Jackson Free Press

The Eye of the Needle

I usually ponder, ruminate, tweet, blog, joke and seethe about some or another issue for a week or more before I write a new editor's note. This week, though, I …

Voters, Choose Wisely

Politicians are good at distracting voters. They seem to be getting better at it all the time. With the majority of them lawyers, it may just be a matter of …

The JFP Interview with Steve Simpson

When Stephen Simpson stands over you with his 6-foot-7-inch frame, you might want to think twice before disagreeing with him. The Republican will tell you that "it's easy being on …

Hood Announces Guide for DV Victims

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood announced a new information guide for domestic violence victims at a press conference yesterday.

Calhoun: Jails Becoming Mental Health Centers

Hinds County wants help dealing with a rising population of incarcerated prisoners who suffer from substance abuse and mental health issues. The board of supervisors passed a resolution today formally …

Spike Lee

It wasn't enough for filmmaker Spike Lee to make one documentary about the anger and outrage of Gulf Coast residents in the months after Hurricane Katrina. His new documentary, "If …

Community Events and Public Meetings

Fall Community Enrichment Series, at Millsaps College (1701 N. State St.). Most classes start the week of Sept. 19 and fall into the categories of arts and crafts, computer, dance, …

JFP is Turning 9—What's Your Favorite JFP Memory?

I'll include a couple to get us going:

We need your help, JFP Nation. Our 9th birthday issue publishes this week, and we want to include favorite JFP-related moments (funny or serious) from staffers, readers, freelancers, etc. Please …

Capt. Ken Chapman

Capt. Ken Chapman claims he taught Aretha Franklin how to do the Bankhead bounce for a performance at the opening ceremony for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. She was …

Strength from the Old Ways

Music, motherhood, quilts and homemade pickles define Valley Gordon. Her worn guitar case proudly displays a sticker that reads "Old Time Music." Gordon, 34, has played guitar since she was …

Proud to Invest in America

I love America, and have proudly invested in America. I have invested by building successful businesses employing thousands of American workers. And I have invested in our country by paying …

Miriam Weems

Artist Miriam Weems filled the world with color from her cottage studio in Belhaven, and she reflected what she saw back to the community. This week, her fans, friends and …

Saving Grace

The striking red front door and the bright red and white-striped domed cover above it sets the house apart from others on the street. The building is one of five …

Jail-to-Streets Conundrum

Kenosha "Giggles" Johnson has become a staple in Fondren. Often with a blanket in tow, Johnson hangs out in front of businesses along State Street and occasionally receives strange looks …

Chairman Bryant

Will Mississippi Elect a Radical-Right Governor?

Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant 56, took his place on the far right of his Republican opponents on stage and thanked his wife, mother-in-law and voters for making his campaign possible. …

Of Anger and Alternative Endings

When I was a teenager, I decided I wanted to be a civil-rights attorney. I had visions of righting the kinds of wrongs done in my hometown of Philadelphia, Miss. …

Crime Perception Hurts Jackson Economy

Jackson misses out on booking conventions because of a false perception that the city has a high crime rate, Rickey Thigpen says. Thigpen, executive vice president of the Jackson Convention …

What do you think of ‘The Help'? About race progress in the state and Jackson?

Now that "The Help" has officially opened, it's getting massive national attention. (Just follow hashtag #thehelp on Twitter to see responses.) We're also getting calls from national media wanting to …

'Trickle-Down' Explained In About 1:30

Warning, NSFFNW. (Not Safe for Fox News Workplaces.)

Candidate of the Day: Cindy Hyde-Smith

Now that state Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith won the Republican primary Tuesday in her bid to become Mississippi's agricultural commissioner, she's helping her daughter start a new school year.