A bill that would prohibit local governments from limiting the ability of a law enforcement agency to conduct routine traffic stops passed the Tennessee Senate on Thursday.
Read the full storyTag: Memphis
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
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.
Read the full storyTowing Company Behind Racism Lawsuit Against Memphis Now Accused of Racketeering
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.
Read the full storyState Court Postpones Trial of Police Officers Charged with Killing Tyre Nichols Until Federal Trial Concludes: Report
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.
Read the full storySteven Crowder Releases Tennessee Office of Homeland Security Bulletin Warning Agencies of Bomb Threat Targeting Trump Supporters
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.
Read the full storyLeft Wing Group Doxxes Conservative TN GOP State Senator Who Wants to Clean up Crime Ridden Memphis
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.
Read the full storyMayor Paul Young Met with Gang Leaders in Bid to Broker Seven-Day Ceasefire, Lower Memphis Crime
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.
Read the full storyU.S. Rep. Andy Ogles Says J6 Defendant Stewart Parks’ Case ‘Should Trouble Everyone’
Tennessee U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) said he has received a response from the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Memphis in regards to his request for inmate Stewart Parks, who is serving his eight month sentence for being present at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, to be moved to the prison’s minimum security satellite camp.
On February 13, Ogles sent a letter to Warden F.J. Bowers of the FCI in Memphis requesting that Parks be moved to the satellite camp for the duration of his incarceration, as previously reported by The Tennessee Star.
Read the full storyNashville, Memphis Given ‘C’ in Financial State of the Cities Report
Nashville and Memphis were both graded a “C” in Truth in Accounting’s annual Financial State of the Cities report.
Memphis ranked 44th and Nashville ranked 48th out of the top 75 U.S. cities in the report from the think tank that analyzes government financial reporting.
Read the full storyGun Thefts from Nashville Vehicles Down 43 Percent for First Six Weeks of 2024
The number of gun thefts from vehicles in Nashville for the first six weeks of the year decreased 43% from 2023, according to a press release from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.
So far, 90 guns have been stolen from Nashville cars compared to last year’s 158. Gun thefts from cars comprise 72% of all gun thefts in Nashville so far for 2024.
Read the full storyTennessee State Senator Brent Taylor Sponsors Several Crime-Related Bills in Effort to ‘Make Memphis Matter’
Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) announced he is sponsoring several crime-related bills this legislative session in an effort to fight crime and “Make Memphis Matter.”
In a letter to his colleagues in the Tennessee State Senate, Taylor detailed 13 pieces of legislation he is sponsoring and asked his colleagues to consider sponsoring the bills as well.
Read the full storyState Senator Brent Taylor: ‘If We Don’t Get It Turned Around,’ Memphis will Become the ‘Example of a Failed City’
Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) said Memphis will become the “butt of every joke” and the “example of a failed city” if its bail system and crime crisis are not addressed.
Noting how Detroit was once an example of a “failed city” and a “shell of its former self,” Taylor explained what steps the city has taken to reduce crime and how Memphis should follow its lead.
Read the full storyAs Violent Crime Sweeps Through Memphis, State Senator Taylor Decries ‘Ability to Pay’ Bail System
Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) said the 20-year old suspect charged in a recent violent crime spree in Memphis had charges dismissed by Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy two days before allegedly committing the multiple acts of violence.
Read the full story20-Year Old Man Arrested, Charged in Memphis Violent Crime Spree
The Memphis Police Department (MPD) released the identity of a man allegedly responsible for a violent crime spree that left one dead and multiple injured.
Read the full storyTennessee State Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Make Blocking a Highway a Class D Felony Offense
Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) and State Representative Jody Barrett (R-Dickson) recently filed legislation to make blocking a highway a Class D felony.
Under current law, it is classified as a Class A misdemeanor when a defendant “intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly” obstructs a public highway, street, sidewalk, railway, waterway, elevator, aisle, or hallway.
