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 Ward 2 Councilman Melvin Priester Jr. argued at a recent hearing that building a new wastewater plant in Rankin County goes against basic environmental principles.
2. A project to bring affordable apartments to Fondren has been in the works since 2013, but the construction began last month and is causing concern for some residents.
3. Rep. Andy Gipson, R-Braxton, who chairs a key judiciary committee, is helping move a legislative effort to undo last year’s landmark prison-reform legislation.
4. The Mississippi Legislature is preparing for the big fights that come later in the session, now that the Senate and House cleared most routine, non-controversial items off their calendars in this fifth week of the session.
5. A chilling new report revealed this week reveals that racial terror lynching in the U.S. was much worse than previously believed.
6. In the Senate, over six hours of debate resulted in lawmakers' moving to: repeal the motor vehicle safety inspection law, ask the federal government to balance their budget, enact the Equal Opportunity for Students with Special Needs and create a commission to replace Common Core standards.
7. "He's back," a man shouted from the back corner of Jackson's crammed city council chamber this morning upon newly re-elected Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes's completion of the oath of office.
8. In former Gov. Haley Barbour's address Tuesday morning about the progress of the state's new civil rights museum, he stressed the importance of not only recognizing Mississippi's history, but improving the city of Jackson.
9. Madison County Justice Court Judge Bill Weisenberger has been indicted and arrested for allegedly assaulting a mentally disabled black man in Canton last year.
10. Willie Jerome Manning, one of the last people the state of Mississippi attempted to execute, will get a new trial, the Mississippi Supreme Court ordered on Feb. 12.

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!)