Jackson Free Press

Best Of Jackson 2012: Urban Living

<b>Best Annual Event, Best Outdoor Event: Mal's St. Paddy's Parade

Downtown Jackson, 601-948-0888, http://www.halandmals.com/Parade.html

Best Of Jackson 2012: Food & Drink

<b>Best Chef: Craig Noone</b>

Parlor Market (115 W. Capitol St., 601-360-0090, http://www.parlormarket.com)

Best Of Jackson 2012: Music & Nightlife

<b>Best Bar, Best Bar Where Everyone Knows Your Name, Best Open-Mic Night: Fenian's Pub

901 E. Fortification St., 601-948-0055, http://www.fenianspub.com

Best Of Jackson 2012: Beyond Jackson

Best Casino Hotel, Best Casino for Shows: Beau Rivage

875 Beach Blvd., Biloxi, 888-567-6667, 228-386-7111, http://www.beaurivage.com

Beneta Burt: Proof in Experience

Beneta Burt stays so busy as executive director of the Jackson Roadmap to Health Equity Project that she didn't think she would have time to run for City Council. After …

‘The Matchmaker'

Avi Nesher's "The Matchmaker" is a gold-dusted fable of love, friendship and everlasting hope. The movie opens at the end of the story, in war-torn Haifa, Israel, where Lebanese missiles …

Kristen Ley

Wearing white, paint-splattered pants and a French beret and holding a painting palette, 5-year-old Kristen Ley decided she wanted to be an artist. Her mom had dressed her up as …

How much have wages changed for Mississippians in the past decade?

This morning, the Mississippi Economic Policy Center released a report on the State of Working Mississippi in 2012, showing how wages, education levels and other factors have changed in Mississippi's …

Charter Schools on the Way?

While new legislation is just now beginning to roll out at the state capitol, education advocates and lawmakers are talking about potential bills to lower the requirements for traditional public …

Pardongate's Fancy Lawyer Tricks

Much like the Haley Barbour pardons that caused a firestorm in Mississippi and around the country, lawyers for many of those who received clemency deluged the Mississippi attorney general and …

Rep. Moak Responds to Bryant SOTS

Democratic Response to State of the State

State Rep. Bobby Moak, of Bogue Chitto, gave the Democratic response to Gov. Phil Bryant's state-of-the-state speech. Here's the text of Moak's remarks:

Bryant Makes 1st State of State (Full Text)

Governor Phil Bryant

Gov. Phil Bryant delivered his state-of-the-state address this evening at the Captiol. Supporters and admirers heralded the speech as the first in the Mississippi history to take place outdoors.

Zero Tolerance for Children

Nsombi Lambright, executive director of ACLU Mississippi, doesn't bother going to her son's school anymore for lunch. She tried it as a way to connect with him, offer support for …

NOAA: 2011 Saw U.S. ‘Climate Extremes'

It was very hot last year. In fact, 2011 broke records for climate extremes, as the U.S. battled historic levels of heat, precipitation, flooding and severe weather, according to scientists …

Laurel Isbister Irby

Laurel Isbister Irby released her sophomore album, "Nautilus," Jan. 21 at the Commons at Eudora Welty's Birthplace. "It's something for the creative community of Jackson," Isbister Irby said. "Jackson has …

Community Events and Public Meetings

Free Income Tax Return Preparation Jan. 23-24, at Jackson State University (1400 John R. Lynch St.), at the College of Business, rooms 201 and 202. The Center for Business Development …

Barbour Pardons Helped Many More White People Than Black Ones

I'm sure this will come as a surprise to no one, but it's official: Haley Barbour's last-minute pardons overwhelmingly benefitted whites. A Reuters team, including stringer and JFP political freelancer …

AFC & NFC Championship Games: Preview and Predictions

MSU Seeks Diversity

Mississippi State University wants to increase diversity in its faculty, students and alumni. While the school has added more blacks and more women leaders, at least one administrator recognizes that …

Jarvis Summers

Ole Miss was on a three-game losing streak to Mississippi State at home in C. M. "Tad" Smith Coliseum. The Rebels were on a six-game losing streak overall to their …