Jackson Free Press

There's never a slow news week in Jackson, Miss., and last week was no exception. Here are the local stories JFP reporters brought you in case you missed them:

1. Jackson City Councilman DeKeither Stamps is catching a lot of flack for voting to stop a change order that would have funneled additional funds into the pockets of Hemphill Construction, the company the city has hired to rebuild Fortification Street.
2. Hospitals and local business owners are hoping to attract patients from rural Mississippi and surrounding states to one of Jackson's major hospitals.
3. At this year's fair, Republicans touted the success of the party's legislative agenda, which included passing a charter-school bill, a third-grade reading program and more.
4. Young Jackson Public Schools scholars returned to classrooms last week. And whether Aug. 8 marked the first time riding a big, yellow bus or the final year of locker assignments, the students will all share one thing this year with every other public-school student in Mississippi: Common Core State Standards.
5. Although some states are tightening restrictions on quick-loan businesses, Mississippi's lawmakers have had a large hand in helping the industry expand.
6. Outrage over payday loans, which trap millions of Americans in debt and are the best-known type of high-cost loans, has led to dozens of state laws aimed at stamping out abuses. But the industry has proved extremely resilient.
7. Justin McPherson at William Wallace Salon works his magic on mere mortals’ hair, giving it new life.
8. More than 700 people gathered at the Jackson Convention Center Thursday, eager to understand how health care can be a driver for creating jobs and boosting revenues in Mississippi.
9. Mississippi is once again locking horns with the federal government, but this time it's about neither guns nor affordable health-care insurance—it's about securities fraud.
10. The case against a Mississippi shipbuilder continues to mount with a new round of lawsuits accusing the company of engaging in human trafficking.

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