Morning Brief: Jul 9 · Data Center Moratorium Heads to Council Vote; CAO Resigns
The Jackson City Council will consider a six-month moratorium on data center projects at its next regular meeting after residents packed City Hall on Monday demanding a full ban.
Data center moratorium heads to council vote
The Jackson City Council will consider a six-month moratorium on new data center projects at its next regular meeting, Council President Brian Grizzell announced after two marathon meetings Monday. Residents packed City Hall for a public hearing, with speaker after speaker calling not for a pause but for a permanent ban on data center development in the city. Concerns ranged from water consumption and noise to power grid strain and property values. The council’s Planning and Economic Development Committee met first at 4 p.m., followed by a special council hearing at 6 p.m. No vote was taken Monday; the moratorium ordinance will appear on a future regular agenda. Ward 7 Councilman Kevin Parkinson asked Hinds County Economic Development Authority Executive Director Hunter Gardner whether a moratorium would kill potential projects, Mississippi Today reported. Gardner said it could complicate negotiations.
City’s top administrator resigns
Jackson Chief Administrative Officer Pieter Teeuwissen submitted his resignation Monday, citing the death of his law partner, Anthony Simon, and the resulting demands on his time. Teeuwissen, who served as Mayor John Horhn’s CAO for nearly a year, will stay on through the end of the fiscal year on September 30, the city confirmed. Before becoming CAO, Teeuwissen spent more than nine years as city attorney and six years as board attorney for Hinds County. He also led efforts to balance Jackson’s budget this year, including eliminating the parks and recreation department without layoffs or program cancellations, the Mississippi Free Press reported. Horhn thanked Teeuwissen in a press release, calling him “an essential part of our team.” The resignation leaves a gap in the mayor’s senior leadership as the city enters budget season.
JPS first day set for July 29 as enrollment opens
Jackson Public Schools will welcome students back for the 2026-2027 school year on July 29, with enrollment now open online. The district is urging families to register early to help schools finalize class schedules, staffing assignments, and bus routes. There will be no registration during the first week of school, JPS said on its website. The earlier start date, now standard under the district’s modified calendar, allows for a full week of fall break later in the semester. The district is also running its “Meet Up and Eat Up” summer meal program through multiple sites across the city, offering free breakfast and lunch to children 18 and under. A Smart Start Wellness Bash on Friday at 3311 Terry Road will offer health screenings, book bags, and school supplies ahead of the first bell.
Broadway in Jackson announces 2026-27 season lineup
Thalia Mara Hall will host a six-show Broadway series for the 2026-2027 season, including “Jersey Boys” (September 30), “The Outsiders” (January 27-February 1), “Hell’s Kitchen” (February 10-15), “Suffs” (February 24-March 1), “The Great Gatsby” (March 31-April 5), and “The Notebook” (June 9-14), according to the venue’s Facebook page. The lineup marks the first full Broadway season at Thalia Mara since 2024, signaling a rebound for downtown Jackson’s performing arts calendar. Single tickets and subscription packages are available through the Ardenland box office. The season opens with “Jersey Boys,” the Tony-winning jukebox musical about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, at the end of September.
Clarion Ledger water tests show improvement, lingering pipe concerns
Four years after Jackson’s water crisis, the Clarion Ledger retested tap water at 16 sites across the city and found no E. coli in any sample, a marked improvement from 2022. One sample tested positive for total coliform bacteria, though a follow-up test at the same location came back clean, the newspaper reported. The results suggest the system managed by court-appointed JXN Water has stabilized since the 2022 crisis, when a plant failure left thousands without pressure. But the tests also showed that water quality can still depend on the pipes inside a home, not just the treatment plant. JXN Water recently implemented a 12 percent rate increase, pushing the average monthly bill to about $88, to fund long-term maintenance and repairs.