Latest cost estimates for the proposed Frayser area high school 

While the new Frayser high school is being built on the current site of MLK Prep, those students will have to attend another school. Then, once the new school is built, Trezevant High School will close. 

Cost estimates for the new high school proposed for the Cordova area.

The cost of building new high schools in Cordova and Frayser has more than doubled since the projects were first proposed. The debate about what to do involves money, equity and what amenities are needed for a state-of-the-art school.

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From MLK Prep to Trezevant and back again

New Frayser high school overview

New Cordova high school overview

The “From Numbers to Narratives: Exploring Prosecution & Safety in Shelby County” data walk on Wednesday, March 13, was the culmination of a year-long partnership between Vera Institute and the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office and other local organizations. 

Corrected revenue figures suggest last year’s wheel-tax hike is generating less money than originally expected, at the same time the cost of two new high schools has doubled. 

Dr. Michelle Taylor discussed the Shelby County Health Department’s upcoming projects, which include a new clinic in Whitehaven, an upgraded Hickory Hill clinic and a refurbished Orange Mound center. 

Less than 24 hours before what was expected to be a pointed question-and-answer session, Halbert emailed commissioners, saying she wouldn’t be able to attend and asking to put it off for a month.

New bail data was presented Wednesday, March 6, to members of the Shelby County Commission, and the numbers caused disagreements between court officials.

Isaiah 117 House, a nonprofit that provides a comfortable environment for youth waiting on a foster family placement, opens its first location in Shelby County, where more than 1,000 children are in state custody.

The newly released footage shows other altercations between inmates at the Shelby County Jail and corrections officers. 

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Jail cell photos, autopsy show ‘intolerable treatment,' lawyer says

How The Daily Memphian obtained new jail video

The Organized Crime Unit conducted an investigation into Gas Express from October 2021 to January 2024. Over that time period, police were called to the gas station 903 times.

On Tuesday, Clerk Wanda Halbert submitted revised revenue reports to County Trustee Regina Newman, who said they were wrong. Meanwhile, a state audit team is due in Memphis to begin a review for the Tennessee comptroller.

“The evidence of incompetence and willful neglect by management in the Shelby County Clerk’s Office is overwhelming,” Tennessee Comptroller Jason Mumpower wrote in a letter to Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris and the Shelby County Commission.

It was a victory for nearby residents, who had rallied against Graceland Solar and its parent company, RWE Renewables, since the beginning.

Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert sent a memo Monday, Feb. 26, blaming the bad revenue numbers from her office on the county’s bad system for reporting the financial numbers.

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County delays action on first appointment to MATA board

County Mayor Lee Harris has nominated Meggan Kiel to be the first county appointee on the board of the city bus system. But the MATA board hasn’t been expanded yet. County Commissioners balked at moving ahead without an agreement by the city to expand the board.

If county officials know where waste comes from and where it ends up, they can send less of it to Shelby County’s five landfills and meet local climate goals. 

Trustee Regina Newman has “unposted” inaccurate revenue figures from County Clerk Wanda Halbert. The revenue figures, including those for last year’s wheel-tax hike, are needed to build next year’s county budget.

Because of a combination of “hard fiscal decisions in the past” and lower water demand, MLGW delayed installing new wells even as old wells aged out.

A Nashville facility has cut recidivism among the mentally ill from 90% to 20%. Shelby County leaders are hoping to build a similar mental health center here. 

Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. knows the area has a lot of needs, but he says 201 Poplar is showing its age — and Shelby County should start thinking about a new jail. 

There is no safe amount of lead exposure on people and, even in small amounts, it can cause hyperactivity, behavioral issues and learning problems, especially in young children.