City & County
CITY: Zoo Demolitions Underway, New Virden Addition Community Center, Trail Moves Ahead
The Jackson City Council voted last week to approve demolition of outdated zoo buildings that city officials say they hope to transform into a contact area for animals.
City & County
Credible Messengers Closer to Hitting Streets to Prevent Violence in Jackson
Credible messengers, many of whom have been through the criminal-justice system, enter into communities to mentor and discourage at-risk individuals from participating in criminal activity.
Business
Museum-to-Market Trail Could Open by Fall 2020 in Jackson
A new 2.5-mile-long walking, running, and biking trail connecting Jackson's museums and the Mississippi Farmers Market could open as early as fall 2020 if the Jackson City Council gives it ...
City & County
JPS Reports Lower Suspensions Overall, But More Discipline of High School Students
The Jackson Public School District is meeting its goal of suspending 12% or fewer of JPS students three months into the 2019-2020 school year, district officials say.
City & County
Jackson Zoo Receives $50,000 from County; Road and Bridge Repairs in Limbo
The Jackson Zoo will benefit from a $50,000 grant from the Hinds County Board of Supervisors after it reversed its earlier decision to withhold the grant because the zoo is ...
City & County
Dozens of Sewer Failures Require Millions in Emergency City Funds to Repair
The City of Jackson need to allocate as much as $5 million to fix 50 sewer failures throughout Jackson, although more money may be necessary to fix them all. The ...
Immigration
Field Hearing Sheds Light on Mississippi ICE Raids
The (ICE) field hearing touched on the impact of the raids on local economies, the cost of carrying them out, and back wages owed to workers, but it did not ...
City & County
Democrats Secure Victories in Hinds County Elections
As the Mississippi Republican Party swept up all state-wide offices yesterday's general election, Democrats won several seats in Hinds County.
City & County
City Roundup: Water Bill Solution for Now, Zoo Still Closed, Robberies Down
As the City of Jackson continues to devise ways to fix its water-billing system, customers who currently do not receive bills will pay a monthly "minimum-service charge" of $63.27 for ...
Justice
Left Behind: Public Defenders Underpaid, Have Little Oversight
When Michele Purvis Harris was city attorney of Jackson, she heard troubling remarks from the people her office was supposed to prosecute. "I don't want the public defender, I want ...
City & County
Lumumba Vows to Fight Corruption, Cites Progress in 'State of the City'
Corporations and other bad actors will no longer take advantage of Jackson, Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba pledged to a crowd during his third State of the City Address yesterday evening.
Education
Mississippi HBCUs Among Worst Targets of Discriminatory Lending
Historically black colleges and universities in Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana pay three times more in underwriting fees than do their non-HBCU counterparts, a new economics study found.
Crime
John Knight III's Police Brutality Lawsuit Will Proceed, Hinds Judge Rules
A lawsuit accusing the City of Jackson of police brutality will move forward after a hearing this morning.
Business
Hinds Supervisors Withhold $50,000 from Jackson Zoo Due to Closing
The Hinds County Board of Supervisors voted this week to reject a claim to give a $50,000 grant to the City of Jackson to support the Jackson Zoo.
Business
Water-Sewer Lawsuit Against City Has New Attorney, Carlos Moore
As the City of Jackson continues its own legal battle against Siemens seeking $225 million over a botched water-sewer billing system, Carlos Moore is continuing work on a lawsuit filed ...
Crime
Racist Policing in Madison County Target of New Federal Consent Decree
The Madison County Sheriff’s Department engaged in unconstitutional, racially discriminatory policing practices that disproportionately targeted black residents, a Southern District of Mississippi judge ruled last week.
City & County
Jackson Unveils Water-Bill Payment Plan Required for Delinquent Residents
The City of Jackson unveiled a payment plan for residents with delinquent water bills Wednesday, part of its attempt to collect nearly $50 million in delinquent accounts.
Crime
What Can the Hinds DA Do to Cure the System?
Incoming Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens vows a criminal-justice approach focused on public safety and, hopefully, more alternatives to prison.
City & County
Jackson to Use $1.8 Million Federal Grant to Fight Lead Contamination
The City of Jackson is getting $1.8 million in federal funds to clean up lead-based paint and other home health hazards in the city.
