MLILY Mattresses in Jackson, MS

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Work is underway at the Old Jackson Square Promenade to transform the area into a sports center for youth. Developers are putting in the work and raising the money to change lives in south Jackson.

The northern buildings of the decades-old shopping center were the first to come down to make way for a new $55 million dollar work-stay-play development. It will be the site of the Mississippi Athletics Center, a sports complex that will include 10 to 12 basketball courts and indoor football turf.

City Plaza owners Dr. Karla McCullough and former NBA player and Mississippi native Erick Dampier purchased the property in 2021 to transform it into a multi-sport facility for the youth.

“I tell my son all the time that he doesn’t know what it’s like to play on a dirt court,” said Dampier.

The 16-year pro basketball player from New Hebron wants the 200,000-square-foot facility to be a place where children can fulfill their dreams.

“It’s an opportunity for kids to come here and enjoy the whole day, just being in a facility like this,” said Dampier. “We have a study-to-play program, and we know a lot of kids probably can’t afford to get into a facility like this. So if you come and study for one hour, that’s your admission for the day.”

Also planned for the 33-acre property are retail stores, restaurants, a hotel, and more. A capital fundraising campaign is underway. McCullough, who works with the Juanita Sims Doty Foundation, wants the city’s children to have the educational tools and the atmosphere for fun and recreation.

“We’ve decided to right now focus on the anchor, which is the sports complex that has a ticket price of about $38 million right now. Although we are halfway to our goal, that still means we have a long way to go,” said McCullough.

Ward 7 Councilwoman Virgi Lindsay said the partnership for the project is a model for the community that should be replicated.

“It’s needed to happen for a long time, and you know the truth is this is the way it should be done,” said Lindsay. “This has been an eyesore for a very long time, and to see this come down with the hope of new construction that will benefit our children and our community is very exciting.”

Demolition is scheduled for completion in mid-September, with construction to begin in November. To learn more or get involved, contact the Juanita Sims Doty Foundation at 601-882-9127.

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Jackson is Mississippi’s destination to eat, shop and be entertained. From the cozy neighborhood cafes to innovative new startups, the entrepreneurial ecosystem within Jackson is a showcase of what residents can create when given the opportunity. Now, the city is working to place equity at the forefront of economic development and, in the process, expand entrepreneurship opportunities to more residents of color.

According to the U.S. Census, Jackson’s population is predominantly African American, however, this population makes up less than 40 percent of business owners within the city. To bring parity to their small business ecosystem, Jackson has enlisted the help of NLC’s City Inclusive Entrepreneurship (CIE) program to create a microlending platform to provide financial assistance to businesses that have difficulty accessing loans through traditional lenders.

By utilizing Kiva’s microlending program, the city aims to provide capital opportunities to entrepreneurs, particularly those in minority communities, through social underwriting that considers factors beyond credit scores. Residents who need financial assistance to start or scale a business are welcomed into this program with the ability to borrow interest-free loans of up to $15,000 without credit checks. Partnering with Kiva allows the city to connect entrepreneurs with a network of 2 million lenders worldwide, facilitating inexpensive microloans and fostering community involvement. The goal is to promote diversity and prosperity within Jackson’s business community while empowering residents to support local businesses and drive economic growth.

According to City of Jackson Development Assistant Manager Michael Davis, the city chose Kiva’s microlending program because it will “provide an opportunity for us to have more minority-owned businesses in our minority communities. So that people that are in those communities have access to those services.”

Also within the Metro Accelerator, the city will offer comprehensive wraparound services for small businesses including: a 10-week entrepreneurship curriculum, one-on-one guidance, fundraising tools, and more. Jackson is utilizing the accelerator model to ensure quick economic growth that is beneficial to residents. See chart below for an overview of what Kiva offers versus what the City of Jackson provides.

In establishing the Kiva hub within Metro Accelerator, Jackson has begun to nurture community relationships that help the program expand into the greater metro area. While they have a partnership with the Mississippi Small Business Development Council, the city is working toward promoting the accelerator with various Chambers of Commerce in the area. “Not only do we want to focus on Jackson, but on the county itself, there’s a large minority population so we want to partner with Chambers that are in our outlining areas to be able to expand the footprint of this product that we have,” says Davis.

Initially, there were challenges when the city first approached partners with the idea of using microlending to support businesses. As the city begins to get buy-in from community organizations, businesses and residents, it is important to explain how microlending works. By informing community partners the city is making headway into showing how the hub will provide economic development that is beneficial to the community, local organizations, and small businesses. Visit nlc.org/membership to learn more about CIE and other programs like this you can join.

This blog is part of a series highlighting NLC’s City Inclusive Entrepreneurship Network. Cities in the network have committed to implementing new policies, programs and practices that increase economic opportunity for residents through small business ownership and entrepreneurship. In April 2023, Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba of Jackson, MS, committed to building a platform for microlending to serve entrepreneurs without access to traditional finance.

Samantha Pedrosa

Samantha Pedrosa is a Program Manager at the National League of Cities.

Associated Press

A federal judge has ordered Mississippi’s largest electric utility to turn over information on customers in and around the capital city who might be using water without paying for it.

In a Monday court filing, U.S. District Court Judge Henry Wingate granted a motion by Ted Henifin — the federally appointed interim manager of Jackson's water and sewer systems — that compels Entergy Mississippi to turn over names, addresses and contact information for customers in over 30 zip codes in the area.

The order comes months after Henifin said Jackson is collecting only a little more than half of the money it bills for water use, far below the rate at which most American cities obtain such fees.

