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Civil Rights
‘Police vs. Black’: Bridging the ‘Racialized Gulf’
Oressa Napper-Williams' son Andrell was a victim of gun violence twice. The first time was when he was 16 and a student at Martin Luther King Jr. High School in …
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Music
Drew Holcomb Gets Neighborly
Tennessee native, father, husband and Americana musician Drew Holcomb has become an established independent artist, selling more than 100,000 records and performing more than 1,500 lives shows since releasing his …
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Food
Celebrating Moms Locally
Mother's Day is May 8 this year. Here's what's going on in local restaurants.
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City & County
Ceasefire in the City? How Police Can (and Cannot) Deter Gunfire
In 2015, Precinct 2 Commander Jarratt Taylor helped execute a massive enforcement effort called Metro Area Crime Elimination, or MACE for short, promised to be a local version of the …
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Politics
The Problems with a Supermajority
The 2016 session marked a turning point in the political landscape of the state. After a contested election resulted in the removal of former Rep. Bo Eaton, a Democrat from …
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City & County
City Leaders at a Loss over Water, Sewer Revenue Loss
The water- and sewer-revenue deficit has a few possible sources, but even Jackson City Council members are having a difficult time parsing out the how and why.
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Education
Could an After-school Network Solve Mississippi’s Education ‘Crisis’?
Proponents say high-quality after-school programs are one solution to Mississippi's ongoing education problems, including some of the lowest scores on national tests, and Operation Shoestring's data seems to support their …
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Business
Charlotte, Baton Rouge Airports Lessons for Jackson’s ‘Takeover’
The Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport is not the only municipal air-traffic hub looking down the barrel of a state-sanctioned reorganization of its governing board.
Story
Biz Roundup
Women Doing Business, Bonfire Lodge, Fuse.Cloud, East Village Estates and Pro Bono Service Award
Connie Michael, the owner of Colorful Creations Printing, will host the third annual Power Conference: Women Doing Business, which takes place Saturday, May 7, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. …
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Film
Melanie Addington
When Gov. Phil Bryant signed the controversial "Religious Freedom Bill," HB 1523, into law Tuesday, April 5, many individuals, organizations and businesses made their objections to the bill known. For …
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City & County
Siemens Rep: Water Billing Glitches Result of Backed-up 'TO-DOs'
Siemens representative Frank D. Gagliardi spent most of his presentation to the Jackson City Council's Budget Committee Monday scribbling notes in the margins of the paper on the podium before …
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No Confirmed Measles Cases in Mississippi; Health Dept. Takes Precautions
By adreherBelow is a press release from the Mississippi Department of Health, with an update on the measles outbreak in Shelby County, Tennessee and Mississippians affected by the outbreak:
The Mississippi Department of Health is monitoring four unimmunized Mississippi residents who were exposed to measles in Shelby County, Tennessee. The Shelby County measles outbreak began in early April 2016.
While no cases have been confirmed in Mississippi, MSDH is monitoring these exposed individuals closely. They are under home quarantine and the supervision of a physician. State Epidemiologist Dr. Thomas Dobbs says this is why getting and remaining up to date on vaccinations is critically important.
“Measles is literally knocking at our back door. This is a highly contagious, airborne disease and is easily spread from person to person. Unvaccinated individuals are highly susceptible to infection. This is a potentially deadly virus; infants and those with weakened immune systems are most at risk.”
The MSDH is strongly recommending that Mississippi children 12 months of age or older who are behind on measles vaccination call their primary healthcare provider immediately.
As of yesterday, Tennessee reported six confirmed cases. The Shelby County Health Department has a website listing location sites and times where infected individuals may have exposed others. Mississippi residents who have recently traveled to the area can go to http://www.schdresponse.com/content/measlesoutbreak for more information and instructions. People can get sick up to 21 days after exposure to measles.
