Featured
Educator Fired for Reading ‘I Need a New Butt!’ to Students Must Be Reinstated, Mississippi Court Rules
Toby Price, a Hinds County assistant principal who was fired in 2022 for reading the children’s book “I Need a New Butt” to second-graders, was wrongfully fired and must be reinstated, the Mississippi Court of Appeals ruled.
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RECENT News
Winter Storm Leaves 153,000 in Mississippi Without Power, 2 Dead; 70 School Districts Close
Dozens of Mississippi school districts will close Monday after a historic winter storm swept through the state over the weekend, covering whole counties with ice and freezing rain and leaving thousands without power.
Culture
Hattiesburg Social-Work Student Leads Effort to Feed 68 Families After SNAP Cuts
In response to SNAP cuts affecting many Mississippian families’ food security, social-work student Rosemary Panella worked with the Oseola McCarty Youth Development Center to organize a food drive that helped feed 68 families in November 2025.
Voices
Editor’s Note | Carrying Lessons Into the New Year, Not Resolutions
Systemic and Education Editor Torsheta Jackson reflects on the wins and losses of 2025 and looks ahead to opportunities of the new year.
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
‘America’s History Was Made in Jackson’: Kamala Harris Visits Mississippi Capital
Former Vice President Kamala Harris came to Jackson as the second stop on her second leg of her book tour for her autobiography, “107 Days,”…
As Growth Surges, Harrison County Eyes Funding for Roads, Tourism, Services
Harrison County is growing fast, and its leaders—including in the cities of Biloxi, Gulfport and Long Beach—are prioritizing infrastructure improvement and improving public services.
Private School Vouchers, Charter School Expansion, Stricter Literacy Requirements Pass Mississippi House
Mississippi House Bill 2 has over a dozen education-related provisions, including school vouchers, charter school reform, extracurriculars for homeschooled students, expanded literacy and math requirements,…
Leaders Across Hancock County Look to State for Infrastructure, Housing Support
Leaders in the town of Diamondhead, Mississippi, in Hancock County have eyes on developing the town’s first downtown district to spur economic growth.