Jackson Free Press

JATRAN Will Live, but It Should Thrive

I was relieved (and surprised) that our City Council chose not to make any cuts to the city's bus system this year. Yes, JATRAN can be a mess, but the …

Jumping the Line: Caught in the Crossfire of Ridgeland's Demographic Struggles

Many parents in urban areas, met with the spatial and academic barrier of their zip codes, have no choice but to send their children to the public school available to …

Sun Columnist, Better Jackson PAC Member Goes After JFP, ‘Takes Back' N-JAM Label

OK, this is funny. In his rush to defend the controversial and secretive Better Jackson PAC, which he apparently helped organize, Northside Sun columnist David Sanders is attacking the 'flatulence' …

Survey Finds Some Republicans Oppose Mixed Marriages

Read the poll here. (PDF)

Best of Jackson 2021: Nightlife and Music

There's nothing to us more local than Best of Jackson. We're officially in our 19th annual award season. Here is who you voted as the best local people, places, food …

Beyond Detention: Exploring Smarter, Cheaper Alternatives to Locking Kids Up

"He's out on the street. He comes home sometimes. He has that little anklet, he doesn't care. It makes no difference to him. He's afraid of nothing." The mother of …

McCain Chooses Alaska 'Hockey Mom' as Running Mate

The New York Times reports that Sen. John McCain has chosen a 44-year-old conservative, pro-life governor who called herself a "hockey mom" as his running mate:

Sleeping With the Giant

So, we're 2. Our determined little rag has defied the odds—at least the mythical barriers that some folks thought were absolute reality. I remember the skepticism from a handful of …

OPINION: The Sky Is Not Falling

Crime has once again become the dominant topic of local public interest. It is a volatile issue and, therefore, is occasionally treated by the media, the public, and some politicians …

Home to the ‘Worthy Scrap'

Myrlier Evers-Williams is not boycotting Mississippi and its progeny; she wants to introduce young people to her first husband.

[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 …

DNA Exonerates Sunflower County Man After 16 Years

[Verbatim from Innocence Project] Sixteen years after his arrest, all charges were dropped against Arthur Johnson today when it was revealed that the DNA testing that led to his release …

Driving While ‘Alien'

Why are your vegetables at your local grocery store so cheap? It may well be because the farmer that grew your vegetables was able to hire cheap help via immigrants—some …

New McDonald's Compromises Appearance

Neighbors of a proposed McDonald's restaurant at the corner of Lakeland Drive and Ridgewood Road succeeded in changing the businesses hours of operation and the color of the building, even …

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 …

Hole-Filled Souls

I know a woman who lives in the house with her children, her husband and his violent temper. She wears a mask. This woman, whenever I see her, has a …

Tale of Two Downtowns

What step to take next will be a huge question for 2003. We could be going nowhere, or at least a relatively short distance—after all, we're in a recession, Mississippi's …

Testimony of Gov. Haley Barbour about Katrina - March 7

Testimony of Governor Haley Barbour to U. S. Senate Committee on Appropriations

Thank you for this opportunity to join you today to discuss the worst natural disaster in our nation's history, Hurricane Katrina. First, we in Mississippi greatly need and genuinely appreciate …

The Temple of Wilco

It is surprisingly easy to talk to Wilco's Pat Sansone. Perhaps Sansone, who is from Meridian, Miss., has never lost the gentle ease and hospitality of Southern conversation, despite the …

Jay Farrar Grows Up, by Stuart Rockoff

First off, in the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that I am a huge fan of Uncle Tupelo, Jay Farrar's now-legendary first band that breathed new life into …