JPS Keeps Accreditation for Now as 18 Districts Go on Probation
The Commission on School Accreditation approved the 2017 accountability grades of JPS schools and districts at its meeting Tuesday morning, as well as recommended that 18 school districts in the state go on probation for accreditation violations.
JPS Faces Big Week as Governor's Takeover Decision Looms
As Jackson Public Schools officials and administrators work to meet deadlines set in their 2016 corrective action plan, Gov. Phil Bryant could decide to take away local control of the district this week.
Welty Library Set to Re-open Monday
The Eudora Welty Library in downtown Jackson will reopen on Monday, after state and city officials inspected the building today, determining the first floor is safe for patrons.
HB 1523 Becomes Law Amid Outcry, U.S. Supreme Court Asked to Appeal
The "Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination" Act is state law in Mississippi, after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied the request of plaintiffs in the Barber v. Bryant lawsuit to block it while they appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Transportation Head Calls Out Legislature for Not Funding Roads, Bridges
Central District Transportation Commissioner Dick Hall did not mince words at the Stennis Capitol Press Forum Monday, calling out Mississippi lawmakers' inaction on funding the state's infrastructure.
Where Mississippi's U.S. Lawmakers Stand on Gun Laws, Rights
In the wake of the Las Vegas massacre, the Jackson Free Press assembled details on the gun-related legislation that Mississippi lawmakers in Washington have supported or co-sponsored, as well as how much gun-rights groups have donated to them.
JPS Students: ‘Takeover’ Could Empty Schools, Fill Jails
State of Mississippi takeover of Jackson Public Schools could be devastating to young people, a group of JPS students told reporters outside City Hall Monday.
Beyond Mississippi’s Dark Days of Judicial Injustice
On Sept. 27, Mississippi justices, lawyers and law students celebrated the state judicial branch's 200th birthday, along with U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who visited Jackson for the occasion.
Fighting for the Right to Vote
Mississippi state law on who gets to vote after serving time in MDOC's custody appears rather arbitrary. Twenty-two disenfranchising crimes are listed in a 2009 attorney general's opinion that clarifies the law. These crimes range from embezzlement and felony bad check to murder and rape.
Mental Health Task Force Aims to Improve Services, Including for the Accused
Attorney General Jim Hood is tackling problems in Mississippi's mental-health system to make it easier for people to get treatment and to improve the commitment process, he said last week.
Welty Library Building Closure ‘Devastating’
The Eudora Welty Library building is closed off to the public after the state fire marshal closed it Oct. 5 due to several violations of fire and life safety standards after the office conducted an investigation on Oct. 4. It is unclear at this point when the building will re-open.
Welty Library Closes Due to Fire Violations
The Eudora Welty Library in downtown Jackson closed this evening after a state fire marshal inspection on Wednesday, Oct. 4, revealed several violations of fire and life safety standards.
Rep. Bomgar, Businessmen: DACA Has 'Huge Economic Benefit'
A diverse panel of local business owners, a Republican state legislator and an economics professor at Jackson State University all agreed that immigrants on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program have a positive impact on the American economy.
Report: Jackson Airport Economic Impact More Than $1 Billion
The Jackson Municipal Airport Authority's total monetary impact in 2016 on the five surrounding counties—Hinds, Rankin, Madison, Simpson and Copiah—is valued at $1.19 billion, a Jackson State University study found.
HB 1523 Becomes Law Tuesday, Oct. 10, After 5th Circuit Denied Stay
The "Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act" will become state law on Tuesday, Oct. 10, after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied attorneys' request to prevent the law from taking effect while they petition the U.S. Supreme Court.
JPS: In the Midst of an ‘Unprecedented’ Situation
When the Mississippi Board of Education recommended a takeover of Jackson Public Schools, the district was almost finished implementing a corrective action plan that the department of education approved in December 2016.
Federal Judge Revives Same-Sex Marriage Case After 5th Circuit's HB 1523 Hearing Denial
U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves wasted no time in reviving the original case that sought to legalize same-sex marriage in Mississippi, after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied a full panel hearing in the case against House Bill 1523 last week.
