A group of Memphians opposed to the gates, including a Golden Globe-nominated actress, has retained Alex Wharton of the Wharton Law Firm to look into potential First Amendment issues associated with the proposed barriers. 

The ordinance, which is up for the first of three votes, would make a set of gun-ownership limits a part of the city code of ordinances.

More police spending does not always equate to lower crime rates. Memphis and Atlanta spend almost the same on police per person per year but have seen vastly different results.

Also happening this week: Graceland celebrates what would have been Elvis Presley’s 90th birthday.

The year in politics was topped by the presidential general election and several local election races that warmed political fires left untended by the distant campaign for president. The top political stories of 2024 also include the transition from elections to governing for other leaders.

Memphis Mayor Paul Young marked the first year of his four-year term as mayor at a New Year’s Day prayer breakfast where he talked about “turmoil” in schools and other “drama” locally.

The City of Memphis could move next year to examine Beale Street’s governing structure, potentially creating a new entity to oversee the street.

We’ve got also your guide to New Year’s Eve events and some inspiration for your 2025 resolutions.

Here’s a review of some of the major decisions the Memphis City Council made in 2024, including tax hikes, gun referendums and more.

Also happening this week: Hanukkah begins on Christmas Day for the first time since 2005.

The MSCS board has a history of lots of citizens showing up at its meetings in a bad mood. The political roundup also tracks how the city’s D.C. representatives voted on the plan to keep the federal government open. Meanwhile, the city council will meet at 4 p.m. in the new year instead of 3:30 p.m.

The proposed gates have been met with opposition, with an attorney for those in surrounding neighborhoods saying it gives “at least the appearance of being elitist and exclusionary.”

The Memphis Area Transit Authority Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday, Dec. 17, to install three consultants at the top of the troubled bus system — at some future point.

Seeding Success leadership has spent months pitching the Memphis City Council and Shelby County Commission on the antipoverty plan. 

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City Council takes final vote on ‘More for Memphis’ startup

The new Memphis Area Transit Authority board heard a proposal to replace interim CEO Bacarra Mauldin temporarily with John Lewis of Transpro, the consultant who wrote a scathing report about the bus system just weeks ago.

The last City Council meeting of 2024 also includes the return of a pair of Chickasaw Gardens street closings to the agenda and the appointment of a new city public works director.

A man wrongfully convicted of a 2002 Beale Street robbery is eligible for compensation of up to $1 million from the state, but has to be exonerated by Tennessee’s governor before he can receive the money. 

Also happening this week: The Shelby County Commission takes up a funding proposal for a new Frayser high school.

Last week, xAI, the startup founded by Elon Musk, announced plans to expand its supercomputer. Now, environmental groups want to know what it will cost Memphis. 

A Department of Justice investigation found the police department uses excessive force and discriminates against certain residents. Here’s what to know about the report and the city’s response.

After the firing of Memphis Animal Services Director Ty Coleman, Memphians in the local animal community have differing thoughts on what attributes the next director should have.

XAI’s planned expansion comes with a pressing question: Where would the project get its power? 

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Elon Musk’s xAI poised to invest billions of dollars in Memphis supercomputer

The U.S. Department of Justice alleges the Memphis Police Department engages in a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the U.S. Constitution.

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‘A rush to judgment’: Memphis won’t enter agreement with DOJ

The City of Memphis does not plan on entering an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice following the department’s civil rights investigation into the Memphis Police Department, City Attorney Tannera Gibson said in a letter to the DOJ this week. 

Tech giants Nvidia, Super Micro Computer and Dell are also eyeing Memphis for new manufacturing space.