All results / Stories / Arielle Dreher
Justice
Attorney: Walnut Grove Prison Invested in 'Wrong Things,' State Punishes 'Unjustly'
An attorney for the organization that helped get juveniles out of the Walnut Grove prison is happy that it is closing, and wants the State of Mississippi to invest in …
Education
House Speaker: MAEP Has ‘Failed’
"Antiquated, confusing, inefficient, unreliable, unpredictable. What do these words describe?" House Speaker Philip Gunn said at the annual Hob Nob on Oct. 27. "They describe the Mississippi Adequate Education Program …
Education
State Superintendent: Take Test Results Seriously
Mississippi's second round of testing for third through eighth graders left room for improvement and growth, top state education officials said.
Health Care
Politicking Over Mental-Health Care at Neshoba County Fair
The words "mental health" may never been used more in a handful of minutes than they were Wednesday at the Neshoba County Fair.
Health Care
Poll: Majority in State Support Medicaid Expansion, But the Legislature Doesn't
Despite the Mississippi Legislature's inaction with Medicaid expansion this session, a new poll shows that more than 50 percent of Mississippians support expanding Medicaid, which could provide health-care coverage to …
Education
Reeves, Gunn Refuse to Reveal Emails About Initiatives 42 and 42-A
Officials with the public-school advocacy group Better Schools, Better Jobs are exploring their options after top lawmakers denied the group's public-records request for emails.
Education
School Official Wants Probe of Anti-42 Emails
Although legislative opponents to school-funding ballot Initiative 42 have been threatening deep cuts to state agencies—and therefore state jobs—for months, a new front has opened up in the battle for …
Education
Early Learning, Third-Grade Gate and Vouchers: A Legislative Education Update
Carey Wright, the state superintendent of education, addressed House Education Committee members last week at the Capitol about progress on education initiatives as well as room for growth and improvement.
Politics
Arts Commission Facing Drastic Overhaul, With Gov. Bryant's Support
The Mississippi Legislature could abolish the state's art commission this year, with two bills still alive in both the House of Representatives and the Senate that would roll it under …
Education
Governor Pushes Vouchers, Praises Trump in 'State of the State'
The governor made sure to mention President Donald Trump's visit to Jackson in his "State of the State" address on Tuesday, Jan. 9.
Civil Rights
'Yes, Dr. King, How Can I Help You?': Black Rights Leaders Recall MLK
Flonzie Brown-Wright, Charles McLaurin and James Meredith spoke at the 2 Mississippi Museums on Wednesday to commemorate the 50th anniversary of King's death and reflect on how his work affected …
Economy
WalletHub Study: Mississippi Has 'Worst State Economy,' ALEC Says Economic Outlook Hopeful
Few people are moving to Mississippi—at least not enough to make a significant dent in a bar graph. The latest issue of "Mississippi's Business" says that in 2015, the state's …
Business
Jackson Airport Lawsuit Weakened, But Still On
The legal fight over who controls the Jackson airport continues outside the courtroom for now after U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves dismissed three of the city of Jackson's initial claims …
Politics
'Spoiled' Criminal Justice Reform Bill Dies After Governor's Veto
Individuals would not be locked up for being financially unable to pay fines, and nonviolent offenders could get parole sooner under a bipartisan bill both the House and the Senate …
Politics
Legislator Funded by Koch Brothers, Big Money Tells Citizen to Leave State
A freshman legislator who won his seat with the help of the banking and real-estate industries, as well as Koch Industries and Empower Mississippi, this week told a concerned citizen …
Cover
Where Mississippi's U.S. Lawmakers Stand on Gun Laws, Rights
In the wake of the Las Vegas massacre, the Jackson Free Press assembled details on the gun-related legislation that Mississippi lawmakers in Washington have supported or co-sponsored, as well as …
Health Care
Rural Hospitals in Financial Crunch
Work can get personal for State Auditor Stacey Pickering. With the release of a new study of the state's 19 public rural hospitals, Pickering reflected on almost losing his father …
Education
House Votes to Scrap MAEP, Rewrite Ed Formula By 12-Vote Margin
After four hours of debate and 17 rejected Democratic amendments, the Mississippi House of Representatives voted mainly along partisan lines to scrap the Mississippi Adequate Education Program in favor of …
Education
Judge: Charter School Funding Constitutional
Mississippi's charter-school law does not violate the state's Constitution, Hinds County Chancery Court Judge Dewayne Thomas ruled almost a year after getting the case.
City & County
The Edison Walthall Rises Again
The Edison Walthall Hotel is the place of legends, bar fights between powerful men and lots of stories its walls could tell, but it has sat empty now since it …
