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This story originally appeared in the Jackson Free Press. It was added to the Mississippi Free Press website in 2025.
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JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The executive director of the Mississippi Fair Commission has been fired after he was charged with promoting prostitution.

Multiple news outlets report that 54-year-old Steve Hutton was arrested Wednesday by officers from the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and Madison police. He was booked into the Madison County jail. It was not immediately clear whether Hutton is represented by an attorney.

WLBT-TV reported that the Fair Commission fired Hutton from the job he has held since 2018.

The commission says it has experienced staff members in place to continue operating the Mississippi State Fairgrounds near downtown Jackson. Renovations continue inside the Mississippi Coliseum, and a new trade mart is being built. The fairgrounds are hosting a coronavirus drive-thru testing facility.

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