Mississippi Shutting Down as COVID-19 Reaches Jackson, Coast, Rural Areas
The confirmed arrival of COVID-19 in Jackson follows a weekend of growing restrictions on movement and public gatherings nationwide.
State Says COVID-19 Tests Available, But Confusion Among Local Providers
Clinics and hospitals in the Jackson metro demurred on March 13 when the Jackson Free Press called seeking COVID-19 testing
COVID-19 Task Force Will Monitor Virus in Jackson, Decide School Closings
The capital city will have its own COVID-19 task force composed of city officials, public-health experts as well as institutional partners in the capital city's health-care system, Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba announced at a press conference in City Hall this afternoon.
State on COVID-19 in Mississippi: Get Tested if Show Flu-Like Symptoms
Public health officials announced the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Mississippi as the disease is declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. State leadership called for extraordinary caution for all residents, and laid out proper procedures for seeking testing.
Biden Draws 83% in Hinds County, Higher Than State Vote
Former Vice President Joe Biden drew just over 83 percent of the Hinds County vote in Democratic voting last night in his statewide rout of U.S. Bernie Sanders, who did not win any counties in the state.
Factchecking the Gang Law Bill, Sponsor’s Inconsistencies
"Some of these gangs certainly are (solid criminal enterprises), but it's not clear which ones, and I don't know that they know, either," de Gruy said. Furthermore, the public defender suggested that existing RICO laws already threaten gangs that have sophisticated, material power structures if and when their enterprises cross over into criminal conspiracy.
PATRIOT South Tests Pearl River Flood Responders
U.S. Army National Guard units joined with state agency personnel this week at Camp Shelby near Hattiesburg, including some of Jackson's own first responders, drilling the coordination and cohesion necessary in a massive natural disaster.
Flourishing in Spite of a Flood
With every issue of BOOM Jackson, we like to reflect on the progress and developments that have occurred over the last quarter. From renovations to flooding, these last three months have seen a lot.
One Lake, Few Alternatives: A Primer
Many of the concerns surrounding One Lake remain unresolved and, to date, the Levee Board has declined to host a public forum to take questions from the audience openly, instead opting for only accepting written questions and allowing one-on-one conversations.
Gang Bill Trying to Be a Baby RICO Mob Bill, But Too Wide, Critics Say
The Jackson Free Press recently asked Sen. Brice Wiggins if his push for Senate Bill 2459 is a way for Mississippi to have its own little Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. He looked surprised at the question, but answered yes.
'One Lake' Critics Sound Alarms on Bridges, Environment, Industry Effects
Environmentalists are sounding alarms over concerns that the Levee Board is misrepresenting alternative solutions to Jackson's flooding woes in favor of lucrative property-development opportunities.
Immigrants, Activists Call For Rights at State Capitol
Jeimy Viveros wants those who come after her to have a better shot at their dreams. She came to the Mississippi Capitol to advocate for in-state tuition for all residents living in Mississippi, documented or not.
Levees Worked Well in Jackson Flood, But ‘One Lake’ Still District’s Choice
"I'm glad we're conducting the meeting today. I'm glad we can dispel some of the rumors and some of the myths about the One Lake project," Hinds County District 1 Supervisor Robert Graham, an enthusiastic supporter of the project, said. "There are two things we can do as it relates to flooding and flooding mitigation. We can do something, or we can do nothing."
Reform By Any Other Name
Legislative Black Caucus Chairwoman Sen. Angela Turner-Ford stressed the material realities of the black experience in Mississippi as the group unveiled its agenda for 2020, with health justice and Medicaid expansion at the center.
West Jackson Creek Woes Become ‘One Lake’ Pitch
A public meeting in west Jackson to debate solutions to recent flash floods quickly turned into an impromptu pitch for the "One Lake Project" from three Hinds County supervisors and Jackson Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba.
Pearl River Crests and 500 Homes Flood Amid Stew of Chemicals, Tainted Sewage
The Pearl River crested Monday at 36.8 feet, inundating the City of Jackson with quickly creeping floodwaters. The waters reached a lower high-water mark than the worst-case scenario forecast of 38 feet, but roughly 500 homes near the river flooded, including large parts of northeast Jackson.
After Flooding Evacuation Order, City Will Not Send Help to Barricaded Areas
Mayor Chokwe Lumumba ordered Jackson residents living near the Pearl River to evacuate their homes in anticipation of massive flooding this Saturday and beyond, as of noon today.
