News

Jackson Teens Can Treat Substance Abuse, Learn to Set Goals in Jackson

Mississippi Children's Home Services has launched a substance-abuse program for young people age 12 to 17 in the Jackson metro area.

JPD Honors William Winter; Fires Officer Who Propositioned Teen

Even though the Jackson Police Department learned it is facing a $2-million budget cut as the City wrestled with cutting its budget this week, 60 officers gathered with stoic professionalism for JPD's weekly COMSTAT meeting Thursday.

Torenzo Richardson

Torenzo Richardson is no stranger to serving the youth of Jackson.

Mississippi Book Festival Comes to Jackson Again

For the second year in a row, the Mississippi Book Festival will be at the Mississippi State Capitol on Saturday, Aug. 20.

JPD Cuts Budget by $2 Million, But Keeps All Current Officers

The Jackson Police Department is cutting a little over $2 million from its proposed budget, but without eliminating any existing officer positions.

JPS On Probation, Full Audit Ahead

Jackson Public Schools Superintendent Cedrick Gray says that the district plans to install GPS systems on buses to track their routes, ensure that each school has working fire extinguishers and has "beefed up" the presence of law enforcement in its schools to ensure a "safe and orderly" environment.

Sam Kendricks

Four years ago, pole-vaulter Sam Kendricks barely missed reaching the U.S. track-and-field Olympic trials. He was 25th on an entry list that only invited the 24 participants.

DA’s Attorney Looking for Tapes, Informant; Says AG Hiding Him

Defense counsel James Waide III may have revealed the name of the confidential informant who taped Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith and then provided tapes to the Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood’s office—tapes that could get Waide disqualified as Smith’s attorney.

Kennedy: ‘Caring, Capable, Committed’ to District 72

Theresa G. Kennedy can't go far for long before coming home to Mississippi. She has never lived out of the state for more than a year, on purpose, she says.

Twists, Turns, Rats and Secret Tapes

Who's ratting out the district attorney? That's just one of many questions swirling around Attorney General Jim Hood's arrest and investigation of Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith.

Youth Judge Now Adhering to Fed Regs

For the last two years, the Hinds County Youth Court handcuffed children while they waited their turn to appear before Judge William Skinner II in direct violation of a federal consent decree.

Sarah Asmus

Beneath her professional exterior, Sarah Asmus, 38, is an avid lover of art who enjoys things such as gardening and cooking. Her life motto is short, sweet and to the point: You get what you look for.

Walls or Unity? GOTV for Mississippi Latinos Underway

Bill Chandler, the executive director of Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance in Jackson, says electing a president who is sympathetic to immigrants is the next step for families left in limbo by the Supreme Court decision, as well as the immigrant community as a whole.

Water Billing Problems Source of City Budget Issues, Layoffs Ahead

Taylor Jones received a $1,600 water bill to his Belhaven home, and the 23-year-old college graduate doesn't know where to turn. "This was the first bill I had received from the city," Jones said during a phone interview on Aug. 16, "and I was appalled by the amount."

Dak Prescott

If Dak Prescott was nervous last Saturday, he certainly didn't let it show. The former Mississippi State University quarterback and NFL rookie threw for two touchdowns and 139 yards in the Dallas Cowboys' preseason opener against the L.A. Rams.

Freshii Comes to Flowood, Mississippi Contemporary Art Center and Las Palmas Mexican Grill

John Newcomb, the nephew of Newk's Eatery owner Don Newcomb, made his own entry into the restaurant business last week with the opening of Mississippi's first Freshii in Flowood.

Christopher Butler Arraigned for Having Pre-paid Tracfone in Hinds Jail

Christopher Butler, the Jackson man in the middle of Attorney General Jim Hood's investigation of HInds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith, was arraigned today for having an illegal, pre-paid cell phone in the Hinds jail.

Former Hinds County Deputy Sheriff Facing Charges of Exploitation and Forgery

A former Hinds County deputy sheriff is facing charges that she exploited a vulnerable person and committed forgery, announced Attorney General Jim Hood today.

Feds Sue Mississippi for 'Repeated, Prolonged and Unnecessary Institutionalization'

The U.S. Department of Justice sued the State of Mississippi last week for unnecessarily institutionalizing adults with mental illness at a higher rate than providing community-based mental health-care services.

AG Hood Using Secret Tapes, Confidential Informants Against DA Smith

Attorney General Jim Hood revealed in court filings Friday that his office is using both confidential informants and secret recordings of the Hinds County district attorney in its quest to investigate Robert Shuler Smith and ultimately remove him from office for inappropriate interference with the prosecution of two local men.

Oren Renick

Author Oren Renick, a professor at Texas State University in San Marcos, is an exhibitor at this year's Mississippi Book Festival, which takes place Saturday, Aug. 20, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Mississippi State Capitol.

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.

Most Jackson Crime Down Except Precinct 4; Shooter Arrested; Latinos Targeted?

Overall, total major crimes (property and violent) have fallen 15.3 percent throughout Jackson in 2016 over the same period in 2015, but Precinct 4 has seen a 12.3-percent increase in property crime.

Dak Prescott on NFL Debut, Coach Garrett, Poise and That DUI Charge

In a few short months, Dak Prescott went from a hopeful National Football League draft pick to rookie quarterback with the Dallas Cowboys, with a strong possibility of seeing playing time in their preseason opener Saturday night.

Feds Sue Mississippi for Discrimination Against Adults with Mental Illness

The Justice Department today filed a complaint against the state of Mississippi, alleging that it violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA) by failing to provide adults with mental illness with necessary integrated, community-based mental health services.

Ellington