Property Owners to Vote on Biz DistrictNow that property owners approved an expansion plan for Jackson's Businesses Improvement District May 26, Downtown Jackson Partners must obtain 70 percent majority vote from property owners to prevent the district from dissolving.
Court Stops Simon ExecutionRobert Simon Jr., 47, gets to live a little bit longer on death row. The state of Mississippi planned to kill him May 24, but the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals stopped the execution just hours before the scheduled …
‘Gated Pods' a Bad IdeaSadly, Councilman Quentin Whitwell's ideas are going downhill since he pushed for a food-truck ordinance.
After The FloodNews that a flood was headed toward Vicksburg didn't come as a surprise to most residents. In late April, the Mississippi River and its tributaries began to overflow and reach record crests in Missouri. Kentucky, Illinois and Tennessee. What did …
Crisler Would Expand Highway 61Former Jackson City Councilman Marshand Crisler thinks he will have an advantage as a Mississippi Department of Transportation Commissioner for the Central District. Crisler, who is a district director for Hinds Community College's adult education program, said the priorities of …
Yes on Budget Shift, Electric CarsThe Jackson City Council approved a $3.5 million budget revision this week, funneling budget savings into new shortfalls found halfway into the budget year.
Midtown Market Opens; Biz Support GroupA national nonprofit designed to educate entrepreneurs and support small businesses needs volunteers to help establish a chapter in Jackson.
Council Recalculating BudgetThe Jackson City Council is willing to approve a budget revision next week filling a $4 million budget shortfall, Ward 2 Councilman Chokwe Lumumba believes.
Tax Commission Battles ContinueCity and state leaders are debating whether a 10-member commission will have to oversee a proposed 1-cent sales-tax increase in Jackson. The city's roads, water, sewer and other infrastructure are in need of approximately $76 million in upgrades and major …
Downtown Biz District May Expand; Disaster Jobs AvailableThe Downtown Business Improvement District may expand up to the second block of the Farish Street Entertainment District, which includes Peaches Restaurant and the Alamo Theater.
Chamber, Work With the MayorThe Jackson Free Press has often agreed with Sen. John Horhn over the years, and we're finding that new Ward 1 City Councilman Quentin Whitwell can be a breath of fresh air out of north Jackson on many issues.
[Kamikaze] Trash TalkingLet's put some accurate information onto the turnpike, shall we? Crime in Jackson is down. Dropping. Heading south. It's a slow decline, yes, but a decline, nonetheless. For those of you who liken Jackson to the streets of Medellin, Colombia, …
Jackson's Creative EconomyTracie James-Wade was tired of corporate America. After working in sales and marketing for various corporations in Nashville, Tenn., for nine years, she decided it was time to pursue a career that meant more than a paycheck.
City Launches Summer Reading ProgramThe Jackson Public Schools District and city leaders announced an initiative yesterday to recruit 30,000 young readers across the city to read 100,000 books over the summer.
Un-gifting JPSState budget cuts are forcing Jackson Public Schools to scale back its gifted-education classes to the bare minimum required by state law. With their emphasis on hands-on learning and critical thinking, classes for "gifted" students are among the highlights of …
Eco-HoneymoonsWhen most couples talk about their honeymoon, it's usually stories of how wonderful the masseuse was at the hotel spa or how delectable the food. They might even mention the breathtaking view from their room. This is about the time …
Register LocallyFor some couples, developing a bridal registry is one of the most exciting parts of getting married. It is their one opportunity to think about the special items they want to fill the home they will share.
Out of TimeOnce the drugs started to flow, it took only a minute for Benny Joe Stevens' lips to stop moving. He slipped out of consciousness, and soon his heart stopped.
A Newspaper Is BornNever in the history of journalism, as we know it in the State of Mississippi, has any newspaper from its inception had such bold aims and purity of purpose as the MISSISSIPPI FREE PRESS.
[Stiggers] My Dog Bites Booty"The Crime Watch Report News Brief is your source for information on suspicious individuals and activities in desirable suburban communities. Here's your Crime Watch News Brief reporter, I. M. Scared."
Freedom Rides AgainHank Thomas walked up the steps of the Greyhound bus on a sunny day May 4, 1961. As he calmly surveyed its drab, blue-gray interior, the lanky 19-year-old black student from Howard University had no idea that in about two …
[Balko] How Bin Laden WonIn "The Looming Tower," the Pulitzer Prize-winning history of al-Qaeda and the road to Sept. 11, author Lawrence Wright lays out how Osama bin Laden's motivation for the attacks that he planned in the 1990s, and then the Sept. 11 …
Restaurant MakeoverBelhaven mainstay Keifer's Restaurant is set to move to a new building in late September. Assistant general manager Jeff Stricklin told the Jackson Free Press today that the restaurant is aiming for a Sept. 24 opening at its new location …
KiOR Heats UpBiofuels company KiOR has yet to produce any of its vaunted crude oil substitute in Mississippi, but the startup is making big moves on financing.
McGowan Non-Profit Foots Study BillFlowood Mayor Gary Rhoads says the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District (aka the Levee Board) is working with a non-profit foundation backed by McGowan Working Partners for one reason: cash.
Political Ad Stirs ControversyMany residents of both Hinds and Madison counties spoke out this week against a controversial political ad that played on fears of Jackson's "violent crime" showing prior to feature movies in Malco Grandview Theater in Madison. Malco pulled the ad …
Divisiveness Hurts Kids and FamiliesCue the ominous voice: "Imagine for a moment this road is our county line. This side represents one of the most violent cities in the nation. Over here, on our side, one of the most desirable communities in America to …
News that a flood was headed toward Vicksburg didn't come as a surprise to most residents. In late April, the Mississippi River and its tributaries began to overflow and reach record crests in Missouri. Kentucky, Illinois and Tennessee. What did …
Tracie James-Wade was tired of corporate America. After working in sales and marketing for various corporations in Nashville, Tenn., for nine years, she decided it was time to pursue a career that meant more than a paycheck.
Hank Thomas walked up the steps of the Greyhound bus on a sunny day May 4, 1961. As he calmly surveyed its drab, blue-gray interior, the lanky 19-year-old black student from Howard University had no idea that in about two …