News

I Told Congress That Misdemeanor Fines and Fees Cause Americans to Go Hungry

Approximately 10 million people in the United States owe more than $50 billion in criminal debt due to their involvement in the criminal-justice system.

Antonio Ross

Biloxi-based Keesler Federal Credit Union recently named Captain Antonio Ross of the Jackson Fire Department as First Responder of the Year.

Organizers Plan for Post-Roe Mississippi With Self-Managed Abortion Education

The U.S. Supreme Court will not hear Mississippi’s challenge to Roe v. Wade for more than a month, but leading abortion-rights organizers say they are not holding out hope for a favorable ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

Mississippi Blues Promoter and Raconteur Bill Luckett Dies

Bill Luckett was an attorney, small-town mayor, candidate for governor, blues promoter, friend and business partner of Morgan Freeman and irrepressible teller of tales about the people and culture of his beloved Mississippi.

Six Jail Deaths Recorded in Hinds County this Year

Lack of compliance with court orders and the department of justice’s consent decree led to six deaths at the Hinds County Detention Center in Raymond this year, court-appointed monitor Elizabeth E. Simpson wrote in a Thursday, Oct. 28, court filing.

Harvest Festival at the Ag Musuem, Mississippi Blues Marathon and Mississippi Symphony Orchestra

The Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum will host its annual Harvest Festival event from Tuesday, Nov. 9, through Saturday, Nov. 13, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day.

University Students Denounce Use of Nazi Symbols at Protest

Tyler Daniel says he felt shock and horror when he saw a poster that had the Mississippi State University president's face defaced with an Adolf Hitler mustache, a swastika scrawled in the upper corner.

Halloween Weekend 2021 Event Roundup

This list of options the Jackson Free Press has assembled should provide you with a myriad of choices to let you celebrate Halloween according to your interests. Please browse the events below to see what is right for you as we bring October to a close.

Who Killed Angela Parker? Jackson Man Condemned To Life In Prison In 1998 Claims Innocence

The evidence showed that the homicide detectives interviewed Blue Chip Lounge owner John Ware, and he provided them the surveillance video recording that apparently placed Ronnie Johnson at the club at the time of Angela Parker's murder.

Mayor’s State of the City Speech Tackles Crime, ‘Dignity Economy’

“We've come through a lot together this past term,” Mayor Lumumba began. “We faced a 30-year flood, tornadoes, freezing temperatures that exposed existing vulnerabilities in our infrastructure, and a global pandemic that has fostered a historic rise in violent crime. We came through all of this together.”

USM Set to Join the Sun Belt Conference

The University of Southern Mississippi announced on Tuesday, Oct. 26, that the school’s athletic programs would be leaving Conference USA. The Golden Eagles will be joining the Sun Belt Conference no later than 2023.

Mississippi School Honors Namesake, Respected Black Educator Rosa Scott

Descendants of Rosa Scott, a woman who was a leader in ensuring Black children received education when the state was deeply segregated, gathered on campus Monday at Rosa Scott High School, a campus for about 400 ninth graders in the Madison County School District.

‘Keeping the Peace’: Eight Candidates Run for Hinds County District 5 Constable

Candidates running for the Hinds County District 5 Constable position at the Nov. 2 special election attended two recent, separate forums to jostle for votes. Bennie C. Buckner resigned from the post in August, and the Hinds County Board of Supervisors appointed Demario E. Benson in the interim on Aug. 16. The district includes portions of west Jackson, Old Byram, Chapel Hill, Terry and Utica.

IHL Mandates COVID-19 Vaccines For Mississippi University Employees, Still Prohibits Student Mandates

Under President Joe Biden’s order, university employees at campuses with federal contracts must show proof that they are fully vaccinated or receive an exemption accommodation by Dec. 8. To be compliant by that deadline, university faculty must receive either a first Moderna shot by at Oct. 27; a first Pfizer dose by Nov. 3; or the less effective, more difficult to obtain one-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine by Nov. 24.

