Jackson Free Press

Shorting MAEP Basically a Tax Hike

Dr. Cedrick Gray, the superintendent of Jackson Public Schools, seems to be proving tight-fisted Mississippi lawmakers right when they say it doesn't necessarily take throwing money at schools to improve …

Court Spat Ensnares Defendants, Taxpayers

The list of cases Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Jeff Weill has taken from the county public defender's office and assigned to private attorneys has swelled to more than 60 …

Robert Gray in (Truck) Driver's Seat to Challenge Gov. Phil Bryant

Robert Gray shocked political watchers around the state by finishing first among the three Democratic candidates with 51 percent of the vote, which would not necessitate a runoff if the …

Yarber, Council Gripped in Budget Battle of Wills

Jerry Taylor, like many of the people at Wingfield High School, was hopping mad about the City of Jackson's finances and a tax increase proposed to fill a budget deficit.

Watkins: HUD Report ‘Libelous,’ ‘Inaccurate’

David Watkins, the Jackson attorney and developer who has been under fire for his handling of the Farish Street revitalization, is defending himself and his company against a scathing federal …

McCoy: Tearing Down 'Walls'

At age 47, youth pastor and insurance agent Gus McCoy is one of the youngest candidates vying for the Hinds County District 2 supervisor's seat.

Chokwe Lumumba, 1947-2014

The mayor's legacy is probably cemented; the vision he laid out for Jackson is in doubt.

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For Jackson, ‘Progress in the Face of Adversity’

In December 2013, with a new city council and a once-controversial mayor who was starting to win the hearts and minds of his detractors, things were looking up for the …

Mayoral Hopefuls Respond to Mural Flap, Plus Four Questions for #JxnMayor Special Election

Ever since the removal of a mural painted in tribute to late Mayor Chokwe Lumumba last Thursday, wide speculation has swirled about who pulled the trigger to have the painting …

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An Open Letter to Our Teachers

I don't doubt for a second that there are bad teachers who just show up to collect a paycheck, but I can't recall ever having a teacher who I didn't …

Tannehill: ‘You Deserve to Feel Safe’

Les Tannehill, a private investigator and newlywed to wife of 16 months, Renee, recently talked to the Jackson Free Press about why he should be the new sheriff in town.

Oppression and the Power of Elections

University of Mississippi's decision to lower the state flag shows that there is power in symbols and a tremendous amount of power in people coming together to demand that symbols …

The Dollars and Sense of the Costco Fight

In looking to relocate to the Jackson area, Costco is not making an altruistic overture, bestowing a gift on the people of the capital city and expecting nothing in return.

Stalemate at the Jail

The inability to come to a consensus over fixing Raymond Detention Center was again thrust into the spotlight recently following a scathing report of a Hinds County grand jury that …

Fuller: ‘Progressive, Sustainable Change’

Henry Fuller recently talked to the Jackson Free Press about stepping out from the behind the scenes to serve on the Hinds County Board of Supervisors.

Begley: An ‘Activist Legislator’?

Sam Begley, 55, a well-known player in Democratic Party and political circles who is usually trying to help someone get elected, said he wants to be an "activist legislator," fighting …

‘No Excuse’: Where the Sidewalks End

Three people have been killed in the past three years in wheelchair-related accidents in Jackson, and some 100 in the past decade, according to local news clippings included in a …

Defining Effective School Discipline in JPS

On May 6, Jackson Public Schools seemed to be suffering from a split personality. That morning, at Wingfield High School in south Jackson, education advocates and school officials hailed the …

Fly, Fight, Win: The JFP Interview with Dr. Valerie Short

In keeping with the spirit of the U.S. Air Force's motto "Aim High" Dr. Valerie Adream Smartt Short has set her sights on the state's highest office.

Oswalt: Hinds Jail ‘Correctable and Fixable’

Charlette Oswalt recently met with the Jackson Free Press about why she should be Hinds County's first woman sheriff.