News

State Recovers $11 Million in Audit by Medicaid Division, Attorney General

Auditors working in the Mississippi Division of Medicaid and the attorney general's office recovered more than $11 million in improper payments and claims for fiscal-year 2017 after analyzing medical claims paid out to health-care providers across the state.

Emmett Till

Sixty-two years ago, white men in the Mississippi Delta brutally murdered Emmett Till in a horrific lynching that is often cited as a catalyst for launching the Civil Rights Movement in the South.

Best of Jackson: Home Improvement

This year's Best Plumber winner, Buford Plumbing, has done a lot more than unclog a drain or two for the Jackson metro area.

ACLU: Trump Giving Police Grenade Launchers, Bayonets and Other Military Equipment

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that President Donald Trump will issue an executive order today allowing the federal government to give police departments certain military equipment—such as grenade launchers, high-caliber weapons, and armored vehicles—through the Department of Defense 1033 program and other federal programs.

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.

JPS Enrollment Numbers Down as Registration Deadline Approaches

Jackson Public Schools has 25,135 students registered or in process of registering, but the district has 27,707 students eligible to register for the 2017-2018 school year, interim Superintendent Freddrick Murray told the JPS Board of Trustees last night.

Drum Majors for Academic Excellence, Vietnam Reflections and MUW Nursing Program

Jackson State University's Development Foundation has launched a campaign called "J5 Drum Majors for Academic Excellence" to help the university generate $1 million within four years for endowed scholarships.

Gene Murphy

On Aug. 16, long-time Hinds Community College head coach Gene Murphy announced that he has decided to step down.

Jackson Schedules Water Main Repair

The City of Jackson has scheduled a water main repair for [900 - 1399] High Street

'Long Live Wonder' (and Robots) at Upcoming Mississippi Science Fest

The LeFleur Museum District—the Mississippi Children's Museum, Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum, Mississippi Museum of Natural Science and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum—are collaborating on the Mississippi Science Festival, which will celebrate science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM.

Mayor, Police Chief Address Poverty-Crime Connection, Solutions Going Forward

Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and Jackson Police Department Chief Lee Vance are working to increase the number of JPD police officers as well as implementing additional solutions to crime in the capital city.

Some Parents Left Behind on Child Care

Deloris Suel knows and works with employed parents who can no longer receive financial support for child care due to clerical reasons like not having the same address on their driver's license as where they currently live.

Malik Heath

It is easy to see why Malik Heath's teammates and coaches compare him to Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant and Atlanta Falcons wide-out Julio Jones. His body control and ability to lock the ball in his hands is similar to those stars.

State School Districts Get ‘Baseline’ Reprieve, for Now

The Mississippi Board of Education approved a new baseline for state test scores last week that will affect what grade the schools and districts earn in the school's accountability ranking system.

Talking Back to Gov. Bryant: Flag Needs to Change with White Support

Actor and activist Aunjanue Ellis talked back to Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant today to denounce his refusal to back changing the state flag to one without a symbol of the Confederacy.

Aplos Coming to Highland Village, CARA Dog Days of Summer and Mission First

General Manager Steven O'Neill and Executive Chef Alex Eaton of The Manship Wood Fired Kitchen are preparing to launch a new Mediterranean "fast fine dining" restaurant called Aplos at Highland Village in early 2018.

Report: LGBT Men Need Quality Sexual Health Standards in Jackson, Beyond

LGBT men have limited access to quality sexual health care, a new report finds. In the capital city, it is an especially serious problem: The Jackson metro has the fourth-highest rate of HIV diagnosis per 100,000 residents among the nation's metropolitan areas, with about 40 percent of LGBT men infected with HIV here in 2014.

Will Brooks

Graphic designer Will Brooks sits under the giant inflatable donut behind his desk in his North Midtown Arts Center studio, talking about the creative community he's found in the neighborhood.

Dak Prescott to Young People: Believe in Yourself Through It All

Dak Prescott chooses not to worry about things he can't control. He stays focused on the task in front of him, he says, controlling only what he can. When the 24-year-old is not studying film or on the field, he likes to get lost in NCAA football on PlayStation 3 to take his mind off the game.

This Week in Higher Education

The Association of American Colleges & Universities recently selected Millsaps College as a site for one of the organization's new Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Campus Centers, which are part of an initiative with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to engage and empower campus and community stakeholders to break down racial hierarchies and create a positive narrative about race in the community.

Lillian Cooley

Lillian Naomi McKinney Cooley, who served as vice president of business development for her family's vocational training and management consulting firm, Systems Consultants Associates, Inc., died Friday, July 28, at the age of 84.

Lenorris Footman

Lenorris Footman signed with the Braves in 2013 after graduating from Jefferson County High School in Monticello, Fla., where he led his team to the 2011 1A State Football Championship.

Mississippi, Jackson Students Make Gains on State Tests in Most Areas

On the whole, Mississippi students improved on their state testing this year in both mathematics and English language arts, newly released results from the Mississippi Academic Assessment Program, or MAAP, show.

Mayor Lumumba Releases Statement on Charlottesville Rally, State Flag

Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba released a statement on Wednesday, August 16, condemning the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville over the weekend.

Where to Find What You Need

School can be fun to shop for, and luckily, Jackson has great local businesses where you can find them while avoiding chains. Try these for staples.

Stay Stress Free

As you head into college, upcoming homework assignments and finals are inevitable, but even though the work is unavoidable, the accompanying stress doesn't have to be.

How to Survive College

College can be both difficult and easy, depending on what you do. For this year's Jackpedia issue, we've gathered some tips to survive college.

State’s Longest-Sitting Death Row Inmate Challenges Death Penalty Drug

The Mississippi Supreme Court has sentenced Richard Jordan to death four times, but with the help of his lawyers, he continues to challenge the state's death penalty method.

Moving Beyond Suspension: Changing the Discipline Climate in Jackson Schools

JPS administrators recognize that out-of-school suspension is not the way to change school climates district-wide, and Margrit Wallace, the JPS chief academic officer in the student academic and behavioral support department, is working to move the district towards restorative justice practices, which could eventually include dialogue circles in the classroom.

Raegan Johnson

Raegan Johnson says her love to serve fuels her drive to give back to others, whether it's in her community or at her school.

Ellington