‘The world will get an opportunity to watch us succeed,’ Mayor Young says
“I did not ask for the National Guard, and I don’t think it’s the way to drive down crime. However, that decision has been made,” Memphis Mayor Paul Young said.
Laura Testino
There are 247 articles by Laura Testino :
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September 2025
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City of Memphis -
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Transportation & LogisticsWhat a giant train merger has to do with National Guard in Memphis
A former FedEx board member suggested President Donald Trump send the National Guard to Memphis.
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Public Safety Do residents think National Guard is the answer to crime?
Daily Memphian reporters talked to Memphis residents to find out if they support President Donald Trump’s new task force.
See The Daily Memphian’s full coverage of the Memphis Safe Task Force
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City of Memphis National Guard to be ‘eyes and ears’ on the streets, mayor says
Memphis Mayor Paul Young said the National Guard will not be doing any detainment.
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Behind The Headlines Reporters explore National Guard questions, remember Les Smith
WKNO’s “Behind the Headlines” remembered Smith, who died Sept. 17, for his early contributions to the show. The reporter’s roundtable edition also discussed the pending National Guard deployment to Memphis.
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EducationHow much could it cost to upgrade each MSCS school?
Assessments of Memphis-Shelby County Schools' buildings estimated repair costs throughout the next 10 years. Costs to keep buildings in shape are expected to be among the factors that determine which Memphis schools may close.
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Education MSCS recommends five schools close at the end of the 2025-26 year
About 1,200 students will have to attend a new campus in the fall if the board approves Memphis-Shelby County Schools' plan to close four buildings and transfer a fifth.
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State Government National Guard won’t be making arrests, governor says
Gov. Bill Lee outlined plans for Trump’s Memphis Safe Task Force on Friday, saying that the first personnel could be in the Bluff City on Monday, Sept. 29.
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Education MSCS board chooses new chair to face political tumult
Board member Natalie McKinney won the position in a 6-3 vote that appeared to reveal lingering rifts among board members over its decision to oust Marie Feagins from the superintendent seat in January.
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October 2025
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EducationElvis’ alma mater sold for performing arts school, Bayer campus for workforce development project
The Bayer building was once meant to be the district’s new headquarters.
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State GovernmentIn a first, state pulls Shelby County’s ability to issue bonds. That decision could mean consequences for new high schools, Regional One.
Losing access to bonds could jeopardize funding needed to improve schools, a trauma hospital and upgrade 201 Poplar.
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Shelby CountyState’s bond ban won’t disrupt Shelby County schools, hospital projects this year
A $271 million bond issuance from May helps cover funds needed for schools and hospital projects in Shelby County’s budget for the current fiscal year, Shelby County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Shante Avant said.
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EducationChanges coming to MSCS elections as lawmakers consider blunting board’s roles
The campaign season, with its new partisan battles, could also include a legal challenge from incumbent board members.
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Shelby County Mayor Harris vetoes vote to put all MSCS board members on ballot
“Absent an emergency or in the case of criminal misconduct, I do not believe the terms of elected officials should be shortened. As such, I hereby veto,” Harris wrote.
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EducationMore than 3,400 Memphis-area kids benefited from state’s new school vouchers. Here’s who got them.
A map of local recipients of Tennessee’s voucher program expansion shows that most live in Shelby County’s top-earning zip codes.
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EducationStudents with income-limited vouchers outperform MSCS on reading, but not math
Data from the Department of Education show students receiving income-limited Education Savings Account vouchers performed slightly better in reading exams than their MSCS counterparts. Both sets of students made gains in math, but at the same clip.
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City of Memphis National Guard visible at Memphis Pyramid
The guard’s early actions appear more casual than the federal, state and local law enforcement officers who have flooded the streets as part of President Donald Trump’s Task Force, a multiagency crime reduction effort.
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Public SafetyMemphis police data chief retires
As the Deputy Chief of Information Technology, Joe Oakley has overseen the launch and use of the police department’s Real-Time Crime Center camera surveillance systems, as well as the department’s data collection. It was not immediately clear Thursday who would take over his duties.
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Education The Frayser Phoenix? Bay High School? Voters can choose name, mascot of new high school today
Voters will have a say in naming the new high school, which will open in 2027. A mix of old and new names are on the ballot.
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Education MSCS school mergers could impact 2,650 students
The school consolidations would also impact about 60 school-level jobs.
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EducationJudge in Feagins case scolds attorneys for lack of communication
In a court hearing, Shelby County Circuit Judge Chris Frulla urged attorneys for Marie Feagins and the school district to move quickly during discovery so he could set a trial date.
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City of MemphisExpired-tag renewals jump since Task Force’s arrival
“I saw lines that I’ve never seen in the 7 years that I’ve been here,” the Shelby County clerk said.
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