Jackson Free Press

How to Beat the House

On July 15, the Mississippi Legislature finished up a 90-minute special session in record time and with plenty of smiles. Both the Senate and the House passed similar bills providing …

State Slow to Spend STEPS Hiring Funds

Philadelphia, Miss., business owner William Hegman says the Workforce Investment Network of Mississippi is not properly monitoring its spending of $52 million in federal job placement money.

Tyner Lunges, Barbour Defends

The two personalities on the Republican primary ballot of the gubernatorial race couldn't seem any more different. Tyner, with his innocent gee-whiz demeanor and Boy Scout-ish philosophies, stepped quietly into …

2006: The Year That Was (Nuts)

As we survey the top local news from this past year, we have to take a deep breath and feel a measure of pride. Time after time over the last …

GOP Rhetoric About Hood ‘Corruption' Reprehensible

Todd and I made the mistake of watching the evening news last night. The attack ads were just plain horrifying. The one that disgusted me the most was Al and …

Barbour Calls Special Session on Coast Housing

[verbatim statement] (JACKSON, Mississippi) * Governor Haley Barbour announced today he has called a Special Session of the Mississippi Legislature for Thursday to ask legislators to reduce the cost of …

Killen's Bad Week Worsens

After a Neshoba County jury found Edgar Ray Killen guilty of three counts of manslaughter on June 21 for orchestrating the deaths of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, …

JPS Board Chooses Bond Manager

After a month of legal and procedural battles, the Jackson Public School Board awarded management of $122 million of a $150 million bond to Preferred Management Group and California-based Jacobs …

Bad Deeds Unpunished

January 3, 2007 Hurricane Katrina brought out the best in many Americans, who braved treacherous conditions to help neighbors and who gave generously to help those in need. When it …

[Head] Hazardous Civility

In 2009, I spent 48 minutes on Paul Gallo's SuperTalk radio show. I wanted to persuade Gallo to help me expose the mainstream resurgence of the Council of Conservative Citizens, …

[Purvis] Making a Home, Building a Life

My house on Chickasaw Avenue has been a work in progress since I bought it in 2008. In my mom's opinion, it had three strikes against it: It was an …

Week Two: Budget Woes, Taxes, Photo ID

Legislators came face-to-face with rough times this week with Gov. Haley Barbour calling for $158.3 million in budget reductions for fiscal year 2009.

Facing ‘Generation Debt'

About two and a half years ago--a few months before I graduated college--my grandmother said something I'll never forget: "Just wait; after college, that's when your standard of living really …

Community Events and Public Meetings

Phi Theta Kappa Blood Drive Oct. 4-6, at Hinds Community College, Raymond Campus (501 E. Main St., Raymond). Donate blood in the donor coach parked in front of the Student …

We Are The Street: New Coalition Seeks To Unify The Scene

Four years ago, the rap music magazine Murder Dog did a special on the underground music scene of Jackson. A photo of almost 30 men, all of whom were somehow …

From Outrage to Sadness

The Nov. 8 front page of the online edition of The Clarion-Ledger featured, unsurprisingly, a picture of President-Elect Barack Obama. Plastered above the picture was a headline that, maybe surprisingly, …

Mayor Re-instates, Discredits JPD Promotion Exams

Jackson Mayor Frank Melton announced today that the police department will again administer police officer promotion exams to officers currently serving in acting sergeant and lieutenant positions because the city …

Brunini, Watkins Ludlam to Anchor ‘Two Jackson Place'

Just in from David Watkins:

The Brunini law firm yesterday signed on with Parkway to be one of the anchor tenants in the new "Two Jackson Place" office tower to be built in downtown Jackson. …

Jail Generation: Lost Time, Lost Voice

"I've been working 14 years to keep my sanity, now I'm on vacation," mused J.J. Tennison, speaking in a slow, metered voice. In 1990, Tennison, then 18, and Antoine "Soda …

Mark Your Calendar for Jackson Mayoral Candidate Events

If you're concerned about the issues facing Jackson, your best defense is an informed vote, so don't miss these upcoming mayoral events. The links below will connect you with JFP …