Jackson Free Press

[Kamikaze] Jackson's Savior Complex

Everyone seems to be an expert on crime these days. Sit around any barbershop or bar, and you'll hear all the "pundits" explain how they would handle crime.

Luckett Touts Bio-Fuels, Education at Jackson Forum

Investments in early childhood education and alternative energy can spur Mississippi's economy, Clarksdale attorney and 2011 candidate for governor Bill Luckett said during a speech at Koinonia Coffee House in …

AP: Census Shows Many Couldn't Afford to Evacuate

An Associated Press analysis of Census data shows that the residents in the

Here's one for the dumbasses who tried to blame the victims, saying they just should have evacuated like the other folks did. The Associated Press is reporting that an analysis …

Real Woman, Real Plan

I can no longer climb stairs without my knees aching. My body has morphed from a lean 20-something to a comfortable and rounded-out 30-something. Children and age have etched lines …

[Tucker] You Have a Choice

My daughter attends a historically black university, the school from which I graduated, as a matter of which I graduated, as a matter of fact. But she could go anywhere, …

Be the Actors

I was running late and felt lost in the hallways of the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C, last week, as I attempted to find Sen. Roger Wicker's office. …

Keeping Faith

In 1969, P.W. Underwood, then head football coach at the University of Southern Mississippi, convinced a 6-foot-3-inch lanky kid from Swainsboro, Ga., to come to the University of Southern Mississippi …

[Strachan] In Praise of Public Servants

Glendora businessman Mike Sturdivant passed away at age 84 on May 1, at his home on his Due West Plantation. It brought to mind many things about one of the …

Road to Revelation

When Shelby Lynne gives a concert these days, she no longer plays any songs from the early part of her career for one simple reason: She didn't write them.

Let It Fly

On a humid spring day, my wife, Lacey, and I walked into a metal building at LeFleur's Bluff State Park, just off Lakeland Drive. A casually dressed, middle-aged man greeted …

Rising and Converging

"Grace" is one of those words I struggle with. There are the simplistic, surface definitions like charm or loveliness. I tend to find it a complicated word, though, filled with …

Putting a Price Tag on Voter ID

The debate surrounding voter ID in Mississippi has focused on political and historical arguments, rather than funding. While its proponents have lauded voter ID as essential for preserving the democratic …

Drifting in the Groove

You've probably never heard of Daniel Lanois, but you've certainly heard his work. He has quite an impressive resumé: producer of CDs recorded by Bob Dylan, the Neville Brothers, Emmylou …

Beware the Big C

One of the best things a man can do for his family is to care for his health.

Getting Kids to Eat Healthy

As a single parent, I know how easy it is to swing by a drive-through instead of preparing dinner after an exhausting day at work. We all know that kids …

Take My Hand

I was not about to lie down in a body imprint left in the grass no matter how much the artist encouraged me. Looking at the impression of a fallen …

JPD Adds 24 New Officers

The 49th basic recruit class of the Jackson Police Department graduated Friday from the Jackson Police Training Academy. The class of 24 recruits moves the department closer to Chief Rebecca …

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[Veckhoven] Public School Warrior in Jackson

The gray, roiling clouds that hung over the westbound lane of Interstate 20 were nothing short of a premonition.

‘If You Let Me Play'

In 1995, Nike produced an iconic commercial. In it, young girls cited facts and figures about the benefits of girls playing sports.

Dirty Laundry

The Mississippi Democratic Party called on Gov. Haley Barbour last week to speak openly about allegations that former U.S Rep. Chip Pickering laundered a $5,000 donation from his political action …