Jackson Free Press

The Slate

It was a good weekend for Mississippi college football. Alcorn State University won the SWAC Championship, and Mississippi State and Ole Miss got huge bowl invites.

Heart for a Cause

The American Heart Association's Metro Jackson Heart Ball is both a fundraiser and an opportunity to promote the organization and its mission: to improve cardiovascular health and reduce deaths from …

LEGO Jackson: Making Progress in Plastic

Scott Crawford, the builder behind the LEGO Jackson display, began the project under his Christmas tree with a few decorations and some spare time.

Playoff Committee Unfair to SEC West

In an effort to right this wrong, the Big 12 purportedly will petition the NCAA for the right to stage a championship game in future seasons.

Astin Sullivan

Filmmaker Astin Sullivan, 24, is proof that passions lead to interesting places.

Shaunna Thomas’ Fight Against Sexism

Shaunna Thomas, Ultraviolet cofounder, says her organization creates costs for sexist behavior.

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 …

Policy Snags Hold up $1.1 Trillion Spending Bill

Ahead of Congress' midnight Thursday deadline, snags caused by policy differences are holding up a $1.1 trillion, government-wide spending bill, with efforts to relax new regulations on some risky financial …

Miss. Appeal Leaves Gay Marriage Status in Limbo

U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves on Nov. 25 overturned the state's ban on same-sex marriage, but put his ruling temporarily on hold to let the state appeal. The 5th U.S. …

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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2nd Night of Berkeley Protest Turns Violent Again

Raucous demonstrations hit Berkeley's streets for a second straight night as protesters angered by police killings in Missouri and New York clashed with officers, vandalized businesses and even fought with …

Chokehold Case Stirs Debate on Special Prosecutors

After a police officer wasn't indicted in a fatal chokehold caught on video, some officials are reviving calls to entrust such cases to special prosecutors, rather than local district attorneys.

US, NATO End Afghan Combat Command After 13 Years

The U.S. and NATO closed their combat command in Afghanistan on Monday, more than 13 years after invading the country in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks to …

US Sends 6 Prisoners from Guantanamo to Uruguay

Six Guantanamo Bay prisoners sent to Uruguay to be resettled as refugees are doing well and are undergoing medical checkups before being released to begin new lives, the country's defense …

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.

Mississippi OKs 1 School, Rejects Second

Mississippi officials on Friday signed off on the state's second charter school, but rejected plans for a third.

Bettye Quinn

Bettye Quinn, a professor of elementary education and psychology at Belhaven University, has been attending the university's Singing Christmas Tree event for 77 years.

South Africans Mark Anniversary of Mandela's Death

Friends and family of Nelson Mandela laid wreaths Friday at a bronze statue of the late statesman to mark the anniversary of his death.

Dawn of Orion: NASA Launch Opens New Era in Space

NASA's new Orion spacecraft zoomed toward a high point of 3,600 miles on an orbital test flight Friday, ushering in a new era of exploration that could one day put …

Pregnancy Discrimination Case Reaches Supreme Court

Today the U.S. Supreme Court will hold oral arguments in yet another blockbuster case at the intersection of sex discrimination, workplace law and reproductive justice.