News

Like the DA Trying to Protect Him, Butler Trial Ends in a Mistrial

Another trial tangentially related to District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith has ended in a mistrial. The man the district attorney went to trial late last year for trying to protect just got his own hung jury.

Black Leaders Boycott over State Flag, as Outrage at Karl Oliver Lingers

Most Republican leaders have distanced themselves from Rep. Karl Oliver, R-Winona, who made national headlines for a Facebook post that called for the lynching of leaders in Louisiana who support the removal of Confederate monuments, but the fight to change the state flag continues.

Zack Shannon

Delta State University junior first-baseman Zack Shannon didn't win the 2017 Ferriss Trophy, but he will get an opportunity that the other finalists might not get. Shannon and his teammates have a chance to win a national championship in the Division II Men's College World Series.

Top Dollar Pawn Shop Lives for Another Day

Tramaury Barnes walked into Top Dollar Pawn on West Street at about 10 a.m. on April 24, 2017, to retrieve his AR-12 he had pawned.

Suing for Fully Funded Education

The fight to fully fund the Mississippi Adequate Education Program continues in the courtroom, as two Democrats filed a lawsuit against the governor, the state fiscal officer, the Mississippi Department of Education and the state treasurer.

When Children Can’t See: Vision Problems Can Lead to Failing

Vision to Learn, a Los Angeles-based foundation that aims to screen all children for eyesight problems, has partnered with Jackson Public Schools to screen nearly 27,000 students in the district.

Paul Bonds

Paul Bonds, who owns local coffee roaster and retailer BeanFruit Coffee, says he grew up hating coffee until a single cup changed his perspective.

ACLU of Mississippi Calls for Investigation into Rep. Karl Oliver's Past

The ACLU of Mississippi has called on Gov. Phil Bryant, House Speaker Philip Gunn and the House Ethics Committee to investigate whether Rep. Karl Oliver's statement was a breach of Code of Ethics or House rules.

Four Black Moms Sue State for Denying 'Uniform System of Free Public Schools'

Four mothers with children in majority-black school districts and schools rated "D" or "F" are accusing the State of Mississippi of violating a law requiring "uniform system of free public schools."

Derek Emerson Purchases Parlor Market, Grillehouse Ribbon Cutting and Seafood R’evolution Tapas Menu

Derek Emerson, who owns Walker’s Drive-In, Local 463 Urban Kitchen and CAET Wine Bar, will begin making preparations this week to purchase downtown Jackson restaurant Parlor Market.

Tim Martin

For Tim Martin, pursuing a career in public education did not always seem a likely career path, but it's one that he says has become a lifelong passion.

Families Explode in Emotion Over Child Murder Charges, Rumors Dispelled

Four families were distraught today as Judge Bruce McKinley denied bond to Byron McBride Jr.; Dwan Wakefield and D’Allen Washington, charging them with capital murder for the kidnapping and murder of 6-year-old Kingston Frazier early last Thursday.

Mississippi Valley's Bynum Named 'Preferred Candidate' for Jackson State Top Role

The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning announced today the selection of Dr. William B. Bynum as the preferred candidate for President of Jackson State University. Dr. Bynum currently serves as President of Mississippi Valley State University.

Speaker Strips Karl Oliver of Vice-Chairmanship After ‘Lynched’ Facebook Post

House Speaker Philip Gunn stripped Rep. Karl Oliver, R-Winona, of his vice-chairmanship today after Oliver’s Facebook post Saturday, which said those supporting the removal of Confederate monuments in Louisiana “should be LYNCHED!”

Fallen Confederate Monuments Could Find New Home at Beauvoir on Coast

As the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee came down Friday afternoon in New Orleans—along with three other Confederate monuments in the city including Jefferson Davis—the future of the monuments did not seem to be much of a conversation.

Rep. Karl Oliver's Lynching Call Turns Spotlight to Mississippi Statues

When Rep. Karl Oliver decided to take to Facebook Saturday night to vent his anger over the Confederate statues coming off public property in Louisiana, he ignited a firestorm over his call for the kind of terrorism the Old South is still known for: lynching.

Kaitlin Lee

The University of Mississippi's surprise run to the title featured phenomenal pitching from the Rebel's Kaitlin Lee. In four games, she gave up just three runs in four games, with opposing teams struggling to put their offenses together to score runs.

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.

UPDATED: State Rep. Karl Oliver Calls for Lynching Over Statues, Later Apologizes

Rep. Karl Oliver posted on Facebook that those taking down Confederate statues "should be LYNCHED!" He later apologized, but many are calling for his resignation.

Sheriff Victor Mason: Stop Spreading 'Vicious' Rumors in Kingston Frazier Tragedy

Hinds County Sheriff Victor Mason is addressing the rampant rumors around the murder of 6-year-old Kingston Frazier last week, which were fueled by an early report that the baby wasn't reported missing until an hour after the abduction, which apparently was not true.

Amazing Grace: On Tragic Day in Jackson, JPD Honors Fallen Officers

On the same day that tragedy struck Jackson with the brutal murder of 6-year-old Kingston Frazier, members of the Jackson Police Department and family members came together in downtown Jackson to honor fallen officers.

Kaye Phillips

Kaye Phillips says she did not know what to think when a stranger at the post office kept staring at her. The woman eventually pointed to her bag, which was branded with the title of the book that Phillips worked on, and said, in a pointed tone, "'Nasty Women Project,' what is that?"

Former Gov. Musgrove in Court: Law Requires State to Fund MAEP

The fight to fully fund the state's education funding formula had its day in the Mississippi Supreme Court on Wednesday. Former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove told the court that the Mississippi Adequate Education Program must be fully funded in order to follow state law as it is written.

Jason Wells’ GOP Dream: First Mayor, Then President

The Republican nominee for Jackson mayor, Jason Wells, 34, has returned to the polls once again in hope of successfully finding what he desires in life, a political office.

The Battle for Children’s Mental Health in Mississippi

Lisa Fuller, a Mississippi mother of two in Madison, stood up at the Children's Mental Health Summit at the Jackson Hilton on May 12 to explain her laborious journey of finding care and support for her two daughters: one who has high-functioning autism and the other who has anxiety and depression disorders.

Incoming, Hopeful City Leaders Pledge to Help Rebuild Jackson

Concerned citizens and members of religious institutions gathered last week in the Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church in south Jackson to ask the Democratic nominee for Jackson mayor, Chokwe Antar Lumumba, and several presumptive city-council candidates to pledge to help rebuild Jackson.

Tasha Rollins

I used to think Jackson is boring—and it's not," Tasha Rollins says. She has seen Jackson change as she grew up, but she says that it still has that kind of small-town vibe that she's grown to love.

Developer Expanding Farish District Housing

Clusters of affordable housing units line the blocks directly west of Greenwood Cemetery, in the heart of the Farish Street Historic District. Their Easter-egg hues stand out starkly in contrast to a few burnt-out and blighted homes and vacant lots around them.

Ward 6 Candidates Meet Today in Runoff; Polls Close at 7 p.m. Tonight

Today is the municipal primary run-off that will determine whether Rev. Ernest Slaughter or Rev. Aaron Banks will become the new Ward 6 city councilman, replacing Tyrone Hendrix, who left to take a position with the Mississippi Association of Educators.

AG Office Needs $1.72 Million to Pay for Mental-Health Litigation Next Year

Attorney General Jim Hood asked Gov. Phil Bryant to address his budget bill in the special session, so far scheduled for June 5 with no specifics set, as well as to ask the Legislature to add more funding to litigate the state's mental-health litigation with the U.S. Department of Justice.

Ellington