News

JPS Students Present Concert

The Jackson Public Schools All-City Music Festival is underway, with 866 students performing in five orchestras.

AT&T Seeking Revenge in New Bill?

If telecommunications giant AT&T gets its way, customers will have to call Washington, D.C., regulators to lodge complaints.

William Winter Institute Awarded $3.1 Million Grant

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation recently awarded a $3.1 million grant to the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation at the University of Mississippi.

In 2008 Mariquita Lewis moved to Richland from Jackson to take care of her mother after she had a stroke. Her concern for her mother's health, as well as the organic movement she saw in Minneapolis as a college student inspired her to start an urban garden.

Community Events and Public Meetings

AARP Tax Aide Volunteer Service. The service is available to low- and moderate-income taxpayers with special attention to those ages 60 and older. Bring all necessary documents. No appointment required. Free.

Study Measures Tourism at Casinos and State Parks

A report from the Mississippi Development Authority shows that tourism is the fifth-largest private-sector employer in the state.

Lawmakers, Activists Speak Against Abortion

Lawmakers and abortion opponents came together at the Capitol yesterday to support anti-abortion efforts, making their way through various committees in the Mississippi Legislature.

Bennie Thompson

Rep. Bennie Thompson, Mississippi's only Democrat in the U.S. Congress, believes state and local government should be spending the federal money it has available. The state's senior Congressman doesn't understand why Jackson's government isn't taking advantage of the money, programs and opportunities at its disposal.

Immigration Bill to Come Up in House

The Mississippi House Judiciary B Committee will consider an anti-immigration measure called the Mississippi Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act.

Anti-abortion Efforts Continue

Pro Life America Network organized a press conference at the Capitol today with legislators and Gov. Phil Bryant to talk about anti-abortion efforts. We'll plan on having more on that tomorrow, but for those who are interested, here's what Bryant had to say:

Fla. Landlord Owns Seized Hinds Complex

For the second time this week, Hinds County sherriff's deputies locked the offices of a Jackson apartment complex on Wednesday.

Staches for Stewpot Celebrates Third Year at Duling Hall

If you've seen an unusual number of mustachioed faces around Jackson this February, it could be because this month marked the Third Annual Staches for Stewpot, a fundraiser for Stewpot Community Services in Jackson.

Team of the Day: Mississippi College Basketball Team

Mississippi College is a perfect 14 for 14 in American Southwest Conference Tournament appearances. MC has the most ASC Tournament bids in conference history.

City Lifts Boil Water Alert

The city has lifted a boil water alert in effect since last Friday after two consecutive clear tests by the Health Department, a statement this morning said.

Rebels Without a Pause

On the first floor of the Capitol last Wednesday, a handful of Democrats assembled to enjoy a late lunch when a burly assistant sergeant-at-arms burst in to say that Speaker Pro Tem Greg Snowden, who presided that day, wanted all the members to return to the chamber.

Books-a-Zero

You know things are bad when librarians start protesting. In light of Gov. Phil Bryant's executive budget recommendation that calls for a 15 percent funding reduction for the Mississippi Library Commission, bibliophiles are gearing for a battle to keep library cuts on par with those of other state departments.

[Tech Talk] Weaning from Cable

The Cable Company and I have been fighting. Until recently, they've been winning. There was a brief stint where I dealt them a heavy blow when I opted for Internet via AT&T and went to satellite television. (Take that, Cable Company!)

Weaning from Cable

The Cable Company and I have been fighting. Until recently, they've been winning. There was a brief stint where I dealt them a heavy blow when I opted for Internet via AT&T and went to satellite television. (Take that, Cable Company!)

Senate Passes Charter Schools Bill

The after hours of debate, the Senate passed a bill this afternoon to loosen the rules for creating charter schools in Mississippi.

The JFP Interview with Steve Holland

In a matter of 24 hours, Steve Holland went from seemingly being the director of "Punk'd: Mississippi Edition" to directing funerals.

The JFP Interview with Joey Fillingane

It's Valentine's Day, and everyone seems to be courting Sen. Joey Fillingane. Just two days before Mississippi's Feb. 16 legislation draft deadline, his secretary and gatekeeper has to run interference on an unending parade of lobbyists who all want just a few moments of the state senator's time.

Personhood: Symbol or Substance?

Although state Sen. Joey Fillingane, R-Sumrall, says it's unlikely the Mississippi Legislature will take up the debate over personhood this year, efforts by state lawmakers in Mississippi and elsewhere in the country are gaining steam.

A Fire for Change

Spend just a couple of minutes with Joyce Jackson at Collins Funeral Home, where she works, and you will see why many members of her community asked her to run for City Council.

Bob Gilchrist

It wasn't until he was at Loyola University in New Orleans in fall 2011 that Bob Gilchrist finally became comfortable with the fact that he is gay.

MIRA Civic Engagement Day

The Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance plans to walk to the Capitol today to protest a series of bills targeted at undocumented immigrants.

A Win for the State's ‘Power Brokers'

"Power brokers" win out over the voices of individual legislators in a new set of joint rules the Republican-dominated Mississippi Legislature passed last week, Democrats say. The new rules are among the most serious and far-reaching changes in recent memory.

untitled

Attorney General Jim Hood has warned that Mississippians may be the target of a email scam claiming to come from the Ford Foundation.

Shawn Wilson

For most, the words "separate, but equal" bring up dark memories of segregation and racism that haunt the South's past. But when filmmaker Shawn Wilson decided to find out more about his family history, he found a much brighter definition of the phrase.

Personhood Resolution in House

As the window for introducing bills in the Mississippi Legislature closes, the personhood debate has once again surfaced.

Pushing Back Against Library Cuts

Gov. Phil Bryant's budget recommendations call for a 15-percent funding reduction for the Mississippi Library Commission. Bibliophiles are gearing to keep the cut from being so steep and, at the least, keep them on par with proposed cuts at other state agencies.

Ellington