The Early Word: Memphis may get state sports venue funds; Herenton is back
County Commission passes police reform, Dillon Brooks’ days may be numbered and there’s a goat (or ram?) near I-40.
County Commission passes police reform, Dillon Brooks’ days may be numbered and there’s a goat (or ram?) near I-40.
The two resolutions approved unanimously drew criticism from activists because they are not binding on law enforcement. Commissioners are exploring ways to draft them as ordinances that could be more binding on the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
“The state of our beloved state is prosperous, hopeful, and unrivaled,” Lee said. Doctors stood outside the state House chamber protesting a bill that bans gender-affirming care for transgender youth.
The proposed funding, part of the governor’s budget, still needs to pass the Tennessee General Assembly. Bill Lee’s State of the State highlights his priorities despite vocal oppositionRelated story:
Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert pledged the Riverdale branch office would open by the end of 2022. It’s not open yet, and Halbert told county commissioners Monday she doesn’t know when it will be.
Former Mayor Willie Herenton makes a field of 11 declared candidates for this year’s Memphis mayoral election.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office said a video of the incident was discovered on social media.
The unusually long committee discussion comes with six ordinance proposals that would reform police policies and begins with what are expected to be lots of questions for Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis.
Another Memphis cop is fired over Tyre Nichols’ death, dogs at MAS get new turf and we take a deep dive into FedEx cuts.
Three contenders reported raising $300,000 or better in the first financial report of the mayor’s race. J.W. Gibson talked on The Daily Memphian’s “On The Record” podcast about his mix of contributions with self financing and why he wants to depart from outgoing Mayor Jim Strickland’s “brilliant at the basics” theme.
Pumping water from the Mississippi River to drought-stricken western states is an option, but an expensive one.
The two resolutions signal a return to the issue of use of force by law enforcement for the commission as well as the Memphis City Council nearly three years after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis prompted votes by both bodies on a series of similar resolutions.
“I wish you could understand what these kids go through, what it’s like to be forced to live in the wrong body,” one Memphis physician told lawmakers.
Dogs will romp on the same Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium turf that University of Memphis football players put blood, sweat and tears on, Coach Ryan Silverfield said.
A moment-by-moment look at the video reveals exactly how long Nichols went without medical attention after he was beaten by MPD officers, even after other officers, Memphis Fire Department EMTs and a Sheriff’s Deputy arrived.
New GPS technology can be expensive, but it’s one way police are reducing the need for high-speed chases.
Student musicians backed the legendary singer at the grand opening gala for the Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center at the University of Memphis.
One group camped in the middle of a Downtown intersection to make their demands known. Another rolled out a freewheeling celebration of a fellow skateboarder. Swift release of Nichols’ bodycam footage hasn’t opened door for other MPD videosRelated story:
The quick release of footage of the Tyre Nichols’ beating is an anomaly for MPD, which has not released video or other details in a series of officer-involved shootings since November.
Memphis Police Department footage shows more than 20 participants bursting into businesses in some recent burglaries.
Sarah Houston talked on “Behind The Headlines” about the coal ash cleanup still in progress at the old TVA Allen Fossil Plant and its impact on the Memphis Sands aquifer, which supplies the city’s water.
The Allen pumping station’s condition is “likely the worst in the MLGW system,” according to a water program delivery manager.
Restrictive police pursuit policies are becoming the norm nationally and in the Memphis area. This means fewer crashes, fewer injuries and deaths. But some criminals know police probably won’t chase, so they get away.
Keith Williams, who represents District 6, also serves as executive director of the Memphis-Shelby County Education Association, the oldest of the district’s two teacher unions.