Gorgeously Green at JSUIn an effort to make a positive change on campus and around the community, Go Green JSU week at Jackson State University runs through Thursday, Oct. 29. "Going Green: It's Up to JS'U'" is a service learning project of the …
Servia FortenberryIf anyone is more American than apple pie, it would have to be Servia Fortenberry. Fortenberry, 39, is a native of Magnolia, Miss., and mother to two sons, Malcolm Williams, 18, and Edward Howard, 10. She became a Jackson transplant …
Barbour Appoints Malcolm Harrison to DeLaughter's Old Judge SpotJackson, Mississippi – Governor Haley Barbour today announced the appointment of S. Malcolm O. Harrison, of Jackson, as Circuit Court Judge for the Seventh Judicial District, Sub-district 4, serving Hinds County. Harrison will serve the unexpired term of former Judge …
Barbour Joins Aerospace AllianceYesterday, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour joined fellow Republicans Gov. Bob Riley from Alabama and Gov. Bobby Jindal from Louisiana, in forming the Aerospace Alliance. Executives from two defense contractors, Northrop Gruman and the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (EADS) …
Mayor Appoints New Department HeadsMayor Harvey Johnson Jr. announced during the Jackson City Council meeting this afternoon that he was appointing Pieter Teeuwissen as city attorney and Corrine Fox as director of the Department of Planning and Development.
Parents, Educators Call on JPS to Renew Music ProgramComplaints inundated Jackson Public Schools Board members after a tie vote on Oct. 20 failed to renew a music education program that serves elementary students across the district. The roughly $300,000 program, a collaboration with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, brings …
Chavez Brings the LightThe Ward 2 People's Task Force and the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement joined forces Saturday to hand out about 4,000 free compact fluorescent light bulbs to Mississippi residents. People could pick up the squiggly shaped, low-energy bulbs at New Hope …
Lukisha CorkLukisha Cork, 35, knows an opportunity worth grabbing when she sees it. The Greenville mother of four boys, aged 12 to 17, will be receiving her certified nursing assistant certificate on Friday, along with four of her family members. The …
Community Events and Public MeetingsGo Green JSU Week Oct 26-29, at Jackson State University, College of Liberal Arts (1400 John R. Lynch St.). This week of events includes a fashion show, an art exhibit and an Arbor Day celebration. Free; visit gogreenjsu.webs.com.
Barbour to Speak at Health Care SymposiumTuesday, Oct. 27, Mississippi College will host "The Business of Healthcare" symposium at the Jackson Convention Complex. Gov. Haley Barbour will present the keynote address, and other speakers include political columnists Andy Taggart and Jere Nash, and Lt. Gov. Phil …
Burkhalter Stepping in as Interim U.S. AttorneyU.S. Attorney General Eric Holder picked federal prosecutor Don Burkhalter to serve as interim United States Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi today. Burkhalter, who served as No. 2 under former U.S. Attorney Brad Pigott during the Clinton administration, …
JSU Gets $500K Entergy GrantJackson State University is dedicating a laboratory and a new power-systems degree track in its engineering program, thanks to a grant from Entergy. The power company has awarded JSU with $400,000 to purchase equipment for a new laboratory and an …
Laura DeesSoon after Laura Dees gave birth to a baby girl named Ella Cate on May 1, 2008, Dees' daughter was diagnosed with a heart condition that thickened the valves of her heart and decreased blood flow. After several tests, cardiologists …
Weekend HappeningsEver feel the need to cut up and act like a damn Yankee? You'll get your chance tonight at Sophia's, located in the Fairview Inn in Belhaven, starting at 6:30 p.m. For a mere $39, you can enjoy a traditional …
Update: School Board Meeting CancelledThe Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees has canceled a special meeting today, because "additional information is needed for a recommendation to approve Qualified School Construction Bond Projects," according to a release. The agenda was to include time for public …
Hearing on Renaming Library Racially DividedTwo sides are fighting for a name for the library on Northside Drive, and both were divided along racial lines at today's special hearing. Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes, who heads the council planning committee, is advocating for the library …
Bus Strikers Want Deal SoonUnion bus drivers for Hinds County schools say the part-time pay for drivers isn't enough to keep food on the table.
Jackson Home Prices Bucking National TrendWhile most of the country continues to see a drop in home prices in the wake of the housing and foreclosure crises, Jackson home prices will be going in the opposite direction. The average home across the nation will lose …
Kathryn StockettThe Mississippi Library Association's Authors Award Committee will honor author Kathryn Stockett tonight at a banquet held in the University of Southern Mississippi's Thad Cochran Center.
Holocaust Denier Goes Underground to Ridgeland HotelHolocaust Denier David Irving informed the Jackson Free Press that his public engagement, originally planned for City Hall at 6 p.m. Wednesday, was going underground at an undisclosed location, so to speak. "I've spoken with my partner, and we've decided …
State Unemployment Rate Drops AgainThe seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Mississippi dropped to 9.2 percent in September, representing 112,500 people collecting unemployment benefits, down from 9.7 percent in August, which represented a 1 percent drop from July. The September rate is slightly lower than …
Mike Huckabee Criticizes Government Emergency AssistanceFormer Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee used his address at Salvation Army's annual dinner in Jackson last night to criticize the role of government in assisting in emergencies such as Hurricane Katrina. "Frankly, I'd rather …
Parents Should Make Plans for Getting Kids to SchoolWith school bus drivers employed by First Student threatening a strike beginning Thursday morning, the Hinds County School District is urging parents to make alternate plans for getting their kids to school tomorrow.
Weill Lone Vote Against New ChiefsThe Jackson City Council confirmed Police Chief Rebecca Coleman and Fire Chief Raymond McNulty after a brief hearing yesterday. Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes was not available for the hearing, and could not be reached to explain his absence. The …
JPS Board Drops Music ProgramThe Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees failed to renew funding for a music education program yesterday, effectively discontinuing a 42-year-old collaboration with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra. Board members voted 2-2 on renewing the program. Members Jonathan Larkin and Ann …
Costs Mounting for Levees, Lake PlansLegislators say the chances of the Mississippi Legislature approving funding to build levees in Jackson and surrounding counties are slim, especially since it has taken so long to reach consensus on how to mitigate flooding along the Pearl River.
Julieta MendezThe poster on Julieta Mendez's office wall at Catholic Charities reads "Communication: Build bridges, not walls." By working and communicating with immigrants, Mendez is building bridges for people in the community.
Council Confirms Coleman as New Police ChiefIn a 5-to-1 vote today, the Jackson City Council confirmed Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr.'s candidate for Jackson police chief, Rebecca Coleman. Ward 1 Councilman Jeff Weill was the lone dissenting vote; Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes was absent.
Rains Hurt State Fair, Helped Local RestaurantsThe weather was unkind to the Mississippi State Fair last week, but the near-constant rain was a boon for one segment of Jackson: downtown restaurant owners. Fair director Billy Orr estimates that roughly 500,000 people attended this year, down from …
Weill Challenges Mayor Over Bond MoneyThe Jackson City Council and Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. got off on the wrong foot at the Monday work session after Ward 1 Councilman Jeff Weill inquired whether the city administration was spending a portion of a recent $26 million …