Three former officers charged in the 2023 beating death of Tyre Nichols were found not guilty on all seven state charges they faced, including second-degree murder. The sequestered jury, brought to Memphis from Hamilton County in East Tennessee, deliberated for about eight hours following the eight-day trial. A local jury convicted all three men on at least one count during their three-and-a-half-week federal trial in September. The state verdict was a shock to many Memphians, including Nichols’ family; his mother RowVaughn Wells called it “a slap in my family’s face.”

Elon Musk’s xAI continued to make news last week, especially as it relates to plans for the artificial intelligence company’s new Whitehaven data center. The Southern Environmental Law Center publicly released documents that showed xAI has studied using natural-gas turbines to power its second Memphis supercomputer. The Greater Memphis Chamber followed up later to say xAI had no plans to use the turbines in Whitehaven in spite of the documents, which are dated March 2025. Earlier last week, the chamber said some of the controversial natural gas turbines at the original site in Southwest Memphis would be removed over the next few months.

Also, Central High School’s jazz band won the international Essentially Ellington contest at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York; the Memphis and Shelby County Sports Authority voted to allocate $2 million for early design work on the renovations at FedExForum; and the new Crump Boulevard/Interstate 55 roundabout near Downtown Memphis officially opened Tuesday with Gov. Bill Lee in town to cut the ribbon.

— Metro editor Jane Donahoe

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Three former Memphis cops were found not guilty on all state charges related to the 2023 death of Tyre Nichols. This was the second time the three men had been on trial in the past year.

Related content:

Tyre Nichols trial: Former MPD officers found not guilty on all counts
‘Shocked,’ ‘gutted': Reaction to the Tyre Nichols verdict

Calkins: Incredibly, the Central High jazz band did it. They won the whole thing. By Geoff Calkins

XAI's second data center could use enough electricity to power 40% of Memphis By Samuel Hardiman

Chamber: xAI does not plan to use turbines at Whitehaven site By Samuel Hardiman

I-55 roundabout partially opens to traffic, new bridge next By Bill Dries

Architect tapped for $550 million FedExForum renovations By Samuel Hardiman

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This Memphis budget season is all about 'sacred cows' By Samuel Hardiman

Tyre Nichols' mother: Verdict 'a slap in my family's face' By Aarron Fleming

Gayle Rose joins Memphis Magazine, Flyer ownership group By Jody Callahan

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