"Ghosts of Hinds County" to Debut Soon
I will soon launch our first eBook in a new "Ghosts of Hinds County" series. The first will focus on the juvenile-detention scandal of the 1990s. If you want to hear about it right away, please subscribe (free) to jfpdaily.com. We will announce it to the daily list as soon …
Stats Show Crime Continues To Drop
Looks like both property and violent crime rates continue to drop across the city, according to the latest COMSTAT numbers released by the Jackson Police Department. The report for April 15-21, which you can read here, details how, across the board, property crime is down 18.5 percent year-to-date and violent …
I'm Tired of These Mothaflippin Snakes (and Exorbitant Copy Fees) in This Mothaflippin Clerk's Office!!!
I was just at the Hinds County Circuit Clerk's doing research for a story , and a couple of employees were talking about a mini-plague of serpents in the basement office. This week, employees have stumbled across five earth snakes in the file room, Circuit Clerk Barbara Dunn said. Earth …
Jackson Announces 2013 Summer Youth Camp & Safety Expo
Expo is slated for May 11 at Metrocenter Mall.
Sen. Wicker Gets Toxic Letter
Congressional mail authorities have confirmed that a letter sent to Mississippi's junior U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker contained ricin, a bean-based poison, POLITICO reports. POLITICO reports that U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri indicated the letter came from someone who frequently writes to lawmakers, but McCaskill would not name the person. …
President Obama's Remarks on Boston Marathon Bombing
"We will find out who did this, and we will hold them accountable."
Miss. GOP Applauds Obama Medicaid Action
It's unclear whether North Korea has gone ahead with its plan to launch a nuke, but it does appear that the universe has imploded. Today, the Obama Administration announced it would hold off on cutting a program that partially reimburses hospitals for caring for the poor -- and Mississippi's Republican …
Only Mississippian Convicted of Voter Fraud in Recent Memory Dies
The Mississippi Department of Corrections announced the death of Lessadolla Sowers at Mississippi State Penitentiary. Sowers, formerly of Tunica County, was convicted of 10 counts of voter fraud in April 2011. She was sentenced to five years at Parchman for submitting fraudulent ballots in the August 2007 Democratic primary election. …
Crime Numbers Show Slight Improvement
Jackson Police Department crime statistics through the end of March show a slight to moderate improvement in almost every category. According to the data, through March 31, auto burglaries, auto thefts, business burglaries, grand larcenies, house burglaries, aggravated assaults, armed robberies and homicides are down from last year. Carjacking is …
Some Dumbo Shot an Elephant in Tupelo
In the immortal words of Ice Cube's Doughboy: Either they don't know, don't show or don't care about what's going on with circus elephants in the Tupelo, Miss. 'hood. The Associated Press reports that a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus elephant was hit by a bullet in an …
JPD To Hold Candlelight Vigil For Fallen Detective
[From Jackson Director of Communications Chris Mims] Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson, Jr. announced this morning that the Jackson Police Department Family is having a candlelight vigil on the steps of Jackson Police Department Headquarters, Thursday evening at 6 p.m. for fallen officer Eric T. Smith. The vigil will celebrate the …
Mayor's Second Telephone Town Hall Meeting Tonight
Jackson residents are invited to take part in a second telephone town-hall meeting with Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson.
Ole Miss Dumps 'Col. Reb'; Students Predictably Outraged
A University of Mississippi student-body panel ruled this week that the male winner of a campus popularity contest would not longer have the title "Colonel Reb." The Daily Mississippian, Ole Miss' school newspaper, reported that the Associated Student Body Judicial Council ruled the title of “Colonel Reb” was unconstitutional per …
CARA Needs Your Vote for a $25,000 Grant
The State Farm Neighborhood Assist grant will be used to build an off-leash dog park on CARA Property.
City Rolls Out New Tech For Cops
Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. introduced two new pieces of technology designed to make the Jackson Police Department more efficient, transparent and accountable. The first demonstration was technology that will allow the city to track city vehicles in real-time on an online map of the city. Johnson said they have …
Prevention Study Needs Participants
The American Cancer Society is urging local residents to sign up so that cancer’s greatest mysteries can be unlocked.
Atchoo! Jackson Tops for Allergies
Pass the Kleenex. Jackson ranks at the top of the list for spring allergies.
City Looks To Settle Final Melton Lawsuit
Update: According to Jackson Director of Communications Chris Mims, Babe's was seeking $300,000 in damages. He added that the actual payout is likely to be around $105,000, give or take a few thousand dollars. A lawsuit City Attorney Pieter Teeuwissen called "the last lawsuit against the city from the Melton …
AP Rejects Use of 'Illegal' for Immigrants, Finally
I was thrilled to hear today that the Associated Press, of which the Jackson Free Press is now a member, has rejected the use of "illegal" and "illegals" to describe undocumented immigrants. Media diversity expert Richard Prince blogs about the move: The battle to eliminate use of the term "illegal" …