Jackson Free Press

The Elephant In The Classroom

The governor and his loyal cabal of "Stepford senators" seem to believe that Mississippians are stupid. And they sure want to keep us that way.

Dean and the Elephants in Dixie

Charles Evers and I hit it off immediately the first time we met. We, after all, both have Neshoba County roots. My Daddy, it seems, used to drive him around …

[Mott] Happiness Worth Celebrating

For too long in Mississippi, the legal community--police, lawyers and judges--have seen domestic abuse as a problem best dealt with at home. Women bring violence on themselves, the thinking goes; …

[Mott] Not One More Victim

The bad economy and shrinking budget is not an excuse for failing to add teeth to laws protecting women.

Advocates Call for National Juneteenth Holiday

Residents gathered in the Tougaloo community this morning to push Congress to establish Juneteenth as a national holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in the United States in 1865.

Opponents Vow to Fight Anti-Immigrant Bill

Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance Executive Director Bill Chandler said a Senate Committee's approval of an anti-immigrant bill yesterday will "put a target" on all Latinos in Mississippi, regardless of their …

[Mott] ‘Bring On the Rest'

Driving away from Parchman Penitentiary on the night Mississippi executed Joseph Burns, I was having trouble putting my feelings into words. I had just watched a man die in front …

Senate Candidates on the Economy

Ronnie Musgrove As governor, Democrat Ronnie Musgrove was exceptionally tight-fisted. His opponent, interim Sen. Roger Wicker, has frequently charged that he squandered a budget surplus during his administration.

Hooray For King Ed

Jackson Developer David Watkins and the King Edward Hotel received some good news from the May 30 City Council meeting. The council voted 6-1 in favor of a resolution ratifying …

Southern Republicans Hold Up Bailout

The Jackson NAACP, the Mississippi AFL-CIO and supporting organizations protested Mississippi Republican senators' opposition to a bailout bill for General Motors and Chrysler at the State Capitol Tuesday. U.S. Senate …

Barbour Furloughs Rapist, Then Retracts

Leslie Bowlin lay in wait for his young victim, watching her roommates leave their shared apartment in the Canterbury Townhouses in Starkville one by one for the Christmas break. When …

Barbour: ‘Don't Let Your Guard Down Yet'

Also see: Jackpedia: Hurricane Gustav to get/post vital information.

[State Report] Coast Park Open to Drilling?

Tempers are rising in the concerted efforts to open the Mississippi Barrier Islands to gas drilling. An emergency military spending and tsunami relief bill recently signed by the Bush administration …

[City Buzz] Colonel Snoop Reporting for Duty, Sir

JACKAL SMOKED OUT … Like the rest of the world, Jacksonians of all political persuasions were all aglow in the days leading up to Christmas over the capture of long-time …

The War on ‘Sudafed' Grows

The Mississippi Senate passed a bill Tuesday requiring drugs containing pseudoephedrine be sold by prescription only. The bill is a sister bill to House Bill 512, a constitutional amendment authored …

Did State Mismanage Stimulus Funds?

A Jackson company is alleging in Hinds County Chancery Court that the state mismanaged $3.75 million in federal stimulus funds by passing over the lowest and best bidder for a …

Bills That Ain't About Money

All eyes at the state Legislature are on how politicians will handle the state's nearly $400 million revenue deficit, but other bills outside of money issues are creeping their way …

NAACP President: Segregation Still a Problem

One example of how state and local government continues to attack public education in Mississippi is a bill that would allow charter schools, said NAACP President Derrick Johnson during a …

Developers Push a Lake for Downtown

UPDATED: December 15, 2009

Jackson developer David Watkins, whose ventures include the King Edward Hotel and the Farish Street entertainment district, unveiled plans for a downtown lake and riverwalk at a media event yesterday. …

JFP's Biggest Stories

Over the years, the Jackson Free Press has dug in deep on a number of big stories and topics that produced major results for the city and state.