Jackson Free Press

Coming On Home

Expatriates return, work for change

Four years ago this week I was languishing at a picnic table in front of tent No. 11 in an area called Boy's Town in the majestic Yosemite Valley. I …

JFP 2014 College Football Preview: Bryan Flynn's Sophisticated Wild-Ass Guesses

Jackson State University, Mississippi State University, the University of Mississippi and the University of Southern Mississippi—the state's "Big Four"—have one common goal this season—reaching new heights.

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May 14 Mayoral Debate at JSU: Crisler v. Johnson

Send your questions now for the May 14 mayoral debate between Democratic nominees Councilman Marshand Crisler and former Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. at the Rose McCoy Auditorium on the Jackson …

Tattoo and Nail Shops ‘Undesirable' in ‘Burbs

In their zeal to protect their growing cities, aldermen in Ridgeland and Flowood have banned "undesirable" businesses, ranging from pawnshops and payday lenders to tattoo parlors and nail salons.

Black Women Weigh Hyde-Smith's Win, Say Not 'Senator for All'

While Cindy Hyde-Smith made history as the first woman from Mississippi elected to Congress, it is hard for some black women to celebrate strictly on the basis of gender.

Melton, Resolve to Be Mayor

The recent dust-up over the Jackson Public School Board is yet another reminder that Mayor Frank Melton remains focused on petty political maneuvering at the expense of a business-like approach …

Frank's World

We're living through one of the worst D-movies one could imagine. In fact, this flick likely wouldn't get made in the first place because no one would buy it. Roll …

Bush's Version of Iraq Ignores Facts

Mark Seibel, the head of international coverage for McClatchy news service, published a detailed piece this weekend dissecting how the Bush administration—especially Bush, Secretary of State Condaleeza Rice and National …

2009 JFP Interview with Frank Melton, Part I: Health

The day after Mayor Frank Melton got a reprieve from prison due to a hung jury, he held a brief press conference in City Hall to talk about his plans …

The JFP Interview with ‘Mark Twain'

Typical Twain, and a response Hal Holbrook wouldn't hesitate to use if someone questioned his costume. Holbrook performs in an iconic white suit, his cigar used to great effect to …

Jackson's Young Influentials 2005

by Skyla Dawn Luckey, Ayana Taylor, Brett Potter, Catherine Womack, Natalie Irby, Robert Williamson, Jessica Kinnison, and Randy Perkins

Sex Shop Goes Up In Flames

This takes care of one of Melton's issues.

Gannett Plans to Shrink Dailies; Target Older Folks

Interesting poop about the Gannett Co.'s plans for its daily newspapers. (Remember that Gannett owns The Clarion-Ledger.) It seems that they plan to shift their strategy from producing print newspapers …

‘We Failed Him’: Caught in the Revolving Door of Juvenile Detention

Yvette Mason hopes that telling her son Charles McDonald's story will prevent others from experiencing her pain by highlighting the lack of resources available to families of troubled youth in …

[Greggs] No, Are You OK?

As some of you know, I've been a social worker in this great state for about eight years now. Just don't tell that to the men I date. They'd have …

Judge Yerger: A ‘Racist' Sentence?

Johnathan Jones walked back into Pops Around the Corner on Dec. 28, 2005, after leaving earlier to go home to Brandon. He told the bartender that "some n*gger" had thrown …

[Queen] Leave to Live

At the beginning of the relationship, everything was fine. Not long after, he started changing. He often seemed angry, like he hated me. I think he changed his mind about …

Good Times with Recio & the Gang

Michael Recio was big and hulking and provided decent cover for a reporter who wasn't used to walking up to people's homes unannounced in the middle of the night. I …

Living in the Shadow of AIDS

Photos by Ronni Mott

The two-story wood house, white with red trim, sits squarely on a corner lot in Jackson. The grass on the lawn is January brown, the same as in the other …

Crossing the Line?

Madison and Rankin cops are angering both drivers of color and white business owners. Are they going too far?