Jackson Free Press

A #JXNMayor Confessional

The three members of the Jackson City Council who are running for mayor got ahead of the rumor-mill in interviews with the Jackson Free Press last week.

Piling on the Poor

Before the session started, fiscally conservative budget writers vowed to keep state spending to a minimum unless the economy improved and projected revenues went up.

No Hate

"The Campaign," directed and produced by Christie Herring, introduces us to the people working to stop California's Proposition 8, which would have eliminated the right of same-sex couples to marry …

Hopefuls Stick to Talking Points

Ten days out from the special election that will determine the next mayor of Jackson, the top candidates are honing in on the key ideas they'll sell to capital city …

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Jackson Could Get $30 Million Boost From Lawmakers

A lot of the city of Jackson's legislative agenda has died. In fact, none of the 10 proposals that contain the phrase "city of Jackson" in the bill title survived …

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Repayment of HUD Funds Emerges as Election Issue

An agreement between the city of Jackson and a federal housing agency over the apparent mishandling of $2 million in community-development block grant money could hamstring small development in the …

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How to Save a Zoo

De'Keither Stamps picked the zoo over the circus—of the Jackson mayor's race.

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Big Questions in the Home Stretch

A Republican-sponsored bill could clear the way for economic-development projects in downtown Jackson, including around Farish Street and for a convention-center hotel.

Candidate Profile: Margaret Barrett-Simon

"I was busy" and "Why not?" are the two top reasons Ward 7 Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon, a 29-year veteran of the council and mother of five, gave the Jackson Free …

Candidate Profile: Chokwe Antar Lumumba

A little over a year ago, when then-Councilman Chokwe Lumumba decided to run for mayor of Jackson, he and some of his close advisers floated the idea of Lumumba's son, …

Candidate Profile: Tony Yarber

A councilman representing south Jackson since 2009, Yarber gave high praise to late Mayor Chokwe Lumumba, whom Yarber said helped citizens have a place and voice in city government.

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Candidate Profile: Harvey Johnson Jr.

The first African American mayor Jackson voters ever selected, Harvey Johnson Jr. likes to say that although Jackson said no to electing him twice, people said yes to his leadership …

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Candidate Profile: Regina Quinn

Attorney Regina Quinn, former general counsel for Jackson State University, is running again for mayor after making a good showing in last year's election.

Rhetoric Muddles Effects of 'Anti-Gay' 'Religious Rights' Bill

Does Senate Bill 2681, which the Mississippi Legislature approved, protect religious freedoms or open the door to legal discrimination?

Ian Hanson

It took Ian Hanson 20 thumbnail sketches to come up with "Dutch the Horse," his painting that will go to the winner of the Ruma Award, which honors Mississippi's most …

Stokes: Hinds Jail a 'Public Safety Nightmare'

Markuieze Bennett, 21, should have been in court April 8, standing trial for strong armed robbery. The odds a jury would have found him innocent were good.

Mayoral Hopefuls Respond to Mural Flap, Plus Four Questions for #JxnMayor Special Election

Ever since the removal of a mural painted in tribute to late Mayor Chokwe Lumumba last Thursday, wide speculation has swirled about who pulled the trigger to have the painting …

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Jackson: An LGBT Sanctuary?

Chokwe Lumumba, the late mayor of Jackson, once described Jackson as a new justice frontier, one that acknowledges that the city's diversity is its strength.

Documents Shed More Light on Lumumba Mural Removal

The city received "numerous, relevant telephone calls," related to a painted tribute to late Mayor Chokwe Lumumba before its removal a week ago.

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Rains Highlight Need for Sewer Fixes, Flood Reduction

Recent flooding has highlighted the urgency to address Jackson's longstanding problems with flooding as well as its aging sewer system that led to a roughly $400 million EPA consent decree.