Young Poets Draw from Jackson Scenes
Young poets presented their work to a standing-room-only crowd last night, lit by soft lights and supported by ambient jazz. The poets were fourth-graders from Davis Magnet School, sharing what …
Voter ID Planning Begins
Valencia Robinson, founder and executive director of Mississippi in Action, an advocacy group, sat at a table in the front of the room and riffled through brochures and printouts from …
State Wants NCLB Relief
The Mississippi Board of Education voted last month to apply for a waiver in hopes of getting relief from some of the requirements of No Child Left Behind.
Barksdale Offers JPS ‘The Price of Eggs' for Supe Search
Jim Barksdale, former president and CEO of Netscape, has officially offered the school board financial assistance to hire and retain the best superintendent that money can buy.
Light Bulbs and Awards
Oil and gas company CITGO provided more than 1,000 energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs to Jackson residents last weekend.
PERS Commission Report Delayed
Public employees and politicians anxious to see recommendations from a commission studying the Public Employees' Retirement System will have to wait a while longer.
City Council Questions Farish Developers
City Council members questioned Farish Street developers about their request for $8 million in bonds during a work session this morning.
JSU President: ‘Pay Teachers More'
Communities need to pay teachers more, says Carolyn Meyers, president of Jackson State University. "I think our whole system, nationally, is topsy-turvy," she said this morning at Koinonia Coffee House. …
Claire Holley
Although Claire Holley didn't spend her childhood sitting on a picturesque front porch swapping family tales, Mississippi's culture and landscape has still managed to work its way into her pensive, …
‘Take Risks; Make Changes'
Jackson Public Schools has nine months to hire a new superintendent before interim Superintendent Jayne Sargent's contract expires in July.
Tate Reeves vs. Reform Party
Here's something interesting: The Associated Press reported that in the lieutenant governor's race between Republican Tate Reeves and the Reform Party's Tracella Lou O'Hara Hill, Hill received 20 percent of …
Live from Yes on 26
Personhood is the race to watch tonight, with supporters at a "watch and pray" event hosted by Yes on 26 saying it's too close to call.
Personhood Polls Surprisingly Close
In this typically anti-abortion state, a recent poll suggests that the fate of the "Personhood Amendment" might be too close to call. Public Policy Polling found that 45 percent of …
Melody Musgrove
It's a rainy day at Callaway High School. Tell-tale water stains spread in brown patches on the ceiling, and tiles bulge under the weight of water from the leaky roof. …
Students Make Gains in Math
National test scores in math and reading consistently put Mississippi below the national average, but this year's results show students made gains in one of the areas where they typically …
Churches and Campaigns
The Internal Revenue Service categorizes churches as nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations. It regulates how nonprofits can be involved in political campaigns and still maintain their tax-exempt status.
Voter ID: Excessive Regulation?
In 2005, Noxubee County Democratic Executive Committee Chairman Ike Brown decided to go the extra—and illegal—mile to get votes for African American candidates, according to court records.
Voting Long Under Fire
In the decades after the 15th Amendment was ratified in 1870, granting American citizens the right to vote regardless of race, white southerners developed methods to circumvent the amendment and …
Eminent Domain: ‘Taking' Too Much?
In 2001, Nissan was preparing to come to Canton, and Lonzo Archie's home stood in the way of a new factory. The state, eager to bring in the factory's jobs …
Absent-Minded Balloting
Despite a mistake in preparing absentee ballots, state officials say people's votes will be counted, but could present legal challenges later. An error in preparing them initially left information about …
Bike Trail Boost
The Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership will announce funding for the "Museum to Market" pedestrian and bike trail project in Jackson this afternoon.
Groups Make Final Pleas for Votes
A little more than a week before Election Day, various political and advocacy groups are lobbying voters in hopes of swaying their votes on three ballot initiatives.
Power APAC Receives Kennedy Center Award
A Jackson public school has received national recognition for its part in making the fine arts a component of students' education. The school also received a grant to support its …
Economic Blueprint for Success
Early childhood education, the creative economy and interracial cooperation are crucial to Mississippi's economic development, state business leaders say.
