Out of the Shadows: Ronnie Crudup Jr. Brings Youth, Business to Forefront
Many Jacksonians did not know Ronnie Crudup Jr. before he announced as a candidate for mayor.
UPDATED: Lumumba Files Campaign Report, Third Behind Horhn, Graham in Donations
On a major campaign filing date, Mississippi Sen. John Horhn leads, so far, in donations with upwards of $200,000 in donations to date, although he has spent much of it.
A Mayor's Story: Tony Yarber on His Past Mistakes and Evolving Vision
Mayor Tony Yarber is different this time around. During his first run for the job vacated when Mayor Chokwe Lumumba died in 2014, a bunch of urgent business suits surrounded and handled him amid a certain amount of arrogant campaign chaos.
Rains Bring Flood Control Front of Mind; 'One Lake' Promised as Solution
The reality and unpredictability of the mighty Pearl waters bring the issue of long-delayed and debated flood control back front of mind in the metro, as the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District, commonly call the Levee Board, prepares to unveil specifics of its "One Lake" plan to dredge and widen parts of the Pearl.
Ahem, City Candidates
Sixteen people may be running for mayor, but as of press time, only two of them had met the Jan. 31, 2017, annual reporting deadline—nearly two months later.
UPDATED: Capitol Complex Bill with Funds for Jackson Passes, Heads to Governor
The year 2017 may be the charm for Jackson, at least when it comes to getting upward of $20 million a year from the State of Mississippi to help repair crumbling infrastructure around where lawmakers and most state workers drive, meet, dine and debate for four months a year, give or take a special session or two.
A ‘Gang,’ By Any Other Name
The word "gang" means different things to different people—and the realities of organized gangs in U.S. cities have shifted over the years. One result is that many of them are not the hierarchical organized-crime syndicates of past years.
‘One Lake’ Tax Sails Forward
Previous plans to dramatically remake the portion of the Pearl River that flows through the Jackson metropolitan area ran aground, but legislation is sailing toward the governor's desk that would pay for the project by taxing selected property in the new "One Lake" footprint.
An Editor and a Gentleman
An odd fluke of fate brought me to the patch of dirt where three civil rights workers were murdered in my home county, holding the hand of James Chaney's daughter 40 years after he died there.
A Sense of Urgency: Sen. John Horhn Pledges to Cure What Ails City Hall
Sen. John Horhn may have been in the Mississippi Legislature for 24 years, but the Jackson man doesn't always get what he wants.
As Deadline Passes, 16 Candidates Running for Jackson Mayor
As the deadline passes to qualify for the Jackson city elections, 16 candidates are running for mayor of the capital city.
A Violence Talk That Might Have Been
It felt more like a bait-and-switch. But maybe the City Hall gathering was a start of a new way of thinking about crime prevention in the capital city.
City Gives More Details on South Jackson Water Outage, 'Code Red' Plan
After the Hinds County Board of Supervisors voted yesterday to declare a state of emergency in south Jackson to support work on a 48-inch water main, the City of Jackson released more details on the situation today.
Solutions: How to Prevent Gun Violence
Here is a sampling of evidence-based solutions for preventing and interrupting gun violence. See jfp.ms/stopviolence for links to learn more.
Murder in the City: Deep Causes, Harmful Biases, Unexpected Solutions to Gun Violence
On the night of Thursday, Feb. 9, a group of twenty-something Jacksonians were hanging out in Westwood Apartments at 3150 Robinson Road playing dominoes. Suddenly, several men walked in pointing guns and demanding their belongings.
DA Smith Wins on One Count, But Passes on 'Whistleblower' Bad Check Claims
The trial against Downtown Jackson Partners President Ben Allen wound up on Feb. 7, even as the woman who landed him there remained conspicuously absent from the courtroom.
Mayor Yarber, Socrates Garrett Address Contracting Dispute, 'Steering'
Mayor Tony Yarber and his administration recently became defendants in another sexual-harassment lawsuit, this time saddled with charges of steering city contracts to campaign supporters.
