Commence ThisIt's that time of year again, where we cheer and cry our hearts out to you, fellow grads! We here at the JFP, give much congrats to you for toughing it out and surviving homework.
Too Little, Too Late?Behind the Silver Slipper Casino in Bay St. Louis, a fleet of commercial fishing boats sits quietly before sunrise on April 30. Even though it's the last day of oyster season, only a few fishermen are at the Bayou Caddy …
Power Company to Challenge Commission RulingMississippi Power Company will file a motion this week asking the Mississippi Public Service Commission to reconsider its April 29 order for Kemper County IGCC Project. The MPSC approved the experimental coal-burning plant, however its conditions made it impossible for …
Blocking Digital Signs and Helping Small BusinessJackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. will submit a resolution protesting the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce's plan to build and rent three new digital signs in the city, city spokesman Chris Mims said today.
Business Round Up: Two Markets and A New Film FestivalA former grocery store near the Jackson Medical Mall reopened Saturday as a farmer's market. Part of the Roadmap to Health Equity Project, the market is located in the former New Deal grocery store on Livingston Road. Beneta Burt, project …
[Balko] Watching the DetectivesGeorge Orwell famously said, "If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face–forever." He may still be right.
Mason Leaving JSU for Southern Univ.After a decade leading Mississippi's largest historically black institution, Jackson State University President Ronald Mason Jr. announced today that he has accepted the position as the next president of the Southern University and A&M College System in Louisiana.
Crime Declines City WideThe Jackson Police Department reports an overall decrease in major crimes from April 19 through April 25 in the city. But Assistant Chief Lee Vance is cautious not to attribute the decline to the department's implementation of the High Enforcement …
Racist Names, BewareWard 2 Councilman Chokwe Lumumba said he voted with a majority of the council to remove a controversial petition requirement for the renaming of city streets or facilities because he felt city residents deserved a "more fair system" for changing …
A Plan for ChangeOtha Burton may be one of the newest appointees to the Jackson Public Schools board, but he is a veteran of city government. Burton served as chief administrative officer for Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr., during Johnson's first two terms as …
Women's Fund Gets It Wrong … TwiceThe Jackson Free Press has been a strong supporter of The Women's Fund—including giving proceeds raised by our production of "The Vagina Monologues" this year to the group. We applaud the Fund for tackling the issue of domestic abuse and, …
[Kamikaze] New Breed of Renaissance ManIf you're an avid fan of the NFL, then you were probably glued to your TV this past weekend as the 2010 draft unveiled America's newest millionaires. The draft always holds a few surprises, and after 72 hours of picks, …
House Faces ‘Pointless' Abortion Bill, MoreThe Mississippi House of Representatives return to Jackson tomorrow to deal with the last remaining items of business in its 2010 legislative session, after a fierce battle over what several House Democrats are calling a pointless anti-abortion bill. House lawmakers …
Business Round UpJamie Woods, 36, wants to help small businesses succeed. On May 10, the Jackson Chamber of Commerce will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony for her new venture, J Woods Public Relations. Woods spent the last 10 years marketing behavioral health services …
Mayor and Police Chief Announce Police Task Force<i>Verbatim Statement:</i> At a press conference this afternoon, Mayor Johnson and Jackson Police Chief Rebecca Coleman announced the implementation of Operation H.E.R.O. (High Enforcement and Response Operation). Operation H.E.R.O. will involve Jackson Police in partnership with the Hinds County Sheriff's …
Jackson Ad Firm Featured in BookThe Ramey Agency has plenty to brag about. The Jackson-based branding and marketing firm boasts an impressive roster of clients, from Viking Range, to Millsaps College, to the Mississippi Museum of Art. Now, Ramey has one more accolade to add …
Barbour Calls Special SessionMississippi Gov. Haley Barbour called a special session this afternoon to consider increasing the amount that state, county and municipal employees pay toward retirement. Barbour, who made the announcement about three hours before the special session began, said he wants …
Anti-Abortion Resolution Holds Little WeightA senate resolution suspending a January legislative deadline for bills to be introduced, afforded Sen. Alan Nunnelee, R-Tupelo, the opportunity to include language to stop federal funds from funding voluntary abortion in the state, which the House passed today in …
Family ValuesOur history as a state and a nation is filled with atrocious efforts to destroy the self-esteem of black men. During the entire arc of slavery and then Jim Crow laws--which did not end until the U.S. Supreme Court finally …
Grading the LawmakersPolitical and community activist Rims Barber released a 2010 political report card grading legislators based on their votes for 10 progressive bills that filed through the 2010 legislative session before it temporarily recessed in March.
Legislators Eye State BudgetThe Mississippi Legislature was back in action April 20 to approve a $5.5 billion fiscal-year 2011 budget and the re-authorization of the Mississippi Department of Employment Security.
Things Can Change, MississippiMississippi's prison system is in desperate need of reform. Under "tough on crime" legislation like increased zero-tolerance penalties for minor drug offenses and the 85-percent rule, which mandate that prisoners serve 85 percent of their sentences prior to parole eligibility, …
[Collier] Matters of the HeartJust about all my formal education was whitewashed. The things I knew about the parts of American history that weren't white, I learned from my family.
The Cost of ‘Tough on Crime'Jackson resident Almona Fleming is a placid woman, prone to introspective stares and thoughtful contemplation during interviews. Her calm demeanor says nothing about the writhing coil of hunger that for years twisted inside her, eating at both her stomach and …
Walthall County: Separate and Still UnequalThe two biggest high schools in Walthall County are only 10 miles apart, but for almost 20 years a student transfer policy allowed the two schools to become symbolically separate, effectively re-segregated public schools. Last week, a federal judge put …
[Balko] Justice Stevens' Mixed Record on Civil LibertiesMany hail retiring Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens as a champion of the accused. Stevens, The New York Times editorial board opined, has a "record of being on the side of fairness and justice."
Business Round UpLocal celebrity chef and entrepreneur Nathan Glenn told the Jackson Free Press last week that he will no longer be The Auditorium's general manager. Instead, chef Nate Ballard will take over as the new general manager. Glenn will continue to …
Business Accelerator Hopes to Speed EntrepreneursA new collaborative venture run by Jackson's New Horizon Ministries seeks to promote entrepreneurship and develop the city's existing small businesses. The Jackson Business Accelerator will connect potential entrepreneurs and current business owners with resources, program manager Michael Harris said …
Bill Minorhttp://www.jacksonfreepress.com/v3/images/uploads/Bill_Minor_web01.jpg
Medical Mall Pitches ProjectsThe Jackson Medical Mall Foundation has several large economic-development projects pending, but Hinds County appears unable to support them, for the moment. Primus Wheeler, executive director for the foundation, asked the county Board of Supervisors at a work session this …
Behind the Silver Slipper Casino in Bay St. Louis, a fleet of commercial fishing boats sits quietly before sunrise on April 30. Even though it's the last day of oyster season, only a few fishermen are at the Bayou Caddy …
Jackson resident Almona Fleming is a placid woman, prone to introspective stares and thoughtful contemplation during interviews. Her calm demeanor says nothing about the writhing coil of hunger that for years twisted inside her, eating at both her stomach and …