Jackson Free Press

The Mayor and His Star Witness

Video still courtesy of WAPT

Christopher "Smiley" Walker was re-arrested Monday by U.S. Marshals for failing a routine urinalysis drug test required by his probation officer. Six days earlier, he had sat beside Mayor Frank …

Melton Moves Halloween

Does anyone know what's going on for Halloween in Jacktown? The last couple of years there's been a pretty big party in Fondren, but I haven't heard anything about it …

Pack Up and Get Out!

Video still courtesy of WAPT-TV 16

What a week. As our last issue went to press, Mayor Frank Melton was in the middle of a tantrum about alleged "Wood Street Gang" associate Vidal Sullivan going free …

Craig Noone's Unfinished Business

People leave unfinished business. Sometimes they just move on to other projects. Or they meet with tragedy, leaving others to complete the unfinished business. It is the living who follow …

Community Events and Public Meetings

Snake Week Creature Feature at Mississippi Museum of Natural Science (2148 Riverside Drive). June 3, June 5 and June 6, 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Enjoy hands-on reptile encounters. $4-$6; …

The Battle Over Schooling

Public-school K-12 education is slated to take a top spot on Mississippi lawmakers’ agendas again this year. Heat notwithstanding, Republicans will probably get their way on both issues.

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How the Maker of TurboTax Fought Free, Simple Tax Filing

Imagine filing your income taxes in five minutes and for free.

As Mississippi Debates Abortion, Maternal Mortality Remains High

In Mississippi, pregnant women already die at higher rates than in most of the country, and the state is near the top in infant mortality.

UPDATED: Gregarious Former Sheriff, Police Chief Malcolm McMillin Dies

The only person to serve as both Hinds County sheriff and Jackson police chief, Malcolm McMillin, died today after a long illness.

Mixed Messages: The JFP Interview with Big K.R.I.T.

Justin Scott, better known as hip-hop artist Big K.R.I.T., says that he has always felt like a bit of an anomaly.

Westward Expansion

West Jackson is full of the kinds of challenges that social-science careers are built on, and the master plan takes all of it into account.

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Driving While Young: Why The City's Curfew Isn't All That

When she got up the morning of July 10, 2003, Leslie Berryhill did not know she was going to face the "scariest thing" of her short life. Leslie, who was …

‘He Was a Good Son’: COVID-19 Amplified Jackson Violence, Inequities for Black Families

Tramaine Green, 26, was the oldest of six siblings, and his mother describes him as very protective of anyone he cared about.

[Kamikaze] Look Inside The Matrix

I had the honor of speaking on a panel recently at Tougaloo College to discuss sexual imagery in hip-hop. It was apropos because my last column spoke to a similar …

Born To Be A Thug

A couple weeks back, culture czar Bill Bennett said crime would go down if all black babies were aborted. A couple months back, a business publication editor in Brandon said …

The Big Lie

The felony trial of Mayor Frank Melton and police detectives Michael Recio and Marcus Wright begins Monday. Although we cannot yet know what defense their lawyers will mount, it seems …

JFP Editor Subpoenaed

Jackson Free Press Managing Editor Brian Johnson was subpoenaed (PDF, 192 KB) by former Mayor Dale Danks, who is an attorney for Mayor Frank Melton, to appear at an April …

The 2009 JFP Interview with John Jones: 21st Century Man

John Jones is probably one of the most scientifically versed candidates to ever run for mayor of Jackson. Jones' resume is longer than some small-town Mississippi phone books, with experience …

New Farish Businesses Open by September

The first block of Jackson's Farish Street Entertainment District will be ready for new occupants by September of this year, Brad "Kamikaze" Franklin announced Tuesday. Franklin, a local musician and …

Rush Limbaugh Arrested on Drug Charges

WAPT is reporting that conservative talk darling Rush Limbaugh has been arrested: