Featured
Jackson Won’t Have Majority Control of Water System as Governor Signs Metro Authority Bill
The City of Jackson will not have majority control of its water and sewer system under a bill Gov. Tate Reeves signed into law, creating a metro water authority to govern the system almost four years after it collapsed completely in the 2022 water crisis.
ALL RECENT STORIES >
RECENT News
Private Prison Company Received $7.4 Million Without Doing Work, Mississippi Auditor Alleges
Management and Training Corporation received $7.4 million to staff three Mississippi prisons. The company did not fulfill its contract with the Mississippi Department of Corrections, State Auditor Shad White alleges.
Culture
Person of the Day | Master Gardener Don Murphy’s Green Thumb Plants Seeds of Inspiration in DeSoto County
DeSoto County Master Gardeners recently named Southaven, Miss., resident Don Murphy as the 2025 Newbie of the Year. His many volunteer hours for the group last year included spearheading the effort to offer seed libraries in two public library branches.
Voices
Editor’s Note | ‘I Got Tired of Reading’: Lessons from the Testing Trenches
Editor Torsheta Jackson writes about the stress and anxiety parents, teachers and students face during state testing season.
Award-Winning MFP JournaLism
Mississippi Free Press Awards Roll: 108 Honors for MFP Team, 8 for YMP, Since 2020
As of July 25, 2025, our team is up to 108 national and U.S. regional awards and finalist nods since we launched in late March 2020.
More STORIES
Artist in Residence | Gavin Bird: Muralist Adorns Longleaf Trace With Hattiesburg’s Nocturnal Wildlife
The Hattiesburg Alliance for Public Art commissioned Gavin Bird to paint a mural along the Longleaf Trace that showcased the area’s nocturnal wildlife. The artwork,…
Greenville Solutions Circles: April 6, 2026
The Mississippi Free Press convened a Solutions Circle in Greenville, Mississippi, for the first time on April 6, 2026.
Mississippi Bill Criminalizing Mailing Abortion Drugs Could Burden Doctors and Law Enforcement, Expert Warns
Mailing abortion drugs to patients would be a crime under House Bill 1613, which the Mississippi Legislature is sending to the governor to define the…
Mississippi Outlaws Lab-Grown Dairy, Farmers Say Pressures Remain
Mississippi lawmakers have moved to protect the state’s dairy industry by banning cell-cultured dairy products, but some farmers said the law does little to address…