Kayode Crown

City Announces Precinct Changes in 5 Wards for Jackson Primary in 3 Weeks

With three weeks to the municipal primary election, the City of Jackson announced precincts changes in five of the seven wards and have informed those affected by the changes

Manager: Staff Shortage, Contractors’ Practices Affect City’s Solid Waste Management

In this Feb. 16 interview, Solid Waste Division Manager Lakesha Weathers discusses the crisis of illegal dumping in the city, who is responsible for it, and how she plans to solve it, which she said involves ramping up educational campaigns.

Planning Director: Casa Grande Demolition On Hold

Casa Grande Apartments on 3603 Terry Road in Jackson may not be demolished as soon as expected, if at all, as an unnamed interested party reached out to the Department of Planning and Development after the public announcement last week.

Homelessness Outreach Coordinator: Downtown Jackson Partners Helped 25 Since January

The Downtown Jackson Partners Homelessness Outreach Coordinator Tommie Brown has, since January, identified and helped 25 homeless Jacksonians get the services that they need.

City Plans Demolitions of Commercial Blight, New Code Enforcement Regime

Five structures constituting commercial blight in Jackson are up for demolition starting in April after pending bids and council approval, Department of Planning and Development Director Jordan Hillman said at a March 8 press conference.

JPS Closes Watkins Elementary School Because of Building Structural Problems

Jackson Public School District Superintendent Errick Greene explained to stakeholders during a Zoom meeting Tuesday that it was urgent to close Watkins Elementary School for student safety.

Mayor: Achieving Herd Immunity Aim of Jackson’s Vaccination Day

Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba said the next step toward herd immunity in Jackson is collaboration with churches and other credible messengers to increase the vaccination numbers.

Seeking Solutions to Illegal Dumping: Education, Citation, Action

"(Illegal dumping) poses a big problem in the city of Jackson," Ward 6 Councilman Aaron Banks acknowledged at the Feb. 2 council meeting. "As soon as we organize cleanups to pick it up, it's back out there (in) three or four days."

How the Water Shutdown Unfolded; What, Who Is Needed to Fix It

Parts of Jackson were still without water two weeks after the February winter storm wreaked havoc on the capital city's two water-treatment plants.

Moderna, Pfizer Vaccines Don't Change DNA, Expert Says

The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines will not change recipients' DNA, American Public Health Association Executive Director Dr. Georges Benjamin explained to journalists during the virtual National Press Association Statehouse Fellowship program on Feb. 26.

Daggers Drawn: Lumumba and Stokes Trade Blame As City Suffers Water Crisis

Amid a water crisis in the wake of a serious winter-weather storm, Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba and Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes gave dueling statements during the week, trading accusations of negligence.

Jackson Works Director Details Water System Breakdowns, System Failure Mitigation

As Jacksonians struggle with the aftermath of winter weather that caught the city flatfooted, Director of Works Charles Williams told the city council yesterday that it might happen again soon.

Reducing Harsh Sentencing Goal of House Bill to Limit Maximum Sentencing Requirement

With a goal of reducing the harsh sentencing in Mississippi, the House of Representatives has passed HB Bill 796, which would restrict the mandatory maximum sentencing requirement for so-called habitual offenders.

City Imposes Night Security Requirement on Jackson Convenience Stores

Convenient stores in Jackson must have security personnel between midnight and 5 a.m., under an ordinance the city council passed to help curb crime.

Formerly Incarcerated Would Get Mental Health Care Under Jackson Rep’s Bill

Former Mississippi Department of Corrections inmates with mental-health challenges will be able to get more help from community health centers if the Mississippi Legislature passes House Bill 1341.

Conversation with JPS Principals: Navigating the Pandemic

The COVID-19 crisis first led to suspension of school grading last year. Now, the 12-member Mississippi Board of Education suspended the same for the 2020-2021 school year, so schools and districts will not be assigned A-F letter grades for their performance on federal and state tests.

City Opens Poll-Workers Application, Lynch Street Resurfacing Complete

The City of Jackson seeks 679 poll workers to cover the 82 voting precincts for the April 6 primary, April 27 run-off and June 8 general election for mayor and council seats.

34 Candidates Total: Mayor, Jackson City Council Leaders Face Primary Challengers on April 6

By the Feb. 5 deadline, 21 candidates had officially signed up for City of Jackson municipal elections. No new mayoral candidates filed to challenge Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba since January.

City Gets Art, Climate Change-Mitigation Grants, Fitness Court

Seven Jacksonians will explore the intersection of arts and social justice to create change and to address prevailing arts grantmaking inequities.

Caught in Water-Billing Hell: Jackson Citizens Seek Justice for Enormous Bills

Barbara Tadley wants the water to her hotel turned back on for her to start receiving guests again after shutting down in June 2020.

Violence Experts: Mayor's Youth Curfew Order May Prove Counterproductive

Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba imposed a five-day curfew order for those under age 18 from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. due to rising crime in the capital city.

City Leaders Call Out State for Leaving Out Jackson in Initial COVID-19 Vaccinations

The Jackson City Council is kicking against the State of Mississippi for what it is calling neglectful COVID-19 vaccine distribution in the majority-Black capital city.

'A Perfect Storm': Mayor Lumumba Addresses Spate of Homicides

Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba condemned the recent spate of killings in Jackson, which reached 128 last year, the highest recorded number in the city’s history.

