News

The Fight to Make Taxis Equal

As a wheelchair user, Scott Crawford is tired of not being able to take a cab in Jackson—especially since legally he should be able to.

Pushing for Pre-K in the Midst of Poverty

Public pre-K is a part of the state's push for early learning statewide in order to increase literacy for students in public schools.

'Judicial Kidnapping’ in Pearl Youth Court?

Youth-court judges in Mississippi preside over all matters involving delinquent juveniles in addition to abused, neglected or abandoned children. Youth-court judges have the power to send children to foster care, grant custody to different guardians or give a child to adoptive parents.

Chavakia Porter

Ever since Chavakia Porter was a little girl, she says she dreamed of being a wedding planner. However, when she later realized she wanted to work with a variety of events and clients, she decided to become an event planner.

Polls Open Until 7 p.m. for County Attorney Elections

Voters will go to the polls today in Hinds County to elect a new county attorney, who serves as the chief prosecutor in youth court and is responsible for prosecuting misdemeanors that occur in the unincorporated areas of Hinds County, such as speeding tickets.

MCM/Sugar Ray's Pop-up Shop, Winning Smile and Elite Physical Therapy

The Winning Smile Dental Group opened a new clinic at 4505 Interstate 55 N. Frontage Road in Jackson next door to Banner Hall in August of this year.

U.S. Supreme Court Could Decide to Hear State Flag Case This Month

The nine U.S. Supreme Court justices could decide the fate of the case against the Mississippi state flag this month when they meet for conference on Nov. 21.

Mayor Lumumba Pledges Transparency on Public Tour of City Hall

In efforts to make operations at City Hall more transparent, Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba hosted an open house and tour of his office and the top floors of City Hall on Friday.

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.

Second HB 1523 Petition Filed with U.S. Supreme Court

The Campaign for Southern Equality and Rev. Susan Hrostowski are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case against the "Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act," also known as House Bill 1523.

JSU Tiger Career Closet, Red Sand at Tougaloo and MVSU Halbrook Award

Jackson State University's business-attire-centered clothes closet for students, the Tiger Career Closet, opened with a fashion preview and ribbon-cutting ceremony at Jacob L. Reddix Hall.

Rep. Jeramey Anderson

Mississippi Rep. Jeramey Anderson of Escatawpa announced on Friday, Nov. 3, that he will seek the 2018 Democratic nomination for Mississippi's 4th Congressional District seat in the United States House of Representatives.

Commissioners Named to Lead Jackson Public Schools Coalition

Gov. Phil Bryant and Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba, in coordination with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, announced who would sit on the 15-member Better Together Commission today.

Hinds DA's New Lawyer Pushes Back on State Case

Strapped with a new lead defense attorney, Robert Shuler Smith will face a trial in Rankin County for charges of two counts of domestic violence, and aggravated stalking and robbery.

Hinds County Has Worst Preterm Birth Rate in Mississippi

More babies are born prematurely in Hinds County than anywhere else in the state, a new report from the March of Dimes shows.

Jordan Johnson

Sophomore running back Jordan Johnson, a Byram native, led Jackson State's possibly rejuvenated rushing attack, rushing for 160 yards on 21 carries and scoring all three of JSU's touchdowns.

The ‘Radical’ Mayor, 120 Days Later

Hundreds of Jacksonians sat in mostly silence as Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba delivered his "State of the City" address on a late Monday afternoon in Thalia Maria Hall in downtown Jackson.

Looking Ahead to 2018 in #MSLeg

With an American flag backdrop the size of a mid-sized swimming pool, Mississippi's top lawmakers took turns running through their track records and outlining where state policy is headed at the Mississippi Coliseum last week.

Malcolm Harrison: ‘Experience Matters’

Malcolm Harrison is running for the Hinds County attorney position left empty by his long-time law partner, Sherri Flowers-Billups, who passed away from cancer last October.

Sex Workers Caught in Trafficking Crackdown

Amid widespread efforts to crack down on sex trafficking, particularly of children, those who participate in adult sex work—often called prostitution—are getting caught in the sweeps. Many consider this a flaw in the system.

A Different Kind of Takeover for JPS

The Jackson Public School District is now in the hands of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Gov. Phil Bryant's office and the City of Jackson.

Igor Iwanek

Composer and performer Igor Iwanek has spent the past two years teaching music-based yoga classes in the Jackson metro area as part of his "Mindful Sound Experience" program, which was originally titled "Music and Mysticism."

David McDowell

David McDowell says that he took up the position of the Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence's policy coordinator in September after his mentor, MCADV interim president and former Mississippi Democratic Trust Executive Director Brandon Jones, inspired him to get involved in the cause.

T J's Ice Cream Parlour, Waitr Jackson, Eastover Market, and Lenny's Sub Shop

South Jackson native Thomas Jones opened his new business, T J's Ice Cream Parlour, on Oct. 10.

Hinds DA Replaces Attorney Reeves—Who Still Has the Gun

An "overwhelmed" Rankin County judge has delayed Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith's trial for charges of two counts of domestic violence and aggravated stalking and robbery until Jan. 29, 2018.

Mississippi Same-Sex Marriage Case Moving Ahead with HB 1523 Now Law

Legal challenges to the anti-LGBT House Bill 1523 will continue, as U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves has lifted the stay on the 2014 lawsuit that sought to force the State of Mississippi to recognize same-sex marriages and issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Report: Mississippi's Black Children Face More Barriers Than White Kids

Mississippi is one of the worst states for black children, despite having the highest population of them in the country. Black children in Mississippi face health, educational and poverty-related barriers that hinder their opportunities later in life, the new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation found.

Millsaps Global Climate Action Conference, JSU Visually Impaired Program and Education Policy Fellowship

Millsaps College will host a one-day conference called "Global Climate Action: Sustainable investment in Germany and the United States" in partnership with the Atlanta-based German Consulate and the Ecologic Institute U.S. on Thursday, Nov. 2, in the campus' Gertrude C. Ford Academic Complex.

Jenni Sivils

Jenni Sivils, a Eufaula, Ala., native, says that she has always been creative and a lover of funky art. During her free time, she pours her passion into her home-based businesses, a floral service called The Prickly Hippie and a bakery called Three Peacocks Cakery.

UPDATED: Lumumba, Bryant Unveil JPS Commission with W.K. Kellogg Foundation

Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba today confirmed and expounded on the rumor that people and organizations have worked behind the scenes to develop a "third option" for Jackson Public Schools.

Ellington