Jackson Free Press

With our hyper-local focus here at the Jackson Free Press (we're a locally owned business, too), we've emphasized the importance of shopping local since our very first issue.

When you shop local, more money goes back into your community. Roughly $68 of every $100 you spend locally gets put back into the community; it's a much smaller percentage for non-local and corporate businesses. The Seattle Good Business Network estimates that small businesses donate 250 percent more to nonprofits and community causes than big-box retailers.

But more than helping your community, you're helping the people in the community. Shopping local helps the business owners, and those business owners in turn help out the local community. A report from the Mississippi Minority & Small Business Development Division shows that about 70 local businesses in Hinds County are minority and/or woman-owned. In Rankin County, that number is around 18, and in Madison County, that number is about 23.

With the current political turmoil in Mississippi and the U.S., shopping local is more important than ever. If you shop local, you help out your neighbors and friends and help close wealth gaps that lead to many problems. It may not seem like it, but in a way, spending money locally shows that you support other people in their struggles—and want to be part of the solution.

Booze Finder

If you're looking for a good local place to get the liquor you need for the Fourth of July, check out these 2016 Best of Jackson winners.

Best Liquor/Wine Store:

Kats Wine & Spirits (921 E. Fortification St., 601-983-5287, katswine.com)

Finalists:

Briarwood Wine and Spirits (4949 Old Canton Road, 601-956-5108, briarwoodwineandspirits.com)

Corkscrew Fine Wine and Spirits (4800 Interstate 55 N., Suite 32B, 601-981-1333)

Fondren Cellars (633 Duling Ave., 769-216-2323)

McDade's Wine and Spirits (1220 E. Northside Drive, Suite 320, 601-366-5676, mcdadeswineandspirits.com)

Wine and Spirits in the Quarter (1855 Lakeland Drive, 601-366-6644, drinkinman.com)