News

Endowed Scholarship and Education Grant at JSU, MSU Field of the Year Award

Jackson State University alum Marcus A. Thompson recently established a $50,000 scholarship endowment to help pay for tuition, textbooks, supplies and other fees for eligible Mississippi natives who are studying special education.

GOP Governors Challenge Pentagon Over Guard Vaccine Mandate

Texas' Republican governor on Thursday told Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin that the state will not direct its National Guard members to comply with a Biden administration order requiring all members of the military to get vaccinated for COVID-19, as GOP opposition to the mandate grows.

Celebration Bowl 2021 Preview

While other college football programs in Mississippi have had several high points this season, Jackson State University's momentum has become undeniable. The Tigers are enjoying an unprecedented run of success.

MSMA Town Hall Addresses COVID-19, Vaccine Concerns

As the United States marked the grim record of 800,000 deaths due to COVID-19, state health leadership and physicians attended a Dec. 14 Mississippi State Medical Association virtual town hall to speak to concerns patients raised about COVID-19 and vaccines with their physicians across the state.

Lawmakers Disagree on Jackson Split in New congressional map

A group of Mississippi lawmakers finalized a proposal on Wednesday for how the state’s four congressional districts could look in the next decade, one that will largely preserve Republicans' 3-to-1 advantage.

Corps Cancels Mississippi Flood Project That EPA Rejected

The Army Corps of Engineers has canceled a $450 million Mississippi flood control project following the Environmental Protection Agency's recent decision to overturn the project that had been greenlit in the final days of the Trump administration.

'Addressing a Human Need': City Leaders Ask for 'Equitable Share' of EPA Water Infrastructure Revolving Loan

City of Jackson officials have appealed for fairness in distributing the nearly $75 million in water-infrastructure funding that Mississippi is getting in 2022 from the Infrastructure Bill that President Joe Biden signed into law in November.

‘My Hometown Too’: Laurel’s Downtown Blossoms Despite City’s Complicated History

Nearly three decades ago, most of the once-bustling businesses in downtown Laurel, Miss., had shuttered their windows, and the brick streets that criss-crossed the Pine Belt town’s center were void of pedestrians and drivers alike.

MSDH Reports First Pediatric Flu Death of the Season

Mississippi saw its first seasonal pediatric death to influenza this week, ahead of what may hold to be a harsher flu season than 2020.

Best of Jackson 2022 Finalist Ballot Open through Christmas Eve

Yesterday, the Jackson Free Press finalized the results of the Best of Jackson 2022 nominations ballot.

Omicron Variant Shows Serious Decrease In Neutralizing Activity, Lab Studies Show

Laboratory studies of the omicron variant of COVID-19 from multiple sources reveal a dramatic decrease in neutralizing activity from prior infection with earlier variants and the available vaccines.

Repeat Street Countdown to Christmas, Possum Ridge at Two Museums and Hal and Mal's Christmas Party

Repeat Street is hosting a Countdown to Christmas event from Tuesday, Dec. 14, through Friday, Dec. 24, with different events and specials each day.

'A Way We Resist': Quilts Honor Victims of Racial Violence

A quilting project dedicated to memorializing lives lost to racial violence in the U.S. is open for public viewing on weekdays through Dec. 17 at Jackson State University’s Margaret Walker Center.

Analysis: Oversight Changes for Mississippi Judicial Races

Under change recently made by a majority of the Mississippi Supreme Court, the public could receive less information about findings of unethical behavior during judicial campaigns.

JSU Wins Tax Case Competition, USM Student Donation and MSU Speaking Center

A team of Jackson State University College of Business students recently joined eight other regional teams as winners of the Deloitte FanTAXtic Tax Case competition.

Sam Williams

To few’s surprise, the University of Mississippi offense has been explosive and exciting in the 2021 season. The Rebels brought back quarterback Matt Corral and head coach Lane Kiffin.

Gov. Reeves: Mississippi Will Ban Most Abortions From Conception If Roe Falls

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves recently confirmed that the state will swiftly move to enact a law banning nearly all abortions starting from the moment of conception if the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down Roe v. Wade.

Second Death-Row Inmate Requests Speedy Execution

Mississippi could execute its second inmate this year after a nine-year hiatus, if the Mississippi Supreme Court grants Blayde Nathataniel Grayson’s request for execution.

Galey’s Pictures Prompt ‘Adventures in the Imagination’ at The MAX

Even the standalone illustrations from Chuck Galey spark stories, igniting the imagination with a crackling warmth of character, narrative and action.

Frat Members Arrested for Cyberstalking in Hazing Case

Seven members of the recently suspended Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity at the University of Mississippi have been arrested after they were accused of using social media to harass a former frat member who reported the organization for hazing.

Hope Credit Union CEO Bill Bynum Gets $250,000 Heinz Award for the Economy

The Heinz Family Foundation recognized Bill Bynum, chairman and CEO of Hope Credit Union, as one of seven beneficiaries in the 26th edition of the Heinz Awards on Thursday, Nov. 18.

Jackson State University Earns Reaffirmation of Its Accreditation from SACSCOC

Jackson State University announces the successful decennial review of its regional accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Overcoming Tragedy: Arletha Orr Hosts ‘Live’ Event for Grieving Parents and Spouses

Arletha Orr recognizes the uniqueness of her experience with grief, and she says that she is devoted to helping others push through their pain and sorrow so that they may experience life on the other side of loss.

Justice Dept. Still Probing Civil Rights Era Police Killings

The Justice Department’s decision to close its investigation of Emmett Till’s slaying all but ended the possibility of new charges in the teen’s death 66 years ago, yet agents are still probing as many as 20 other civil rights “cold cases,” including the police killings of 13 Black men in three Southern states decades ago.

MSDH Confirms State’s First Case of Omicron

Omicron, the latest variant of the COVID-19 virus, had already spread to at least 16 other states before the Mississippi State Department of Health confirmed yesterday that omicron has made its way to Mississippi.

Devin Winsett

As part of a dynamic team that brings a holistic approach to workforce development, Jackson resident Devin Winsett has served as a social worker with the Refill Jackson Initiative since June 2021.

Feds Close Emmett Till Investigation; No New Charges for 1954 Murder, Kidnapping

The U.S. Justice Department said Monday it is ending its investigation into the 1955 lynching of Emmett Till, the Black teenager from Chicago who was abducted, tortured and killed after witnesses said he whistled at a white woman in Mississippi.

Habitat ReStore, Homestead for the Holidays and Holiday Pop-up Shop

Habitat for Humanity Mississippi Capital Area recently announced the grand opening of its new Habitat ReStore on Tuesday, Jan. 11.

MSDH Encourages Older, Immunocompromised Mississippians To Get Boosted

Mississippi is seeing a small uptick in new hospitalizations of COVID-19, worrying the public-health officials at the Mississippi State Department of Health.

Analysis: Politicians Split on Questions of Bodily Autonomy

Republican Gov. Tate Reeves and several other Mississippi politicians make clear that they don't think the government should mandate vaccination against COVID-19. They take a different stance on bodily autonomy when it comes to a woman or girl deciding whether to have an abortion.

Ellington