Tag: Memphis

Two Tennessee Cities Found to Have the Worst Drivers in America: Report

Kaitlin Housler

Two Tennessee cities have been ranked among the top 25 cities in the U.S. for having the worst drivers, according to ConsumerAffairs’ 2024 study analyzing driving records in the country.

The ConsumerAffairs Research Team took into consideration five crash factors to create a “crash score” for U.S. cities and states – the total car crash fatalities per 100,000 people; the number of fatal crashes due to bad driving per 100,000 people; the number of fatalities due to positive blood alcohol content per 100,000 people; the number of fatalities due to speeding per 100,000 people; and the number of fatalities involving driving under the influence per 100,000 people.

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Petition to De-Annex Cordova from Memphis Passes 1,100 Signatures as Organizers Envision ‘Stricter Law Enforcement,’ Better Schools

Tom Pappert
Cordova Community Center

A petition calling for the reversal of the annexation of Cordova by Memphis has surpassed 1,100 signatures, and its organizers told The Tennessee Star they are “thrilled” with the progress.

“We’re thrilled to announce that our petition has recently surpassed 1,000 signatures,” the organizers told The Star, adding that much of the support has come through social media platforms including Nexdoor, Facebook, and X.

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Nearly 1,000 Sign Petition for Cordova to Establish Own Tennessee Municipality, Reverse Memphis Annexation

Tom Pappert
Cordova Community Center

Nearly 1,000 people have signed a petition seeking the de-annexation of Cordova from the City of Memphis, citing the city’s struggles with crime, poverty, and road maintenance as key motivators for the effort.

Anonymously created, the Change.org petition argues Cordova has experienced “a downward spiral” since it was annexed by Memphis in 2012, with “an alarming increase in crime rates and a significant drop in home values,” as well as schools left “suffering” without “essential services,” and “pothole-ridden roads” depressing economic activity.

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Ben Cunningham: Public Transit in Democrat-Run Cities Is a ‘Bottomless Pit’ for Money

Kaitlin Housler
Ben Cunningham MPL

Ben Cunningham, founder of the Nashville Tea Party, detailed how transit projects across the nation are widely “bottomless pits for money” during Tuesday’s Blue City Blues segment on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show.

Cunningham, who has frequently spoken out against the multi-billion dollar transit plan proposed by Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell for both legal and practical reasons, pointed out that Memphis is also experiencing a transit problem. Its Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) is considering cutting hundreds of jobs after the service revealed a $60 million deficit in its budget earlier this year.

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Report: West Tennessee Zoning Affects Affordability in Expected Population Boom

The Center Square
Housing development

West Tennessee is projected to have a significant population increase in coming years with Ford’s Blue Oval set to open outside Memphis but zoning regulations will have a large impact on the affordability of new housing in the region, according to a new report from Beacon Center of Tennessee.

Tennessee’s Department of Economic and Community Development estimates that, by 2045, West Tennessee’s population will grow by more than 176,000 and the region will need more than 70,000 new housing units.

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ACLU Sues Tennessee over New Bail Law

Peter D'Abrosca
Attorney Trisha Trigilio

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is suing Tennessee over a recently-enacted law bars judges from considering whether an alleged criminal can afford bail when making the decision on whether grant bail. 

“Today, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Criminal Law Reform Project, ACLU of Tennessee, and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP filed a lawsuit on behalf of Just City Memphis to challenge the constitutionality of Tennessee’s unprecedented new bail law, arguing that the law violates the Fourteenth Amendment by mandating unfair bail hearing procedures and discriminatory wealth-based detention,” according to the ACLU. 

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State Senator Brent Taylor Sets Up Crime Victim Hotline to Gather Complaints Against Shelby County DA Steve Mulroy

Kaitlin Housler
Brent Taylor and Steve Mulroy

Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) announced Monday that his office has set up a hotline for crime victims and current or former staff members of the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office to gather complaints against District Attorney Steve Mulroy.

Last week, Taylor announced that he intends to file a Senate Joint Resolution immediately following the November election requiring the removal of Mulroy.

