Jackson Free Press

Preppin’ for November: ‘Y’all Vote’

With the presidential election drawing near, Mississippians who are registered to vote can change their addresses up until the day before the election due to new rules the Mississippi Legislature …

County Renews Lapsed Ankle-Bracelet Contract DA Complained About

No contract existed between Hinds County and the company that provided pre-trial detainee supervision, Probation Services Company, LLC, for almost 8 years, until the Board of Supervisors ratified a motion …

Josalyn Filkins, Principal at Midtown Public Charter School

When Josalyn Filkins sat down with the Jackson Free Press, she talked about her plans for the future of the school and for engaging with the community as Midtown tries …

'Discrimination Act' Would Give Clerks 'Kim Davis' Powers

Kim Davis went to jail in Kentucky for not issuing same-sex marriage licenses, but circuit clerks in Mississippi might not have to if the "Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government …

Amendment Hijacks Parent Involvement Bill: 'Not About Teachers'

Rep. Gregory Holloway, Sr., D-Hazlehurst, helped mold the Parent Involvement and Accountability Act, which would "grade" parents in C, D or F districts on their involvement in their children's education.

Some Companies Face Charges, Others Make Donations

The Rotary Club District 6820 recently approved a $7,500 grant for the Jackson Zoological Park to purchase technology equipment for the zoo's Wild Learning program, according to a release from …

Mayor Declares State of Emergency As Waste Disposal Negotiations Hit Snag

Getting a garbage-collection contract for the City of Jackson is coming down to the wire after Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba declared a state of emergency on Friday, Sept. 17, saying …

Tameshia Shelton Is Serving Life for a Murder, But Could the Death Have Been Suicide?

A hearing continues Tuesday to determine if a Clay County woman named Tameshia Shelton, serving a life sentence for the death of her sister’s boyfriend, will get a new trial.

My Story on Melton in Reason Magazine

Read the piece.

The libertarian Reason magazine today published a piece they asked me to write about Frank Melton and his shenanigans to date. Check it out here (note that a couple of …

Letterman Nails McCain on Friend G. Gordon Liddy

A must-watch: David Letterman put it to John McCain tonight not just on Sarah Palin, but on why McCain's friendship with terrorist G. Gordon Liddy is different from the Bill …

[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 …

Melton's Boys Come to His Defense

Additional reporting by Ward Schaefer

Three of Mayor Frank Melton's previous mentees, and the mother of another who died more than a decade ago, have filed affidavits in support of their mentor's efforts in what …

Nobody to Blame

Music can transport the listener to a specific place and time. Musicians can give the vision of driving through the green fields of the Mississippi Delta or paint the scene …

Rockin' Babies

I love babies. I love the big ones, teeny ones, sweet ones and—best of all—the sleeping ones who belong to someone else.

‘Get Lost While You Can Still Be Found'

On Circus of the Seed's somber, fan-favorite track, "Rain," vocalist and trumpeter Stephen Phillips sings, "I hope that you can swim so that you don't drown/My broken heart is going …

Pushing Forward

The Revelations may have a sound that's rooted in classic soul music, but don't expect them to show up in jumpsuits. The Brooklyn, N.Y.-based group draws much of its musical …

It's Christmas, Pretty Baby

Christmas is here! Seeing the beautiful houses and downtown businesses in the city adorned with lights and hearing the "Merry Christmas, Jackson" compilation CD made by local bands has put …

Clones Take Lieutenant Governor's Race

The race for lieutenant governor consists of only two serious candidates this year—both Republicans: state Treasurer Tate Reeves and Gulfport Sen. Billy Hewes.

To Die or Not To Die (for Love)

I have a problem with Bruno Mars. More specifically, I have a problem with the music producers and executives who heard his lyrics and instantly thought, "hit record," and with …

Unique Food Finds: Oxtails

The world of food is riddled with the contributions of countless cultures, languages, and centuries of morphing and modification. One such area that has been especially touched by language is …