12 Local Stories of the Week

As usual, Mississippi—and the Jackson metro in particular—served as a hotbed for important local and national news last week. Several of the Jackson Free Press’ pieces went viral in social media and were picked up by national news outlets. Here are 12 JFP stories you may have missed, but might wish you didn’t. Please enjoy and take time to leave your comments.

First, the story of the week: JFP intern Dylan Irby responds to the mass-shooting tragedy last week in his hometown: “The Shooting In My Aurora.”

Don’t miss these important stories, either:

1. Long-time Mississippi journalist and Ole Miss professor Joe Atkins wrote this week’s cover story, “Operation Dixie: The Battle to Unionize Nissan.” In this heavily researched story, Joe talks to many Nissan workers, as well as the company, union organizers and more. An expert on American unions, Joe also includes compelling history on the union movement in the U.S. Don’t miss this one.
2. Joe Atkins also interviewed actor Danny Glover, who is also a pro-union activist. Glover traveled to Canton to show solidarity for the union efforts. The JFP’s new staff photo/videographer Trip Burns shot this gallery of Glover, as well as several Nissan workers.
3. JFP reporter R.L. Nave asked “Is Nissan Worth It for Taxpayers?” and then answered the question with a deeper look at the state’s investment in the automaker than you’ll see elsewhere.
4. In another in his series on Mississippi’s controversial abortion-clinic law, R.L. Nave looks at whether the new law requiring doctors to have admitting privileges at a local hospital is medically justified. In the story, a Mississippi College bioethicist says no.
5. City reporter Jacob Fuller preps readers for Round 4 in the battle for the Ward 3 council seat between LaRita Cooper-Stokes and Joyce Jackson. After a judge threw out Cooper-Stokes’ claim on the seat, a re-election is scheduled for this Tuesday.
6. R.L. Nave looks closer at “Mississippi Power’s Addiction.”
7. Tripp Burns and Donna Ladd reported on a lucrative presidential campaign stop in the metro. Gov. Mitt Romney, who used to be quite unpopular among Mississippi Republicans, came to the River Hills Club and Jackson and raised $1.7 million–making it the largest fund raiser in the state’s history. Tripp also photographed a group of young Latinos outside the fundraiser protesting Romney’s unclear, but unfriendly, stance on immigration rights, especially for young people. (Don’t miss the comments under an earlier post about Romney’s visit, in which a reader tooks dramatic offense to the JFP’s description of the River Hills club as “exclusive”—although the reader himself said it costs $3,600 a year, plus a stock investment, to join.)
8. JFP intern Vergie Redmond continued her fact-packed series of reports on the problems with voter ID in the state and across the country. Her stories on voter ID are getting massive national attention, and for good reason.
9. Reporter Jacob Fuller looked closer at a somewhat controversial plan to build new townhouses near JSU.
10. R.L. Nave reported that homicide in Jackson is dramatically up over the same period last year. Click here to flip through the crime report.
11. The MIssissippi Center for Justice is helping several Virginia College graduates sue the school. Read more in R.L. Nave’s report.
12. In his publisher’s note, JFP Publisher Todd Stauffer called out a conservative national business organization for trying to twist President Obama’s words in a ridiculous fashion. Find out how such games are bad for business in Biz Federation Needs Context. In his column, Eddie Outlaw reveals “Tupelo’s Dirty Little Secret.” And don’t miss our editorial about Haley’s Barbour’s hypocrisy in calling for Mitt Romney to release his financial and tax records. (And flip through a PDF of documents about Barbour’s blind-trust controversy.

Other cool stuff on the new JFP website:

• JFP Document Morgue. Go ahead and wonk out, and you can discuss each doc, too!
• JFP Photo Galleries: we add more every day!
• JFP Videos: With photo/videographer Trip Burns now on staff, we’re in the video game. This archive includes that juicy Tea Party interview that slams women getting the right to vote.
• JFP Blog Headlines including SportsBlog, JackBlog, Fly!, InternBlog and others.
• Entertaining and helpful wedding stories on our Hitched page.

And, of course, the best events listings around at JFPEvents.com and daily live music listings here.

Enjoy, and watch for new features on the JFP site every week. Surprises ahead!

Send news tips to news@jacksonfreepress.com and events info to events@jacksonfreepress.com.

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