Developers Announce New Jackson Projects
Developers will complete work on the first block of historic Farish Street in 14 months.
Governor Commutes One Killer's Sentence, Not Another
In a move that illustrates the erratic nature of America's justice system, Gov. Haley Barbour commuted the sentence of Michael David Graham last Thursday, July 17. Graham, convicted for shooting …
Domestic Violence
Survivors of Murdered Women File Suit
The families of two women murdered last September by the men who professed their love for them say they have yet to receive justice.
Anti-Violence Programs: 'Absolutely Ineffective'
Congress enacted the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 with laudable goals. It wanted to both prevent and treat intimate partner abuse, specifically against women in America. Since its enactment, …
'Dereliction of Duty'
Having re-opened the sluice gates of executions with Earl Berry in May, the state of Mississippi could put a second man to death later this month. Dale Leo Bishop, convicted …
Crime
Seale Wants Freedom
The flawed record of Dr. Stephen Hayne was at issue when James Ford Seale took his 2007 conviction before the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals this week.
Berry Candlelight Vigil
I just received word that there will be an interfaith candlelight vigil at Smith Park on Wednesday, May 21 beginning at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday is the day Earl Berry is …
Jam, Y'all
Jackson's biggest music and art street festival kicks into high gear Friday, June 13. This year marks the 21st time that Capitol Street downtown will transform into a rockin', dancin', …
Music, Fireworks, Bugs, Oh My
Sybil Cheesman expected to stay in Jackson only four or five years. "That's the longest I'd ever lived in one place," she says. Thirty-six years later, Cheesman has played her …
No Laughs in Email Hoax
There are some sick puppies out there. This release from the Attorney General's office details an e-mail hoax that threatens the life of the recipient and demands payment:
Bringing Up the Rear
The number of binge drinkers in Misssissippi is significantly lower than the national average, state residents are pretty good about wearing seatbelts, and we are third in the nation for …
Gas is Giving Me Heartburn
This morning, I paid more than $52 to buy 3/4 of a tank of gas. Lucky for me that I live in Mississippi instead of San Francisco, where the cost …
Lift Up Your Voices and Chant
One of my most favorite things about going to church is singing. Whether it's belting out a hymn or the softer sounds of the liturgy, raising my voice in praise …
Mother Stabbed to Death by Children's Father
A young mother of six, Tracy Collier, is the latest victim of domestic violence in Jackson. Police found Collier, 33, stabbed to death in her yard at 2408 Brookside Drive …
Animal Intelligence
Tallulah the Wonder Cat plays fetch, and can figure out that she has to go to the other room when she bats the toy under a door—a sure sign of …
Walker, Belafonte Appearing at JSU Civil Rights Conference
Actor Harry Belafonte Jr., writer Alice Walker and filmmaker Keith Beauchamp are headlining the third annual Conference of the Veterans of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement at Jackson State University …
Workers Rally Against Human Trafficking
A group of about 70 Indian workers marched onto the Mississippi State Capitol Thursday, March 20, protesting treatment by Pascagoula construction company Signal International, LLC.
‘The Nightmare Is Over'
After serving 18 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit, Levon Brooks walked away from the Noxubee County courthouse a free man on March 13. Arrested for …
One in 100 Behind Bars
America reached a new record this year, but it's not one that comes with bragging rights: We've reached the point where one in every 100 adults is behind bars. In …
It's About Turnout, Stupid!
Crunching the state's numbers from last week's primaries shows that something is happening in Mississippi. The question is: Will the Obama Effect linger in the state, creating a new political …
The Issues 2008
What's on your mind this election year? As the national media focus on the presidential horse race, and who's sprinting ahead, chances are good that these issues will crop up.
‘The Nightmare Is Over': Levon Brooks Finally Free
After serving 18 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit, Levon Brooks walked away from the Noxubee County courthouse a free man this morning. Arrested for the …
Challenging the Next Generation
It was our own hometown David and Goliath story. Bernie Ebbers and WorldCom were the symbol of what Mississippi could be. WorldCom was the lone Fortune 500 company in the …
Innocent Man Goes Home for First Time Since 1993
INDIANOLA—Arthur Johnson, 48, wrongfully convicted in 1993 of rape and burglary, went home with his family Monday, Feb. 25, for the first time in a decade and a half. Sunflower …
Free At Last? Brewer May Go Free Friday
Two men who have served a combined 34 years behind bars for crimes they apparently did not commit may walk away free men on Friday, Feb. 15.