JXN Water, the corporation Henifin formed to manage water infrastructure projects, will cross reference the Entergy customer records with city records to see what homes might be using water without a utility account.

“This is essential to updating and correcting the information contained in the City of Jackson’s records of active and inactive water and sewer accounts,” Wingate wrote.

Henifin was appointed in November to help improve Jackson's water system after repeated breakdowns caused many in the city of about 150,000 residents to go days and weeks at a time without safe running water. The city's water troubles accelerated last August and September after a backup at the city's main treatment plant forced people to wait in lines for water to drink, bathe, cook and flush toilets.

In June, Henifin said there were over 7,000 properties in Jackson using water without paying for it. As a result, the city loses millions of dollars in annual revenue, hampering its ability to pay down what was then about $280 million in outstanding debt on the water system.

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“We need to get our financial house in order for the water system,” Henifin told reporters in June. “In order to do that, we have to get the debt off the books.”

Wingate's order compels Entergy to provide JXN Water with customer information in no more than 30 days.

Fifty-nine firefighters of the Jackson Fire Department did not show up to work Monday continuing their demand of a "significant" pay raise for the department, according to city officials.

The announcement was made by Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and fire officials during the mayor's Monday press conference.

Calls for a raise first started during the Aug. 1 Jackson City Council meeting where over 50 firefighters packed the floor and told members of the council that they are tired of being "looked over."

Fire Chief Willie Owens stopped short of calling the call-outs a "strike," but said the firefighters "knew what would happen."

Lumumba started off Monday's press conference by assuring the public that even with all the firefighters who called-out, enough firefighters are still working to respond to emergencies. Lumumba then said that his administration believes the firefighters are deserving of a raise.

It's just going to take time. The city doesn't have enough money in the budget to give JFD an outright raise, so considerations have to be made about what will be sacrificed in order to provide those raises, Lumumba said.

"We do not have an influx of new funding in the City of Jackson," Lumumba said. "So it's going to be a question of what are we willing to sacrifice or what are we willing to do as residents collectively in order to meet the obligation and our desire to pay our firefighters more. I don't think you are dealing with a lack of political will, I think you are dealing with a lack of resources."

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One suggestion that could be an option is raising the millage rate for residents, which means increasing property taxes, Lumumba said.

Patrick Armon, JFD's assistant fire chief, who spoke after Lumumba, spoke to those firefighters who called-out, saying the department stands behind their demand for raises, but thinks there is a better way to handle it.

"We do stand with you all as far as getting a raise, but as I've talked to you all individually, we think there is a way to do everything and this isn't a way as far as putting any citizens in jeopardy because of what you might feel like or what we all might feel like," Armon said.

RaSean Thomas, who serves as the union president for JFD's Local 87 Union and spoke at the Aug. 1 city council meeting, said he appreciates the mayor's support, but "at the end of the day we need it on paper."

Thomas said the firefighters are looking for a raise of $10,000 to $12,000 per ranking and a 2-3% cost of living increase on a yearly basis. When asked if he thinks the call-outs are going to continue, Thomas said, "It's going to continue to intensify." While 59 firefighters called-out today, even more may call out tomorrow, he said.

"The pressure is going to continue to be put on the administration and the city from firefighters until something is done," Thomas said in an interview after Monday's press conference.

In other action, Lumumba announced that the city's interim public works director would once again be Robert Lee. He also stated he plans on having a conversation with Khalid Woods, who resigned from the position after less than two weeks on the job.

"He and I have decided that we are going to have another conversation," Lumumba said. "Once that conversation takes place I will let you know."

Juneteenth, the day set aside to commemorate June 19, 1865, when the last enslaved people in the U.S. were freed, was made a federal holiday in 2021.

The holiday is observed on June 19 each year unless that date falls on a Saturday or Sunday, in which case the holiday is observed on the Friday or Monday that June 19 falls closest to respectively.

This year, June 19 falls on Monday, making this a three-day weekend, and plenty of options are on the calendar to celebrate this weekend. Perhaps top among those celebrations is the three-day free weekend Juneteenth Jubilee at the Two Mississippi Museums, with free admission 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday through Monday sponsored by Ingalls Shipbuilding.

That is not the only Juneteenth celebration happening throughout the Jackson metropolitan area and the state this weekend, though. Below, we have rounded up some of the top Juneteenth celebrations happening in the Jackson area and beyond this weekend:

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Juneteenth Jubilee at Two Mississippi Museums

This free weekend offers a chance to "explore themes of emancipation and liberation in Mississippi history during the Two Mississippi Museums’ Juneteenth celebration on Saturday, June 17, with free admission sponsored by Ingalls Shipbuilding," according to the Two Mississippi Museums' website. "Beginning at 9 a.m., this day of celebration will feature Juneteenth-themed tours at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., a Juneteenth family gallery activity, and visits to This Is Home: Medgar Evers, Mississippi, and the Movement exhibit.

Visit Jackson notes the Two Mississippi Museums' event Monday will feature live music starting at 4 p.m.

Juneteenth on Farish

Celebrate heritage and culture at the 17^th annual Juneteenth on Farish Street festival.

Juneteenth Celebration

Bring your little ones to celebrate freedom and African-American culture with African drumming and a drum circle from Mississippi Djembe.

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Juneteenth Homecoming Celebration at New Horizon

Celebrate a Juneteenth homecoming, featuring a gospel concert, golf tournament and a Father’s Day dinner.

Juneteenth Family Fun Day at Mississippi Aquarium in Gulfport

Visitors can enjoy a family fun day at the Mississippi Aquarium viewing different types of sea life, food, gift shops and more.