Jackson Free Press

Taking Responsibility in West Jackson

Civil-rights veteran John Perkins and his wife, Vera Mae, founded Voice of Calvary Ministries in 1975. The mission-driven Christian organization renovates homes and helps low-income families purchase them through financial …

City to Vote on Doubling Tourist Tax in Special, Pre-Holiday Meeting Thursday

In a late-announced Jackson City Council meeting scheduled for 10 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 21, the members will decide if they want to pursue an increase in the local tourist …

City Council Rejects Mayor's Request to Double Tourist Tax in 2018

The Jackson City Council voted against Mayor Chokwe Lumumba's request to double the local tourist tax this morning from 1 percent to 2 percent on purchases at restaurants, hotels and …

City Votes to End Water Treatment Lawsuit

The City of Jackson has been going through a long, public and drawn-out break-up with the West Rankin Utility Authority since WRUA received a permit to create its own wastewater …

Council: Continue, Don’t Double Tourist Tax

At a special Jackson City Council meeting called just before the long Christmas weekend, Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba asked members to reauthorize the Jackson Convention and Visitors Bureau and double …

Businesses in Mississippi Need Educated Workforce

Mississippi's businesses are ready to expand but most cannot because they cannot find educated employees to help make it happen, a new survey of 1,800 business owners in the state …

New Interim Police Chief Anthony Moore ‘Familiar’ with National Trends

Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba appointed Anthony Moore as the interim chief of the Jackson Police Department today. Moore fills former Chief of Police Lee Vance's spot, as he retired suddenly …

Hinds Judge Jeff Weill Sr. Will Not Seek Re-election

On the last day of 2017, Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Jeff Weill Sr. announced that he will not seek re-election to a third term in 2018. Weill was elected …

UPDATED: Top Jackson, Hinds Officials Fight Charges, Settle Lawsuits for Harassment, More

The "Weinstein era" of exposing sexual misconduct has launched many powerful and high-profile men out of their career posts and into the spotlight for their raunchy and violating behaviors in …

Council OKs Municipal Judges, Debates Bonds

June Hardwick, a Hinds County municipal judge under the first Mayor Chokwe Lumumba, returned to that post in late December after the Jackson City Council confirmed her and re-confirmed two …

Victims' Family Speak to Man Sentenced for 2013 Triple Homicide

Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Jeff Weill Sr. sentenced Javondus Beasley to life in prison for capital murder plus two consecutive 40-year sentences for second-degree murder today.

JPS Still Closed, But Many of City's 'Peanut Brittle' Pipes Repaired

While Jackson has suffered a staggering 116 water-main breaks in the last week, Director of Public Works Bob Miller is assuring citizens that the number of new breaks has fallen …

Fixing Jackson's $7 Million HUD Debt

A $7-million debt to the Department of Housing and Urban Development caused contention at the first Jackson City Council meeting of the new year, bringing recurring HUD headaches back to …

City Boil-Water Alerts: Updated Regularly

A live document tracking the City's water crisis

This is a live document tracking the City's water crisis that began in the first couple days of the month. Check back for updates.

West Rankin's Water, Sewer Lawsuit Against Jackson Continues

Water and sewage are at the heart of dueling legal efforts the City of Jackson and a coalition of west Rankin elected officials brought against each in recent years.

Rosie L.T.P. Johnson ‘Loved All Things Jackson’

A commissioner of the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority Board, Rosie L.T.P. Johnson, passed away late last week. The current JMAA chairman, James L. Henley, Jr., issued a statement on Jan. …

Simplifying Entrepreneurship in City

On Fridays an assortment of City workers situate themselves in a small conference room with a large wooden table and several cushy wheeled office chairs on the second floor of …

City Hall and Schools Reopen as Pipe Repairs Continue

The City of Jackson and Jackson Public Schools reopened today after being closed this week in the face of the wintry weather in Jackson and beyond.

Hinds County Sheriff Victor Mason to Employees: 'Get out of My Way'

Hinds County Sheriff Victor Mason wrote a memo to his employees Thursday basically saying they need to get on board with his leadership or "get out of my way." In …

Jackson's 'Deplorable' Pipes Still Bursting, Causing School Closures

The City of Jackson is somewhere between praising its public-works department for its hard work this year and quickly patching the aging infrastructure and pipes so that all citizens and …