State
Stonewall: Life Across the Tracks
There's a saying amongst black folks in Stonewall, that if it has a motor, they—white cops—don't want you on it.
Westin to Break Ground Downtown in Aug.
A long-awaited hotel project announced more than three years ago is scheduled to break ground in August.
City & County
Jackson Working Out Bugs on Tech Issues
The City of Jackson spent close to a half-million dollars this week as part of its ongoing efforts to update its technology systems, many of which are old and outdated …
Justice
Jonathan Sanders Autopsy No Surprise, Town Still on Edge
Although a preliminary autopsy report ruling Jonathan Sanders' death a homicide, caused by manual asphyxiation, came as no surprise to his friends and relatives, they hope it is the first …
City & County
Mo’ Than a Hotel in Fondren
A year quietly in the making, a funky boutique hotel recently announced for the Fondren is about more than giving out-of-towners a place to crash for the night, said project …
Civil Rights
Officials: 'Misinformation' Clouds Jonathan Sanders Death Probe
Four days after 39-year-old Jonathan Sanders was killed during an altercation with white police officer Kevin Herrington in Stonewall, the public still knows little about what happened between the men, …
City & County
Fondren Area Hotel, Solar Plant Planned
Tomorrow, July 10, Roy Decker of Duvall Decker will discuss The Fondren, a planned hotel in one of Jackson's arts districts, at the weekly Friday Forum at Koinonia Coffee House.
JFP Interviews
Stringfellow: Marketing the County’s Assets
Eric Stringfellow's path, from a newspaper reporter in the tiny eastern Illinois town of Danville to candidate for the candidate for Hinds County Board Supervisor, isn't as unlikely as it …
JFP Interviews
Fuller: ‘Progressive, Sustainable Change’
Henry Fuller recently talked to the Jackson Free Press about stepping out from the behind the scenes to serve on the Hinds County Board of Supervisors.
State
'Confederate Heritage' and Pro-Flag Rally Planned for Monday
Last fall, the Magnolia Heritage Campaign started a petition drive to preserve what it considers Mississippi heritage by acknowledging Christianity as the official state religion and English as the official …
Cover
Mississippi's Flag: A People Problem
Long a lightning rod, the Mississippi state flag has come under fresh scrutiny in recent weeks following a mass killing of nine African Americans at a church in South Carolina.
Person of the Day
Genia Lovett
Genia Lovett, a longtime Gannett executive, came out of retirement to take the reins at the Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, the newspaper reported today.
City & County
Jackson OKs Hate Crime Reporting Rule
Amid tensions following the mass shooting in Charleston, S.C., and over the legalization of same-sex marriages across the nation, the Jackson City Council this morning passed an ordinance requiring the …
Citizens Rally to Change 'Traumatizing' State Flag
On Monday, June 29, citizens, activists and officials rallied in the shadow of the Confederate Women's Memorial, located at the Mississippi Capitol, to call on political leaders to remove a …
City & County
Hinds County Campaign Finance Reports Are In
Nearly 100 pages of campaign-finance reports have been filed in Hinds County local races.
JFP Interviews
Sheriff: Crime Has No Boundaries
On June 9, Tyrone Lewis invited the Jackson Free Press to his office to respond to Victor Mason, explain his famous holiday-themed billboards and say why he deserves to remain …
State
Private Prison ‘Whack-a-Mole’
Legal advocates for prisoners in Mississippi say the state has failed to follow through on promises to create better conditions at Walnut Grove Correctional Facility and that attempts to address …
Person of the Day
Jody E. Owens II
Jody E. Owens II, who has worked with the SPLC since January 2011, seems like a natural if not overdue choice to receive the Beth Arnovits Gutsy Advocate for Youth …
Business
Clarion-Ledger Loses 4, Including Publisher
The Clarion-Ledger continues to shrink, with the loss of at least four employees, including the paper's publisher, who has been with the company less than a year.
Justice
Walnut Grove Prison to Remain Under Court Order
There is no question, a federal judge said, that "there are current and ongoing violations of the inmates’ federal rights" at Walnut Grove Correctional Facility.
Cover
Gunfight! The Showdown for Hinds County Sheriff
The biggest obstacle between Sheriff Tyrone Lewis and a second term is Victor Mason, a former Jackson police lieutenant, who has followed jail developments closely.
Civil Rights
Disturbing the Peace Law: Ludicrous?
Legal experts say Mississippi's disturbance of the peace statute is broad enough to mean whatever police and judges want it to mean.
ACLU: Charges for Senatobia Graduation Cheering Infringes on Free Speech Rights
The American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi says that charging people for cheering at a graduation is violation of freedom of speech protections.
