News

Arts Head Blasts City for Cuts, But Deep Everywhere

The Jackson City Council moved funding back to the Greater Jackson Arts Council on Oct. 4, but it was not up to the level of last year—nor did it come quickly enough to restore the organization's confidence in its relationship with the City administration.

Continental: Conservation, Excavation and New Hires

Zach Morrow was born and raised in Ackerman, Miss., and has been doing construction work since he was 18 years old. He has worked in and out of the state since graduating in 2010 from Mississippi State University with a bachelor's degree in construction management—until now.

Making Their Own Space

NunoErin, a design studio based in downtown Jackson, glows with color and light. With its pristine light-up furniture and colorful gaming tables illuminating restaurants, hospitals and hotels all over the world, the company meshes high technology with color and fun.

Nathan Theisen

Nate Theisen, a professor of visual arts at Belhaven University for the last 15 years, started working there out of a desire to bring the arts into a religious climate.

UPDATED: City Agreement Outrages Abortion Clinic Owner, Staff

Pro-Life Mississippi protesters reached an agreement with the City of Jackson recently in federal court to limit what they say are breaches of their constitutional right to protest. But the two parties did not consult with the clinic's owner, manager or any of the women who visit for treatment.

Lost Revenue: Closing the ‘Amazon Tax’ Loophole

In the state's never-ending search for revenue—and as corporate and individual income-tax cuts loom—lawmakers are looking to shift the state's tax code, all while not losing revenue in the process.

DA Could Face Fast Removal from Office If Judge Grants Bench Trial

The Mississippi attorney general’s office wants to move forward quickly on the single misdemeanor charge Hinds County Robert Shuler Smith faces, possibly removing him from office without a jury decision.

Lawsuit Targets Chris Butler, Connected to Mega Mattress Scam

Christopher Butler, one of the more prominent figures involved in the ongoing legal battle between Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith and the Mississippi attorney general's office, now faces a federal civil lawsuit in addition to his pending criminal charges.

Mary Harrison Lee

Mary Harrison Lee, a civil-rights activist and participant in the famous Freedom Rides of 1961, died on Sept. 26 at age 77.

Food Truck Friday Returns, Soft Surroundings, Altitude Trampoline Park and Rockstar Ink

Food Truck Friday, a weekly event series in which local food trucks gather to sell lunch items in downtown Jackson's Smith Park, returned on Oct. 7 for its first event since May. Another event is scheduled for Oct. 21.

State's High Court May Change Criminal Procedures, Getting Public Comment

After 11 years of review, the Mississippi Supreme Court is seeking public comment on its proposed new rules for criminal-law procedures. The rules reflect changes in several parts of the state's criminal law, from charges and warrants to sentencing and probation.

Teen, Expelled from School and the State, Back as Adult to Push Education

Summit Town Councilman Joe Lewis said that when Brenda Travis was expelled from Burglund High School on Oct. 4, 1961, it took his classmates minutes—"not days or weeks"—to decide they would protest.

In DA Case, Former Mayor Danks Challenges AG's Right to Empanel Grand Jury

Former Jackson Mayor Dale Danks Jr., the attorney for Assistant District Attorney Jamie McBride, is challenging the attorney general's authority to ask a Hinds County grand jury to indict him and his boss, Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith.

Murders Reach 54, Kidnapper Nabbed, City Joining Federal Anti-crime Network

As Jackson suffered its 54th violent death this year, Jackson Police Chief Lee Vance reminded his team that they would have to do more with less during this difficult budget climate.

Gerard Howard

Jacksonian Gerard Howard is helping to bring Historically Black College and University marching bands into the national spotlight through a video exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution's new National Museum of African American History and Culture, which opened in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 24.

Pop-Up Makerspace at FFT Showcasing JPS Elementary Students' Creations

One robot fires miniature red plastic cannons with fierce accuracy; others imitate dogs. With the tap of a keystroke, a 3-D printer develops families of little filament creatures. Student-designed computers with Wi-Fi access operate miniature Ferris wheels.

Tim Brown

Mississippi is getting its second visit from a member of the 2002 AFC champion Oakland Raiders.

City Agrees to Stop Interfering with Anti-abortion Protesters in Fondren

The City of Jackson recently entered into its second consent decree with a group of these protesters over interactions with the Jackson Police Department, alleging that police officers have consistently infringed their First Amendment rights since 1996.

State Cuts to Funding Reduce Jackson Libraries' Operating Hours

The Jackson Hinds Library System (JHLS) will reduce hours beginning October 10, 2016 at all 15 libraries due to a recent $50,000 cut to the library system's state-based Personnel Incentive Grant program.

FBI Seeking Info on Child Sexual Assault Victim

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is seeking the public’s assistance with obtaining identifying information regarding an unknown male who may have critical information pertaining to the identity of a child victim in an ongoing sexual exploitation investigation. Photographs and an informational poster depicting the unknown individual, known only as John Doe 37, are being disseminated to the public and can be found online at the FBI website at http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/ecap.

Unmet Needs: Children with Disabilities Caught in the Voucher Crossfire

Private School Review, a website that vets private schools, says that the state has 250 private schools. Out of these, the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools, or MAIS, reports that it lists just over 80 schools in its directory.

City Police Overtime Balanced, Fair Security Set

In a climate of desperation, the Jackson City Council approved the final numbers for the 2016 budget last week, closing out a difficult financial year for the City while rolling over $5.9 million in reserve funds for the next year.

The Murder Trial That Won’t Go Away

To understand the history of Curtis Flowers' case and the claims of racial discrimination in jury selection, it is vital to understand the history of landmark cases in the same vein.

Angela Butler

Though Angela Butler is now a local entrepreneur and volunteer enthusiast, she says she had to "learn to fail forward toward success."

Replacing Military-Style Detention

Mississippians who receive earned probation for crimes that do not carry a death sentence or involve deadly weapons will now have access to high-school equivalency education, alcohol and drug counseling, re-entry and employment services—and perhaps, most importantly, "Thinking for a Change," an evidence-based cognitive behavioral-therapy program.

FBI Agent Accuses Hinds District Attorney of Shielding Drug Traffickers

A judge unsealed documents last week as part of the ongoing case against Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith and Assistant District Attorney Jamie McBride that reveal more about the possible reasons for the circuitous legal quagmire that spans multiple cases and courts.

Vulnerable Kids Get Child Care Subsidy Extension

Some of the state's most vulnerable children won't immediately lose their childcare, even if their guardian finds a job and loses support from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.

"Gilmoreversary" at Deep South Pops, Freshii Grand Opening, Innovate Mississippi and New Southern Airways Flights

On Oct. 5, in honor of "Gilmoreversary"—the anniversary of the first day that the television series "Gilmore Girls" aired on The WB—Deep South Pops will be one of 200 businesses across the country partnering with Netflix for Luke's Coffee Day.

County Renews Lapsed Ankle-Bracelet Contract DA Complained About

No contract existed between Hinds County and the company that provided pre-trial detainee supervision, Probation Services Company, LLC, for almost 8 years, until the Board of Supervisors ratified a motion this morning to accept all services for those intervening years and open the contract opportunity up to other companies that meet "county standards."

Panel: Raising Sales Tax, Cutting Business Taxes Options for Increasing State Revenue

The State of Mississippi needs revenue, and lawmakers have three options: increasing the state's sales tax rate, apply sales tax to more items or sell more stuff.

Ellington