Mississippi residents with possible exposure should call his or her medical provider immediately if they develop fever or rash within 21 days. Symptoms of measles include a high fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, and a rash.
Mississippi healthcare providers have been made aware of the situation; measles is a Class One reportable condition requiring notification to MSDH within 24 hours. The MSDH is working closely with health partners in Memphis and Tennessee to maintain awareness of this evolving outbreak.
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City & County
Stokes Wants Gun Discharges in City to Bring Increased Jail Time, Larger Fines
Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes will introduce an ordinance to make discharging a weapon within the city limits punishable by jail time and mandatory fines tomorrow during the regular meeting …
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LGBT
Hundreds Rally to Repeal HB 1523, State Faces Deadline Today Before Lawsuit
Hundreds of protesters, from around Mississippi and even out of the state, marched alongside several state lawmakers from the Capitol to the governor's mansion on Sunday afternoon, waving flags and …
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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.
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Zoo Blues Goes Forward Despite the Weather
By Todd StaufferDespite overcast skies, Zoo Blues appears to be getting a reprieve and the folks at the Jackson Zoo say the show will go on.
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Laremy Tunsil's Scandals Take Over First Round of the NFL Draft
By bryanflynnHere's a quick rundown of what happened during the first round of the NFL Draft: The Los Angeles Rams made University of California quarterback Jared Goff the No. 1 overall pick, and the Philadelphia Eagles took Carson Wentz, a quarterback out of North Dakota State University, making him the No. 2 pick.
After Goff and Wentz went in the draft, all eyes fell on University of Mississippi offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil. In fact, it was a terrible night for Tunsil and got worse as the night went along.
Shortly before the draft started, a video on Tunsil’s Twitter account, which was hacked, showed someone who was wearing a gas mask. later confirmed to be Tunsil, taking hits from a bong. It didn’t take long for the video to go viral and for ESPN and NFL Network to begin discussing it and what it would mean for him.
Before the draft, Tunsil was considered to be one of the top players in the draft, and many thought he would be the first player to hear his name called. After the video got out, he began to fall down as reports came out that teams had taken Tunsil off their draft board.
Instead of being the first tackle picked, Tunsil watched as the Baltimore Ravens drafted Ronnie Stanley out the University of Notre Dame in the sixth pick, and the Tennessee Titans drafted Jack Conklin out of Michigan State University in the eighth pick.
The Miami Dolphins finally stopped Tunsil’s drop by taking him with the 13th pick. Tunsil was supposed to be a top-five pick, but he didn’t even go in the top 10.
The first reports said that the video of Tunsil was five years old, but then it changed to two years old. But it didn’t matter when the video was taken. The damage was done, and it cost him millions.
The top pick in the draft will sign for about $28.5 million, and the fifth will sign for about $24 million. Falling all the way down to the 13th pick means Tunsil will sign for about $13 million.
The video cost him $10 to $15 million in salary in his first contract.
But his bad night wasn’t over. After the Dolphins selected him, a post on his Instagram account showed the offensive tackle asking a coach for money.
That post came up during his first press conference.
The money reports said he did it to pay bills and rent. Tunsil already had to sit out games last season for the Rebels due to receiving improper benefits. The day before the draft, reports surfaced that his stepfather, Lindsey Miller, filed a lawsuit against the offensive tackle …
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Politics
Sanders, Gibbs Join Green in Seeking District 72 Seat Campbell Is Vacating
Corinthian Sanders and Debra Hendricks Gibbs are running for the Mississippi House seat in District 72, which Rep. Kimberly Campbell is leaving.
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Body+Soul
Reflections on Islamic Heritage Month
The Islamic Heritage Festival is Saturday, April 30.
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City & County
Couple Hosts Islamic Heritage Festival in MMA's Art Garden Saturday
The International Museum of Muslim Cultures hosted its first Islamic heritage celebration this month after Mayor Tony Yarber proclaimed in March that April would serve as Islamic Heritage Month.
