Council members Michalyn Easter-Thomas and Chase Carlisle were on opposite sides of the council's veto override vote on police residency this week. On "Behind The Headlines" they talked about how many police are enough and how to get to the bigger issues beyond the numbers in the ranks.
The City Council Scorecard also looks at a police reform measure that fell short of seven votes and failure of Graceland's plan to open a manufacturing plant with a vocational school in Whitehaven.
Environmental advocates including Protect Our Aquifer have sued TVA, saying new agreements for power distributors weren't properly reviewed for environmental impacts before they were put in place in 2019.
As expected, the utility is moving to a request-for-proposal process that would seek specific proposals from electric power suppliers that could replace the Tennessee Valley Authority.
The MLGW board meets Wednesday and is likely to get a recommendation from its CEO to find a firm to field price quotes and other specific options toward either staying with TVA or what life after TVA looks like.
The veto and override came on a full day of council discussion and debate about police reform in general, including a vote on a resolution opposing the presence of the federal Operation LeGend in the city and U.S. Attorney Michael Dunavant's meeting with the council.
The Memphis City Council voted down plans Tuesday, Aug. 18, for a manufacturing facility and vocational school at the old Graves Elementary School site in Whitehaven. The project was the latest stage of an expansion of Graceland's presence in Whitehaven that includes a hotel-resort and an entertainment complex.
Meanwhile, Mayor Jim Strickland says public sentiment will probably have to resolve the differing views on what police reform in Memphis means two week after the council took a residency referendum off the November ballot. The proposed amendment was part of a push to increase the size of the police force.
Finances for The Walk, a vote on a controversial plan to convert a vacant Whitehaven school into a manufacturing plant and vocational school are candidates for Tuesday's council agenda.
The board heard Monday from a coalition of groups pushing for cutting ties to TVA and other electric power suppliers that could replace TVA.
The claim by a Missouri "photo historian" is being opposed by Elmwood Cemetery, which counters that the relative of J. Sam Morton included as a plaintiff is too distant to exhume the body to get a DNA sample. The case is built on alleged resemblances in old photos and the legend of Etta Place, the outlaw's companion.
On "Behind The Headlines," Dr. James Downing talked about the gap between public health and health care as well as the research hospital's $20 million effort to keep the virus off its campus through weekly testing. Data from the testing regimen is also part of a global research effort and St. Jude is participating in clinical trials for a vaccine.
A gym, aquatics center, tennis court, park and art space are some features of the new Ed Rice Community Center.
The city has also signed a letter of intent with Capstone Development for two hotels on the Central Avenue frontage. The founder of Capstone sees a different kind of recovery from the pandemic for the hospitality industry — one led by the families that travel regionally to the sports tournaments that are the financial engine for Liberty Park's public and private uses.
The Congressmen, in their respective districts during Congress’ recess, say they are prepared to return to Washington if Democrats and Republicans can reach an accord on pandemic relief and stimulus funding.
The scorecard highlights a pivotal vote in the police reform debate and why both sides in the discussion still have separate paths to pursue.
Memphis Police Director Michael Rallings says the City Council decision to take residency off the Nov. 3 ballot leaves voters out of a critical decision. The vote is a challenge to Mayor Jim Strickland’s core philosophy on fighting crime after he dramatically upped the number of new officers he believes is necessary.
Two proposals with common political ground were before the council Tuesday.
Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division is “too large” to depend exclusively on the most-often mentioned source of power should MLGW leave the Tennessee Valley Authority, but the city-owned utility still could save up to $122 million a year under certain options recommended in the final version of a consultant’s report.
President Trump's shake-up of the Tennessee Valley Authority board appears to have nothing to do with the coming decision by Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division on whether to stay with or leave the federal agency.
Phyllis Betts and Richard Janikowski have set a new bar for growing the Memphis Police Department ranks to 2,800. They talked on The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast about calls for more police amid calls locally for changing the fundamentals of policing and even the share of government funds devoted to policing.
If approved, it would call on Mayor Jim Strickland to submit a plan by Oct. 6 for getting to 2,800 police officers by the end of 2023.
The Memphis Congressman said calls at the Atlanta funeral to continue the struggle for voting rights are appropriate in the current political environment.
Instagrammable moments will mark Graceland's COVID-19 edition of Elvis Week.
The state appeals court late last year upheld the dismissal of one in a series of lawsuits by Graceland challenging the FedExForum contract. The lawsuits specifically challenged the clause that forbids public financing of arenas that would compete with the Forum. The appeal to the state Supreme Court could revive the lawsuit.