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Music
Steve Deaton Three’s Grand ’70s Tour
Steve Deaton went back to his musical roots for his newest record—roots wrapped around loud car stereos and ZZ Top on an eight-track tape.
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Outside Influence on 42
Anti-Initiative 42 advocates formed KidsFirst and Improve Mississippi, which were all funded, at least in part, through outside organizations and dollars.
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The Demise of Initiative 42
As soon as the Mississippi Legislature proposed an alternative measure to Initiative 42, a citizens' initiative to fully fund the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, its advocates cried foul, saying the …
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Education
Remain Calm and Focus
I want to share some thoughts and insights about the concept of assessment and why we should remain calm and focus as we anxiously await the Partnership for Assessment and …
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City & County
From Jackson to Paris to Fight Climate Change
Six members of Cooperation Jackson lent their voices and efforts to the global fight against climate change at the United Nation's annual climate conference.
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Food
Patti Cake, Patti Cake
The banner for Patti Igoe-Bett's business, MsPattiCakes, features a Charles H. Spurgeon quote: "There is hardship in everything, except eating pancakes."
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City & County
Yarber, Council Disagree on Logjams
In recent weeks, Mayor Tony Yarber and members of the Jackson City Council have clashed over a number of high-dollar contract negotiations, but the key players offer different perspectives on …
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LGBT
‘Not No, But Hell No’: Fighting for Same-Sex Adoption
Roberta Kaplan is challenging the provision in Mississippi adoption law that states, "Adoption by couples of the same gender is prohibited."
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Business
Report: Black Women in Delta Are Resilient But Still Suffering
Access to health care and services makes life for women in the Mississippi Delta difficult.
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Person of the Day
Brad "Kamikaze" Franklin
A lifelong Jackson resident, Brad "Kamikaze" Franklin is dedicating his TEDx Talk to community building and the importance of the city's hip-hop scene in building up Jackson.
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Biz Roundup
TEDxJackson, Blues Marathon, Chamber Celebration and Hope Grant
TEDxJackson is hosting the second "Ideas Worth Spreading" event at the Jackson Convention Complex on Thursday, Nov. 12, from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
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Politics
Bennie Thompson Announces Support for Hillary Clinton
Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi told The Associated Press he has known Clinton since the 1980s, when he was a Hinds County supervisor and she was an attorney in Arkansas. …
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Education
Northwest Rankin High School Complies with Humanist Group, Avoids Lawsuit
Northwest Rankin High School is out of legal trouble after several weeks of back-and-forth with the American Humanist Association.
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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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City & County
Chief Lee Vance: Increase School Funding, Lower Crime
Jackson Police Chief Lee Vance wants more money—not necessarily just for more cops, gear, or squad cars, but for schools.
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Education
State Test Scores Show Progress Against Higher Standards
Mississippi middle- and high-school students are slowly adapting to more rigorous College and Career Ready standards according to state test results released on Thursday.
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LGBT
Mississippi Supreme Court Says Same-Sex Divorce is Legal
The Mississippi Supreme Court has ruled Lauren Czekala-Chatham's divorce legal in concurrence with the ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges.
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Mississippi Supreme Court Rules Same-Sex Divorce Legal
By adreherThe Mississippi Supreme Court has ruled Lauren Czekala-Chatham's divorce legal in concurrence with the ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, the U.S. Supreme Court case that legalized same-sex marriage in June. Czekala-Chatham filed for divorce from her estranged wife in 2013 in Mississippi, and has been waiting for an order from the Mississippi Supreme Court since July when both the state and Czekala-Chatham's lawyer filed entry motions for judgment in the case following the Obergefell decision.
After a four-month silence, the Mississippi Supreme Court has finally ruled, but not without pontificating. Five of the Mississippi Supreme Court justices signed the order in support of granting Czekala-Chatham a divorce. Chief Justice William Waller and Justices Michael Randolph, Ann Lamar, Randy Pierce and David Chandler ordered a short entry of judgment in Czekala-Chatham's favor, reversing the previous DeSoto County Court ruling that said Czekala-Chatham could not get a divorce. Justice Pierce wrote a separate statement in support of the court's order.
Four justices objected to the order, however. Justices Jess Dickinson, Josiah Coleman and Leslie King, however, in three separate written statements, objected to the order, and Justice James Kitchens joined Justice King's statement. The 36-page order and statements are available here.
Czekala-Chatham released the following statement after the court's ruling:
"I'm happy this battle has been won. But the war on discrimination is still on going. I continue to struggle with the negative consequences that being in the public's eye has caused. I will soon be divorce (sic) from my former spouse. And realize there are still road blocks when testing discrimination laws. So much still needs to be addressed. This fight has damaged my life in ways I can't recovered (sic) from. Searching for employment for 18 months has put a mental and a financial strain on me. Any potential employer can google my name and I'm dropped as a potential candidate. You can win the battle but the war on discrimination is very much real."
