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. Two recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions validating same-sex unions may have a wider effect in Mississippi and nationwide than previously thought.
2. During the last legislative session, Mississippi lawmakers sharpened the teeth of the state's laws addressing human trafficking.
3. At his July 1 inauguration, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba said that the city of Jackson is "open for business." According to the mayor, it means that any business that is willing to work with the city and its needs for jobs and responsible economic growth will have a friend in the mayor's office.
4. Read Mississippi Power's response to our July 3 Stinker Quote of the Week here.
5. Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann said implementation of a controversial voter-identification law, which he has championed, began immediately after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling invalidating a key section of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
6. Pieter Teeuwissen spoke at Friday Forum at Koinonia Coffee House on a range of topics pertinent to Jacksonians, including the Environmental Protection Agency's consent decree, much-needed water and sewer improvements and school millage rates, among other subjects.
7. A steady downward trend in major crimes in the capitol city continues, with one notable exception: carjackings. The Jackson Police Department's latest crime statistics show a 32.6 percent increase in carjackings this year compared to last year.
8. While some of his appointments may be delayed, Mayor Chokwe Lumumba has made a few other decisions on staffing. One of those is Safiya Omari, who will serve as his chief of staff.
9. Mississippi's record on youth incarceration is less than stellar. The number of county-run youth jails and state-run youth prisons that have been slapped with lawsuits for mistreating kids is almost too high to count.
10. Managing Editor Ronni Mott discusses the ongoing effects of racism here.

Remember: Check the JFP Events planner for everything to do in the Jackson metro area. You can also add your own events (or send them to [email protected])! See JFPEvents.com

Read staff and reader blog posts at jfp.ms/weblogs (yes, you can register on the site and start your own blog!)