Reporter
Don Wade has been a Memphis journalist since 1998 and he has won awards for both his sports and news/feature writing. He is originally from Kansas City and is married with three sons.
There are 488 articles by Don Wade :
A woman who was carjacked and another whose son was killed don’t know one another. But they share a bond. Both lives were devastated by violent crime.
“What is troubling here ... is the narrative around crime is so strong, so in your face all the time.”
Once, Youth Villages was strictly about helping kids through residential treatment centers. But when data showed that work was not accomplishing enough, founder Patrick Lawler changed the vision.
Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott is giving away billions of dollars to nonprofits, and Youth Villages just received $25 million.
The conclusion of a two-part series on Shelby County’s Community Prosecutor Program looks at how assistant DAs and juvenile court liaisons work together on a case-by-case basis to affect the best outcome for youth, especially those arrested for non-violent offenses. Related story: Crime Crisis: Prosecutors’ ‘eyes opened’ after working in precincts
Two years ago, the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office assigned three prosecutors to work directly at area police precincts, in hopes of streamlining the criminal justice system and to keep from charging people for crimes if there’s not enough evidence to establish probable cause.
Whether it is an old-fashioned drag race on a quarter-mile of city street straightaway, weaving in and out of traffic at 100-mph-plus on interstates or performing stunts in public parking lot, the street racing culture brings danger, and sometimes tragedy, to those unfortunate enough to be nearby.
The technology matters. The capacity matters. But more than anything else, auto manufacturers understand they will only be as good as the training and workers with hands-on new gas-powered and electric vehicles.
Communities leaders jostling to attract vehicle manufacturers say the companies and their high-paying jobs can change citizens’ lives. But some critics say the cost is too great.
They had their doubters, but leaders from three counties in the Tupelo, Mississippi, area believed in their vision for rebooting the local economy.
“We’re not just an auto town. It’s an important part of the community, but not that big gorilla,” said Chris Ziegler, who worked 31 years at GM, almost 28 of them for Saturn and GM in Spring Hill.
Once an outdated manufacturing and steel town, Chattanooga went to work on reinventing itself by taking advantage of its riverfront and Downtown. In the end, that was key to landing automaker Volkswagen and spurring a new generation of growth.
For many people, the expectations of the holiday season are simply too much. And if they become overwhelmed, they might just call the Memphis Crisis Center, where volunteers are waiting and listening.
Still trying to catch up from revenue and donations lost during the COVID-19 pandemic, area nonprofit leaders are hoping to finish the year strong.
“Long COVID” symptoms that include fatigue, brain fog and shortness of breath may strike women more often than men — many ages 20-50 — and are just as likely to occur among those whose initial case was very mild.
Maverick doesn’t speak. Nor does he perform heroics worthy of his ancestor, the TV star of “Lassie.” But the crisis response dog can listen, as he did for Kroger employees after the recent mass shooting in Collierville.
Pre-pandemic, many clergy were exhausted. The pandemic has only heightened the challenges. A workshop featuring psychologist Dr. Tony Headley will give faith leaders tools to take care of themselves, their families and their flocks.
The director of hospital services at Vanderbilt Behavior Health says the pandemic-associated stress has become like the underlying conditions that make the virus itself more dangerous. Related Story: A year and a half in, how COVID fatigue is affecting us
“We’re tired,” Sutton Mora, executive vice president and COO of the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis (CFGM) said, speaking for one and all. “That’s the word I keep using over and over.” Related story: Coping with pandemic stress: From walks outside to a new furry friend
If you contract COVID-19, you should be in quarantine. But so should your dog, cat or ferret.
Landing an NFL team for Memphis proved to be the dream that got away in Billy Dunavant’s professional life. But when the scores are added up, he won much more than he lost. And so did those who were fortunate enough to know him well.
In the first of two parts, leading physicians speak to the history of COVID-19, its possible origins, the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, and the the role of masking, among other topics.
In the second of two parts, Dr. Jon McCullers of UTHSC and Dr. William Schaffner from Vanderbilt Medical Center tackle questions about vaccination, length of immunity, ‘long COVID,’ the possibility of COVID ‘passports’ and continuing to live in a coronavirus world.
The 1918 influenza pandemic killed tens of millions worldwide, but 30 to 40 years later, it had evolved into a much less serious disease. COVID-19 will likely follow a similar path — never going away, but becoming less deadly over time.
While proponents of merging the City of Memphis and Shelby County governments cannot promise that consolidation would mean a spike in economic development, they believe it is the straightest line to major growth. Opponents aren’t so sure and worry about negative fallout.