The Early Word: Williams is under probe; Halbert’s been undercharging
Happy Lunar New Year, Memphis! It’s Wednesday, Jan. 29, the first day of the Year of the Snake. Noodles and dumplings are traditionally eaten during this time for longevity and prosperity, and our own Jennifer Chandler highlights a few dishes from local eateries that you might want to try. You can also kick off Good Fortune Co.’s annual Lunar New Year month-long bar crawl today.
Let’s hope the Memphis Tigers women’s basketball team eats their dumplings. They play Charlotte at home, and we’d like to see them prosper.
Keith Williams, a Memphis-Shelby County Schools board member and teachers’ union president, is being investigated by the district after he was accused of harassment. And now he’s temporarily banned from visiting schools in his capacity as a union leader. It’s unclear what Williams is being accused of, but the type of investigation — Title IX — stems from a federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination and harassment. And Title IX investigations are apparently pretty serious, according to one expert.
If you’ve renewed your car registration since July of last year, you apparently got a sweet deal. Turns out Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert hasn’t been collecting the increased rate approved by the Memphis City Council last year. The rate was supposed to double from $30 to $60, but Halbert said the city didn’t contact her office soon enough to start collecting the tax on July 1, when it was set to go into effect. That mistake may have put the City of Memphis in a $7 million budget hole. And it’s not even the first time Halbert’s office has failed to collect a new fee added to vehicle registrations.
Plus, the school voucher bill sails through, Harris wants state funds for a new Regional One and two Grizz rookies are heading to All-Star weekend.
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Bianca Phillips
Bianca Phillips is a Northeast Arkansas native and longtime Memphian who’s worked in local journalism and PR for more than 20 years. She’s a diehard morning person who spends her free time running marathons and ultras. She’s the author of “Cookin Crunk: Eatin’ Vegan in the Dirty South.”
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