Mississippi Free Press - Solutions Journalism

Featured

Amanda Tollison Takes Mississippi Supreme Court Oath, Bringing Total Women Justices to 3

Amanda Jones Tollison took her oath as a Mississippi Supreme Court Justice on Tuesday, putting three women on the court at the same time for the first time in state history and becoming only the seventh woman to serve on the Mississippi Supreme Court in its 208-year-long history.

by Grace Marion September 4, 2026September 4, 2026

MFP Voices

Editor’s Note | Education Is Not Indoctrination. College Simply Challenges Small Worldviews.

by Nate Schumann

Opinion | Mississippi Should Stress-Test the Career Ladder Before Committing to Automation

by Gleb Tsipursky

MORE VOICES>

Immigration

‘I Did Not Vote for This’: Mississippians March for Eddie Reyes-Ochoa, Whom ICE Detained After a Car Wreck

by Amy Schafer and Nick Judin

MORE IMMIGRATION>

Features and People

Sunshine Sips Brews New Opportunities for Adults With Disabilities in Gulfport

by Sami Jordan and RHCJC News

Person of the Day | Kent Wyatt’s Role as President Emeritus Reflected His Dedication to Delta State

by Dustin Cardon

ALL RECENT FEATURES >

Opinion | Gen Z Reading Habits Aren’t Dying. They’re Changing.

September 2, 2026September 2, 2026

Juan Barnett, Mississippi Senate Corrections Chairman, Announces Retirement

September 2, 2026September 2, 2026

ALL RECENT STORIES >

RECENT News

Howard Industries Employees Ordered Back to Work a Day After Massive Worksite Fire in Laurel

Howard Industries in Laurel, Mississippi, has ordered employees back to work a day after a paint booth caught fire next to a tanker truck, sending massive black smoke billowing over the city.

by Ashton Pittman September 1, 2026September 1, 2026

Olive Branch Mayor Rejects Lowering Flags for Dolly Parton, Saying It’s Only for ‘Something Very Significant’

by Heather Harrison August 31, 2026August 31, 2026

A DEA Tactic That Let Fentanyl Flood the Streets Is Now Under a US House Investigation

by Joshua Goodman, Jim Mustian and Associated Press August 31, 2026

ICE Detains Kiln Man, Leaving Pregnant Wife Alone: ‘We’ve Done What the Government Told Us’

Nigerian Man Arraigned in Mississippi for Alleged Sextortion That Caused Teen’s Suicide

Trump Wants to Import Cheaper Beef to Lower Prices. Mississippi Republicans Say That Won’t Help Farmers.

Trump Used to Say He Saw a Quick End to His Iran War, But 6 Months Later He Claims He’s in No Hurry

Mississippi State University Student Alleges Police Falsely Accused Him of Terroristic Threats

Meet the Candidates for US Senate in Mississippi’s Nov. 3 Elections

Advocates Call for Further Reform to Mississippi’s Tenant Laws

What to Know About Ocean Springs, Nolan Wells’ Hometown

Friends of Nolan Wells Threaten the Rev. Al Sharpton With Defamation Lawsuit, Sharpton ‘Welcomes’ Litigation

Dolly Parton, Music Star, Actor and Beloved Figure Who Spanned Generations, Dies at 80

> More News

Photo galleries

Photos | Fairgoers Embrace Traditions at the 2026 Choctaw Indian Fair

Photos | Choctaw Indian Princess Pageant Celebrates Culture, Crowns New Ambassador

Photos | JTRAN Workers Go On Strike For Increased Pay and Sick Leave Protections

> More Photos

Culture

Jackson Nonprofit Aims to ‘Activate’ Downtown Spaces Through Public Art

Downtown Jackson Partners has unveiled a new mural that commemorates the 200-year-old history of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi for its Alley Gallery art initiative, which seeks to use art to activate underused spaces to help revitalize downtown Jackson.

by Aliyah Veal September 1, 2026September 1, 2026

The Grindhouse: Neshoba County Café Serves Noir Atmosphere and ‘Mookie Cuffins’

by Kylia McKoy August 28, 2026August 28, 2026

Higher Purpose Hub Expands Mississippi Delta Nonprofit’s Goal of Cultivating Black Businesses

by Jaylin R. Smith August 21, 2026August 22, 2026

‘A Magical Place’: Anderson Family Reflects on Nearly a Century of Pottery in Ocean Springs

Harrison County Nonprofit Trains People to Save and Protect Marine Life on Mississippi Gulf Coast

