News

Justice, Hope and Hurricane Katrina

Re-housing residents along the Mississippi coast became the most daunting problem of the post-Katrina recovery—logistically and politically speaking.

Funding a Lifeline for Homeless Youth

Stewpot Community Services is one of several programs that serve homeless youth in the Jackson area. More than 3,000 students in Jackson Public Schools are homeless.

Reeves, Gunn Refuse to Reveal Emails About Initiatives 42 and 42-A

Officials with the public-school advocacy group Better Schools, Better Jobs are exploring their options after top lawmakers denied the group's public-records request for emails.

James A. Hefner

James A. Hefner, a former president of Jackson State University, died from complications from colon cancer Thursday, Aug. 27, in his home in Brentwood, Tenn. He was 76.

Tom Ramsey's Stäge Pops Up, Bar Expands and Mississippi Modern Open House

Local chef Tom Ramsey, owner of La Finestra, is hosting a series of pop-up dinners at Taste of the Island Caribbean throughout October.

City Mulls Siemens Contract Amendment

City officials recently announced that upgrades to the city's water system, which cost $25 million, are complete.

Spanky the Otter

The Jackson Zoo has a new creature on the block: Spanky, a 1-year-old male North American river otter. He arrived in May and recently made his otter exhibit debut.

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.

HRC Training an Army for Miss. Equality

HRC Mississippi is hosting its first equality summit this weekend in Jackson, which aims to increase visibility and engagement for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality.

Yarber: No Tax Hike in Revised Budget, Furloughs Still on the Table

When Mayor Tony Yarber submits the second draft of his budget proposal to the Jackson City Council next week, the plan will not include an 8-percent tax increase.

Activists Pursue Private Abortion Details Using Public Records Laws

Increasingly, abortion opponents are pursuing personal and medical information on women undergoing abortions and the doctors who perform them.

MSU: No Shots Fired, No Gun Found After 'Credible Threat' Alert

Mississippi State University officials say one man has been arrested after the school received a "credible threat" that led them to issue an alert for an active shooter.

Tori Bowie

Former USM sprinter Tori Bowie has gone from tiny Sandhill, Miss., to challenging the best women sprinters for the top spot.

MSU 'Shooter' in Custody, Schools on Lockdown

What was described as an 'active shooter' at Mississippi State University is in custody, according to the school's official Twitter feed for emergency and advisory information.

The Story of My Lifetime: Notes on Katrina’s 10th

As we approached the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, I found myself wanting to experience neither.

Merchell Pittman, a program support assistant at the G. V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center, says some of the greatest lessons in her life have come from her nearly two decades of military service.

Mississippi's Marijuana Initiative in Trouble?

Organizers of a statewide ballot initiative to legalize cannabis in Mississippi and commute the sentences of people incarcerated for marijuana-related crimes fear their dreams are going up in smoke due to disturbing efforts to kill it.

Yarber, Council Gripped in Budget Battle of Wills

Jerry Taylor, like many of the people at Wingfield High School, was hopping mad about the City of Jackson's finances and a tax increase proposed to fill a budget deficit.

How School Districts Try to Make the Grade

The new system for grading Mississippi public schools is under fire in a recent PEER study that has called for changes.

Hurricane Katrina: Young Mississippians Remember the Storm

Ten years after Hurricane Katrina, graduate student Ashley Norwood asked Gulf Coast natives at the University of Mississippi, "What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear Hurricane Katrina?"

JSU Scrambles for Housing with High Enrollment Numbers

Jackson State University's growth is taking place so rapidly that the school was caught off guard this year by the number of students wanting to study there.

Local Coffee and Wine Shops Offering New Locations, Products, Services

Early next year, Mitchell Moore, who owns Campbell's Bakery (3013 N. State St.) in Fondren, will open a second location at 123 Jones St. in Madison.

Melissa Vincent

Before Melissa Vincent began her Instagram account in 2011, she says she had never considered photography a real art form.

Coleman, Amos Head to Transportation Commission Democratic Runoff

Although it wasn't as a big of a surprise as the outcome of the race for governor, the Democratic primary for the Central District representative to the Mississippi Transportation Commission also raised a few eyebrows.

PEER Questions Grading System for Public Schools

A legislative oversight group is questioning the way Mississippi grades its public schools even as the state moves forward with plans to take control of schools considered failing.

Brittany Noble-Jones

Brittany Noble-Jones made her debut as WJTV's new morning show anchor Monday, Aug. 10, joining "News Channel 12 This Morning" co-anchor Andrew Harrison.

JPS Revamps Hiring Practices to Slash Teacher Vacancies

As of Aug. 19, there are only about 22 teacher vacancies among JPS' 60 schools, Superintendent Cedrick Gray told the Jackson City Council during a presentation of the district's budget for the 2015-2016 school year.

Jarius Moore

The Jackson State University Tigers turned to highly touted sophomore Jarius Moore to lead the ground game last season.

Journal from Jackson: Will Kids Win State's School-Funding Fight?

Fixing education in a state like Mississippi doesn't happen without a lot of kicking and screaming, even when there is nowhere to go but up.

USDA Promotes Gender-Inclusivity in Jackson

Ashlee Davis wants members of the LGBT community to know that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will not discriminate against them.

Ellington