Jackson Free Press

CDC-Backed Jackson State Town Hall Counters Vaccine Apathy, Distrust with Facts

Jackson State University hosted a virtual town hall to clarify COVID-19 vaccine concerns of the capital city’s younger citizens on Tuesday, featuring a panel of experts to dispel rumors and …

Boil-Water Notice Lifted Across Jackson After Electrical Fire Shut Down Plant

The City of Jackson declared municipal water once again safe to drink this morning after an electrical fire erupted at the O.B. Curtis Water Treatment Plant early Friday morning, prompting …

8,000 in Hinds County Still Without Power Since Tuesday Tornado, Storms

Hinds County still had 8,000 power outages as of noon, with more than 1,800 in Madison County and 118 in Rankin County as a result of Tuesday’s tornado and storms.

Mayor Lifts Business Restrictions As COVID-19 Trends Down, Shots Up

Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba lifted restrictions on businesses in the capital city today, via an executive order that removed all restrictions on capacity and operating hours.

‘We Do Not Have A Fuel Shortage,’ State Leaders Say as Feds Provide Help

Pipeline Hack Prompts Long Lines, Panic Buying At Jackson Pumps

Some Jackson fuel stations remain on empty this morning, after news of Friday’s cyber attack on the Colonial Fuel Pipeline prompted drivers from Texas to the Eastern Seaboard to fill …

Southwest Airlines To Resume Flights in Mississippi on June 6, Masks Required

Construction is underway at the Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport in preparation for Southwest Airlines’ return to Mississippi on Sunday, June 6.

Dobbs Warns Of ‘Increasing ICU Numbers’ As Vaccine Now Available To Children

COVID-19 transmission has trended downward over the past several months as vaccination rates steadily increase, but officials from the Mississippi Department of Health say continuing this trend is not a …

Medicaid Initiative Suspended As Ballot Initiative Decision Effects Cascade

Healthcare for Mississippi, the nonprofit behind Ballot Initiative 76, has suspended its campaign, Yes on 76, to bring the vote for Medicaid expansion to a vote next year in light …

Low Water Pressure, Boil-Water Notice Remain for Thousands in South Jackson

Thousands of south Jackson and Byram residents remain without safe drinking water today, six days after two well systems in the area suffered failures.

Jackson State Providing Free Vaccines For Students, Community Members

A Jackson State University program is currently offering Pfizer and Moderna vaccinations to eligible students and Jackson residents.

Additional COVID-19 Variant Cases Reported In Mississippi

Mississippi saw 10 new cases of COVID-19 variant B.1.351, commonly known as the South African variant, in outbreaks among long-term care facilities this week.

Initiative Process Rests in Governor’s Hands

The deadline for Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson to petition the state Supreme Court for a rehearing regarding a popular voter-mandated medical marijuana program has come and gone.

CDC Investigating Possible Link Between Vaccines, ‘Exceedingly Rare’ Myocarditis

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are investigating whether an uptick in heart inflammation across the United States might be related to COVID-19 vaccinations, after reviewing data from the …

Dobbs Say ‘We Need To Do Better’ on Vaccine, Reaching Latinx Communities

State Health Officer Thomas Dobbs has decried vaccine hesitancy and urged vaccination for those who qualify. He joined an online panel on June 7, 2021, to speak about progress the …

Vaccine Hesitancy ‘Pitiful,’ Dobbs Says As Hospitalizations Up for Under-40 Residents

COVID-19 hospitalizations among younger Mississippians have increased in recent weeks, due to low vaccination rates compared with the state’s older population.

Reeves Supports Special Session To Reimplement Medical Marijuana

The question surrounding the reinstatement of Mississippi’s medical marijuana program may be drawing closer to an answer this week, after Gov. Tate Reeves announced his support for a legislative special …

First Lady Jill Biden To Visit Jackson, Promote Vaccine Outreach

First Lady Jill Biden is on a tour across the south, along with other members of President Joe Biden’s administration, to promote vaccine awareness and outreach.

New Tool Helping Identify Vaccine Deserts Across Mississippi As Variants Loom

The Mississippi State Department of Health plans to open up more relevant pop-up COVID-19 vaccination sites in coming weeks with the aid of a newly launched tool called the “Vaccine …

COVID-19 Delta Variant Spreading Through Central Mississippi

The more infectious Delta variant of COVID-19 may have been spreading throughout the state for weeks now, with Mississippi health officials seeing central Mississippi as a potential hotspot.

Delta Variant Now Dominant Strain In Mississippi, Focused in Hinds, Madison, Rankin

The more contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 is now the dominant strain in Mississippi, leaving unvaccinated Mississippians at higher risk of contracting the virus.