Read the full storyTennessee State Senator Brent Taylor Urges TBI to Investigate, Arrest Pro-Palestine Protesters Who Blocked Traffic on I-40 in Memphis
Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) joined Monday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to discuss a letter he sent to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) regarding its response to a group of pro-Palestine protesters that blocked traffic in both directions on I-40 in Memphis over the weekend.
On Saturday, a group of pro-Palestine protesters commandeered the Mississippi River Bridge on I-40 in Memphis, shutting down traffic in both directions for nearly two hours and leaving motorists with no way to cross the Mississippi River as the I-55 river bridge was under construction.
Read the full storyPro-Palestinian Protestors March on I-40 in Memphis, Shutting Down Lanes
A video from last weekend shows pro-Palestinian protestors marching down the I-40 highway in Memphis, blocking traffic.
“Demonstrators for a Pro-Palestinian protest that began at City Hall are marching across the Memphis-Arkansas I-40 bridge, causing lanes to completely close,” according to WREG, who posted the video to their YouTube channel.
Read the full storyTennessee Judicial Board Unanimously Recommends Shelby County Judge be Removed from Office
The Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct (TBJC) has sent a letter to Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) and House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) recommending Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Melissa Boyd be removed from office.
Read the full storyTennessee House Speaker, Senate Majority Leader to Hold Joint Event in Memphis with Paul Young
Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) and Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) will hold a joint event with Memphis Mayor Paul Young at Memphis City Hall.
In a Thursday media release from Sexton’s office, the leaders revealed they plan to “make a major announcement alongside Mayor Young, law enforcement officials and community leaders” on Friday at 10:30 a.m.
Read the full storyTBI Investigating Death of Shelby County Jail Inmate
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) is investigating the January 12 death of an inmate in the Shelby County Jail.
“At the request of 30th Judicial District Attorney General Steve Mulroy, we were requested on January 10th to investigate a report that an inmate at the Shelby County Jail, Ramon McGhee (DOB: 02/19/1981) was found unresponsive, and was transported to a local hospital. On Friday, McGhee was declared dead,” TBI Public Information Officer Keli McAlister told The Tennessee Star Wednesday. “Our investigation remains active and ongoing. An autopsy has been scheduled to determine the cause of his death. Information regarding the autopsy is not something that would come from our office.”
Read the full storyNew Details Emerge in Case of Memphis Man Who Fired Gun Outside Jewish School
During a bond hearing, new details emerged in the case of the man who is behind bars for attempting to gain entry to a Jewish school in Memphis and then firing shots outside that school.
Joel Bowman discharged a firearm outside the Margolin Hebrew Academy/Feinstone Yeshiva of the South (MHA-FYOS) on July 31. At the time, security video showed him attempting to enter the locked school, before retreating.
Read the full storyShelby County DA Steve Mulroy Wants Crime Lab in Memphis After City Reports Highest Murder Rate in America
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said in a Tuesday press conference that he is officially pushing Memphis to build its own crime lab, citing the sheer amount of crime happening in the city. His call follows analysis that showed Memphis with the highest homicide rate in the United States in 2023.
Mulroy said a crime lab in Memphis would allow authorities to solve crimes “at a higher rate,” and noted a number of new investigative resources it would offer local law enforcement.
Read the full storyFamily of Tyre Nichols to Hold Candlelight Vigils to Commemorate First Anniversary of His Death
The family of Tyre Nichols, who five black Memphis police officers beat following a traffic stop and foot chase last year, will hold two candlelight vigils on Sunday to mark the first anniversary of his death.
Nichols’ family, who is being represented by civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, will hold a vigil in Memphis at the intersection of Castlegate Lane and Ross Road at 7 p.m. CT and in Nichols’ hometown of Sacramento, California, at the Tyre Nichols Skate Park at 5 p.m. PST.
