Experts: Silencing Teachers 'Probably Legal,' But May 'Chill' Rights
Retired Ridgeland High School band director Keith Moffat says the Mississippi Legislature is part of the reason he no longer works in the public-school system.
Upgraded 'Fondren Point' Will House Wier Boerner Allin Architecture
Wier Boerner Allin Architecture, which opened in the Fondren Corner building in 2010, is renovating and building out Fondren Point and will be moving its offices there sometime between April and July 2016.
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.
Cleaning Up Jails, Carjackings on Rise, Escapee Still at Large, Citizen's Police Academy
Hinds County Sheriff Victor Mason held a press conference Tuesday, Feb. 16, to discuss recent developments at the Hinds County jails, including improvements to the Raymond Detention Center and two detention officers being arrested for bringing in contraband into the jail.
'Discrimination Act' Would Give Clerks 'Kim Davis' Powers
Kim Davis went to jail in Kentucky for not issuing same-sex marriage licenses, but circuit clerks in Mississippi might not have to if the "Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act" becomes law.
Stuart Kellogg
Earlier this month, the Old Capitol Inn played host to a retirement party for Stuart Kellogg, former president and general manager of news channel WAPT-TV, who held his post for 24 years and two months before his Dec. 31 retirement.
Lumumba's Family Alleges St. Dominic's Didn't Check for Heart Attack
The family of former Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba is seeking restitution from two physicians and St. Dominic's Hospital in a wrongful-death suit filed on Tuesday in Hinds County Circuit Court.
City Council Seeks Input on Subcontractor Transparency Ordinance
The Jackson City Council wants to ensure that minority subcontractors have the ability to take part in major construction projects in the city, get paid on time and be held accountable for their work.
Charter School Expansion Bills Ignite House, Senate
So far, only two charter schools operate in the state, but the Mississippi House and Senate Education Committees met yesterday in hot debate over the establishment of more.
Domestic Abuse May Become Grounds for Divorce in Mississippi
Domestic violence is not currently grounds for divorce in Mississippi, a state where "natural impotency" is listed first as legal grounds for divorce.
Stamps Calls for ‘State of Emergency’ Over Lead, Walks Out After It Fails
Ward 4 Councilman De’Keither Stamps walked out of Wednesday night’s special Jackson City Council meeting after failing to get support for a state of emergency over lead pipes in Jackson homes.
Jackson's New Rental Regs May Target 'Slumlords,' Property Owners Unhappy
The sore subject of inadequate rental housing in Jackson, and how best to regulate, register and inspect it, packed a Jackson City Council public hearing Tuesday evening. Ward 6 Councilman Tyrone Hendrix floated an ordinance to the public that would require inspections before new tenants could move in to rental units.
Is the Payday Soon Over for Payday Lenders?
De'Keither Stamps says that the more money people spend on payday-loan and check-cashing fees, the less they have to help bolster the City's treasury by purchasing goods and services.
Legislators Determined to Tinker with Public Ed
Just three months after Initiative 42 failed in the November election, the Mississippi Legislature has already seen an explosion of controversial education bills—with school consolidation leading the pack.
Off to the Races ... and the Chopping Block
Money was front of mind over the last week in the Mississippi Legislature as Senate and House appropriations committees began budget hearings for state agencies last week.
Expert: Parent-blaming Does Little to Prevent Crime
Overwhelmingly, parent-blaming was the most frequent mantra at a recent crime forum at Wingfield High School, with visible frustration over the need for families to keep their kids out of trouble—a common refrain by people of all races, but usually directed at families of color.
No ‘Hiney Contests,’ Got It?
When a warning by a state Alcohol Beverage Control investigator spooked Ben Shemper, the owner of The Dollarbox Showroom in Hattiesburg, into canceling Big Freedia's Feb. 12 there, it did more than bring massive publicity to the New Orleans bounce queen.
Eubanks Creek: A Step Closer to Relief
Residents along a section of Eubanks Creek in Fondren are a step closer to getting relief from flooding and high-cost flood insurance. In the past year, developers, architects and city officials have analyzed the creek for solutions.
War Against Potholes: The City Battles Nature, Resources
To people in Jackson, who have to battle blown tires, crooked front-end alignments and nearly drowned children, the distinction between potholes, sinkholes and utility cuts are meaningless.
Urban, Rural Areas Need Food Stores, Health Clinics
Sen. David Blount, D-Jackson, introduced legislation in the 2015 session that would have provided tax incentives for grocery stores to enter communities considered to be "food deserts" by the USDA's standards.
Hood: Politicians Playing 'Partisan Games' with Wiretap Bill
The state auditor would be able to request wiretap authority to investigate public corruption if House Bill 944, which passed through the House Judiciary-A Committee today, becomes law.
State's Foster Care System Requests $34.4 Million
Children have died and suffered mistreatment in the state's foster-care system, and the Mississippi Department of Human Services is requesting $34.4 million to change conditions that lead to the abuse.
JXN Escape Room, Paint Nite and Mississippi Business Engagement Network
Clint Sistrunk and his wife, Paulina Krakowska, were in Poland visiting Krakowska's family in summer 2015 when the couple first discovered "escape rooms," which are live-action games that put a group of people in a closed room and have them decipher clues to escape within a one-hour time limit.
Obama Drive, Drones, Rental Rules and Subcontractors Before City Council Today
Subcontractor transparency, revitalizing underutilized residential properties and regulating drones in city limits are among the items the Jackson City Council will take up today.
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.
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia Dead at 79
The U.S. Marshals Service in Washington confirmed Scalia's death at a private residence in the Big Bend area of West Texas. Spokeswoman Donna Sellers said Scalia had retired the previous evening and was found dead Saturday morning after he did not appear for breakfast.
Parents: Talk to Middle-Schoolers About Sex to Break Pregnancy Cycle
Parents should talk to their children about sex when they are between age 11 and 15 years old, the executive director of the Mississippi Campaign for Teen Pregnancy Prevention said today.
Teens Arrested for Robbery String, Police Searching for Carjacking Suspects
Two Jackson teenagers are in custody after a recent string of armed robberies, including of Beatty Street Grocery, Nail City and Waffle House, Police Chief Lee Vance said Thursday during a press conference in police headquarters.
Rep. Moore: 42 Campaign Used Teachers like 'Cheap Rug,' Authors Bill to Limit Politicizing
School-district personnel need to politicize on their own time, rather than during the performance of their official school-related duties, Rep. John Moore, R-Brandon, told the Jackson Free Press today, adding that they are often used like a "cheap rug" for political purposes.
Winifred Green
A white woman from an old Jackson family of influence and means, Winifred Green grew up in the segregated security of white privilege in the Belhaven community during the 1940s and '50s.
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