Bay St. Louis Historic District Named Most ‘Unmistakably Mississippi’ Neighborhood

Mississippi Nonprofit Expands Alligator Hunts for Children With Disabilities

Gulf Coast ‘Toxic Beauty’ Exhibit Turns Pollution Into Message About Environmental Harm

Delta Musicians Honor Blues and Gospel Traditions at Clarksdale Sunflower River Festival

Jacob’s Well Ministries Moves Men’s Recovery Program to Lumberton

Jackson’s Patton House Gives Black Mississippi Artists Space for Unapologetic, Unfiltered Art

Person of the Day | Legacy Choctaw Indian Princess Lexi Flint Accepts New Role as Goodwill Ambassador

Photos | Fairgoers Embrace Traditions at the 2026 Choctaw Indian Fair

> More Culture

Voices

Opinion | Coping With Unexpectedly Losing a Loved One

Alexis K. Ellis writes about the pain of unexpectedly losing a loved one and encourages people to take time to mourn and grieve.

by Alexis K. Ellis September 1, 2026September 1, 2026

Opinion | Inflation Woes May Change How the Fed Thinks About Interest Rates

by Brandy Hadley and D. Brian Blank August 31, 2026August 31, 2026

Editor’s Note | Dolly Parton Showed Us How to Be Good

by Ashton Pittman August 28, 2026August 28, 2026

Opinion | Rural Patients Will Pay the Price on Lack of Drug Pricing Transparency

Opinion | Start Saving Early for Your Child’s Future

Opinion | Divergent Influences Shaped America’s Steps With Nature

Editor’s Note | Playing the Long Game for Mississippi: This Is About Impact on People’s Lives

Opinion | Fertilizers Carry a Hidden Cost for Soil’s Crucial Microbes

Opinion | Firefighters Face Higher Rates of Skin Cancer. Here’s How to Protect Them.

Opinion | Silence Can Look Like Understanding, Even When It Isn’t

Opinion | Ketanji Brown Jackson Includes Black Americans in the Story of the Nation’s Search for Equality

Editor’s Note | Being a Sports Mom Is Chaos, And I Love It

Opinion | Cell Phones Are the Distraction in Student Pockets

> More Voices

Award-Winning MFP JournaLism

Mississippi Free Press Awards Roll: 120 Honors for MFP Team, 21 for YMP, Since 2020

As of August 15, 2026, our team is up to 120 national and U.S. regional awards and finalist nods since we launched in late March 2020.

by MFP Staff July 25, 2024August 26, 2026

Mississippi Democrats Break Republican Senate Supermajority: ‘We Are a Battleground State’

by Ashton Pittman November 5, 2025August 21, 2026

Election Officials Move 12 Polling Places Before Mississippi’s Nov. 4 Legislative Special Elections; Errors Remain in System

By Ashton Pittman, data and infographics by Liam Pittman November 2, 2025August 21, 2026

Mississippi Limits Polling Place Changes With New Law After MFP Reporting

After Gloster Biomass Plant Gets OK to Increase Emissions, Residents Take Issue to Court

University of Mississippi Employee Who Lost Her Job for Criticizing Charlie Kirk Sues Chancellor

Fired Millsaps Professor Sues After College Punished Him for Email About ‘This Racist Fascist Country’

Timeline: Trey Reed’s Hanging Death at Delta State University

Person of the Day | Bird Martin: Longtime Softball Coach Supports Disaster Recovery in Walthall County

Battle of Nations Brings Mississippi Choctaw, Eastern Cherokee Together for Football Match

Autopsy Finds Trey Reed’s Hanging Death at Delta State Was a Suicide; Kaepernick to Fund Private Autopsy

Trey Reed’s Family Calls for Independent Autopsy After He Was Found Hanging in Tree; Police Say Video Exists

Delta State University Student’s Body Found Hanging in Tree, No Foul Play Suspected

> More Honored Work

Police Execute Search Warrant at Piney Woods School to Look for Evidence on School Official’s Death

Police executed a search warrant at Piney Woods School in Rankin County, Mississippi, on Monday as part of the murder investigation of former COO William…

August 25, 2026August 25, 2026

Person of the Day | Dae’Quan Wright: Former Mississippi Tight End May Be First Athlete to Return to College Ball After NFL

Former University of Mississippi tight end Dae’Quan Wright could be heading to LSU following a stint in the NFL thanks to a court order that…

August 24, 2026August 24, 2026