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Shelby County District Attorney Drops Diversion Plan for Felons in Possession of Firearms When Threatened to Be Removed from Office

Kaitlin Housler
Steve Mulroy and Brent Taylor

Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy announced his office would not pursue a previous diversion plan for felons in possession of firearms after Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) said that he intends to file a Senate Joint Resolution immediately following the November election requiring the removal of Mulroy.

Last week, Mulroy announced that his office was considering an “alternative approach” for felons charged with unlawful possession of a weapon by offering diversion to such defendants.

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Scammers Who Attempted to Foreclose on Elvis Presley’s Iconic Graceland Home Admit to Failure: Report

Kaitlin Housler
Grace Land

An individual allegedly involved in a scheme to acquire Elvis Presley’s iconic Graceland home in Memphis reportedly reached out to CNN via email claiming responsibility for the scam, the outlet reported this week.

Graceland became the target of Nausanny Investments and Private Lending, LLC after the company claimed that the singer’s daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, who died in 2023, didn’t repay a loan using the home as collateral.

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Memphis Police Seized 10 Vehicles from Reckless Drivers over Memorial Day Weekend in Bid to Curb Street Takeovers

Tom Pappert
Car MPD

Memphis Police Department (MPD) Interim Chief C.J. Davis confirmed at a Tuesday town hall that police seized 10 vehicles from reckless drivers over Memorial Day weekend to curb the number of street takeovers in the city.

Davis was joined by Memphis Mayor Paul Young and other Memphis officials at a town hall in Raleigh. After the mayor revealed his plans to address crime in the city, Davis answered questions about the city’s ongoing efforts to curtail illegal street takeovers.

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State Senator Brent Taylor Pushes for State-Contracted Crime Consultants to Fight Memphis Crime

Matthew Giffin
Brent Taylor

State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) penned an open letter to Governor Bill Lee asking him to consider his administration contracting with a consulting firm to fight Memphis crime.

Taylor requested a meeting with Gov. Lee “to discuss the possibility of your administration contracting with a credible, high-profile, public safety consulting firm to serve as the state’s expert consultant in Memphis to provide a comprehensive plan to reduce crime,” Taylor posted on X.

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Jury Convicts Memphis Man of Child Abuse and Murder in Death of Two-Year Old Son

Kaitlin Housler
Antonio First

After just one hour of deliberations, a jury delivered guilty verdicts last week against Memphis father Antonio First for Aggravated Child Abuse, Murder in the Perpetration of Aggravated Child Abuse, Aggravated Child Neglect, and Murder in the Perpetration of Aggravated Child Neglect, the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office announced Monday.

The charges stem from the death of First’s two-year-old son, Brayton Brooks, who was found unresponsive and cold to the touch by paramedics on June 24, 2020.

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U.S. Marshals, Memphis Police Capture 18-Year-Old Murder Suspect Out on Bond for Previous Vehicle Thefts

Kaitlin Housler
DeMario Wilson

An 18-year-old man wanted for a deadly shooting and robbery that took place in an apartment complex in the Raleigh area of Memphis last month was captured on Tuesday by U.S. Marshals and Memphis Police Department (MPD) officers.

The suspect, Demario Wilson, was taken into custody at a residence in the 2200 block of Eldridge Avenue in Memphis, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.

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Memphis Men Plead Guilty in String of Arsons on Tax Service Businesses

Peter D'Abrosca
Two Memphis Men Plead Guilty to Arson

Two Memphis men have pleaded guilty to committing arson at three tax service businesses, according to the United State’s Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee.

“Dantoni Colbert, 35, and Edward Matthews, Jr., 33, pled guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit arson, and arson of three separate tax service businesses,” says a release from United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz’s office. “According to the information presented in court, on February 6 and 7, 2023, Colbert and Matthews conspired to set fire to three different buildings that were occupied by Washington Tax Services in the Memphis area.”

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State Senator Brent Taylor Says Memphis Will Be ‘Hollowed Out’ If Crime is Not Addressed

Kaitlin Housler
Brent Taylor

State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) warned that Memphis will be ‘hollowed out’ if its crime problem is not addressed.

