The Early Word: Youth Villages case dropped; GPAC head steps down
How’s it going, Shelby County? It’s Tuesday, May 13, and Shelby County Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. is due back in court today on federal bribery and tax-evasion charges. Ford is accused of taking kickbacks from county grants awarded to nonprofits. Today’s court hearing could determine the timeline for Ford’s trial.
The criminal case against four staffers from Youth Villages’ Bartlett campus over the death of a teen girl in November 2023 has been dropped. Alegend Jones died in Youth Villages’ care, and her autopsy showed she likely died from complications of a restraint that staff used against her. The staffers were indicted in October 2024 for aggravated child abuse and facilitation of reckless homicide. But those charges were rescinded two days later. Last week, Youth Villages and Jones’ family said both sides would agree to resolve any disputes about her death.
Paul Chandler, who has served as the executive director of the Germantown Performing Arts Center for 13 years, is stepping down to take a new nonprofit job. During his time at the top, Chandler opened The Grove, GPAC’s outdoor venue, and he’s been credited with making GPAC “the premier jazz-presenting venue in the Mid-South.” Parke Kennedy, GPAC’s development director, will serve in the interim executive director role.
Plus, Memphis-Shelby County Schools sues over a hacking incident, Bartlett’s Union Depot may get bigger and the NBA Draft Lottery wasn’t great for the Grizzlies.
Topics
The Early Word Subscriber OnlyAre you enjoying your subscription?
Your subscription gives you unlimited access to all of The Daily Memphian’s news, written by nearly 40 local journalists and more than 20 regular freelancers. We work around the clock to cover the issues that impact your life and our community.
You can help us reach more Memphians.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, we provide free news access at K-12 schools, public libraries and many community organizations. We also reach tens of thousands of people through our podcasts, and through our radio and television partnerships – all completely free to everyone who cares about Memphis.
When you subscribe, you get full access to our news. But when you donate, you help us reach all Memphians.
Pay it forward. Make a fully tax-deductible donation to The Daily Memphian today.
Thank you for reading the local news. Thank you for investing in our community.
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. In her days as a reporter, she covered everything from local government and crime to LGBTQ issues and the arts. She’s the author of “Cookin Crunk: Eatin’ Vegan in the Dirty South,” a cookbook of vegan Southern recipes.
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.