Read the full storyMemphis Has Highest 2023 Murder Rate of All Large U.S. Cities
Memphis had the highest murder rate of 2023 in a comparison of 10 major cities identified as “homicide hubs” within the United States, according to an analysis published Wednesday.
The only Tennessee city tracked for the Wirepoints report, Memphis had a murder rate of 63.9 homicides per 100,000 people in 2023. A total of 397 homicides were reported in the city last year, up by 38 percent from 2022, when the city saw 288 homicides.
Read the full storyOver 30,000 Residents Left Memphis Since 2017 amid Years-Long Struggle with Crime
A report published in November found more than 30,000 Tennesseans left Memphis between 2017 and 2022, causing the city to shrink by almost 5 percent, even as Tennessee’s other major cities grew over the same period. The exodus coincides with a years-long struggle with crime in Memphis that has subsisted despite repeated attempts to render aid by the state and federal governments.
The 2023 study of population decline in United States cities by SmartAsset found that Memphis declined from 652,231 residents in 2017 to 621,050 residents in 2022, marking a 4.78 percent decrease in the city’s population. Memphis had the 27th worst decline in population in the country, according to the study.
Read the full storyTennessee Supreme Court Justice Applicant Biography Series: Judge Mary L. Wagner
As Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Roger A. Page plans to retire at the end of August in 2024, six judges from around the state are vying to replace him. The Tennessee Star plans to profile each of the applicants before they are interviewed for the position in January.
Judge Mary L. Wagner, a Circuit Court Judge for the Thirtieth Judicial District in Memphis, has applied to fill Page’s seat on the state’s highest court.
Read the full storyMemphis Elementary School Says Hands are Tied as the Satanic Temple is Set to Hold ‘After School Satan Club’ on School Grounds
Chimneyrock Elementary School in Memphis issued a statement after an “After School Satan Club” organized by the Satanic Temple and Reason Alliance is scheduled to take place on school grounds next month.
On its website, the Satanic Temple – the primary religious Satanic organization in the world – says its mission is to “encourage benevolence and empathy, reject tyrannical authority, advocate practical common sense, oppose injustice, and undertake noble pursuits.”
Read the full storyUniversity of Memphis Silent on Whether it Will Allow Player Who Plead Down Nine Gun Charges Back on Basketball Team
The University of Memphis (UM) would not say Saturday whether it plans to allow Mikey Williams, a star basketball player, to return to the team after he pleaded guilty Thursday to a felony gun charge in order to avoid prison time.
According to several reports, Williams pleaded guilty to one felony count of making a criminal threat stemming from am April shooting outside his California home.
Read the full storyReport: Tennessee Transit Lacks Dedicated Funding Sources
Tennessee has two of the four among the largest 50 metro cities that doesn’t have set tax funding for transit agencies, according to a new report.
ThinkTennessee found Nashville and Memphis join Orlando and Hartford as the only four that don’t have dedicated transit funding. The report showed that 39 of those cities collect sales tax to fund transit with those taxes ranging from 0.375% to 2% bringing in an average $394 million annually.
Read the full storyShelby County Judge Who Released Alleged Thanksgiving Murderer with Zero Bail Recently Railed Against Bond System in Tennessee
Shelby County General Sessions Court Judge Bill Anderson released alleged Thanksgiving Day murderer Edio White with zero bond, even after police said White admitted to driving the getaway car after the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old. In a newly resurfaced video, Anderson is seen railing against the “bond system” in Shelby County and Tennessee.
Anderson critiqued cash bail in Tennessee during a September 18 meeting of the Shelby County Commission, extending his condemnation to bail bonding companies, claiming “they don’t do anything but collect money from poor people.”
Read the full storyWith Homicides on the Rise, Tennessee to Honor Victims in ‘Season to Remember’
The Tennessee Board of Parole announced Tuesday that it will honor homicide victims with a “Season to Remember” event that is scheduled for December 7.
