The Early Word: Gun-control questions for dummies; plus, greenline growth
Hope you had a relaxing weekend, Memphis. It’s Monday, Oct. 14, and if you’re a student from Germantown, Arlington, Bartlett or Lakelands schools (or a parent taking off work), you can keep on relaxing because fall break just started. For everyone else, well, up and at ’em.
The Shelby County Commission meets today, and they’ll consider three ordinances that could change procedures at the Shelby County Juvenile Court, including one that would require the sheriff’s office to provide rehabilitative services to juveniles in custody. And in related news, in-person juvenile hearings were supposed to resume at the court’s building in Victorian Village, months after it was closed for mold, lead and asbestos remediation. But a last-minute change has shifted those hearings to virtual.
The Memphis Grizzlies play the Indiana Pacers tonight in a preseason away game. And you can plan ahead for the week in our This Week in Memphis round-up.
One more thing: You’ll notice that we’re running more election coverage lately, like this round-up of what’s on the Nov. 5 ballot. And it’s all totally free for non-subscribers through Election Day. Stay informed!
When Memphis voters go to the polls in November, we’ll be voting on a set of three gun-control questions: one that would ban permitless carry, an assault rifle ban and one that would allow the seizure of guns from people who are a risk to themselves or others. But if passed, that doesn’t mean any of those things will happen. So, what could happen? The Memphis City Council could consider trigger laws that would put those gun-control measures in place should the state ever change its law against local governments regulating guns. In our latest “Point of Impact” story, Bill Dries digs into that and breaks down the referendums, one by one.
You’ll soon be able to bike or run from Binghampton all the way to the Tennessee Valley Authority substation in Cordova. The Shelby Farms Greenline is expanding eastward by a little more than two miles, and though you probably have no need to go to the TVA building, you’ll be a bit closer to the Cordova High School area. The planned expansion along the old CSX Railroad will bring the Greenline to nearly 13 miles. (Perhaps there’s an out-and-back marathon in the Greenline’s future?)
Plus, MATA’s board gets a total makeover, former police officers explain why they quit and the Tigers’ defense was key in win over USF.
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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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