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Samuel Hardiman is an enterprise and investigative reporter who focuses on local government and politics. A native Rhode Islander who lives Downtown, he enjoys tennis, golf and reading.
There are 378 articles by Samuel Hardiman :
The University of Memphis awaits a City Council vote next week, Dec. 19, that would transfer ownership of the stadium to the U of M’s Auxiliary Services Foundation. Cost of dorms at U of M will go up 3.5% each year for four yearsRelated story:
The City Council voted 8-2-1 Tuesday, Dec. 19, to approve conveying ownership of the stadium to the U of M Auxiliary Services Foundation and $120 million in cash to help pay for $220 million in renovations.
Memphis City Council approved the Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium ownership transfer but with the caveat that the U of M, the City and Fred Jones would continue to negotiate.
Bernice Donald was selected as the mediator in confidential discussions that could lead to a potential settlement or set the stage for trial if no resolution is reached, according to court documents.
Memphis Mayor-elect Paul Young’s administration continued to take shape this week with the incoming mayor announcing most of his remaining appointments.
Jim Strickland’s years as mayor took Memphis into its third century of existence, through the COVID-19 pandemic and brought it face-to-face with some of the worst crimes and crime waves in its modern history.
With an ability to cross racial lines, the outgoing Memphis mayor was a boss who knew how to delegate and trust experts but did not abdicate responsibility for making decisions.
Fouché served in city government for years, succeeding Ursula Madden for the top communications job in September 2022.
The holiday’s most extensive outage was caused when part of a high-voltage transmission tower broke, triggering a safety response.
“We hear our citizens loud and clear,” said Memphis Mayor Paul Young. “They want to see action. They want to see us strategizing and figuring out how we’re going to reduce the chaos, the hurt and the pain that we see in our community.”
The reappointment of Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis as police chief is among the slew of mayoral appointments that the Memphis City Council is slated to consider at its first meeting of 2024. ‘No tolerance for the chaos:’ Young pledges unified front to fight crimeRelated content:
Laws passed in the wake of Tyre Nichols’ death instituted new data collection policies for traffic stops; stipulated that only marked police cars make traffic stops, and mandated residents not get pulled over for low-level offenses like faulty brake lights. Former officer accused in Tyre Nichols’ death wants trial outside of MemphisRelated story:
After embattled Memphis police chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis lost the City Council’s test reappointment vote, Mayor Paul Young said he believes the “support will be there” in time for the official decision.Related story:
The worried message from a slew of executives to the state’s Republican leadership follows months of public statements from some who signed the letter that the city’s future hangs in the balance.
If Memphis has healed – or if it has at least scarred in the wake of Tyre Nichols’ death – it is because of RowVaughn Wells, said J. Lawrence Turner, pastor of Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church.
Now that the meeting minutes are approved, the U of M Auxiliary Services Foundation will receive Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.
Memphis Public Works Director Robert Knecht said people should stay off the roads because ice accumulation will make it difficult for the city to continue clearing streets Thursday.
Strickland vetoed a referendum ordinance that would ask voters whether the Memphis City Council could set its salary and the salary of mayor-appointed directors. The council believes the veto was done improperly.
Memphis Police Department Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis would continue to serve in an interim capacity.
At least 15 city employees traveled to the Caribbean island for a recruiting fair last July. The event, designed to attract police officers and employees for other hard-to-fill jobs, failed to attract a single candidate.
Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton said the amendment would increase judicial discretion regarding bail and would require judges to say why or why not they granted bail.
Memphis government and the Grizzlies are seeking more money for $500-million-plus in renovations to FedExForum and working toward a lease extension, but another lease could also involve changes to the area around the arena.
A wave of City of Memphis contractors contributed to Mayor-elect Paul Young in the weeks after he won the Oct. 5 race, a review by The Daily Memphian finds.
A Memphis resident has filed an ethics complaint against a Memphis City Council member over an alleged conflict of interest.
The Greater Memphis Chamber, in a statement to The Daily Memphian, asked the entire City Council to vote against the health insurance measure, saying it is fiscally irresponsible.