Jackson Free Press

Melton Interviews, Part II Out; Ledge Suddenly Hot on Melton

Read Part II of Donna Ladd's JFP interviews with the mayor, plus a narrative of two Sunday nights in the Mobile Command Center. Online now.

Herman's Picks

Nothing screams a need for a weekend road trip or vacation like the coming of spring. Our current dissatisfactions with our daily jobs must surely stem from lone and breezy …

JUST IN MONDAY: Key Witness Turns Self in to Melton

Monday, 9:30 p.m.: According to Mayor Frank Melton tonight, Christopher "Smiley" Walker turned himself into the mayor tonight and is now in custody. Melton refuses to publicly disclose Walker's whereabouts, …

Just the Facts: A Reader's Guide to the Melton Interview

Donna Ladd's interviews with Frank Melton have been conducted in several meetings since March 23 in his office in City Hall, his home and around the streets of Jackson in …

Welcome Home, ‘Ssippi

He calls himself Christopher "Ssippi" Wessman. An L.A. painter, cello player and bassist is back in town. Ssippi, a Jackson native, is here for a show to display his recent …

Why Buy Jackson?

Once again, an abundance of commentary has surfaced regarding the decline of Jackson, along with the local pundits' sometimes eccentric explanations of the Capitol City's current afflictions.

Marshand Crisler: The Man Watching the Mayor (2006)

The office of Jackson Council President Marshand Crisler bears the signs of a harsh duality. Crisler carries himself with a clean, pressed look—in startling contrast to the reporter sitting across …

Home, Bittersweet Home

Mary Johnson was a resident of Rose Street back when Rose Street looked very different from how it looks now. In many ways, the story of Johnson is the story …

Crossroads Film Festival 2006: Everybody Has A Story

If there's anything a true Mississippian loves, it's a good story. This weekend, we get to enjoy many stories on film during the 7th Annual Crossroads Film Festival, taking place …

BeerTalk: The Belgians Are Coming!

Belgian beers are renowned around the world for their excellent quality, complexity and taste, as well as their rich history and the sheer variety of brands and styles available. While …

That Motley Crue Girl

About three months ago, my best friend called me with one of her fabulous ideas. These ideas come at least twice a year and previously involved both a foray into …

A Pimp's Revenge

I couldn't help but smile as I watched Memphis rap group Three 6 Mafia accept their Oscar this month for Best Original Song. Not because they didn't deserve it. Oh …

Pro-Business Smoke Out

Much has been written about the regional bidding war for the new Kia auto plant—a war in which Georgia defeated Mississippi, and Alabama was never really a competitor. But as …

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 …

'Where Barbour's Loyalties Really Lie'

On March 15, Gov. Haley Barbour vetoed a second tax reform bill that would have raised the cigarette tax to $1 per pack and cut the state's 7 percent sales …

Mary Johnson: Where's My House?

The Clarion-Ledger had a good story yesterday about Mary Johnson, to whom Frank Melton promised a new house if she would tear down her old one. The problem, of course, …

JFP Debuts New Chick Blog

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Announcing our brand-new Chick Blog, a fun and serious collection of writings and blogs by and about women. You won't just find stories about lip gloss here, but you'll find …

Melton Polling High in First JFP/16-WAPT Poll

A March 12 telephone poll of 763 registered Jackson voters conducted by ZATA-3 Consulting in Washington, D.C., found that Jackson Mayor Frank Melton gets an excellent grade from 42 percent …

Barbour Vetoes Tobacco-Grocery Tax Bill

Following is Gov. Haley Barbour's statement today vetoing the popular effort to raise the tax on cigarettes and lower the tax on on groceries. Note that he is repeating his …

Chicks We Love

It takes only 10 minutes of talking to Dr. Nirupa Mohandas to hear about her love life and dating experiences. As a native of India, Nirupa's open-minded parents still expected …