Sanford: A tragedy that hurt all of Memphis
The gravity of violent crime continues to loom over Memphis like an ominous storm cloud that stubbornly refuses to break up and move on.
Topic: Tami Sawyer
There are 54 article(s) tagged Tami Sawyer:
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June 2019
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Lee pushes re-entry programs amid reaction to violent crime
A two-day visit to Memphis by Gov. Bill Lee included signing a bill dropping state fees for expungements. The move comes against a backdrop of reaction to the weekend slaying of financial executive Glenn Cofield and a rise in homicides compared to this time last year.
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People's Convention endorses Tami Sawyer for mayor
The convention at the Paradise Entertainment Center in South Memphis Saturday drew no city council incumbents before a group of 600 to the nightclub, with about 200 participating in the process that stretched over six hours.
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May 2019
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Commissioners introduce budget amendments for MATA, Tom Lee Park renovations
The Shelby County Commission is considering 26 amendments to the 2019-2020 budget, including one that would provide county funds for MATA public transportation for the first time.
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Opening day of filing period brings out 34 city office-seekers
Monday was the first day for contenders on the October ballot to pull qualifying petitions, and 34 hopefuls began gathering signatures on opening day. They have until July 18 to get on the ballot, led by what promises to be a spirited race for Memphis mayor.
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Evening reporting center proposal gives commissioners concern
A proposal to open a new program to host youth with pending Juvenile Court cases at a Shelby County Schools building is causing concern for several Shelby County Commissioners.
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Commission committee backs resolution to support censuring Judge Jim Lammey
A resolution condemning Criminal Court Judge Jim Lammey's social media postings won committee support from county commissioners Wednesday.
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April 2019
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Fundraisers and neo-Confederate threats mark five months to Memphis election day
Mayor Jim Strickland says city's challenges are the reason for his re-election bid. Challenger Tami Sawyer said white supremacist threats won't stop her campaign and the race for City Court Clerk grows.
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Sanford: Mayor's race may show which way the wind will blow in 2020
Biden, 76, will face plenty of left-leaning challengers as he battles for the Democratic nomination. Among those challenges is the notion that the primary campaign will not be kind to anyone with moderate political views.
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NAACP Freedom Fund gathering reflects political balancing act
The Memphis Branch NAACP honored three leaders of the efforts to remove Confederate monuments from two local parks and in the process Saturday reflected the balancing act that is a feature of the race for Memphis mayor.
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Strickland posts campaign war chest of $757,000
The first campaign finance filings of the 2019 Memphis election season show incumbent Mayor Jim Strickland with a sizable fundraising advantage. But for the first quarter, three City Council contenders each raised six figures on the way to the Oct. 3 elections.
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Sanford: Where Memphis mayoral candidates stand on crime
As the 2019 city mayoral election starts to gain steam, there is little discussion about fighting violent crime, particularly by former mayor Willie Herenton and Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer, the two major opponents vying to unseat Jim Strickland.
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Herenton opens campaign for Memphis mayor with charges of 'elitism' in city's prosperity
The former mayor drew several hundred people to southwest Memphis as his opens his challenge of incumbent mayor Jim Strickland on the Oct. 3 city ballot.
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March 2019
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Commissioners back $15 minimum wage for public-sector workers
In a vote split along party lines Monday, the Shelby County Commission approved a resolution supporting a $15 minimum wage for all public-sector employees in the county.
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Sanford: Three ways of doing business in mayor's race
The 2019 mayor's race is shaping up as a three-way contest representing the past, present and, perhaps, future of city politics.
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U.S. Sen. Warren touts 'different kind of campaign', 'big systemic change' in Douglass High campaign stop
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren drew a crowd of more than 400 in North Memphis for the first Memphis appearance by a presidential hopeful in advance of the Tennessee presidential primaries of March 2020.
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City Hall's 2018 minority spend miscalculated, lower than 2017
Mayor Jim Strickland's administration conceded a "clerical error" in its minority spending numbers Thursday, saying the city actually spent 17.7 percent of its money in 2018 with women- and minority-owned businesses rather than the 24 percent previously touted by Strickland.
