News

JPD Chief and Hinds Sheriff Team Up to Launch 'Operation Side by Side'

At the Second Precinct's late-afternoon roll call at the Metrocenter on Friday, April 15, the Jackson Police Department and the Sheriff's Department joined together to create Operation Side by Side, one of the newest strategies to combat crime in the city.

Blighted Property a 'Recipe for Disaster,' But Residents Can Buy Some of It

When Alberta Epps arrived at the Jackson Police Training Academy Saturday morning, she was looking to find out more than about some overgrown property next to her house.

Cam Akers

College football coaches, fans and scouts will have their eyes on Clinton, Miss., this upcoming season. Everyone will want to see what the Clinton High School Arrows' sought-after star Cam Akers does in his final season.

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.

Madison Trump Rally Cost Taxpayers $11,565.44, Overtime to 235 Officers

Madison taxpayers paid at least $11,565.44 in security expenses for a March 7 political rally for Donald Trump, public-records requests have revealed.

JPS: Charter Schools Cost Jackson Half A Million Dollars, Drain Needed Resources

New charter schools are a money drain on Jackson Public Schools, the district's chief financial officer, Sharolyn Miller, warned Thursday.

Lead a Danger For Pets, Too

While the City of Jackson works on its corrosion-control study to prevent the presence of lead in the drinking water, residents are buying bottled water for themselves and their children, but what about the four-legged members of the family?

Legislature Moves to Control All Sales of Jackson Airport Land

The Mississippi Legislature would control the sale of all Jackson airport land under changes the Senate approved today.

Politicians for Sale? Tate Reeves' Million-Dollar Election

While some lawmakers are attempting to take aim at personal-use spending with campaign-finance funds, little is said about who is funding whom when it comes to candidates.

Ed Update: HB 1523, Charter Schools and Appointed Supes

Now that Gov. Bryant has signed SB 2438 into law, Mississippians are past the days of voting for their school district superintendents.

Budget, Tax and Infrastructure Woes

Despite Republican supermajorities in both the House and the Senate, there seems to be little agreement across the chambers on tax legislation and budget proposals this year.

Debating Restraining, Secluding Kids

The Mississippi Board of Education released an updated restraint and seclusion policy this month that inaugurates more stringent regulations for when adults working in public schools can use force in order to handle student behavioral issues.

HB 1523: Half ‘Redundant,’ Half ‘Unconstitutional’

The controversial House Bill 1523, with its long list of protections for people who discriminate against LGBT people and others, will become law in July unless one of two things happen: lawmakers repeal it, or courts strike it down.

Threat of Lead Paint Grows Over Time

While Jacksonians worry about whether their pipes are leaching lead into their water, those who live in the oldest, poorest sections of the city have been living with the threat of lead for years.

Crimen Contra Los Latinos: Local Residents, Advocates Decry Violent Attacks

Nearly one month since Daniel Omar Gomez and Eli Nunez were shot and killed while grilling dinner with loved ones in their Westhaven Drive front yard, approximately 15 Latinos have been victims of homicide or violent crimes in central Mississippi.

Bradley Roney

Former University of Southern Mississippi pitcher Bradley Roney is working his way up the Atlanta Braves farm system. He began the season as one of the players to watch on the M-Braves pitching rotation.

CU at the Zoo, AnnieGlass, Erdos at Home and UMMC AirCare

The Jackson Zoo is hosting an event called CU at the Zoo, part of Youth Savings Month in conjunction with Credit Union National Association, on Saturday, April 16.

The Last Stand Against HB 1523: Repeal Effort 'Second Chance' for Mississippi?

Rep. Jay Hughes, D-Oxford, and other Mississippi House and Senate Democrats called on the Legislature's leadership to repeal House Bill 1523 this morning.

Poll: Majority in State Support Medicaid Expansion, But the Legislature Doesn't

Despite the Mississippi Legislature's inaction with Medicaid expansion this session, a new poll shows that more than 50 percent of Mississippians support expanding Medicaid, which could provide health-care coverage to an additional 280,000 Mississippians, as well as provide tax credits for low-income adults.

Fondren Hotel Projects to Begin in Next Few Months

Two Fondren hotel projects are set to begin work by the summer, representing a combined total investment estimated at around $58 million.

Iles, Grisham, Eubanks, Reed, Smith, Stockett, Laymon, Tartt Among 95 Mississippi Writers Opposing Anti-LGBT Law

Gov. Phil Bryant and the Mississippi legislators who voted for HB 1523 are not the sole voices of our state. There have always been people here battling injustice.

'Naked Women' Billboard Probably Will Stay, City Powerless to Change It

Concern about "naked women" on a billboard along Interstate 55 has residents demanding that the Jackson City Council do something about it—but it doesn't have the power to bring it down.

Molly Bashay

Molly Bashay is the newest policy analyst for Hope Policy Institute, a division of HOPE, which includes Hope Credit Union and Hope Enterprise Corporation, a community development financial institution in Jackson.

HB 1523's Religious Refusals Could Discriminate Against Public, Private Students

Although the Mississippi governor and legislators who support HB 1523, the "Freedom of Conscience of Religion Act," say it will not contribute to discrimination against the LGBTQ community, many legal professionals and policy experts remain skeptical.

U.S. Rep. Thompson at Nissan: If HB 1523 Not Repealed, Must Seek Federal, Legal Recourse

Standing near a huge Nissan Titan truck at the automaker's Gluckstadt plant, U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson reiterated today that House Bill 1523 is harmful to Mississippi's reputation and economic future, vowing to fight it through legal and federal avenues.

Ellington