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Music
Storied Songstress
If a great song tells a story, it naturally follows that a great singer would be skilled at the art of storytelling. Writer, English teacher and jazz vocalist Vanessa Rubin …
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Oklahoma Gay-Marriage Case Before U.S. Appeals Court
Lawyers for two Oklahoma women and the county clerk who would not give them a marriage license go before a federal appeals court with a familiar question for the judges: …
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Mississippi House Passes Bill Mandating Execution Secrecy
The Mississippi House has passed a bill that not only makes the details surrounding state executions secret, but allows lawsuits against anyone who discloses the secrets.
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City & County
10 Local Stories of the Week
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.
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chickball
The Bands of Chick Ball
Each year, the Jackson Free Press has tons of talented locals donate time and energy to the cause of stopping domestic violence. Some of them just happen to do their …
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Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame 2017 Class
By bryanflynnThe Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum announced the 2017 Hall of Fame class today. As usual, the class features some of the best athletes, coaches and people involved with sports in the state of Mississippi.
The 2017 class features arguably the greatest sports writer in Mississippi history, Rick Cleveland. The son of Ace Cleveland, who was a great sports writer in his own right, Rick Cleveland began writing in grade school and went on to become a seven-time Mississippi Sports Writer of the Year.
Cleveland covered sports in high school and college for the Hattiesburg American. After graduating from the University of Southern Mississippi, he went to work for The Clarion-Ledger until retiring in 2012.
Most recently, Cleveland was executive director of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. He has recently returned to writing sports for Mississippi Today, and he has authored four books.
Joining Cleveland is one of the greatest football players in Mississippi history who never became one of the greatest football players ever. Marcus Dupree was a man among boys during his days at Philadelphia High School.
Dupree finished his high-school career with 5,284 yards and 87 touchdowns, which broke Herschel Walker’s national high-school record for touchdowns. He ended up choosing the University of Oklahoma over every other college in the nation.
While at Oklahoma, Dupree was Fiesta Bowl MVP and first-team All-Big Eight as a freshman. After butting heads with then-Sooners coach Barry Switzer, he decided to transfer to USM but left after being told he would have to sit out due to a NCAA transfer rule.
Dupree decided to leave college for the United States Football League and signed with the New Orleans Breakers.
The running back eventually found his way to the NFL, but injuries have robbed him of his physical gifts, and he never was the player he could have been. Dupree was the subject of ESPN’s “30 for 30” Series: “The Best That Never Was” and Willie Morris’ book “The Courting of Marcus Dupree.”
Jay Powell has been a winner at every level of baseball. He won a state championship at West Lauderdale High School, a starter and relief pitcher at Mississippi State University and won game seven of the 1997 World Series with the Florida Marlins.
When he left MSU, Powell was second on the school's all-time list with 17. The Baltimore Orioles drafted him in the first round of the 1993 MLB Draft, and he ended up playing for five different clubs during his 11-year career.
Since retiring from MLB, he returned home to become head coach at Jackson Academy. He has added a state championship as a coach to his collection.
The tiny town of Florence, Miss. produced the winningest baseball coach in SWAC history. Bob Braddy ended his career with an 824-546-3 record, as he guided Jackson State University from NAIA to Division I baseball.
Braddy won 12 SWAC championships, and …
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State
Roll Call: Who Voted For and Against the Anti-LGBT House Bill 1523?
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The Mississippi House voted 69-44 Friday to approve Senate changes to House Bill 1523, sending it to Gov. Phil Bryant to sign or veto.
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Treetops and Bluesman
Born and reared in Wisconsin, I grew up believing Chicago was the birthplace of the blues. Since then, I've lived all over--London, Edinburgh, Phoenix, Dallas, Boston, Roanoke and Lynchburg--and no …
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MUSIC: Chicks Who Rock
Oh Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder consider all the works Thy hand hath made, I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the …
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Editor's Note
EDITOR'S NOTE: Stop Glamorizing the Cruelty of Racist Ancestors
"The Legislature put up this flag as a stated symbol of white supremacy in 1894 as all those hideous soldier statues were popping up with their sappy remembrances, and it …
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Politics
Legislature In Overtime, Criminal Justice Reform Top Priority
Efforts to change the Mississippi flag first appeared stalled out: Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann condemned the effort to a committee, which showed no intention of calling it up.
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Rockin' Babies
I love babies. I love the big ones, teeny ones, sweet ones and—best of all—the sleeping ones who belong to someone else.
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Pushing Forward
The Revelations may have a sound that's rooted in classic soul music, but don't expect them to show up in jumpsuits. The Brooklyn, N.Y.-based group draws much of its musical …
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Looking Back
Happy belated 9th birthday, JFP! I remember reading the very first Jackson Free Press when it came out in 2002 and falling in love with the music listings, the music …
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It's Christmas, Pretty Baby
Christmas is here! Seeing the beautiful houses and downtown businesses in the city adorned with lights and hearing the "Merry Christmas, Jackson" compilation CD made by local bands has put …
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Minority Jobs, MDA at Center of Special Session Debate
Several black representatives have expressed concerns today that a proposed funding bill to bring 1,800 jobs in the state will overlook minorities. In a special session Gov. Haley Barbour called …
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Robbed At The Pump
Gas prices at the pumps hit an all-time high last week, but even before the price whacked $2.46, some gas station workers said theft was already on the rise.
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Delta Music
This past weekend, I attended Delta Night at Hal & Mal's, sponsored by Delta State University's Delta Music Institute. There is so much to know about the DMI. Open since …
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Paint, Parties and Plays This Weekend
This afternoon, start your weekend off right at Arts Alive! in Smith Park for art, music and dance performances. Tonight, go to New Stage Theatre's opening of the play "Dead …
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Fun for All This Weekend
This evening, begin your weekend with a 3D history lesson as the Raymond Fall Pilgrimage kicks off "Presence with the Past" at the Raymond Cemetery (Port Gibson St., Raymond) at …
