News | Jackson Free Press | Jackson, MS

News

Subscribe

Tease photo Health Care

‘Babies in the Hospital’: Mississippi Drastically Lags in Child and Pediatric Vaccinations

As COVID-19 continues its decline across Mississippi and the country, state health leadership warns that hospitals are still seeing pediatric patients, while vaccinations in children are lagging far behind the …

Tease photo Education

Mississippi Senate OKs Pay Bill 'By Teachers, for Teachers'

Mississippi senators acted quickly Wednesday to unanimously pass a teacher pay raise bill, sending it back to the House for possible debate within the next three weeks.

Tease photo Education

JSU Relaunches Institute for Social Justice and Race Relations, Jazz Festival and Camp Kesem at MSU

Jackson State University relaunched its Institute for Social Justice and Race Relations on Thursday, Feb. 24, in the College of Liberal Arts. The original institute opened in 2013, but a …

Tease photo Education

Mississippi Teacher Pay Survives Legislators' Political Spat

Proposals to increase some of the lowest teacher salaries in the U.S. were in danger Tuesday as Mississippi legislators engaged in a political showdown. Hours before a big deadline, Senate …

Tease photo State

Economist: Federal Money Boosted Mississippi Income in 2020

Employment in Mississippi decreased during the first months of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, but personal income in the state increased during that time because of federal payments that were …

Tease photo City & County

Mayor Lumumba Alleges City-Council Corruption Amid Garbage-Disposal Lawsuit

Amid an ongoing dispute between Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba and the Jackson City Council over garbage-disposal contracts, the mayor said that he believes certain members of the council have accepted …

Tease photo Politics

Mississippi House Panel OKs Limits on Teaching About Race

A Mississippi House committee divided along lines of race and party Monday in advancing a bill that would limit how race can be discussed in classrooms.

Tease photo Politics

Mississippi Remapping Diminishes Black Voices, NAACP Says

Mississippi legislators drew a congressional redistricting plan that diminished Black voters' influence in the state's three majority-white districts, attorneys for the NAACP and two other groups argue in federal court …

Tease photo Politics

Mississippi Senate Passes Income Tax Cut Slashing $446 Million in Revenue

The Mississippi Senate approved legislation to reduce the state income tax by hundreds of millions of dollars Wednesday, despite caution from opponents who questioned the wisdom of doing so while …

Tease photo Politics

Analysis: Legislative Deadline Will Whittle List of Issues

Mississippi legislators completed two big items several weeks ago when they adopted a congressional redistricting plan and enacted a medical marijuana law.

Tease photo Person of the Day

Danny Lynch

The University of Southern Mississippi has been picked as the preseason favorite to win the baseball crown in Conference USA. The league coaches gave the Golden Eagles six first-place votes, …

Tease photo City & County

City of Jackson To Resume Community Cleanup Program

Jackson’s Community Cleanup Program—meant to help support residents in clearing trash from their neighborhoods—is set to resume on the first weekend of March, after city officials put the program on …

Tease photo Education

USM Economic Outlook Forum, Grants and Online Degree Program at MSU

The University of Southern Mississippi is set to host its annual Economic Outlook Forum on Thursday, March 3, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Thad Cochran Center Grand …

Tease photo Politics

Mississippi Senate Committee OKs Bill to Cut Some Taxes

A Mississippi Senate committee on Tuesday passed a bill that would phase out part of the state income tax and reduce the sales tax on groceries.

Tease photo Health Care

‘Fear the Virus, Not the Vaccine’: Leadership Urges Vaccinations for Pregnant Women

The current wave of COVID-19 is on the decline in Mississippi, but state health leadership is urging residents—especially vulnerable populations like pregnant women—to get vaccinated, and to keep up with …

Tease photo LGBT

‘I Was Shocked’: Ridgeland Aldermen Proposing New Library Contract After Raucous Meeting

Amid pleas against censorship and claims of pornographic “filth,” a Ridgeland Board of Aldermen meeting scheduled to address the city’s library contract quickly morphed into a raucous referendum on LGBTQ+ …

Tease photo Politics

Income-Tax Phaseout Up for Debate in Long-Poor Mississippi

Mississippi is accustomed to being first in worsts: It's one of the poorest, unhealthiest states in the nation, with public schools that are chronically underfunded. Some Republican leaders say a …

Tease photo Politics

Mississippi Legislators Push 1st Round of Budget Proposals

Mississippi legislators are working on proposals to fund state government for the year that begins July 1.

Tease photo City & County

Mayor Lumumba Declares Local Emergency Amid Garbage Quarrel

Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba issued an emergency contract with Richard’s Disposal as a temporary measure to fix the City of Jackson’s garbage-distribution woes.

Tease photo National

Abortion Rights Funds Brace for Impact Ahead of Court Ruling

Texas has tightened abortion restrictions over the past two decades, leading women there to increasingly seek out-of-state abortions.