ICE Releases Daniela Vargas Under Order of Supervision
Daniela Vargas, the 22-year-old undocumented immigrant who grew up in Mississippi and was detained after speaking out at a press conference in Jackson, is free from federal custody as of today.
State Flag Debate Back in the Spotlight
Rep. William Shirley, R-Quitman, is on a mission to make universities fly the state flag. The state flag debate flared up yesterday in the House of Representatives when Rep. Shirley introduced an amendment requiring all institutions of higher learning to fly the state flag if they want to continue to receive state funding.
Dyslexia Voucher Expansion Bill Passes Senate
House Bill 1046 expands vouchers or scholarships, depending on whom you ask in the statehouse. Either way, the legislation advanced late on Wednesday night after more than two hours of debate.
Joye Lee-McNelis
As the University of Southern Mississippi heads into the Conference USA Women's Basketball Tournament, which begins today, March 9, USM is riding a seven-game winning streak. That's an amazing feat when you consider that the team has kept winning after Head Coach Joye Lee-McNelis took a leave of absence after she was diagnosed with lung cancer.
Internalized Racism: On the Hunt for Solutions
Byron D'Andra Orey, a JSU political science professor, conducts experiments that represent a burgeoning area of study known as "biopolitics," a field examining the intersection of biology and political behavior.
A Sense of Urgency: Sen. John Horhn Pledges to Cure What Ails City Hall
Sen. John Horhn may have been in the Mississippi Legislature for 24 years, but the Jackson man doesn't always get what he wants.
Ariel Boggess
Ariel Boggess has always created art in mediums such as painting and drawing, so she says makeup was a natural fit.
Petitions, Vigil Demand Feds to #FreeDany from ICE Detention Center
As Daniela Vargas sits in an immigrant detention center in Jena, La., 166 miles from her Jackson home, concerned citizens, advocates and pastors gathered here in the courtyard of Fondren Presbyterian Church to hold a vigil for the 22-year-old undocumented immigrant.
Swell-O-Phonic, Little Bluestem Farm and Mantle. Co.working
Swell-O-Phonic is renovating this week and is temporarily moving all of its stock and operations into The Wonder Lab downstairs.
Workers, Advocates and Politicians March for Unionization at Nissan
Auto industry workers, advocates and politicians marched on the Nissan Plant in Canton on Saturday to show support for a union and to urge workers there to unionize.
Jackson Water Outage Scheduled for This Weekend
Jacksonians in some parts of the city can expect water outages or low water pressure this weekend, starting on Friday at 3 p.m. until about the same time on Sunday, March 12.
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.
As Deadline Passes, 16 Candidates Running for Jackson Mayor
As the deadline passes to qualify for the Jackson city elections, 16 candidates are running for mayor of the capital city.
Abusers Get Another Divorce Pass from #MSLeg, But Senator Pushes Back
Sen. Sally Doty, R-Brookhaven, is not giving up on making domestic abuse grounds for divorce in Mississippi. Rep. Andy Gipson, R-Braxton, killed Doby's bill on Feb. 28, in committee, not even letting members vote on it.
UPDATED: Feds Close Over 100 Mississippi Bridges, Senator Says
"Over 100 (posted) bridges have been closed." The Mississippi Senate did not take up any legislation today, but before it adjourned, Sen. Willie Simmons, D-Cleveland, stood up to give that announcement.
ICE Plans to Deport Daniela Vargas Without Hearing, Attorney Says
Daniela Vargas, a 22-year-old undocumented immigrant who grew up in Mississippi, is in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody with no bond and will not get a hearing before an immigration judge, her lawyer said this afternoon.
Hostility to Immigrants Breeds 'Constant State of Fear,' Advocates Say
Business owners, pastors and lawyers gathered outside Jackson City Hall Wednesday to voice concerns for the hostility shown toward immigrants in the wake of President Donald Trump's executive orders and recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Jackson.
From Welfare to Divorce: What's Dead, What's Alive in the Legislature
Criminal-justice and welfare reform are alive to see another day, but adding abuse as grounds for divorce and election reform were dead on arrival.
Brent Rooker
Mississippi State University outfielder Brent Rooker was in the zone last weekend in the batter's box. The ball must have looked like the size of a cantaloupe each time he came to the plate.
UPDATED: DACA Immigrant Detained in Jackson After Speaking Out, ICE Responds
Minutes after leaving a press conference, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers detained Daniela Vargas, a 22-year-old undocumented immigrant in the process of applying for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) status for the third time.
MPB Bridges Education As Cuts Loom
Ronnie Agnew watched PBS shows like "Sesame Street" when he was growing up in Saltillo in rural Mississippi. Now the executive director of Mississippi Public Broadcasting, Agnew tells the story of a friend who lived to be 103 years old, illiterate most of his long life until he discovered public broadcasting.
EdBuild: New Formula in Hands of Few
Mississippi's new education funding formula is in the hands of a few lawmakers and the statehouse leadership—and what it will look like or how much money will go into the formula are still a mystery to the public and the press.
A Violence Talk That Might Have Been
It felt more like a bait-and-switch. But maybe the City Hall gathering was a start of a new way of thinking about crime prevention in the capital city.
Adam Farcus
Artist Adam Farcus hasn't needed much time to make friends and make a difference in Jackson.
Mental-health Courts Could Supplement Jails If Bill Stays Alive
Replacing jail with mental-health courts in some instances is still possible statewide, after the House Judiciary B and Appropriations Committees passed their version of legislation to the House for a full vote this morning.
Angie Thomas
In 2009, the death of Oscar Grant in Oakland, Calif., shook the nation, and the conversation about race and police brutality began anew. Here in Jackson, author Angie Thomas heard both sides of that conversation.
Better Beignets, Barrelhouse and Big Apple Inn
New Orleans native C.J. "Beignet" Black grew up eating beignets at the famous Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans' French Quarter and dreamed of starting a restaurant when he grew up.
Maria Luisa Alvarez Harvey
Maria Luisa Alvarez Harvey, a former professor and associate dean of the W.E.B. Du Bois Honors College at Jackson State University, died on Feb. 13, 2017, at age 84.
Mississippi Worst State for Women, Study Finds
Mississippi as the worst state for women based on several factors from life expectancy to unemployment figures, a new WalletHub study found.
'Racially Discriminatory' State Flag Lawsuit Appeal Goes to 5th Circuit
The lawsuit to change the Mississippi state flag because it is "racially discriminatory" is still alive. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear Grenada-based attorney Carlos Moore's appeal on March 7.
Blogs
- Boil Water Lifted for Most Jackson ZIPs
- City Responds to Hinds County Emergency Declaration
- ZDD Giveaways and Festival on Mar 25, but No Parade
- Casino-Mogul Trump Going Against the Odds With 'Muslim Ban'
- Millsaps Issues Statement on Trump's Immigration Order
- Court Denies Attempts to Dismiss Election Complaint for "Straw Contest"
- Roll-Off Dumpster Day on February 4
- City: Court Rules Rankin Can Build Own Wastewater Treatment Plant
- LaDarion Ammons Announces Run for Ward 7 Council Seat
- Tornado Warning for Central Hinds, NE Rankin, Madison Counties
Video
- Gov. Reeves Answers Nick Judin's Questions
- Chris McDaniel on Morning Joe
- Word on the street: What would you like to see come to Jackson?
- Trump Rally
- Trump Rally
- More Trump Rally Footage
- Trump Rally
- Kameron Palmer On Saving Our Sons
- Joel D. Swan On Saving Our Sons
- Attorney Martin Perkins Speaks for Inmates