JACKSON

Onyx Connect provides resources and community to Black students at the Bloomington-Normal campus and aims to expand to other colleges.

To address chronic teacher shortages, school districts across the country are creating residency programs to better recruit and train new teachers. One program in Jackson, Miss., is already paying off.

“You are finished making up your own rules,” the federal judge told the Miami-based member of the Proud Boys, who faces civil disorder and obstruction charges.

More than 50 people have been killed in New Orleans since the year began. Tamara Jackson is dispatched to most homicide scenes, but her focus is on the families.

The former director of a Mississippi nonprofit organization pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to stealing government funds intended to help needy families in one of the poorest states in the U.S., court documents show. Christi Webb, who stepped down this week as director of the north Mississippi-based Family Resource Center, appeared before U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves in Jackson. The federal charges stem from a welfare scandal that has ensnared high-profile figures, including retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre, who lives in Mississippi.

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves has signed a bill that will restrict electric car manufacturers from selling vehicles in person unless they open franchised dealerships.

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves signed a bill Tuesday restricting electric car manufacturers from selling vehicles in person unless they open franchised dealerships. Defying calls from some fellow Republicans in the Legislature to veto the measure, Reeves enacted into law House Bill 401, introduced by Republican Rep. Trey Lamar of Senatobia. The law will force electric car companies such as Tesla and Rivian to sell vehicles through franchises rather than company-owned stores, which is how they currently operate.

A Tennessee police officer fatally shot an armed man who pointed gun at them on Sunday night. No other injuries were reported and an investigation into the shooting is ongoing.

A Mississippi man who burned a cross in his front yard to intimidate his Black neighbors was sentenced Thursday to 42 years in prison. U.S. Southern District of Mississippi Judge Sul Ozerden handed down the sentence after Axel Cox, 24, pleaded guilty to a federal hate crime in December. Cox, of Gulfport, was charged with violating the Fair Housing Act over a December 2020 incident in which he put together a wooden cross in his front yard and propped it up so his Black neighbors could see it.

Jenny Jackson's debut novel, "Pineapple Street," is a comedy set among the members of a super-wealthy family in Brooklyn.

The mother of a 25-year-old Black man who was shot to death by Mississippi Capitol Police last year is telling state lawmakers that she strongly opposes giving the state-run police department wider territory to patrol inside the majority-Black capital city of Jackson.

The expected move next week in Congress to overturn District of Columbia laws dealing with criminal justice and voting has created a political tempest in the nation’s capital, with local activists decrying it as the latest effort to undermine the city’s ability to determine its own future.

A former pro wrestler pleaded guilty Thursday to a federal charge related to misspending of welfare money that was supposed to help needy families in Mississippi, one of the poorest states in the U.S. Brett DiBiase faces up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine for his plea to conspiracy to defraud the federal government. State sentencing was delayed, and DiBiase has been cooperating with state and federal investigators looking at others in the case, Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens said.

The Mississippi Senate gave final approval Thursday to a bill to restrict electric car manufacturers from opening new brick-and-mortar dealerships in the state unless they comply with the same laws traditional carmakers follow. On the Senate floor Thursday, the bill sparked an intraparty debate among GOP lawmakers. Proponents said the law would ensure all car manufacturers, regardless of their business model, play by the same rules.

Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has signed a bill to ban gender-affirming care in the state for anyone younger than 18.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has written her first majority opinion for the Supreme Court.

Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves did an abrupt about-face Sunday on an issue for which Democrats have been sharply criticizing him this election year, saying for the first time that he wants the state to allow a full year of Medicaid coverage to women after they give birth. Reeves said on social media that if the Republican-controlled state House and Senate send him a bill to allow a year of postpartum Medicaid coverage, “I will sign it into law.” Reeves said he is willing to do so “as part of our new pro-life agenda."

People in Mississippi's majority-Black capital city say the mostly white state Legislature is trying to encroach on their rights of self-government.

Thirty years after terrorism first struck the World Trade Center, victims’ relatives and survivors are remembering the deadly 1993 bombing that foreshadowed 9/11.

A Chick-fil-A representative said the customer's name was misspelled on the drive-thru order receipt.

The Republican-controlled Mississippi Senate gave final approval Tuesday to a bill that would ban gender-affirming care in the state for anyone younger than 18. House Bill 1125 will go to Republican Gov. Tate Reeves, who is running for reelection and has indicated he will sign it into law. In 2021, Reeves signed a law to ban transgender athletes from competing in girls’ or women’s sports.

The federal government has allocated $190 billion in pandemic relief to help schools.

Community members are speaking out after three fatal pedestrian crashes -- two of which were hit-and-runs -- this week in Jacksonville.

The city of Jackson has appointed a new public works director aimd water system troubles. City Engineer Robert Lee was named director until someone permanent can take over.

A House Democrat plans to propose a series of bills that seek to remove statues that she says reflect America's "shameful" past during this Black History Month.

Members of the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus are denouncing efforts by the state Legislature to grab power from the capital city of Jackson.

The mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, said approval of a new court system for his city, which is 80% black, "reminds me of apartheid."

A former University of Mississippi chancellor says Republican Gov. Tate Reeves spoke privately with him years ago about the benefits of expanding Medicaid to people in low-wage jobs.

Keke Palmer and her boyfriend Darius Jackson shared how they found out she was pregnant on the "Nope" star's podcast, "Baby, This is Keke Palmer."

The first Black woman elected to the Mississippi Legislature 38 years ago says she will not seek another term.

The News4JAX Super 6 girls basketball rankings will be published each Tuesday during the regular season. Records are through Jan. 30.

National Weather Service officials posted a Hazardous Weather Outlook Tuesday morning warning of windchills of at least negative 15 to 20 degrees for portions of. north central and northeast Illinois, and northwest Indiana.

The NFL salary cap is markedly increasing for the second year in a row; plus, the 2023 franchise tag figures are out.

Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba says that legislation that would create a separate court system run by unelected judges in part of Mississippi’s capital city is racially motivated.

Michael Jackson’s 26-year-old nephew, Jaafar Jackson, will play the King of Pop in the planned biopic “Michael” to be directed by Antoine Fuqua.

Families and businesses continue to go without water as pipe system repairs are underway in Jackson, Mississippi. The city may be plagued by water problems for up to the next 10 years.

A newly released report from the Mississippi State Department of Health finds that an increasing number of mothers in the state have died in recent years due to pregnancy complications.

After splitting two meetings this season, Jackson and Ribault will play for bragging rights and the Gateway Conference championship in boys basketball on Friday night.

The News4JAX Super 6 girls basketball rankings will be published each Tuesday during the regular season. Records are through Jan. 24.

A Mississippi police officer fatally shot an armed person on Sunday morning near Jackson. The suspect was wearing a ski mask at an apartment complex in the morning.

U.S. health officials want to make COVID-19 vaccinations more like the annual flu shot.

Mississippi police shooting leaves one injured during an armed robbery investigation on Sunday. The suspect was taken to the hospital and treated for their injuries.

A Mississippi wastewater hauling business has pleaded guilty to federal illegal dumping. The company was discharging industrial waste into Jackson's sewer system.

The News4JAX Super 6 girls basketball rankings will be published each Tuesday during the regular season.

The Environmental Protection Agency is awarding $100 million in competitive grants for projects that advance environmental justice in communities disproportionately affected by industrial pollution and other hazards.

The city's water system has suffered disruptions for years, but Christopher Wells says that the city received every loan it requested, and that an ongoing civil rights investigation is political.

Three Mississippi police officers have been put on a paid leave after a man died in custody. An investigation is ongoing to determine his cause of death and what happened at the scene.

“Mine has been an unlikely journey,” Jackson said in a statement about her forthcoming book, to be titled “Lovely One.”

The News4JAX Super 6 girls basketball rankings will be published each Tuesday during the regular season. Records are through Jan. 2.

Officials have been struggling for months to patch up an "old, crumbling system" while planning for a more permanent fix.

Missing Michigan doctor Bolek Payan was found dead in a frozen bond near his home after disappearing last week. An investigation into his death is ongoing.

A cold snap blanketing the Deep South has upended water systems as local officials struggle to repair widespread leaks and broken pipes.

The city of Jackson, Mississippi, is struggling to regain water pressure after cold weather further harmed the city's struggling water system.

Days of freezing temperatures in Deep South areas that usually freeze for only hours are threatening dozens of water systems as burst pipes leak millions of gallons of water. The problems were happening Monday in large, troubled water systems like Jackson, Mississippi, where residents were required over Christmas to boil water months after most lost service because of a cascade of problems from years of poor maintenance. In Selma, Alabama, the mayor declared a state of emergency because they city worried it would run out of water.

Along with the order to boil drinking water, city officials said some residents also have reported low water pressure or no water pressure.

Some residents in Mississippi's capital city would temporarily experience low water pressure, officials warned.

The federal government will put $600 million toward repairing the troubled water system in Mississippi’s capital city — a project that the mayor has said could cost billions of dollars.

A video posted to social media showed a woman holding a gun in one hand and using the other hand to hold onto a person wearing a Walmart employee vest.

Basketball is all the way back in New York. Plus, why the Lakers and Wizards are both pointing way down.

There are science-backed benefits of having a morning routine. Research has shown that morning routines can reduce stress and boost your energy levels.

A judge on Thursday handed down the longest prison terms so far in the plot to kidnap Michigan's governor, sentencing three men who forged an early alliance with a leader of the scheme before the FBI broke it up in 2020. Joe Morrison, Pete Musico and Paul Bellar were not charged with having a direct role in the conspiracy but were members of a paramilitary group that trained with Adam Fox, who separately faces a possible life sentence on Dec. 27 for his federal conviction. Musico was sentenced to a minimum of 12 years in prison, followed by his son-in-law Morrison at 10 years and Bellar at seven.

Not everyone has a gift for gift giving — and that's OK! Our experts share tips on what to get for 5 personality types, ranging from the practical to the sentimental to the hard to shop for.

