Mississippi

Jackson puts Mississippi on notice: Take back Medgar Evers Boulevard

Published

2 months ago

January 20, 2026

Press Room

Jackson puts Mississippi on notice: Take back Medgar Evers Boulevard

The Jackson City Council has passed a resolution asking the state of Mississippi to take back maintenance of Medgar Evers Boulevard.
The city took control of the road in 1986 but now cites financial constraints as a reason for the transfer.
A 2002 state law requires the road to meet state construction standards before it can be returned, a condition not yet met.
A federally funded project is currently underway to upgrade the boulevard, which could satisfy the state’s requirements for a transfer.

The Jackson City Council, backed by Mayor John Horhn, is pushing Mississippi to reclaim Medgar Evers Boulevard — a move supporters say is long overdue, and critics say jumps the gun under state law.

The resolution asks the Mississippi Transportation Commission and Mississippi Department of Transportation to resume responsibility for the roadway, describing it as “a major roadway of statewide importance” whose long-term maintenance requires state-level resources.

But council members were split over whether the city should formally ask for the transfer now or wait until the road meets state construction standards, a legal requirement that remains unresolved.

How Medgar Evers Boulevard became a city road

During the meeting, Horhn said the city’s responsibility for Medgar Evers Boulevard dates back to a very different era at City Hall.

In 1986, then-Mayor Dale Danks asked the state to hand over several major highways inside Jackson’s city limits, including Medgar Evers Boulevard, State Street, Woodrow Wilson Avenue, and parts of U.S. Highway 80. At the time, Danks said the city could maintain them better on its own as “the city was flush with cash.”

That calculation didn’t age well. While Jackson may have had plenty of dollars to spend in the 1980s, Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes’ resolution notes the “City of Jackson is currently experiencing financial and operational constraints that limit its ability to adequately maintain major state-designed thoroughfares.”

In 2002, the Legislature changed the rules, passing a law that says if a city wants to give a road back, it has to first bring it up to state construction standards. It was this law, Mississippi Code § 65-3-99, that gave Ward 7 Councilman Kevin Parkinson pause about the resolution.

Medgar Evers Boulevard, Parkinson said, does not yet meet those standards. Parkinson proposed amending the resolution to request the transfer only after the road meets state standards. That amendment failed on a 2-5 vote. Only Parkinson and Ward 4 Councilman and Council President Brian Grizzell voted in favor of the amendment.

“Some would say it makes us look a little foolish to pass a resolution knowing that it can’t be done at this time,” Parkinson said. “I don’t want to vote this down because I really, really, really want to give this to the state. But the reality is, it’s not going to happen now.”

Stokes: waiting misses the point

Stokes, who authored the resolution and represents the area Medgar Evers Boulevard runs through, said he disagreed with waiting.

Stokes said he believes the condition of the road — and the state’s role in maintaining it — can’t be separated from its history and who it was named after.

“Once Medgar Evers’ name became a part of Highway 49, some hateful spirits took place,” Stokes said. “You do not punish a city because you name a street for a Black man.”

Stokes also argued that the city does not have the same financial capacity as the state to maintain a major highway, pointing to the condition of U.S. Highway 49 outside Jackson’s city limits as a comparison.

“If Rankin County’s Highway 49 can look the way it looks, then Jackson’s Highway 49 should look the same way,” Stokes said.

In 2022, MDOT completed a major widening of U.S. Highway 49 in Rankin County, a $253 million project that expanded 7.5 miles of the corridor, according to the Rankin First Economic Development Authority.

Federal money already in play

The council debate comes as major improvements to Medgar Evers Boulevard are already underway.

In 2024, then-U.S. Transportation Secreatry Pete Buttigieg visited Jackson to mark the start of “The Medgar Evers Boulevard Project,” a multimillion-dollar reconstruction project along roughly 1.5 miles of the corridor.

The project is funded through a $20 million federal grant awarded in 2021. The City of Jackson is required to provide a local match of $17 million, according to Horhn. Additional roads, such as Woodrow Wilson Avenue, McDowell Road, McDowell Road Extension, could also benefit from those funds, Horhn said.

Planned improvements include sidewalks and streetlights, road repairs, medians and upgrades to sewer and stormwater infrastructure. Construction of the project is expected to be completed this year.

Horhn: vote sets intention

Horhn referenced that federal investment during the council meeting, saying the project would bring Medgar Evers Boulevard up to state standards — clearing the legal pathway for a transfer.

But he said he did not have an issue with the council going on the record now about wanting the state to take control of the boulevard, as Parkinson argued against.

“This doesn’t make us look foolish,” Horhn said. “It sets an intention in motion.”

Horhn said he has spoken with Central Commissioner Willie Simmons of the Mississippi Transportation Commission, who indicated the state would have no issue resuming control of the road once it meets code.

While the vote does not immediately shift responsibility for Medgar Evers Boulevard, it formally places Jackson on record asking the state to take back one of the city’s most visible — and most contested — roadways.

In the end, the resolution passed in a 4-2-1 vote. Stokes, Ward 5 Councilman Vernon Hartley, Ward 6 Councilwoman Lashia Brown-Thomas and Parkinson, though he voiced opposition at first, voted in favor. Ward 1 Councilman Ashby Foote and Grizzell voted against. Ward 2 Councilwoman Tina Clay abstained.

