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This story originally appeared in the Jackson Free Press. It was added to the Mississippi Free Press website in 2025.
Note that any opinions expressed in legacy Jackson Free Press stories do not reflect a position of the Mississippi Free Press or necessarily of its staff and board members.

August 20, 2009 – Whether you live or work in Jackson, or you’ve been looking for an excuse to come to town, take the opportunity tonight to get out, meet new people and enjoy yourself. Here’s a sampling of the goings on around town tonight.

If you love movies, the Crossroads Film Society is hosting a membership meeting starting at 5 p.m. at The Commons on Congress Street, with a showing of “Paris, Texas,” later in the evening. At 5:30 p.m., head to Schimmel’s Restaurant on North State Street for the Young Leaders in Philanthropy’s “Labor of Love” social, billed as the area’s largest baby shower. Bring a baby item or two to donate to area women’s shelters.

Get involved in shaping the future of your neighborhood at 6:30 p.m. at the West Central Jackson Improvement Association meeting, held in the Jackson State Student Center Ballroom. From 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. meet the crew from the Jackson Free Press at Sal & Mookie’s Pi Lounge on Taylor Street in Fondren for another JFP Lounge. We provide the munchies; you provide the fellowship and networking; Pi provides the atmosphere.

When is a good time to finish your degree? How about now? Registration for the Accelerated Degree Program at Mississippi College is also happening tonight on the Clinton Campus (OK, so it’s not exactly Jackson), starting at 5:30 p.m.

If you simply can’t come out tonight, tune in to WLEZ radio, 100.1 FM at 7 p.m. for “Mississippi Happenings.” Tonight’s program features Jonathan Sims from the Commons Gallery.

Mississippi native Donna Ladd and partner Todd Stauffer founded the Jackson Free Press in 2002 in the capital city. The heavily awarded local newspaper did many investigations heralded across the state and nation and served as a paper of record due to its diversity, inclusion, in-depth reporting and deep connection to readers and dedication to narrative change in and about Mississippi. In 2022, the nonprofit Mississippi Free Press, founded by Ladd and JFP Associate Publisher Kimberly Griffin in 2020, purchased the journalism assets and archives of the Jackson Free Press. A Google grant through AAN Publishers enabled Newspack's integration of the JFP archives into the Mississippi Free Press website to become part of a more searchable archive of recent Mississippi history and essential journalism.