Malcolm White: City Resort Plan 'Ass Backwards'
Malcolm White, a cofounder and owner of Hal & Mal's, is threatening to move his iconic downtown restaurant and concert venue if it remains excluded from receiving so-called resort status.
West Rankin Looks For Home Advantage in Sewage Battles
Embroiled in a two-front battle with the City of Jackson over the wastewater-treatment issues, the West Rankin Utility Authority hopes to fight it out on its home turf—in Rankin County.
City May Privatize, Install More Meters
Parking in downtown Jackson is like a perverse kind of casino. Instead of the odds being in favor of the house—in this case, the City—the players are more likely to get lucky in finding a broken meter or getting away unscathed by the ticket books of meter readers.
Bills, Bills, Bills: Jackson Residents Confused by New Water Systems
Judging by the number of paint-stained overalls and tired faces in the Smith Robertson Museum auditorium, many people who attended Mayor Tony Yarber's recent town-hall meeting came directly from work to press the mayor and his administration on what the heck is going on with their water bills.
Who is Farish Street’s Latest Would-Be Developer?
Leroy C. Smith represents a group of Denver, Colo.-based investors ready to pump $100 million into the Farish Street Entertainment District.
Despite 'Hectic' Night, Jackson Crime Falling
Despite what top brass of the Jackson Police Department describe as a hectic night of arrests, statistics show a steady decrease in major crimes.
‘No Excuse’: Where the Sidewalks End
Three people have been killed in the past three years in wheelchair-related accidents in Jackson, and some 100 in the past decade, according to local news clippings included in a presentation Crawford gave to the ADA council earlier this year.
Pitts: The South is Overdue for Reckoning
Leonard Pitts Jr. will sign copies of Grant Park at Lemuria Books on Nov. 18 at 5 p.m. He recently spoke to the Jackson Free Press about race, writing and reckoning.
Yarber, Powell Face Water Billing Questions
After more careful review, city officials say that potential causes of exorbitant water bills go deeper and are more complicated than previously thought.
Hinds County OKs Landfill, Requests Byram-Clinton Funds
A rubbish dump near Clinton will nearly double in size after action from the Hinds County Board of Supervisors today.
Jackson State Gets a J-School
Jackson State University will have a journalism school, officials announced yesterday evening.
Yarber, Council Disagree on Logjams
In recent weeks, Mayor Tony Yarber and members of the Jackson City Council have clashed over a number of high-dollar contract negotiations, but the key players offer different perspectives on the root causes of the disagreements.
Chief Lee Vance: Increase School Funding, Lower Crime
Jackson Police Chief Lee Vance wants more money—not necessarily just for more cops, gear, or squad cars, but for schools.
The 1-Percent Tax Spending Snag
Jackson City Council members and citizens are growing impatient with the slow rate of progress and administrative morass as the capital city continues to collect funds for infrastructure improvements.
Fixing Schools: Big Blue Skies, Nuts and Bolts
In 2006, when local voters approved a $150 million bond for Jackson Public Schools, a then-Jim Hill High School sophomore named Treshika Melvin thought about how the money would help her former middle school.
Jackson Council Again Kills Sludge-Hauling Contract
The Jackson City Council has again shot down a proposal to award a roughly $13.6 million contract to remove years worth of sludge from a wastewater treatment plant.
Dems Look to Take Back House, Make Gains in Senate
Although redistricting will make their jobs a bit tougher, Mississippi Democrats see an opportunity on Nov. 3 to win back the House and possibly pick up some key Senate seats.
City Focuses on Wastewater Issues
The City of Jackson is practically waist-deep in wastewater issues.
Phil Bryant: Tea Party Governor
The running joke in Jackson political circles is that Phil Bryant is just three handshakes away from being a Hinds County sheriff's deputy.
Oppression and the Power of Elections
University of Mississippi's decision to lower the state flag shows that there is power in symbols and a tremendous amount of power in people coming together to demand that symbols change.
Robert Gray Looks to the Home Stretch
Robert Gray, the Democratic nominee for governor, says he draws some odd reactions from people.
Council Hints at Lawsuit Over JATRAN
The Jackson City Council was poised this week to reconsider an agreement with the new operators of JATRAN, the city's bus system, but held off on discussion amid a threat of litigation.
Council Mulls Cancellation of JATRAN Contract
The Jackson City Council called an emergency special meeting to reconsider the contract to manage the mass transit system, JATRAN.
Oswalt: Hinds Jail ‘Correctable and Fixable’
Charlette Oswalt recently met with the Jackson Free Press about why she should be Hinds County's first woman sheriff.
‘Pay or Stay’: City’s ‘Debtor’s Jail’ Under Fire
Michael Davis had two choices: Write a check to the City of Jackson for $19,403.81 for fines and court costs or spend 335 days at the Raymond Detention Center.
Steven Willis Released From Hinds Jail
Thanks in part to attorneys and a small group of activists, a judge has released Steven Willis from the Raymond Detention Center and loved ones hope he can get the medical treatment he needs.