Public Shooting, Doing ‘Donuts’ Could Become Felonies with Full Jackson City Council Support

Concerns about indiscriminate shootings spurred the Jackson City Council to support House Bill 854, which proposes increased penalties against the practice. At its Jan. 27 meeting, the council voted unanimously for a resolution to support Rep. Debra Gibbs’ proposed legislation.

District Attorney Owens: Hinds County Diverted 300 From Criminal Justice

Three hundred first-time non-violent offenders went through a diversion program last year in Hinds County in exchange for dropped charges, District Attorney Jody Owens said at a press conference Tuesday.

So Far, Six Candidates Running for Jackson Mayor, 12 For City Council Seats

Ten days out from the deadline to qualify for city elections, Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba is standing for primary election against two Democratic Party contenders, Kenneth Wilson and Palvise Patterson.

Legislators Push for More Felony Expungements, Prison Labor Minimum Wage

Sen. Derrick Simmons, D-Greenville, is asking the Legislature to add several felonies to the list of possible expungements from an inmate's permanent record five years after the offender’s sentence was fulfilled.

Bridging Digital Divide for JPS Students Goal of Collaboration with City of Jackson

Students in Jackson Public Schools may start having access to free internet access as early as February, Chief Administrative Officer Robert Blaine told the city council Tuesday.

Mayor Lumumba Plans Public COVID-19 Vaccination to Encourage Participation

More City of Jackson leaders taking the COVID-19 vaccine when available may increase African Americans' participation percentage from a low of about 18%, Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba said at the Tuesday city council meeting.

City Partners with Mobile Lab for COVID-19 Testing as State Faces Vaccine Shortage

Only 18% of those who have been vaccinated in Mississippi are African Americans, though they account for about 40% of the population, Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba said at a media briefing Thursday.

City Prepares Shelter for Homeless as Temperature Dips Below Freezing

The dip in temperature creates the need to provide shelters for the homeless population in Jackson. The City is prepared to open Champion Gymnasium at 1355 Hattiesburg St. as an emergency center for them.

JPD Arrests Second Person In New Year’s Day Interstate 55 Obstruction

The Jackson Police Department made a second arrest six days after a group of people blocked Interstate 55 and had vehicles racing and doing donuts on the highway.

MLK Day During COVID-19; West Capitol Work Ahead; New Focus on Illegal Dumping

The City of Jackson is replacing its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade with a motorcade this year due to COVID-19 safety concerns. The city has officially designated Jan. 15-18 to celebrate the civil rights icon.

Black-Owned Jackson Businesses See Million-Dollar Boost

COVID-19 has hit Black-owned businesses in Jackson hard, but Otis Rolley III, senior vice president of The Rockefeller Foundation's U.S. Equity and Economic Opportunity Initiative, is eager to work with them for the long haul.

City Reforms Public Transit Routes After 30 years

The City of Jackson is crafting new routes for its public transit system and is calling on the citizens to contribute to the process. At a press conference Monday, Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba said that the move is part of repositioning JTRAN.

JPS Seeks Support to Expand Non-Traditional Sports Like Tennis, Golf, Archery, Swimming

The students of Jackson Public Schools are underserved in non-traditional sports such as tennis, archery and golf, and the district is inviting paid and volunteer coaches to help reduce that disparity.

North State Street ‘TIGER' Project Completed, Medgar Evers Resurfacing Begins

The Dec. 15 ribbon-cutting ceremony on North State Street marked the end of three years of construction work. With $16 million funding from the Federal Government's Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary Grant Program, the project means a resurfaced road and new underground water and sewer infrastructure along the busy Jackson artery, which is also serves as U.S. Highway 51 through the city limits.

City Eulogizes Winter, Warns of COVID-19 ‘Community Spread,’ Backs Legislative Agenda

In its last meeting for 2020, members of the Jackson City Council joined numerous others on Tuesday to recognize the contribution of former Mississippi Gov. William Winter, who died Dec. 18 at age 97.

Blight, Flooding Compromise Quality of Life

Tyrone Washington, a homeowner on Rondo Street, is livid that the city government is not, in his opinion, living up to expectations.

JPD Officers Allege Sexism, Racism, More in Lawsuit Against Mayor, Police Chief

Former and current Jackson Police Department officers have filed a lawsuit accusing Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba and Police Chief James Davis of abuse of office, infringement of civil rights, fostering a poor work environment and discrimination.

Angelique Lee Wins Ward 2 Run-Off Election, City Appoints Foreign Trade Members

Angelique Lee has emerged the winner in the special runoff election for the Jackson City Council's Ward 2 seat to replace Melvin V. Priester Jr., an attorney who resigned in October to focus on his practice.

DOJ Sues Pearl Property Company for Racial Discrimination

A federal lawsuit filed in November alleges that property manager James Roe steered white prospective renters away from this apartment complex located in Pearl, which it alleges that he encouraged Black people to rent between 2016 and 2017.

Code Red: Hinds County Doubles COVID-19 Infection Rates In Two Months

Hinds County is now categorized as red, the color code for areas with over 10% COVID-19 test positivity rates. It has recorded 11,046 cases of COVID-19, with 208 deaths as of Dec. 7. That is a death rate of 1.9%, slightly lower than Mississippi's at 2.39%.

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