The Mississippi Department of Transportation did not respond to a request for comment by publication time.

Charlie Drape is the Jackson beat reporter. You can contact him at cdrape@gannett.com.

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Mississippi

Jackson hotel, restaurant taxes could increase with Mississippi Senate bill

Published

8 hours ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

Jackson hotel, restaurant taxes could increase with Mississippi Senate bill

A bill in the Mississippi Legislature proposes a tax increase on hotels and restaurants in Jackson.
The increased revenue would benefit the city’s tourism department, Visit Jackson.
The hotel tax rate would increase by 1% and the restaurant tax rate by 0.5%.
Legislators say the proposed rates would keep Jackson competitive with other cities in the region.

A bill making its way through the Mississippi Legislature would bump up tax rates on hotels, motels and restaurants in Jackson, with the revenue benefitting the city’s tourism department.

The proposal would increase the hotel tax rate by 1% and the restaurant tax rate by 0.5%, modest bumps, said bill sponsor Sen. Hillman Frazier, D-Jackson, that would go a long way for the Jackson Convention and Visitors Bureau, known as Visit Jackson.

“We’re trying to be very conservative here with this increase,” he said in a March 20 interview. “These changes are just enough to maintain operations.”

With inflation taking ever-growing bites out of profits and reduced state funds on the horizon as the income tax revenue decreases, Frazier said a minor tourism tax increase is necessary to keep Visit Jackson well-funded.

Hotels and motels currently have an 11% tax rate, most of which is attributed to the 7% sales tax. The convention center tax adds another 3%, and Visit Jackson nets 1%. Under Frazier’s bill, which has been co-authored by four other Jackson-area senators, Visit Jackson’s share would double.

For restaurants, the rate would increase from 9% to 9.5%, with Visit Jackson collecting 1.5% of that sum. The increased revenue, according to documents prepared by Visit Jackson and shared with legislators, would fund hotel-restaurant partnerships, collaborations with local farmers and culinary demonstrations at city events.

The rate changes, according to the documents, would yield the bureau around $2 million in additional revenue each year.

The crucial part of the bill, Frazier said, is that Jackson will remain competitive when compared to other cities in Mississippi and throughout the south.

The proposed 12% hotel tax rate falls below nearby New Orleans, which boasts a 16.2% tax and $3 nightly fee, and Birmingham, where the $3 nightly fee is accompanied by a 17.5% tax.

Neighboring Brandon, Flowood and Richland levy a 12% hotel tax and 9% restaurant tax, the documents read, nearly identical to the rates that Jackson would adopt with legislative consent.

Approval from other legislators may present a challenge, Frazier said, explaining that some lawmakers have opposed the provision in the past because it increases the amount they pay when they check into Jackson-area hotels during the session. His bill has passed two committees as of March 20 and faces a full vote in each chamber before it can become law.

“Visit Jackson does a very good job selling Jackson and bringing people here to visit,” Frazier said. “We need to give them the resources to keep doing what they’re doing.”

Bea Anhuci is the state government reporter for the Clarion Ledger. She covers the Mississippi Legislature, and its impact on Jackson. Email her at banhuci@usatodayco.com or message her on Signal @beaanhuci.42.

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Mississippi

Minnesota stuns Mississippi with late comeback, buzzer-beater to advance to Sweet 16

Published

20 hours ago

March 22, 2026

Press Room

Minnesota stuns Mississippi with late comeback, buzzer-beater to advance to Sweet 16

Host Minnesota was in trouble against No. 5 seed Ole Miss on Sunday, trailing 54-46 heading into the fourth quarter.

But it rallied to stun Mississippi with a late comeback capped by a game-winning bucket in the final second to secure a 65-63 win.

Minnesota tied the game at 61-61 with a Mara Braun 3 with 1:17 remaining.

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Mississippi

Mississippi Made brings artisans, food vendors to Laurel

Published

1 day ago

March 22, 2026

Press Room

Mississippi Made brings artisans, food vendors to Laurel

LAUREL, Miss. (WDAM) – Mississippi Made is an arts and crafts festival hosted by Laurel Mercantile that includes makers from all over Mississippi.

About 60 vendors gathered on March 21 to display their creative art for local residents and tourists to enjoy.

“It’s relaxing out here. My husband loves art, and I was like ‘hey, the local artisans from the hometown show are going to be in Laurel, my parents live an hour away,’” said Brandy Haynes of Fort Worth, Texas.

“I said we could go see my parents, and I mentioned it to my son and his fiancée, and they were like ‘Oh, we’ll come along.’”

Not only were there vendors showing off their arts and crafts, but there were also vendors selling food that satisfied the taste buds.

“We started the farm two years ago and started going to local markets just kind of doing greens, corn, peas and then we got into making things,” said John Dew, co-owner of Dew Kissed Farms.

Members of the Laurel Mercantile are grateful for the turnout at the event and glad to be a part of people’s new experiences.

“I just want to thank the community for coming out and supporting. The weather was great today, and lots of footsteps,” said senior store manager Erica Crowder.

“It was great to see so many new faces coming to shop at our stores this week.”

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