Jackson Free Press

[Williams] Republican Ophelias

Thank you, Swift Boat Veterans, for chucking the blocks out of memory. It all comes back to me now: Vietnam, anti-war protests, Civil Rights struggles. But not at all in …

Memorable and Thrifty

Recently, close friends of mine completed two days of ceremonial bliss at an unbelievably low cost. They held both the rehearsal dinner and the reception at the location of the …

Mississippi Teams Go Bowling

Two Mississippi college football teams are going bowling this year: Mississippi State University and the University of Southern Mississippi. Both the Bulldogs and the Golden Eagles fell short of expectations, …

JRA Questions Parking Garage

Jackson Redevelopment Authority board members want to determine the feasibility of two high-priced developments that the quasi-government agency may help finance.

County Supes Want to Dispute Fee

Hinds County is looking to dispute a $237,784 severance fee it owes the Pearl River Basin Development District. The state Legislature rendered the county's participation in the multi-county district optional …

Tiff Over Hinds TIF

The developer of a south Jackson housing development is asking Hinds County to support infrastructure developments, but at least one supervisor remains skeptical of the request.

Legislative Update: Medicaid and Marriage

This week marked either the victory cheer or the death knell for a round of money bills seeking approval. Tuesday, specifically, marked the deadline for the House or Senate to …

JPD's High Gas and Low Morale

The Jackson Police Department's 330 patrol vehicles are constantly on the move, requiring engines and components designed for longer idle periods and higher speeds than standard car models.

Johnson: Test Scores Reflect Education Funding

Mississippi NAACP President Derrick Johnson blames legislators for the state's low rank in a national summary of elementary school math grades. "The Nation's Report Card: Mathematics 2009," released yesterday, outlines …

Obama Re-elected Amid Rising Economic Optimism

Voters who feel the economic outlook brightening after years of misery and believe Barack Obama better understands people like themselves propelled the president to a second term, exit polls show.

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Drilling the Front Lines

Captain Louis Skrmetta is on the front lines. So far, Skrmetta, whose family has operated tour boats between the mainland and Mississippi's barrier islands in the Gulf of Mexico since …

Mound Bayou, Revisited

The story of Mound Bayou, Miss., is as improbable as it is inspiring. In 1887, former slaves founded the town in the Mississippi Delta wilderness as a haven for former …

House GOP, White House Seeking End to Budget Fight

After weeks of ultimatums, President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans are exploring whether they can end a budget standoff that has triggered a partial government shutdown and edged Washington to …

Test Takers Rush to Complete GED

Americans who passed part, but not all, of the GED test are rushing to finish the high school equivalency exam before a new version rolls out in January and their …

Beggars Banquet New Releases

GBV DAY: Log on to www.joingbv.com where Beggars USA are petitioning for GUIDED BY VOICES DAY in every city on their final tour. It's already been declared Guided By Voices …

Minimum Wage Report Puts Democrats on Defensive

A report by Congress' nonpartisan budget analysts seems to have thrown Democrats onto the defensive after it concluded that the party's drive to boost the federal minimum wage could cost …

Finding Her Calling

It's late in the afternoon, and Lashanda Brumfield is off work from her job as a recreational therapist at Brentwood Behavioral Healthcare. But instead of going home, Brumfield instead goes …

Pentagon, Border Wall Covered in $788B House Spending Bill

The House has passed a $788 billion spending bill that combines a $1.6 billion down payment for President Donald Trump's controversial border wall with Mexico with a whopping budget increase …

Trump Administration Pulls Health Law Help in 18 Cities

President Donald Trump's administration has ended Affordable Care Act contracts that brought assistance into libraries, businesses and urban neighborhoods in 18 cities, meaning shoppers on the insurance exchanges will have …

NUTS Seeks Help, Lou's Comes to Belhaven and Kemper Begins Operations

NUTS (Neat Used Things for Sale), a fundraising store for the Good Samaritan Center located at 114 Millsaps Ave., sustained massive flood damage when more than a foot and a …