Third Graders Who Failed Reading Test Eligible for Free Eye Exam
Every third grader in Mississippi must pass the third-grade reading exam to be promoted to fourth grade. When a student fails the third-grade reading exam, it could mean they are struggling to read on grade level. It could mean that they are having vision problems, too.
Rapper Lil Lonnie Shot to Death in His Mississippi Hometown
Police in Mississippi's capital city say rapper Lil Lonnie has died after someone shot into the vehicle he was driving and it hit the front of a house.
Sprint, T-Mobile Have to Sell $26.5B Deal to Antitrust Cops
To gain approval for their $26.5 billion merger agreement, T-Mobile and Sprint aim to convince antitrust regulators that there is plenty of competition for wireless service beyond Verizon and AT&T.
Lawsuit: Inmates Have the Right to Free, Secular Books in Prison
Big House Books, a nonprofit that sends free books by request to inmates, filed a lawsuit against the South Mississippi Correctional Institution this week because inmates there cannot receive books that are donated, the lawsuit says.
MSU Student Ag Awards, JSU Named Military-Friendly School and Pathway Cords for USM Commencement
Eight College of Agriculture and Life Sciences students at Mississippi State University students won awards in the oral and visual display competitions at the 82nd-annual Mississippi Academy of Sciences meeting this year.
Christopher Evans
The Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership named Christopher Evans, a math teacher at Callaway High School, as a 2018 Metro Teacher of the Year.
Toyota to Spend $170M to Expand Mississippi Plant, Hire 400
Toyota Motor Corp. is investing $170 million and adding 400 jobs at its Mississippi assembly plant.
Bill Cosby Convicted of Drugging and Molesting a Woman
Bill Cosby was convicted Thursday of drugging and molesting a woman in the first big celebrity trial of the #MeToo era, completing the spectacular late-life downfall of a comedian who broke racial barriers in Hollywood on his way to TV superstardom as America's Dad.
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.
Corinth Will Settle in Debtors' Prison Case
The City of Corinth will stop locking up men and women who cannot afford to pay their fines or bail after reaching an agreement with the Southern Poverty Law Center and the MacArthur Justice Center.
Matt Maher
Singer-songwriter Matt Maher has been a significant presence in the world of contemporary Christian music since the early 2000s, but before he was introduced to religion, he says that he was running away, at least at some level.
OPINION: Anti-Abortion Laws Won’t Stop Abortions. Eradicating Poverty Could.
"Making it more difficult for residents to access abortions won’t stop women from doing so. ... We must first address the No. 1 factor that appears to drive the demand for abortion: poverty."
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.
Amazing Teens 2018
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. Here are this year's.
Brunch Bunch, 2018
Weekend brunch has really come into its own in recent years in the capital city. Now that spring has sprung, it's the perfect time to enjoy a leisurely late weekend break.
Johnny Rawls: Letting Life Flow
Mississippi bluesman Johnny Rawls encountered the music for the first time on a cool Christmas morning when he was 12 years old.
EDITORIAL: Reform Requires Long-Term Planning, Reducing Private Prisons
Bipartisan criminal-justice reform is something to sing about, and we applaud the Mississippi Legislature and the governor for passing and signing House Bill 387 into law this session.
OPINION: Racists Can Change After All
By the time I got to middle school, I'd come to terms with the world we live in. I was aware that people weren't always welcoming and that racists ruled the world.
Kennedy Owens
When St. Andrew's Episcopal School senior Kennedy Owens saw that many of Jackson Public School's third-graders did not pass the Third Grade Reading Gate Reading test in 2015, he knew he had to do something.