Jackson Free Press

Michael Byrd

Michael Byrd and his family moved to the Philippines after he became disabled and retired from his career as a nuclear engineer in 2008. Shortly after, Byrd and his wife …

Power to the People

When someone offered Melissa Cooper $700 for some of her prescription pain medication in 2010, she jumped at the opportunity.

Animal Cruelty Bill Clears Major Hurdle

Cruelty to cats and dogs would become a felony in Mississippi under Senate Bill 2821, which the House Agriculture Committee voted unanimously today to approve. The bill to make "aggravated …

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 …

U.S. Attorney to Reveal Sealed Criminal Complaint at 4 p.m.

Something big is going down today; the U.S. attorney's office just sent out this e-mail to media:

There will be a hearing at 4:00 p.m. today before US Magistrate Judge Sumner on the fifth floor of the federal courthouse. I am not able to tell you what …

Lifting As We Climb

The women wore breathtaking hats to hear Lerone Bennett Jr. A gargantuan canary-yellow feather creation was perfectly calibrated to match the wearer's canary-yellow suit. A bright-pink straw hat had big …

[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 …

Hinds Supervisors Feud Over Radios

Tempers flared at a Hinds County Board of Supervisors work session yesterday, as supervisors debated the activation of 19 radios purchased by the city of Clinton for emergency personnel. The …

Engineers Want Lower Lake Plan on Table

An engineer urged the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District Levee Board last week to press the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to approve a lake plan to …

Business Round Up: Crazy Cat Serves Dinner, Leaves Fondren; UMC Turning Dirt

After six months in Fondren, Crazy Cat Bakers is refocusing its efforts on its Highland Village location, which will be opening for dinner next week. Owner Jon Lansdale closed the …

Police Foundation Eyeing SafeCity Role

As the watchdog group SafeCity closes today citing financial issues, the police advocacy group Jackson Police Foundation, Inc., is contemplating a more active role in the city.

Let's Just Be Friends

Old Mississippi wouldn't have allowed them to be friends. Back in the 1960s, when Cornelius "C" Turner, a black man, was fighting for civil rights in the state, he could …

Casey Therriault

Update: Casey Therriault threw for four touchdowns Saturday to lead Jackson State's pounding of Alcorn State 51-7. He also became JSU's single-season leader in passes completed (372 yards), passing yards …

Another Condemned Man Seeks Reprieve

Gary Carl Simmons Jr., scheduled to be the third person Mississippi puts to death this month, wants the State Supreme Court to grant him a stay of execution. Monday evening, …

What's In Your Cleaning Agents?

Your kitchen counters need to be scrubbed, the floor needs to be mopped, the windows are looking smudgy, the air smells funny, and the bathroom is a mess. Just reach …

The Freest Man Behind Bars

"For a man to act himself, he must be perfectly free; otherwise he is in danger of losing all sense of responsibility or of self-respect."

[Wine] Why Hast Thou Forsaken the Merlot?

Right out of the gate, I'll go ahead and admit that when I go out to dinner, there is only about a 5 percent chance (if that) that I will …

Keeping Medgar's Work Alive

"If I die, it will be for a good cause." These fateful words were uttered by Medgar Evers—who died to help save Mississippi from its sins against black people. Now, …

No Strings Attached

Puppets, pussycats, soldiers and spiders will all be taking center stage in various metro Jackson theaters this month. Puppet master Peter Zapletal is directing the "Hansel and Gretel" puppet show, …

Scars Run Deep

Most people hear about victims of domestic violence. It's always a friend or a relative of a co-worker or that woman you passed in a crowded bar whose name is …