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Memphis mayor's race begins to solidify ahead of spring and summer campaigns
The race for Memphis Mayor has three front-line contenders on the way to the spring and summer heart of the 2019 campaign. And the trio of Sawyer, Herenton and Strickland shows some differences that reflect divergent views of the city's future beyond who wins and who loses.
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The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast: Tami Sawyer on her bid for Memphis Mayor
Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer’s first in-depth interview on her run for Memphis Mayor on The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast.
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Two candidates for Memphis mayor have education backgrounds. Here's what you should know.
The Memphis mayor’s authority over public schools is limited, since the city school board voted in 2010 to dissolve the city district, which led to a merger of the city and county school systems. But the city mayor isn’t without power to steer conversation and dictate spending.
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Sawyer's vision of 'new' Memphis is equity and people-centered
Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer appeared on The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast to discuss her announcement seeking the Memphis mayor's office in October.
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Tami Sawyer announces bid for Memphis mayor
Six months after being sworn in as Shelby County Commissioner, Tami Sawyer announced Thursday she is launching a campaign to be the next Memphis mayor.
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Shelby County leaders hope final DOJ report brings Juvenile Court changes
Shelby County leaders say they are hopeful the final report on Juvenile Court racial bias will clear the path for substantive changes.
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January 2019
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Commission approves allocating $1.3 million for new youth justice facility
The Shelby County Commission voted Monday to allocate $1.3 million to begin designing a new Youth Justice and Education Center to replace the current juvenile detention facility.
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Harris says proposal for new detention facility has 'momentum'
A second vote on Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris' proposal for a new Juvenile Justice and Education Center is expected to take place at the next Shelby County Commission meeting Monday.
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King Day observances feature different interpretations of civil rights leader's Memphis legacy
The federal holiday honoring civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. included a new grant program for neighborhoods, calls for reparations, questions about who interprets King's legacy and City Hall honors for 10 women activists.
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Commission delays vote on initial funding for new detention center
The Shelby County Commission delayed a vote Monday on allocating $1.3 million for a new Shelby County Juvenile Detention Center after several commissioners raised concerns they were moving too fast on the project.
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Politics Podcast: County Commissioners Billingsley and Sawyer talk juvenile justice reform
Shelby County commissioners Tami Sawyer and Mark Billingsley talk about juvenile justice reform with county beat reporter Omer Yusuf, and city government reporter Bill Dries recaps the three new Memphis City Council members and the rocky transition in the Criminal Court clerk’s office. -
Sawyer says discussion on Juvenile Court must shift from employees to systems
Shelby County Commissioners Tami Sawyer and Mark Billingsley appeared on The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast to talk about juvenile justice reform.
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Commissioners want more Juvenile Court reforms after DOJ report discussion
The Shelby County Commission discussed a Department of Justice report criticizing Juvenile Court's due process procedures.
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New juvenile detention center, DOJ report to be discussed in commission committees Wednesday
The Shelby County Commission will reconvene for the first time in 2019 during its committee session Wednesday.
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Improving MWBE numbers a priority for some commissioners in 2019
Shelby County Commission Chairman Van Turner said he wants to make more changes to the MWBE ordinance in 2019.
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December 2018
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Detention center funding decision taps larger criminal justice system concerns
County commissioner Tami Sawyer and activist Josh Spickler discuss flaws in the juvenile justice system and the roles a new assessment center and new juvenile detention center might play in reforming the system.
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Harris pushes for new juvenile detention center funding
Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris presses the case for funding of a new juvenile detention center ahead of a key County Commission vote next month.
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Confederate monument anniversary reveals a work in progress
One year to the day that Confederate monuments were removed from two city parks, the anniversary revealed the controversy still has some unexpected life left in it among those pursuing the removal of the monuments by different methods.