Taylor, who sponsored several crime-related bills in the recently-adjourned legislative session of the General Assembly, said the response he has received from the community in Memphis for his work to crackdown on crime has been positive.

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Memphis Man Released on Bail Hunts Down, Shoots Witness from Trial

Kaitlin Housler
Tavious Wilson

A Memphis man out on bond for his alleged involvement in a shooting earlier this year is behind bars once again after being accused of hunting down and shooting a witness who testified at trial for the earlier shooting case.

On Monday, ABC24 News reported that it had obtained an affidavit from Shelby County court records showing that officers with the Memphis Police Department (MPD) responded to an aggravated assault on May 2 in the area of James Road and Raleigh-Millington Road.

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Blended Sentencing Law Passed by Tennessee General Assembly Awaits Governor Lee’s Signature

Peter D'Abrosca
Inmate

A law ensuring that Tennessee’s worst juvenile offenders do not walk free upon becoming adults is awaiting the signature of Gov. Bill Lee (R).

HB 043o, passed at the end of the most recent legislative session, “allows a juvenile court to impose a blended sentence on a child 16 years of age or older for a juvenile offense that would be a Class A, B, or C felony if committed by an adult.”

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U.S. Marshals Offer Reward Money for Arrest of Killers in Mass Shooting at Memphis Park

Peter D'Abrosca
Memphis Block Party

The U.S. Marshals Service in Memphis is now offering a reward for information leading to the arrests of suspects involved in a deadly mass shooting at a Memphis park last weekend. 

“The U.S. Marshals Service is currently offering a reward of up to $10,000 for any information that leads to the arrest of the individuals responsible for the deadly shooting in Orange Mound,” the law enforcement entity said in a press release. 

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Shelby County Sheriff Makes Plea to Parents as Youth Justice and Education Center Nears Capacity

Kaitlin Housler
Floyd Bonner

Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. is pleading with parents to provide their children with guidance and involvement as the Youth Justice and Education Center nears capacity.

The Youth Justice and Education Center is a 146-bed, single-occupancy secure detention center designed for youth “identified to be a danger to themselves, a danger to the community, or a flight risk.”

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Memphis Police Chief Urges Unity, Posts Reward After Two Killed During Illegal Block Party that Attracted Hundreds

Tom Pappert
Memphis PD Chief CJ Davis

Memphis interim Police Chief C.J. Davis urged unity and offered a $15,000 reward for information leading to arrests of those behind the Saturday shootings at an illegal block party that resulted in two deaths and at least six injured in a Sunday statement.

Davis described the events at the illegal block party as “senseless acts of violence,” then asked Memphis citizens for help finding the culprits.

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Memphis Mayor Paul Young Wants Property Tax Hike to Cover Budget Shortfall, Fight Crime

Tom Pappert
Paul Young

Memphis Mayor Paul Young confirmed he will ask for a property tax hike, explaining the money is needed to cover a budget shortfall and fund the city’s fight against crime.

Young announced his plans during a Tuesday event at Mount Vernon Church in Westwood that marked his first 100 days in office, revealing the city needs “at least $30 million” to fulfill obligations previously funded by expiring federal funding. The Commercial Appeal also reported Young also “vowed” a 10 percent “reduction in violent crime” each year he is in office.

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Man Accused of Memphis Cop Killing Previously Released on Own Recognizance Despite Police Requesting $150,000 Bond

Tom Pappert
Jaylen Lobley

The man police say was responsible for the Friday shooting that claimed the life of a Memphis police officer and left two more wounded was previously arrested in March on theft and gun charges.

Memphis Police Department (MPD) arrest and bail records obtained by The Tennessee Star reveal that 18-year-old Jaylen Lobley, who died in the Friday shooting with police, was previously arrested on March 5 after police responded to a call about a suspicious vehicle.

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Tennessee Agrees to $8.8 Million More in FastTrack Incentive Grants

The Center Square
Schneider Electric building

Tennessee’s Department of Economic and Community Development has handed out more than $8.8 million in incentives since it last posted FastTrack incentives for February.

