Latest news with #Memphians
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
8 arrested in Collierville for possession of firearms, drugs
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Eight people were arrested in a Collierville neighborhood for possession of drugs and firearms on Saturday, according to Collierville Police. On May 31, at 10 p.m., officers responded to a large gathering in a neighborhood near Mayfield Road. Reports say the complainant called about vehicles blocking the road. When officers arrived, they noticed many vehicles and detected a strong odor coming from several cars. Men seen carrying stolen counter, faucet on bikes after Midtown burglary Police say additional calls were received from nearby residents reporting that vehicles were parked in their yards. According to police, eight Memphians were arrested and cited for improper parking, and some were charged with multiple firearm charges, public intoxication, disorderly conduct, and possession of a controlled substance. Two people were charged with felony narcotics charges and felony firearm charges. Police seized 44 grams of marijuana, 347 Oxycodone tablets, 59 Xanax tablets, three Adderall tablets, and one handgun. Police say the Town of Collierville Code Enforcement will be following up with additional town ordinance violations with the organizer and homeowner. No injuries were reported. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Does Memphis have venomous snakes? What to know about the four found in Tennessee
Tennessee is home to some 32 different species of snakes, but only a few are dangerous to humans. Most snakes in the Memphis area will join Memphians in their quest for fun outdoors as summer approaches. Snakes, which are a part of the reptile family, are most active during the spring and summer months as temperatures increase, according to A-Z Animals. Only four of the 32 different species of snakes in Tennessee are venomous. Those four snakes are the copperhead, cottonmouth, timber rattlesnake and pygmy rattlesnake. Here is what to know about them. The copperhead, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, causes the most bites in Tennessee. The bites, while venomous, are not very potent and rarely do they cause fatalities, according to the state agency. There are two subspecies of copperhead snakes found in Tennessee, the southern copperhead occurs in 'extreme West Tennessee,' and the northern copperhead occurs in the rest of the state. Large, triangular-shaped copper-red head and distinctive dark brown hourglass crossbands give it camouflage in its preferred environment. Its habitat is mainly forested or rocky areas with 'abundant logs, leaf litter, or rocks for cover,' according to the state agency. The cottonmouth or 'water moccasin' is found mainly in the western part of the state, getting its name from its white mouth. The snake, which is venomous, opens its mouth as a 'defensive posture' when feeling threatened. The rumor that the cottonmouth is aggressive is 'greatly exaggerated,' the state agency states. 'These snakes generally try to escape if encountered and escape in a random direction, thus occasionally coming at you rather than away,' the agency said on its website. Cottonmouths are mainly found in swamps, sloughs, wetlands and drainage ditches, but are occasionally found along rivers and lakes. The snakes can swim, so they can be seen swimming above and sometimes below the water or hiding out on the banks and in surrounding vegetation. The snakes are dark olive-brown, nearly black and the crossbands on their back are sometimes not visible. A wide band could be visible from the snout through the eye and onto the neck of the snake. Common water snakes are often mistaken for cottonmouths due to their semi-aquatic nature and similar features. One way to tell if a snake is a harmless water snake or a cottonmouth is by looking at the shape of the head. Cottonmouths have a triangular or flattened head, while many other water snakes' heads are rounded. The timber rattlesnake is the largest and most dangerous venomous snake in Tennessee. The snakes have a large triangular head, vertical pupils and have the 'rattle' at the end of the tail. Its coloring is 'highly variable,' the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said, but usually are gray with a black tail. A rust-colored stripe also occurs down the center of the back. The snakes prefer to hang out in heavily forested areas with rocky hillsides. The timber rattlesnake populations are declining across Tennessee because of habitat loss, road mortality and 'persecution,' the state agency said. The pygmy rattlesnake is the smallest venomous snake in Tennessee; they are also the rarest on the list. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation lists the pigmy rattlesnake as rare to very rare and imperiled. The snakes are similar to the timber rattlesnake but much smaller. The pigmy rattlesnake has a gray or tan body with an orangish-brown mid-dorsal stripe running down its back. It has dark blotches running along its back as well, with one or two rows on each side. The snakes are found in close proximity to water. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Snakes in Memphis: What to know about Tennessee's venomous reptiles
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Mow to Own' program allows man to possess vacant lot
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A man was awarded a vacant lot previously owned by the City of Memphis through the city's 'Mow to Own' Program on Tuesday. The program allows Memphians to take ownership of city-owned properties that are adjacent to theirs. Michael Gladney, 64, is a retired mechanic, and he now owns a brand new lot on Speed Street. Whitehaven resident Gladney says he feels good now that he has a piece of property. He said two years ago he used to live right next to a vacant lot on Speed Street. Deputies investigate man beaten, stripped over racial slur at MS club Gladney said he mowed the lawn of the North Memphis property every two weeks for the past three years. 'All you gotta do is keep the maintenance up on it. Keep it cut, keep it edged, and always take a before and after photo, so that way you have proof,' said Gladney. 'It's a win, win for the property owners and the city of Memphis as it would allow those particular properties to become useful again in the community by allowing property owners to extend their property lines, and it would allow that property to be back on the tax rolls and become a productive part of our community,' said Carleton Osborn, City of Memphis Real Estate Manager. 'Call and ask if this property will qualify for the Mow to Own program, and we will be able to research and get the answers that you need to have you qualify for the program,' said Osborn. Gladney says he is thinking about building a getaway home on the other side of town to relax. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump Justice Department closes investigation into Memphis police & retracts findings
