Jackson Free Press

Industry Fears City Zone Change

Industry Fears City Zone Change

Ratliff Fabricating Co. owner Spincer Harrell says his business may not fare well under a proposed zone change slated for North Jackson's Clay Street.

Rally Protests Contraceptive Rule

American and Christian flags stood on equal footing in front of the U.S. Courthouse in Jackson Friday as about 60 people gathered to protest a rule that requires health-insurance plans …

Phantom Limb: Profane and Holy

Water Liars recorded its debut album, "Phantom Limb" (out now on Misra Records), in three days at drummer Andrew Bryant's home in Pittsboro, Miss., while singer/guitarist Justin Kinkel-Schuster was visiting …

Make a Joyful Noise

Christmas is the season of giving (or re-gifting, for some), and musicians all over the state are playing Santa Claus, using their talents to help others during the holiday season. …

Think You're Not Creative?

"You're so creative," they'd say. "I wish I could be creative."

Back in my last life, I worked as a professional marketer, writing and designing advertising and materials to sell stuff. It used to make me totally nuts when people would …

More Than Alright, in the End

"The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," based on Deborah Moggach's novel, "These Foolish Things," meditates on life after retirement. The movie blends touches of Eastern philosophy with British wit and irreverence.

MIFF: A Cinematic Extravaganza

Edward Saint Pe and his team of organizers and volunteers commandeer the indie-film scene from Friday through Saturday with the 2011 Mississippi International Film Festival. "We're showing 50 films all …

Cosmo Tots and Blithe and Vine

Casual, elegant and modern. That's how Cosmo Tots and Blithe and Vine co-owner Liz Spratlin describes her well-lit and simply decorated store. Tammy Wynette plays softly in the background, enhancing …

Eat Your Garden

Want to have a little garden—grow a few herbs and vegetables, and maybe some fruit to get off the grid just a tad— but don't know how to get started? …

Parents to Ask JPS to Reconsider Supt. Picks

The Jackson Public Schools board has narrowed down its field of possible superintendents to two, but some parents say the district should search again for a candidate with more experience …

Thea Faulkner

In Jackson, people perceive public schools as having many problems and challenges, Thea Faulkner said, and rightly so. Sometimes, people focus so much on the negatives, however, that they don't …

Rebels Without a Pause

On the first floor of the Capitol last Wednesday, a handful of Democrats assembled to enjoy a late lunch when a burly assistant sergeant-at-arms burst in to say that Speaker …

[Brown] Why Charter Schools Died

It appears that all of the charter-school proposals are dead for this legislative session. These bills were defeated by a coalition of Democrats and Republicans in the House with the …

Cost of Flood Study Could Jump

A study examining flood control along the Pearl River could cost taxpayers twice as much, due to post- Katrina requirements, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers told the Levee Board …

Scrapping for Funds

The Mississippi Department of Education says it needs a 13-percent funding increase in 2013, but most of the increase includes funding that the department was legally entitled to in previous …

Bright Future

Despite the recent high-profile bankruptcy of Solyndra, a solar panel manufacturer in Fremont, Calif. that was backed by a federal loan guarantee, proponents of solar power in Mississippi said the …

[Kamikaze] The New Mississippi Musicians

I often brag to out-of-state friends and colleagues that all the genres of music were either birthed or perfected on Mississippi soil. From Jimmie Rodgers to Faith Hill, B.B. King …

[Hightower] Facts For Action On Health Care

Widely reported fact No. 1: Our country faces a growing health-care crisis, which leaves 47 million Americans with no health insurance—an increase of 7 million people since the year 2000.

[Rob In Stereo] Evaluating a Five-Star Album

My family subscribed to Rolling Stone magazine through my grade school years. Though the stories often went over my head, I was always avidly interested in the album reviews—especially the …

[Talk] What's in the Water?

The City of Jackson was inconvenienced last week when officials released a precautionary boil-water alert because samples showed bacteria that can cause digestive problems. Everyone scrambled for alternatives. Residents lugged …