William Kelly III

JPD Investigating Officer-Involved Shooting

Two unnamed male officers with the Jackson Police Department came into contact with two men at the 1300 block of Deer Park Street at about 3 p.m. Wednesday. A narcotics investigation resulted in an alleged shootout between officers and a man who's name has not yet been released.

Newly Released Documents Show the Asbestos Trail in Fondren

The day after developers of a new Hilton hotel suddenly started demolishing structures on a two-acre site in the heart of Fondren, asbestos inspector Ryan Galfetti showed up unannounced after the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality received a complaint that asbestos may be present in the structures and the new piles of debris.

New Head: ‘Public Works a Contact Sport’

The City of Jackson has a new director of public works to deal with ongoing infrastructure issues, including always-present potholes.

Fondren Hotel Demolition Restarted After Asbestos Found, Green Ghost Building Gone

As of today, the long-time building housing Que Sera Sera restaurant, and more recently Green Ghost Tacos, is a pile of rubble, and the State is assuring nervous residents that multiple demolitions in the two-acre plot in the heart of the Fondren business district have not created an asbestos problem.

Fondren Residents Demand Rejection of Patio Variance for Precinct Lofts

A group of Fondren residents walked out of the downtown Hood Building relieved on Wednesday after the City of Jackson planning board rejected a request for a "front yard" variance to allow the construction of a patio addition to The Precinct Fondren, a new 8,000-square-feet development in the site of the old police headquarters for the fourth precinct.

Gate Ordinance Finally a Go

Shortly after five of the seven Jackson City Council members approved a gating ordinance on Sept. 12 that had haunted the body for more than a year, the City Hall chamber filled with resounding claps lasting at least a minute.

Hotel Project Pops Up in Fondren, Demolished Houses Cause Outrage

Less than 36 hours after developers of a Hilton Homewood Suites Hotel explained their plan to neighborhood residents, the remains of "Fondren House" lay in ruins by the time darkness fell on Sept. 21.

Aaron Banks: New Kid on the Ward 6 Block

Although new Ward 6 Councilman Aaron Banks is a new kid on the City Hall block, he is not new to Jackson.

UPDATED: Zoo Faces Uncertain City Funding, Could Relocate

The Jackson Zoo is asking for donations in wake of its financial crisis due to budget cuts made in the past year.

'Solutions' for Youth Crime Theme of Kenneth Stokes' City Hall Forum

"Solutions" was the most common word heard on Wednesday night at a meeting of parents, students, police officers, and community leaders in City Hall to discuss strategies to reduce youth crime and violence in Jackson.

Gate Ordinance Faces Council Vote Next Week

For more than a year, a proposed gating ordinance has sparked controversy from both Jacksonians who are in favor of neighborhood gates for security reasons and those who reject the gates as unneeded and unsightly, each time resulting in the Jackson City Council revising the proposed language.

Banks: Preventing Crime Needs 'A Man from Every Block,' Teen Outreach

On a rainy Thursday night at Forest Hill High School in south Jackson, Ward 6 Councilman Aaron Banks hosted what he says is the first of many more of his "Not on My Block" crime-prevention forums, in light of high-profile crime and violence recently throughout the Jackson area.

Fats, Grease Aggravating City's Water, Sewer Cleanup Efforts

Jacksonians and businesses are contributing to the city's water and sewage problems by pouring fats, oil and greases down drainage pipes, consultants from Burns and McDonnell told the Jackson City Council during a work session Monday.

Lumumba Administration Growing: Hatcher, Kumar, Williams Join City's Team

The new mayor of the capital city took office on July 3, along with the slightly reconfigured Jackson City Council. Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, 34, announced his first wave of appointees three days later at his first city council meeting as mayor.

Running Jackson: New CAO Robert Blaine Shares His Vision

After a vibrant career as a traveling trombonist and conductor, Robert Blaine put down roots in Jackson, where he hopes to direct a comeback story.

Jackson Mayor Vows to Go Vegan in Light of City Health Issues

"Many places in Jackson and many places in our State are considered food deserts, so it’s not only a matter of people’s willingness, but it’s about what’s available to them.”

Hinds County DA Smith's Appeal Fails, Supreme Court Orders Retrial

The Mississippi Supreme Court denied Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith's appeal to avoid a second trial yesterday.

Ward 7 Gets a Pothole Demo

Jack Wilson Sr. kneeled on the pothole-dotted asphalt road with a hammer in his hand the afternoon of July 14. The determined 81-year-old man wore a light blue polo shirt that was drenched like that of a football coach after a big game win.

Secretary of State, Revitalize Mississippi Partner to Eliminate Jackson Blight

The Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann and Jim Johnston, founder of the nonprofit organization Revitalize Mississippi, announced their partnership to eliminate blight in the City of Jackson this morning.

Former Councilman Frank Bluntson Awarded, JPD Acknowledges Department Units

JPD held an award program yesterday afternoon, July 13, before the weekly COMSTAT meeting to acknowledge the Traffic Unit and Direct Action Response Team Unit, formerly known as D.A.R.T., for their performance in the field.

Got Melanin? CultureSnap Evolving Black Hashtags

Almost three years ago, Jackson native Frederick Burns decided that the black community needed its own social-media app using the words and phrases popular in the world of Black Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.

New Council Leaders Laud ‘Brand-New Era’ for Jackson

With a new mayor riding into Jackson with a strong mandate, returning city council members are predicting that much can change for the capital city—in a good way.