UPDATED: Jury Finds Allen Guilty for Cell-phone Payment, Not Guilty on Nine Counts
The jury in the trial of Downtown Jackson Partners President Ben Allen found him guilty on one count, not guilty on nine others after six hours of deliberation.
Nicholas Lemann
Journalist and author Nicholas Lemann may have a lot of New York cred, but he's a southerner at heart, born, raised and educated in New Orleans.
JFP Editor Donna Ladd's Speech at the Women's March, State Capitol, Jackson, Miss, 1/21/17
JFP Editor-in-chief and CEO Donna Ladd ended the Jackson Women's March at the Mississippi Capitol on Jan. 21, 2017, with this speech about the importance of independent media.
Sen. McDaniel, Meet the Real ‘Liberal Women’
As I was consumed with Best of Jackson week last week, I kept getting emails and texts about a state legislator proving himself to be among the worst of Mississippi.
These Are the Best of Times
No doubt, we're living through unsettling times. It would be easy to get depressed and angry at everything that lies before us to get done and repair—from a national political divide, to budget problems in the Capitol and City Hall, to local potholes that can eat a Hummer with few efficient and fast solutions for any of them.
UPDATED: City Selects Blogger 'Kingfish' Hendrix, 'Snakeman' Percy King for Jackson Zoo Board
James Hendrix, a local blogger and controversial personality known for his Jackson Jambalaya website, is one of two candidates up today for two spots on the Jackson Zoo's board of directors.
Mississippi Celebrates 'National Day of Racial Healing' on Tuesday, Jan. 17
Participate in Mississippi events and activities related to Dr. King's birthday, the National Day of Healing and responses to the inauguration of Donald Trump.
Carlos Moore to Sue on Behalf of Teen Killed Outside Performance Oil
Carlos Moore, a Grenada, Miss., attorney known for trying to sue the State of Mississippi over the Confederate canton in the state flag, said on Facebook today that he will represent the family of 17-year-old Charles McDonald who was shot multiple times outside a south Jackson business last summer.
Gov. Winter: Self-Made Hero on Road Less Traveled
Since Gov. William Winter fell on ice last Saturday, scaring the dickens out of so many people, I've been thinking about that congressman. Was it worth it to go along to get along, to play against what seemed to be his nature?
UPDATED 1/10/16: Gov. William Winter Still Fair, Moved to Regular Room at UMMC
The Jackson Free Press has just learned that a hero of Mississippi, former Gov. William William, is in emergency are after falling on the ice his morning in his driveway and hitting his head.
From Man Caves to the 'Great Wall,' Bryant and Farage Head to Trump's Inauguration
Gov. Phil Bryant has invited Nigel Farage of British Brexit fame to attend Donald Trump's inauguration with him.
Haley Barbour Back in the Money, Will Lobby the U.S. on Behalf of Ukraine
Haley Barbour, the former governor of Mississippi, head of the Republican National Committee and one of the world's most powerful lobbyists, is going to work for the Ukrainian government to lobby the United States government, Reuters is reporting.
Man Charged with Murdering Teen Granted $50K Bond, Gag Order Possible
The man charged with killing 17-year-old Charles McDonald outside his business, Performance Oil, ini south Jackson is requesting bail after his Dec. 29 arrest for first-degree murder. A judge granted a $50,000 bond for Parish on Jan. 10.
UPDATED: Judge Sets DA's New Trial for June 12 after Mistrial, Hood Slams Dishonesty of Juror
The jury in the State of Mississippi case against Hinds District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith only deliberated about three hours before the judge declared a mistrial at about 4 p.m. today.
The Dark Side of the Hinds Justice System
It will be a tough slog, but we need confidence and accountability in the Hinds criminal-justice system again.
UPDATED: Gregarious Former Sheriff, Police Chief Malcolm McMillin Dies
The only person to serve as both Hinds County sheriff and Jackson police chief, Malcolm McMillin, died today after a long illness.
Love Thy Neighbor: How to Connect in Divided Times
You can't sugarcoat it. In the wake of the 2016 presidential campaign, these are tough, divisive times. We're all hearing a lot about how Americans don't talk to people who disagree with them, especially between races and economic classes.
