Mississippi Legislature Creates a New Hurdle for Common Core StandardsMississippi became the latest state that could replace the controversial Common Core State Standards after the Mississippi House passed a bill Wednesday that will assemble a commission to examine the standards.
Troubled Water, Part I: Explaining Jackson's $91 Million Siemens ContractIt's almost impossible to turn on the nightly local television news without coming across a story of a Jackson resident who was shocked to open an astronomically high City of Jackson water bill after receiving a new meter.
Kill Bill Vol. 3: Education, Entertainment, ElectionsOn the Feb. 3 bill deadline in the Mississippi Legislature, committee chairmen—like the katana-wielding Uma Thurman—swiftly killed several bills aimed at helping educate Mississippi children, creating a music industry in the state and clearing up election law.
Olivia CotéOlivia Coté, a 9th grade English teacher at Murrah High School, grew up watching her mother, Anne Karges, hard at work at her craft.
Are Schools Still Pushing Kids Out?Krystal Polk's 13-year-old daughter, Krystin, has been arrested twice this school year. The first time, the eighth-grader spent the night in a juvenile detention center.
‘Little Birds’: Families Sex Trafficking Own KidsMost reported child sex trafficking in central Mississippi happens within families. In a report filled with difficult realities, this was the most shocking finding for researcher Wendy Bradford.
Adria WalkerI am writing to enthusiastically support Adria Walker for the honor of MSPA Journalist of the Year. I have never worked with a high-school journalist who deserves such an honor more than Adria.
Judge: State Must Produce Execution Drug RecordsOn Friday, watchdogs of the state's execution procedures got a victory from a local judge who ordered the Mississippi Department of Corrections to produce unredacted documents about lethal injection drugs that are or have been in the state's possession.
Willenham CastillaJackson State University's longtime director of choral activities, Willenham Cortez Castilla, died Feb. 28. His funeral took place Friday, March 6, at Christ Temple Church of Christ Holiness (845 N. Lamar St.).
Solar Lights a Healthy—and Empowering—Path in Disasters. When disaster strikes, survivors have a few basic needs: food, water, shelter, blankets. But energy quickly becomes just as fundamental a need—and that is often lacking, or very dirty.
City Launching Investigation of Water Dept. Finances"The largest municipal investigation, maybe in the history of the state" is how Jackson City Council President De'Keither Stamps described the announcement he and other city officials plan to make later this afternoon.
Tobias SingletonOne of the more interesting names that should be at the Jackson State Pro Day is former Madison Central High School star Tobias Singleton.
Excerpts from Judge Carlton Reeves’ RulingEven an abbreviated history shows that millions of Americans were once deemed ineligible for full Fourteenth Amendment protection.
Funking Up Jackson, Targeting CrimeFred McAfee was on a study committee that the Mississippi Legislature created last year to determine the feasibility of creating incentives to facilitate an entertainment industry for the state.
Building LGBT Teen, Business Alliances When a Magnolia Junior High School teacher conducted a math exercise by dividing the classroom into two teams based on gender, Destin Holmes was forced to sit in the middle of the room. This, according to the teacher, was because …
The Challenge of Paying for ‘One Lake’The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will give its final "yay" or "nay" on a long-awaited and long-overdue plan to ease flooding along the Pearl River.
City Roundup: Health Care Zones, Land TrustsNot a whole lot has happened in Jackson in the two years since the Legislature passed Gov. Phil Bryant's health-care zone law in 2012.
Jaden Wesley NixonJaden Wesley Nixon isn't your typical 13 year old. For one, he has sickle cell disease, an illness where a person's red blood cells are sickle-shaped, which can block blood flow to the limbs and organs.
Middle-Class Families Could Get Special-Needs HelpWhen the parents of 10-year-old Flannery Smith noticed their daughter's learning difficulty, they took immediate action. Through legal help from the Mississippi Center for Justice, the family compelled the school district to provide services including diagnoses and a special computer …
Bubble Tea, Telehealth Center and NAMI MS Coming to the MetroKaren Gordon, owner of High Biscuits (7048 Old Canton Road, Ridgeland, 769-300-4948), a British-style tearoom that also has a contemporary southern atmosphere, wants to do something different for Jackson's neighborhood cafe scene.
Sizing Up Jackson RacesThe filing deadline for state and county offices has passed, and we have our first glimpse of the battle lines for the Aug. 4 party primaries and the November general election.
Yolanda WilliamsYolanda Williams is in her third year as a professor of directing and a production manager at Jackson State University.
LGBT Leader, Other Democratic Women Running for OfficeThe civil engineer and businesswoman helping to spearhead the fight for marriage equality in Mississippi is running for state auditor and hopes to bring transparency to the office that holds the state accountable for its spending.
Dr. Sunny FridgeDr. Sunny Fridge is a former producer, reporter and anchor who has taught in the mass communications department at Jackson State University for 14 years.
