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. More than 200 Mississippians staged a "Rally Against Hate" Sunday, Dec. 11, demonstrating against Gov. Phil Bryant's determination that a law allowing individuals, businesses and government workers to discriminate against LGBT citizens based on their religious beliefs must go into effect.
2. Jackson Public Schools is one step closer to getting off probation—but if the district doesn't correct classroom management and behavior problems soon, the State could take it over.
3. For the 2015-2016 school year, Davis Magnet IB Elementary School in downtown Jackson had the highest reading proficiency of elementary schools in the state. The National Blue Ribbon School is the best elementary school in Mississippi, SchoolDigger.com reports.
4. The "One Lake" flood-control/development project will move forward under a new U.S. president and the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, members of the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District say.
5. The Unaccompanied Refugee Minor Program that Catholic Charities runs in the state is one of 19 programs nationally that resettle refugee minors in the U.S. The federal Office of Refugee Resettlement funnels funds to states with unaccompanied minor refugee programs.
6. Child care, wages, domestic violence, pay equity and paid family and sick leave are at the top of the Mississippi Women's Economic Security Initiative's agenda for the upcoming legislative session.
7. Just as the Henley-Young Juvenile Justice Center has changed in appearance, so has the approach of some state detention directors to juvenile justice. Research shows that traditional detention is simply not working as a deterrent to youth crime—and can actually increase it.
8. Donald Trump officially won Mississippi with 58 percent of the vote last week when Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann certified the election results.
9. The possibility of a settlement in the sexual-harassment and discrimination lawsuit a former executive assistant to Mayor Tony Yarber filed popped up for a moment in the last regular Jackson City Council meeting before President Tyrone Hendrix pulled it from the agenda with no explanation.
10. LGBT rights proponents are pushing back on Gov. Phil Bryant's effort to bring House Bill 1523 back to life, saying that it endorses and gives special treatment "to certain religions or religious beliefs over others."

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!)