Jackson Free Press

Owning Our Stories

The last time I talked to documentary filmmaker Micki Dickoff, we were standing on Center Avenue in my hometown during the Edgar Ray Killen trial. I was yelling at her …

Voter ID: Up for the Final Count

Voter ID may be an issue in the Legislature again this week, though the bill ultimately has a slim chance of getting anywhere this session.

snark >:-(

As if having charges dropped against the woman who allegedly stayed in the house with their beaten-to-death young relative wasn't bad enough, the family of Heather Spencer was hit with …

Meeting Addresses Crime, Calls for Tax Increase

Straight talk was the theme at a March 27 town hall meeting on Jackson crime at the Board of Education auditorium in downtown Jackson. The meeting, hosted by the Jackson …

"Policing Jackson: Problems & Solutions" – Questions?

Post your questions for the panel or specific panelists below.

The Jackson Police Officers Association and the Jackson Free Press are presenting a town-hall meeting with police officers and other concerned citizens for real talk on fighting crime in Jackson. …

Attorney General Amending Beef Plant Lawsuit

[Verbatim from the Attorney General's Office] Attached please find a copy of the Circuit Court lawsuit (645 KB) filed by the Office of the Attorney General against Facility Construction Management …

Rebirth of a King

What a long, strange, trip it's been. The co-developers of the King Edward Hotel are holding a groundbreaking on March 27, at 11 a.m., after years of the project languishing …

[Kamikaze] Let the Chickens Roost

It appears that the chickens did indeed come home to roost. No, not in the Rev. Jeremiah Wright sense. Not even the Malcolm X sense. These "chickens" are a direct …

DA and AG Dismiss Case Against Robbie Bell

Attorney General Jim Hood

[Verbatim statement from the AG's office] "The criminal case against Robbie Bell was dismissed today for lack of evidence in the case. The decision was made by both the Hinds …

Mississippi GOP Politicizes Scruggs Plea

The head of the Mississippi Republican Party is using the guilty plea of Richard "Dickie" Scruggs to try to focus the scandal spotlight away from Republicans and put it squarely …

UPDATED: Civil Rights Museum a ‘Done Deal'

A Civil Rights museum commission appointed by Gov. Haley Barbour approved the location of a planned National Civil Rights Museum Tuesday with a 22-to-9 vote in favor of a controversial …

VIDEO: Girl in Clinton's "3 A.M." ad an Obama supporter?

You can't make this stuff up.

The young lady, whose first name is Casey, was eight years old in this commercial, which was originally for a railroad. Whoever produced the Clinton ad bought the file footage …

Challenging the Next Generation

It was our own hometown David and Goliath story. Bernie Ebbers and WorldCom were the symbol of what Mississippi could be. WorldCom was the lone Fortune 500 company in the …

The Scruggs Saga Comes Home To Hinds County

Photos by Jaro Vacek

On June 11, 2005, Jackson Police Officer Jeffrey Middleton ran a red light on Highway 18 while coming back from Raymond. Middleton had no siren or police lights on at …

Ban Shirley Q. Liquor, blackface minstrel character

What Don Imus did pales in comparison to this disgusting portrayal of black women.

If Your Life Had a Soundtrack, What Would It Sound Like?

What songs reflect your personality, temperament and beliefs? I tend to like songs that are funky, mellow or whimsical. Here are some examples:

A Blank Check for Entergy?

Consumer's rights advocates and environmentalists alike are furious about a Senate bill that would pave the way for the state Public Service Commission to let utility companies charge customers for …

[Kamikaze] Change Is Gonna Come

"Change" has become the buzzword for 2008. I never thought such a tiny word could be so powerful. It holds promise for some, and negativity for others. Ultimately, I've found …

Innocent Man Goes Home for First Time Since 1993

INDIANOLA—Arthur Johnson, 48, wrongfully convicted in 1993 of rape and burglary, went home with his family Monday, Feb. 25, for the first time in a decade and a half. Sunflower …

Yerger Orders Investigation of Ed Peters

Whoever thought you'd hear those words!?! It does seem like a long, long time ago when Ed Peters was the driving force behind Robert Smith's campaign for district attorney, appearing …