“As a member of the community that works in Memphis but lives in Arlington, I certainly have strong feelings about having a more responsive utility for suburban communities,” Butler said.

Don Crowe, MPD’s assistant chief of police services, told the council committee that the response-time data focuses on “Priority 0” calls.

Council members say they hope the question on city voters’ ballots will influence the Tennessee Legislature even if any of the measures would likely be challenge by the state if voters approve them.

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Police response time to priority calls down from 2022’s five-year high

If MLGW had met its tree-trimming goals, trees would have caused an estimated 25 circuit outages in 2020, according to utility President and CEO Doug McGowen. Instead, they caused 120. 

Rival contender Floyd Bonner Jr. raised the second-highest amount but spent far less than Young, while J.W. Gibson topped the field in total spending. 

The council also discusses two other ballot questions for next year including a residency requirement for city employees that reflects the state law to exempt police and firefighters from any requirement.

White finished second to Steve Mulroy in the May 2022 Democratic primary for Shelby County District Attorney General. Meanwhile, the official field for Memphis mayor stands at eight ahead of the July 20 qualifying deadline.

Operation Broken Bottles was a coordinated effort from MPD, and other local agencies that targeted organized crime in the city, particularly individuals working together to burglarize retail stores.

Jennifer Sink is leaving her position as city attorney and said she’s looking forward to new challenges at Memphis Light, Gas and Water. 

The child went missing last night from the 5100 block of Laurel Springs Drive. 

Rapidly growing Isaiah 117 House is one of more than two dozen faith-based organizations helping the Department of Children’s Services by providing space for children awaiting placement so they don’t have to sleep on office floors.

By Wednesday evening, fewer than 500 MLGW customers were dealing with outages. 

Strickland said children caught violating curfew are being detained at the Downtown precinct until a parent or guardian comes to pick them up. He also said the numbers of those detained are low.

The splash pad opened Wednesday, July 5, to dozens of children in North Memphis putting it through its paces.

The reasoning for opposing a stay stems from wanting the civil case to keep going and not get bogged down because of the risk to taxpayers.

The Political Roundup looks at campaigning in the summer heat, the most active council races and a growing field of possible contenders for Memphis mayor.

MPD Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis discusses body cams, reckless driving, and says, “Sometimes, it’s difficult for one officer to deal with individuals, especially when they have guns. And many ... have all kinds of weapons.”

From tennis courts in South Memphis to funding for a study of a Memphis crime lab, this year’s budget negotiations had something for everyone. 

Dozens of Memphians got a sneak peek of the revamped Tom Lee Park with a test run of its new amenities during a photoshoot hosted by Memphis River Parks Partnership Saturday, July 1.

A press release issued by MLGW Saturday, July 1, said the organization has found several underground faults that must be repaired before power can be fully restored.

With an excessive heat warning currently in effect in Shelby County, cooling centers are available to help the public beat the heat.

“I’m going to ask is that everyone uses sensible measures to conserve electricity where and when you can, irrespective of electrical outage,” MLGW’s McGowen said.

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MLGW expects current power outages to continue through the weekend

MLGW President and CEO Doug McGowen said the roughly 30,000 customers still without power Wednesday could be without power for days, as triple-digit temperatures sweep the region.

For a time, Doris Bradshaw walked miles around the neighborhood nearly every day, telling her neighbors about the toxins at the Defense Depot — arsenic, lead, mercury and a host of other chemicals — that seeped into their soil and water. Within the first year, Doris had organized a group of about 1,500 people. 

The council ultimately approved a new set of district lines because of the closeness of October city elections. The council also took the race for City Court Clerk off the same ballot.

Related story:

City Council drops property tax increase proposal