“For more than two decades, state and local public safety officials, along with families of homicide victims, have gathered to honor and remember victims and survivors of homicide during the holiday season,” said a press release. “This year will mark the state’s 21st annual ‘Tennessee Season to Remember’, which will be held at 5:30 p.m. (CST) on Thursday, December 7 at First Baptist Church in downtown Nashville.”
Read the full storyMemphis ‘Voices for Palestine’ Demands Democrat Rep. Steve Cohen Call for a Ceasefire Between Israeli and Hamas Forces
Memphis Voices for Palestine will hold a rally on Wednesday as part of an effort demanding Tennessee U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) call for a ceasefire between Israeli and Hamas forces as well as vote against any legislation funding or arming Israel.
Read the full storyTennessee Gov. Lee Sends Highway Patrol to Confront ‘Rising Crime’ in Memphis, Urges Local Officials to ‘Hold Criminals Accountable’
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (R) announced on Monday that he ordered an increased Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) presence on highways and interstates in Shelby County to help contend with the criminal element in Memphis.
Lee issued a press release unveiling “a surge of approximately 40 additional troopers” beginning this week. On November 27, wrote Lee’s office, “an additional 15-20 troopers from other districts across the state will join the surge” and remain in Shelby County “for the foreseeable future.”
Read the full storyState Senator Requests Help from Gov. Lee’s Office amid Memphis Crime Wave
A Republican state senator penned a two-page letter to Gov. Bill Lee (R) asking for state assistance to deal with Memphis’ recent crime surge.
Recounting recent spates of violence, many of which have been reported by The Tennessee Star, State Sen. Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) said:
Read the full storyMayor-Elect Warns Criminals ‘Terrorizing’ Memphis After Fatal Shooting of St. Jude Research Doctor Alexander Bulakhov
Memphis Mayor-elect Paul Young (D) warned that a small population of criminals are “terrorizing” the rest of the city’s residents during an appearance on News Channel 3 on Tuesday after the death of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital employee Alexander Bulakhov.
Police told local media Bulakhov was walking with his wife and two-year-old child on November 12 when a man wearing a hoodie pointed a gun at him and demanded his belongings. They report that he complied, but attempted to wrestle the gun away from the assailant after it was pointed at his wife. He was shot in the struggle and died from the shooting.
Read the full storyVideo Shows Men Driving Erratically, Blocking Traffic on Memphis Interstate
The Memphis Police Department (MPD) says it has no leads following a viral video of two men driving a car erratically on the interstate over the weekend, stopping traffic.
The video has been circulating the internet since it was posted by KWAM Radio in Memphis on Sunday night. At least one person stood in the highway filming the incident.
Read the full storyMemphis Will Ask for More than $600 Million Granted in State Taxpayer Funds for Stadiums
Memphis accepted $350 million in state taxpayer funds for upgrades at its sports facilities and plans to ask Tennessee taxpayers for more.
The set of Memphis sports facility asks previously included funding for $684 million in renovations to the FedexForum, home of the Memphis Grizzlies, along with renovations to Liberty Stadium, AutoZone Park and a new soccer stadium for new soccer club 901 FC.
Read the full storyCoast Guard Saves Drowning Crane Operator After Accident Near Memphis
According to a maritime news outlet, the United States Coast Guard in Memphis saved a drowning man’s life last week after the crane he was operating fell into McKellar Lake.
“The U.S. Coast Guard helped resuscitated an unresponsive crane operator Tuesday near Memphis, Tennessee, after the crane he was operating fell into the water,” according to a Coast Guard release.
Read the full storyMemphis Mayor Introduces Ordinance Amendment to Invest in City-Wide Broadband Internet
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland announced Tuesday he introduced an Ordinance amendment to invest in a city-wide broadband network based on findings and suggestions of a report conducted by CTC Energy and Technology.
