News

After Years of Troubles, Largest Student-Loan Servicers Get Stepped-up Oversight

Sallie Mae and other large student-loan servicers—the companies that act as a go-between for borrowers and lenders—will soon be getting some regular oversight from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

MSU Stars

The last few weeks have been rewarding for Mississippi State University. Good news started coming the Bulldogs' way even before the Thanksgiving holiday.

The Slate

Congratulations to Mississippi State and Southern Miss. Both schools came up with huge wins over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Where No Kerbal Has Gone Before

The concept of "Kerbal Space Program" is decidedly simple and open-ended like many of the best indie titles.

Planned Refuge Won’t Kill ‘One Lake’

Residents of the capital city may soon have another option for outdoor recreational activities, a 5,000-acre wildlife refuge the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing.

Local Toy Drives

Give back this season by donating to local toy drives.

Leaders Leave Jackson for Big Ideas

Sitting in his office on the second floor of City Hall Tuesday, Nov. 26, Ward 4 City Councilman De'Keither Stamps beamed as he went over a list of 12 new ordinances he plans to introduce in the coming weeks.

No Fingerprinting for City Program?

The 4-2 vote the city took last week to enact fingerprint scanning for the city's child-care programs might have been a little premature, following revelations that a previously filed injunction could delay and ultimately kill the Mississippi Department of Human Services mandate.

Bill Allain: A People’s Champ

The family of former Mississippi Gov. William "Bill" Allain, who died Dec. 2 at age 85, wants him to be remembered as someone who explicitly fought for Mississippians who historically haven't had many people fighting for them.

Downtown Housing Development Moves Along

A housing development that had been planned for west Jackson before it met community opposition is moving ahead in a new location in downtown Jackson.

Emily Simmons

At 21 years old, Emily Simmons is making waves with her art. Simmons, a junior at Millsaps College, double-majors in studio art and art history with a concentration in museum studies.

Renfroe: Utils Need Skin in the Game

Steve Renfroe, the newest member of the Mississippi Public Service Commission, is the man in the middle on the question of the controversial Kemper County power plant, now under construction.

La Brioche, Nails Envy and Jackson Eye Associates

Originally from Rosario, Argentina, Sprouts and Lazzari have traveled across Europe and South America throughout their lives, inspiring them to fuse different cultures through pastries.

Elizabeth Robinson

Elizabeth Robinson, owner of Spirit House Glass in Fondren Corner, is the only Mississippi artist represented by ArtFulHome.com and artcommission.com.

Selling the Sales Tax

City officials took their message to the people Sunday evening in the first of several town-hall style events, kick-starting the massive task of selling Jacksonians on a proposed 1-percent sales-tax hike.

Health Law May Offer Part-Time Workers Better Options

In January, part-time workers who have so-called "mini-med" health insurance plans with very limited benefits and annual caps on payments will begin to lose that coverage, which under the health care overhaul can't be renewed after the beginning of the year.

Peggy Hobson-Calhoun

The most vocal champion of the Byram-Clinton Parkway, which has long been under development, announced what she called an exciting new phase for the 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.

Getting to the Cause of School Brawls

Dr. Cedrick Gray, the Jackson Public Schools superintendent, promises to punish any and all students who violated district rules during a recent outbreak of fighting—as well as social-media promotion of those fights—at William B. Murrah High School.

Comfort in Tradition

The winter holidays and their emphasis on tradition are a comfort for many people in an age where people's lives are increasingly busy and ever changing.

Watkins: The Meridian Angle

Farish Street may be the biggest mess David Watkins has ever stepped in, but it's certainly not the first project he's had to work and re-work.

Aligning Behind JPS

Shortly after Cedrick Gray wrapped up his Thursday evening press conference, in which he discussed fights at William B. Murrah High School last week, the assembled media hastily packed up their cameras and microphones and silently filed out of the auditorium at Siwell Middle School.

Libby Story McRight

Although she loved Mississippi State University and hated to leave it, Libby Story McRight knew what she needed and wanted to do.

City Holds Nose and Passes Fingerprinting Motion

The City of Jackson was forced to adopt the State Department of Human Services' new policy of fingerprinting parents who get government assistance to pay for child care or risk losing its funding for the program.

Small Business Saturday, Fischer Reopens, UMMC's 'Landmark' Deal, BCBS Keeps Health Plans

Fischer Galleries is one of many local businesses that will be open for Small Business Saturday Nov. 30.

John Egerton

Before "foodie" culture had come into vogue like it has today, people like John Egerton were rarer—people who studied and documented regional cuisine without pretension, drawing deep-rooted parallels between a people and their fare.

The Scottsboro Boys

For his alleged participation in raping two white women, prosecutors apparently wanted 17-year-old Haywood Patterson to stand trial first "because he has the blackest skin, the wickedest gleam in his eyes, and the meanest expression on his face," wrote Carleton Beals in The Nation magazine, in the winter of 1936.

Ellington