Jackson Free Press

Immigration: Myth Vs. Reality

Illustrations by Melissa Webster & Darren Schwindaman

"They can vote themselves in a pay raise, but they can't do nothing about all this illegal immigration," says Jackson talk show host 'JT,' of the JT and Dave show, …

[McInnis] Behind the HBCU Merger

Don't be fooled into thinking that Gov. Haley Barbour's recommendation for merging the state-funded HBCUs is about the current economic crisis.

The Brett Favre Story Leaves Us Wondering : Did He or Didn't He

A story broke late last week on the website deadspin.com about former Southern Mississippi and current Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre. The story accuses Favre of sending racy text messages …

Take the Time to Do It Right

Last Sunday two Clarion-Ledger columnists expressed dismay at Mayor Frank Melton's string of public proclamations that turned out to be more hype than good, legal policy—telling city board members to …

Bennett And His Black Boys

"If you wanted to reduce crime, you could—if that were your sole purpose—you could abort every black baby in this country and your crime rate would go down." No, that …

Buying Judges: Tell the Whole Story

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals partially overturned the convictions of Mississippi attorney Paul Minor and former judges John Whitfield and Walter "Wes" Teel Friday.

Private Prison, Public Problems

Gail Tyree exited U.S. Highway 84 onto Hobo Fork Road and drove through the rose-adorned entrance of the sprawling Adams County Correctional Center. A female correctional officer leaving the prison's …

BREAKING: Did Mayor Fire Cops for Muddling Domestic Case?

Sources tell the Jackson Free Press that Mayor Frank Melton may have fired police officers who muddled the response to reports on Ludlow Street Monday that Henry Phillips, 50, was …

With A Little Help From My Friends: Waveland's Getting By

In Waveland, Miss., the little town that arguably received the worst punishment Katrina could mete out, those credited with the swiftest response are not disaster-relief groups or government agencies, but …

We Are The Street: New Coalition Seeks To Unify The Scene

Four years ago, the rap music magazine Murder Dog did a special on the underground music scene of Jackson. A photo of almost 30 men, all of whom were somehow …

The Place To Be: Developers Catering More To City's ‘Creative Class'

Since the early 1970s, an outflow of businesses and residents to the suburbs has decimated downtown Jackson. Until recently, the lower taxes demanded of cow pastures and the cheap gas …

2005: Community

Best Elected Official and Most Under-Appreciated Jacksonian: Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr.

2009: Community

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The Lakes Plan That Won't Recede

Although both the U.S. Corps of Engineers and the local Levee Board have rejected the Two Lakes development/flood-control plan, its supporters are vowing not to give up.

The 2009 JFP Interview with Frank Melton, Part V: To the DEA?

In this long excerpt of JFP editor Donna Ladd's interview with Frank Melton in February, he talks about why he's running for re-election, dying with dignity, the City Council, his …

Education: A Strong State Economy Starts Here

Research shows that struggling schools and low education levels hurt individuals as well as the state as a whole, bringing economic and social challenges. Fortunately, people outside the educational community …

Sticks & Stones

Kelsey Ann Jackson threw up. The thought of going to school that morning made her sick. She cried about the mean girls she would have to face in her sixth-grade …

JSU Advocates React to ‘Jacobs State' Merger

Ivory Phillips, former dean of Jackson State University's College of Education, said he suspected Jackson State University President Ronald Mason Jr.'s proposal to merge three majority-black state universities into Jacobs …

The Politics of Voter ID

Photos by Adam Lynch and Kate Medley

Candidates tend to look for issues to separate themselves from their opponents. It's a tough order in conservative Mississippi, where many nominees on both sides of the political spectrum agree …

Former FBI Agent Eyes AG Post

The GOP candidate for attorney general talked to the Jackson Free Press in his offices in Ridgeland. This is the full transcript of the interview.