Jackson Free Press

I Punched the Hole

OK, I admit it: I'm obsessed with the gusher in the Gulf. I spend part of every day looking for some new outrage or updated numbers on how much oil …

Allen Leaves Polarized Council

City Council President Ben Allen resigned last week, prompting a special election in Ward 1 and immediately changing the balance of power in city government. Although Allen became a Melton …

FAQ: What National Media Ask Mississippians

We decided to beat the reporters to the punch line and offer up a few of their most frequently asked questions.

No More Overtime; Recio Pay Dropped

Jackson Police Chief Malcolm McMillin says he has limited overtime to special-event staffing only.

Melton Sues Over Own Leak

Jackson Mayor Frank Melton is suing The Clarion-Ledger for breach of contract, a story the Jackson Free Press broke on its Web site on April 18. Melton was head of …

DeLaughter Joins Sons of Confederate Veterans

Jefferson Davis Camp No. 635, an organization dedicated to conserving deteriorated Confederate battle flags and preserving the nation's Confederate heritage, welcomed a Hinds County Circuit Court judge as a new …

Of Lady Killers and 'Good Behavior'

Citizens can feel secure knowing that the men in green and white stripes working on the road crews are not rapists or murderers. Mississippi law says that violent criminals are …

More Judicial Horseplay?

Imprisoned attorney Paul Minor is arguing in Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal filings that presiding U.S. Southern District Court Judge Henry Wingate showed bias against the defense in his 2007 …

Making The Connection

In my 10 years of living in California, I never once heard anyone play the "Name Game" with another Californian. Yet, within my first day back in Mississippi, I was …

Domestic Abuse is a Pre-Existing Condition in Mississippi

Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney expressed outrage today that the state of Mississippi is one of eight states in the nation, including the District of Columbia, which allows insurance companies …

Supreme Court Rules Sample Ballot is Illegal

The Mississippi Supreme Court ruled against Gov. Haley Barbour and Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann today in their appeal concerning the contested sample November ballot. Justice Jess Dickinson's majority opinion …

Hood: State Auditor Disrupted Beef Plant Sting

Attorney General Jim Hood confirmed Monday that State Auditor Phil Bryant had interrupted investigative efforts to obtain evidence against beef-plant owners. Hood's written statement to the media came after lieutenant …

Learning to Change

JoEva Flettrich turned off the fluorescent lights in her office after 23 years on the job. The lights are an external manifestation of the change she wants to see in …

Canton Police Arrest Protesters

Canton police arrested demonstrators protesting racial profiling this morning after protesters allegedly violated a city permit.

Community Events and Public Meetings

JPS Pepsi Holiday Basketball Tournament Dec 28-30, at Jackson State University, Williams Athletics and Assembly Center (1400 John R. Lynch St.). The tournament features 11 girls' teams and 13 boys' …

Ward 1 Challenger Drops Out

Physician Jonathan S. Jones announced today that he is withdrawing his candidacy for the Ward 1 City Council seat currently held by Jeff Weill. In a statement, Jones, who was …

DNA Exonerates Sunflower County Man After 16 Years

[Verbatim from Innocence Project] Sixteen years after his arrest, all charges were dropped against Arthur Johnson today when it was revealed that the DNA testing that led to his release …

Opposition to Iraq War Grows in South

A new poll of the region hit hardest by the war in Iraq finds that the South is steadily losing patience with the war in Iraq:

Mayor Goes Back on the Ballot

UPDATED

Circuit Court Judge Billy Joe Landrum put Jackson Mayor Frank Melton back on the Democratic ballot today.

Musgrove Camp Decries Scruggs Smear

Sen. Roger Wicker's supporters at the National Republican Senatorial Committee are attempting to link his Democratic opponent, Ronnie Musgrove, with incarcerated lawyer Paul Minor, as well as Mississippi attorney Richard …