Analysis: Leaders Say Reducing State Budget Meets GOP GoalThere has been plenty of hand-wringing about the Mississippi budget the past several months, with Republican Gov. Phil Bryant making multiple rounds of cuts because tax collections fell short of expectations.
10 Local Stories of the WeekThere's never a slow news week in Jackson, Miss., and last week was no exception. Here are the local stories JFP reporters brought you in case you missed them.
Judge Cuts Fine to $20,000 for Man Convicted in Bribery CaseA businessman who bribed Mississippi's former prisons chief will only have to pay a $20,000 fine, not the $150,000 originally imposed, after he testified Wednesday that his debts outweigh his assets.
‘One Lake’ Can’t Outsmart NatureA new Pearl River dam and lake raise huge concerns for the short and long term: lots of lights and lots of traffic; new flooding downstream in Mississippi and Louisiana; and negative impacts to industry, wildlife, air and water quality, …
State Testing Presents Bigger Equity QuestionThe Third Grade Reading Gate certainly serves a statewide purpose: to weed out and ideally save those kids who never learn how to read. But what if catching them isn't enough?
The Myth of the Welfare QueenI am old enough to remember the promise of welfare reform in the '90s. I recall quite well the nasty rhetoric used to shred our social safety net.
The Revolving Third-grade GateThousands of Mississippi's third graders will sit in front of computers later this month to take the statewide reading test, but the eyes of teachers and administrators at Finch Elementary School will be intensely focused on a dozen students at …
State’s College Students Face Financial Aid CrunchAllen Coon will lose one of his state scholarships, thanks to the Mississippi Legislature cutting over $1 million from state financial aid during the session that ended last month.
A Mayor's Story: Tony Yarber on His Past Mistakes and Evolving VisionMayor Tony Yarber is different this time around. During his first run for the job vacated when Mayor Chokwe Lumumba died in 2014, a bunch of urgent business suits surrounded and handled him amid a certain amount of arrogant campaign …
Wicker Praises End of Partisan Filibuster on Judicial SeatsSen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi is praising fellow Republicans for blocking Democrats' ability to filibuster judicial nominations — a move that led to confirmation of Neal Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court.
What We’re Looking for in a MayorWith the mayoral primary just a few weeks away, we've been discussing our JFP endorsement possibilities; we haven't yet chosen a candidate, but we've been talking about the criteria.
Welty Library Opens New Tech Lab, Will Offer Free ClassesLocal job seekers may benefit from several upgrades to the Eudora Welty Library in downtown Jackson, including a new technology learning lab, 44 new computers and a freshly painted autism resource center.
Nissan Faces More Labor Law Charges at Mississippi PlantThe National Labor Relations Board is leveling new charges that Nissan Motor Co. and a contract worker agency at Nissan's Mississippi plant are violating workers' rights.
Judge Again Finds Discrimination in Texas' Voter ID LawA judge ruled for a second time Monday that Texas' strict voter ID law was intentionally crafted to discriminate against minorities, which follows another court finding evidence of racial gerrymandering in how Republican lawmakers drew the state's election maps.
Physician Seeks Dismissal of Prison Contract Bribery CaseA physician accused of bribing Mississippi's former prisons chief says charges against him should be dismissed because prosecutors can't prove the corrections official did anything to improperly influence prison medical contracts awarded to the doctor's company.
US Strike on Syria is Widely Praised, but Angers RussiaWorld leaders rallied around the United States after it launched a missile strike early Friday on a Syrian air base in response to this week's chemical attack, while Russia condemned the move as "aggression" and suspended crucial coordination with Washington …
Fifth Circuit to Decide if HB 1523 Is 'State-sponsored Discrimination'The rights of LGBT Mississippians were in the balance Monday as attorneys from Mississippi and beyond faced off in Texas over whether House Bill 1523, the "Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act," should become law in the state …
Mother, Leaders Call for Autism Therapy ExpansionChelsea McKinley knows what it's like to deal with the challenges of autism, namely accessing services and support she needs. She has three sons, all of whom have been diagnosed with various forms of nonverbal autism.
House Intel Committee Chair Steps Away from Russia ProbeThe chairman of the House intelligence committee announced Thursday he is temporarily stepping aside from the panel's probe into Russian meddling in last year's presidential election.
