There are 54 article(s) tagged Michalyn Easter-Thomas:

• September 2021

  • City Council stops short of consolidation charter commission for now

    The council votes to appoint a study committee to weigh whether the city should pursue drafting a charter that would consolidate city and county governments if approved by voters. 

    By Bill Dries September 08, 2021

• August 2021

  • Hospital emergency directors call for immediate countywide mask mandate

    The letter circulating Tuesday warns of “catastrophic” effects that could “affect health care at every level.” Meanwhile, the city council is urging Gov. Bill Lee to rescind his executive order to allow parents to opt out of school mask mandates.

    By Bill Dries August 18, 2021

• July 2021

  • The Early Word: Redbirds make history. Hardaway recycles it.

    Just for fun, enjoy a cold one at Grind City and take a selfie at Pose 901. Let history record the Redbirds streak, and the removal of Forrest’s bust. Meanwhile, Hardaway makes his own history ... and repeats it.

    By Andrew A. Smith July 23, 2021

  • Grab your phone and pose: It’s a selfie studio

    Pose 901 offers a place for visitors to snap photos in a variety of Memphis-themed settings.

    By Rob Moore July 23, 2021

  • Ida B. Wells returns to city with new statue

    The author of the definitive 2008 biography of the anti-lynching crusader and NAACP cofounder says the statue of Wells defines the city as well as honors her in a city whose leaders once talked of killing her. 

    By Bill Dries July 16, 2021

• June 2021

  • Construction begins on women’s shelter at former inspection station

    The Hospitality Hub undertaking Downtown, on land donated by the city and funded by private donors along with the city and county governments, is next to the Hub’s intake area for the homeless.

    By Bill Dries June 21, 2021

  • Despite no construction date, Frayser library still brings excitement

    The current Frayser library, located at 3712 Argonne Street, has been a community staple for more than 50 years. While it’s been important for allowing children and adults alike for book access and computer use, it’s also a vital community space for the neighborhood.

    By Omer Yusuf June 16, 2021

• January 2021

  • Kelsey bill would eliminate residency requirements statewide for police and fire

    The bill follows a City Council decision late last year to remove a referendum question that would have allowed Memphis police and firefighters to live outside Shelby County.

    By Bill Dries January 06, 2021

• December 2020

  • Street racing, muffler crackdown draws council concerns

    A set of three proposed ordinances aren’t due for a vote by the full council until the new year. But several council members are concerned about how police will carry out the ordinances if they are passed.

    By Bill Dries December 15, 2020

• September 2020

  • Revamp of Links at Davy Crockett could be Frayser ‘gamechanger’

    A proposed revamp of the Links at Davy Crockett golf course is part of a growing list of potential or underway projects in Frayser.

    By Omer Yusuf September 11, 2020

  • City Council approves changes to renaming process

    The approval of the ordinance Tuesday is part of the council's larger debate about the Black Lives Matter Movement. Several other resolutions from that larger discussion were also approved by the council.

    By Bill Dries September 01, 2020

• August 2020

  • Memphis mask fundraising campaign helps on multiple fronts

    “Mask for Memphis” raised about $25,000 during the past four months and distributed 2,600 masks at multiple mask giveaway events in Raleigh, Frayser and other North Memphis neighborhoods. Masks provided through the fundraiser are washable and reusable.

    By Omer Yusuf August 30, 2020

  • Police numbers still dominate city council’s debate over police reform

    Council members Michalyn Easter-Thomas and Chase Carlisle were on opposite sides of the council's veto override vote on police residency this week. On "Behind The Headlines" they talked about how many police are enough and how to get to the bigger issues beyond the numbers in the ranks.

    By Bill Dries August 20, 2020

  • Council residency aftermath signals shift on how to address crime

    Memphis Police Director Michael Rallings says the City Council decision to take residency off the Nov. 3 ballot leaves voters out of a critical decision. The vote is a challenge to Mayor Jim Strickland’s core philosophy on fighting crime after he dramatically upped the number of new officers he believes is necessary.

    By Bill Dries August 05, 2020

• July 2020

  • Renaming commission approved by City Council, Poplar renaming sidelined

    The Poplar Avenue name change to Black Lives Matter Avenue will be among the items the renaming commission considers. The trio of related measures met with mixed results at Tuesday's Memphis City Council session. An ordinance to give the council final approval of any names changes of streets, parks and public places may get some legal rewording before its first of three votes next months.

    By Bill Dries July 21, 2020

  • Easter-Thomas: ‘Something missing’ in way police recruited

    Memphis City Council member talks on The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast about her push to remove from the November ballot a residency referendum that would allow police and firefighters to live outside the county.

    By Bill Dries July 17, 2020

  • Morgan says local reaction to George Floyd still awaits real legislative police reform

    On The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast, City Council member Worth Morgan talks about his possible move to take police out of the city's civil service system and calls a move to cancel the November referendum allowing the city to hire police from outside Shelby County "the ultimate hypocrisy."

    By Bill Dries July 11, 2020

• June 2020

  • SCS considers adding 15 days to school year to help students catch up

    The district plans to present a proposal to the school board on Tuesday, and estimates a longer school year would cost between $25 million and $30 million. 

    By Laura Faith Kebede June 15, 2020

• February 2020

  • Ed Rice center to close in May for construction

    Demolition on the current Ed Rice Community Center is set to begin in May, but community members still have questions about what the new facility will offer and what alternative services will be available during construction. 

    By Omer Yusuf February 27, 2020

• January 2020

  • ‘A new day dawning’ with a diverse, younger City Council

    'We must be a unified and united body. If we are not, we run the risks of watering down our legislative authority and allowing outside entities comprised of individuals not elected by the citizens of Memphis, essentially, to make legislative and budgetary decisions.' 

    By JB Smiley Jr. January 19, 2020

• November 2019

  • Sanford: Berlin Boyd couldn’t un-ring the bell

    It wasn’t just the insulting language that cost Berlin Boyd his council seat. Many voters were upset that he tended to favor big business over the needs of neighborhoods.

    By Otis Sanford November 21, 2019

  • Rhonda Logan kept ‘faith’ in pursuit of City Council seat

    Rhonda Logan's journey to the District 1 seat included a 100-vote marathon City Council meeting when she repeatedly fell one vote short of getting the appointment in late 2018. 

    By Omer Yusuf November 21, 2019

  • Logan, Easter-Thomas claim city council seats in low turnout runoffs

    Michalyn Easter-Thomas upset incumbent District 7 council member Berlin Boyd by a wide margin in runoff elections Thursday. And In District 1, challenger Rhonda Logan upset incumbent Sherman Greer.

    By Bill Dries, Omer Yusuf November 15, 2019

  • Final day of early voting in final election of 2019 is Saturday

    The five voting locations in two runoff city council races open Saturday for the last day of early voting. Election day is Nov. 14.

    By Bill Dries November 08, 2019

• October 2019

  • Boyd, Easter-Thomas continue push for District 7 seat

    Early voting in the November runoff election for two City Council seats continues through Nov. 9. Election day is Nov. 14. 

    By Omer Yusuf October 30, 2019