Jackson Free Press

Mississippi #2 in corruption?

I saw this press release a few months ago and thought that this would be a good time to share it. (Go here for the actual Justice Department report.)

Peters-DeLaughter Saga: 'Told You So' Time

This past weekend, I was going through 2007 issues of the JFP looking for entries for the AAN awards. I ran into this story that Adam and Brian did last …

Caroline Kennedy: Obama Like My Father

The daughter of John F. Kennedy endorsed Barack Obama this weekend on the op-ed page of The New York Times. In a statement that cannot make the Clintons happy, she …

Willie McKennis

Casually dressed in a black blazer, white dress shirt and blue jeans, Willie McKennis has a full schedule. However, he takes a break to tell the story of his life.

Best of Jackson 2008

Best Bartender: Trevor Palmer, Club Fire - Club Fire's got to be a hectic place for a bartender. Hundreds of sweating, dance-crazed bodies are thirsty for a drink on Thursday's …

Snow

The last significant snowfall I recall was New Year's Day, 2001. I remember it well because I was at church on New Year's Eve when the snow started, and it …

Speaker McCoy Fires Back

Republicans had predicted House Speaker Billy McCoy's vengeance after his close re-election to the leadership post, and McCoy did not disappoint. The speaker assigned no chairmanships this session to Republicans, …

Ledger: DeLaughter E-mailed Proposed Order to Peters

Just in from Jerry Mitchell at The Clarion-Ledger; unclear who "Mills" is supposed to be, though:

Former Hinds D.A. Ed Peters Accused of $1M Bribe

The Scruggs scandal is hitting closer and closer to Hinds County. In a story about Booneville attorney Joey Langston pleading guilty to corruption charges, The Clarion-Ledger buried explosive accusations, made …

Dead Man Rolling

A dear friend of your departs this life peacefully, and how do you honor his memory? By rolling his corpse on an office chair to a check cashing place in …

Lee Vance

Jackson Assistant Police Chief Lee Vance sits at a small table in his office, hands clasped together, as he precisely chooses the words to describe his Jackson upbringing and adulthood. …

The Case For Innocence

It was Ron Williamson's obituary in the Dec. 9, 2004, issue of The New York Times that caught attorney and author John Grisham's eye.

‘These Are Not Fair Trials': The JFP Talks With John Grisham

Since publication of "The Innocent Man" in 2006, author John Grisham has become a strong advocate for the Innocence Project, lending his name and voice to help establish the organization's …

ARTICLE: 114-Year-Old Chicago Woman Registers To Vote

Virginia Call, who was born in 1894, hadn't voted in 20 years, so her registration had to be renewed.

Mayor Melton Faints

Anyone else heard about this? Details, maybe?

According to a news ticker on WAPT, Melton fainted during the swearing in of Hinds County officials at the Hinds County Courthouse. AMR treated him in an empty courtroom, and …

Hughes Demotes Chandler After Video Investigation

Jackson Fire Chief Vernon Hughes announced he was demoting Assistant Chief Todd Chandler to captain status at a press conference today. Hughes re-assigned Chandler to the division of air supply, …

A Generation X Playground

Generation X, folks born between 1965 and 1981 (or a different range, depending on the source), have been branded as a bunch of defiant, apathetic slackers. Not fair, I say! …

New Year's Eve Events

930 Blues Café's New Year's Eve Bash featuring Rick Lawson, "The Baby of the Blues." Call 601-948-3344 for more info.

2007 Timeline

If you're looking for weirdness, Jackson, Miss, is your place. Where else can you find a mayor who can destroy private property with a jury's blessing? Here in Jackson, we …

Ike Turner Dead at Age 76

We all know Ike Turner as the infamously abusive ex-husband of Tina Turner. Ike, a Clarksdale native, was a musician and songwriter who worked with the likes of B.B. King …