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The JFP Interview with Bill Luckett
In Clarksdale, Miss., Bill Luckett may as well already be governor. An attorney by training, he seems to have a hand in nearly every significant activity in town. Down the …
Luckett, DuPree Push Education, Business Help
Mississippi's two leading Democratic gubernatorial candidates found much to agree on yesterday during their first one-on-one debate. Clarksdale attorney and businessman Bill Luckett and Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree both touted …
Witnesses Praise Edwards' Leadership
Jackson Public Schools Superintendent Lonnie Edwards has made major improvements to the school district but still needs more time, witnesses in the hearing on Edwards' contract said today. Vicki Davidson, …
Capital City's Tough Year
The Jackson Police Department is no stranger to the Capital City Alternative School. The Jackson Public Schools' alternative school, whose students usually have referrals from other schools for discipline reasons, …
JPS Board Scrutinizing Principal Pay
The Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees is considering whether to drop a district requirement that principals be the highest-paid employees at JPS schools. The revised policy could come up …
Now Comes the Hard Part, Again
Mississippi's lawmakers may have approved $20 million in bonds for a state civil-rights museum last week, but the project still has major hurdles to clear before becoming a reality. Chief …
Poll: Many Blacks Undecided About Voter ID
Nearly 40 percent of African American voters are unsure how they feel about a voter-identification initiative on the 2011 statewide ballot, a new poll shows. Speaking at Koinonia Coffee House's …
Dirk Dedeaux
Dirk Dedeaux knows the cost of obesity to Mississippi taxpayers. Dedeaux, a Democratic representative from Perkinston, chairs the House Medicaid Committee, giving him a front seat to witness the economic …
Parchman's Past, Prison's Future
It's a strange month when the Parchman Farm comes out looking better than a county jail. On March 10, a federal judge finally dismissed the bulk of Gates v. Collier. …
The JFP Interview With Dave Dennis
In 1995, then-Mississippi Gov. Kirk Fordice announced his re-election campaign from the Gulfport home of Dave Dennis. Dennis had a lot in common with the governor. Both made their fortunes …
Catherine Sherer Bishop
A random Thursday night at Fenian's Pub in 1998 sparked a long-term love of Irish dance for Catherine Sherer Bishop. That night, Bishop saw the Jackson Irish Dancers, then a …
Jackson ‘White Flight' Slows In Last Decade
The release of 2010 Census data earlier this year may have been a gut-check for Jackson's leaders, but the numbers were hardly surprising. News reports, however, were quick to seize …
School Funding Takes Hopeful Turn
An upcoming revised revenue estimate for Mississippi could give public-education advocates and supporters some breathing room. The state Legislature's Revenue Estimating Committee met this week, and Mississippi Parents' Campaign Executive …
Redistricting Fight Comes Home
Hinds County's redistricting woes are not over, yet. One week after the county Board of Supervisors voted to approve new district maps, the board faces a possible lawsuit over its …
Itawamba Student Sues District Over Rap
A year ago, the Itawamba County School District made national news for electing to cancel Itawamba Agricultural High School's prom rather than allow lesbian student Constance McMillen to bring her …
Farish and a Dollar (General) More
Developer David Watkins said yesterday that he is "a hundred percent convinced" that the B.B. King Blues Club will sign a lease to anchor the Farish Street Entertainment District. The …
GOP Official Threatens Hinds With Lawsuit
The Hinds County Board of Supervisors may face a lawsuit over its decision to hire Mississippi NAACP President Derrick Johnson to oversee its redistricting process. Hinds County Republican Party Chairman …
Sushi, Tattoos and Redevelopment
The Fondren neighborhood will get a long-awaited sushi restaurant in April, developer Mike Peters says. Peters told the Jackson Free Press that Fatsumo Sushi, an American-style sushi restaurant in Gulfport, …
Council Confirms 2 More JPS Board Members
The City Council voted today to confirm Mayor Harvey Johnson's two additional nominees to the Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees. After delaying the vote for weeks due to in-fighting, …
No Small Feat
The students in John Bennetts' second-grade class are being perfect sponges. Bennetts, a teacher at KIPP Delta Elementary Literacy Academy, a charter school in Helena, Ark., is drilling the class …
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