Lawyers Say JPD Officer May Have Killed Twice, Demands More Names
Attorneys for the family of Crystalline Barnes, killed by Jackson police on Jan. 27, 2018, is demanding to know the names of officers who shot Jacksonians in incidents over the last several months.
Hope, Sadness at JPD Service Honoring 17 Officers Killed Since 1893
In the sweltering Wednesday heat, the Jackson Police Department put on its annual Police Memorial Service to honor and commemorate the 17 JPD officers who have died in the line of duty since 1893.
A Lost Hope: Remembering Lil Lonnie and 2018’s Deadliest Month
Rising hip-hop artist Lonnie "Lil Lonnie" Taylor, 22, was driving around his hometown of Jackson with a woman in the passenger's seat around 10 p.m. on April 29. Suddenly, someone fired into his car striking him with bullets, and he crashed into a home near the Medgar Evers Historic District. Taylor was dead on the scene.
Mississippi Civil Rights Sites Vie to Become National Park
It is hard to choose which site of civil-rights trauma in Mississippi should be a national park, but the effort is under way and controversial, even among some family members who lost loved ones due to white-supremacist violence.
Baltimore Lawyer Names JPD Officer Who May Have Shot Crystalline Barnes
A lawyer for the family of 21-year-old Crystalline Barnes, who died in January when two Jackson Police Officers shot into her car following a traffic stop, stood alongside Barnes' young children and family members Monday as he demanded more transparency from the Jackson government.
City Council Roundup: Money, Concerts and MBI
At the most recent city council meeting on May 8, the members gathered at City Hall to vote on a variety of issues from shifting budgets, to an ongoing concert and event series in Jackson.
UPDATED: MBI Investigates Third Deadly Officer-Involved Shooting in Jackson in 2018
The latest deadly officer-involved shooting in Jackson resulted from a traffic stop. A Jackson Police Department officer pulled over Elliot Reed, 30, and Chauncy Reed, 26, apparently brothers, in a white SUV around 1 a.m. on Wednesday at the Valero in the 900 block of Cooper Road.
‘Stranded’ Siemens Customers Will Pay Two Bills
Two weeks ago, the Jackson City Council voted to accept Public Works Director Bob Miller's proposal to rework the Siemens Inc. contract in order to start getting accurate water bills out to customers and recoup lost revenue.
Officer ID Task Force Wrestles with Mission
Sixteen of Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba's 21 appointees to the officer-identification task force gathered at The Cedars in Fondren Monday night to decide if and how the Jackson Police Department will release names of police officers who are involved in shootings, as well as the timeframe in which that would take place.
City Wants Your Input on Convention Center Development Tonight, 6 p.m.
The City of Jackson's Department of Planning Development wants community input about what to do with the empty lot across from the Jackson Convention Complex downtown.
Entergy Funding 2 Museums Admission for 95 People Every Day in May
Entergy Mississippi Inc. is celebrating its 95th anniversary with a company donation of $25,000 to the pair of museums that will make admission free for the first 95 attendees every day in May.
City Employees Demand Raises for All, Not Just Clerks
A 911 dispatcher, a union representative and a records clerk for the Jackson Police Department walked into City Hall last week ready to give the council a piece of their minds.
Jackson Zoo: Pulled from Two Directions
Jackson City Council President Charles Tillman of Ward 5 asked the members to use diplomacy during a conversation about the Jackson Zoo at last week's meeting. Not everyone took that to heart as the discussion turned both humorous and tense.
Under New Chief, Fire Department Lowers Age Requirement to 18
Willie Owens, the former interim chief of the Jackson Fire Department, was confirmed as the permanent chief on April 18, but not without controversy.
Mayor Commits to Zoo, West Jackson Development Projects
Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba publicly agreed and committed to several upcoming and ongoing projects designed to revitalize west Jackson during a luncheon on Wednesday, April 25, at New Horizon Church International.
Midnight Siemens Vote Designed to Recoup Millions, Correct Water Billing
The Jackson City Council voted just before midnight last night to accept Public Works Director Bob Miller's proposal to overhaul the Siemens Inc. contract and recoup millions in missing water revenue from local customers.