Teenagers will take center stage at Jackson's first Youth Mayoral Forum on Monday, April 17, in the Provine High School auditorium.
There has been plenty of hand-wringing about the Mississippi budget the past several months, with Republican Gov. Phil Bryant making multiple rounds of cuts because tax collections fell short of expectations.
There's never a slow news week in Jackson, Miss., and last week was no exception. Here are the local stories JFP reporters brought you in case you missed them.
Starting in July if you're riding in a car in Mississippi, seatbelts are required for everyone in the vehicle. But previously, state law only required those passengers in the front seat to wear seatbelts.
Mississippi does not have to publicly disclose details of how it carries out executions, the state's highest court ruled Thursday.
Mississippi's junior U.S. senator, Roger Wicker, says President Donald Trump acted in accordance with the Constitution when he ordered missile air strikes on a Syrian air base last Thursday—but that hundreds of thousands of Syrians have died from chemical and …
A businessman who bribed Mississippi's former prisons chief will only have to pay a $20,000 fine, not the $150,000 originally imposed, after he testified Wednesday that his debts outweigh his assets.
A new Pearl River dam and lake raise huge concerns for the short and long term: lots of lights and lots of traffic; new flooding downstream in Mississippi and Louisiana; and negative impacts to industry, wildlife, air and water quality, …
The Third Grade Reading Gate certainly serves a statewide purpose: to weed out and ideally save those kids who never learn how to read. But what if catching them isn't enough?
I am old enough to remember the promise of welfare reform in the '90s. I recall quite well the nasty rhetoric used to shred our social safety net.
Thousands of Mississippi's third graders will sit in front of computers later this month to take the statewide reading test, but the eyes of teachers and administrators at Finch Elementary School will be intensely focused on a dozen students at …
Allen Coon will lose one of his state scholarships, thanks to the Mississippi Legislature cutting over $1 million from state financial aid during the session that ended last month.
Mayor Tony Yarber is different this time around. During his first run for the job vacated when Mayor Chokwe Lumumba died in 2014, a bunch of urgent business suits surrounded and handled him amid a certain amount of arrogant campaign …
Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi is praising fellow Republicans for blocking Democrats' ability to filibuster judicial nominations — a move that led to confirmation of Neal Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court.
With the mayoral primary just a few weeks away, we've been discussing our JFP endorsement possibilities; we haven't yet chosen a candidate, but we've been talking about the criteria.
When the Westin Jackson hotel opens in August 2017, it will be bringing a new restaurant to downtown Jackson with it: Estelle Wine Bar & Bistro.
The National Labor Relations Board is leveling new charges that Nissan Motor Co. and a contract worker agency at Nissan's Mississippi plant are violating workers' rights.
The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning board has narrowed its pool of candidates for the future president of Jackson State University.
Mississippi-based Trustmark Corp. has completed its purchase of Alabama-based Reliance Bank for $23.7 million in cash.
None of the people accused of bribing former Mississippi Corrections Commissioner Christopher Epps have gone to trial. Yet. But Dr. Carl Reddix might be ready to risk it.
Six Mississippians await the governor's signature in order to get their right to vote in the state restored.
A physician accused of bribing Mississippi's former prisons chief says charges against him should be dismissed because prosecutors can't prove the corrections official did anything to improperly influence prison medical contracts awarded to the doctor's company.
World leaders rallied around the United States after it launched a missile strike early Friday on a Syrian air base in response to this week's chemical attack, while Russia condemned the move as "aggression" and suspended crucial coordination with Washington …
A Mississippi congressman is trying to prevent deportation of an immigrant who spoke out against President Donald Trump's policies.
The rights of LGBT Mississippians were in the balance Monday as attorneys from Mississippi and beyond faced off in Texas over whether House Bill 1523, the "Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act," should become law in the state …
Chelsea McKinley knows what it's like to deal with the challenges of autism, namely accessing services and support she needs. She has three sons, all of whom have been diagnosed with various forms of nonverbal autism.
The chairman of the House intelligence committee announced Thursday he is temporarily stepping aside from the panel's probe into Russian meddling in last year's presidential election.
Success in a legislative session means different things to different people.