The U.S. Department of Justice is closing its investigation into the Memphis Police Department, a May 21 press release from the DOJ said. The Justice Department opened a pattern-or-practice investigation into Memphis Police Department months after Tyre Nichols was beaten by police and later died. The findings of that investigation concluded that MPD had multiple patterns or practices of violating the civil rights of Memphians. The City of Memphis declined to enter a consent decree ahead of the findings being released Dec. 4, 2024. The report was released in the waning months of former President Joe Biden's administration, and no lawsuit was ever filed against the city to push it into a consent decree. More: The stories the DOJ used to make its case against the Memphis Police Department Even if the Justice Department had sued the city, which it said was a possibility in the days after the report was released, it was not likely to maintain that suit. Wednesday's official end to the investigation also came with an announcement that the DOJ would seek to dismiss its lawsuits in Louisville, Kentucky and Minneapolis, Minnesota, that resulted in consent decrees. "Overbroad police consent decrees divest local control of policing from communities where it belongs, turning that power over to unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats, often with an anti-police agenda," said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. "Today, we are ending the Biden Civil Rights Division's failed experiment of handcuffing local leaders and police departments with factually unjustified consent decrees." Though Memphis never entered a consent decree, the DOJ also said it was "retracting the Biden administration's findings of constitutional violations." The DOJ findings report found that Memphis police routinely use excessive force, unlawfully stop residents and search them, discriminate against Black people in its policing, and that they "discriminate in their response to people with behavioral health disabilities." President Donald Trump's first administration made similar moves to undo consent decrees. It also was not common for it to investigate police departments for their use of force. It is unclear if the retraction of the Justice Department's findings will impact the $550 million civil lawsuit Tyre Nichols' family filed against the City of Memphis. The amended lawsuit cited the investigation extensively, and the documents reviewed by the Justice Department have become a contested issue during the discovery process. Lucas Finton covers crime, policing, jails, the courts and criminal justice policy for The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached by phone or email: (901)208-3922 and and followed on X @LucasFinton. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Trump DOJ retracts findings of Memphis police civil rights violations
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘We are Memphis': Nonprofit works to change negative perceptions
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Amid hardships and turmoil across the city of Memphis, there's one organization that says they are working to positively move the city forward. By showing the world that 'Soul Lives Here,' WREG is introducing the faces behind the slogan 'We Are Memphis' in this week's Bright Spot. President and Chief Marketing Officer for Memphis Brand, David French, has lived in various cities across the country, but he says nothing compares to his current home — Memphis. 'People do not walk down the street in other cities and hear 'Have a blessed day.' That happens here in Memphis,' said French. Girls hit the football field for one of state's first-ever teams Crime, corruption, poverty – those are just some of the conversations people across the city have with each other daily. However, French says he and his team want to add another topic to the conversation. 'I think sometimes Memphians forget what a wonderful city this is, and Memphis Brand is here to, I think, remind people of all the great things that are happening here,' said French. Memphis Brand is a non-profit whose focus is elevating, celebrating, and radiating the people of Memphis through various campaigns locally and globally. You may have heard of the phrase 'Soul Lives Here' or seen the logo 'We Are Memphis.' The team behind the brand may be small, but it is backed by several major organizations, such as FedEx and St. Jude, that want to prove to the world that they believe Memphis is the place to be. 'Our numbers have never been stronger in terms of how people feel about Memphis outside of Memphis. But here at home, we have work to do. Memphians can be really tough on this city,' French said. 📡 for Memphis and the Mid-South. 📧 and have the latest top stories sent right to your inbox. Vice-President of Brand Development, Jen Booker Prudhome, says the people, businesses, and organizations they highlight are a part of the collective effort to rise above the negativity and showcase the true soul of Memphis. 'No matter how much you hear about the city, whether it's positive or negative, there is a deep-seated, rooted understanding that people love being here, but they also want to see progress happen,' said Prudhome. French says even though they've made strides changing how Memphians view the city and themselves, the movement is not over. 'I think this idea of 'Bring Your Soul' or 'Soul Lives Here,' these campaigns, these calls to action are just the catalyst for pride, for people to believe in what Memphis not has been, but is becoming,' French said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
