Andrew StankevichAndrew Stankevich tried to start a group for gay students at Mississippi College School of Law, but administrators told him they were morally opposed to the idea. Stankevich said he has the letter that they sent him.
It's the Weekend!This weekend is a great time to catch an art show. Starting Friday, Diane M. Jordan's quilt exhibit at the Mississippi Craft Center (950 Rice Road, Ridgeland) hangs through Sept. 30. The event is free; call 601-856-7546. At Historic Canton …
Hinds Adopts BudgetThe Hinds County Board of Supervisors passed the county's budget yesterday just hours before a midnight deadline.
JPS Has More Star SchoolsJackson's public school performance for 2011 is a mixed bag of successes and failures, according to new data from Mississippi Department of Education. While five Jackson public schools rate as star schools, the district's graduation rate fell to 63.6 percent …
Thompson to Co-Sponsor Autism ActAt least 8,139 children in Mississippi have autism, according to a July 1 report from the Mississippi Autism Advisory Committee. The Legislature established the committee earlier this year to suggest strategies to combat a rise in autism rates.
Spike LeeIt wasn't enough for filmmaker Spike Lee to make one documentary about the anger and outrage of Gulf Coast residents in the months after Hurricane Katrina. His new documentary, "If God is Willing and Da Creek Don't Rise," revisits the …
[Column] A Jobs Crisis We Can SolvePresident Obama is proposing important steps toward doing what Americans have been asking for since the financial collapse of 2008--putting a focus on families and jobs.
From Vacant to VibrantMany people in Mississippi put significant effort into successfully reviving downtown areas and making them welcoming places. But to get downtown, people often have to drive past worn-out, unoccupied strip malls overgrown with weeds.
Preparing for BattleTwenty years ago, when Cristen Hemmins was a student at Millsaps College, two teenagers pulled out a gun and abducted her in the campus parking lot. The young men raped her and shot her twice as she fled to a …
A Long Time ComingIn 1983, Jackson landscape architect Steven Horn presented Jackson city leaders with a detailed plan to revitalize Farish Street. His plan, under the city's guidance, would transform a two-block section of Farish Street into an entertainment district that would include …
Longtime StandardsCowboy boots, straw hats, a couple of purses and a pair of high-heeled shoes fill the front window at Dennis Brothers Shoe Repair (325 N. Farish St., 601-354-9125). Men's boots sit on top of the glass counter inside. On the …
The Past Lives OnThe heart of the historic Farish Street district follows North Farish Street from Amite to Fortification streets. The street is named for Walter Farish, a former slave who lived on the northeast corner of Davis and what is now Farish …
Beloved FarishOn its Facebook page, the Farish Street/Main Street Project says that it "seeks to stimulate revitalization in the Farish Street Historic District by encouraging cooperation and building leadership in the business, residential, church, city, state and community partners of the …
Fire in Carson's BellyDorsey Carson, 40, has lived in northeast Jackson most of his life. He calls himself one of the "floodplain kids," youngsters who lived there during the Easter Flood of 1979. Carson graduated from Mississippi State University in 1993 and got …
Denny: A Busy ManState Rep. Bill Denny, R-Jackson, is a hard man to find. He doesn't seem to have a campaign website or someone to send out press releases. When I called the number listed on his official page at the Mississippi House's …
Leron JacksonWhen people told Leron Jackson he couldn't make it, he never believed them. "Knowing about the things I went through inspires people to go out and do great things," he says, "The work grew on me and made me the …
Census Data Show Increase in PovertyNew U.S. Census data released yesterday reveals that the poverty rate in Mississippi rose from 15.6 percent to 22.9 percent in 2009, The Mississippi Economy Policy Center reports.
New Caterer Opens DowntownThe Copper Iris Catering Co. Inc. (115 N. State St.) has been open for less than two weeks, but its owners are already talking about changing, perfecting and adding variety to the menu.
Ivan Rider"It's the theater of my heart," Rider told the Jackson Free Press this morning. "I'm delighted to be back."
Conference for Advocacy Groups ScheduledThe William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation at the University of Mississippi is hosting a conference for progressive service and advocacy groups Sept 22.
Advocates Gear up For Personhood BattleAnti-abortion advocates celebrated a Mississippi Supreme Court ruling last week that OK'd a Nov. 8 ballot initiative asking voters whether the state Constitution should define when life begins, but the battles over the proposed amendment are far from over.
Upcoming Parkway CEO will Remain in FloridaThe incoming CEO of Jackson-based real estate company Parkway Properties plans to remain in Florida after he takes the reins in January.
Jennifer S. LoveJennifer S. Love, a Mississippi native and Jackson State University graduate, is the new assistant director of the FBI's Security Division. Love most recently served as acting assistant director of the FBI's Inspection Division.
Community Events and Public Meetings<b>Fall Community Enrichment Series,</b> at Millsaps College (1701 N. State St.). Most classes start the week of Sept. 19 and fall into the categories of arts and crafts, computer, dance, health and fitness, heritage and history, home and garden, language …
Barbour to Raise Funds for Republican PACGov. Haley Barbour has joined American Crossroads, a well-funded conservative Political Action Committee that heavily influenced the 2010 elections, The Washington Post reported last week.
‘Bullish' Gas ‘Fracking' Could Prove Boon for StateRecent, and controversial, advances in drilling technology have put the state in a unique position to attract new industry and create new energy-related jobs, natural-gas industry leaders yesterday told a packed forum at the Jackson Convention Center. The state is …
Capt. Ken ChapmanCapt. Ken Chapman claims he taught Aretha Franklin how to do the Bankhead bounce for a performance at the opening ceremony for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. She was going to sing "Respect," and he thought the move would …
Davis Drops Out of Supervisor's RaceRepublican candidate Roger C. Davis confirmed this week that he is dropping out of the race for Hinds County District 1 supervisor against incumbent Robert Graham.
In 1983, Jackson landscape architect Steven Horn presented Jackson city leaders with a detailed plan to revitalize Farish Street. His plan, under the city's guidance, would transform a two-block section of Farish Street into an entertainment district that would include …
Recent, and controversial, advances in drilling technology have put the state in a unique position to attract new industry and create new energy-related jobs, natural-gas industry leaders yesterday told a packed forum at the Jackson Convention Center. The state is …