Business
UPDATE: Jackson's $7 Million Water Bill Fix Passes; Zoo Closure Ends Worker Benefits
At a special meeting late last week, the Jackson City Council blocked a $7-million emergency loan to fix its water-sewer system, which has been plagued with problems since the City ...
Business
JPS Improves, City Restrains Zoo Over Zebra, JPD Targets Drug Hubs
The last week saw important developments in Jackson's public schools, its police department and the Jackson Zoo.
City & County
City to Bail Out Convention Center This Month, But Rejects Request for $790,000
The fledgling Jackson Convention Center asked the Jackson City Council for bailout money this week and got it, but not without pushback from two members, Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes ...
Politics
JFP Questions Destruction of Public Records by Hinds County Board of Supervisors
The Jackson Free Press is asking the Hinds County Board of Supervisors to delay its unanimous vote yesterday to dispose of documents relating to its former administrations as well as ...
City & County
Court: No Voters' Right to Govern Airport, OK to Hide Communications
Capital-city residents do not have the right to govern the Jackson Medgar-Evers Wiley Airport or subpoena records from Mississippi legislators who voted to take over control of the facility, the ...
City & County
Jacksonians Must Pay for Recycling, But City Recommendations Fall Short
In the wake of the City's suspension of its recycling program, Jackson residents have limited recycling options.
Crime
Mississippi Launches Statewide Human Trafficking Council
To address rising human-trafficking rates in Mississippi, a collaboration of government agencies has launched the inaugural Mississipi Human Trafficking Council.
Politics
Lee Vance's Priority as Hinds Sheriff: Overhauling Pretrial Detention System
Former Jackson Police Chief Lee Vance said Friday that reforming the pretrial detention system in Hinds County would be a top priority for his administration if he is elected Hinds ...
Business
Amid Water-Sewer Problems, Jackson 'Millage Rate' Vote a Temporary Fix
Amid an ongoing lawsuit stemming from concerns over Jackson's water-sewer system, the Jackson City Council voted Thursday evening to not change the overall millage rate for fiscal year 2020.
Health Care
Focus on Money in Mental Health Crisis a 'Red Herring,' Advocate Says
Disability Rights Mississippi praised a federal judge's ruling earlier this week that found the State violates the civil rights of those with mental illness, but a leading mental health advocate ...
Health Care
Letters Show Hood Warned State About Mental Health Crisis for Years
Hours after a federal judge ruled that the State of Mississippi's mental-health system violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood told reporters that he "knew this ...
Cover
Jim Hood, Tate Reeves: Real Issues on Center Stage in Governor’s Race
Tate Reeves pushed typical conservative buttons on his way to primary victory. Tammy Pearson said he spent too much time "relying on his name-dropping of Trump," adding, "This is a ...
Crime
Mississippi Sex Traffickers Target Children, Homeless LGBT Kids
Young people in Mississippi are among the most vulnerable targets and least visible victims of trafficking, the executive director of Mississippians Against Human Trafficking said.
Immigration
ICE Raids 'Fire From Our Hellish Past,' Rights Leader Says in Canton
Daisy Martinez fought back tears as she told an audience at a Mississippi church, including Rev. William Barber of the Poor People's Campaign, about her mother Maria, an undocumented immigrant ...
Health Care
Hood Criticizes 'Legal Corruption,' Pushes for Medicaid, Mental-Health Reform
On the heels of Tate Reeves' victory in the Republican runoff for Mississippi governor, Democratic nominee Jim Hood emphasized the urgency of health-care reform for Mississippians at the Jackson Medical ...
State
Google Visit Highlights Digital Divide, 'Brain Drain' Causes in Mississippi
"Grow with Google," part of Google's nationwide initiative to equip Americans with skills needed to thrive in today's digital economy, highlighted ongoing concerns around statewide and Jackson-area disparities in broadband ...
Politics
Hood Vows to 'Prosecute' on Issues as Reeves Wins GOP Gov Nod
Just moments after Mississippi Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves clenched the Republican nomination for governor in Tuesday night's runoff, his Democratic opponent in the November general election vowed to mount a ...
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