Read the full storyReport: Memphis Property Owners Pay Higher Tax Rates than Those in Nashville
The property taxes that fund local city governments have a wide range in Tennessee, especially when it comes to the differences between how property is taxed in Memphis and Nashville, according to a report from the Lincoln Institute on Land Policy on data from 2021.
Nashville, for instance, has a lower effective homestead property tax rate than most other large cities (0.814% compared to the national average) while Memphis homestead properties are taxed at 1.523% above the national average. Nashville was 43rd in effective rate amongst the list of 74 large cities where data was available while Memphis was the 16th highest.
Read the full storyCrime-Ridden Liberal Cities Have a New Favorite Scapegoat: Automakers
Chicago is the latest major city to sue Hyundai and Kia for failing to equip their U.S. cars for more than a decade with anti-theft technology, which was exposed on social media last year and made the vehicles a target for criminals.
“Unlike the movies, hot-wiring vehicles is far harder than it appears—unless that vehicle was manufactured by Hyundai or Kia,” the lawsuit filed Thursday by the city of Chicago states.
Read the full storyMemphis-Based HVAC Company Announces $2.75 Million Expansion Project
HVAC company American Residential Services (ARS)/Rescue Rooter recently announced that it will invest $2.75 million to expand its headquarters operations in Memphis.
Read the full story‘Your Luck Will Run Out’: Tennessee Sheriff Sends Message to Criminals Coming to His County
Tipton County Sheriff Shannon Beasley warned individuals crossing county lines to commit crimes, saying such actions will not be tolerated.
“I will say this again, if you bring it to us we are going to bring it back at you! If you think we are going to let you run back to Memphis, or anywhere else, without any consequences…you’ve got us confused,” Beasley said in a Facebook post last week.
Read the full storyMemphis Mayor Strickland Grilled on Crime After Viral Assault on Police Officer
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland (D) joined FOx13 in Memphis Monday where he was forced to answer some poignant questions about the city’s crime in the wake of a viral video showing a Memphis Police Department (MPD) officer being assaulted by a group of men.
“All of this is completely unacceptable, and somebody out there knows who did both those actions, and they need to call Crime Stoppers because we need quick justice to all those criminals,” Strickland said.
Read the full storyVideo Shows the Moment Shots Were Fired, Injuring Eight People in Downtown Memphis on Sunday
A video circulating on social media shows the moment gunshots rang out in a popular tourist area in downtown Memphis early Sunday morning.
Read the full storyRedDOT Corporation Announces $18 Million Expansion Project in Memphis
RedDOT Corporation officials announced Tuesday that the company will invest $18 million to expand its manufacturing and distribution operations in Memphis.
Read the full storyMemphis Man Sentenced to 31 Years for Series of Armed Hotel Robberies
One of three Memphis men involved in a string of 2021 hotel robberies in the city was sentenced to 31 years in prison earlier this week.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee, Reginald Rose, 30, of Memphis, will spend the next three decades behind bars.
Read the full storyFormerly Expelled State Representative Holding Town Halls on Gun Control Ahead of Special Session
A State Representative who was expelled from the General Assembly for his role in a gun control riot at the Capitol Building in Nashville will host town halls in Memphis to discuss the same topic with his constituents ahead of August’s special session of the General Assembly.
State Rep. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) was expelled from the General Assembly in April alongside colleague State Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville). Both men led a protest-turned-riot at the State Capitol in March, just after the mass shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville.
Read the full storyStudy Shows Four Tennessee Cities Among Worst Driving Cities in America
Four Tennessee cities have landed a spot on ConsumerAffairs’ recent study ranking the nation’s top 20 cities with the worst drivers.
Read the full story4th of July Activities Begin This Weekend Across Tennessee
Tennesseans will begin celebrating Independence Day as early as Friday night, according to a state travel guide.
The Chattanooga Lookouts, a minor league baseball team, will have a fireworks show after the team’s Friday and Sunday night games.
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