Jackson Free Press

Mississippi Reckons With Ending Pay Boost for the Unemployed

Katrina Folks says she has tried everything she can think of to find work since losing her job in September because of the coronavirus pandemic.

COVID-19 Exacerbates Mental Health Challenges, Mayor Says

While proclaiming May as Mental Health Awareness Month in the City of Jackson, Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba said that the COVID-19 pandemic has mental-health implications for the capital city’s population.

Activists Demand Answers After Black Baby Killed in Shootout

Officials have not yet said who is responsible for the shot that killed a 3-month-old baby when his father died in a shootout with police on a highway last week …

Mayor Floats Guaranteed Income as Leaders Gather to Find Crime Solutions

A guaranteed income, a youth center, a focus on mental health and better engagement with federal help are some of the ideas that emerged from a recent special Jackson City …

‘Rebel’ Businessman Dumps Suburban Waste into Jackson Sewage System

Andrew Walker, 71, may find himself in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring with others to wrongfully discharge 3 million gallons of industrial waste between December 2016 and October 2017 …

EDITOR'S NOTE: Systemic Racism Created Jackson’s Violence; More Policing Cannot Stop It

"You don't destroy hope and safety of generations of young people with threats of being burned at a stake for flirting, with the state's largest newspaper announcing it in advance …

CDC-Backed Jackson State Town Hall Counters Vaccine Apathy, Distrust with Facts

Jackson State University hosted a virtual town hall to clarify COVID-19 vaccine concerns of the capital city’s younger citizens on Tuesday, featuring a panel of experts to dispel rumors and …

Kylie Hogue

Kylie Hogue, a lifelong Brandon resident, has been working as a horse trainer at Strong River Equine in Brandon since 2020. The facility offers consignment horse sales and horse boarding …

Analysis: Watchdog Gives Bleak Report on Mississippi Prisons

Bloody clashes that brought Mississippi's prison system under federal scrutiny last year were part of a dramatic increase in reported cases of violence behind bars.

Letter to Biden Says ‘Trump’s Racist Raid’ Caused Damage to Immigrants, He Must Reverse

A letter to President Joe Biden is demanding action to address the plight of immigrant workers in the wake of the August 2019 federal raid of food-processing plants in six …

JSU Truth Initiative Partnership, USM Virtual MLK Prayer Breakfast and MSU Virtual Twelfth Night Performances

Jackson State University is one of 10 HBCUs partnering with Truth Initiative as part of a national movement to address smoking, vaping and nicotine use at college campuses nationwide.

Ronni Mott's journalism and storytelling defined her—and none more than her work on physically and …

• March 17, 2021

Rest in Peace, Ronni Mott: Your Journalism Saved Lives. This I Know.

Ronni Mott's journalism and storytelling defined her—especially her work on physically and sexually abused, tortured, stalked and murdered women in Mississippi.

The Shopkeep Co.’s Orange Raven Welcomes New Patrons

Hallie Harris, an artist who long dreamed of opening her own store, made that dream a reality when she opened The Shopkeep Co. in downtown Jackson in October 2020.

Capitol Police Could Gain Extradition Power Inside Jackson Under Divisive Bill

Mississippi Capitol Police are set to gain lead jurisdiction in parts of Jackson, as well as the ability to eject those it arrests on misdemeanor charges out of Hinds County, …

Violence Experts: Mayor's Youth Curfew Order May Prove Counterproductive

Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba imposed a five-day curfew order for those under age 18 from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. due to rising crime in the capital city.

Best of Jackson 2021: Food and Drink

There's nothing to us more local than Best of Jackson. We're officially in our 19th annual award season. Here is who you voted as the best local people, places, food …

Best of Jackson 2021: Nightlife and Music

There's nothing to us more local than Best of Jackson. We're officially in our 19th annual award season. Here is who you voted as the best local people, places, food …

District Attorney Owens: Hinds County Diverted 300 From Criminal Justice

Three hundred first-time non-violent offenders went through a diversion program last year in Hinds County in exchange for dropped charges, District Attorney Jody Owens said at a press conference Tuesday.

EDITORIAL: Elected Leaders of the Mississippi 'Sedition Caucus' Must Recant or Resign

Mississippi and the nation must hold U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Reps. Trent Kelly, Steven Palazzo and Michael Guest accountable for their complicity in the lies that Donald Trump has …