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. Daniela Vargas, the 22-year-old undocumented immigrant who grew up in Mississippi and was detained after speaking out at a press conference in Jackson, has been freed from federal custody under an order of supervision.
2. Repairing the state's roads and bridges may still be a priority of the Mississippi House of Representatives, with members voting to increase funding for infrastructure by about $150 million starting in July.
3. Rep. William Shirley, R-Quitman, introduced an amendment in the state House requiring all institutions of higher learning to fly the state flag if they want to continue to receive state funding.
4. House Bill 1046 expands vouchers or scholarships, depending on whom you ask in the statehouse. Either way, the legislation advanced late on Wednesday night after more than two hours of debate.
5. Byron D’Andra Orey, a Jackson State University political science professor, is conducting experiments to examine unconscious bias in African Americans.
6. Sen. John Horhn is running for mayor of Jackson for the third time, vowing to use his contacts at the Capitol to get more done for the city.
7. About 50 community members, pastors and advocates gathered at Fondren Presbyterian Church to hold a vigil and pray for Daniela Vargas' release from ICE's custody.
8. Director of Public Works Jerriot Smash announced Monday that Jacksonians should expect a water outage or low water pressure for most of the weekend from 3 p.m. on March 10 through 3 p.m. on March 12.
9. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals took up Grenada-based attorney Carlos Moore's appeal to change the Mississippi state flag because it is "racially discriminatory" on Wednesday.
10. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, spoke at the March on Mississippi in Canton on Saturday, March 4, supporting efforts of some workers at the Nissan plant to unionize.

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!)