News

Mayor Lumumba on Murders: Police Cannot 'Enter the Minds and Stop These People'

Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba sent out a statement addressing several murders that roiled the capital city over the weekend—from a preacher killed in the Washington Addition to a teenager killed in a Walmart parking lot.

Vicksburg National Military Park to Restore Access, Continue Limited Visitor Services

The National Park Service announced today that recently closed areas of Vicksburg National Military Park will once again be accessible to visitors starting January 14 using revenue generated by recreation fees.

Jackson Free Press Hiring New Reporter: How to Apply

The Jackson Free Press is hiring a new Mississippi reporter. We offer a high-quality journalism environment, impactful work, supportive team members, good editing and skills development. The right candidate will bring journalistic training and skills; good time- and project-management habits; demonstrable skills; a proven work and performance ethic; a positive and friendly attitude; a daily learning mindset that no one is too good to get better; and a passion for what it takes to do great journalism.

Republican Candidates 'Looking at' Medicaid Expansion, Other States

At least two Republican candidates for statewide office in Mississippi are voicing support for Medicaid expansion—a policy state GOP leadership has long resisted.

Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Breakfast at MSU, USM AIM Awards and Tougaloo Scholarship Campaign

Mississippi State University will honor Martin Luther King Jr.'s life and legacy as a minister, humanitarian and civil-rights activist during the school's 25th annual Unity Breakfast and Day of Service on Monday, Jan. 21.

Max Cooper

The Japan Prize Foundation named Max Cooper, a University of Mississippi graduate and professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, as a 2018 recipient of the award for his work on immunology.

Hosemann Should 'Resign' His Office, Democratic Opponent Demands

One of Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann's potential opponents is calling on him to resign his office while he runs for lieutenant governor.

Breein Tyree

Breein Tyree's career-high 31 points against Vanderbilt helped the Rebels to an 81-17 win over the Commodores. Tyree earned the title of SEC Player of the Week, making him the first UM player to receive the honor since Jan. 23, 2017.

Delbert Hosemann Running for Lt. Gov: 'I'm Here to Apply for the Job'

Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann is running for lieutenant governor, he announced Wednesday morning.

Election-Year Lawmaking: What Will Happen?

Democratic Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood had stood discussed Mississippi's dismal national rankings in things like health care, poverty and education. Republicans such as Bryant and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, Hood said, would try to tell voters everything was just fine.

City Wants State’s Help Recouping Funds

Jackson City Council Vice President Virgi Lindsay knows that although Jackson desperately needs legislative assistance with recouping uncollected funds, the 2019 session might be fairly stagnant.

Wise Women: A Mother-Daughter Judicial Legacy Continues

Hinds County Chancery Court Judge Patricia Wise (left) retired after nearly 30 years on the bench, clearing the way for her daughter, newly elected Judge Crystal Wise Martin, to continue her legacy.

Kris Wilson

Kris Wilson, a Canton resident and an art instructor at Holmes Community College's Ridgeland and Goodman campuses, sees his art as a way to get people to slow down and rethink how they view imagery.

$1 Million Grant from FTA Will Help City Develop Transportation Corridor

The Federal Transit Administration awarded the City of Jackson $1 million to plan a transportation-focused corridor connecting 20 square miles.

The Quarter Lofts, Whimsy Willows Boutique and XplicitJ3 Fitness

Jackson-based real estate development company StateStreet Group recently announced the completion of The Quarter Lofts on Lakeland Drive.

Lottie Joiner

The Margaret Walker Center at Jackson State University recently announced that Lottie Joiner, editor-in-chief of The Crisis magazine, will be the keynote speaker for its 51st annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Convocation on Friday, Jan. 18.

UPDATED: Former JPD Chief Vance Running Against Beleaguered Hinds County Sheriff

Lee Vance, who retired as chief of the Jackson Police Department in December 2017 after 30 years on the force, has filed to run in the 2019 Hinds County sheriff's race.

Rep. Thompson Blasts White House's 'Outright Lies,' Calls for Hearings

Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., accused the Trump administration of "outright lies" and called for hearings on the deaths of children who were in U.S. custody.

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.

Verbatim Release: Pearl River Cresting

Due to an increase of water released from the Barnett Reservoir on Friday caused by local rains over the last 24 hours, the City of Jackson expects the Pearl River to crest by 33 feet tomorrow, Jan. 5, 2019.

With 84 Homicides in 2018, City Hopes to Stem Violence With New Cops, Strategy

The City of Jackson ended the year with 84 total homicides—a 30-percent increase over 2017's year-end count of 64.

Survey: No Benefits from Almost Half of Mississippi Businesses

Nearly half of Mississippi businesses provide no incentives to their employees at all, a December survey conducted by the Mississippi Secretary of State's Office revealed.

Crystal Allen

Crystal Allen, who joined the University of Mississippi Rebels this season, is a graduate transfer from the University of Texas at Arlington.

From Hyde-Smith to Police Shootings, Mississippi's Top News Stories of 2018

During an eventful 2018 in the United States, and Mississippi, the Jackson Free Press news team presented hard-hitting, enterprising and contextual journalism not available from any other news outlet in the state.

The Hungry Goat, Cultivation Food Hall and Crossroads Film Festival

The annual Crossroads Film Festival recently announced that it is accepting submissions from artists located within about a three-hour drive from Jackson for its music-video block.

Bryant Urges Trump to Close Border, Threatening 40,800 Mississippi Jobs

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant cheered on President Trump’s threats to shut down the border between the U.S. and Mexico, even though such a move would threaten $2.5 billion in trade with his state’s third largest export market.

Three New Hinds County Judges Sworn In

At a judicial swearing-in ceremony on Dec. 27, Senior Circuit Court Judge Tomie Green recalled times in her two-decade tenure on the bench where no one else looked like her. That day, however, after she and Circuit Court Judge Winston Kidd took their oaths for another term, the longtime judges swore in three newcomers: Former Hinds County District Attorney Eleanor Faye Peterson; outgoing Mississippi Rep. Adrienne Wooten, D-Jackson; and Johnnie McDaniels, the former executive director of Henley-Young Juvenile Detention Center.

Ellington