Mississippi Mental Health Agency Getting New Leader in 2021The executive director of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health will retire Jan. 31 as the state continues to face a federal court order to improve community-based services.
As COVID Fills Hospitals, ‘We Are Killing Ourselves,’ State Officials WarnMississippi’s third COVID-19 surge has reached its hospital system, where a flood of hundreds of new hospitalizations in a matter of days is definitive proof that the state is returning to the crisis-care standards of late summer.
Jackson Repeals Noise Rule on Only Mississippi Abortion ClinicMississippi's capital city has repealed a year-old local law that sought to restrict noise levels outside the state's only abortion clinic by limiting amplified sound and banning protesters from approaching patients without their permission.
Meridian Public Schools Move Online Due to COVID-19Meridian public schools are moving to online learning Wednesday after an increase in cases of COVID-19 in Lauderdale County and in the school system, according to superintendent Amy Carter.
Deadlines Set in Lawsuit Over Mississippi Medical MarijuanaThe Mississippi Supreme Court is setting deadlines for attorneys to file arguments in a mayor's lawsuit that questions the legitimacy of the medical marijuana initiative that voters approved by a wide margin.
Mississippi Governor Proposes Phasing Out State Income TaxMississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Monday that the state should phase out its individual income tax by 2030 to attract new residents and businesses that could boost economic growth.
Curtis Flowers Defense Team Receives Human Rights AwardThe Curtis Flowers defense team, which includes the George C. Cochran Innocence Project at the University of Mississippi, won the 2020 Frederick Douglass Human Rights Award, The Southern Center for Human Rights announced Friday.
Analysis: Mississippi Pump Proposal Evokes Strong ReactionsFarmers, rural shopkeepers and Mississippi politicians from both major parties are speaking out to support a proposed flood control project that would pump water from parts of the south Delta.
Hailing Biden and Harris Win, Jackson City Council Calls for UnityWith Joe Biden and Kamala Harris projected as the winners of the Nov. 3 U.S. presidential election, members of the Jackson City Council Tuesday congratulated them and urged for unity as the country moves forward.
US Sues 3 Mississippi Apartments Over Racial DiscriminationThe U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday sued the owners and manager of three apartment complexes in Mississippi, saying they violated the Fair Housing Act by discriminating against Black potential renters.
Gov. Reeves Would Defy Nationwide COVID-19 Lockdown: ‘We Will Certainly Fight’Gov. Tate Reeves signaled today that he would refuse to participate in a nationwide lockdown if the incoming Joe Biden administration called for such a measure, promising instead defiance and a repeat of late 2020’s approach to containment of the …
Mississippi’s Third Coronavirus Spike Is HereMississippi’s brief reprieve from the rest of the nation’s dire wave of COVID-19 is now firmly over, with last week’s early warning signs replaced with blaring sirens out of schools, hospitals and public-health leadership.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The Joy and Pain of Fighting for U.S. DemocracyDonald Trump is just one man. The real threat is the terrifying number of Americans who dote on him no matter what he does. His supporters are often described as a cult, and it's hard to disagree with that much …
Don’t Lose Hope: State Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers on COVID-19Dr. Paul Byers sat down with the Jackson Free Press on Nov. 4 to discuss the Mississippi State Department of Health's approach to the COVID-19 crisis, now in the early stages of a third spike.
Introducing Ward 2 Candidates: Special Election Nov. 17The special election to fill the Ward 2 Jackson City Council seat of Melvin Priester Jr., who stepped down to focus on his law career, is on Nov. 17, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Six candidates are vying for …