COVID-19 Fatalities Pass 10,000, Over 500,000 Cases

“Ten thousand deaths is staggering,” State Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers said. “It just didn't have to happen like this. If we had more people who would get the vaccine, certainly we could have avoided some additional transmission and deaths. Our peak and our transmission of activity during the Delta surge was massive.”

Girmay Berhie

"The Digital Tele-Health Hub project arose because health disparity is such a critical issue in Jackson, especially after all that has happened during the pandemic," Dr. Girmay Berhie says. "I realized the need to build trust while ensuring privacy within the African American community, and I believe telehealth is the key to addressing those needs."

Harris, Hicks for Hinds County Court Judge Election

After Melvin Priester, Sr. resigned on June 3, 2020, as Subdistrict 1 Hinds County Court Judge, the Mississippi Supreme Court appointed Carlyn Hicks in his place. In the election to fill the position scheduled for Nov. 2, Attorney Greta Mack Harris joins Hicks on the ballot.

They Said Emmett Till’s Name to Me. Now, I Say it for Myself.

"As the Smithsonian reminds us, the past will never really be past if we don’t drag it into the light of day."

JSU Hosting Sheriff Debate, MSU Race in America Series and USM Cybersecurity Event

Jackson State University's Department of Political Science will host a debate between Hinds County Sheriff candidates running to fill the position of the late Lee D. Vance on Tuesday, Oct. 26, at 6 p.m.

Mississippi Sets Date for State's First Execution Since 2012

The Mississippi Supreme on Thursday set a Nov. 17 execution date for an inmate who withdrew his appeals and once filed court papers calling himself "worthy of death.”

FDA Authorizes ‘Mix-And-Match’ COVID-19 Boosters, Pfizer Touts 95% Efficacy

Getting a COVID-19 booster shot could soon become much simpler for those who received Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines, thanks to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s clearance given on Wednesday.

Iverson Molinar

Mississippi State University guard Iverson Molinar was voted to the Preseason First-Team All-SEC. The junior was the only player from either MSU or the University of Mississippi to be named to either the first team or second team.

Lawsuits: Mississippi Capital City's Water Harms Children

Two new lawsuits claim hundreds of children have been exposed to dangerous lead levels through the drinking water in Mississippi's capital city, which has been facing water system problems for years.

Archie v. Hinds County Board of Supervisors: Mississippi Supreme Court Appoints Dickinson to Case

The Hinds County Board of Supervisors voted to remove District 2 Supervisor David Archie as vice president on Sept. 29.

Green Hydrogen Hub in Mississippi to be Largest in US

A Jackson-based company has announced plans to build a green hydrogen hub in Mississippi it says will be the largest of its kind in the U.S. and create an easier pathway for hard-to-decarbonize manufacturing industries to move away from fossil fuels.

One Jail’s Tale: Hinds County Detention Center At Risk of Federal Takeover

The Hinds County Detention Center in Raymond, Miss., suffered from structural defects from its opening on Monday, Nov. 14, 1994.

Dobbs Urges COVID-19 Vaccination As Flu Season Approaches

State health leadership urged more Mississippians to get vaccinated before flu season hits during an Oct. 15 press briefing with the Mississippi State Medical Association, as fatalities from COVID-19 continue even as case reports decline.

Auditor Demands Brett Favre Return $828,000 in ‘Illegally Spent Welfare Funds’

NFL star Brett Favre must return $828,000 he received from welfare funds that should have gone to needy families, Mississippi State Auditor Shad White said in a statement recently.

Seals, Caston, Mayfield Run for Hinds County Sheriff

Hinds County District 4 Constable Leon Seals, Jackson Police Department Officer Brandon Caston, and former Town of Edwards Police Chief Torrance Mayfield are running for Hinds County sheriff at the special election on Nov. 2.

Mississippi Boychoir Be the Light Fun Run, Broadway in Jackson and Mississippi Nonprofit Grants

Mississippi Boychoir will host its annual Be the Light 5K-10K Fun Run on Saturday, Nov. 6, at the Flowood Nature Trail. Registration packets will be available at 7 a.m., and the race will begin at 8 a.m.

Ellington