News

Visit Jackson Still In Limbo Under New CEO

Down a long hallway in the Mississippi Capitol, past the grandeur of the multi-story Christmas tree and seemingly state-mandated tinsel decorations, Sen. John Horhn, D-Jackson, convened a meeting on Dec. 18 to go over the findings of the ill-performing Jackson Convention and Visitors Bureau, also known as Visit Jackson.

Mississippi’s ‘Seg Academies’ Creating National Dialogue

The Jackson Free Press'  report that Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith attended one of Mississippi's first segregation academies and later sent her daughter to one has spurred a national conversation on schools set up to separate white kids from African Americans.

Karl Robinson

When Karl Robinson, 31 was working as an assistant coaching coach for an Amateur Athletic Union team in 2012, he noticed the pre-game chat would often emphasize desire, discipline and dedication.

Amazon Bringing 850 Full-Time Jobs to Mississippi, Donated to State Candidates

Amazon plans to open a distribution warehouse in Marshall County, Miss., that the online retail giant said in its announcement Friday will create 850 full-time jobs in the northernmost part of the state over a three-year period.

AHA Scholars at Tougaloo, Carnegie Designations, and JSU Heart Walk

The American Heart Association recently named two Tougaloo College students as AHA HBCU Scholars.

Cindy Hyde-Smith Presides as U.S. Senate Finally Passes Anti-Lynching Law

U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., presided as the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bill that makes lynching a federal civil-rights crime.

Almost Half of JPS High Schoolers Are Not Showing Up for Class

At the midpoint of this school year, approximately 44 percent of high schoolers in the Jackson Public School District are labeled as truant, meaning they missed five or more days of school with no excuses, data from JPS show.

Daishai Almond

Freshman Daishai Almond was left to take the reins of the Golden Eagles' offense during the second quarter against Mississippi State University.

Rep. Palazzo Wants 'Border Bonds' for Americans to Pay for Trump's Wall

Under Mississippi Congressman Steven Palazzo's "Border Bonds for America Act," American citizens would pay for the construction of a wall on the southern border by purchasing revenue bonds from the U.S. Treasury.

Lisa Potts

While working with Teach for America from 2011 to 2013, current Woodward Hines Education Foundation Communications and Impact Coordinator Lisa Potts says she saw a lot of needs among the students and also noticed the need for more resources.

AG Hood Supports 15-Week Abortion Ban in Appeal to 5th Circuit

Jim Hood, Mississippi's attorney general and a 2019 gubernatorial candidate, filed an appeal on behalf of the state's 15-week abortion ban on Dec. 17, about a month after U.S. District Court Judge Carlton Reeves blocked it.

Stuffed Baked Potato Factory at Northpark and Make-A-Wish at the Outlets

Northpark recently announced the winner of the "Taste for the Space" culinary competition that it hosted on Saturday, Dec. 1. Michael Joyner, a Jackson resident, won the competition representing The Stuffed Baked Potato Factory.

With Gov. Bryant’s Support, Judge Strikes Pre-Existing Condition Protections

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant backs a lawsuit that Republicans designed to kill the Affordable Care Act and its pre-existing conditions protections. A federal judge just ruled the law unconstitutional in the case.

Amid Water Shutoffs, Jackson Assists Siemens Customers With Bills

The City of Jackson's customer-focused process of offering payment plans to beleaguered Siemens Inc. customers since April has not yielded revenue at a quick enough rate to fill the massive $10 million to $20 million deficit due to kinks in the billing system.

New Leaders at USM Institute for Disability Studies, MSU Groundbreaking and Belhaven Welcome Week

Mississippi State University held a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, Dec. 7, commemorating the beginning of construction on its Richard A. Rula Engineering and Science Complex.

Frank Mickens Jr.

Frank Mickens Jr., a longtime Jackson resident who founded engineering and construction firm Encon, Inc., died on Nov. 17 at age 67.

Foster Claims 'Third Party' Offered $1 Million to Exit Governor's Race

A third party offered to help Mississippi State Rep. Robert Foster, R-Hernando, secure $1 million in fundraising if he would drop out of the race for governor, the GOP candidate claimed in an interview with the Jackson Free Press Thursday.

Former Criminals Training to Stop Violence in Jackson with $150,000 Grant

Terun Moore and Benny Ivey will be Jackson's first official, trained "credible messengers," working to prevent violence in the metro area.

John Hendrick

Jackson State University did not have to look far to find its 20th head football coach. The team took the interim tag off John Hendrick in November and will keep him in the job he took over after JSU dismissed Tony Hughes.

South Street Live and State Street Reconstruction Project

The City of Jackson began work on the second phase of its State Street Reconstruction Project, which will focus on completely reconstructing State Street from Hartfield Street to Choctaw Road, on Monday, Dec. 10.

Governor Talks Criminal-Justice Reform, First Step Act, 'Baby Daddies' at Summit

Gov. Phil Bryant enthusiastically backed federal criminal-justice reform at the Mississippi Summit for Criminal Justice on Dec. 11 at the Westin Hotel in downtown Jackson.

Cultivating the Technology Sprout

If you have ever used the camera search tool on the Amazon app, you can, in part, thank the team behind Partpic, including Jackson native Nashlie Sephus, the owner of The Bean Path, a technology and entrepreneurial nonprofit.

Jackson Rising

In November, education nonprofit Operation Shoestring announced that as part of its 50th-anniversary celebration, it would launch the "Rise to the Future" capital campaign to go toward renovations.

Amanda Fontaine

Amanda Fontaine first encountered her passion of working with victims of burn injuries through volunteer work with Junior Auxillary. She started out volunteering with the organization at Delta Regional's burn center.

Mississippi Towns Hit Hard Financially by Rising Sea Levels, Study Finds

Homes on the Mississippi Gulf Coast lost more than $263 million in value due to rising sea levels, an analysis by the First Street Foundation and Columbia University found.

Hard-right Conservative 'Farmer Bob' to Announce Run for Governor

Freshman State Rep. Robert Foster will announce a bid for the Republican nomination to be Mississippi's next governor tomorrow in his hometown of Hernando.

Jackson City Attorney Abruptly Replaced with Tougaloo Professor

Amid churning rumors that Jackson City Attorney Sharon Gipson had been let go, the City announced her termination and Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba's replacement in one fell swoop on Dec. 7.

Celebrating with Local Cheer

This holiday season, make local events a part of your celebration.

Trump, Acting AG Praise 'Project EJECT' Strategy as Jackson Homicides Surge

Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker presented the Southern District of Mississippi's U.S. Attorney's Office with an award for the outstanding overall partnership/task force for its contentious violent crime-fighting program, Project EJECT.

Belhaven Business Success Award, 'Imitation of Life' Exhibit at MSU and Millsaps at the Arts Center

Belhaven University gave John G. Davis Jr., executive director of the Mississippi Department of Human Services, its Business Success Award as part of the university's 2018 Alumni Awards reception on Friday, Nov. 2.

Ellington