City & County
Boys, Barbers and Books
Everyone knows that a trip to a barbershop can often mean long waits before you get in the chair—in some cases, extremely long waits. And for kids, it's sometimes difficult …
Al Joyner, Philanthropist and Businessman, Dead at 69
Albert "Al" Joyner, who owned businesses and contributed to charitable causes in Jackson, died today. He was 69.
City & County
Siemens Reboots, Council Critics Remain Skeptical
Jackson council members are cautiously optimistic as Mayor Tony Yarber's administration lifts a work stoppage for the beleaguered Siemens water-meter upgrade project.
City & County
Low City, County Wages Cause Concern
Despite getting news from an independent consultant that the wage structure the Jackson City Council approved last year might break the bank, supporters of the higher wages are hopeful that …
Mint the Restaurant Files for Ch. 11 Bankruptcy
Mint the Restaurant, located at the Renaissance in Ridgeland, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
State
Hinds Supervisors Mull Jailer Pay Raises
After the release of a damning report from the U.S. Justice Department concerning conditions at Hinds County jails, officials are eyeing changes to the pay structure for guards.
Siemens: Sewer, Water Line Upgrades Done; Meter Project to Restart
Siemens, the company which Jackson is paying $91 million for water upgrades, said today that the portion of the contract that calls for water- and sewer-line improvements is complete and …
City & County
On the Road, Through the Water and Underground with Kishia Powell
Reminiscent of scenes where a commander-in-chief visits troops in a conflict zone, Kishia Powell, Jackson's public-works director, spent a day touring facilities and meeting with workers under her command.
City & County
Jackson Eyes Federal DOT Grants
Mayor Tony Yarber hopes Uncle Sam can help the City of Jackson with some of its infrastructure challenges.
LGBT
The Tough Work After LGBT Marriage
Married on Saturday, fired on Monday. Rob Hill, executive director of the Human Rights Campaign of Mississippi, said the scenario is a real possibility and fear of LGBT people and …
Politics
Zinn Touts Jackson Ties in Home Stretch
Going into the final two weeks before a runoff election for Mississippi's 1st Congressional District, Walter Zinn is emphasizing his time spent working for the City of Jackson.
City & County
City Looks to Fill $700 Million Infrastructure Funding Gap
Several shiny new pieces of recently purchased heavy equipment rumbled through the streets of downtown Jackson this morning.
City & County
Yarber: Infrastructure Red Tape Hurts Black Cities
Mayor Tony Yarber feels like he's between a rock and a hard place when it comes to addressing Jackson's failing infrastructure.
City & County
JPD Remembers Fallen Police, Stresses Trust Building
After hoisting a crisp new American flag above Jackson police headquarters, Jackson's top law-enforcement officials remembered officers who've fallen in the line of duty.
City & County
Defining Effective School Discipline in JPS
On May 6, Jackson Public Schools seemed to be suffering from a split personality. That morning, at Wingfield High School in south Jackson, education advocates and school officials hailed the …
City & County
Siemens Water Meter Work Could Resume Within Weeks
Work could soon resume on the Siemens water-meter installation project, a top Jackson public-works official said May 7.
City & County
Commish OKs $13 Million First-Year Sales Tax Plan
The commission in charge of Jackson's special sales tax plan approved spending approximately $13 million.
Politics
Mr. Zinn and Mr. Whitwell Want to Go to Washington
Walter Howard Zinn and Quentin Whitwell, both former Jackson residents, are two of the 13 men competing in a May 12 special election to replace the late U.S. Rep. Alan …
Cover
Fly, Fight, Win: The JFP Interview with Dr. Valerie Short
In keeping with the spirit of the U.S. Air Force's motto "Aim High" Dr. Valerie Adream Smartt Short has set her sights on the state's highest office.
State
Crunching MDOC’s Budget Numbers
On any given morning anywhere where in Hinds County, you're bound to see them. Clad in green-and-white jumpsuits, they pick up rubbish along the side of the road, unload trucks …
Person of the Day
Gov. Chris Christie
Chris Christie's chances of winning the Mississippi Republican primary are about as good as the chance that a commuter on the George Washington Bridge would make it home in time …
National
ACLU Launches Phase II of Police-Watching App
Police brutality? The ACLU of Mississippi has an app for that. Today, the ACLU rolled out the iOS version of its Mobile Justice Mississippi app.
State
MDOC Move Draws Fire from Hinds County
Officials with the Hinds County Sheriff's Office are blasting a decision from the state corrections commissioner to end a program that provides inmate labor to the county.
Crime
Last of James Craig Anderson's Killers Sentenced
Sentencing for the last pair of co-conspirators in one of the nation's largest ever hate-crime investigations is now under way in federal court in Jackson.
Justice
Why Does the State Still Want to Kill Willie Jerome Manning?
Willie Jerome Manning has been on death row for more than two decades, facing the possibility of execution for two sets of murders that occurred about one month apart.
