Jackson Free Press

Barbour Joins Offshore Drilling Coalition

Gov. Haley Barbour and three other governors have formed a coalition to advocate for offshore drilling permits, Dow Jones Newswire reported yesterday.

Census Data Show Increase in Poverty

New U.S. Census data released yesterday reveals that the poverty rate in Mississippi rose from 15.6 percent to 22.9 percent in 2009, The Mississippi Economy Policy Center reports.

Just In: Rep. Leonard Morris of Batesville Dies

The Clarion-Ledger is reporting that Rep. Leonard Morris has died:

Iraq Edges Toward ‘Full Scaled Civil War'

Rory Carroll reports from Iraq:

Salmonella Confirmed in Mississippi

The Mississippi Department of Health reports seven confirmed cases of Salmonella typhimurium infections in the state, including one each in Hinds and Rankin counties.

JFP on WLEZ 1.5.07 Podcast

Finally, we get Radio JFP recorded...we must be out of "beta." Enjoy.

JFP_WLEZ_10507.mp3 (26.3MB)

Macon, Miss., Contractor Escapes; 11 More Troops Killed

AP is reporting: "In a daring escape, American hostage Thomas Hamill pried open the doors of the house where he was being held late Sunday morning and ran a half-mile …

Just In: Delaughter Voids Barbour's Election Date

Late today, Hinds County Circuit Judge Bobby Delaughter ruled in favor of Attorney General Jim Hood's argument that Gov. Barbour was acting unconstitutionally by trying to force Mississippi voters to …

Second Special Session Starts Friday

Gov. Haley Barbour plans to call a second special session of the Mississippi Legislature for Friday, reports NEMS360. The session, which will begin at 10 a.m., will deal with funding …

Courts Sets Second Execution Date

Yesterday, the Mississippi Supreme Court set a May 20 execution date for Gerald James Holland, 72, on death row for the 1987 murder of 15-year-old Krystal King. Holland's execution will …

Burns Asks Barbour to Delay Execution

Attorneys representing death-row inmate Joseph Daniel Burn are asking Gov. Haley Barbour to delay Burn's July 21 execution date, The Associated Press reported today.

Gulf Crews Prepare to Permanently Seal Well

BP Engineers are preparing to perform a "static kill" operation to permanently seal the blown-out Deepwater Horizon well, The Sun Herald reported today.

Mississippi Seeks BP Funds to Promote Gulf

Mississippi Department of Marine Resources officials are negotiating with BP for money to promote Gulf seafood, The Sun Herald reported today.

Mabus Pushes for Gulf Funds

In U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus' Coast recovery plan released last week, he recommends that a large portion of BP's penalty money go to the Gulf Coast, The Sun Herald …

Mississippi State's Cowbells May Stop Ringing

The Southeastern Conference has warned Mississippi State University officials that ringing cowbells during football games will likely bring fines because it breaks the league's noise-making policy, The Washington Post reported …

GOP Runoff for District 2

Voters will head back to the polls June 22 to select a Republican candidate to face U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson in the November general election. Both Jackson Public Schools teacher …

BP Seals Well; Gulf Coast Still Struggles

Federal officials confirmed that BP has permanently sealed the well at the site of the April 20 Deepwater Horizon oil-rig explosion, The Sun Herald reported yesterday.

Ida Weakens to Tropical Storm

This morning, the National Hurricane Center downgraded Ida from a hurricane to a tropical storm, with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph. The late season gulf storm was off the …

Mississippi Ranked Unhealthiest State

Mississippi remains the unhealthiest state for the ninth year straight, according to America's Health Rankings released yesterday.

Report Finds 80 Percent of Oil Remains in Gulf

Read the report.