State Rep. Barbara Cooper, a Memphis Democrat first elected to the General Assembly in 1996, died Tuesday, Oct. 25, at 93.

Sheriff would make crime No. 1 issue as mayor, Bartlett residents are upset over clear-cutting and a new organization has students’ backs.

A new app, called backrs, started a year ago to connect under-resourced students to scholarships, internships, business connections and information — as well as a seed investment and monthly contributions. 

The push for a new memorandum of understanding from the association comes as the Memphis-Shelby County Education Association, the district’s other union, has been clashing with the board over its own MOU.

How to handle crime in Memphis will dominate Bonner’s mayoral platform. Meanwhile, another contender in the race told supporters Tuesday the next mayor shouldn’t be someone who will “keep us steady”

Related story:

Sheriff officially running for mayor

Drought conditions across much of the country continue to push the Mississippi River lower in Memphis, and weather officials say drier and hotter-than-average conditions will continue in the Southern U.S. this winter. 

Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. joined the early forming field for Memphis mayor Tuesday, Oct. 25, with a formal announcement from Clark Tower. 

Memphis activist Pamela Moses is suing the state of Tennessee, former Shelby County District Attorney Amy Weirich and current Shelby County DA Steve Mulroy.

MSCS students show some of largest test score declines in the nation, a new crisis center is coming and Shelby County leads the state in early voting.

Four of nine school board members agreed to a national search, along with public input through public hearings.

The county’s early voter total through the first four days of the period is tops in the state. 

Memphis-Shelby County Schools students showed some of the largest drops of any tested districts nationwide in reading and math scores compared to pre-pandemic scores of 2019. 

Memphis Police take home cruisers, Grizzlies battle dark magic in Texas and DA Steve Mulroy’s office takes on criminal justice reform.

Alderman candidates Scott Sanders and Manjit Kaur are running in the only contested election in Germantown this year. Their campaign financial filings provide the starkest difference between them.

Republican Brent Taylor says he wants to focus on crime and business, rather than culture wars. Ruby Powell-Dennis wants to flip the seat for the Democrats with a message of ending racial and economic injustice.

Demetria Frank, Mike Carpenter, Lorna McClusky and Mike Working are heading up reform efforts on disproportionate minority contact, restorative justice, post-conviction justice and juvenile justice, respectively. 

Drought is affecting the region even as climate change-induced increases in rainfall amount and intensity have been documented.

With the roles, Jacqueline Taylor will be responsible for helping with vision planning for the college and implementing the new strategic plan that Southwest approved recently.

The last of the Memphis Starbucks 7 has been reinstated at the location on Poplar Avenue and Prescott Street, but the group still seeks reinstatement for all other union-seeking Starbucks employees across the United States.

Bonner’s announcement follows several months of consideration on the heels of his easy second term win in the August county general election.

The Shelby County Commission elected in August is taking its first swing at enduring problems in the Shelby County Clerk’s office. A discussion with three commissioners on “Behind The Headlines” shows a willingness to start anew on the controversy but some indications it might not last. 

Matthew Bledsoe, a Memphis businessman and former Cordova resident, has been sentenced to 48 months in prison for his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection.

Yolanda Martin, chief of human resources for Memphis-Shelby County Schools, has been placed on paid leaving pending investigation of a complaint lodged against her. 

As rape survivors pursue a lawsuit accusing the Memphis Police Department of negligence, the city is asking a judge to exclude testimony of a former sex crimes detective who claims MPD failed to properly investigate numbers of cases.

Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis announced the start of the Take-Home Vehicle Program for qualifying MPD officers.