News

Candidate Questionnaire: Delbert Hosemann (Lt. Governor)

The Jackson Free Press emailed questionnaires to each candidate in the lieutenant governor's race. The answers are the candidates' verbatim responses, with no edits whatsoever.

Candidate Questionnaire: Jay Hughes (Lt. Governor)

The Jackson Free Press emailed questionnaires to each candidate in the lieutenant governor's race. The answers are the candidates' verbatim responses, with no edits whatsoever.

CARA Dog Days of Summer, Big Fix Clinic Donations and UMMC/Merit Health Partnership

Community Animal Rescue & Adoption, a nonprofit "no-kill" animal rescue group in Jackson, will host its 12th annual Dog Days of Summer fundraiser on Saturday, Aug. 24, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Pelahatchie Shore Park at the Reservoir.

Conference Aims to Boost Black City Leadership

African Americans must look to city leaders in the absence of supportive leadership from the state and national government, Jackson Ward 4 Councilman De'Keither Stamps said at a July 17 press conference.

JPS Unveils 'Transformational' Plan for Public Schools

Jackson Public Schools now has a plan to "transform" education in Mississippi's capital city. City leaders say it will help ensure that all children in the district get a high-quality education. It would also expand access to pre-K programs for 4-year-olds.

Hood: Governors Can’t Do Their Job and Follow the ‘Billy Graham Rule’

Republican candidates who say they cannot be alone with women who are not their wives are “ridiculous,” Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood said in a fundraising email sent to supporters on Thursday.

Black Woman Accuses Dem Leader of Ignoring Her Governor Run

Velesha P. Williams, an African American woman from Jackson who is running for the Democratic nomination for governor of Mississippi, says party Chairman Bobby Moak will not "respect or acknowledge" her candidacy.

USM Professor Studying HIV Stigma, MSU Fulbright Scholar and Delta State Paleontology Grant

As part of an HIV awareness project, Susan Hrostowski will work with students in USM's Master of Social Work program to interview people with HIV about their experiences with people who are uninformed and unsympathetic about them and their condition.

Rockey Felker

While growing up in Jackson, Tenn., Rockey Felker often spent his Saturdays listening to Mississippi State University football. It started a love for MSU that Felker carries to this day as he continues to work for the university.

A Bong, A Vest, A Torch: JPD Busts Dispensary Parties, Contraband

JPD arrested five individuals for possession of ecstasy and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute in connection to a dispensary party on Woodside Drive.

Reeves' 'Ready to Work' Plan Caps Tuition for Some, Adds K-12 Coding

In front of a crowd of enthusiastic college educators, Mississippi Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves announced his plan to make Mississippi a "Ready to Work" state.

'Horrified' Activists Rally Against Natchez Migrant Facility

Immigrants rights activists protested against the Trump administration's decision to open immigrant detention facilities in Mississippi outside the U.S. District Court court building in Jackson on July 12, 2019.

Reshonda Perryman

Visit Jackson, an organization that promotes tourism in the city, hired Reshonda Perryman as its new creative design manager on June 24.

Stamping Out HIV Stigma in Mississippi

Alecia Reed-Owens and Linda Dixon Rigsby discussed HIV stigma and discrimination at Refill Cafe's Friday Forum on July 12.

MDFA Landmark Purchases, Free Indoor Tracks for Seniors at YMCA and TAP at Beau Rivage

The Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration recently purchased the Sun-n-Sand Motor Hotel and the Wright & Ferguson Funeral Home in downtown Jackson, and plans to raze the Sun-n-Sand.

James Coleman

Though James Coleman is stepping down as athletic director for Tougaloo College, he is merely just slowing down a little, he says. Coleman has spent the last 33 years as AD for Tougaloo in a career that spans 56 years in higher education.

Ice Cream Safari Postponed to Aug. 3

The Jackson Zoo announced on Friday that it would postpone the annual Ice Cream Safari from Saturday, July 13, to Saturday, Aug. 3.

New Council Leadership, LFA Fellowships and Remembrance at City Council

The Jackson City Council held elections for a new council president and vice president at the July 9 council meeting.

Belhaven/Woz U Partnership, MSU Teacher Training and JSU Professor Venezuela Trip

Belhaven University is partnering with Woz U, a computer coding school that Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak launched in 2017, to offer an online computer-coding and software-development course at the university.

Lumumba Endorses Jody Owens for Hinds District Attorney

Jody Owens has "demonstrated a commitment" to making Jackson better, Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba said during a live WMPR 90.1 radio broadcast of Coffee and Conversations with Wanda Evers on Wednesday, endorsing him in the race for Hinds County district attorney.

What Mississippi Voters Want

We asked Mississippi voters which issues they want candidates to talk about. From potholes, to poverty, to higher teacher pay and help with college, here’s what they told us.

Homeless Center Tells Local Critics It ‘Isn’t the Problem’

Poindexter Park Neighborhood Association Vice President Sheila Harper says the planned Jackson Resource Center could make things worse by "segregating" services for homeless populations, the mentally ill and those suffering with drug addiction into neighborhoods already overloaded with such facilities.

Will a Court Force Mississippi to Change on Mental Health?

In a 2017 report, ProPublica identified more than 100 cases in which Mississippians with mental illnesses were spending long periods in jail waiting for a bed or evaluation from the state hospital.

Felicia Bell

Eritaj" means "inheritance" in Haitian Creole, and Felicia Bell, owner of Eritaj Cafe in the Kundi Compound, has inherited much.

Prison Breakouts a Result of 'Mass Incarceration,' Mississippi Orgs Say

Three prison inmates may not have escaped last week if not for Mississippi's "mass incarceration problem," a group of civil-rights organizations said in a press statement on Friday.

Jackson Attorney to Represent Flowers in Possible Seventh Trial

A Jackson-area civil rights attorney is vowing to represent an African American man after a prosecutor accused of racial bias said he plans to try him a seventh time for the same murder case.

Mississippi Voter Information Guide

Today is the last day to register for party primaries for all statewide Mississippi offices, which will be on Aug. 6. Either mail your form in today or register in person at your local county clerk’s office by 5 p.m.

New Tougaloo President and USM School Ground-Breaking in Africa

Carmen J. Walters became the 14th president of Tougaloo College on July 1. She is the second female president of Tougaloo after her predecessor, Beverly Wade Hogan, who held the position since 2002.

Pamela Junior Named Director of Two Mississippi Museums

After merging staff at the Two Mississippi Museums, Pamela Junior became director over both the Museum of Mississippi History and Mississippi Civil Rights Museum on July 1.

West Jackson Residents Resist Homeless Center, Citing Community ‘Integrity’

Jackson City Council Roundup for June 27, 2019

Some west Jackson residents say they fear that a planned resource center for the homeless could make things worse by "segregating" services for homeless populations, the mentally ill and those suffering with drug addiction.

Ellington