Education
Thousands of Memphis-area kids could lose pre-K in January
Up to 3,000 kids who receive needs-based prekindergarten in Memphis and Shelby County might not have pre-K centers to go to in January amid a funding crunch.
Samuel Hardiman
Reporter
Samuel Hardiman is a reporter who focuses on government and politics. He began his career at the Tulsa World where he covered business and K-12 education. Hardiman came to Memphis in 2018 to join the Memphis Business Journal, covering government and economic development. He then served as the Commercial Appeal’s city hall reporter and later joined The Daily Memphian in 2023. His current work focuses on xAI, energy needs and how local governments spend money.
There are 599 articles by Samuel Hardiman :
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December 2025
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Public SafetyBefore Task Force, there was Operation Viper — and nearly 500 arrests
This spring, FBI Director Kash Patel singled out Memphis’ violent crime rate during an interview with Fox News. When his comments were publicized, law enforcement was underway on what would become Operation Viper.
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City of MemphisMemphis faces tight budgets. Will a ‘debt cliff’ save it?
The “debt cliff” refers to how much city bond payments are expected to decline in the future — essentially, the city’s annual payment on its never-ending mortgage.
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City of Memphis Full recording of meeting that includes rape remark available to stream, City Council says
The Memphis City Council addressed its YouTube stream not showing the entirety of the body’s Dec. 2 meeting where a council member compared a proposed firefighter pay raise to rape.
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City of Memphis As City Council debates firefighter raise, one member compares it to rape
The comments came as the City Council debated an additional 2% raise for the Memphis Fire Fighters Association.
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Public Safety TBI finds nothing unusual in MPD audit
A TBI audit of MPD’s crime statistics yielded no real findings, TBI Director David Rausch wrote in a letter to two Memphis-area legislators.
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State Government State challenges National Guard ruling
The state argues that a judge was wrong when she ruled that Gov. Bill Lee sent the Tennessee National Guard to Memphis illegally.
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City of Memphis City, Police Association edge toward resolution over second lieutenant position
The two sides have fought in court since early 2024.
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November 2025
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State Government State now has until December to appeal National Guard ruling
The Tennessee National Guard is likely to remain in Memphis until at least early December, as the state has yet to appeal an injunction blocking the deployment.
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City of Memphis Pam Bondi, Bill Lee tout crime decline 56 days into Memphis Safe Task Force
“The numbers tell the story themselves. They are undeniable,” said U.S. Attorney General Bondi, who traveled to Memphis on Monday, Nov. 24.
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State Government Sexton says funding for new jail ‘up on the locals to do that locally’
The Tennessee House speaker, who attended U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi’s news conference Monday, Nov. 24, was asked what the state’s appetite was for funding a replacement to 201 Poplar.
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Shelby CountyIs Shelby County’s cash crunch really about the Task Force?
While the Memphis Safe Task Force has had some impact on the county’s finances, the county is typically in this situation each year.
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State Government Memphis politicians, state tussle in Nashville court
The Monday hearing was the Tennessee version of a legal fight that has played out in U.S. courts over the past few months as Trump has sought to use the military in U.S. cities run by members of the opposite political party.
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Public Safety More than 850 National Guard personnel in Memphis
The boost in the National Guard’s presence comes as State of Tennessee plans to appeal a Nashville chancellor’s blocking of the deployment to Memphis.
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State Government State to appeal National Guard injunction
A Davidson County chancellor blocked the guard’s deployment in a Monday ruling.
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City of Memphis Memphis raises minimum salary for city employees
The Memphis City Council voted to change the minimum salary for City of Memphis workers.
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City of Memphis Memphis delays firefighter pay raise
The Memphis City Council delayed voting on the 2% raise during an occasionally fractious committee hearing.
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Public Safety Nashville judge blocks Memphis National Guard deployment
A judge has blocked the current deployment of the Tennessee National Guard to Memphis as part of President Donald Trump’s Memphis Safe Task Force, but the state still has time to appeal.
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Public Safety National Guard deployment has already cost millions
The state has contracts to feed and house the National Guard for well more than $6 million — to be paid by the federal government — according to court documents filed Friday.
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City of MemphisMemphis Safe Task Force has seized more than 400 illegal guns. But, what is an illegal gun in Tennessee?
For the Task Force, the confiscation is a sign of progress in lowering crime. But, in a state where most adults can carry weapons without a permit, what constitutes an illegal gun?
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Public Safety 100+ more National Guard members coming to Memphis
“Over the next few days, we anticipate the total presence will increase to roughly 350,” the Memphis Police Department said in a statement.
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City of MemphisWhat could be the long-term impact of the Memphis Safe Task Force? Community leaders weigh in.
The Daily Memphian asked a selection of community leaders what, in their opinion, the long-term impact of the Memphis Safe Task Force could be.
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City of MemphisWhat happens after the Task Force leaves?
The Memphis Safe Task Force could help deliver Memphis its lowest crime rate in years, but it remains unclear what the temporary law enforcement surge has done to the city’s trajectory.
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City of Memphis Council approves $2.5M loan for meals along with fire chief, general services head
Both appointments received standing ovations at City Council chambers. The 0% loans will go to Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association (MIFA), the Hospitality Hub, the Mid-South Food Bank and Feed the Needy.
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Public Safety2 men electrocuted at xAI’s Southaven power plant
The September event sent one of the men to a hospital, where he remains.
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