Jackson Free Press

‘Little Birds’: Families Sex Trafficking Own Kids

Most reported child sex trafficking in central Mississippi happens within families. In a report filled with difficult realities, this was the most shocking finding for researcher Wendy Bradford.

Stop Dieting, Be Healthy

Diet is a four-letter word. For people who struggle with weight, the word conjures images of hardship and long lists of what we shouldn't be eating and doing.

Laurin Stennis: Art of Consciousness

For Laurin Stennis, art is about refuge and full self-expression.

Tom Thomsen's Heart for the Arts

Tom Thomsen's artistic career is long and varied. The Nebraska native—and former farm boy—began playing piano at age 4.

Hope for Harper Grace

Harper Grace Durval, now 2, has a rare form of epilepsy, Dravet Syndrome. Her daily grand mal seizures include unconsciousness, severe muscle contractions, and loss of bladder and bowel control. …

Investigate the Hayne Cases, Gen. Hood

Reading journalist Radley Balko's May 15 piece on Steven Hayne in The Washington Post reminded me, again, of our broken justice system.

• 13 comments

Lullaby and Good Night

A 2013 National Sleep Foundation study reported that 67 percent of respondents said they don't get enough sleep, especially on workdays, and a lack of sleep can affect us dramatically.

How The Clarion-Ledger Got It Wrong: The Importance of Context

As part of its coverage of Mississippi's proposed execution of Michelle Byrom, The Clarion-Ledger's Therese Apel wrote a puff piece that ostensibly explored whether the United States reserves its harshest …

• 5 comments

The Lumumba Legacy: What Happens Now?

Chokwe Lumumba was the first to admit that he was a radical. He was never satisfied with the status quo. He became a lawyer for the express purpose of defending …

Love, Laughter and Zippity Doo Dah

If laughter and love are balms for the soul—and surely they are—spending Valentine's Day morning with Jill Conner Browne provided plenty of both.

Health-Care Navigators Fight Misinformation

Jarvis Dortch, program manager for the Mississippi Health Advocacy Group and a marketplace navigator for the Affordable Care Act, says many people don’t know that the ACA is the same …

• 1 comment

Women’s Rights, Safety Again at Issue

Sen. Joey Fillingane, R-Sumrall, knows his anti-abortion "heartbeat" bill likely will not survive the current session of the Mississippi Legislature, but he introduced it anyway.

Council Hears Zoning Issues; Certifies Election

Jackson City Council members heard opposing views on zoning issues on Tuesday, Jan. 21, and some briefly called into question the results of Jan. 14 vote to approve a 1-percent …

Start Where You Are

Every journey has a beginning. Trying to start in the middle—or at the end—is unrealistic and can leave us frustrated and defeated, even with a healthy dose of positive thinking.

Exchanges are Here, Like it or Not

Today, Oct. 1, 2013, marks day one of the health-insurance exchanges as outlined in the 2010 Affordable Care Act, aka "Obamacare," President Barack Obama's landmark health-insurance reform act.

Everyone Needs a Roof

You've heard it before: For many Americans, homelessness is just a couple of paychecks away.

Jerry and Helen Young

Pastor Jerry Young laughs heartily about his upcoming appearance at Friday's Mississippi Sickle Cell Foundation Annual "Evening with the Sickle Cell Stars Gala," where he and his wife of 39 …

M. Trost Friedler

Sobriety and running a center to assist others to deal with addiction issues came back-to-back for M. Trost Friedler, whose substance abuse issues first brought him to Jackson in the …

Woods: Sacred Trust

District 4 Hinds County supervisor candidate Alvin Woods believes supervisors should treat their constituents' money as a sacred trust.

Smoking in Jackson? Not in Public Places

The city of Jackson enacted its first non-smoking ordinance in 2008, banning smoking from most public places. It clarified some confusing language two years later.