Jackson Free Press

A Year of Fun Without Spending

On Jan. 1, 2009, Angela Barton, a writer and editor in Los Angeles, joined a movement called The Compact, named after the 1620 Mayflower Compact, to attempt a hefty challenge: …

Johnson Gives State of the City Address

verbatim statement

Thank you Reverend Stanley Smith for offering the invocation today. To President Bluntson and members of the Jackson City Council, other elected officials, City Employees, citizens of Jackson and friends, …

And So It Goes

July 4th in Lousiana with the family has come and gone. Family was visited, pies were resisted, drive-through daiquiris were acquired. The weather was hot but the water and lemonaid …

Full Smoking Ban Takes Effect

An expanded version of the city's ban on smoking in restaurants and bars took effect July 1, but compliance with the ban is still spotty.

Community Events and Public Meetings

Tuesday, July 6

Small Business Leadership Conference July 6-7, at Jackson Medical Mall (350 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave.), in the Community Meeting Room. Conference hours are 9 a.m.-2 p.m. July 6 and 5-9 …

South Jackson Mall Seeks Community Input

The Jackson Square shopping center that has struggled with crime and vacancy for years is showing signs of life. The South Jackson retail mall at Terry Road and Interstate 55, …

Mayonnaise Comes to Jackson

It's difficult for to imagine mayonnaise as exotic at all, but Eudora Welty remembers its advent in Jackson as an event.

Travel: What Not to Do

Last August, my then-boyfriend Mason and I took an excursion to Memphis to celebrate summer's end. We were anticipating a carefree day trip, but expectation quickly turned to distress as …

Road Trip Destinations

If you're planning a day trip from Jackson, consider yourself lucky: The state capital sits at the crossroad of two major interstate highways, making it easy to get to nearby …

Alt.Mississippi

Mississippi is unique. And no matter what naysayers believe, the Magnolia state has something for just about everyone. Take some time this summer to travel around the state and explore …

[Rob In Stereo] The Gaslight Anthem: Not Your Average Garden Variety Band

Bruce Springsteen casts a large shadow over New Jersey. Every rock band from the state needs to inevitably face comparisons to the man, no matter how similar or dissimilar their …

[Purvis] Déjà Vu All Over Again

I have not been myself since I learned of the tragic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Always, no matter what I'm doing, it seems to be hanging out …

Community Events and Public Meetings

Events at Jackson City Hall (200 S. President St.). Call 601-960-1033.

[Kamikaze] The New Mississippi Musicians

I often brag to out-of-state friends and colleagues that all the genres of music were either birthed or perfected on Mississippi soil. From Jimmie Rodgers to Faith Hill, B.B. King …

Creating a Space

Jackson musicians Taylor Hildebrand and Jamie Weems have big plans and ideas for Jackson's music scene. They want a bolder and vibrant place for musicians and fans.

Burnin' Down the House: DIY Concerts

It's not just for sweaty, basement punks anymore. Do-it-yourself house concerts are cropping up all over Jackson, the perfect expression of the city's collaborative, welcoming music scene.

Where are They Now?

When musicians leave Jackson to follow their path to new opportunities and sucess, they leave behind a local fan base. Want to know what they're up to now? Here's what.

[Herman's Picks] Vol. 8, No. 41

Fans of jam bands will want to support the return of Colonel Bruce Hampton & the Quark Alliance to Martin's Friday night.

The Turntables: A DJ's Center

He walks around, shaking hands and hugging people like the most charismatic politician. Slightly baggy jeans, simple loafer-like shoes and a mint green short-sleeved shirt are not the typical attire …

Melvin Priester Jr.

You might see Melvin Priester Jr. around Jackson in his family's law office or working on his father's campaign to become a Hinds County Court judge for Sub-District 1. You …