The “Memphis Alerts” program was launched a month ago and is still building its base of users. It’s designed for emergencies and can go citywide or just to specific areas.

MSCS interim superintendent Toni Williams has decided she wants the top job — permanently. 

Rev. Autura Eason-Williams, a district superintendent for the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference of the United Methodist Church, was killed during a July 18, 2022, carjacking in the driveway of her Whitehaven home. 

Memphis cops could get a raise, party buses may get operating hours and Horn Lake has gone to pot. 

The solutions require either a lot of money or creativity. Risk extends to both.

As Tennessee again promises an increased number of state troopers, municipalities around the country are trying to find ways to curb the influence of lead-footed drivers, Memphis included. 

Related story:

Memphis seeing more state troopers not just on highways but on ‘our city streets’

A tentative repair contract shows a projected final completion date of Aug. 15, a week after the new school year is set to start.

Memphis City Council members advance an ordinance for party buses. Supporters of the ordinance cite a lack of regulations and public disturbance problems for Downtown patrons.

A charter amendment that would require candidates for Memphis mayor and City Council to live in the city at least a year before election day could be headed to voters in 2024. 

In the summer of 2022, the price of natural gas spiked. While the rest of the companies interested in MLGW’s power supply contract adjusted their prices, TVA was still using pricing prior to that time. Their bid came in lower, and everyone else’s came in higher — much higher. 

Interim Superintendent Toni Williams said a 10-year plan is in the works that would entail looking at building utilization, enrollment, school combinations, new buildings and wrap-around services for students.

Local and state officials hope to continue to see more Tennessee Highway Patrol officers in Memphis and Shelby County, a number that could be helped by a potential $10,000 bonus each year for any trooper assigned to the area. 

The MPD figures came during an update on specialized units during a Memphis City Council Committee meeting Tuesday, March 21. 

The Memphis City Council could consider boosting Memphis Police Department pay by $15 million and it could take a tax increase to do it. 

The ordinance would require a permit for the drivers of the “entertainment transportation vehicles.”

State House passes exception to abortion ban, Memphis streets get lit and Ja Morant is back (kind of). 

The proposed ordinance comes up for council consideration as two contenders in the 2023 race for mayor have filed lawsuits over the current residency requirement.

County commissioners approved the “Tyre Nichols Transparency in Policing Policy” resolution, delayed votes on two other police-reform ordinances, and approved TikTok use limits for county employees. 

The County Commission vote approves a nonbinding piece of legislation, but it’s a show of support for residents and groups such as Memphis Community Against Pollution. 

Memphis will spend $42 million to replace all 77,000 of its high-pressure sodium streetlights by the end of the year — a move that is equivalent to taking about 10,000 cars off the road. 

A $350 million Regional One financing plan can move forward, but the county will need to get a committed funding match from either Tennessee, Mississippi or Arkansas. 

The only health conditions the amended bill mentions are ectopic and molar pregnancies. It does not mention preeclampsia, for example, and there are no exceptions for rape or incest.

The Shelby County Health Department commissioned the cancer cluster study last fall to learn about historical cancer rates in a South Memphis neighborhood. 

The University of Memphis has brought back a former veteran professor to serve as its new and permanent second-in-command.

Just City, a criminal justice reform organization that has often drawn Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland’s ire, has offered to help the City of Memphis publish more criminal justice data.