Jackson Free Press

Girlfriends

Dorothy Triplett and Shirley Tucker became friends as they began navigating through small, intertwining circles in Jackson. Finding they had similar passions for several things—the city of Jackson, empowerment of …

Panel Withholding Data, Education Advocates Say

A governor-appointed panel on school district mergers is withholding the data it used to identify 18 Mississippi school districts for potential consolidation, frustrating a group of education advocates.

Shop Local and Support Jackson's Best

I find myself, every year, getting in a certain mood around the holiday season. Yes, there are fattening goodies in the JFP break room—every single day—which will hopefully also put …

‘It's You, Sweetie'

An excerpt from "The Sweet Potato Queens' Wedding Planner/Divorce Guide," Random House, 2005

Gas Ain't Forever

It's clear from the parking lots around the state capitol that the legislative session is a busy time for the building. During the session, those parking lots, empty for most …

Who Cares?

On the morning of September 2nd, FEMA director Michael Brown complained about his schedule.

"Last hurrah was supposed to have been Labor Day," he whined in

clear your halls

The election is over. After weeks and months of partisan politics, it seems like a good time for a fresh start. And what better way to clear the decks than …

Laws That Need to Change

Mississippi's voting laws make the citizenship harder work than it needs. State law currently allows early, in-person voting only for those voters who will be out of their voting district …

Times-Picayune: Congress ‘Dishonest and Mean-spirited'

Here's part of the Times-Picayune piece:

The Times-Picayune is running a powerful editorial, trying to correct public misconceptions and rumors about the realities on the ground in New Orleans. This desperate plea for truth is similar …

Taking Risks

All risks are not unhealthy ones, like having unprotected sex with a stranger. Risk-taking can be a normal, healthy part of life.

U.S. Economy Hamstrung by Washington's Brinksmanship

Three budget crises ago, in early 2011, Republicans and President Barack Obama faced off over raising the debt ceiling—and Alison Brown saw the writing on the wall.

Precocious Strings

Fifteen-year-old Nathaniel Smith eagerly leads me upstairs to his second-floor bedroom in an expansive ranch house nestled in rural Brandon. Opening a white case, he produces a sleek, antiquated mahogany …

Six Months After Shooting, Victims' Families Head to D.C.

Families of Sandy Hook School shooting victims remind lawmakers they are painfully waiting for action.

The Next Culinary Adventure

If there is one daunting fact about James Roache and his restaurant Ro’Chez (204 W. Jackson St., Ridgeland, 601-503-8244), it’s that in seven years of operation, Chef Roache has never …

Health Exchanges Slow to Attract Young, Healthy

Fears that health insurance exchanges wouldn't attract the young, healthy people needed to make them financially viable are being heightened by the early results of signups in several states.

Consumers With Serious Medical Problems Need To Carefully Assess Total Plan Costs

One of the health care overhaul's most far-reaching provisions prohibits health plans from refusing to cover people who are sick or charging them higher premiums. Still, for people with serious …

Federal Gov't Edges to Shutdown Over Health Care

The Senate has the next move on budget legislation that has fueled a bitter dispute over President Barack Obama's signature health care law.

Abandoned Housing Two-Step

Abandoned and dilapidated houses are common in parts of Jackson and neighbors are fed up.

• 1 comment

Federal Health Care Sign-Ups Pass 1 Million Mark

The government's rehabilitated health insurance website has seen a December surge in customer sign-ups, pushing enrollment past the 1 million mark, the Obama administration says.

The Bush-Delay-Barbour Friends That Ate Iraq