Inside Jackson’s Officer-Involved Shooting Task Force
Last month, Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba had prepared to make an executive decision about how the Jackson Police Department would handle transparency following officer-involved shootings.
More Water Bills Ahead; Siemens Contract Faces Changes Tonight
If Public Works Director Bob Miller gets his way, Jacksonians could start getting accurate water bills in the next couple of weeks.
Inside the City of Jackson's 'Crime Summit'
A panel of Mississippi-based professionals sat in black leather armchairs on the stage of the Jackson Convention Center's theater on April 19. Larry Perry, Devon Loggins, Tiffany Anderson-Washington, Fallon Brewster and Etta Morgan were there to lead a panel discussion for the City of Jackson's Crime and Justice Summit.
Mayor Lumumba Hosting Crime and Justice Summit Tonight at 6 p.m.
Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and the City of Jackson will host a Crime and Justice Summit tonight at 6 p.m. at the Jackson Convention Complex downtown.
Ready to Engage: The JFP Interview with JPD Chief Anthony Moore
Interim Police Chief Anthony Moore, known since Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba appointed him in January as a man of few words, opened the door to his office in the Jackson Police Department on April 11. He was cheerful and ready to engage.
Will the People Have a Say in 2018 Budget?
With the tax deadline not too far in the rearview mirror, finances are still at the foreground of many people's minds, including Jackson officials as they work on the budget for the next fiscal year.
U.S. Attorney Touts 'Project EJECT' Sting of Alleged Gangsters, Criminals
U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst called a press conference at the United States Courthouse downtown Monday to release some details about the results of a recent cooperative sting to go after a mix of alleged criminals with outstanding warrants, known gang members and their associates and sex offenders.
'Man to Man': Mayor, Leaders Talk Empowerment with JPS Middle School Boys
While the middle-school girls of Bailey APAC were away on a girls-only science-related field trip on Friday, the boys were invited into the auditorium to engage with a panel of city leaders and professionals.
Mayor Calls Zoo's Move 'Disingenuous,' 'Disrespectful' to West Jackson
In his first public statement since the Jackson Zoo announced its board is now supporting its relocation from west Jackson to LeFleur's Bluff State Park close to Rankin County, Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba sternly advocated for the zoo to stay put.
Yarber Campaign Funder Mitzi Bickers Indicted in Atlanta
Jackson and Atlanta have been interconnected since the Mayor Tony Yarber era. Mitzi Bickers is one of those common threads, having worked on both Kasim Reed's campaign in 2009 and Yarber's in 2014.
Mayor Lumumba, Police Out of Sync?
If you walked into Jackson City Hall two weeks ago at just after 7 p.m., you would have seen the mayor's chief of staff, Safiya Omari, in a tense, loud exchange with public defender Adofo Minka, who had just criticized Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba publicly on how he is handling officer-involved shootings.
City Metrocenter Lawsuit Set for Trial this Month
The Metrocenter Mall, a former shopping center and office space hurt by white and economic flight, is now being repurposed as a "Comprehensive One-Stop Center" for workforce training programs, even as a City of Jackson lawsuit concerning its 2011 lease there lives on.
Poor Treatment of Local Media Comes to Head at Sanders, Lumumba Town Hall
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders travelled from one predominantly black city to the next on Wednesday for public appearances in commemoration of the 50-year anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination.
Bernie Sanders, Mayor Lumumba Have Campaign-Like Chat on MLK Anniversary
Cries of "Bernie 2020!" accented the conversation between U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba at a town hall on economic justice 50 years to the night since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis.
Jackson City Council Pays for $1.6 Million Winter Emergency
Last week, the city council ultimately approved the $1.6 million in various emergency contracts for repairs to water lines and other engineering services, but not without some pushback.
Moving Jackson Zoo to East Jackson Leaves Hope Behind
On March 27, the Jackson Zoological Society board confirmed it will move to the eastern side of the city to LeFleur's Bluff State Park, closer to Rankin County than its long-time home on West Capitol Street.
JPD Begins Downtown Foot Patrol Unit
The Jackson Police Department will implement a foot-patrol unit in downtown Jackson beginning Monday, April 2, under Interim Chief Anthony Moore's direction.
