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. U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who spoke at the Neshoba County Fair on Thursday, called on fair-goers to elect Republicans back to the Senate, and to support Donald Trump in November.
2. Hinds County Supervisor Robert Graham, declared Jackson mayoral candidate, spoke to the weekly Friday Forum on July 29 about the advantages he believes Continental Tire will bring to the area.
3. Hinds County Judge Larita Cooper-Stokes recused herself during a closed meeting with attorneys concerning charges against Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith.
4. The state of Mississippi's political climate and economy are either staggering under the weight of lawsuits or having a really positive year, depending on whom you ask. Attorney General Jim Hood and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves proved that Wednesday at the Neshoba County Fair.
5. The Mississippi Bar filed a formal complaint against Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith Tuesday, including documents detailing a request from his mother in February to meet with Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Tomie Green.
6. The Alliance Defending Freedom is representing Gov. Phil Bryant, who has appealed the House Bill 1523 case to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Attorney Roberta Kaplan revealed ADF’s influence on HB 1523 via a records request for the governor’s emails about the law.
7. The State of Mississippi uses a three-drug protocol to execute prisoners on death row; this practice has been on hold for a while with drug challenges made in federal court—until recently. Now, challenges to the state’s death penalty and use of the lethal drug are pending in both the state and federal court systems.
8. In the wake of state legislation cementing transportation network companies like Uber into the market, the Jackson City Council is in the middle of an overhaul of the ordinances governing taxicabs, while members of the disabled community are expressing trepidation that they will be left out in the rain.
9. Gov. Phil Bryant and John Davis, the executive director of the Mississippi Department of Human Services, have asked the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for expedited consideration of their appeal to allow House Bill 1523 to go into effect.
10. MAC and Associates, LLC., wants a Jackson jury to decide whether Siemens Industry Inc. violated the terms of the contract to install new digital water meters as a part of the $90-million contract with the City of Jackson.

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!)