News

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.

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.

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.

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.

Debtors’ Prisons Out, Parole For More People

Criminal-justice reform is and has been a bipartisan issue in the Mississippi Legislature in recent years, and 2018 is no exception.

What Jacksonians Want in a New JPS Supe

Dozens of applicants are interested in being the next leader of the second-largest school district in Mississippi.

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.

Sheriffs Decry Cutbacks, Private Prison Contracts

Mississippi sheriffs packed into Room 113 at the Capitol Monday to express frustrations after the Mississippi Department of Corrections announced a reduction in inmates housed at the 15 regional facilities in the state even as taxpayer money is going to fund private, corporate-operated prisons.

Michael Kardos

Author Michael Kardos has always been drawn to the art of illusion. As a teenager, the New Jersey native got into doing magic, and as an adult, he wanted to tackle the topic in his writing.

Spanish Wine Tasting at Seafood R'evolution, Cinco de Mayo at Cantina Laredo and Taste JXN

Cantina Laredo, a Mexican restaurant located in The District at Eastover, will celebrate Cinco de Mayo with live music, a menu of limited-time-only cocktails and drink specials.

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.

JPS Central Office Needs Restructuring, Report Says

The capital city's schools have been on a roller coaster the past year, avoiding a state takeover, then installing a new school board and adding a commission to help study the district.

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.

Survey: Attorney General, Governor Boast Highest Approval Ratings

Attorney General Jim Hood and Gov. Phil Bryant have the highest approval ratings of a selection of Mississippi political leaders, a Millsaps College and Chism Strategies survey released earlier this month, shows.

Statewide Student Testing Task Force To Meet This Summer

Mississippi Superintendent Carey Wright announced a task force this week to study how individual school district and the Department of Education in the state are testing students.

NAMI MS Conference at Belhaven, USM Marine Education Center and MSU 2018 Alumni Association Award

The National Alliance on Mental Illness Mississippi will host its annual spring conference on Thursday, May 17, and Friday, May 18, at the Dr. Billy Kim International Center at Belhaven University.

Tomekia Reed

On Monday, April 16, JSU named Tomekia Reed, the former head coach at Hinds Community College in Utica, as the Tigers' new head coach.

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.

Governor Vetoes Opioid, Crime Reforms After Signing Reentry Law

Gov. Phil Bryant has blocked an effort to help wean those addicted to opioids off the drugs with medication, as well as assisted indigent prisoners.

William Shakespeare

A couple of weeks before New Stage Theatre begins its latest production, "Shakespeare in Love," the rehearsal area is marked with tape, noting places on the stage such as the balcony, the tavern and The Rose Theatre.

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.

Ben Witt

While getting a massage one day, Ben Witt began to think to himself, "Hey, I can do this. I can be a massage therapist." Witt liked that the practice was quiet, thoughtful and rewarding, and also the one-on-one aspect of it.

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.

Roadblocks for Road Plans?

The Republican supermajority in the Mississippi Legislature has ignored the state chamber of commerce's calls to increase state funding for roads and bridges for three legislative sessions in a row.

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.

Director of Learning and School Programs at Art Museum, TeamJXN Luncheon and Riverwalk Renovations

The James and Madeleine McMullan Family Foundation, an Illinois-based educational scholarship and grant provider, donated $750,000 to the Mississippi Museum of Art on Sunday, March 25.

Lynne Schneider

Fifteen years ago, Lynne Schneider, an English and journalism teacher at Murrah High School, was diagnosed with a kidney disease called focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, which causes scarring in the kidney.

AG Sessions Praises Project Eject, Gang 'Surge' in Jackson by Feds, JPD, Others

The U.S. Department of Justice, the Jackson Police Department and a list of other agencies, including from the Gulf Coast, worked together last week on a police sweep in Jackson. The operation brought in 45 attests, including 31 "documented gang members."

'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.

Ellington