Jackson Free Press

Steve Rozman

Steve Rozman, 66, is leading the charge for civic engagement and social responsibility at Tougaloo College, around the state and across the nation.

The Truth Can Hurt

A reckoning happened last week in the James O. Eastland Federal Courthouse in Jackson. A lot of truth came out before anyone ever took the stand to testify in the …

Melton Mismanagement Hits the 'Bottom Line

This week, city officials finally handed in their budget revisions to the City Council, detailing cuts that will be made to city departments in order to reconcile a nearly $4 …

Summer Arts Preview

A sweltering Mississippi summer is the perfect time to find something creative to do to get your mind off the heat and humidity–preferably, something indoors, at least until the sun …

Pencils, Snakes, And Cowboys

Photos by Jason Triplett

Jayson Triplett, Starkville-based artist and one half of roots-rock duo Superstar Donkey Donkey, has a child's imagination with a grown-up's sophistication. Triplett discussed his creative beginnings, the importance of street …

The Museum Reborn

Photos by Roy Adkins

When museum director Betsy Bradley walked me through the new Mississippi Museum of Art building in February, the mostly finished museum felt like a chrysalis—placid and even ordinary on the …

Girls Shackled, Abused at Columbia

June 5, 2007 This story appears in this week's print edition of the Jackson Free Press. Eight adolescent girls were shackled, some of them for more than a week, at …

Our Broken (Mental) Health System

This is a first in a series of columns and comments on mental health in Mississippi.

Mayor Presents Budget Revisions

After months of delays, the mayor's administration finally handed over budget revisions to address the city's $3.9 million budget shortfall.

Embrace the Pale

I don't think skin cancer would flatter me. I'm using sunscreen.

My grandmother died of skin cancer before I was old enough to remember her. She was absolutely gorgeous. She had smooth milky skin, green eyes, and beautiful curly black hair. …

JPS Board Chooses Bond Manager

After a month of legal and procedural battles, the Jackson Public School Board awarded management of $122 million of a $150 million bond to Preferred Management Group and California-based Jacobs …

Long-Time Clarksdalians Open New Retaurant and Blues Club

For years it has been a dream of Clarksdalians Charles Ledbetter and Tommy "Baby Boy" Strider to operate a local restaurant and blues club. On June 11th, these 2 life …

City Directors Get Legal Training

The city of Jackson's department directors got legal training from State Auditor Phil Bryant's office yesterday.

Lou Dobbs: American Bigot

A few comments on my last blog about immigration made my heart pound with indignation in a way that felt oddly familiar. Was it the Jackson 2020-- a group dedicated …

This Won't Stay in Vegas

My honey and I flew off to Sin City to tie the connubial knot last week. Maybe I have had too much sun (a six-hour golf lesson in the desert …

Cyber Wine

When I first became obsessed with learning all I could about wine, I subscribed to Wine Spectator, the premier publication on wines in the U.S. The problem was that I …

Transmitting Reflections

Roy Adkins and Jerri Sherer are familiar figures in the Jackson art scene. These talented artists, also a married couple, have opened their studio, Light and Glass, in the Old …

The Best In Sports In 7 Days

Pro baseball, Mississippi Braves at Chattanooga (6:15 p.m., Chattanooga, Tenn., 930 AM): The M-Braves continue their series in the mountains. Don't miss the diorama, guys.

[Viewpoint] Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia

In the days since Rev. Jerry Falwell died, much has been written about his influence on politics, but relatively little has been written about his hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia—that is, his "fear of …

Budget Crisis Deepens

The Jackson City Council voted this week in a special meeting to reduce the pay of two rejected department heads to their salaries before they were promoted to interim heads. …