UPDATED: City Declares State of Emergency, Orders Flood Evacuation for Northeast Jackson Residents Near Pearl River
The Pearl River is expected to crest at 35.5 feet by Saturday morning, the National Weather Service reports, one foot higher than the river reached during last month's catastrophic flooding.
Alleged TANF Fraud Follows Years of Individual Recipient Rejections
The State of Mississippi refusing to distribute money allocated to help the poor is not new. The Jackson Free Press reported in 2017 that the State has winnowed down TANF payments directly to needy Mississippians over the last decade.
'Sprawling Conspiracy' Ensnares Voucher Beneficiaries, Republican Donors
At least two people who donated significant sums to Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves' campaign allegedly engaged in what the state's top elected official calls a "disgusting abuse of power."
Teacher Pay, Prison Reform, Horn Lake Dem Tentative Winners So Far
Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann began the process of raising teacher pay on Thursday, Jan. 30. Senate Bill 2001 proposes a $1,000 raise for all public-school teachers in the state. The bill would also bring the bottom bracket for new teachers to $37,000.
Disabled Children Losing Medicaid Coverage, Families Desperate for Help
The Mississippi Division of Medicaid announced last June that Alliant Health Solutions would replace eQHealth Solutions as the third-party vendor responsible for assessing applicants' eligibility for Medicaid, starting Aug. 1.
Hester Jackson-McCray Prevails in Special Election Committee
Rep. Hester Jackson-McCray, a black Democrat, is likely to keep her seat in the Mississippi House of Representatives after a long and contentious committee meeting Monday at the State Capitol.
Less Blues, More Gospel In Gov. Tate Reeves' State of the State
New Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves closed his State of the State address Monday night by promising to "sing the gospel" of Mississippi, after rejecting pessimism, pettiness, ivory towers, gender studies and the "arrogance" of "metropolitan narcissists," not necessarily in that order.
Furious West Jackson Residents Seek Answers, Solutions After Flooding
The atmosphere was tense at Pearl Street African Methodist Episcopal Church on Tuesday, Jan. 23, as west Jackson residents gathered to call for state officials to address last week's massive flooding in their community.
Bipartisanship, Prisons, Gangs, Teacher Pay and Tarnished Lawmakers
Delbert Hosemann's ascent to the lieutenant governor's seat opened the possibility for a more bipartisan Senate than in recent sessions, even as Mississippi faces its most Republican-led state government since Reconstruction—when the Republican Party was quite different.
UM Confederate Statue Stays Put for Now as IHL Punts
The Confederate statue on the University of Mississippi's Oxford campus will stay put for now after the Institutions of Higher Learning Board tabled a motion to relocate it yesterday.
Gov. Tate Reeves Touts 'Loving Culture,' Need for Unity in Mississippi
Republican Tate Reeves is now the governor of Mississippi, presiding over a deeply red government and a legion of interests looking for pieces of the state government's full coffers.
2020 Legislative Preview: GOP In Charge, But Conflict Ahead?
The GOP's newfound dominance in Mississippi does not mean a pacified Legislature, outgoing House Minority Leader Rep. David Baria, D-Bay St. Louis, says. Baria believes that real political daylight exists between the two men now inheriting the most powerful positions in the state.
Local United Methodist Churches Face Schism Over LGBTQ Inclusion
The future of Mississippi's United Methodist churches and institutions is in question after a group of influential United Methodist Church leaders announced a preliminary agreement to split the church in two on Jan. 3, due to irreconcilable disagreements over LGBTQ rights.
Statewide Gas Taxes a Bridge Too Far for Lt. Gov.-elect Hosemann
Lt. Gov.-elect Delbert Hosemann will not consider raising gas taxes statewide in 2020, he told the press on Dec. 17. But he is opening the door for county supervisors to pass their own local tax raises.
ICE Raids Show ‘Christian Crisis in America,’ Guatemalan Cardinal Says in Jackson
Guatemalan Cardinal Alvaro Ramazzini called for a renewed humanity in the nation’s treatment of immigrants in Jackson last week before going to Carthage to meet people affected by massive, statewide Immigrations and Customs Enforcement raids in August. Ramazzini issued the call alongside Father Roberto Mena, pastor of St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Forest, and Jackson’s bishop, Reverend Joseph Kopacz.
