News

Sheena Johnson

After spending her early life in Raleigh, Miss., an hour southeast of the state’s capital, Sheena Johnson packed her bags at the age of 18 and headed for New Orleans.

Mississippi Could Set Deadline for Posting Campaign Reports

Mississippi’s secretary of state could soon face a strict deadline for posting campaign finance reports, a demand the office says it is not equipped to handle without more employees to carry the workload.

Democratic Congressman Bennie Thompson Sues Trump Over Role in Capitol Riot

Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, the Democratic chairman of the House Homeland Security committee, accused Donald Trump in a federal lawsuit on Tuesday of inciting the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Mayor Lumumba Further Extends Curfew Order for Jackson Youth

City of Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba has again extended the Mayoral Curfew Order for minors under the age of 18 years initially issued on Feb. 3.

Weather Closures: JSU, Belhaven Cancel Classes; MSDH Closes Vaccine Sites

Jackson State University and Belhaven University have announced closures due to weather on Monday, February 15, 2021.

Civil Emergency for Inclement Weather in Jackson

Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba this evening issued a proclamation declaring a civil emergency for the entire City of Jackson in anticipation of inclement weather over the weekend and into next week.

JPS Winter Weather Alert for Feb. 15 and 16

Due to the threat of inclement winter weather conditions, all JPS schools will be all virtual on Monday, Feb. 15, and Tuesday, Feb. 16. There will be no in-person learning.

City Hall, Non-Essential Offices Reopening After President's Day

Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba confirmed that he will not further extend the executive order that has kept City Hall and other non-essential city offices closed to the public since the holidays due to Covid-19 concerns.

Valentine's Day 2021

Jackson couples have plenty of options to choose from local businesses and restaurants to treat their partner to a special evening this Valentine’s Day.

City Opens Poll-Workers Application, Lynch Street Resurfacing Complete

The City of Jackson seeks 679 poll workers to cover the 82 voting precincts for the April 6 primary, April 27 run-off and June 8 general election for mayor and council seats.

34 Candidates Total: Mayor, Jackson City Council Leaders Face Primary Challengers on April 6

By the Feb. 5 deadline, 21 candidates had officially signed up for City of Jackson municipal elections. No new mayoral candidates filed to challenge Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba since January.

Azia’s Picks, Valentine’s Day Edition 2-5-21

If you are trying to get out and get involved in some lovey, dovey activities to share with partners or—for us single folks—find creative ways to share love with your friends and family, check out my picks.

Mississippi Senate: Ban Transgender Athletes on Female Teams

Transgender athletes would be banned from competing in girls' or women's sports in Mississippi schools and universities, under a bill that advanced in the Republican-controlled state Senate late Thursday night.

Mississippi Senate Revives Medical Marijuana Tax Proposal

The Mississippi Senate did an about-face on a proposal to set a 7% sales tax on medical marijuana, first killing a bill and then reviving it hours later in an unusual session after midnight.

CDC Suggests Double Masking as Walmart Begins Mississippi Vaccinations

New research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that under certain circumstances, wearing two masks can provide more protection than simply wearing one.

Alcorn State Opts Out of Spring Season

The overwhelming favorite to win the Southwestern Conference East title won’t play a spring 2021 season. Alcorn State University decided to opt out of spring football when the school made the announcement on Tuesday, Feb. 9.

Belhaven Builds COVID Center, JSU Business Partnership and USM VET Program

Belhaven University recently announced that it has completed construction on its own COVID-19 testing center to track asymptomatic students, faculty and staff.

GOP-Led Mississippi Senate OKs Faster Purge of Voter Rolls

A sharply divided Mississippi Senate voted Wednesday to speed up the process of purging inactive voters' names from election rolls. proposed legislationproposed legislation. The bill passed 36-16, with all the support coming from Republicans and all the opposition from Democrats.

City Gets Art, Climate Change-Mitigation Grants, Fitness Court

Seven Jacksonians will explore the intersection of arts and social justice to create change and to address prevailing arts grantmaking inequities.

Tiffany Graves

Raised in Winchester, Va., Tiffany Graves cherished dreams of becoming a pediatrician, but when she reached the advanced courses in her high school science curriculum, she began contemplating a change in career paths.

Mississippi Senate Rejects 2 Proposals to Expand Medicaid

The Mississippi Senate on Tuesday rejected two proposals to expand Medicaid to people who work low-wage jobs that don't provide private health insurance.

Mayor Lumumba Extends Civil Emergency, Curfew Order

Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba extended the Proclamation of Civil Emergency and Mayoral Curfew Order for minors under the age of 18 years initially issued last week.

Brian Pugh

Mississippi Business Journal recently named Jackson State University alum Brian Pugh, executive director of the Stennis Center for Public Service, as Top Person of the Year for Mississippi's Top 50 Under 40 Business Leaders for 2020.

Mississippi: 2% of COVID Vaccines Go to Out-of-State People

About 2% of the COVID-19 vaccinations given so far in Mississippi have gone to people with out-of-state addresses, state health officials said Monday.

New Boost for Minority Businesses in Underserved Communities

Small minority-owned businesses have often struggled to gain access to capital and other tools to grow, a challenge made more daunting by the economic upheaval of the coronavirus pandemic. But a new effort announced Tuesday aims to address those disparities in pockets of the nation long gripped by poverty.

Ellington