News

Justin Foscue

In the first round, the Texas Rangers made Mississippi State University second baseman Justin Foscue the 14th pick overall. Foscue is the 15th MSU player to be drafted in the first round of the MLB Draft.

New Music Building and COVID-19 Business Assistance at MSU and JSU Grants

Mississippi State University held a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday, June 15, for construction on a new music building north of the university’s current band and choral rehearsal hall on Hardy Road in Starkville.

Mississippi Saw 489 COVID-19 Infections Tuesday, State May Not Be Reporting All Cases

Mississippi saw 489 new cases of COVID-19 as of the end of Tuesday, June 16, one of the highest single-day counts on the records since the crisis started in the state in March.

12 Detainees, 7 Staffers Test Positive for COVID-19 at Hinds Detention Facilities

Twelve inmates and seven employees across Hinds County detention facilities have tested positive for COVID-19, Sheriff Lee Vance told the press last night.

Lois Winn

Lois Winn is a California girl who discovered the direction she wanted to take her life in the Jackson metro.

UPDATE: Senate Confirms Burl Cain To Lead State Prisons

A lightning-quick committee hearing placed ex-Angola warden Burl Cain on track to command the Mississippi Department of Corrections on June 16. The next day, the full Senate confirmed him for the position of Commissioner.

Criminal Justice Reform Alive at Capitol, But Gang Bill, Teacher Pay Raises Dead for Now

Mississippi legislators’ ambitious plans for funding initiatives like state employee and teacher pay raises have taken a backseat to dealing with the coronavirus crisis, which is obliterating both state revenues and best-laid plans for the 2020 session.

COVID-19 Cases Top 20,000 in Mississippi, Mental Health Services Available

Mississippi has now officially seen more than 20,000 cases of COVID-19 with 353 new COVID-19 cases as of yesterday, along with 20 deaths.

Jordan Gray

Jordan Gray, a senior journalism major at Mississippi College, launched his own Youtube channel, Baller Brains, in November 2019.

Hinds Election Commission Moving Precincts for Runoff, Adding Voting Machines for November

The onset of the coronavirus pandemic led to the postponement of the runoff between Brian Flowers and Carey Thomas earlier scheduled for March 31.

Habitat Broadmoor Build, Malco Reopenings and Women’s Foundation COVID-19 Grants

Habitat for Humanity Mississippi Capital Area recently finished its latest home as part of the five-year Broadmoor neighborhood revitalization initiative it launched in 2019, despite setbacks and obstacles to construction from the COVID-19 pandemic.

City Repaves Belvedere Drive, Rebrands Transit System

In another effort to reverse the degrading of road infrastructure in Jackson, Miss., Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba announced the repaving of Belvedere Drive at a press briefing last week at Mary Belle Key Elementary School located on the street.

June 13: Mississippi Averaging 330 COVID-19 Cases Per Day, a New High

Mississippi this past week reached a new high in the COVID-19 pandemic, averaging 330 new people per day identified as infected with the virus.

‘Back to Business Mississippi’ Grant Website Live, Money Earmarked for Women, Minorities

Thursday marked the opening of the state’s Back to Business Mississippi Grant Program. Created via Senate Bill 2772, the program provides a grant of up to $25,000 to small businesses that apply.

Three Charged in $180 Million Health Care Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme

An indictment against three individuals for their alleged involvement in various schemes to defraud Medicare, TRICARE, and private insurance companies, and their conspiracy to launder the proceeds has been unsealed today.

Dobbs: Younger People Infecting Older Ones with COVID-19 As Bar Curfew Lifted

The “herculean” task of testing all long-term-care and nursing-home facility staff and residents has concluded, showing 676 positive cases, State Health Officer Thomas Dobbs said Thursday.

Ryder Anderson

In Oxford, football players took part in a unity walk at the University of Mississippi. The walk started at the track and ended at the football practice fields. After the walk, senior defensive end Ryder Anderson was one of the speakers to address those in attendance.

Resolution Drops to Change Mississippi Flag, Interfaith Leaders Call For Change

Mississippi legislators began a formal process to change the state flag today with an ambitious attempt to revive Senate Bill 2446, which would put an end to the Confederate symbolism on the official state flag.

Justin Cummins

Justin Cummins, a biology teacher at Richland High School, developed his appreciation for teaching his chosen field through a combination of his own educational background and his work with animals prior to becoming a teacher.

MSU Digital COVID-19 Library, JSU Virtual Army Commissioning and Community Colleges Reopening

Mississippi State University Libraries recently began collecting submissions for a new COVID-19 digital archive to document the pandemic’s impact on MSU students, faculty, staff and community members.

Families Accuse JPD Of Police Brutality, Demand Justice

Four Jackson families whose loved ones were victims of local police violence, three of them fatally, spoke out yesterday, publicly calling for justice in the wake of national awareness over police brutality.

Guys We Love 2020

June is the month we all show appreciation to the fathers in our lives who have shown us support and love over the years. In celebration of Father's Day, the Jackson Free Press honors men, many of whom are dads themselves, in the metro area who have done noteworthy things or who are active within their communities.

Byram Police: A Model for Domestic-Abuse Response?

Byram Police Chief Luke Thompson acknowledges that the typical method of responding to a domestic call fails both the victims and the community at large.

Travis Ryder Unifies Local Nerd Community, Van's CCG

For Travis Ryder of Van's Comics, Cards & Games, building the local nerd community remains one of his foremost goals in running the store.

Mayor Lumumba Tests Negative for COVID-19, Urges Continued Vigilance

Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba tested negative for COVID-19, Communications Director Candace Cole told the Jackson Free Press yesterday. Lumumba had a mouth swab on May 26 at a mobile testing site at Wood Village Apartments. His wife, Ebony Lumumba, also tested negative to COVID-19.

Hinds Supervisor Archie Wants Police Reform; County Studying Homelessness

Hinds County District 2 Supervisor David L. Archie has called for police reforms in the wake of the death of 46-year-old George Floyd in Minnesota, which led to protests around the world in the last two weeks.

Rabbi Matt Dreffin

Rabbi Matt Dreffin has served as director of education for the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life in Jackson since 2018.

MDAH Reopening Museums, WAMA Art Moves Us Campaign and MAC Cares Emergency Grant

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History announced that it will reopen the Eudora Welty House & Garden, the Museum of Mississippi History, the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and the William F. Winter Archives and History Building on July 7.

With 498 Cases, Mississippi’s Sees Largest COVID-19 Day as Storm Threatens

Today sets a new record for COVID-19 as a Mississippi State Department of Health report shows 498 new confirmed cases and 20 new deaths for Sunday as of 6 p.m. Nine of those deaths is from earlier death certificates.

Historic Protests For Black Lives Sweep Mississippi Over Weekend

Thousands of protesters took to the streets across the state of Mississippi this weekend, calling for freedom from racial injustice and an end to police brutality.

Ellington