In-Depth Archives - Page 7 of 19 - Mississippi Free Press

BWC

‘He Was a Good Son’: COVID-19 Amplified Jackson Violence, Inequities for Black Families

Found dead on the side of a road in South Jackson, Tramaine Green was one of 128 homicides in Jackson in 2020. In her overview introducing the Hinds County chapter of our “(In)Equity and Resilience: Black Women Women and Systemic Barriers” collaboration with the Jackson Advocate, reporter Aliyah Veal tells one family’s story of navigating COVID-19, gun violence and being ignored by police through the pandemic—and the pandemic-magnified causes of crime and inequities that have long affected their path to success.

Aliyah Veal January 19, 2022

In-Depth

Against ‘Illogical Beliefs,’ Medical Marijuana Earns Mississippi Senate Approval in 47-5 Vote

A large bipartisan majority of Mississippi senators voted to approve a medical-marijuana program that would allow patients to receive up to 3.5 ounces a month for treatment. The debate was not without frivolity.

Ashton Pittman January 14, 2022

In-Depth

Lost in the ‘Dead Zone’: Thousands Languish in Mississippi Jails Without Lawyers

A jury rendered a not-guilty verdict for Duane Lake, 35, for a capital-murder allegation against him in November 2021. He had been in jail since 2015 and got his freedom after the verdict. The MacArthur Justice Center at the University of Mississippi School of Law says his story highlights Mississippi inmates’ plight in county jails without legal representation.

Kayode Crown January 13, 2022

In-Depth

Dam Is Full and Springing Leaks: Mississippi Doctors Say Health System Broken Since Delta

Doctors are warning that the pandemic has broken Mississippi’s health-care system, and now as omicron washes over the state, doctors and nurses are exhausted and rushing to catch up.

Nick Judin January 7, 2022

In-Depth

Seeking Solutions to Protect Mississippi Children from Lead Poisoning

A one-year-old in Laurel, Miss., had a blood lead level that was too high, which led Mississippi health officials to visit the city in Jones County in 2015. The child’s blood lead level of 43µg/dL was close to the 45µg/dL level that would have required urgent medical attention.

Kayode Crown January 3, 2022

In-Depth

Lead-in-Water Lawsuit: Contamination Has Hurt Black Jackson Children and Their Futures

In two lawsuits New York-based attorney Corey Stern filed in October 2021 at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, plaintiffs seek $3 billion in damages due to claims about effects of lead in the water in Jackson, Miss., and public officials’ negligence about doing anything about it.

Kayode Crown December 20, 2021

In-Depth

Boondoggle in Kemper County: Powerful Ignored Red Flags of ‘Clean Coal’ Flop

Mississippi Power executives and political backers and lobbyists pushed a huge moonshot of an idea back in 2006 to turn low-grade lignite into “clean coal” to provide electricity from its Kemper County plant in east Mississippi. They also used new legislation to force ratepayers to fund the experiment in advance—funds they later had to repay before imploding part of the facility on Oct. 9, 2021, 15 years after hatching the plan.

Christian Middleton December 16, 2021

Culture

‘My Hometown Too’: Laurel’s Downtown Blossoms Despite City’s Complicated History

Nearly three decades ago, most of the once-bustling businesses in downtown Laurel, Miss., had shuttered their windows, and the brick streets that criss-crossed the Pine Belt town’s center were void of pedestrians and drivers alike. Today, downtown Laurel is enjoying a resurgence thanks to locals and outside assistance. As always throughout its history, like that of other Mississippi towns, it’s complicated.

Taylor McKay Hathorn December 13, 2021

BWC

Co-ops Stepping In to Solve Rural Internet Inequity in Noxubee, Nearby Counties

FASTnet, a for-profit subsidiary of the not-for-profit 4-County Electric Power Association, is providing broadband service to rural areas around the Golden Triangle area of Mississippi. COVID-19 magnified the disparities many Black families faced with little or no reliable internet access as they tried to continue their children’s education from home. Federal dollars should now boost the cooperative solution across Mississippi, barring roadblocks.

Torsheta Jackson December 10, 2021

Category: In-Depth

‘He Was a Good Son’: COVID-19 Amplified Jackson Violence, Inequities for Black Families

Against ‘Illogical Beliefs,’ Medical Marijuana Earns Mississippi Senate Approval in 47-5 Vote

Lost in the ‘Dead Zone’: Thousands Languish in Mississippi Jails Without Lawyers

Dam Is Full and Springing Leaks: Mississippi Doctors Say Health System Broken Since Delta

Seeking Solutions to Protect Mississippi Children from Lead Poisoning

Lead-in-Water Lawsuit: Contamination Has Hurt Black Jackson Children and Their Futures

Boondoggle in Kemper County: Powerful Ignored Red Flags of ‘Clean Coal’ Flop

‘My Hometown Too’: Laurel’s Downtown Blossoms Despite City’s Complicated History

Co-ops Stepping In to Solve Rural Internet Inequity in Noxubee, Nearby Counties

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