Education
Experts: Silencing Teachers 'Probably Legal,' But May 'Chill' Rights
Retired Ridgeland High School band director Keith Moffat says the Mississippi Legislature is part of the reason he no longer works in the public-school system.
Business
Upgraded 'Fondren Point' Will House Wier Boerner Allin Architecture
Wier Boerner Allin Architecture, which opened in the Fondren Corner building in 2010, is renovating and building out Fondren Point and will be moving its offices there sometime between April …
City & County
10 Local Stories of the Week
There's never a slow news week in Jackson, Miss., and last week was no exception. Here are the local stories JFP reporters brought you in case you missed them.
City & County
Cleaning Up Jails, Carjackings on Rise, Escapee Still at Large, Citizen's Police Academy
Hinds County Sheriff Victor Mason held a press conference Tuesday, Feb. 16, to discuss recent developments at the Hinds County jails, including improvements to the Raymond Detention Center and two …
Justice
'Discrimination Act' Would Give Clerks 'Kim Davis' Powers
Kim Davis went to jail in Kentucky for not issuing same-sex marriage licenses, but circuit clerks in Mississippi might not have to if the "Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government …
Person of the Day
Stuart Kellogg
Earlier this month, the Old Capitol Inn played host to a retirement party for Stuart Kellogg, former president and general manager of news channel WAPT-TV, who held his post for …
City & County
Lumumba's Family Alleges St. Dominic's Didn't Check for Heart Attack
The family of former Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba is seeking restitution from two physicians and St. Dominic's Hospital in a wrongful-death suit filed on Tuesday in Hinds County Circuit Court.
City & County
City Council Seeks Input on Subcontractor Transparency Ordinance
The Jackson City Council wants to ensure that minority subcontractors have the ability to take part in major construction projects in the city, get paid on time and be held …
Education
Charter School Expansion Bills Ignite House, Senate
So far, only two charter schools operate in the state, but the Mississippi House and Senate Education Committees met yesterday in hot debate over the establishment of more.
Domestic Violence
Domestic Abuse May Become Grounds for Divorce in Mississippi
Domestic violence is not currently grounds for divorce in Mississippi, a state where "natural impotency" is listed first as legal grounds for divorce.
City & County
Stamps Calls for ‘State of Emergency’ Over Lead, Walks Out After It Fails
Ward 4 Councilman De’Keither Stamps walked out of Wednesday night’s special Jackson City Council meeting after failing to get support for a state of emergency over lead pipes in Jackson …
City & County
Jackson's New Rental Regs May Target 'Slumlords,' Property Owners Unhappy
The sore subject of inadequate rental housing in Jackson, and how best to regulate, register and inspect it, packed a Jackson City Council public hearing Tuesday evening. Ward 6 Councilman …
Business
Is the Payday Soon Over for Payday Lenders?
De'Keither Stamps says that the more money people spend on payday-loan and check-cashing fees, the less they have to help bolster the City's treasury by purchasing goods and services.
Education
Legislators Determined to Tinker with Public Ed
Just three months after Initiative 42 failed in the November election, the Mississippi Legislature has already seen an explosion of controversial education bills—with school consolidation leading the pack.
Politics
Off to the Races ... and the Chopping Block
Money was front of mind over the last week in the Mississippi Legislature as Senate and House appropriations committees began budget hearings for state agencies last week.
State
Expert: Parent-blaming Does Little to Prevent Crime
Overwhelmingly, parent-blaming was the most frequent mantra at a recent crime forum at Wingfield High School, with visible frustration over the need for families to keep their kids out of …
State
No ‘Hiney Contests,’ Got It?
When a warning by a state Alcohol Beverage Control investigator spooked Ben Shemper, the owner of The Dollarbox Showroom in Hattiesburg, into canceling Big Freedia's Feb. 12 there, it did …
City & County
Eubanks Creek: A Step Closer to Relief
Residents along a section of Eubanks Creek in Fondren are a step closer to getting relief from flooding and high-cost flood insurance. In the past year, developers, architects and city …
City & County
War Against Potholes: The City Battles Nature, Resources
To people in Jackson, who have to battle blown tires, crooked front-end alignments and nearly drowned children, the distinction between potholes, sinkholes and utility cuts are meaningless.
State
Urban, Rural Areas Need Food Stores, Health Clinics
Sen. David Blount, D-Jackson, introduced legislation in the 2015 session that would have provided tax incentives for grocery stores to enter communities considered to be "food deserts" by the USDA's …
