Jackson Free Press

Mayor Shares Personal Story, Proclaims October Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba shared a personal story of domestic violence at a press briefing on Monday, Oct. 11, as he proclaimed October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in the …

Mississippi Auditor Demands Payments in Human Services Fraud

The Mississippi auditor said Tuesday that he is demanding repayment of $77 million in misspent welfare money in one of the poorest states in the nation. This includes $828,000 the …

Dr. Wendy Mahoney, the executive director of Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence, says the nation …

• October 6, 2021

Bridge the Wage Gap: Domestic Violence Hurts Survivors’ Economic Security

Domestic and dating violence, or intimate partner violence, referred to as IPV, is a common reality that has short- and long-term negative effects on survivors’ economic security and independence.

Capital City Pride Breaks City-Wide Event Drought, Encourages Togetherness

After spending its first year of operation limited at every turn by the COVID-19 pandemic, Capital City Pride is prepared to host one of Jackson’s first large-scale events since March …

Dobbs: Funding for Medical Marijuana Regulation is a Concern

The Mississippi state health officer said Tuesday that he’s concerned about how the Health Department would receive money for its part in licensing and regulating a proposed medical marijuana program.

Mississippi Gov.: Still No Word on Medical Marijuana Session

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves on Monday was still not saying whether he will call legislators into special session to enact a medical marijuana program and consider other issues that House …

Mississippi AG Seeks to End Family Lawsuit After Dad's Death

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch filed papers Wednesday seeking to dismiss a lawsuit in a family feud over the care and finances of her 88-year-old father because he has died.

Pfizer Booster Shot Available For Those 65 and Older

COVID-19 booster shots are now approved for all Mississipians aged 65 and older, as well as for those immunocompromised or otherwise at-risk of severe infection.

Lorenzo Neal

Dr. Lorenzo Neal, pastor of New Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Jackson since 2011, has spent the past five years advocating against gun violence as part of the nonprofit …

Jackson Planning Director Confirmed As Two Councilmen Question Her Record

Two Jackson City Council members voted against Director of Planning and Development Jordan Hillman's official confirmation to a new term on Thursday, Sept. 10.

Lawsuit: Farm Hired White Immigrants Over Black US Laborers

Six Black farmworkers in Mississippi say in a new lawsuit that their former employer brought white laborers from South Africa to do the same jobs they were doing, and that …

Interim Hinds County Sheriff Moves to Curtail Violent Crime with Gun Suppression Unit

Interim Hinds County Sheriff Marshand Crisler plans to set up a gun suppression unit to arrest convicted felons caught with guns.

Hinds County Reentry Program Starts Collecting Applications Sept. 1

Hinds County will take applications from intending participants of its reentry program on Wednesday, Sept. 1, at the Jackson Convention Center from 9:30 a.m to 4 p.m.

‘It Was Hard For Me to Stop’: Hinds Circuit Drug Intervention Court Graduates 26

Veronica Coleman, 33, graduated from the Hinds Circuit Drug Court on July 28, 2021. The mother of four believes the program was a lifeline.

What Follows Confederate Statues? One Mississippi City's Fight

For more than a century, one of Mississippi's largest and most elaborate Confederate monuments has looked out over the lawn at the courthouse in the center of Greenwood, a Black-majority …

Governor’s Policing Surge In Jackson May Not Prevent Violence, Address Causes

Parts of Mississippi’s capital city are seeing a “saturation” of state police that Gov. Tate Reeves promises will counter a spike in crime and violence that has worsened since the …

JSU Unveils Civil Rights Mural, Substance Abuse Prevention Block Grant and USM Vaccine Incentive Program

Jackson State University’s Office of Community Engagement unveiled its new Council of Federated Organizations mural, titled “Chain Breakers,” on Saturday, July 24.

Misdemeanor Holding Facility Could Open in Jackson in Old Juvenile Detention Center

Holding cells to hold misdemeanor offenders could soon open in Jackson if the council approves the move after an evaluation process.

Mississippi Lawmakers Hear Testimony on Medical Marijuana

Two prominent Mississippi physicians urged lawmakers Monday to put “guardrails” in place if medical marijuana is legalized in the state, warning that officials should be careful about making a product …