Jackson Free Press

"Night on Fire," VHS or Beta

Reviewed by Alex Slawson and Herman Snell

Although not very original in today's indie retro music soundscape, VHS or Beta are nonetheless fun and catchy as hell. "Night on Fire" plays like a hybrid of Franz Ferdinand …

McMillin Kicks Butt; Peterson Leads into Runoff

Predictably, Sheriff Malcolm McMillin won the right to keep his site over challengers tonight, including Mayor Frank Melton's choice, police spokesman Tyrone Lewis. WAPT guest political analyst Matt Friedeman summed …

10 Local Stories of the Week

There's never a slow news week in Jackson, Miss., and last week was no exception. Here are the local stories JFP reporters brought you in case you missed them.

Victims' Family Speak to Man Sentenced for 2013 Triple Homicide

Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Jeff Weill Sr. sentenced Javondus Beasley to life in prison for capital murder plus two consecutive 40-year sentences for second-degree murder today.

10 Local Stories of the Week

There's never a slow news week in Jackson, Miss., and last week was no exception. Here are the local stories JFP reporters brought you in case you missed them.

Devontae Shuler

Devontae Shuler, despite scoring 20 points and adding five rebounds and five assists, was pleased but not satisfied with his performance Sunday as Mississippi defeated Tennessee Tech 80-63. “My foot …

[Beety] The Cost of Death

On July 21, the state of Mississippi is scheduled to put Joseph Daniel Burns Mississippian, murderer and father of three—to death. Our state has executed only 10 men over the …

Melton Mentees Get Second Chance

The late Mayor Frank Melton may well be smiling from his grave over the good fortune bestowed by Gov. Haley Barbour and the city of Jackson to two of the …

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[New Releases] Scarlet Speedster "Scarlet Speedster"

Scarlet Speedster — "Scarlet Speedster"

Scarlet Speedster's self-titled six-song EP, recently released on local Popaholic Records, demonstrates the band's ability to stand out from the crowd. Younger fans will immediately associate Speedster's sound with the …

DA Alleges Racism; Former DA Weighs In

Even as Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith is alleging racism in the Hinds County Justice system, his African American predecessor says that it was her job to find a …

West Jackson Project Could Sacrifice Koinonia House

A $17 million development being planned along the Robert Smith Parkway in west Jackson would bring a mix of new apartments and retail spaces, but would come at the cost …

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The Locked-Up Teenage Girl at Center of Hinds County Contention

Crystal Marshall has been at Henley -Young Juvenile Detention Center up on a hill in a warehouse-lined area of Jackson on capital murder charges since right around Valentine's Day—less than …

Taxpayers Covering Recio and Wright Attorney's Fees?

Jackson Mayor Frank Melton's assurance that he would be covering court costs in his April 2007 felony trial did not apply to his co-defendants, judging by a Nov. 30 letter …

D.A. Peterson Concedes, Goes Home

With 98 percent of precincts reporting and Robert Smith leading by 1,183 votes, District Attorney Faye Peterson just conceded defeat in the Red Room at Hal & Mal's, saying that …

Lumumba Stands With Dreamers, Turner Convicted, State Flag SCOTUS Case: Last Week's News Not to Miss

There's never a slow news week in Jackson, Miss., and last week was no exception. Here are the local stories JFP reporters brought you in case you missed them.

UPDATED: In Allen Trial, DA Argues that DJP Funds Are Public

The trial of Downtown Jackson Partners President Ben Allen began this morning with opening statements and testimony from an attorney who formerly worked with the state auditor's office asserting the …

Lawsuit Aims to Keep Abortion Clinic Open

Pro-abortion rights groups filed an expected lawsuit today to block the closing of the state's only abortion clinic.

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UPDATED: Jury Finds Allen Guilty for Cell-phone Payment, Not Guilty on Nine Counts

The jury in the trial of Downtown Jackson Partners President Ben Allen found him guilty on one count, not guilty on nine others after six hours of deliberation.

Bluntson Questions DA Over Bail Bonds

City Council President Frank Bluntson was certainly not alone in his frustration at last week's council meeting. Venting about the Dec. 11 arrest of a 16-year-old suspect in connection with …

Millsaps Student Fulbright Grant, JSU Receives AP Awards and Jackson Heart Study Graduate Program

Millsaps College senior DJ Hawkins recently received a Fulbright grant to teach and study in Russia as an English teaching assistant.