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City & County
City: Water Safe to Drink Despite High Lead Levels, 100 More Homes to Be Tested
Some 100 additional homes in Jackson will be tested for high levels of lead, city and state health officials said today.
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Mississippi Nationally Recognized for Not Lying
By sierramannieMississippi might not top every list in educational achievement, but at least it’s straightforward about it.
It pays to be honest. Achieve.org recognized the state for closing the “honesty gap”—the difference between how much students have actually improved on National Assessment of Educational Performance examinations and how much students are reported to have improved on NAEP examinations for the 2014-2015 school year.
A Mississippi Department of Education press release explains that the Achieve.org report released last May revealed many states mislead the public on whether or not their students are actually proficient in basic math and reading skills. Mississippi's NAEP results have improved, with figures in the double digits showing that improvement. In 2014, in fact, Bailey APAC Middle School and Northwest Middle School, both in the Jackson Public School District, outscored all other JPS middle and high schools on math assessments.
For narrowing the gap between actual test scores and reported test scores, HonestyGap.org recognizes Mississippi as a “Top Truth Teller” for the 2014-2015 school year.
Check out the full MDE press release here.
Sierra Mannie is an education reporting fellow for the Jackson Free Press and the Hechinger Report. Email her at [email protected].
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State
Mississippi Journalist Bert Case Dies After Extended Illness
Bert Case, whose booming voice and aggressive reporting defined television news in Mississippi from its infancy until last year, has died.
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Music
Robert Earl Keen
Over the course of his career, Houston-native singer-songwriter Robert Earl Keen has built a fan base that follows him no matter which genre he's taking on.
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Speaker Taps Others in GOP to Lead Most Mississippi House Panels
The Republican speaker of the Mississippi House is keeping the same leaders for most of the top committees this four-year term.
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City of Jackson Resampling Water at 13 Homes for 'Actionable' Lead Levels After State Report
The Mississippi Department of Health (MSDH) on Thursday, Jan. 28, reported to the City of Jackson the results of random water samples taken by the state agency from residences in …
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Airport Bill Touching Down Next Week
By adreherSen. Josh Harkins, R-Flowood, is touching up a bill that proposes to change the Jackson airport commission structure. Harkins told the Jackson Free Press he will likely file his bill on Monday or Tuesday next week, which will change who appoints and who qualifies to serve on the airport's governing body.
The current commission is made up of five members, all appointed by the Jackson mayor. Harkins' bill will require the commission to include members from Madison, Rankin and city of Jackson. Harkins is still working on the details, but he said it is important for some commissioners to have aviation and business experience.
Jackson-based legislators have vocalized their distaste for the proposed bill, as well as Jackson business leaders calling the bill an attempted "takeover." Harkins said the city of Jackson will not suffer financially from the plan.
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Bert Case, Legendary Jackson TV Newsman, Dies
By R.L. NaveBert Case has died.
He started in TV at WAPT before going to WLBT-TV for 40 years.
In 2014, Case rejoined WAPT.
Case, who would have been 77 this weekend, had been hospitalized since the fall.
Get more details about Case on WAPT.com.
http://jacksonfreepress.com/users/photos/2016/jan/28/24333/
