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Federal Judge Finds Hinds County in Contempt for Ongoing Jail Conditions

A federal judge has declared Hinds County in contempt of court, setting the path for receivership proceedings after the county, in a Jan. 21, 2022, motion, sought to end the consent decree at the Hinds County Detention Center in Raymond.

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Mississippi Could Revive a Form of Initiative Process

Mississippi legislators are working to set a new way for people to petition to put issues on statewide ballots, months after the state Supreme Court tossed out the state's old initiative process.

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State Healthcare System ‘Essentially Broken,’ MSDH Leadership Says

Mississippi’s healthcare infrastructure may take years to recover from the continuing strain of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, leadership from the Mississippi State Department of Health said in a press briefing last Friday.

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Black Colleges Alarmed by Bomb Threats, but Undeterred

From her office in Birmingham, Alabama, DeJuana Thompson looks across the street and sees a daily reminder of terror. Her window overlooks the 16th Street Baptist Church, where a bomb in 1963 killed four young Black girls.

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Judge Issues Contempt Order Over County Jail in Mississippi

A federal judge has issued a civil contempt order against Mississippi's largest county, saying officials have failed to fix more than two dozen problems in a jail plagued by violence and lax security.

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Retired Librarian Creates and Preserves Black Milestones

In her lifetime, Anita Walton Moore has been both a documentarian of and participant in the Mississippi’s civil rights movement. She’s stood alongside groups like the Council of Federated Organizations and the NAACP, and has witnessed firsthand the expansion of Black rights in the state.

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Analysis: Mississippi Considers College Aid for Foster Youth

Most states already offer scholarships or tuition waivers for young people who have spent time in the foster care system. Mississippi could join that list this year.

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Mississippi Medical Marijuana Licensing Set to Start by June

Days after Mississippi became the 37th state to legalize medical marijuana, the state Health Department said Friday it is working to develop its part of the program.

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‘God Selected This Case’: The Christian Dominionist War On Abortion, Part II

Days before the 2020 presidential election, then-President Donald Trump celebrated the confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court, achieving a top priority of many Christian dominionist leaders who supported him.

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Mississippi Connections in Super Bowl LVI

A handful of players in Super Bowl LVI have ties to the Magnolia State. Most played college football in Mississippi and a couple left the state after successful high-school careers to play during college.

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Statue of Racist Ex-Gov. Bilbo Quietly Moved in Mississippi

A statue of white supremacist former Mississippi Gov. Theodore Bilbo has quietly been moved out of sight in the state Capitol — a move praised by Black lawmakers who say he never deserved a place of prominence.

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‘To Rule History With God’: The Christian Dominionist War On Abortion, Part I

In hopes of triggering a U.S. Supreme Court case, the Alliance Defending Freedom drafted the 15-week abortion ban that the Mississippi Legislature passed in 2018.

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Fifteen Months After Initiative Passes, Gov. Reeves Signs Medical Marijuana Into Law

Gov. Tate Reeves gave a reluctant nod to the “will of the people” yesterday, signing Senate Bill 2095 into law. Mississippi now has a fully legalized medical-marijuana program, 15 months after voters passed a ballot initiative backing the program and more than eight months since the State Supreme Court tossed out that initiative.

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10th Child Dies as Mississippi Encounters Likely Omicron Peak, Hospitals Still Over Capacity

Mississippi may have arrived at the peak of the omicron wave, with cases and hospitalizations pausing a dizzying climb that began with the new year.

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Blues Music’s Spell Hits a Resonant Note in New Stage Play in Jackson

Austin Hohnke and Mark G. Henderson star in New Stage Theatre’s production of “I Just Stopped by to See the Man” as English rocker Karl and blues musician Jesse “The Man” Davidson, respectively. It runs Feb. 2-13, 2022.

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Despite Deaths Behind Bars, Hinds County Wants Out of Consent Decree

Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones said that his office had fired two detention officers for violating various jail policies at Hinds County Detention Center concerning the death of pre-trial detainee Michael Richardson, on Oct. 18, 2021.

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Mississippi Senate Unveils Proposal to Reduce Some Taxes

Mississippi Senate leaders unveiled a tax cut proposal Tuesday that they described as a sustainable way to reduce what people pay to the government while maintaining enough money to pay for schools and other services.

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Mississippi Governor Noncommittal on Medical Marijuana Bill

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Tuesday that he has not decided whether he will sign a bill to legalize marijuana for people with debilitating medical conditions such as cancer, AIDS and sickle cell disease.

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Best of Jackson 2022: Urban Living

Goods and services make up the building blocks of commerce. The Best of Jackson’s Urban Living section functions as a guidebook to many of the metro’s spots to shop and other local staples.

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Best of Jackson 2022: Nightlife

Whether unwinding entails having a stiff drink, dancing to the latest hits, engaging in some friendly competition, or even a combination thereof, the metro has enough locally owned businesses to provide.

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Lumumba Pushes Back Against EPA Order as Water Issues Plague South Jackson

Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba pushed back against the Environmental Protection Agency’s latest notice of non-compliance in his weekly press briefing, citing supply-chain issues beyond his control.

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Wicker: Black Woman Supreme Court Nominee Would be 'Quota'

One of Mississippi's Republican U.S. senators said that if President Joe Biden nominates a Black woman to the U.S. Supreme Court, that nominee would be the beneficiary of a “quota.”

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Minority Women Most Affected if Abortion is Banned, Limited

If the U.S. Supreme Court allows states to further restrict or even ban abortions, minority women will bear the brunt of it, according to statistics analyzed by The Associated Press.

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Best of Jackson 2022: Community & Culture

The sheer number of nonprofit entities, locally owned businesses, annual festivities and other attractions that welcome Jackson Metro residents and visitors exemplifies the levels of support Jacksonians are willing to demonstrate for art, history, good causes and beyond.

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Best of Jackson 2022: People

We at the Jackson Free Press celebrate the individuals who bring a little something extra with them week-in and week-out to make our beloved city shine.

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Mississippi Orders Competency Hearing on Execution Request

The Mississippi Supreme Court is ordering a trial court judge to determine if a Mississippi death row inmate truly wants to request an execution date and if the inmate is mentally competent to waive his appeals in the case.

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Fossil Road Show, S.T.E.M., Leaves and Trees, UNA VOCE and County Cajun Seafood Market

The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science will host a Fossil Road Show on Saturday, March 5, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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What's Happening in Jackson: Weekend Events – Jan. 28-30

Immigrant Alliance for Justice & Equity of Mississippi is hosting a LGBTQIA+ Wellness Fair on Sunday, Jan. 30, at 510 George St. in Jackson beginning at noon.

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Rickea Jackson

This Monday, Jan. 24, MSU star and leading scorer in the SEC Rickea Jackson announced she was entering the NCAA Transfer Portal. Jackson was averaging 20.3 points and 6.8 rebounds in the 15 games she appeared in this season.

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Strong Arms of JXN: Credible Messengers Use Experiences to Prevent Violence

John Knight, Terun Moore and Benny Ivey have all experienced life in prison and now mentor criminal-justice-system-involved young people as credible messengers with the Strong Arms of JXN.