Yarber Downtown 'Resort' Plan Draws Council Scrutiny
Some members of the Jackson City Council are gently pushing back on a proposal from Mayor Tony Yarber's administration to designate part of downtown as a "qualified resort area and entertainment district."
Rep. Lester 'Bubba' Carpenter: 'Deeply Sorry' for Racial Comments
State Rep. Lester "Bubba" Carpenter, a Burnsville Republican, this morning walked back racially charged statements made public over the weekend about the Initiative 42 schools-funding referendum.
Prisoner Says Hinds County Jailers Ignoring His Medical Needs
A man incarcerated at the Raymond Detention Center for seven months says jailers are denying him medical treatment for injuries related to a gunshot wound.
Bus Union Decries ‘Outsourcing’ of JATRAN
With the City of Jackson in the middle of a marketing blitz for recent and proposed changes to the capital city's mass-transit service, JATRAN, a chorus of discontent is growing among the bus system's operators and riders who say the rollout has gone less than smoothly.
Lawsuit: City of Jackson Running a 'Debtors' Prison'
Equal Justice Under Law, a public-interest law firm in Washington, D.C., and the MacArthur Justice Center at the University of Mississippi School of Law, says the City of Jackson is running a debtors' prison.
La Finestra to Serve its Final Meal Oct. 18
La Finestra in downtown Jackson will serve its last meal on Sunday, Oct. 18.
Alleged Domestic Attack Prompts Police Chase, Crash
A suspected domestic-violence situation prompted a high-speed police chased that ended with a six-car collision in downtown Jackson today.
Mississippi AG’s Race: What’s at Stake?
Since announcing his candidacy for the state AG's office, Mike Hurst has made fighting public corruption the centerpiece of his campaign as well as attacks against Jim Hood, whom Hurst accuses of not being aggressive enough on the issue.
Council Asks State to Review Biosolids Contract, Braces for Lawsuit
A controversial contract to haul waste from a city wastewater plant remains on hold pending reviews from state investigative authorities.
Ministers, Black-Owned Businesses Want More Contracts and City Support
Three dozen business owners and clergy members gathered in front of City Hall on Sept. 30 to charge that infighting among city officials has thrown Jackson into economic paralysis.
Jackson to State Fair: You Can't Tell Us What to Do, Then Cuts Deal
Ahead of a hearing on the matter, the City of Jackson has responded to a lawsuit from the Mississippi State Fair Commission, saying that the state has no authority to compel a municipality to spend money, especially when that City is strapped for cash.
City, Hinds County Prep for Polling-Place Changes
Officials from the City of Jackson and the Hinds County Election Commission say they want to be in accord ahead of possible changes to several polling places.
State Sues Jackson Over Refusal to Police Fair
The city of Jackson appears to have won the first round in a game of chicken against the Mississippi State Fair Commission over not providing fair security.
BP Spill Settlement Gives Jackson $1 Million to Play With
Jackson leaders are considering how to spend $958,000 from a BP oil spill settlement.
Black Ministers and Business Owners Team Up for 'Economic Equity'
A new coalition of business owners and ministers is forming and today called on city leaders to "stop infighting" that coalition members say are hurting black-owned businesses in Jackson.
Brown: Learning from Kemper’s Mistakes
Since losing his seat in redistricting, Rep. Cecil Brown, D-Jackson, decided to run for the Public Service Commission.
Judge: Federal Class-Action Lawsuit Against MDOC Can Proceed
A federal judge has cleared the way for a class-action lawsuit against the state prison system.
Charlette Oswalt
Charlette Oswalt wants to shake up Hinds County leadership as the first woman elected as sheriff.
New JATRAN Changes Start This Week
A number of changes are coming to the capital city's mass-transit service, JATRAN, starting on Oct. 1, city officials say.
Chief Vance: Gov. Barbour Helped Reimburse JPD For Fair
Jackson Police Chief Lee Vance this morning announced the decision of Mayor Tony Yarber's administration to not have JPD patrol the Missisippi State Fair this year.
GOP's Mike Hurst: AG Jim Hood 'Blind' to Public Corruption
Mike Hurst, the Republican nominee for Mississippi attorney general, along with a local sheriff, says Democratic incumbent state AG Jim Hood "turned a blind eye to the problems with public corruption in Simpson County."
Whose Job Is It, Anyway?
Mississippi has a weird mish-mash of officials who have some responsibility for making sure clerks follow the state's public-records law and that candidates file their campaign-finance reports, but rarely take action.
On Education, Privilege and Empowerment
Payton Head, student body president at the University of Missouri, my alma mater, recently wrote that while walking through campus Sept. 11, a pickup truck full of white guys screamed the word n*gger at him.
Yarber Shelves $15M Sludge-Hauling Contract
With the Jackson City Council’s vote last week against a proposal for federal government-mandated hauling of biosolids from a city wastewater treatment plant, Mayor Tony Yarber is asking government regulators for more time.