Jackson Free Press

Iraq Launches Operation to Retake Tikrit from Islamic State

Backed by allied Shiite, Sunni and Iranian fighters, Iraqi security forces launched a large-scale military operation Monday to recapture Saddam Hussein's hometown from the Islamic State extremist group, a major …

Epps, Ex-Prison Boss, Pleads Guilty to 2 Federal Corruption Counts

In a change of course, Former Mississippi Corrections Commissioner Christopher Epps pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts in a federal corruption case.

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.

New Civil Rights Museum on Track For Completion

In former Gov. Haley Barbour's address Tuesday morning about the progress of the state's new civil rights museum, he stressed the importance of not only recognizing Mississippi's history, but improving …

Analysis: New Democrat Johnson Has Tough Campaign Ahead

Former state Sen. Tim Johnson jumped from Republican to Democrat last week to launch his campaign for Mississippi lieutenant governor, and he faces a difficult path in a state where …

Jesus, the Migrant

In her new book "Jesus Was A Migrant," writer Deirdre Cornell says migration is central to "biblical spirituality" and the chosen people themselves were "displaced, uprooted, homeless" migrants.

Are Mississippi Officials Deadbeats?

The situation in Mississippi may be dire, but it's not hopeless. There are opportunities to drastically—not incrementally—improve things in Mississippi, but our leadership seems fixated on solutions looking for problems.

Sen. Roger Wicker

Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker will serve as presiding office of the U.S. Senate during the first day of the 114th Congress, which convenes Tuesday.

Bryan Stevenson

The founding attorney for the Montgomery, Ala.-based Equal Justice Initiative, Bryan Stevenson works in a broken system of justice. The indigent clients EJI represents deal with issues such as mental …

Court: Pardon Does Not Mean Clean Criminal Record

A pardon by the governor is not grounds to wipe clean a criminal record, the Mississippi Supreme Court has ruled.

Ward 1: Side-by-Side

Given the mountain of challenges staring at the Jackson City Council, it's hard to imagine two candidates whose resumes make them better equipped to get their hands dirty than Ashby …

Making Mississippi 420 Friendly

The potential of cannabis as an appetite stimulant is among the key arguments from proponents of rolling back legal restrictions for marijuana for its medicinal purposes.

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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.

The Ward 1 Money Race

The race for the Ward 1 seat on Jackson City Council is nearing its end. Voters will go to the polls tomorrow, Dec. 2, to pick new representation. After that, …

Two Hinds County Judge Runoffs Today

Today, some Hinds County voters are returning to the polls for two runoffs for two county judge seats.

MAEP’s Moral Center: Mississippi’s Education Enigma

The quality of education in Mississippi is falling behind the rest of the nation with only 61 percent of students graduating from high school on time and two-thirds of kindergarteners …

The Perils of Deregulating MDOC

Not long after Chris Epps took over as the commissioner of the state prison system, the Mississippi Legislature passed a bill that removed the Mississippi Department of Corrections from the …

Mr. Barbour, Stop Insulting Black People

A few days ago I popped on the Jackson Free Press website to see what's going on in the city and noticed the interview with Ward 1 County Supervisor candidate …

Fighting Corruption Requires More, Not Less Oversight

A movement has been afoot for sometime to roll back government regulations and oversight at every level, the argument being that any amount of government mucks up the words for …

Hickingbottom Joins Ward 1 Race

The field is set for the special election to replace Quentin Whitwell as Jackson Ward 1 Councilman. The last man—all six candidates are men—in is Bob Hickingbottom.