Ole Miss Chancellor Calls Student's Online Comment 'Racist'
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The University of Mississippi chancellor on Friday condemned a student's online comment about lynching as "racist, offensive and hurtful" after dozens of other students said the chancellor's initial response to the comment was weak and insensitive to African-Americans.
Les Miles is Out, Orgeron Head Coach at LSU
LSU fired coach Les Miles and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron on Sunday, and promoted defensive line coach Ed Orgeron to interim head coach.
Analysis: As Prison Closes, State Still Reckons with Debt
If you've got to keep paying for something, you might as well use it. That, more than anything, might be the logic behind the announcement from Mississippi Corrections Commissioner Marshall Fisher last week that the state prison system intends to seek new uses for the recently closed Walnut Grove Correctional Facility.
Rule Changes to Civil Service Commission Under Fire
The City of Jackson Civil Service Commission reinstated an employee of 25 years, who had been laid off before others with less tenure, raising questions about an Aug. 11 change to rules outlining how the administration chooses which employees leave first. The layoffs are part of the City's budget-cutting efforts, but some feel they are targeting the wrong employees.
Study: Mississippi Has 'Two School Systems'
Mississippians in the highest income-tax brackets have enjoyed the limited economic growth the state has seen since the Great Recession, according to a recent report by Loyola University in New Orleans.
Tracy DeVries
In February, the Women's Foundation of Mississippi hosted a fundraising event called SMART Party to raise money for the organization. The fundraiser drew in crowds of people willing to donate and support the cause. Tracy DeVries was among them.
Civil-Rights Session for Mississippi Teachers Set for Oct. 8
A workshop next month will show north Mississippi teachers how to develop lessons about local civil-rights history.
Sheriff: Volunteer Deputies on Bikes to Patrol Downtown 'Transients'
Hinds County Sheriff Victor Mason wants to sweep away the "transient" population downtown with a bike-and-foot patrol comprised of reserve officers, all without expense to the county.
Ridgeland, HUD Reach Settlement in 'Shifting Demographics' Dispute
Just a few months after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development filed a complaint against the City of Ridgeland for alleged violations of the Fair Housing Act, it announced a conciliatory agreement with that city yesterday.
Scott Stricklin
Mississippi State University needed a new athletic director in 2010 after Greg Byrne left to take the position of vice president of athletics at the University of Arizona. He made a couple of homerun hires in head football coach Dan Mullen and head baseball coach John Cohen during his two years as the athletic director for the Bulldogs.
Charlotte Under State of Emergency in 2nd Night of Protests
Authorities in Charlotte tried to quell public anger Wednesday after a police officer shot a black man, but a dusk prayer vigil turned into a second night of violence, with police firing tear gas at angry protesters and a man being critically wounded by gunfire. North Carolina's governor declared a state of emergency in the city.
Planned Parenthood Pushes Challenge of Mississippi Law
Planned Parenthood is asking a federal judge to quickly rule in its favor and overturn a Mississippi law that bans Medicaid spending with any health care provider that offers abortion.
City of Ridgeland Agrees to Stop Seeking Removal of Apartments
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A Mississippi city has agreed with federal officials to stop trying to zone 1,400 apartments out of existence.
14 Great Things About Jackson
The Jackson Free Press has officially been in business for 14 years this week. Yay, us! A lot has changed for the JFP since the early days in a one-bedroom apartment on Fortification Street, and much has changed in Jackson since our first issue celebrating the "Rise of the Creative Class" here.
The Slate
Former MSU quarterback Dak Prescott has been impressive in his first two NFL starts. On Sunday, Sept. 18, Prescott got his first NFL win with a 27-23 victory over Washington.
I’m a Mississippian by Choice—Twice
Wait, you were out of Jackson ... and you came back?" The man's face was incredulous. He couldn't understand why someone would leave Jackson, Miss., and then consciously return. But then again, I had spent the last 15 minutes hearing him rant against our capital city.
Help Kids with Action and Planning, Not Ego
It's a tough time for children in Jackson, and in Mississippi overall. Truthfully, at least when it comes to poor children, the state has never been especially kind or helpful to them.
A Stranger in a Foreign Land
My heart skipped a beat and then pounded so hard that I thought it was coming out of my chest. What had the pretty little French store clerk said? My worst nightmare!
Cuts to City Budget Hurt, Surprise
Patricia Phillips bought a white 2014 Mazda 6 last November because she felt confident in her steady paycheck and supervisor position at an early-childhood care center with the City of Jackson.
Fostering Children on a Faith-based Fast Track
Children in the State of Mississippi's custody have few options when the new Mississippi Department of Child Protective Services remove them from their homes. The Jackson metro area and a few surrounding counties together have 272 foster homes—but 1,099 kids who need a place to go. Almost half those foster kids live in Hinds County.