JPS Set to Begin $2.5 Million School Renovations to Wingfield, Brinkley, Murrah, Forest Hill
Students at Wingfield High School and Brinkley Middle School will see renovations and improvements to their facilities in the coming months after both the Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees and the Jackson City Council approved the district to issue a limited loan of no more than $2.5 million.
CHIP in Limbo: 79,000 Mississippi Kids Could Lose Health Insurance
The U.S. Congress quietly let the Children's Health Insurance Program, initially authorized in 1997, expire last week, leaving more than 79,000 Mississippi children at risk for losing their health insurance.
Poll: Mississippi Flag Losing Favor; White Voters Still Oppose Change
A new poll shows that 49 percent of Mississippians favor the current state flag, signaling the first time a majority of state residents does not support the banner.
HB 1523 May Become Law This Week; Plaintiffs Asking Supreme Court to Hear Case
House Bill 1523, the law Gov. Phil Bryant signed that can allow Mississippians acting on their religious beliefs to discriminate against LGBT citizens, is set to become state law this Friday—unless the 5th Circuit U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decides differently.
Auditor: 'Culture of Obstruction' Inside State Education Department
The Mississippi Department of Education may have broken state law with contracts it authorized in fiscal-year 2014 and 2015, and some of those deals with people and companies in the state superintendent's network.
Civil Rights Photographer Doris Derby Unveils Work at JSU Tonight
Doris Derby, a civil-rights veteran who worked in Jackson in the 1960s, walked into a basement room of the not-yet-opened Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and saw her black and yellow dress she had made when she moved to the South.
Takeover or Not: Jackson Schools in Limbo
The afternoon of Thursday, Sept. 14, seemed to creep by slowly as Mississippi Board of Education members deliberated the future of Jackson Public Schools behind closed doors.
Protecting Children: New Leader, New Challenges
Almost 6,000 children are in the state's custody, and some of them are backlogged in the system, newly appointed commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services Jess Dickinson told lawmakers last week.
Charter School Decision Over Diversion of Public Funds Should Drop Soon
Parents with children in Jackson Public Schools are waiting for Hinds County Chancery Court Judge J. Dewayne Thomas to decide if the state's charter-school law violates the Mississippi Constitution, which may happen any day now.
State Economic Growth Lags, As Agencies Request More Funding
From public safety to education, several large state agencies asked top lawmakers for more funding last week. Based on the State of Mississippi's economic outlook, however, more funding does not seem to be in sight.
'Our JPS' Coalition Activates Against State Takeover
The pending takeover of Jackson Public Schools drew dozens of citizens to Friday Forum at the former Koinonia Coffeehouse this morning to learn about what it means for capital-city families.
Jackson’s Confederate-Named Schools May Change After JPS Board Vote
With the potential for a state takeover of the Jackson Public School District looming, its board of trustees voted to allow the local PTAs to rename three elementary schools in the district named for Confederate generals and leaders at its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday night.
Gov. Bryant on JPS Takeover: 'Not Going to Rush Judgment'
After meeting with Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba this morning, Gov. Phil Bryant said today that he does not plan to "rush judgment" on the Mississippi Board of Education's proposal to take over Jackson Public Schools, which awaits his signature.
Next Steps for JPS Takeover: Governor in No 'Rush'
Jackson Public Schools started the week of Sept. 11 facing a possible takeover and ended with its fate in Gov. Phil Bryant's hands.
Lilli Evans Bass
Lilli Evans Bass says that Jackson is and always will be home for her. That's why, even after receiving her law degree at the University of Mississippi in 2008, she decided to come home to practice law.
35 New U.S. Citizens from 23 Countries Take Oath at Jackson Middle School
In honor of Constitution Day, Sept. 17, as well as the anniversary of federal courts this month, U.S. District Courts around the country hosted naturalization ceremonies in schools.
Attorney, JPS Parent Files Federal Lawsuit to Block State Takeover of School District
Jackson attorney Dorsey Carson says the state's process to take over school districts, violates his child's and all parents' due-process rights.
