Jackson Free Press

Me and Willie Hoyt

Willie Hoyt was a character. My mom met him when I was in the fourth grade. My father had died a couple years earlier after a long illness, she was …

Chokwe Lumumba Is Getting A Raw Deal

There is a pattern in America's ill treatment of those who have something to say, particularly those who are perceived as having "too much" to say. This pattern is made …

[Ladd] Catching a Creative Wave

I've been thinking a lot about who's in charge lately. This first entered my brain because of Haley Barbour's half-hearted attempts at appointing a Cabinet that looks like Mississippi (for …

Pro-Business Smoke Out

Much has been written about the regional bidding war for the new Kia auto plant—a war in which Georgia defeated Mississippi, and Alabama was never really a competitor. But as …

Into The Unknown

For me, high school was awful. I felt like I was trapped in useless classes surrounded by immature and idiotic people. Then comes senior year, when everyone pretends they have …

State's Biz Climate Iffy

Gov. Haley Barbour touted his administration's pro-business bona fides for the last time in his role as state government's chief executive before a throng of mostly business folks at the …

Craig Noone, Crime Fighter

A few weeks ago, Jackson State University professor Noel Didla was sitting outside Parlor Market in downtown Jackson waiting for friends. Suddenly, Craig Noone, the young visionary and chef who …

The Whole Person Matters

"The side effects of this medication may be difficulty sleeping, dry mouth, constipation..."

Take Mom Out to Eat

Make it a day to remember for mom. Treat her to a meal at one of the metro area's eateries.

Gubernatorial Candidates Challenge Bryant at Debate

In a televised debate Thursday evening, candidates for governor sought to distinguish themselves from Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant and position themselves as frontrunners ahead of the Aug. 2 primary.

[Rainey] Jackson is Yours

I moved to Jackson in summer 2007 from St. Louis, Mo., for my first job out of college, a two-year fellowship at the Institute of Southern Jewish Life. I was …

Crime Summit Useful?

JSU criminology professor Jimmy Bell says the city's upcoming crime summit, planned for Aug. 31 will be different from crime summits hosted in other cities, while the ACLU is concerned …

JUST IN: Wilson Pleads Guilty to Murder in Teen Death

More details as they develop ...

Toice Wilson today pled guilty to murder in Hinds County Circuit Court after the prosecution refused his request yesterday to plead guilty to manslaughter in the beating death of Tawana …

‘We Aren't Santa Claus'

There is a showdown this week in the Magnolia State between Gov. Haley Barbour and the state Senate on one side and the House of Representatives on the other. Between …

Clarion-Ledger: A ‘Moral Contract' With Melton?

Rarely mentioned in the ongoing lawsuit between Mayor Frank Melton and former Lt. Col. Robert Pierce is the role of The Clarion-Ledger.

[Buzz] Don't Say ‘Tort Reform'; Collective Forms

DON'T SAY 'TORT REFORM': It's kind of fun to watch lawmakers try NOT to talk about a favorite topic: tort reform. Although legislating against "lawsuit abuse," especially with industry-friendly damage …

Change Where It Matters

In an age when television airwaves and opinion pages burst with outraged faces and voices on both sides of the political spectrum, one group of Mississippi youth is conducting public …

Ghosts of Frank Melton

Leave it to Frank Melton to live among strangeness even after his death.

Schimmel's Closes After 11-year Run

Schimmel's restaurant served its last customer on Friday, May 21, after 11 years of operation at 2615 N. State St. in Fondren, citing the sluggish economy and lack of sales …

[Balko] The Government's License To Steal

In the February issue of "Reason," I wrote a feature story on civil asset forfeiture, the process by which law enforcement groups can seize property, usually in drug cases, sometimes …