Those include $3.4 million to Schneider Electric in Mount Juliet and Smyrna, $2.5 million to Shoals Technologies Group in Portland, $1.6 million to Nokian Tyres in Dayton and $1.3 million to an unnamed project.

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Sen. Brent Taylor Continues Fight Against Memphis Crime with Two New Bills

Peter D'Abrosca
State Senator Brent Taylor

The Tennessee State Senate on Monday passed two bills sponsored by State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) that focused on his continued efforts to fight crime in Memphis.

SB 2659, called the Juvenile Organized Retail Theft Act (JORTA), according to the General Assembly’s website, is a bill that “allows a juvenile court to transfer a child 15 years of age or older to be tried as an adult in criminal court for the offense of organized retail crime, theft of a firearm, or an attempt to commit such offense.”

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Nashville, Memphis, and Chattanooga Will Receive Federal Funds Through Bloomberg’s American Sustainable Cities Initiative to Lobby for Billions from Biden’s Federal Slush Fund

Matthew Giffin
Mike Bloomberg

Bloomberg Philanthropies announced on Tuesday that three Tennessee cities will take part in an initiative that would use federal funds provided by the Biden administration.

Nashville, Memphis, and Chattanooga were selected for the organization’s American Sustainable Cities Initiative, which stated its focus would be on creating economic equity and green energy jobs, according to a Tuesday news release from Bloomberg Philanthropies. Mike Bloomberg, the former Democratic New York Mayor, founded Bloomberg Philanthropies.

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Towing Company Behind Racism Lawsuit Against Memphis Now Accused of Racketeering

Tom Pappert

A towing company that sued the City of Memphis last year over racism allegations is now a defendant in a lawsuit which asserts it is engaged in a racketeering scheme to squeeze owners 18-wheelers with excessive, duplicative and illegal fees for parking. The plaintiffs also claim the company engages in illegal towing, booting or impounding of vehicles.

The lawsuit claims the owner of A1’s Towing and Hauling of Memphis, Colton Ahmad Cathey, is the co-creator of an illegal network of towing and booting companies that lure unsuspecting drivers to their lots then charge excessive fees to remediate illegal booting and towing of their vehicles.

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State Court Postpones Trial of Police Officers Charged with Killing Tyre Nichols Until Federal Trial Concludes: Report

Matthew Giffin

A Memphis judge on Friday postponed the state court trial of four former Memphis police officers charged in the killing of Tyre Nichols until a federal trial against them concludes, the Associated Press reported.

The delay comes after the former officers’ attorneys requested the judge postpone the state trial so as not to “hinder the officers’ rights to defend themselves in both cases,” the outlet continued. The federal trial is set for September 9, 2024.

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Steven Crowder Releases Tennessee Office of Homeland Security Bulletin Warning Agencies of Bomb Threat Targeting Trump Supporters

Kaitlin Housler
Steven Crowder

Conservative commentator Steven Crowder released an Officer Safety Bulletin issued by the Tennessee Office of Homeland Security in response to a bomb threat targeting supporters of former President Donald Trump.

The document was issued in response to a Guardian Incident Report received by the Memphis Office of the FBI on February 29, regarding a threat made by a man named Benjamin Matthew Dayton via text message to his mother.

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Left Wing Group Doxxes Conservative TN GOP State Senator Who Wants to Clean up Crime Ridden Memphis

Tom Pappert
Memphis Sen Brent Taylor

A left wing group posted the personal business information of Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) to social media on Sunday, prompting the lawmaker to reply that he does not “intimidate easily.”

In a Sunday post to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, the account Decarcerate Memphis posted a real estate listing for Taylor’s Memphis home, and gave information about the lawmaker’s private sector job as the owner of a funeral home.

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Mayor Paul Young Met with Gang Leaders in Bid to Broker Seven-Day Ceasefire, Lower Memphis Crime

Tom Pappert
Memphis Mayor Paul Young

Memphis Mayor Paul Young revealed on Wednesday that met with a number of gang leaders with the goal of brokering a ceasefire between them to lower crime in the city in early February.

The meeting occurred months after Young promised to unveil a sophisticated crime plan within 100 days after taking office that would address the surge in criminality the Tennessee city experienced last year.

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