Teacher Pay Raises a Top Priority for New Session, Reeves and Hosemann Say
Teacher pay raises could be one of the first big achievements of the 2020 legislative session, multiple lawmakers say.
Support or Separation in Foster Care? Summit Explores Problems, Solutions
Neglect, not abuse, causes 75% of family separations in the nation's child-welfare system, and that neglect is often tied to poverty, Jerry Milner, acting commissioner of the U.S. Administration for Children and Families, said this week in Jackson.
UPDATED: After JFP Query, Child Protection Agency Says PEER Miscalculated Data
PEER, a legislative committee intended to improve the "economy, efficiency, effectiveness and accountability" of state agencies, found in its annual review of MDCPS that the turnover rate rose from 21% to 30%, according to PEER's findings from the previous year. PEER acknowledges that the higher percentage is in line with national averages for child welfare workers, while saying that it is roughly three times higher than is ideal for such an organization.
Past Never Dead: UM Academic Freedom In Limbo?
"You better watch your back. I'm coming for you," a voice growled through the receiver. The caller then hung up, leaving Dr. James Thomas alone in his University of Mississippi office with the anodyne tones of his phone's voicemail.
DOSSIER: IHL Document Dump Raises Questions About Boyce Role
In the course of my investigation into the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, multiple sources have repeated a simple refrain: The IHL's conduct in the Ole Miss chancellor search process may have been part of a long-planned scheme to install one of their own to lead the University of Mississippi. But, thus far, the depth of the alleged plotting is hard to prove.
UM Faculty Senate Votes 'No Confidence' In IHL; Media Leak 'Suspicious'
The Faculty Senate of the University of Mississippi passed a resolution late last night declaring "no confidence" in the Institutions of Higher Learning board's search process to find a replacement chancellor for the university, and no confidence in IHL itself "by reason of its conduct in connection with that search process."
Texts Reveal Volker's Role in Ukraine Talks, His BGR Role Still Unclear
The labyrinth of allegations swirling around Donald Trump administration's Ukraine dealings has only deepened since this newspaper's initial coverage of the Mississippi connections, direct and indirect, to the controversy last Thursday.
Mississippi Lobbyists, Associates in Thick of Trump’s Ukraine-Russia Web
A key figure in Trump's impeachment inquiry has an ongoing and paid association with lobbying firm BGR Group, started by former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, as well as a paid position as executive director of the McCain Institute for International Leadership in Arizona.
Sengoku Souls
The most enlightening part of “Nioh” is how plainly it presents what elevates its spiritual predecessor. It’s gameplay, pure and simple: the balancing act of punch and counterpunch, the careful tracking of health and stamina, the thrill of risk and reward inherent in every lingering combo, all stacked against the asymmetrical odds of each encounter.
Record of a Nightmare: A Review of ‘Yume Nikki’
About 10 years ago, a little game called "Yume Nikki" showed up on Japan's largest message board, 2channel.
Prepare to Die, Again: A Review of “Dark Souls 2”
"Dark Souls 2" is the third entry in the Souls series, a further refinement on an already impeccably polished property.
Home on the Range: A Review of ‘Banished’
The challenge of a good city builder is all in the planning. Never is the player expected to react on the fly—that's the domain of real-time strategy.
Wide Open Space: A Review of ‘Starbound’
If you're familiar with the newer features of entertainment technology and software company Valve's digital gaming distribution system Steam, you probably know that it's a pretty good time to be an independent developer.
‘Black Flag’: An Immersive Expansion
The impressive experience of “Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag” makes an admirable case for more nautical adventures in video games.
Where No Kerbal Has Gone Before
The concept of "Kerbal Space Program" is decidedly simple and open-ended like many of the best indie titles.
Return to San Andreas A Review of ‘Grand Theft Auto V’
“Grand Theft Auto V” is a triumphant return after a few missteps in the series’ fourth installment.
Historical Revisionism: A Review of ‘Civilization V’
The “Civilization” series is still releasing engrossing strategy games after two decades.
Everything's Kinected
The recently revealed Xbox One is the next generation of Microsoft gaming consoles, made to compete primarily with Sony's upcoming Playstation 4. The concern lies with the new Xbox's planned Digital Rights Management features and Kinect "functionality."