Eminent Domain a Job Killer?
Limiting eminent domain to public projects only is a "job killer," Bishop Ronnie Crudup, senior pastor of New Horizon Church International, said yesterday.
Census Snapshot: Multiracial Nation
The 2010 Census found that more Americans are identifying as multi-racial than ever before. More than twice as many people reported their race as both black and white in 2010 …
Moran Tackles PERS, Eminent Domain
Connie Moran, Democratic candidate for treasurer, promised to keep the Public Employees Retirement System intact if she is elected.
Barksdale Pledges Funds for Superintendent
Jim Barksdale, former president and CEO of Netscape and a Jackson native, has offered funds to help Jackson Public Schools find and hire a new superintendent.
Jim Rosenblatt
Downtown Jackson is an ideal place for a law school, Jim Rosenblatt told attendees at Friday Forum at Koinonia Coffee House this morning. The capital city provides aspiring lawyers with …
Absentee Ballots Cause Ruckus
Some Mississippi voters received incomplete absentee ballot packets in the mail. An error in preparing the packets left out information about the fiscal impact of the three initiatives on the …
The Dropout-Crime Connection
What if there was a way to stop people from committing crimes before they started? Fight Crime: Invest in Kids is a nonprofit organization that advocates for quality education and …
Who's In a Gang? Who Uses Crack?
State and local jurisdictions develop their own definitions of "gangs," which can lead to confusion and ill-defined fears of gang violence. The Jackson Police Department does not have an official …
Bryant, DuPree Play Nice
The two candidates for governor in Mississippi talked up bipartisan cooperation and downplayed their differences at a debate Oct. 14.
Protesters Occupy Smith Park
A demonstration that began Saturday at Smith Park continued through the weekend, and supporters of Occupy Mississippi say they do not plan to leave any time soon.
Eclectic Food; Restaurant Charity
A restaurant that closed downtown almost 20 years ago has now reopened on Woodrow Wilson Avenue, where it offers an eclectic mix of food.
Candidates Put Politeness Above Policy
Mississippi's two candidates for governor stayed polite and avoided any appearance of negative attacks at a debate Friday night. Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant and Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree invoked friendship, …
Racing to Fund Pre-K
Mississippi is one of only 10 states without public, statewide early childhood education, leaving a hodgepodge of agencies and organizations to help children prepare for kindergarten. Now, the state is …
Sonia Fogal
Sonia Fogal, a self-professed adrenaline junkie and accomplished wheelchair fencer, is working hard to encourage health and physical fitness in the disability community.
Safe Social Networking
Renee Walker came to the Facebook Roadshow at Clinton High School Oct. 6 to find out what to do when one person impersonates another on the popular social-networking website.
Diet Soda for Dudes
I can just imagine the creative thought process that spawned this campaign.
Dr. Pepper has a new ad campaign to convince "manly men" to drink more diet soda.
Ethiopian Flavors
Jackson will get to taste a new cuisine with the first Ethiopian restaurant now open in the area.
Federal Spending, Earmarks Fund Medical Advances
Despite concerns about the federal deficit and vows to cut out "pork-barrel spending," congressional earmarks and other sources of federal money are funding medical research and upgrades at the University …
AG: Keep Teens Safe Online
Teens' online social networking can affect real-life safety and friendships, so parents should talk with their children about staying safe on social media websites panelists said at a Facebook roadshow …
Influencing Sex-Ed Policies
School advocacy groups and parents are beginning to talk about how they can influence Jackson Public Schools' sex-education policy next year.
Growing Green Jobs
"One of the things that you see is a gradual greening of the economy, both in Mississippi and the U.S. as a whole," Dek Terrell said. "... When I look …
Questions Dog Convention Hotel Deal
'The horse is out of the barn and ... we don't have any answers.' – Margaret Barrett-Simon
BP and Main Streets
BP may seem like a strange benefactor for Gulf Coast businesses in light of the damaging oil spill still fresh in Mississippi memories, but BP America has announced a partnership …
Lack of Details about Hotel Frustrates Council
This article is a revision of the story distributed through JFP Daily in order to clarify several points. See a revision explanation below the story.
