All results / Stories / Jackson Free Press
Catherine Sherer Bishop
A random Thursday night at Fenian's Pub in 1998 sparked a long-term love of Irish dance for Catherine Sherer Bishop. That night, Bishop saw the Jackson Irish Dancers, then a newly formed group, performing and asked to join in their next dance. Although they discouraged her, saying that the dance was not for the faint of heart, she quickly learned the steps and performed it perfectly that night.
Council Recalculating Budget
The Jackson City Council is willing to approve a budget revision next week filling a $4 million budget shortfall, Ward 2 Councilman Chokwe Lumumba believes.
Religious Leaders Oppose Payday Lending Laws
Stewpot Community Services Chief Executive Officer Rev. Frank Spencer said Stewpot Community Services would supply groceries to people whose choices are limited to paying off their loan or buying groceries.
A Helping Hand
A storage closet inside a homeless day shelter is an unlikely studio for well-known Mississippi folk artist McArthur Chism. But these days Chism is just glad to have a quiet space where he can thread the bottle caps he collects with wire hangers and make crosses, birdhouses and frames.
Barbour's Press Pass
Watching Gov. Haley Barbour seize the national media spotlight feels a bit like seeing a bully from high school making it big. "I knew him when he was fat and mean!" one wants to say.
GOP May Oppose Court-ordered Maps
The Mississippi Republican Party likely will contest a three-judge panel's decision to impose the Mississippi House of Representatives' redistricting map as the official House election map for 2011.
Property Owners to Vote on Biz District
Now that property owners approved an expansion plan for Jackson's Businesses Improvement District May 26, Downtown Jackson Partners must obtain 70 percent majority vote from property owners to prevent the district from dissolving.
Gene Young
In the last year of his life, Gene Young was a regular at the Eudora Welty Library. The civil rights activist would bring a briefcase full of newspaper clippings and photos showing his arrests, speeches and involvement in the Civil Rights Movement that started when he was a child.
Billy McCoy
Mississippi House Speaker Billy McCoy, 68, a Delta farmer from Rienzi, announced yesterday that he would not run again for his seat in the Mississippi House of Representatives.
[Slate] The Best in Sports in 7 Days
Doctor S sez: Yes, it's almost college football signing day and no, I'm not going to talk about it.
Shifting Demographics To Cause Worker Shortage
Georgia diversity trainer Al Vivian predicts a shortage of workers within the next 10 years, if economic and demographic trends continue at their current pace.
Wendi Reed
Rick Fremin, who became coach of the Jackson State University women's softball team in January, does not hesitate naming the on-the-field leader for the Lady Tigers. "Without question, one player I feel does not get enough media hype or exposure is Wendi Reed," he said.
Payday Lending Under Scrutiny Today
UPDATED: This story has been updated with additional information from this afternoon's hearing.
The Cheering Section
As Jackson Public Schools Superintendent Lonnie Edwards makes the case for keeping his job, he has relied on the support of a variety of visible community members.
Metro Facing Sewer Headache
Jackson's outdated sewage treatment plant is dumping too much sludge and waste back into the Pearl River, and the city is paying big bucks to get it into federal compliance.
Caring for Criminals
Inmate medical care is an unpopular business, at least in Hinds County. The Hinds County Board of Supervisors learned that lesson the hard way in January, when it found itself scrambling for a medical provider before its existing contract, with Jackson-based Reddix Medical Group, expired Jan. 31.
GOP Official Threatens Hinds With Lawsuit
The Hinds County Board of Supervisors may face a lawsuit over its decision to hire Mississippi NAACP President Derrick Johnson to oversee its redistricting process. Hinds County Republican Party Chairman Pete Perry told supervisors at its board meeting today that he plans to sue the county if they do not void Johnson's contract.
Our Voices Will Be Heard
When Greenwood resident Sandra Stringfellow was diagnosed with HIV 16 years ago, she felt isolated and alone. Her neighbor flagged down Stringfellow's visitors to tell them that Stringfellow was positive and that they shouldn't associate with her.
Wired Closes; Jackson Law Firm Ranks High
After three years in business, Wired Espresso Cafe closed its doors last weekend due to a tough economy for coffee sales.
Protesters Clash at Capitol
Opposing rallies connected at the state Capitol Saturday as members of fair taxation group US Uncut and moveon.org, who were showing solidarity with Wisconsin union workers, faced members of the Mississippi Tea Party.