News

Azia’s Virtual Picks 6-26-20

"I hope you can share an event from this list and maybe use it to spark a conversation, learn more about one another or maybe even set the foundation for new ideas and new platforms with new voices to emerge."

Marianna Stone

For Marianna Stone, her daughter’s early arrival was fortuitous, as the family narrowly avoided having to bring Esther into this world in the midst of a pandemic.

Hinds Leaders: Mississippi Flag Stands for ‘Hate, Torture, Murder, Rape’

Hinds County leaders issued a passionate plea yesterday, joining the growing call to change the Mississippi flag because of the Confederate emblem in its canton.

Mississippi’s Healthcare System In Imminent Danger, Stressed MSDH Officials Warn

Mississippi’s health-care system is rapidly approaching catastrophe, State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs warned Thursday—not in a matter of months, but in a matter of weeks.

Lumumba Threatens To Shut Down Businesses If COVID-19 Infection Rate Spikes

Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba is expressing frustration at people not following social-distancing guidelines to counter the spread of COVID-19, saying he may need to tighten restrictions he earlier loosened if the rate of infection and hospitalization spikes.

BREAKING: Mississippi Adds 1,092 New COVID-19 Cases In Single Day

The day after State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs warned of a looming catastrophe facing Mississippi in the fall, the state’s hospitals reported the highest incidence of confirmed and suspected COVID-19 hospitalizations since the virus first arrived in Mississippi: 767.

USM Student Organizing COVID-19 Food Relief, MSU Travel Awards and Racial Reconciliation Event

Gulfport, Miss., native James Skinner is identifying food resources and distribution points across the southern half of the state to help get immediate relief to residents in need, as part of a Mississippi Gulf Coast Mutual Aid Network initiative.

MSU Running Back Kylin Hill May Sit Out on Fall Season over Mississippi Flag

One player might not play this season, and it has nothing to do with the ongoing pandemic. Current Mississippi State running back Kylin Hill took to Twitter to voice his displeasure with Gov. Tate Reeves.

‘About Healing and Reconciliation’: Legislative Fight For New State Flag Continues

A raft of Democratic legislators joined House Democratic Leader Rep. Robert Johnson III in calling for a new state flag yesterday.

Best of Jackson 2020 Household and Home Improvement Finalist Ballot Open

The Best of Jackson 2020 finalists ballot for Household and Home Improvement in Metro Jackson is open now through July 5 at 11:59 p.m.

Rally for Education Equity in Mississippi

On Wednesday, June 24 at 4 p.m. Central, the Institute for Democratic Education in America is hosting a rally in downtown Jackson, Mississippi with the support of national organizations Journey for Justice Alliance, Center for Popular Democracy, and local organizations One Voice, and Our JPS.

Smelling Sewage on Sage Street

Jesse and Sarah Pittman have had to live with the smell of sewer for a long time. They call it racist that the City of Jackson hasn’t stepped up to help.

Legislature In Overtime, Criminal Justice Reform Top Priority

Efforts to change the Mississippi flag first appeared stalled out: Lt. Gov.  Delbert Hosemann condemned the effort to a committee, which showed no intention of calling it up.

Ariss King: Telling Stories, Realizing Goals

When Ariss King was a little girl, her parents took her to art museums and enrolled her in art camps to encourage her creativity.

State Health Officer Warns in Interview: Prepare For Overwhelmed Hospitals by Fall

State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs has led Mississippi’s response to COVID-19 since the first days of the crisis. Now, facing spiking metrics in all of the state’s key indicators for the spread of the virus, even in the warm summer months in which COVID-19 was expected to recede, Dobbs told the Jackson Free Press in a phone interview to prepare for an overwhelmed hospital system in which basic emergency care will be rationed.

Jackson Water Bills May Decrease Under Pending State Law; Sewer Woes Mount

The City of Jackson could lower residents’ water-bill debts if Gov. Tate Reeves signs Senate Bill 2856, which both houses of the Legislature passed unanimously, 51-0 in the Senate and 108-0 in the House of Representatives.

Frances Patterson Croft

Frances Patterson Croft has been director of strategic initiatives for the Women's Foundation of Mississippi, a statewide, Jackson-based nonprofit that works to ensure economic security for women and girls in the state, since January 2017.

Juneteenth: Stokes Declares June 19, 2020, Sheriff Lee Vance Day and Jackson Advocate Day

Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes honored Hinds County Sheriff Lee Vance and the Jackson Advocate newspaper on Friday as part of a Jackson Juneteenth celebration.

UPDATE: 1646 New Cases of COVID-19 Since Jun 17

The Mississippi State Department of Health is reporting a severe “data processing” issue preventing the release of new COVID-19 information that has persisted since the middle of last week, meaning the agency has not shared updated numbers on new cases and deaths since June 18.

Connection City ePLEX at the Outlets, Mississippi Museum of Art and Children’s Museum Reopening

A new tenant at the Outlets of Mississippi, Connection City ePLEX, will open in July. The facility is an esports arena that will include gaming and virtual reality machines as well as tournaments and leagues for games such as Fortnite, Call of Duty and more.

Hinds County Democratic Executive Committee Calls on Leaders to Repeal and Replace Mississippi State Flag

The Hinds County Democratic Executive Committee is calling upon Gov. Tate Reeves, Lieutenant Gov. Delbert Hosemann, and the Mississippi Legislature to immediately halt the use of white supremacist, Confederate symbolism on the official state flag.

Mayor Lumumba Bans Police Chokeholds, Restricts Firing at Moving Vehicles, More

Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba, in an executive order today, prohibits the Jackson Police Department from using choke-holds, knee-on-neck or any other tactic that restricts breathing in an amendment of its use-of-force policy.

Mayoral Executive Order Amending the City of Jackson Police Department's Use of Force Policy

Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba signed an executive order amending Jackson Police Department's use of force policy.

Azia’s Virtual Picks: Juneteenth Edition

I pray that we all take time to remember our collective history and learn more from it and each other despite our background, race, religion, or creed. This is how we truly manifest power to the people!

Mayor Announces Local TSA PreCheck Service for Travelers, Warns COVID-19 Still Serious Danger

Citizens of Jackson who previously had to travel 30 miles to Vicksburg for Transportation Security Administration PreCheck Services can now obtain the same with the city.

Oxford Sees COVID-19 Crisis as ER Visits Up Statewide; State Blames Fraternities

Mississippians are not doing enough to prevent the spread of COVID-19, State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs warned at yesterday’s press event.

Brianna Caldwell

For law student Brianna Caldwell, softball served as the passion that set the trajectory for her life, eventually bringing her from Athens, Ala., to Clinton, Miss., which she says reminded her of her small hometown.

CITY: ‘Deeper Than Racism’: Jackson Declares ‘Classism’ a Public Health Crisis

To attract more funds to counter the impact of socioeconomic factors on health disparity, the Jackson City Council unanimously declared classism as a public-health crisis on June 9, saying it is recommitting itself to improving the quality of life and health of the underclass.

Council Overturns Mayor's Veto of Transfer of $1.6 Million of Siemens Fund

The Jackson City Council recently overturned Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba's veto of its resolution to take $1.6 million from the $89.8 million Siemens settlement with the City and separating it to invest in the development of Highway 18 corridor.

UM Confederate Statue to Move to Cemetery; Some Fear IHL Building New ‘Shrine’

The Confederate monument at the heart of the University of Mississippi campus will move to the Confederate graveyard elsewhere on campus, 114 years after its construction.

Ellington