Residents to Vote on Additional Funds for Hinds County School District

Hinds County voters will vote this August for additional funds to improve schools in the Hinds County School District.

Tillman, Priester Voted to Lead City Council, Lumumba Announces Appointees

Jacksonians crowded into City Hall today, leaving no standing room, at the first city council meeting with the newly elected mayor and council body.

Sparks Fly Over Grove Park Golf Course

A long evening of acknowledgements over retirements of Jackson Ward 6 Councilman President Tyrone Hendrix and Ward 7 Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon ended in intense disagreement about the future of the historic Grove Park Municipal Golf Course near Lake Hico in northwest Jackson.

Jackson's Youngest Mayor, Council Members and Citizens Take Oath to Serve

Standing ovations, joyful music, and resounding applause filled the Jackson Convention Complex this morning as the city council and youngest mayor of Jackson ever recited the oath of office.

Barrett-Simon and Hendrix Honored at Last City Council Meeting

Ward 7 Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon along with Councilman President Tyrone Hendrix of Ward 6 received acknowledgements and gifts from colleagues and supporters in recognition of their last council meeting as elected officials on Tuesday night.

Officials Detail How Kingston Frazier Died, as Accused Look On

Ebony Archie sat on the fourth row, face red and crying, as Mississippi Bureau Investigator Trent Weeks testified about how her little boy, Kingston Frazier, died on May 18.

Lumumba Inauguration Festivities Begin This Week

Chokwe Antar Lumumba will take the mayoral office on Monday, July 3. The new city administration has planned several community activities ahead of the inauguration, which begin this weekend at Smith Park in downtown Jackson.

Blight, Fines and Violations

The State of Mississippi has taken over 3,500 abandoned and blighted properties that previous owners failed to pay taxes on for three years.

UPDATE: Nine-year-old Shot in Head; Two People Arrested and Denied Bond

Richard Kyles, 9, was sleeping in the back of his mother's car Saturday night when a bullet struck him in the head.

JPD: Crime Down in Jackson Despite Recent Horrendous Murders

Jackson Police Department leaders praised each other Thursday afternoon, June 15, for decreasing major crime percentages by 14.6-percent from 2016 to 2017, despite recent acts of violence in Mississippi.

JPD Offers $20,000 Reward in Severed Head Case, Autopsy Results Released

Jeremy Jerome Jackson's head and body was discovered in separate locations on Saturday.

Public Works Pushes Back on Subcontractor

The City's Public Works Department is seeking to pay outside companies for assistance due to its lack of a qualified staff and potential damages to antennae's and water towers.

UPDATED: JPD Calls On FBI, DEA and ATF to Help in Decapitation Murder Case

The Jackson Police Department called on the FBI, DEA, and ATF in hope of a speedy discovery regarding the decapitated head and burned torso of an unidentified black male over the weekend.

Lumumba Responds to Republican Opponent's Call for Recount

Mayor-elect Chokwe Lumumba sent an official statement in response to his Republican opponent Jason Wells' call for a recount.

UPDATE: Warrant Issued To Arrest Former JPD Cop Dismissed

The Hinds County Justice Court issued a bench warrant today for the arrest of former Jackson Police Department Officer Justin Roberts, due to failure to appear this morning.

Hinds County DA Smith Trial Delayed, Again

Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith will now face a retrial for state charges for hindering a prosecution in late July. It was original scheduled for early June.

A Trip Down Lawsuit Lane

The news that Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith was arrested for alleged domestic violence, stalking and robbery of a former girlfriend attracted recent headlines.

God, Family and Books: Each One, Reach One

ROCAAT is an acronym for Reaching One Community at a Time, which describes the vision that Gwendolyn Bell shares with her younger sister, Pamela Hurston.

Vote Today Until 7 p.m.: The Mayor's, Council Races Continues

Election Day in Jackson has arrived after a month of candidates continuing their campaigning from the primary elections on May 2. Voting today is from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in your designated precincts.

'Worldwide Celebrity' Lumumba Gets Personal in Live Podcast Interview

Beau York introduced Chokwe Antar Lumumba, the Democratic nominee for Jackson mayor, as a "worldwide celebrity," setting the tone for an entertaining interview last night in downtown Jackson.

The Candidates for Jackson Mayor: Vote June 6, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Jackson doesn't have a mayor, yet, despite Chokwe Antar Lumumba's impressive Democratic primary victory in an overwhelmingly Democratic city. He still must defeat several other candidates on June 6.

The ‘Good Samaritan’ Pizza Guy Runs for Mayor

Kenneth Swarts pulls out his big, white binder that he calls his "playbook" and begins to show off his vibrant campaign signs. He crafted the small signs from leftover Pizza Hut brownie boxes and his laminating machine, similar to the button on his shirt.

Long Live the King: Kingston Frazier's Short and Powerful Life

Although it seemed to be a sorrowful day, hope penetrated the eyes and hearts of those who attended the celebration of little Kingston Frazier.

Like the DA Trying to Protect Him, Butler Trial Ends in a Mistrial

Another trial tangentially related to District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith has ended in a mistrial. The man the district attorney went to trial late last year for trying to protect just got his own hung jury.

Black Leaders Boycott over State Flag, as Outrage at Karl Oliver Lingers

Most Republican leaders have distanced themselves from Rep. Karl Oliver, R-Winona, who made national headlines for a Facebook post that called for the lynching of leaders in Louisiana who support the removal of Confederate monuments, but the fight to change the state flag continues.

Stories by William