Uncertainty Looms for Wages, Schools, Health Care in Tax Cut PlanDespite a controversial $1.5 billion tax cut prompting fierce debate on education funding, state employee salaries, grocery taxes and lottery tickets, the Republican-led tax plan passed the Mississippi House of Representatives with no mechanism to keep vital state services intact.
A controversial bill that would use taxpayer funds to send students with disabilities to private schools advanced in the Mississippi legislature Wednesday.
Mississippi became the latest state that could replace the controversial Common Core State Standards after the Mississippi House passed a bill Wednesday that will assemble a commission to examine the standards.
It's almost impossible to turn on the nightly local television news without coming across a story of a Jackson resident who was shocked to open an astronomically high City of Jackson water bill after receiving a new meter.
On the Feb. 3 bill deadline in the Mississippi Legislature, committee chairmen—like the katana-wielding Uma Thurman—swiftly killed several bills aimed at helping educate Mississippi children, creating a music industry in the state and clearing up election law.
Olivia Coté, a 9th grade English teacher at Murrah High School, grew up watching her mother, Anne Karges, hard at work at her craft.
Krystal Polk's 13-year-old daughter, Krystin, has been arrested twice this school year. The first time, the eighth-grader spent the night in a juvenile detention center.
Most reported child sex trafficking in central Mississippi happens within families. In a report filled with difficult realities, this was the most shocking finding for researcher Wendy Bradford.
Like the man himself, Jack White's Nashville-based label and record store, Third Man Records, has become an institution.
I am writing to enthusiastically support Adria Walker for the honor of MSPA Journalist of the Year. I have never worked with a high-school journalist who deserves such an honor more than Adria.
On Friday, watchdogs of the state's execution procedures got a victory from a local judge who ordered the Mississippi Department of Corrections to produce unredacted documents about lethal injection drugs that are or have been in the state's possession.
Jackson State University's longtime director of choral activities, Willenham Cortez Castilla, died Feb. 28. His funeral took place Friday, March 6, at Christ Temple Church of Christ Holiness (845 N. Lamar St.).
When disaster strikes, survivors have a few basic needs: food, water, shelter, blankets. But energy quickly becomes just as fundamental a need—and that is often lacking, or very dirty.
"The largest municipal investigation, maybe in the history of the state" is how Jackson City Council President De'Keither Stamps described the announcement he and other city officials plan to make later this afternoon.
One of the more interesting names that should be at the Jackson State Pro Day is former Madison Central High School star Tobias Singleton.
Starting Friday, March 6, members of the public will be able to offer input on the 1 percent sales tax master plan.
Even an abbreviated history shows that millions of Americans were once deemed ineligible for full Fourteenth Amendment protection.
Like many LGBTQ couples, New York attorney Roberta Kaplan and her wife, Rachel Lavine, have enjoyed federal marriage rights since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned federal restrictions against same-sex marriage in 2013.
Fred McAfee was on a study committee that the Mississippi Legislature created last year to determine the feasibility of creating incentives to facilitate an entertainment industry for the state.
When a Magnolia Junior High School teacher conducted a math exercise by dividing the classroom into two teams based on gender, Destin Holmes was forced to sit in the middle of the room. This, according to the teacher, was because …
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will give its final "yay" or "nay" on a long-awaited and long-overdue plan to ease flooding along the Pearl River.
Not a whole lot has happened in Jackson in the two years since the Legislature passed Gov. Phil Bryant's health-care zone law in 2012.
Jaden Wesley Nixon isn't your typical 13 year old. For one, he has sickle cell disease, an illness where a person's red blood cells are sickle-shaped, which can block blood flow to the limbs and organs.
When the parents of 10-year-old Flannery Smith noticed their daughter's learning difficulty, they took immediate action. Through legal help from the Mississippi Center for Justice, the family compelled the school district to provide services including diagnoses and a special computer …
Karen Gordon, owner of High Biscuits (7048 Old Canton Road, Ridgeland, 769-300-4948), a British-style tearoom that also has a contemporary southern atmosphere, wants to do something different for Jackson's neighborhood cafe scene.
The filing deadline for state and county offices has passed, and we have our first glimpse of the battle lines for the Aug. 4 party primaries and the November general election.
Yolanda Williams is in her third year as a professor of directing and a production manager at Jackson State University.
The civil engineer and businesswoman helping to spearhead the fight for marriage equality in Mississippi is running for state auditor and hopes to bring transparency to the office that holds the state accountable for its spending.
Dr. Sunny Fridge is a former producer, reporter and anchor who has taught in the mass communications department at Jackson State University for 14 years.
Despite a controversial $1.5 billion tax cut prompting fierce debate on education funding, state employee salaries, grocery taxes and lottery tickets, the Republican-led tax plan passed the Mississippi House of Representatives with no mechanism to keep vital state services intact.