All Must Take Responsibility for Preventing Crime
Much research shows that hopelessness prolongs problems, including crime, because people don't do what each of them could to alleviate the conditions that lead to misbehavior.
I’m a Patriot, Not a ‘Libtard’
A Republican friend from Mississippi State, whom I haven't seen in decades, wrote on my Facebook page recently that he reads my work, and he actually finds me quite conservative in some ways. He hoped that characterization didn't offend me. It didn't.
The Impolite Free Press in the Age of Trump
Let's get this straight off the bat: There is no one reason that Hillary Clinton lost and Donald Trump won enough electoral votes last week to become president.
Gentleman Caller: Always About a 'Black Person, a Black Person, a Black Person'
A caller to the Jackson Free Press today complained that we cover far too many black people and now to find some white people to write about.
Win or Lose, We Must Fight the ‘Trump Effect’
The white woman's name and phone number showed up clearly on the caller ID when she called the Jackson Free Press several times, angry about a column a young black woman had published in our paper.
Mississippi Women: Time to ‘Personhood’ Donald Trump, Mike Pence
Mississippi women turned back Personhood in 2011. Now, we need to vote against two men likely to limit everything from the birth-control pill to in vitro fertilization, from affordable cancer screenings to abortions to save the life of the mother.
Caller to Black JFP Writer: 'I want to offer her a plane ticket back to Africa' (LISTEN)
"I want to offer her a plane ticket back to Africa if she thinks America is so bad. Um, I would love to pay for her ticket. Also tell her she’s got to leave her iPhone here, her computer, her closet full of clothes, her high-heel shoes and her lovely, lovely hair."
Donald and Melania, Stop Insulting Men
Wait, what? No, Melania, good men aren't "egged" into bragging that they can grab women's private parts any time they want. I get that you're trying to defend your husband, but that kind of national enabling will just continue the "boys will be boys" lie that sexual predators and perverts have long lurked behind.
2016 Election: A Tough Time for Women
Women, we must no longer consent to walk on eggshells and allow ourselves to be interrupted and belittled by men, whether "below" or "above" us in a pecking order. And men, nothing about this cultural misogyny makes America a stronger nation or you a stronger male.
Vote Synarus Green For District 72 Tuesday, Sept. 13, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
We encourage registered votes in Mississippi House District 72 to vote for Synarus Green in Tuesday's run-off special election.
UPDATED: Indictment Snares Attorney Previously Used to Defend DA Smith
Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith was the high-profile name listed in a three-count felony indictment today. But the other is an assistant district attorney who Smith’s attorney claims can help prove that the state attorney general’s office has ulterior motives in pursuing the local prosecutor.
Trump, Bryant Stooping for Nervous White Vote
You can't make it up. The governor who is fighting to enact an anti-LGBT law in Mississippi is working diligently to get the Ku Klux Klan's choice for president elected to the White House. And that isn't even the amazing part.
DA Files: The Curious Case of Mr. Smith, Mr. Butler and Mr. Hood
Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith walked into the courtroom on March 3, 2016, with a clear goal—to help get Christopher Butler, then 38, out of the Raymond jail.
DA Smith Says MBN Framed Jackson Man; Agency Says Evidence Not 'Credible'
Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith is hanging his defense to state charges and a bar complaint around what he alleges is a set-up of Christopher Butler, the man at the center of five of the six counts that could get the DA booted from office.
UPDATED: Attorney Sues City of Jackson for Race Discrimination, 'Malicious' Termination
A former deputy city attorney is suing the City of Jackson for race discrimination, racial harassment, retaliation and violation of her First Amendment and due-process rights in federal court.
UPDATED: Woman Sues Mayor Yarber for Sex Discrimination, Mayor Calls Her 'Disgruntled'
Mayor Tony Yarber's former executive assistant today filed a complaint in federal court accusing him of sex discrimination, sexual harassment and a hostile workplace within City Hall, and of having sexual different work-related sexual liaisons going at the same time.