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Hood: Judge Tate Reeves for 'Rebel Flags,' Not Frat's College Blackface

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood "did all kinds of stupid things in college," but he is "sure" wearing blackface is not one of them, he told a crowd in Jackson on Monday.

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'Landowners' Tort Reform Bill Would Mean 'Safe Zones' for Crime, Critics Say

Mississippi senators delighted the business community last week when they passed a bill to cut down on lawsuits against property owners, but strong opposition remains among law enforcement, advocates for victims of domestic violence and lawyers.

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10 Local Stories of the Week

There's never a slow news week in Jackson, Miss., and last week was no exception. Here are the local stories JFP reporters brought you in case you missed them.

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Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves' Fraternity Wore Black Face, Hurled the N-Word at Black Students

As a college student at Millsaps, Mississippi Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves participated in a fraternity known for blackface, racial epithets and Confederate dances, a Jackson Free Press examination of Millsaps yearbooks and newspapers from his time there shows.

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City's Plan for Zoo: Bring in St. Louis Operator, Keep in West Jackson

The Jackson Zoo likely will get a new operator, and one with no intentions to move the facility from its long-time home in west Jackson to eastern edge of Jackson.

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Frank Laws

Belhaven University recently named Frank Laws, a 1991 graduate of the university, as its new director of advancement and alumni relations.

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Kellogg Foundation Community Leadership Network, Black History Month at USM and Science Night at the Museum

The Center for Creative Leadership and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation recently named two Jackson State University professors, Robert Luckett and Byron Orey, as participants in the WKKF Community Leadership Network.

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Fetal Heartbeat Ban 'A Direct Challenge to Roe,' Activists Warn

Abortion-rights activists are warning that Mississippi's fetal-heartbeat bills, and others like them, are part of an effort to instigate a U.S. Supreme Court case that could overturn constitutional protections for reproductive rights.

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Reggie Perry

Reggie Perry, a Thomasville, Ga., native, is the second five-star recruit to sign with the Mississippi State University Bulldogs under Head Coach Ben Howland.

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Beyond Angry Tweets: Robert Foster on Why He is Running for Governor

Mississippi House Rep. Robert Foster is running for governor in the Republican primary, running against current Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican from Florence, Miss., among others.

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Behind the Badge: Two JPD Officers Who Shot Multiple People in Jackson

After about a year of asking, the Jackson Free Press learned the names, current status and in eight out of nine cases, the details of officer-involved shootings since Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba took office in July 2017, promising transparency and police reform.

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#MSLeg: Broadband, Abortion, Prison Reform

On Jan. 31, legislators in the 
Mississippi House Education Committee advanced to the House floor a bill designed to help prepare schools for the worst: the possibility of gun violence.

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Beth Morgan Cowan

Beth Morgan Cowan, a 41-year-old Greenwood, Miss., native and current Jackson resident, turned her dream of empowering women while owning her own business into reality in 2007 with the founding of her company, Beth Morgan Photography.

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Study Finds 'One Lake' Project Poses Costly Public Health Risks

The "One Lake" proposal has hit another major hurdle. A report commissioned as part of the project's draft study has found the project poses serious public and environmental health risks.

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Jackson Cop Involved in 3 Shootings; Teen Shot 2 Times in Back, Family Says

Officer Anthony Veasey was involved in three separate shootings in Jackson in 14 months since November 2017, including an exchange of gunfire that hit an 18-year-old two times in the back and five times in the leg, the teenager's family tells the Jackson Free Press.

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2019 Governor's Arts Awards and TEDxJackson

The sixth annual TEDxJackson will take place on Thursday, Feb. 14, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. inside the Craig H. Neilsen auditorium at the 2 Mississippi Museums complex.

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School Safety Act Includes Mental Health, School Surveillance Provisions

Mississippi's children go to school in places "of potential violence," Gov. Phil Bryant lamented in his State of the State address last month, as he called on lawmakers to craft legislation to combat those fears.

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10 Local Stories of the Week

There's never a slow news week in Jackson, Miss., and last week was no exception. Here are the local stories JFP reporters brought you in case you missed them.

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Mississippi Immigrant Rights Group Calls for Action from Lawmakers

Members and supporters of the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance held a rally to urge lawmakers to pass legislation to make life better for the state's documented and undocumented immigrants.

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MSU Idea Shop, Emerge Exhibit at Belhaven and Millsaps Internship Program

The Mississippi State University Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach recently named Michael Lane, who graduated from MSU in December 2018 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, as program coordinator for MSU's new Idea Shop.

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Bennie Thompson Calls for Evasive Trump Official to Testify to Congress

In a scathing letter, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., called on Homeland Security Secretary Kristjen Nielsen to appear before the congressional Committee on Homeland Security.

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Kelsey Jones

USM finally got its first conference win against the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. Redshirt freshman Kelsey Jones added nine points, seven rebounds and one steal in the Golden Eagles' 65-54 win.

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UPDATED: Sewage Overwhelms Jackson Home as City Rolls Back Assistance

J.T. Newell, a resident of Jackson for the past three years, has consistently had a pool of feces in his yard.

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Gov. Bryant Signs Law Aimed at Expanding Broadband to Rural Areas

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant signed the Mississippi Broadband Enabling Act into law Wednesday morning surrounded by a bipartisan group of beaming legislators.

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Mississippi Celebrities Speak Out After Jussie Smollett Attack

Mississippi celebrities are speaking out after a racist, homophobic attack on "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett that Chicago police describe as a "possible hate crime."

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Sam Britton Announces Secretary of State Run, Pledges Loyalty to Trump

Mississippi Public Service Commissioner Sam Britton promised to "get government out of our lives" on Monday as he launched a bid to become Mississippi's next secretary of state.

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Metaphor in the Mississippi River

The Great Flood of 1927 affected many cities in Mississippi, including Greenville, the setting of New Stage Theatre's production of Marcus Gardley's "Hell in High Water."

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New Hope Black History Month, Mississippi Arboretum Trail, ISH Grill & Bar and Corelle Brands

New Hope Baptist Church will host its eighth annual "Back in the Day" Black History Month celebration every Thursday during February.

Get Ready for the ‘Arctic Clipper’: Tips for Safety, Pipes, Food, More

An “arctic clipper,” a severe surge of cold weather from the North Pole, is on its way to Mississippi, and the City of Jackson wants residents to be ready for it.

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Mayor: No ID of Cops in Head Trauma Death; Other JPD Officers in Shootings Finally Revealed

The mayor will not reveal the names of officers accused of killing George Robinson with a head blow, but the City of Jackson finally provided names and details about 12 officers involved in nine shootings since 2017.