Jackson Free Press

Consider The Alternatives

Is it possible that the LeFleur Lakes proposal—a project to damn the Pearl River and create a system of lakes in the name of flood control and Hinds/Rankin development—isn't the …

One Lake Set to ‘Run Pretty Rapid'

The ongoing saga for a lake to control flooding in Jackson and provide economic-development opportunities on the Pearl River will reach a milestone this week.

Two Lakes Back on the Table

Engineers favoring a plan to flood the Pearl River and create a myriad of islands say the plan will be cheaper than a similar plan involving a smaller lake and …

Corps Demands Conflict-of-Interest Policy on Lake Plan

Read the conflict-of-interest policy (PDF)

[New Release] Sufjan Stevens "Illinois"

— Alex Slawson and Herman Snell

Sufjan Stevens — "Illinois" Sufjan Stevens, a singer/songwriter from Michigan by way of New York, devised a lofty goal to create an album for each state in the union. The …

Little Love for Levees

The meeting room for the Rankin-Hinds Pearl Flood and Drainage Control District Levee Board in Flowood filled with rancor Monday, Feb. 8, after the board learned that the state Legislature …

[Stauffer] A River Running Through It

The LeFleur Lakes project will be something that Jackson talks about for some time to come. Originally the brainchild of developer and engineer John McGowan, the "Two Lakes" project, as …

Corps Says Lakes Plans Dead, Wants Levees

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has told the local levee board that it has to agree on a flood-control plan for the Pearl River by the end of September—and …

[Stauffer] Facts, Damn Facts and Opinions

The Jackson Free Press publisher explains why the newspaper does not support Two Lakes or the 1996 Levee Plan. Instead, we need to put politics aside and seek a basin-wide …

JPS Mulls Lake Hico’s Future, Proposes Advisory Committee

As Entergy's lease of Lake Hico as a cooling pond for its electricity plant located between Northside Drive and Watkins Drive ends Sept. 30, it presents an excellent opportunity for …

Deadly Northern California Wildfire Incinerates Homes

An explosive wildfire burned largely unchecked Monday after incinerating homes, apartment blocks and hundreds of other buildings as it raced through rural communities in Northern California's Lake County.

A Compromise Lake Plan?

Read Mississippi Engineering Group's Report (PDF)

Saving Two Lakes: Is It Worth It?

The Pearl River is an easy force of nature to contend with, providing you are an optimist about it.

Levee Board Rescinds 2007 Flood Control Approval

The Rankin-Hinds Pearl Flood and Drainage Control District voted to rescind its 2007 approval for a locally preferred flood control plan yesterday, and then voted unanimously to ask the U.S. …

Green Space

If you want to see how differently various people approach the idea of planning for Jackson's future, listen to a discussion of parks and green space.

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Pine Belt Job Fair Set for Today

The 2012 Pine Belt Job Fair is set for Wednesday at the Hattiesburg Lake Terrace Convention Center.

Second Best Ideas

I vividly remember the day when Ward 1 City Councilman Ben Allen bounded into my office at the Jackson Free Press. During the Frank Melton mayoral administration, it wasn't unusual …

Hands Off the Levee Board

We weren't surprised to learn that supporters of the Two Lakes Pearl development project are pushing the state Legislature to take more control of the local Levee Board—reconfiguring the appointees …

Take the Next Step on the Pearl

This week the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers seemed to—finally and forcefully—make clear its stance on flood management for the Pearl River, repeating what the Jackson Free Press has been …

State Again Tries to Take Over Levee Board

A member of the Two Lakes of Mississippi Foundation rattled the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District Levee Board at its meeting this morning with another attempt by …