The Department of Communications is responsible for managing and coordinating all internal and external messaging for the organization. It oversees public relations, marketing campaigns, branding, social media, website content, media relations, and internal communications. The department ensures that information is clear, consistent, and aligned with the organization’s mission and goals. By developing strategic messaging and maintaining a strong public presence, the Communications Department helps build trust, strengthen reputation, and effectively engage key audiences.
The Department of Communications is responsible for managing and coordinating all internal and external messaging for the organization. It oversees public relations, marketing campaigns, branding, social media, website content, media relations, and internal communications. The department ensures that information is clear, consistent, and aligned with the organization’s mission and goals. By developing strategic messaging and maintaining a strong public presence, the Communications Department helps build trust, strengthen reputation, and effectively engage key audiences.
The Department of Communications for the City of Jackson is committed to keeping residents informed about important city initiatives, events, and public service updates. Through the News section, citizens can stay up to date on major announcements from city leadership, infrastructure improvements, public safety updates, and community programs taking place across Jackson.
Our goal is to provide timely and accurate information that helps residents stay engaged with what is happening in their city. The Communications Department works closely with city departments to share updates on policies, projects, and services that impact daily life in Jackson. From road improvements to community events, this page serves as a central place for official city news.
The City of Jackson believes that strong communication builds stronger communities. By regularly publishing news releases, media updates, and event highlights, the Department of Communications aims to increase transparency and strengthen the connection between local government and the people it serves. Residents are encouraged to check back frequently for the latest updates and announcements.
City of Jackson awarded $25,000 grant to advance efforts that support family economic stability
JACKSON, MS — The City of Jackson has been selected as one of six communities nationwide to receive funding through Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign for the inaugural Mayors Advancing Economic Mobility grant opportunity. Jackson will receive $25,000 as part of a $175,000 total grant pool designed to help cities reduce poverty and strengthen family economic stability. The total funding will support two grant pathways, including the Economic Mobility Coaching and the Municipal Child Tax Credit Planning initiative. The grant opportunity is a national grant pool open to active members of the Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger.
“No child should have to wonder where their next meal is coming from. Ending childhood hunger is our responsibility,” said Mayor John Horhn. “We’re going to keep working with our partners and doing whatever it takes to make sure children have the food they need to grow and succeed. That’s why this Mayor’s Alliance initiative is so important. This investment gives Jackson another tool to support families and help build a city where every child has a better chance to thrive.“
“For more than 25 years, LIFT has partnered directly with families to build brighter futures through economic mobility coaching grounded in financial empowerment, living-wage employment, and educational achievement, all built on a foundation of hope, money, and love,” said Michelle Rhone-Collins, CEO at LIFT. “Breaking generational cycles of poverty requires systems-level change, and we’re excited to support these Mayors with tools, resources, and insights informed by LIFT’s approach as they work to create the conditions for more families to thrive.”
The grant will support Economic Mobility Coaching, a funding pathway focused on municipal planning efforts to implement LIFT’s model for helping families improve financial stability, reduce material hardship, and connect to support services through everyday community touchpoints such as schools, health care settings, social services, and neighborhood institutions.
Jackson is joined in the Economic Mobility Coaching cohort by Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. of Little Rock, Arkansas; Mayor Monroe Nichols of Tulsa, Oklahoma; Mayor Connie Alsobrook of Conyers, Georgia; and Mayor Christal E. Watson of Kansas City, Kansas, representing Wyandotte County.
City officials said the grant will help Jackson continue building local strategies that connect families to long-term economic security.
For Jackson residents, the award represents a chance to expand local planning in neighborhoods across the city.
About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, 1 in 6 kids could face hunger this year. No Kid Hungry is working to end childhood hunger by helping launch and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food they need to thrive. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty.
About the Mayors Alliance
Launched in 2022, the Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger harnesses the individual and collective leadership of mayors to end childhood hunger in communities nationwide. There is no excuse for children to go hungry in our country. Yet it happens – every day, in every community. The Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger is a nonpartisan coalition working in partnership with Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign to ensure that every child has the healthy food they need to thrive.
Update on Relocation of Residents and Cooling Tent
A cooling tent will open on Monday at 9:00 a.m. The location of the cooling tent is at the Jackson Police Training Academy (3000 St. Charles Street, Jackson, MS). JPD will provide 24 hour security.
