Jackson Free Press

Legislative Summer School: All About Performance

The Mississippi Department of Corrections is ending a paramilitary inmate program due to a state law and legislative efforts to enforce performance-based budgeting for all state agencies.

‘Landmark’: ‘Coolest, Sexiest Building in Mississippi’?

Ben Allen, president of Downtown Jackson Partners, said that the development of the Landmark building was crucial to downtown, not just for residential space but for its financial independence from …

Tort Reform, Sexual Assault Prevention and Fantasy Sports Bills Move Forward

"Tort reform" rose from the past at the state Capitol last week as lawyers in the House of Representatives battled it out over a short, seemingly inconsequential bill, House Bill …

Bracing for Budget Cuts, Sparing Ed Funds

Impending and deep budget cuts have tainted many-a-committee comment and shadowed several debates this legislative session. With less than two weeks left until lawmakers leave Jackson, they must sign off …

Uber May Leave Under New Regs

Uber has been operating in Jackson for a just under a year, but the company said the prospects of continuing to do business in the capital city are bleak if …

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia Dead at 79

The U.S. Marshals Service in Washington confirmed Scalia's death at a private residence in the Big Bend area of West Texas. Spokeswoman Donna Sellers said Scalia had retired the previous …

44 Killed in Gaza; Israeli Soldier Feared Captured

A Gaza cease-fire quickly unraveled Friday as violence erupted in a southern town in the war-ravaged strip, killing at least 44 Palestinians. The Israeli military said two soldiers were killed …

N.U.T.S. is Moving, New Restaurants and eTech Conference Coming

N.U.T.S. (Neat Used Things for Sale) in Fondren (3011 N. State St.) is moving from its location next to Campbell's Bakery by the end of the week. In order to …

Body-Camera Maker Has Financial Ties to Police Chiefs

Taser International, the stun-gun maker emerging as a leading supplier of body cameras for police, has cultivated financial ties to police chiefs whose departments have bought the recording devices, raising …

Fuller: ‘Progressive, Sustainable Change’

Henry Fuller recently talked to the Jackson Free Press about stepping out from the behind the scenes to serve on the Hinds County Board of Supervisors.

Cramming for Common Core

This fall, McComb's teachers began the mammoth task of preparing students for new tests based on the Common Core State Standards adopted by more than 40 states, including Mississippi.

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GOP Opponent Scared to Debate, Dem House Rival Charges

As a debate over the absence of debates roils Mississippi's U.S. Senate races, a candidate for the U.S. House wants to know why his Republican opponent will not debate him.

Baria Proud of Progressive Effort; Wicker Headed Back to Washington Again

Mississippi Democratic House Minority Leader David Baria's chances to unseat incumbent U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker came to an end at just after 8 p.m. on election night—an hour after Mississippi …

Jackson Singled Out for Bond ‘Lobbying'

The Mississippi Legislature singled out Jackson as the only municipality that needed to submit an application to and lobby the state Bond Commission in order to receive a loan that …

The Art of Body

If each person had a home-appliance persona, Erin Hayne and Nuno Gonçalves Ferreira would both be space heaters. They radiate warmth.

Cochran and Lott: Sign On Now

In the wake of the Edgar Ray Killen trial and the media spotlight on Mississippi, another tumult over race and politics boiled to the surface last week when the U.S. …

A Political Family: Melvin Priester Jr.

Attorney Melvin Priester Jr. first dove into politics when he helped manage his father's campaign for Hinds County Court Judge in 2010.

As School Looms, Confusion Reigns

Erica Lowell waits for her students to return, and her anxiety waits with her. She is a public-school teacher in Rankin County, speaking to the Jackson Free Press under a …

#MSELEX: Reeves Says Hood's Mental Health Focus Distracts from Issues; Dems in NOLA

Mississippi Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves is pushing back against accusations that his leadership helped set the conditions for Mississippi's mental-health crisis.

‘They Want a Roe Test Case’: 15-Week Abortion Ban Moving Forward

For eight months, the nation's toughest abortion bill hung in limbo. The 2018 Mississippi Legislature sent the Gestational Age Act, called HB 1510, to Gov. Phil Bryant, who signed it …