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. Mississippi's education voucher program, which subsidizes private-school tuition at the expense of public schools, could end next year after lawmakers allowed a bill to extend it to die in committee.
2. Tyrone Hendrix spoke at the Jackson Revival Center Church March 1 on the sense of urgency that lead him to help create OurJPS after the Mississippi Department of Education almost took over Jackson Public Schools.
3. Hal & Mal's co-owner Malcolm White founded the Hal's St. Paddy's Parade & Festival to both celebrate the arrival of spring in a similar fashion to Mardi Gras but—and more importantly—to create something original that celebrates the uniqueness and diversity of Jackson.
4. Of the nine businesses at Cultivation Food Hall, women have full ownership of four—Ariella's, Poke Stop, Fauna and Whisk—and co-own il Lupo and Bocca Pizzeria.
5. Martin’s Downtown has added some new changes over the last few years, from a new bar and stage, to a name change.
6. Producer Amanda Paige knew the type of business she wanted to add to the Jackson art scene: something that could bring creatives together. The result is The Murals, a business that functions as a collective where creatives like Paige can showcase their work.
7. South Street Live opened in December 2018. The Jackson Free Press hosted its 2019 Best of Jackson awards party at the venue on Jan. 27.
8. Jim Crow-era segregation laws and customs prevented Lake Hico from interracial use until the late 1960s after the Civil Rights Movement and federal legislation officially ended segregation. The lake then closed to the public in 1968.
9. Just months after winning the most closely contested U.S. Senate race in Mississippi since the 1980s, U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith plans to kick off her 2020 re-election bid next month with a high-dollar fundraiser in Washington, D.C.
10. On Feb. 21, retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Allen West asked state legislators to do something Americans have not done since the time when muskets and bayonets were commonplace—call for a convention of the states to amend the Constitution.

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