Senate Kills Police Pay Raise BillJackson residents almost got a chance to vote on a proposal to raise hotel taxes to fund a police pay raise before a Senate subcommittee killed it Monday. The bill's death came just hours after Jackson police managed to push …
Mother Stabbed to Death by Children's FatherA young mother of six, Tracy Collier, is the latest victim of domestic violence in Jackson. Police found Collier, 33, stabbed to death in her yard at 2408 Brookside Drive on Monday, April 14. As a final indignity, her accused …
Courthouse Fitness Opening in Jackson Place Downtown[Verbatim statement] April 15, 2008—Parkway Properties Inc. (NYSE:PKY) announced today that the Courthouse Racquet and Fitness Center has signed a five-and-a-half year, 10,000 square foot lease to bring a premier fitness facility to downtown Jackson. The facility will be located …
The ‘Bible Belt' Bill, ResurrectedWhen HB 520—the state's latest anti-abortion bill—passed the Mississippi House earlier this year it was a bill designed to keep divorced Mississippians from falsely accusing their betrothed/enemy from claiming child abuse to throw the divorce settlement in their favor.
Matt Massingill18-year-old Matt Massingill raised $1,100 through a charity golf tournament benefiting Ducks Unlimited.
Court System, Autopsy Expert SlammedInnocence Project attorneys, activists and a man who served 12 years in Parchman for a crime he did not commit are calling for a radical overhaul of the state's criminal-justice system in order to keep innocent Mississippians out of prison. …
City In RecoveryA spring storm went overboard last Friday, spawning about five tornados in the Jackson area and leaving a large portion of the city and some adjoining communities without power well into the following week. Hinds County Emergency Operation Director Larry …
JPS Superintendent Earl Watkins ResigningAfter months of controversy stemming from a sexual harassment charge by a male educator, JPS Superintendent Earl Watkins announced tonight that he is resigning, effective June 2009.
Barbour Declares State of Emergency, Includes Jackson2:45 p.m.—(JACKSON, Mississippi) - Governor Haley Barbour today declared a State of Emergency for 12 Mississippi counties following a severe weather system and tornadoes which hit parts of Central Mississippi, including the Jackson Metro area. The Governor announced the State …
The Show Goes On: Crossroads This WeekendDespite the weather, all is well at Regal Cinemas Parkway Place, the Mississippi Museum of Art and Hal and Mal's. All events are on schedule and the Crossroads "show" will go on!
JSU's Ronald Mason: Gee Whiz, I'm SorryJackson State University President Ronald Mason mea culpas to residents he had earlier tried to displace from their homes.
Voter ID: Up for the Final CountVoter ID may be an issue in the Legislature again this week, though the bill ultimately has a slim chance of getting anywhere this session.
Tarra RiggsThe audience laughter that followed her delivery of that line was all actor Tarra Riggs needed to hear.
Clarion-Ledger Buys, Renames ‘JFP' (April Fools)[Jackson, Miss.] The Jackson Free Press and The Clarion-Ledger announced the acquisition of the Jackson Free Press, Inc., by Gannett River States, Inc., the holding company of the Jackson-based Gannett property.
Meeting Addresses Crime, Calls for Tax IncreaseStraight talk was the theme at a March 27 town hall meeting on Jackson crime at the Board of Education auditorium in downtown Jackson. The meeting, hosted by the Jackson Police Officers Association and the Jackson Free Press, featured Jackson …
Canton Police Arrest ProtestersCanton police arrested demonstrators protesting racial profiling this morning after protesters allegedly violated a city permit.
Melton Vetoes Use of Eminent Domain[Verbatim release] Mayor Frank E. Melton issued a veto today that will prohibit the use of eminent domain by the Jackson Redevelopment Authority to acquire owner-occupied residential property located west of Jackson State University. The controversial proposed University Park Project-Phase …
"Policing Jackson: Problems & Solutions" – Questions?The Jackson Police Officers Association and the Jackson Free Press are presenting a town-hall meeting with police officers and other concerned citizens for real talk on fighting crime in Jackson. JFP Editor Donna Ladd will moderate the discussion in the …
Attorney General Amending Beef Plant Lawsuit[Verbatim from the Attorney General's Office] Attached please find a copy of the Circuit Court lawsuit (645 KB) filed by the Office of the Attorney General against Facility Construction Management and Facility Holding Corporation in a case arising out of …
Philadelphia Coalition Calls for More JusticeThe Philadelphia Coalition—the multi-racial group in Philadelphia, Miss., that called for the prosecution of Edgar Ray Killen for the 1964 Klan murders of Chaney, Goodman and Schwerner—want further justice in the case. This weekend they are issuing the following statement, …
Walker, Belafonte Appearing at JSU Civil Rights ConferenceActor Harry Belafonte Jr., writer Alice Walker and filmmaker Keith Beauchamp are headlining the third annual Conference of the Veterans of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement at Jackson State University starting this Thursday.
Workers Rally Against Human TraffickingA group of about 70 Indian workers marched onto the Mississippi State Capitol Thursday, March 20, protesting treatment by Pascagoula construction company Signal International, LLC.
Michael RubensteinMichael Rubenstein's office in the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame is cluttered with sports awards and pictures, and a little plastic sumo wrestler stands on his desk. Born in Booneville, Miss., he moved to Jackson for a state job in …
DA and AG Dismiss Case Against Robbie Bell[Verbatim statement from the AG's office] "The criminal case against Robbie Bell was dismissed today for lack of evidence in the case. The decision was made by both the Hinds County District Attorney's Office and the Office of the Attorney …
Subject: Send to your Republican friends all across MS<i>The following e-mail went around the Sunday before the March 11 primary. When one of the JFP writers got it (through an account for an organization he volunteers with), it had the sender's name listed, as well as a list …
Workers Rally Against Human TraffickingA group of about 70 Indian workers marched onto the Mississippi State Capitol Thursday protesting treatment by Pascagoula construction company Signal International, LLC. "These people endured a kind of slavery," said Saket Soni, director of the New Orleans Workers Center …
Capitol Police Re-locate War Vigil at Last MinuteSharon Lobert, Jackson resident and organizer of the candelight vigil today in Jackson protesting the war in Iraq, said Capitol Police moved the vigil to the steps of the capitol at the last hour. Organizers had originally planned the vigil …
Don and Becky PottsDon and Becky Potts' backyard would be noticeable even without the horse. Behind their Fondren home, the couple maintains an elaborate garden and two greenhouses. Somehow, they also have room for Little River, their 7-year-old miniature horse.