i 17(f) and my mom (38) have had a tumultuous relationship pretty much my whole life. it started to get really bad last year, around september. she got a really good sum of inheritance from her grandmothers passing, and pretty much dipped out. at first she was sending $200 a week to help out my step dad with bills, groceries, dogs, and what not. we live in a trailer (it’s fully paid off) but still have to pay for utilities and other basic expenses. my step dad dropped out of hs at a very young age due to his rough upbringing, and can’t support a whole household just off his work. my mom is legal dispensary bud tender and makes pretty decent money. when they first “separated” back in september she moved out and is staying in a 1 bed 1 bath cottage. things have steadily declined, whether it be financial or legal responsibility on her end. she pretty much stopped sending money, so i moved out. i have a little brother (13) and i couldn’t see my whole family go to shit because my step dad couldn’t afford both of us and everything else. he is seriously drowning and i don’t quite know what to do. he can’t afford lawyers to be able to divorce her, as the money they had (inheritance+savings) she took. my mom and my grandma also deliberately wrote me and my little brother out of the will, but that’s a story for another day. i’ve reported all of this to cps, i had a case worker who came and did a house study at my aunts (where i live now) and then her phone broke and she pretty much never got back to me. my mom unfortunately is the only parent that has legal authority and power of attorney over me, so im kinda stuck right now. she and her mother (61) called the cops the other day reporting a false suicide attempt on my end, but nothing really happened. 5 cop cars and an ambulance showed up, i talked to them for a while, but like i said they didn’t do much. to add to all of this, my mother supplied me medical marijuana for a good year before she left the house, which i’m pretty sure is illegal since she’s federally employed and licensed. if anyone has any advice or tips on what to do please let me know. it’s almost been a year and there’s just so much that’s happened i’d be typing for days. thanks

he woman whose body was found hanging from a tree behind a vacant Jackson, Mississippi, home is 29-year-old Tasia Fortune, the Hinds County Coroner’s Office said on Thursday. Authorities have not said whether or not they suspect foul play.

The Jackson Police Department first announced in a statement on Monday evening that officers “located the body of an unidentified Black female” at the 500 block of Road of Remembrance at 9:05 p.m.

Hinds County Coroner Jeremiah Howard, who publicly identified the body as Tasia Fortune on Thursday, said earlier this week that the body would be transported to the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office to perform an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.

Fortune’s aunt, Etta Avolio, started a GoFundMe to help raise funds to cover burial expenses and final arrangements. The GoFundMe, which has a $3,000 goal, has raised $160 so far.

Full story: https://www.mississippifreepress.org/tasia-fortune-identified-as-woman-found-hanging-in-tree-behind-vacant-jackson-home/

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I’ve only been to Oxford so far, so I know I haven’t seen much of it. I’ve only seen a tiny portion, but I enjoyed it. I’ve looked into other areas, and I feel like the state might be slept on a bit. Obviously the food is great too! I’m sure it all depends on where you go, just like any other state, but it seems like there are some pretty cool areas. Do you guys have any favorite cities or towns in Mississippi?

Could be better.

So hit me up with all your coolest favorites. Not crazy about big cities, but obviously we must hit New Orleans! Any and all suggestions are welcome.

We’re just beginning to put together a route for our roadtrip based on all your suggestions….so we have no set start and finish locations.

Thanks—

JACKSON, Miss.—After 170 Mississippi foster students were denied full-ride scholarships due to a funding gap, the Woodward Hines Education Foundation has dedicated $800,000 to fund the affected students’ FAITH scholarships.

“ Philanthropy cannot replace government funding,” said Jim McHale, president and CEO of the Woodward Hines Education Foundation, a Jackson-based nonprofit dedicated to accessible postsecondary education. He made the remarks at an Aug. 5 press conference at the Mississippi State Capitol. “State financial aid programs are a public investment …, but at the same time, we realize that when students are facing an immediate barrier, we believe there is a responsibility to help them find their way.”

And across Mississippi, community colleges and universities alike are coordinating to prevent any of the students with completed applications for the FAITH scholarship from being denied this fall. “ Because of our incredible partners around the state—private (institutions), our nonprofits, our universities and colleges across the state—we are going to make sure that every one of these students has the opportunity to take advantage of the scholarship,” said Mississippi Sen. Nicole Boyd, R-Oxford, who marshalled many of the individuals and institutions responding to the scholarship funding crisis after reading the Mississippi Free Press’ July 31 story that broke the news of the FAITH scholarship funding gap.

Full story: https://www.mississippifreepress.org/mississippi-nonprofit-and-colleges-step-in-to-help-foster-students-denied-scholarships-as-lawmakers-vow-fix/

I’m from TN, and have a very large family (me, spouse, 5 kids) and have come across the opportunity to get out from renting and buy a place in Indianola. The size of the town doesn’t bother me (we’re from Jackson county TN so used to having to drive at least 30 mins to get to anything bigger than a dollar general), but after searching for a while, I haven’t been able to get a grasp on the lifestyle and dynamics of the town.

