Jackson Free Press

Judge: Women Can Get Abortion Pill Without Doctor Visits

A federal judge agreed Monday to suspend a rule that requires women during the COVID-19 pandemic to visit a hospital, clinic or medical office to obtain an abortion pill.

State Commission Seeks Flag Design Submissions

House Bill 1796 established a commission to redesign the Mississippi State Flag. The Mississippi Department of Archives and History, which is providing clerical support for the commission, is now accepting …

Elective Surgeries End Statewide, 13 Counties Under Stronger COVID Restrictions

The rampant spread of coronavirus across Mississippi has finally triggered new restrictions from Gov. Tate Reeves for the 13 counties with the heaviest spikes in COVID-19 over recent weeks.

9,500 New Infections in 14 Days, Governor Orders Tighter Restrictions Including Jackson Metro

With 797 Mississippi residents testing positive for COVID-19 on Friday, the state's total stands at 35,419 since testing began. The past two weeks have averaged 680 cases per day, much …

Governor Reeves Issues Additional Social Distancing Measures for 13 Counties

Governor Tate Reeves has announced additional social distancing measures for thirteen counties identified as hotspots within our state to limit transmission around the communities and protect the health of all …

Gov. Reeves Vetoes Parole Reform Bill

Parole reform in Mississippi hit a brick wall this week, with Gov. Tate Reeves vetoing the bipartisan legislation that would have provided more, and earlier, opportunities for parole hearings in …

City Buying 100,000 Masks Due to COVID-19, Debates Gerrymandering

To help slow the spread of COVID-19 in Jackson and enable the citizens to do their part, the Jackson City council on Tuesday authorized Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba to purchase …

Family, Life’s Most Powerful Siren Song

A passion for music may have led Dawn Dixon across the Atlantic Ocean for a time, but her love for her family brought her back to her southern roots.

Dice Rolls and Tokens and Cards, Oh My!

Whether your idea of a fun Saturday night entails braving an expedition through Antarctic tundra or gallivanting through a land of fantastical beasts to collect bounties with your adventuring party, …

John Spann, curator of education and programming for the Two Mississippi Museums, admires Medgar Evers’ …

• July 8, 2020

In the Spirit of Medgar: State Flag Came Down the Week Slain Hero Would’ve Turned 95

When the signature of Gov. Tate Reeves put an end to the 126-year reign of the former Mississippi flag with the Confederate emblem on June 30, it was two days …

OPINION: Blackness and Whiteness, To Whom the Story of America Concerns

James Baldwin said "the story of the in America is the story of America. It is not a pretty story." This ugly, brutal, and festering story is the truth that …

EDITOR'S NOTE: Tate Reeves Needs to Stop Making Excuses, Start Leading

"Gov. Tate Reeves is spinning. He is grasping at any straw he thinks can divert attention away from his abysmal leadership during the COVID-19 crisis in Mississippi."

Hinds County Board of Supervisors President Robert Graham told Marshand Boone, that the supervisors would …

• July 7, 2020

Confederate Statue at Raymond Courthouse May Move After Black Citizen Pleads Case to Supervisors

The Confederate statue at the Hinds County Courthouse in Raymond represents racial injustice and should be removed, Marshand Boone told the Hinds County Board of Supervisors Monday. The board, in …

Autopsy: Death of Harvey Hill in Madison County Detention Center Ruled Homicide

The death of 36-year-old Harvey Hill on May 6, 2018, in the Madison County Detention Center was a homicide, the Mississippi State Medical Examiner's Office has determined.

Mississippi Could Drop Jim Crow-Era Statewide Voting Process

Mississippi just ditched its Confederate-themed state flag. Later this year, the state's voters will decide whether to dump a statewide election process that dates to the Jim Crow era.

Mississippi House Speaker Tests Positive for Coronavirus

House Speaker Philip Gunn said Sunday that he had tested positive for the coronavirus as state health officials reported more than 200 new infections and five deaths linked to the …

Averages of COVID-19 infections in Mississippi have risen dramatically in the past two weeks.

• July 4, 2020

July 4th: COVID-19 Cases Top 30,000, Average at Record 683 Per Day

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Mississippi passed 30,000 on Friday, with that day's total at a near-record 990 of reported newly infected Mississippians. Four people died from complications …