Jackson Free Press

How Obamacare Went South In Mississippi

In a state stricken by diabetes, heart disease, obesity and the highest infant mortality rate in the nation, President Barack Obama's landmark health care law has barely registered, leaving the …

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Vision 2022: A Regional Vision

The greater metropolitan area of Jackson is a collection of loosely aligned, often-at-odds cities, towns and communities worthy of a university-sanctioned study on diversity and race politics.

Hyde-Smith Attended All-White ‘Seg Academy’ to Avoid Integration

U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith attended and graduated from a segregation academy that were set up so that white parents could avoid having to send their children to schools with black …

Melton Pulls $3 Million From City's Reserves

The administration of Jackson Mayor Frank Melton got its wish from the council in a 3-to-2 vote in favor of raiding $3 million from the city's $7 million budget reserve …

More Than A Maid

Growing up, I spent a lot of time with my grandmother. I didn't have to; I wanted to. Most of my summer days, we watched "Donahue" re-runs and "Sanford and …

Think Local First

I'm currently reading the book "Big Box Swindle" by Stacy Mitchell, who wrote our cover story this week. The book argues that much of what we believe about big-box development—that …

AG: Hands Off the Judges

Mayor Frank Melton called a March 10 press conference to announce the arrest of two municipal court clerks charged with conspiracy to destroy criminal records. At the same conference, Melton …

[City Buzz] Crackheads vs. Democrats

CRACKHEAD SON-IN-LAWS: The usually-respectful Jackson 2000, a group that meets regularly at Mikhail's to discuss racial reconciliation, got a little saucy this month when a panel gathered to discuss the …

Crime High, Perception Bleak

Recent Jackson Police Department statistics reveal that major crime this year remains stubbornly high compared to last year's figures. Though the May 8-14 ComStat Overview Report reveals that crime is …

President Obama's Speech at Fort Hood Memorial (Transcript)

Yesterday, President Obama spoke at a memorial for the Americans murdered at Fort Hood last week. In honor of the victims, and all veterans today, here are his comments, verbatim:

Majority White Jury in Flowers Trial

The fate of Curtis Flowers, a man on trial for the sixth time, is now in the hands of a jury consisting of 11 whites and one African American in …

A Mississippi Tea Party Chat

Janis Lane, president of the Central Mississippi Tea Party, said conservatives want America to return to its roots of "limited government, free markets and fiscal responsibility."

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2010: Beyond Jackson

<b>Best Casino for Gaming and Best Casino for Restaurants</b>

The chiming of slot machines welcomed me with their happy mantra: "Win money. Win money." No, I wasn't in Las Vegas, but at the Ameri star Casino Hotel in Vicksburg. …

If God Could Snicker

So earlier, if you were at home, and you heard this loud crunching sound...that was the sound of a short blonde woman collapsing in hysterical laughter while standing too close …

[Pass The Mic] I Made You a Tape

Rob Gordon, the quintessential über music snob in Nick Hornby's "High Fidelity," sums it up best: "You gotta kick off with a killer, to grab attention. Then you got to …

Pardon Me? Chickfest Honors Rep. Brandon Jones

When Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour suspended the sentence of convicted domestic murderer Michael Graham last summer, citizens of Pascagoula were outraged. As shocked and furious as his community, freshman Rep. …

Four Day Workweeks - What if???

Well I am all for a four day workweek. I think this is a very proactive attempt at getting this country back to some level of economic responsibility. Clearly we …

Support Your Community By Supporting High School Football

Over 15 years ago on a day like today, my excitement would be at an all-time high. Why, because 15 years ago, I would be getting ready to start my …

Blight, Flooding Compromise Quality of Life

Tyrone Washington, a homeowner on Rondo Street, is livid that the city government is not, in his opinion, living up to expectations.

In Search of Veggie Dining

I became a vegetarian a little while after my first visit to Kansas. Outside of Dodge City, out on the highway, is a special turnout with an overlook sign. The …