Latest news with #Memphis-area
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
What's that moving in by The Container Store in Germantown Collection shopping center?
A notable bookstore chain plans to open a new location this summer in a busy Germantown shopping center. Work is underway on a new Barnes & Noble store at 2130 Exeter Road in Germantown. Janine Flanigan, vice president of store design and planning for Barnes & Noble, recently told The Commercial Appeal that the new store is expected to open on July 23. The location is at the Germantown Collection shopping center off Poplar Avenue. The Barnes & Noble will be next to The Container Store. The Germantown Collection includes other popular tenants such as Trader Joe's, Chicken Salad Chick and Nest Décor. GERMANTOWN DEVELOPMENT: Germantown's TraVure development gets new design change: A look at why and latest plans "We are always on the lookout for new markets and excited to be opening in this area," Flanigan said. "The store is approximately 12,000 square feet and will carry the very best selection of books, toys, games and puzzles curated for the Germantown customer." A commercial alteration permit was filed in February with the Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development for the Barnes & Noble location. The permit valued at roughly $587,000 was filed by New York-based HBC Architects. Flanigan noted hiring numbers for the new Germantown store have not yet been finalized. Any open positions will be listed on the Barnes & Noble website on the career page. New-York-based Barnes & Noble has more than 600 bookstores in the country and also operates an online bookstore at It has Memphis-area locations in Wolfchase Galleria area at 2774 N. Germantown Parkway and in Collierville's Carriage Crossing at 4610 Merchants Park Circle, Suite 521. Barnes & Noble appears to be on the rebound. After more than 15 years of declining store numbers, the bookseller expects to open more than 60 new locations across the country, following a period of 'strong sales' in existing stores. Corey Davis is the Collierville and Germantown reporter with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at or 901-293-1610. To keep up with the latest news from the Shelby County suburbs, sign up here for our Suburban Pulse weekly newsletter. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Barnes & Noble opening new store in Germantown: See where and when
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lawmakers to revive bill after Memphis school audit findings
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Bills to create a state-run oversight board for Memphis-Shelby County Schools are still on the table and will be revived after an audit of the district, two area lawmakers said Wednesday. State Rep. Mark White and state Sen. Brent Taylor, both Memphis-area Republicans, said in a joint statement that they plan to merge their competing versions of the bill after a forensic audit of MSCS is complete. House Bill 662 and Senate Bill 714 passed the state House and Senate on Tuesday, but the House approved a version with different language from the Senate. Sources: MSCS oversight bill may be dead after passing in Senate, House The bills were to be sent to a conference committee to iron out the details before it is presented to the governor. They are now stalled at that point. Back in February, the Shelby County Commission approved hiring an auditing firm to look through the school district's financial records from Jan. 1, 2020, to Jan. 31, 2025. The audit would determine whether taxpayer money may have been misused over the past five years. The district has a budget of $1.8 billion and serves more than 100,000 students. 'It is my concern that the largest district in the state of 110,000 students, we are not performing as we should. There's a lot of bureaucracy in the system,' White said. These moves come after the MSCS board voted to fire Superintendent Marie Feagins after less than a year, angering a crowd of parents and teachers and making her the district's fourth leader in three years. MSCS is looking ahead after bills pushing for state takeover die State lawmakers also point to underperforming schools, though district leaders counter that many schools have shown improvement recently. 'The evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates that Memphis-Shelby County Schools has underperformed for decades. Continuing to invest in failed leadership and administrative mismanagement without addressing the district's fundamental issues is doing a disservice to the people we were elected to represent,' White and Taylor said in a joint statement. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Two Memphis-area attractions are closed after record breaking rainfall