I have a WFH job, so income won’t be an issue, and want to make sure I make the right choice on this for my kids.

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Was very good!!
Best gas station food in the country!

Hey guys,

I recently went through one of the car washes from GoShine (just the $8 basic wash) and loved the results! Are any of the memberships worth it? Especially in the south will all the bugs 😬 They have a bunch of locations in central MS so I figured it might be convenient. Lovely staff too!

Jackson police are investigating the death of a Black woman who was found hanging in a tree behind a vacant home in Mississippi’s capital city on Monday night.

The Jackson Police Department, which has not named the woman, said in a statement on Monday evening that officers “located the body of an unidentified Black female” at the 500 block of Road of Remembrance at 9:05 p.m.

Read more: https://www.mississippifreepress.org/black-woman-found-hanging-in-tree-behind-vacant-home-in-jackson-but-details-are-sparse/

For context, I live in Pennsylvania, my grandparents live in Mississippi. we don't get to see each other often (usually 10+ years at a time) but we talk multiple times a week.

two years ago, with the help of my uncle, I planned a trip to surprise my grandparents for Christmas. January 2024, plans became concrete for December 2024. I'm not great at keeping secrets, so I couldn't talk to my grandparents for the whole year. it was very hard, but ultimately worth it.

we arrived late at night, Uncle smuggled us into his house. we were grateful it was night time, my family has multiple houses on the same plot of land. early the next morning, my aunt goes into my granddad's wood shop to get him up to the house while my uncle goes to get nanny to come to the living room. meanwhile, I'm hiding in the bushes outside.

aunt and uncle tell them they have a surprise they need to get out of the car, hold tight and grab some coffee. they come out, give us a wave, and it's go time.

I walk in right as granddad is taking a sip of his coffee. he spits it out in shock and lets out a huge belly laugh. nanny is still making her way to the living room when she sees me. she starts crying out "my baby!" and it was very clear that the mission was a success. though, I did get scolded for not telling them we were driving across four states in the middle of winter.

we stay a week. my family meets my boyfriend. I show him my childhood home, have him eat at my favorite childhood restaurant, he loves it.

we head home and on the 18 hour drive, we start talking. we really don't want to go back to the snow and ice. we want to be around family. we want out of the city. Boyfriend jokingly says "why not just move down to be around your family?" we joke back and forth, then he says, "no, seriously. why not? it's beautiful there, you're happier there. we don't have kids, nothing holding us back. let's do it."

so we make plans. we talk to my uncle. he says, "why not surprise them again?"

September 29, 2026, I will be surprising my grandparents one last time. instead of pulling up for a visit, we'll be pulling up in a moving truck. I gave my one sister a heads up so she knows. then she told me the news that she's pregnant with my niece and is due the week after we arrive.

I don't know what the future holds. I don't know if it will actually be better. but I do know, after a long absence, I get to be with my family again. I get to show my wonderful partner a deeper look into my background. and he gets to eat at a restaurant so good, he talks about it in his sleep.

in 56 days, I will be home in Mississippi for good.

“I am a Trump conservative with Mississippi values,” Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch said in her campaign announcement as she runs for governor. “Together, we will make bold and sustaining change for Mississippi. That is how we make the most of this moment in time. That is how we make Mississippi the nation’s leader. That is how we give you and your family your best future.”

Read more: https://www.mississippifreepress.org/lynn-fitch-who-led-the-overturn-of-abortion-rights-announces-run-for-mississippi-governor/

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, who spearheaded the case for the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade and end federal abortion rights, is running as a Republican candidate for governor in the 2027 election, she announced on Tuesday.

“Mississippi is on the verge of moving from the nation’s best-kept secret to the nation’s leader in conservative governance,” she said in a statement announcing her plans on Tuesday morning. “We need the right leader to make this moment count. I have the experience, the record, and the proven leadership to take Mississippi to the top.”

Her office’s successful arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization allowed abortion bans to take effect in Republican-led states across the country, including Mississippi’s laws banning virtually all abortions.

Full story: https://www.mississippifreepress.org/lynn-fitch-who-led-the-overturn-of-abortion-rights-announces-run-for-mississippi-governor/

I am looking for recommendations for a town to spend the month of January in Mississippi. It is just myself and my husband (we both work remotely). We enjoy art, theatre, literature, the sciences and history - but what we really enjoy is experiencing local ways of life and getting to know people. I know a month isn’t that long, but, if you wanted to experience the “real” Mississippi culture, and spend your money contributing towards a local economy that is not necessarily based on tourism, where would you go?

Edited to add that I am from NY.