The jury began deliberating around 1 p.m. Thursday, April 11 — the third day of Cleotha Abston’s trial — before breaking at about 5 p.m. 

The Tennessee House of Representatives cast a 75-2 vote Thursday on the bill after the Senate previously approved it without any opposition.

Riverside Drive closes, as it has for decades, on April 22. But Tom Lee Park will be partially open between the Riverbeat and SmokeSlam events in May.

The bill almost mirrors almost the same language from a so-called “anti-abortion trafficking” proposal that the Senate approved just a day prior.

At least 75% of an opportunity charter school’s students would have to be classified as at risk, and the school also could include a residential setting.

“There’s already plenty of gas stations ... That’s not what the community has asked for. They’ve asked for investment in their community in terms of supportive items,” said a board member of Uplift Westwood.

During a media event earlier this week, Marie Feagins said the team would consist of people inside and outside the district, including other well-known superintendents.

Cleotha Abston won’t take the stand in his rape trial, a Southaven ex-cop was indicted for car theft and GG Jackson goes to church. 

The East Memphis nature center’s new area is designed for unstructured play. Meanwhile the museum system overseeing Lichterman and several other several other city-owned attractions continues to move toward a private board and day-to-day control.

Tony Herring Jr. is charged with one count of felony vehicle theft and one count of conspiracy to commit vehicle theft, although law enforcement believes he is connected in multiple open cases. 

Voting rights advocates have argued the elections office’s legal interpretations have been way off-base and a lawsuit over Tennessee’s restoration process has been ongoing for years.

Although a major win for the Memphis Grizzlies point guard, it is only temporary. The case will likely move on, either over self-defense or Tennessee’s “stand-your-ground” law.

Related story:

Ja Morant fairly raised issue of self defense, Shelby County judge rules

Cleotha Abston chose not to take the stand Wednesday, April 10, during the second day of trial for the alleged rape of Alicia Franklin.

Starting in August, the district will serve kindergarten through 11th grade, as Lakeland Preparatory School continues to add a grade to its high school classes each year.

The Memphis City Council will have more direct control over Memphis Light, Gas and Water’s spending for at least six months.

Both resolutions are not binding and have little effect, but they express the body’s political will at a time when many members feel Shelby County’s autonomy is under threat from the Tennessee General Assembly.

Beginning in the fall, the award will cover tuition and expenses for 26 students, including two medical students at UTHSC. Undergraduates qualify for up to $10,000 a year.

Republican lawmakers in Tennessee advanced a proposal Tuesday to allow some teachers to carry handguns on public school grounds.

Judge rules in Ja Morant’s favor, Abston’s rape trial begins and two Memphis plants will be affected by new EPA rules on cancer-causing chemicals.

County commissioners approved $18.6 million in funding to plan and build the diversion center. The jail study was an easier call at $250,000. The separate votes on the two projects came with very different timelines and expectations.

The developers “withdrew” their application but say they only meant to postpone the vote. Council member Easter-Thomas doesn’t buy it. 

The Memphis City Council approved $10 million from the city’s rainy day fund to fill the gap, most of which — about $9.7 million — is in the Memphis Fire Department’s budget. 

“It seemed like forever,” Alicia Franklin said of her alleged rape by Cleotha Abston during testimony she gave on the first day of trial in the case.

Superintendent Marie Feagins has been talking to senior leadership about the issue and a “few positions that have been posted” are to streamline operations, she said at a briefing that also covered safety, truancy and more.

Oral arguments were heard Tuesday, April 9, in an appeal of a class-action lawsuit against the City of Memphis about its alleged lack of testing more than 12,000 sexual assault evidence kits, some dating back decades.