Jackson Free Press

Highball Lanes, LaCour Kitchen and Bar and BGCCM Youth Basketball League

Highball Lanes, a combination creole restaurant and 10-lane bowling alley with an attached bar in Jackson's Fondren neighborhood, opened for business with limited hours on Wednesday, Jan. 19.

‘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.

Black Mississippi Senators Protest Vote on Race Theory Bill

Black lawmakers walked out in protest Friday and withheld their votes as the Mississippi Senate passed a bill that would ban schools from teaching critical race theory.

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves on Monday signed a bill that redraws the boundaries of the …

• January 24, 2022

Mississippi Governor Signs Bill for Congressional Remap

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves on Monday signed a bill that redraws the boundaries of the state's four congressional districts to account for changes in population.

USM Merit Health Partnership, JSU Carnegie Classification and MSU "Old Main" Documentary

The University of Southern Mississippi’s College of Nursing and Health Professions is partnering with Merit Health Wesley in Hattiesburg to add two of the hospital’s nurses to the University’s clinical …

Mississippi House OKs Bill on Equal Pay for Women and Men

Mississippi employers would be required to pay women and men the same amount of money for the same work, under a bill that passed the state House on Thursday.

Bill Banning Critical Race Theory Goes to Mississippi Senate

A Mississippi Senate committee on Thursday advanced a bill that would ban schools from teaching critical race theory, even though the state superintendent of education has said the theory is …

More Restrictive Medical Marijuana Program Passes House

Mississippi’s beleaguered medical marijuana program moved closer to completion this week, after the Mississippi House of Representatives voted 104-14 to pass a revision of the state Senate’s more restrictive version …

Agents from State Auditor Shad White's office arrested Gregory Sanford, a former emergency manager for …

• January 20, 2022

Former County Official Faces Embezzlement, Fraud Charges

Agents from State Auditor Shad White's office arrested Gregory Sanford, a former emergency manager for Covington County, following his indictment for fraud and embezzlement.

Mississippi's capital is renaming Ellis Avenue to Bobby Rush Boulevard in honor of a Grammy-winning …

• January 19, 2022

Mississippi City Names Street for Blues Artist Bobby Rush

Mississippi's capital is renaming Ellis Avenue to Bobby Rush Boulevard in honor of a Grammy-winning blues singer who lives in the city.

The Mississippi Children's Museum will host its annual "Ignite the Night" fundraiser from 7 p.m. …

• January 19, 2022

Ignite the Night, Junior League Jumble, and Mississippi Gem and Mineral Show

The Mississippi Children's Museum will host its annual "Ignite the Night" fundraiser from 7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 12.

Lost in the ‘Dead Zone’: Thousands Languish in Mississippi Jail Without Lawyers

A jury rendered a not-guilty verdict for Duane Lake, 35, for a capital-murder allegation against him in November 2021. He had been in jail since 2015 and got his freedom …

‘We Back Laughing’: RaDeazy Herrin Drive Brings Comedy to Picayune

After a three-month hiatus, Herrin Drive Entertainment of Picayune, Miss., will host the “We Back Laughing” comedy show on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022, as a means of celebrating the new …

JSU NSF Grant, MSU CYBERCOM Partnership and USM Center for Digital Humanities

The National Science Foundation recently gave Jackson State University political science professor D’Andra Orey a $509,000 multi-year grant for research exploring the intersection of race, exposure to trauma and politics …

Mississippi Supreme Court Extends Emergency COVID-19 Order

An emergency order extending the time for COVID-19 safeguards in all courts and giving judges discretion to postpone jury trials scheduled through Jan. 28 has been issued by Mississippi Supreme …

Medical Marijuana Advances With Mississippi Senate Vote

Mississippi senators voted Thursday to advance a bill that would create a medical marijuana program, sending it to the House for more work.