Jackson Free Press

Jackson Mayor Tony Yarber issues a statement this evening in the wake of the passage of HB 1523 and city council action.

The Human Rights Commission has releases a statement that includes an open letter to Governor Phil Bryant, Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves and Speaker Philip Gunn, calling on them to repeal HB 1523.

(Verbatim) Statement from the Crossroads Film Society Board:

It is ironic that on the heels of our very diverse, inclusive, and kind-hearted film festival, those of us who cherish open dialogue and respect the contributions we each make to our State find ourselves at another kind of crossroad.

Recent and confounding action by our State government to legitimize discrimination against LGBTQ individuals and to institutionalize fear of an open and diverse society, challenges Crossroads Film Society to show even more resolve to promote, nurture, and attract diverse and creative artists and film lovers to Mississippi.

We at Crossroads believe that the arts are tools, not weapons, and that we have a responsibility to promote a culture of respect for those who agree or disagree with us.

We do not fear diversity and we are now challenged to stay the course "to celebrate the art of filmmaking in all of its diversity and depth" and embrace that diversity in all aspects of our lives.

The JXN Trailblazers is a group dedicated to encouraging and promoting the building a multi-use trail from the Farmers' Market in downtown Jackson to the Lefleur's museum district centered at Lakeland Drive just east of I-55.

The Human Rights Campaign issued a statement praising the Jackson Public School District for voting unanimously to extend workplace protections to gay, lesbian and transgender employees.

Despite overcast skies, Zoo Blues appears to be getting a reprieve and the folks at the Jackson Zoo say the show will go on.

In May 2016, Donna Ladd sat down with JPD Chief of Police Lee Vance to discuss crime, youth violence, and creative solutions.

In a segment highlighting how easy it is to buy up old medical debt and learn about the patients who have it, John Oliver on his show "Last Week Tonight" put together a shell company to do just that.

Members of the JFP's editorial and design staff have won numerous honors in the 66th Annual Green Eyeshade award, including our first ever "Best in Division" award, receiving the top honor among all non-daily print publications in the contest.

In a 4-3 vote today the Supreme Court upheld the University of Texas' admissions policy that takes into account the race or ethnicity of applicants who aren't automatically admitted under the school's "10 Percent" rule. (The top percentage of all Texas high school graduates are automatically qualified for admittance; it's not always 10 percent, but that's that's the name it's given.)

The case was brought by Abigail Fischer a white woman who claimed that, although she wasn't in the top 10 percent of her college class, she was denied admissions because she is white. She has since graduated from Louisiana State University.

Read more here.

After careful review of the law, and the social and fiscal impacts of HB 1523, I have decided not to appeal the Federal Court's injunction in this case against me. I am convinced that continuing this divisive and expensive litigation is not in the best interests of the state of Mississippi or its taxpayers.

Verbatim release:

City of Jackson Launches Self-Service Portal for Water Customers

The City of Jackson will launch the new customer self-service portal on Monday, Aug. 1, providing convenience and useful information to the City’s water customers. The portal allows water customers to pay bills online, view account balances and copies of previous months’ bills, and monitor and track water usage.

Customers can visit https://waterwebcss.jacksonms.gov/OUCSSPortal to set up an account.

Users of the self-service portal will see the same data that is available to the Water Department as they generate monthly bills. Data is available in near real-time and is supplied from the automatic water meter on your property. If customers need more information than what is available on the portal, they can contact the Water Sewer Business Administration at 601-960-2000.

Customers can take simple steps to reduce water consumption and water bills:

Five-minute showers use about 10 gallons of water, or about 75% less water than baths.

Turning off the water while you brush teeth can reduce your water usage to less than 1 gallon, whereas letting the water run for 2 minutes will waste as much as 4 gallons of water.

Watering your lawn uses about 2 gallons per minute; consider how much time you need to water your lawn—and whether the lawn really needs it.

If you wash dishes by hand, you can use as much as 27 gallons of water. Consider scraping dishes first, letting them soak in soapy water before rinsing, and not letting the water run the entire time you’re washing.

In July, the JFP held a town hall meeting at Millsaps College with featured guest Kai Smith.

Jackson, Mississippi – On June 22, 2016, the Mississippi Brewers Guild and the Mississippi Beer Distributors Association held a joint meeting to discuss the state of the craft beer industry in Mississippi and agree on an on-premises sales bill for the 2017 Mississippi Legislative Session.

Marvel's Doctor Strange is coming to the big screen, beginning with a premiere in Hollywood. Watch the AP stream live here.

Beginning Monday, Oct. 24, construction crews will begin work to replace a failing section of sewer line that runs under the intersection of Woodrow Wilson Avenue and Bailey Avenue Ext. Due to the location of the sewer line directly beneath the middle of the intersection, construction crews will replace the line in three phases to keep Woodrow Wilson Avenue open at all times. However, there will be lane closures on Woodrow Wilson Avenue and Bailey Avenue Ext and turn restrictions and some detours for Bailey Avenue Ext.

Commissioner of Higher Education Dr. Glenn Boyce, on behalf of the Board of Trustees, has accepted a letter of resignation from Dr. Carolyn Meyers, President of Jackson State University. The resignation is effective November 1.

The City of Jackson ordered a precautionary boil-water notice for some streets in Eastover affected by low water pressure.

In a long e-mail to supporters, Elizabeth Warren outlined the positions that Democrats will stake out in opposition to and in support of potential policies put forth by a President Trump.

The National Security Administration isn't big on public statements, so this one by Admiral Michael Rogers, the NSA's current chief, is raising some eyebrows.