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. Freshmen at Jackson Public Schools now have the opportunity to graduate from high school with an associate's degree at no cost to them. JPS partnered with Tougaloo College to offer Early College High School to 49 freshmen.
2. For the first time since 1991, Mississippi ranked higher than 49th or 50th in the Annie E. Casey Foundation's annual Kids Count report that measures child well-being across economics, education, health, and family and community.
3. Maximus Wright’s entry into the entertainment world began with a question: Why can’t Mississippi be a destination for film and TV?
4. Gov. Phil Bryant says he's looking at calling Mississippi lawmakers back for a special session in August to earmark money for transportation. However, key House members say they've had little communication with senators and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves.
5. Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant is appointing Shad White, an attorney who leads a conservative legal group, to be the new state auditor.
6. Reduced tuition to Strayer University is now available for City of Jackson employees and immediate family members with a new partnership.
7. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, a Republican U.S. senator from Mississippi, said she wants to strengthen the nation's border with Mexico during a speech at a Fourth of July event in Jacinto in northeastern Mississippi.
8. Jackson filmmaker Chris Moore's latest movie, "Triggered," came from pairing an old idea with some new inspiration.
9. Assistant U.S. Attorney Candace Mayberry delivered a presentation to middle and high schoolers at the Boys and Girls Club on Raymond Road on June 27 and had them take a pledge against gun violence.
10. Jackson Public Schools and students should have a new superintendent before the first day of school on Aug. 8, Board of Trustees Vice President Ed Sivak told the Jackson Free Press.

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