A federal jury Monday found against a former Lincoln Park High School principal who claimed he was unfairly fired and defamed by Chicago Public Schools amid a student sex scandal nearly three years ago.

Mississippi State football coach Mike Leach suffered a heart attack at his home, went without oxygen for several minutes and is still hospitalized.

Mississippi State coach Mike Leach was hospitalized in critical condition Monday, the day after what the university called “a personal health issue” at his home in Starkville forced him to be airlifted to a medical facility in Jackson. Leach was admitted Sunday to the University of Mississippi Medical Center, about 125 miles (200 kilometers) from the Mississippi State campus. UMMC spokesman Marc Rolph said Monday in a text message to AP that Leach's condition was listed in critical condition.

Juvenile Court Presiding Judge Michael Toomin looks back on his career as he nears retiring from bench, leadership of juvenile court.

A federal judge has ruled that he will not block Mississippi from carrying out with next week’s scheduled execution of an inmate who is suing the state over its use of three drugs for lethal injections. Thomas Edwin Loden Jr., 58, faces a Dec. 14 execution date, which was recently set by the Mississippi Supreme Court. U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate handed down a ruling late Wednesday, saying Loden’s execution can happen even while the lawsuit is pending.

Good morning, Chicago. Here are some of the top stories you need to know to start your day.

Ex-principal John Thuet’s attorneys say Jackson caused CPS to “fire, scapegoat, tar and feather” him.

In a case about LGBTQ and religious protections, Justice Samuel A. Alito found himself musing about children in KKK outfits and Black shopping mall Santas.

James Howard Jackson, one of three men and two accomplices involved in the violent robbery, pleaded no contest to one count of attempted murder.

The Lady Gaga connection was a coincidence, authorities have said. The motive was the value of the French bulldogs, and detectives do not believe the thieves knew the dogs belonged to the musician.

Ryan Fischer was shot by James Howard Jackson while walking two of the singer's French bulldogs.

James Howard Jackson, one of three men and two accomplices who participated in the violent robbery and its aftermath, pleaded no contest to one count of attempted murder.

A suspect is in custody after the shooting death of a Jackson State University student in Mississippi, the university's president said Friday.

An attorney for Harvey Weinstein at his Los Angeles sexual assault trial told jurors that the prosecution's case relies entirely on asking them to trust accusers who have proved they were untrustworthy.

The U.S. Justice Department has received a federal judge’s approval to carry out its proposal to improve the precarious water system in Mississippi’s capital city.

Residents in several towns across Louisiana and Mississippi have taken cover amid the blare of tornado sirens amid a severe weather outbreak erupting in the Deep South.

Though his team is out of the playoffs, Grayson Howard will represent Jackson one more time. January 7 in the All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. On Saturday, Howard received his All-American Bowl jersey.

The road to the high school football state playoffs is set.

Jackson State coach Deion Sanders has forbidden his players from leaving the team hotel while they’re in Houston for Saturday’s game against Texas Southern after the rapper Takeoff was fatally shot in the city early Tuesday.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says the water in Mississippi's capital city is now safe to drink, following months of sampling at a water treatment plant overwhelmed by late August flooding.

This month's Positively JAX winner is focusing on mental health in a community that's often ignored. Shontae Jackson created Subliminal Dreamz to address mental health in men.

Three men have been convicted of supporting a plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor.

Jurors have begun deliberations in a third trial connected to a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Prosecutors are urging a jury to convict three men for assisting the leaders of a plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor.

Prosecutors have rested their case in the trial of three men charged with assisting a 2020 plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced it is investigating whether Mississippi state agencies discriminated against the state’s majority-Black capital city by refusing to fund improvements for its failing water system.

It’s Week 9 of the high school football season. We take a look at the top four games, the next four options and the full schedule for teams in north Florida and south Georgia.

A panel of U.S. vaccine experts says COVID-19 shots should be added to the lists of recommended vaccinations for kids and adults.

High school football season is back. That means our football predictions are back, too.News4JAX sports editor Justin Barney will reveal his picks for the week each Thursday.

Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates inched up this week ahead of another expected rate increase by the Federal Reserve when it meets early next month.

A family of five is lucky to be alive and still have a home after the state fire marshal said someone purposely ignited an explosive device in their driveway.

After more than a decade of struggles, Jackson is contending again. If the Tigers beat Raines a week from Friday, they’ll clinch the district title for the first time since 2009.

A judge has dismissed a young woman from the jury hearing the trial of three men in connection with a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer after attorneys accused her of flirting with one of the defendants.

A defense lawyer lashed out at a star witness in a trial related to a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Starting in 2023, millions of Social Security recipients will get an estimated $140 extra a month in benefits.

Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates reached their highest level in more than two decades this week and are likely climb further as the Federal Reserve all but promised more rate increases as it tries to tamp down inflation.

Prosecutors are raising concerns about a female juror who apparently has been smiling at one of three men on trial in connection with a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

The U.S. on Wednesday authorized updated COVID-19 boosters for children as young as 5