‘I Didn't Have a Clue'Desmeon Thomas lived a different life before 2002, one filled with the idolization of money, cars and jewelry. After he graduated from Murrah High School in 2001, he became involved in a gang and looked up to older gang members, …
Abortion Clinic Stays Open, For NowA law that some Mississippi lawmakers hope will close the state's only abortion clinic goes into effect in less than two weeks, but that doesn't mean the clinic will close its doors July 1.
JPS Cutting Costs to Pay DebtThe Jackson Public Schools are cutting operation costs so the district can put more money toward paying off debt, including $150 million in bond issue debt.
Berry's Produce; No Beer in Jackson CountyThe 1940s-and-'50s-style hand-painted boards that dress the outer walls of the new produce market, at 3139 N. State St., depict bright tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables. Located in a former gas station, the earmark of the art at Berry's …
Ending the SilenceAnthony Sowell had been out of prison about three years after serving 15 for attempted rape when he ran into Gladys Wade outside a neighborhood store in Cleveland, Ohio, on Dec. 8, 2008. When she said she wouldn't go to …
Intent to RavishLike so much of Mississippi culture, its laws concerning sex crimes harken back to a hypothetically more genteel time when ladies swooned and men did not use curse words in their presence. The states' rape statutes use vague, anachronistic words …
Does Jackson Need Another Rape-Crisis Center?As the Jackson Free Press has done since 2004, on July 28, we will host our eighth annual Chick Ball to benefit the Center for Violence Prevention in Pearl.
Cochran Bike Bill On the RopesCongressional House Republicans are trying to put the brakes on a provision in the federal transportation bill that could promote more biking and walking in America's cities and towns. But biking and walking advocates are looking to an unlikely ally …
40 Acres and a DuelWhen James Stern arrived at Mississippi State Penitentiary's medical Unit 31, fellow black inmates debriefed him on one of the unit's infamous residents: Edgar Ray Killen.
Stern v. Killen: 40 Acres and a DuelWhen James Stern arrived at Mississippi State Penitentiary's medical Unit 31, fellow black inmates debriefed him on one of the unit's infamous residents: Edgar Ray Killen.
Free Voter ID Will Cost ... But What?Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann announced yesterday that his office will be "proactive" and distribute free voter ID cards to anyone who does not have the proper identification. But his office does not yet have a vendor in place …
Crooked Letter Brewery BlockedJackson County Board of Supervisors denied a Vancleave couple a special exemption Monday to build a brewery on their land along Antioch Road. The law requires an exemption for industrial businesses in an agricultural zone.
Stokes: Shut Jail DownDistrict 5 Supervisor Kenneth Stokes wants to close the Hinds County Detention Center in Raymond following a series of blunders at the jail.
Stokes: Shut Down Jail, Pull Pants UpDistrict 5 Supervisor Kenneth Stokes wants to close the Hinds County Detention Center in Raymond following a series of blunders at the jail.
MDOC Sticks with Private PrisonsSometime between the 8:45 p.m. and the 9:15 p.m. staff shift change on July 30, 2010, Tracy Alan Province, John Charles McCluskey and Daniel Kelly Renwick escaped from Arizona State Prison-Kingman. Just after 10 p.m., perimeter-patrol officers discovered a 30-by-22-inch …
Abortion Clinic's Fate UnknownBetty Thompson doesn't know what will happen to her employer, the Jackson Women's Health Organization, on July 1.
Rally Protests Contraceptive RuleAmerican and Christian flags stood on equal footing in front of the U.S. Courthouse in Jackson Friday as about 60 people gathered to protest a rule that requires health-insurance plans to cover contraceptives.
Taxes May Rise for City SchoolsThe Jackson Public Schools are asking the city for more money to pay off $150 million in bond issue debt.
Forum Focuses on Black HealthJust because Congressman Bennie Thompson is a member of the same party as Barack Obama, that doesn't mean he won't criticize the Democratic president's administration.
Working in GroupsMy problem is a simple one that may be familiar: In the nonprofit I'm part of, too much "group stuff" happens in long email exchanges. Like a lot of volunteer organizations, we get a bunch of work done in committee, …
Jury Orders New Ward 3 ElectionThe defense called it "the case of the sore loser." The plaintiff called it "the case of the stolen election." The jury agreed with the latter.
JFP Wins Multiple Awards for 2011 WorkThe Jackson Free Press got amazing news from Detroit Friday afternoon when we learned the Association of Alternative Newsmedia was presenting us a coveted first-place public-service award for our team coverage of the personhood effort last fall.
Employers Shouldn't Dictate Birth Control ChoicesDr. Beverly McMillan is against birth control. Or at least any kind of hormonal birth control, from the regular pill to the morning-after pill, all of which she considers to be a form of abortion. The head of Pro-Life Mississippi, …
Students Deserve Better Than a Quick FixIn an election year where the question of our nation's fiscal future is front and center, we cannot forget that the educational progress of our nation's children is pivotal for renewing U.S. prosperity.
Engaging DialogueFor more than 20 years, local nonprofit Jackson 2000 has worked to improve the social, political and economic climate of the city of Jackson through dialogue about race. A group of concerned citizens, including former Mayor Russell C. Davis and …
WJXN: Pirate Radio?Jacksonians have been talking about the radio station with no DJs, no commercials and a music lineup like none they've ever heard.
As If We Lost the SaintsA tornado touched down in the New Orleans suburb of Arabi the evening of May 23. It was a busy Wednesday night in The Times-Picayune newsroom. The paper's website, NOLA.com, posted reports of heavy wind damage in Arabi, then later …
Condemned Man Seeks ReprieveGary Carl Simmons Jr., scheduled to be the third person Mississippi puts to death this month, wants the State Supreme Court to grant him a stay of execution. Monday evening, Simmons' attorney filed a motion asking for 14 days to …
Anthony Sowell had been out of prison about three years after serving 15 for attempted rape when he ran into Gladys Wade outside a neighborhood store in Cleveland, Ohio, on Dec. 8, 2008. When she said she wouldn't go to …
Congressional House Republicans are trying to put the brakes on a provision in the federal transportation bill that could promote more biking and walking in America's cities and towns. But biking and walking advocates are looking to an unlikely ally …
When James Stern arrived at Mississippi State Penitentiary's medical Unit 31, fellow black inmates debriefed him on one of the unit's infamous residents: Edgar Ray Killen.
Jackson County Board of Supervisors denied a Vancleave couple a special exemption Monday to build a brewery on their land along Antioch Road. The law requires an exemption for industrial businesses in an agricultural zone.
District 5 Supervisor Kenneth Stokes wants to close the Hinds County Detention Center in Raymond following a series of blunders at the jail.
Betty Thompson doesn't know what will happen to her employer, the Jackson Women's Health Organization, on July 1.
The Jackson Public Schools are asking the city for more money to pay off $150 million in bond issue debt.
Gary Carl Simmons Jr., scheduled to be the third person Mississippi puts to death this month, wants the State Supreme Court to grant him a stay of execution. Monday evening, Simmons' attorney filed a motion asking for 14 days to …