County Commissioners grill Health Department over vaccine missteps, confusion
County leaders also talked about battling social media misinformation that is crowding testing sites and leading some to book appointments at multiple sites.
Topic: Van Turner
RSSThere are 141 article(s) tagged Van Turner:
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February 2021
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December 2020
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Last of county police reform measures pushed into new year
The delay in the final vote on requiring County Commission approval for the sheriff to acquire surplus military hardware came after Sheriff Floyd Bonner complained he hadn’t been consulted. County Mayor Lee Harris disputed that assertion.
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Former NBA stars on the road to help communities, fight for justice
Former NBA players and a host of volunteers helped give out food and protective items to community members. The players are traveling the country to help those in need and continuing to fight for social justice.
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Increased ‘volatility’ is backdrop as commission calls for statewide mask mandate
Shelby County commissioners called on Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee Monday, Dec. 7, to enact a statewide mask mandate, but the vote wasn’t unanimous. It was among a series of COVID-related measures.
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November 2020
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Voter alliance begins work for 2022 elections
A new Shelby County Election Commission report shows nearly 15,000 more voters on the rolls counytwide in the last two months leading up to the Nov. 3 Election Day. Meanwhile, the Shelby County Voter Alliance says its effort got 2,500 of those voters on the rolls. The alliance of 18 organizations has now set its sights on the 2022 countywide ballot.
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Discussions spur dialogue for change
A variety of community voices spoke out on police reform during two discussions last week.
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Commission seeks to stem flow of county budget ‘surprises’
The latest hiccup is a higher-than-expected contract for the University of Tennessee Health Science Center to run the county’s forensic center for the region, with the county dipping into its reserves for the difference.
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October 2020
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County Commission questions $1M pandemic marketing campaign
The contract stirred the political embers of a recent budget season in county government as well as some spirited debate among commissioners about mask requirements.
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September 2020
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Public safety reforms go to County Commission for second reading
Ordinances that address use of force, the purchase of military equipment and the use of tear gas will go to the full commission without a second reading committee vote.
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Sheriff Bonner forms civilian committee as part of police reform
Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner is forming a civilian committee to offer input on hiring of deputies as part of police reform efforts.
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County hiring freeze continues to thaw
A total of 78 positions in various parts of county government are the latest exceptions to a hiring freeze. But as they approved the waivers Monday, county commissioners signaled they are about to make a decision on the hiring freeze’s viability possibly by the end of this month.
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Van Turner: Reform vote ‘is not against law enforcement’
Shelby County Commissioner Van Turner has seen first hand the impact of violent crime on his commission district which includes Hickory Hill. But Turner says it’s possible to back law enforcement and be opposed to a militarization of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and Memphis Police Department.
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Debate on police reform proposals at County Commission gets heated
The three ordinances are scheduled for the first of three votes on Monday. And still to weigh in on the proposals is Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner.
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August 2020
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NAACP, lawmakers and clergy urge Weirich to test DNA in Pervis Payne case
The NAACP, lawmakers, clergy and criminal justice advocates urge Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich to test DNA evidence in the Pervis Payne case.
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County budget still fuzzy seven weeks into new fiscal year
County commissioners vote Monday on a waiver of the county's hiring and pay freeze, and nearly 100 more waivers requested by officials are waiting in the wings. Commissioners say they need a budget book with specific line items and dollar figures to know whether the waivers would put the county in the red.
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July 2020
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Kelsey backs state opposition to expanding absentee balloting in pandemic
State Sen. Brian Kelsey’s law firm is inserting himself into the state's legal affairs again, getting involved in an absentee ballot battle with a legal brief arguing the Legislature, not the court, should determine the state’s voting laws.
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June 2020
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County Commission appears to balance budget with $16.5 million use of reserves
The six-hour special meeting Monday sets the stage for a final budget vote in a week. But there are questions about the dollar figures approved by the Commission and how much red ink there is to be dealt with after the moves. Two social media posts during the meeting by County Mayor Lee Harris also complained that there would be layoffs and cutbacks in critical county programs.
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Memphis Branch NAACP coordinating legal assistance for arrested protesters
The number of those arrested this past week in a series of five demonstrations in the city is estimated at several dozen with an exact number from last night expected later today.
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May 2020
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Still no budget yet for Shelby County government
The county's $1.4 billion budget is a work in progress, but officials say they're close.
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Harris could extend Wellpath contract after commissioners reject it
The County Commission isn't likely to approve another contract with the health care provider.
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Herrington: Forrest saga on path to surprisingly amicable end
The Forrest statue made the park unusable space for most Memphians. The Sons of Confederate Veterans lost the battle for the hearts and minds of Memphis, thank goodness, long before they lost the legal battle over moving the monuments to Forrest and Jefferson Davis.
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Forrest reinterment plans being made following end to lawsuits
A final lawsuit over the grave site of the Confederate General, slave trader and Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard was dropped this week and legal filings toward moving the remains of Nathan Bedford Forrest and his wife should be filed in Chancery Court soon.
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Complex battle over MLGW electric power contract intensifies on multiple fronts
The MLGW contract with TVA to supply all of its electric power goes back to the Great Depression. The contract is in play with some concerted lobbying efforts that have drawn the ire of at least one City Council member and some interesting filings in two federal courts.
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Shelby County Commission says no to Harris’ wheel tax increase
Many county commissioners said their constituents don't like the wheel tax, don't know how it's used and thought it was going away.
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March 2020
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Sanford: Black voters bring Uncle Joe back
Voters are yearning to be free – of the nutty, crude and corrupt. They want moderation in our national politics, and a center-left leader at the helm of the executive branch whom everyone knows and a majority of Americans trust.
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