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Confederate monuments anniversary blends with coming city elections
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland won’t officially announce his re-election bid until next month. -
Commissioners write letter to Haslam urging clemency for Cyntoia Brown
Four Shelby County Commissioners wrote a letter to Gov. Bill Haslam urging him to grant clemency for 30-year-old Cyntoia Brown, who is currently serving a 51-year prison sentence for killing a man when she was 16. -
Commission approves TIF for $950 million Union Row development
The Shelby County Commission voted to authorize a 30-year, $100 million tax increment financing district for phase I of the $950 million Union Row development Monday, despite a request from Mayor Lee Harris and two county commissioners to delay the vote. -
Hopson presents school consolidation plan to County Commission
Shelby County Schools Superintendent Dorsey Hopson outlined his school consolidation plan to the Shelby County Commission’s education committee Wednesday – which includes 28 school closures, 10 new schools and could cost the district at least $700 million. -
Committee recommends TIF for $950 million Union Row development
A Shelby County Commission committee is recommending the creation of a tax increment financing district to fund public infrastructure for the $950 million Union Row project, though two commissioners expressed concerns about minority- and women-owned business involvement and gentrification. -
County still in 'research phase' on finding MATA revenue stream
The recently formed Memphis and Shelby County ad hoc transportation/transit committee met Tuesday afternoon – continuing its discussion on finding a dedicated funding source for the Memphis Area Transit Authority. -
County Commission to seek state funding for more school resource officers, counselors
The Shelby County Commission approved adding five items to its legislative agenda Monday night – including a request the state fund more school resource officers, social workers and counselors in local schools.
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November 2018
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Commissioners seek to add items to legislative agenda
The Shelby County Commission may add five items to its legislative agenda for the Tennessee General Assembly session in January, including a request that the state fund more school resource officers. -
Shelby County eliminates phone call costs for juvenile detainees
Shelby County has reached an agreement with its inmate telephone services vendor, Global Tel, to eliminate charges on all phone calls made by juveniles to their parents or guardians and vice-versa, Mayor Lee Harris announced Monday. -
Commission committee debates food services contract for Sheriff's Office
A dispute between two potential vendors for a food management services contract from the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office for its three correctional facilities was reignited at the Shelby County Commission’s committee meeting Wednesday afternoon. -
Women make significant impact in Shelby County elections
More than 60 women ran for elected office in 40 races throughout Shelby County during the 2018 election cycle, resulting in several historic firsts and government representation being a little more reflective along both gender and racial lines in the county.
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October 2018
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Commission approves resolution asking DOJ to continue Juvenile Court oversight
The Shelby County Commission has approved a resolution proclaiming a vote of no confidence in the U.S. Department of Justice’s decision to end federal oversight of Shelby County Juvenile Court. -
City, County explore creating dedicated funding source for MATA
A newly formed Memphis and Shelby County ad hoc transportation/transit committee has started discussing ways to find a dedicated local funding source for the Memphis Area Transit Authority. -
Justice Department ends federal oversight of Juvenile Court
The Department of Justice said Friday it has ended its six-year federal oversight of Shelby County Juvenile Court. -
Memphis police union tells officers not to talk to TBI
The Memphis Police Association is advising police officers not to talk to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation when the state agency is investigating officer-involved shootings, the TBI was told Sunday. The advice includes police officers who witnessed shootings but are not involved. -
Federal oversight over Shelby County juvenile court hangs in balance
The Shelby County Commission and Mayor Lee Harris have taken steps to show the U.S. Department of Justice there has been a change in the approach on Shelby County Juvenile Court issues. -
Committee recommends rescinding Luttrell's letter ending DOJ oversight of juvenile court
A Shelby County Commission committee recommended approving a resolution to rescind former Mayor Mark Luttrell’s second letter to end Department of Justice oversight of Juvenile Court Wednesday, but not all committee members agreed.
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September 2018
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Protests, arrests, proposed new law follow ‘disturbing’ shooting
Two days after Martavious Banks was critically wounded by a Memphis police officer in a shooting, protesters stood on the sidewalk at the entrance to the Airways police precinct calling for justice Wednesday night. About 50 protesters, some with bullhorns and carrying signs that read, “We have our cameras on," arrived shortly before 7 p.m. to the “Citywide Protest” organized by Memphis activist, Mac Freddie. -
Memphis Police: 3 officers did not turn on body cameras during police shooting
The Memphis Police Department said an officer who critically wounded a 25-year-old man in a shooting in South Memphis Monday night did not record the encounter because he and two other officers failed to turn on their body and in-car cameras during the incident.
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