Stewpot is providing shelter for some of the former residents of Grand Chateau Apartments via Matt’s House. Other residents are being temporarily housed in hotels. “We will follow-up next week with those who need housing assistance to connect them with housing resources,” said Reverend Jill Buckley, Executive Director of Stewpot. “These hot days are dangerous for all of us, but especially for those who have no reprieve from the high temperatures. We are glad to work with the city to provide relief for our neighbors.” Stewpot is providing lunch on two days and will loan 25 cots to the cooling center.
“I want to thank our nonprofit partners including Stewpot Community Services, and city and state government officials for stepping up so quickly,” said Mayor John Horhn. “When people need help, it takes partners across the nonprofit, corporate, and state government sectors working together.”
City of Jackson Responds to Conditions at Grand Chateau Apartments
JACKSON, Miss. — The City of Jackson is responding to unsafe living conditions at Grand Chateau Apartments after the property’s owner closed the complex in May 2025. Despite the closure, a number of residents remained in the building. Entergy discovered the ongoing occupancy and disconnected power to the property for safety reasons.
The City has identified emergency funding to help relocate residents to safer housing. The Jackson Fire Department has been dispatched to the site to deliver water and conduct wellness checks on residents still living there. The City’s Constituent Services Office has also been sent to the scene to assess the situation and determine what additional support is needed.
Mayor John Horhn spoke with the State Health Officer and secured approval to set up a cooling tent for residents. The exact location will be announced once its confirmed.
Mayor Horhn has also arranged for Matt’s House Shelter for Women and Children to provide housing for women affected by the closure who need a place to stay. The City is coordinating with Stewpot Community Services, which will be on site this afternoon to begin working directly with residents on relocation.
“We’re moving quickly to get people into safe housing and to make sure their immediate needs are met,” said Mayor Horhn. “Our team will continue working on relocating the residents.”
Mayor Horhn is monitoring the city for similar situations involving closed housing and will take action as needed if other properties are identified.
First Lady Horhn Calls for Community Support for Foster Youth
Jackson, Miss. – Recently, First Lady Lydia Gail Horhn joined the Mississippi Southern First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Church of God in Christ, Inc. (COGIC) for a powerful Gathering of worship and fellowship, where she served as a guest speaker and helped shine a light on the urgent needs within the foster care system.
During her remarks, First Lady Horhn highlighted the reality facing thousands of children, both in Mississippi and nationwide, including the shortage of licensed foster homes, the challenges tied to neglect and parental substance abuse, and the more than 20,000 youth who age out of the national system each year without permanent family support.
She encouraged attendees to take action by mentoring, tutoring, and supporting foster youth as they prepare for adulthood, whether through guidance on education and careers, or by helping meet critical needs like transportation, mental health services, and financial literacy.
“Stronger support for foster youth helps create safer communities and opens the door to brighter futures for our children,” said First Lady Horhn. “Each small act of care and guidance can change the course of a child’s life.”
The First Lady also commended COGIC and Davis Temple COGIC for elevating this important issue and supporting both children and the professionals who serve them.
New Statement from Mayor John Horhn
My responsibility as Mayor is to the people of Jackson, and my highest priority in this situation is making sure our residents have access to reliable transportation so they can get to work, school, medical appointments, and other essential destinations. I appreciate the hard work and dedication of JTRAN drivers. They are our neighbors and taxpayers who deserve respect and a fair agreement.
While there may be disagreement about how best to move forward, I do not view this as a choice between supporting workers and serving riders. We need both. That is why I have supported maintaining service during the strike and why I continue to encourage the union representatives to come to the table with the mediator. The only way we reach a solution is through good‑faith negotiations that keep the interests of our residents and our employees at the center of the conversation.
I remain committed to working with all parties to ensure that JTRAN continues to be operated by well‑qualified, professional drivers.
Statement from the City of Jackson
The City of Jackson has determined that the “Cruising on Capitol” event scheduled for Saturday, July 25, 2026, will not move forward at this time.
In light of recent concerns, the City must ensure that any future event of this kind is properly regulated, and supported by clear conditions that protect the public, neighboring properties, and City operations.
The City remains open to considering future events that meet all necessary requirements.
The Communications Department serves as the primary point of contact for members of the media and the public seeking official information from the City. This section provides media contact information for press inquiries, access to the city’s press release archive, and guidelines for requesting interviews or filming on city property. Journalists and media representatives can use this page to find the appropriate contacts, review official announcements, and learn the procedures for coordinating interviews with city officials or staff. Guidance for photography, video recording, and news coverage requests is also provided to help ensure an organized and timely response.