Living in the Shadow of AIDS
Photos by Ronni Mott
The two-story wood house, white with red trim, sits squarely on a corner lot in Jackson. The grass on the lawn is January brown, the same as in the other …
Preventing Identity Theft
[verbatim from AG's office] Attorney General Jim Hood, Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann and Better Business Bureau President Bill Moak are joining together with a host of private partners to …
Exposing A Killer
"It's something you don't want to know," Ken South said, "but you need to know."
[Fly] How to Do Valentine's Day, Sans Date
If you've recently kicked your valentine to the curb, don't sit in front of your private bonfire burning every item that reminds you of him or her. Instead throw a …
Toward a Peace Culture
Takashi Teramoto was 10 when "Little Boy" dropped on Hiroshima in August 1945, killing 140,000 Japanese—half instantly, the other half from radiation poisoning. Teramoto is traveling with Steven Leeper, director …
Sean Wade
Sean Wade is a big guy. He could use his stature to threaten, but instead, he exudes tranquility to those in his presence. Wade, 32, speaks with clarity and precision, …
DNA Says 'Not Guilty' 16 Years Later
Arthur Johnson may be returning home in a matter of days, 16 years after his arrest for a rape he did not commit. On Friday, Jan. 4, the Mississippi Supreme …
Such Sweet Sorrow
Since July 2004, Ross Olivier has been pastor of the Galloway Methodist Church in Jackson, bringing with him experience forged in South Africa's anti-apartheid movement. As we spoke last Monday, …
The Case For Innocence
It was Ron Williamson's obituary in the Dec. 9, 2004, issue of The New York Times that caught attorney and author John Grisham's eye.
‘These Are Not Fair Trials': The JFP Talks With John Grisham
Since publication of "The Innocent Man" in 2006, author John Grisham has become a strong advocate for the Innocence Project, lending his name and voice to help establish the organization's …
Rev. Olivier Returns to South Africa
Rev. Ross Olivier, "Reverend Ross" to his Galloway Methodist Church parishioners, will return to his native South Africa in January after serving the Jackson church since July 2004. In recent …
Eating In the Stables
The "new" Mississippi Capitol building was built in 1903 using back taxes paid by the Illinois Central Railroad, on the site of the old state penitentiary. Originally built for $1.9 …
[Fly] Setting The Table
Last year, you watched in horror as Great Aunt Petunia criticized everything about your cousin's table, from the linen to the placement of the dessert fork. Well, Petunia's on the …
[Fly] Beginner's Guide To Wine
When it comes to wine, a little knowledge goes a long way. You can get a nice white for under $10, but stick to $15 an up for reds. Here …
[Fly] It's The Food
Christmas dinner was the holiday event to be forgotten. Not that my mother wasn't a fabulous cook or that she didn't put out a fine spread. No, it was the …
Spend It to Make It
At the level of countries, economics can be a crapshoot, with future predictions playing as much of a role as hindsight. Micro-economics, the kind where you have to balance a …
[Fly] How to Stock a Bar
If you have a couple of grand in disposable income, stocking a full bar can suck up all of that in a heartbeat. For most of us though, that's pretty …
Hate-Crimes Grossly Under-Reported
There were no hate crimes in Mississippi in 2005 or 2006, according to the most recent FBI statistics. Nationwide, say the stats, hate crimes rose 7.8 percent in '06, with …
[Fly] Holiday Giving: How To Tip
All year long, many of the people who make our lives livable work in relative anonymity: the mail carriers, the garbage people, the newspaper delivery guy. Others—like the folks who …
Abstinence-Only Doesn't Work
Abstinence-only-until-marriage programs—the kind the federal government backs with millions in tax dollars—don't reduce teen pregnancies or STDs, according to "Emerging Answers 2007: Research Findings on Programs to Reduce Teen Pregnancy …
Winter Arts Preview: Event Listings
<b>Stage & Screen
The concrete, steel and glass building seems unfinished, with the rawness of unformed clay. The gravel drive and rust-colored patina on the sign lettering adds to the feeling that this …
Hood: Victim's Mother Asked Him to Prosecute Bell
Attorney General Jim Hood told the Jackson Free Press Tuesday that he will personally prosecute George Bell III for the murder of Heather Spencer at the request of Spencer's mother, …
Rid Your Body of Toxins
Between eating and drinking out of plastics that leach, getting a bit of pesticides with our veggies and a few stray hormones in our burgers, we're all exposed to levels …
Mississippi Settles Foster Care Suit
On Nov. 8, Olivia Y., John A. and Mississippi's other 3,500 children in foster care got one step closer to receiving the care they deserve. In April, weeks before going …
