technology

There are some simple steps the Legislature could take that would bolster trust not only among the lawmakers, but also between themselves and the public.

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Fifty-Four Hours to Startup Launch

While some people got off work and headed into a typical Friday night on March 1, about 45 people gathered at Coalesce for an event that would give them an insight into entrepreneurship: Startup Weekend Jackson.

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The Hunt for Vouchers in Mississippi, After All These Years

Republican leaders secretly slipped $2 million for a private-school voucher program into an unrelated funding bill—despite the fact that most Democrats and many Republicans opposed expanding the program.

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PUBLISHER'S NOTE: On Podcasting, Events and Crossroads Film Festival

As the weather gets a little more accommodating, I encourage you to take advantage of opportunities not only to have a little fun but to support local artists, local organizations or to lend your support to an important cause.

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Derek Augustus

Derek Augustus, who co-owns local recycling company Environmentality with Karissa Bowley, has always been interested in finding his creative eye, and designing and building things by hand, he says.

Tuesday, April 2

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Poor Mississippi Counties Are Top IRS Targets in Hunt for Tax Cheats

A new study of IRS practices reveals a tale of two Mississippi counties, with one of the poorest in the state earning the top spot as the most audited in the country, while the second-wealthiest is Mississippi's least audited.

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Kevin Sutherland

Kevin Sutherland made his first birdie in two days, and it was all he needed to finally win for the second time on the PGA Tour Champions.

Monday, April 1

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Mississippi Alleges Fraud by Entergy, Utility Says No Proof

Mississippi's attorney general alleges the state's largest private utility defrauded customers by not buying cheaper power from outside companies.

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Reeves Skipping First Debate for Governor Despite Early End to Session

Mississippi Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican candidate for governor, will be a no-show at the party's first primary debate on Tuesday night.

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Aaron Pelch

Millsaps College named head football coach Aaron Pelch as interim athletics director on Dec. 20, 2018, and he assumed his duties on Jan. 1, 2019.

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Food Truck Festival, Miss Jackson Hospitality Pageant and Regions Financial Debates

The Mississippi Museum of Art recently announced that it will expand the hours for its sixth-annual Food Truck Festival on May 16 to include lunch service. Local food trucks will now be at the museum from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. for the event.

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10 Local Stories of the Week

There's never a slow news week in Jackson, Miss., and last week was no exception. Here are the local stories JFP reporters brought you in case you missed them.