All results / Stories / Ward Schaefer
JPD Receives New Cars, Battles Burglaries
The Jackson Police Department will be distributing 53 new marked patrol vehicles to precincts beginning next week, Assistant Chief Lee Vance announced at a command staff meeting this morning, the …
JPS Drops AP Test Aid
A budget shortfall is forcing Jackson Public Schools to scale back its assistance to students taking Advanced Placement tests in May. While the district has previously covered AP exam fees …
A Second Chance
When Hinds County animal-control officers pick up a dog, they take it to a temporary shelter at the county Penal Farm in Raymond. The county shelter houses between 700 and …
Babalu, New Clinic Opens
Babalu Tacos & Tapas opens today in Fondren's Duling Hall. The Mexican and Spanish-inspired restaurant offers gourmet tacos and small dishes, or tapas, with an emphasis on fresh and often …
Ole Miss, Warts and All
An article in today's New York Times deviates a bit from the standard narrative on Ole Miss and the debate. It provides some counterpoint to the several versions of "Look …
Burton: Schimmel Pushed Edwards' Ouster
George Schimmel, member of the Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees, drove the board's consideration of whether to replace Superintendent Lonnie Edwards, said Otha Burton, his fellow board member, today. …
Senate Passes Lower Cigarette Tax Increase
The Mississippi Senate approved a 49 cents per pack cigarette tax yesterday, setting the stage for a compromise with the House, which passed a $1 per pack tax two weeks …
MDE Submits Proposal to Makeover State Schools
On June 1, the Mississippi Department of Education sent a 500-page Race To The Top proposal to radically transform the state's educational system to Washington, D.C. Mississippi's entry in the …
Restaurant Makeover
Belhaven mainstay Keifer's Restaurant is set to move to a new building in late September. Assistant general manager Jeff Stricklin told the Jackson Free Press today that the restaurant is …
Hinds Hires New Administrator; Debates Voting Machines
The Hinds County Board of Supervisors voted today to hire Carmen Davis as its new county administrator. Davis replaces interim Administrator Ray Bryant, who had held the position since March.
Ex-Hinds Official Defends Radio Purchase
Larry Fisher, former emergency operations director for Hinds County, defended the city of Clinton's purchase of 19 emergency radios today, challenging the claim by Board of Supervisors President Robert Graham …
State Public Safety Dept. to Stay in Jackson, For Now
A proposal to move the Mississippi Department of Public Safety's headquarters from Jackson to Pearl is off the table for the moment, but a spokesman for the Department said Commissioner …
Farish and a Dollar (General) More
Developer David Watkins said yesterday that he is "a hundred percent convinced" that the B.B. King Blues Club will sign a lease to anchor the Farish Street Entertainment District. The …
Taking a Budget Break
The Mississippi Legislature put budget negotiations on pause this weekend, with plans to reconvene April 20, when the state's revenue forecast will be clearer.
Business
A Work In Progress
When Ira Murray moved to Jackson from Nashville four years ago, he knew the city was poised for metamorphosis.
Tough Times Await Bigger JPS Board
Jackson Public Schools will enter the coming school year with a lean budget and a growing Board of Trustees. The five-member school board, which already boasts four members with less …
Talking It Out
Hakeem and Matthew have been fighting. Seated in a classroom at Blackburn Middle School, the two eighth-grade boys explain the origins of their conflict, an ever-escalating series of slights.
Eminent Domain: A Lawsuit Waiting to Happen?
The Mississippi Constitution is a tough thing to change. While state law allows voters to amend the Constitution by approving a ballot initiative, it also prohibits ballot initiatives from changing …
Health Exchanges Could Help Small Businesses
The state will have to make several key decision regarding health-insurance exchanges in the next few years, Joy Johnson Wilson, health policy coordinator for the National Conference of State Legislatures, …
Arena Study; Blues Joint Opens
Supporters of a proposed downtown sports and entertainment arena will host a fundraiser and information session this evening at the Jackson Convention Complex. In 2009, a steering committee of business …