Lawyer in Flowood Officer-Involved Shooting Wants Video, Answers
On the evening of March 8, a Flowood Police Department officer unloaded his gun into Von McDavid's car somewhere between four and eight times.
Youth Take Lead on Guns in Schools
As the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School take the world stage to demand stricter gun laws, many people in the Jackson metro area recall that 20 years ago, Rankin County had its own high-profile school shooting.
Celebrating the Life of a Man JPD Killed
In Jackson, no one has taken to the streets for any of the last seven officer-involved shootings since Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba took office in July 2017 with none of the officers involved identified to date.
'I Call B.S.': 'March for Our Lives' in Jackson Puts Young Protesters on Display
Nearly 200 people took to the streets of downtown Jackson on Saturday, March 24, 2018, for the March for Our Lives, which calls for school safety and stricter gun laws.
Mayor Lumumba on Paternity Leave Until April 3
Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and his wife, Ebony Lumumba, welcomed a baby girl Wednesday, March 21. Nubia Ngozi was born at 8:09 a.m., weighing 8 pounds and 1 ounce.
Oh, the Places You'll Go: Project EJECT Expels Gun Offenders to Faraway Prisons
U.S. Attorney Michael Hurst has charged 35 people since he first announced the anti-crime initiative Project EJECT in late 2017.
Inside JPD’s Use-of-Force Policy: Public Trust vs. Officer Safety
Lately Tetrina Blalock has been reconnecting with family members she has not seen in a while. Losing her cousin brought them together.
UPDATED: Rankin County Middle Schooler Wins Mississippi State Spelling Bee
Around 50 middle-schoolers ranging from ages nine to 14, along with their parents and supporters, filled the Rose E. McCoy auditorium at Jackson State University today for the 2018 Mississippi Spelling Bee.
Woman Crashes into McDade's in Belhaven, Hits Worker Inside
Just after 9 a.m. today, a woman drove her car into McDade's Market on Fortification Street, crashing through the brick wall outside the cafeteria.
City Roundup: New Pot-Hole Machine, School Sidewalk Delays, Historic Midtown
A Jackson elementary school has to wait for new sidewalks because the City of Jackson has to restart a bid process for funding under the federal Safe Routes to School program.
Ringing the Bell on Kids Charged as Adults
Johnnie McDaniels' job requires him to repair broken children, especially those who have been charged as adults. Many of them sit in his facility for the better part of a year awaiting court dates, convictions and indictments.
UPDATED:After 7 Shootings, JPD Still Shields Officers
Lee Edward Bonner, 37, died after a Jackson police officer shot him on Feb. 21 in west Jackson. His family says it was "an overkill," while the City released scant information painting Bonner as the instigator of a shoot-out during a drug investigation gone awry.
Mayor Refutes Ethics Complaint Claiming JPD Destroys Immigration Records
In one of his more assertive and direct public statements, Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba refuted an ethics complaint from a local conservative think tank accusing the City of Jackson of destroying immigration records called detainers.
Best-Selling Author Angie Thomas Receives Key to Jackson
Angie Thomas was 6 years-old when she was caught in the crossfire of a shootout in Georgetown, the Jackson neighborhood where she grew up. Her mother, Julia Thomas, could not get to her at the time and prayed her daughter would be safe.
Number of JPD Officer-Involved Shootings Keeps Growing
With two deadly officer-involved shootings in the first two months of 2018, public scrutiny has grown over the Jackson Police Department's use-of-force policy and its decision to withhold officers' names until they complete an internal investigation, a criminal investigation and a Hinds County grand jury returns an indictment—a process that can take at least a year.
Providing Hope in a Crumbling Library
Despite a seemingly grim reality, Jackson-Hinds Libraries Executive Director Patty Furr has hope for the Capital city's branches and the communities they serve, and she credits the work Ruth Jinkiri is doing as an example of a good library's mission.
Mayor: No More Mugshots Released of Juveniles, People Shot by Police
Monday was the day Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba signed an executive order to stop the Jackson Police Department to stop disseminating mugshots of those involved in officer-involved shootings, such as a young woman local police killed by firing into her car in late January.