News

Better Options for JPS’ Boys of Color?

Dr. Cedrick Gray, the eternally upbeat bowtie-wearing superintendent of the Jackson Public Schools, says there was a time when he was a hardheaded little boy coming up in Memphis.

Administration Says Hospitals Will Save $5.7B from Unpaid Bills Due to Health Law

Hospitals are projected to save $5.7 billion this year as previously uninsured patients gain coverage through the 2010 health care law, the Department of Health and Human Services said Wednesday.

Tip in the Sip

T.I. could have whatever he liked in Jackson today.

As we celebrate the paper's 12th birthday this week, we offer this as our gift to Jackson. Thank you for inspiring us all these years. And cheers to Trip and Anna for this amazing poem that reflects your talents and the staff's shared passion for our community.

JRA Power Shift Could Affect Farish

The Farish Street project failed to hit its expected stride, and developer David Watkins eventually fell out of favor with JRA, which yanked the master lease from Watkins' control in fall 2013, touching off a chain reaction of lawsuits, countersuits and finger-pointing.

Westward Expansion

West Jackson is full of the kinds of challenges that social-science careers are built on, and the master plan takes all of it into account.

The Curious Case of Costco, Stadium, Museum, Baseball and Parks

The Jackson Planning Board meeting on Aug. 27 was anything but drab. The widely reported issue of rezoning 50 acres of land that included Smith-Wills Stadium, Jamie Fowler Boyll Park and portions of ballparks south of Lakeland Drive brought out a large crowd of very interested parties.

The Public Must Have Access to Public Info

Every citizen of Jackson contributes to the funding of city government. Each of us pays for some fractional part of employee and elected official salaries, for their cell phones, iPads and laptops, their Internet access, copy machines and their disk storage.

Planting the Seeds of Big Ideas

TEDx Jackson's theme is "Fertile Ground," and includes a wide range of speakers including Joel Bomgar, the founder and CEO of Bomgar, one of the fastest-growing businesses in North America and headquartered in Ridgeland.

Building Purpose in Jackson

Jackson has made positive strides over the last few years, and I believe our best years to be in front of it—but there is still a lot of work for all of us to do.

Learning Academies: Vital for Work Readiness

The Jackson Public Schools district is embracing a strategy that promises to make a huge difference in young people's lives, as well as improve their future success and earning potential with its new focus on freshman learning academies.

#BTCJXN: Be the Change Grab Bag

We asked staffers, readers and known change agents in the community for their ideas on being the change we want to see in Jackson (a phrase we've borrowed from Gandhi).

Public Education Lawsuit, Explained

While Attorney General Jim Hood prepares his defense against former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove's lawsuit against the state for failing to fully fund the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, advocates and politicians on both sides of the adequate-funding debate are criticizing the lawsuit.

The People Take on the Sales Tax

Six months after former Mayor Chokwe Lumumba's death and the unsuccessful campaign of his son, Chokwe Antar Lumumba, to succeed him as mayor, the organizers of the citywide People's Assembly say it's time to get down to business.

Cedrick Gray

Jackson Public Schools Superintendent Cedrick Gray wants to create a better Jackson by creating better citizens. His plans to build a strong community and education system that thrive on one another.

Dorsey Carson: Reconstructing Jackson

Dorsey Carson didn't think he'd ever run for Jackson City Council, but the resignation of Ward 1 Councilman Quentin Whitwell in August opened a door for the attorney and Jackson native who will be on the special-election ballot.

JRA Could Bail Out City on Farish Problems

City of Jackson and the Jackson Redevelopment Authority officials say the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development seems open to granting those bodies an extension to come up with a plan of action in response to a recent federal probe.

Local Restaurant Offends Rabbi

Supporters and friends of Ted Riter, the interim rabbi at Beth Israel in Jackson, are spreading the word about an incident this afternoon at a local eatery

Lucky Town, USM College of Nursing and Nissan/Habitat Collaboration

On Friday, Nov. 7, locally owned and operated craft microbrewery Lucky Town Brewing will open the doors to their new brewing facility in Jackson for a weekend-long grand-opening celebration.

Lori Newcomb

In late 2012, Lori Newcomb, a mother of three, began showing symptoms common in many female reproductive issues, such as bloating, abdominal pain and difficulty urinating. In early 2013, her gynecologist diagnosed her with ovarian cancer.

David Watkins: HUD Sanctions 'Puzzling'

David Watkins, the developer of several high-profile projects in the capital city, says he is baffled about why he's being sanctioned as part of a probe into the use of federal funds on the Farish Street revitalization project.

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.

JoJo the Chimp

He's hairy, over the hill and still a hit with the ladies. No, I don't mean George Clooney. JoJo the chimpanzee, the Jackson Zoo's oldest primate resident, is turning 50 years old this Saturday, Sept. 20.

Report: JRA, Goree and Watkins Suspended from HUD Programs; City Must Repay $1.5 Million for Farish

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has lost faith that any progress will be made with the Farish Street revitalization project that it wants the city of Jackson to repay $1.5 million used on the project.

'Driving While Black'

Brandon resident Pam Johnson's historical nonfiction novel, "Justice for Ella" (iUniverse, 2014, $19.95), reveals Mississippi on a collision course with the Civil Rights Movement.

Mark Ingram

The New Orleans Saints' task against the Minnesota Vikings this season got much harder with running back Mark Ingram suffering a fractured thumb that required surgery. Ingram had two screws placed in his left hand.

Keep on Pushing: Fifty Years After Freedom Summer, Two Mississippi Sisters Press the Fight for Voting Rights

Dorie Ladner helped coordinate a great number of the civil rights sit-ins leading up to Freedom Summer, and she participated in every major civil rights march from 1963 to 1968.

(Some) Drug Testing Kinks Fixed

On Sept. 10, Mississippi Department of Human Services started randomly administering Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory, or SASSI, assessment to first-time applicants to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, a federal program administered by states that provides monthly assistance for low-income families.

Faulty Senate Race Calls for Election Change

The 2014 U.S. Senate race pinned two sides of the Republican Party against each other in a heated primary that presented more possible problems with Mississippi's election law than it did focus on issues facing the state and solutions in either the Mississippi Legislature or the U.S. Congress.

Domestic Violence: From #WhyIStayed to #HowILeft

After the video surfaced of Ray Rice's assault of his now-wife, Janay, and people on the Internet started asking questions that sounded an awful lot like victim-blaming, an author named Beverly Gooden took to Twitter to explain why she stayed with her abusive husband for more than a year.

Ellington