State Board Sends JPS Takeover to Governor for Stamp of Approval
The fate of Jackson Public Schools is now in the hands of Republican Gov. Phil Bryant after the Mississippi Board of Education declared an “extreme emergency situation” in the district this afternoon.
JPS ‘Takeover’ Looms as Commission Declares ‘Extreme Emergency’ in District
The impending state takeover of Jackson Public Schools moved forward today, shocking a packed board room at the Mississippi Department of Education, which is housed in the old, long-segregated Central High School in downtown Jackson.
‘Everybody Matters, Or Nobody Matters’: The JFP Interview with Public Safety Commissioner Marshall Fisher
Department of Public Safety Commissioner Marshall Fisher shared his opinions and ideas about how law enforcement fits into society and government as a whole with the Jackson Free Press recently.
Lumumba Alleges 'Nefarious Intent' in JPS Audit, Says City Will Fight
Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba rallied with advocates on Tuesday ahead of this morning's Mississippi Commission on School Accreditation meeting, during which members will determine whether or not to put Jackson Public Schools is in an "emergency" situation.
UPDATED: How Will the Jackson Property Tax Increase Affect You?
The Jackson City Council approved Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba's revenue increase proposal, raising the city's property tax rate by 2 mills, late on the Friday before Labor Day weekend.
Local DACA Immigrants: We Still Have a Dream
The most recent data from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security show that more than 3,000 Mississippians have applied for DACA approval, with 2,700 applications approved as of March 31.
As Money Flows to Hopefuls, Hattiesburg Votes to Elect New Legislator
Hattiesburg residents have their choice of four candidates in the special election for House District 102, which they vote in today, to replace former Rep. Toby Barker's seat in the Mississippi House of Representatives. Barker ran for mayor of Hattiesburg this spring and won, leaving his seat open.
Advocates, Lumumba Call For 'No State Takeover' as State Decisions Looms
This week, the Mississippi Commission on School Accreditation will decide whether or not Jackson Public Schools is in a state of emergency.
Mississippi Helps Florida in Irma Response
Ninety-eight emergency responders from Mississippi are headed to Florida to assist with hurricane relief and recovery efforts after Hurricane Irma made landfall there this weekend.
AG Warns: It's a Felony to Sell Flood-damaged Vehicles as New
Attorney General Jim Hood cautioned Mississippians who are in the market to purchase vehicles in the next few months to be wary of flood damage.
Mayor Lumumba Backs 'Dreamers,' Calls on Trump to Preserve DACA
Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba is calling on President Donald Trump to preserve the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program, known as DACA. Lumumba signed the "We Are With Dreamers" letter today, which includes governors, state and municipal leaders, and faith leaders throughout the country.
Secretary of State Launches Voter Registration Status Tool
Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann launched a new part of the Y'all Vote website on Wednesday, Sept. 6, that allows Mississippians to easily see if they are registered to vote—and if so, where they should be voting.
Amid Growing Scrutiny and Pressure, State Flag May Land at Supreme Court
Pressure to change the Mississippi state flag has intensified since shocking images emerged of torch-wielding white supremacists in Charlottesville, Va., marching to protect symbols honoring the Confederacy—a weekend rally that ended with an anti-racist protester dead.
JPS Faces ‘Emergency’ Decision: What’s Next?
The future of Jackson Public Schools is uncertain after a recent audit investigation found the district has hundreds of unfilled and uncertified teacher slots; inconsistent board-to-district policies; and did not teach graduating seniors enough days to qualify for graduation.
UPDATED: Lumumba, City Council Quietly Raise Property Taxes to Fill Budget Holes
Late last week, the Jackson City Council approved a 2-millage tax increase in a close 3-2 vote, with two city council members not attending the last-minute Friday-evening meeting.
City of Jackson Collecting Harvey Relief Supplies, Where to Donate
The City of Jackson is collecting relief supplies to send to people in Texas and Louisiana affected by the storm damage from Hurricane Harvey, which made landfall last week.