Story
Person of the Day
Ontario Harper
It took a long time for Ontario Harper to get his love of basketball back. The former Mississippi State University athlete was one of the top players in the state …
Story
National
GOP Divided as Supreme Court Ruling on Health Care Law Nears
Sen. Ron Johnson was elected to Congress in 2010 as an adamant foe of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. Yet facing a Supreme Court decision that could disrupt how …
Story
Baltimore Police Hand Report on Gray Death to Prosecutor
Baltimore police have completed their investigation into the death of Freddie Gray and turned over their findings to prosecutors — one day earlier than the department's self-imposed deadline, the commissioner …
Story
Thousands in Other Cities Protest Death of Baltimore Man
Thousands of people hit the streets in Baltimore and several other cities, from Boston and New York to Indianapolis and Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to protest the death of a …
Story
US Now Sees Russia Directing Ukraine's Rebels
American officials briefed on intelligence from the region say Russia has significantly deepened its command and control of the militants in eastern Ukraine in recent months, leading the U.S. to …
Story
More Women and Children Freed in Nigeria from Extremists
A day after the Nigerian army celebrated the rescue of 200 girls and 93 women in the forest stronghold of Boko Haram, the army's spokesman said more women and children …
Story
Baltimore Officials: No Immediate Decision in Gray Case
Having weathered two all-night curfews with no major disturbances, Baltimore officials are now trying to manage growing expectations they will immediately decide whether to prosecute six police officers involved in …
Entry
Yarber Still Beating Emergency Declaration Horse, PR Campaign
By R.L. NaveMayor Tony Yarber may have lost the battle with the Jackson City Council over his desire to issue a infrastructure emergency proclamation, but he's not giving up the public-relations fight.
This morning, the mayor's communications office sent out a press release touting a mention of the of the strategy on the website of Next City (formerly Next American City). The story, posted today, looks at quick-fix infrastructure strategies in Jackson and San Diego.
"The article cites the Mayor’s emergency declaration and San Diego’s proposal to prioritize maintenance investment, saying the strategies of both cities 'resonate,'" the press from Yarber's office states.
The story also called Yarber's strategy "more than a little unusual" and agrees with the city council's reluctance to go balls-to-the-wall with a declaration that, according to Yarber, could involve a relaxation of procurement protocols.
"Probably, he’s right to be cautious," writes Next City's Rachel Dovey, referring to Ward 6 Councilman Tyrone Hendrix. "Procurement laws vary state to state, even city to city, and though they tend to be a bureaucratic headache, they often provide some public safeguards in dealing with private industry."
Last week, the city council declined to approve a new declaration, even though Yarber said it didn't matter one way or the other because the city was going to go to work anyway.
Yarber did say then that having the council's imprimatur on his declaration would help the city get into rooms with state and federal influence-makers with whom the city might not otherwise have an audience.
He added that in issuing the declaration his administration had "changed the paradigm" and kicked off a national conversation on what constitutes an emergency. It's apparent that the Yarber believes the Next City article is part of that conversation.
As his news release points out:L "According to its website, 'Next City' provides daily online coverage of the leaders, policies and innovations driving progress in metropolitan regions across the world.”
The world is watching indeed.
http://jacksonfreepress.com/users/photos/2015/apr/29/21249/
Story
Books
More to the Story
When many people think of comic books, they may think of crime fighting, flapping capes and spandex. When they think of comic-book readers, the image isn't complimentary.
Story
Politics
Trouble in Mississippi
Look at Mississippi under Republican grass-eater rule in both the governor's mansion and state Legislature. A lopsided tax system that favors corporations and the rich has contributed to one of …
Story
Politics
Charles Graham: Hoping for Balance
The Jackson Free Press talked to Charles E. Graham about his vision for the office of secretary of state on one of his days off the campaign trail.
Place
LD's Beer Run
From Facebook: We sell beer. Lots of beer. Craft brews, macro beers, craft ciders, growlers, kegs, even craft sodas! We are Jackson's Ultimate beer store.
Story
Justice
Why Does the State Still Want to Kill Willie Jerome Manning?
Willie Jerome Manning has been on death row for more than two decades, facing the possibility of execution for two sets of murders that occurred about one month apart.
Story
Australia Wary of Escalating Rift After Indonesia Executions
Australia said it would withdraw its ambassador to Indonesia after two Australians were among eight drug traffickers executed by the Southeast Asian country on Wednesday, but was wary of escalating …
Story
Japan PM to Make Historic Address to Congress, Talk Trade
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will seek support for a trans-Pacific trade pact that has divided U.S. lawmakers as he makes the first address by a Japanese leader to a joint …
Story
Immigrant Removals Continue to Decline Under Obama
The Obama administration is on pace to deport the fewest number of immigrants in nearly a decade, according to internal government data obtained by The Associated Press.
Story
NASA Spacecraft to Impact Planet Mercury on Thursday
NASA's Mercury-orbiting spacecraft, Messenger, is going out with a bang this week, adding a hefty crater to the little planet closest to the sun.
Story
Schools Reopen in Baltimore, Streets Quiet After Curfew
Schools reopened and tensions seemed to ease Wednesday after Baltimore made it through the first night of its curfew without the widespread violence many had feared.
Story
Cover
Amazing Teens 2015
Each year, the JFP highlights some of Jackson's best and brightest teens, and each year, the list grows and grows.
Story
Girl About Town
It’s Complicated
My relationship with the kitchen is a somewhat complicated one. Growing up, I had a really close relationship with my grandfather, who was a bit of a gourmand. Thanks to …