As the Mid-South recovers from five days of severe weather and heavy rainfall, some Memphis-area attractions are closed, dealing with floodwaters and repairs from the storms. The National Civil Right's Museum, located in the South Main area of Downtown Memphis, has closed its doors Sunday and Monday for repairs, according to a bulletin on its website. Shelby Farms Park shut its gates on Sunday, April 6 due to "extreme flooding," according to their Facebook page. The Sunday closure followed an early closure on Saturday due to "rising water levels and continued rainfall." The park announced they would have a delayed opening on Monday to "allow operation teams to assess conditions" at Shelby Farms. Between Wednesday and Sunday, NWS Memphis recorded 14.07 inches of rain in East Memphis. Here's what it recorded across the Mid-South during that time period: Memphis International Airport: 12.35 inches of rain West Memphis: 10 inches of rain Jonesboro, Arkansas: 8.75 inches of rain Blytheville, Arkansas: 8.41 inches of rain Tupelo, Mississippi: 2.66 inches of rain Commercial Appeal reporter Lucas Finton contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: National Civil Right's Museum, Shelby Farms Park closed after rain
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Memphis weather live coverage: 3 TN weather deaths confirmed, state of emergency declared
With the Mid-South bracing for what has been called a "generational flooding" event, public officials have been asking Memphis-area residents to take weather warnings seriously and prepare for more than 10 inches of rain in some areas. "(I am) striking a bit of a serious tone here, because you can get accustomed to the warnings that come across the news, and nothing ever happened. We didn't have any outages. But I want to emphasize the seriousness of the weather that we are facing here," said Memphis Light, Gas & Water CEO Doug McGowen on Wednesday. We'll update this file throughout the day with all the weather information you need to stay safe. Here's what you need to know today. The Tennessee Department of Health has confirmed at least two weather-related fatalities as of 6:30 a.m. Thursday. One death was confirmed in McNairy County and another was confirmed in Obion County. In addition, the Fayette County Sheriff's Office confirmed that one person was killed in the deadly severe weather as it swept through the state. All but one of the suburban districts in Memphis and Shelby County will be in session for classes today, April 3. Millington Municipal Schools will be closed on Thursday, April 3. Memphis-Shelby County Schools, Arlington Community Schools, Bartlett City Schools, Germantown Municipal School District, Lakeland Schools and DeSoto County Schools will all hold classes on Thursday. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Tennessee Emergency Management Agency Director Patrick C. Sheehan declared a state of emergency Wednesday evening due to the expected impact of the severe storms. The current level activation status for a state of emergency is level three. The most severe level is level one, while level five is "normal operations." The request includes a request for federal assistance for debris removal, emergency protective measures and direct federal assistance. A state of emergency expires when either 60 days have elapsed or when the Activation Level returns to Level 5. The National Weather Service Memphis said in its morning briefing that a dangerous weather pattern will continue Thursday and last into the weekend. "There is an Enhanced Risk of severe weather (Thursday), Friday, and Saturday as a stalled frontal boundary will produce bursts of energy for severe storm development daily. All hazards remain possible," NWS Memphis said in the briefing. The storms will be less severe, with the highest local risk being a level 3 category of severe weather, but still could bring damaging winds, hail, excessive rain and a slight risk of tornadoes. The storms Wednesday had a level 5 category of severe weather. A level 3 category of severe weather includes numerous severe storms, while the level 5 category includes widespread and long-lived severe weather. There is a slight risk for Memphis and Shelby County for tornadoes starting at 3 p.m. and lasting until 2 a.m. Friday Memphis is currently under a level four risk for excessive rains, which could mean widespread flash flooding for the area. The Memphis Police Department may institute its inclement weather policy, a move they mostly make during extreme winter weather, Public Information Officer Theresa Carlson said during a Wednesday afternoon press conference. "I know that's something that we haven't typically done unless there's ice and snow on the road, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of storm. I think the term used is 'generational flooding,'" Carlson said. "If we have to implement that policy, you will see it posted on all of our social media platforms... and we'll also push that to all of our media partners." The inclement weather policy helps lighten the burden on police during severe weather. If you get into a crash with minimal damage and no injuries, MPD recommends you take photos of the damage, exchange information with any other driver involved and then schedule to meet that person at a police station within the next five working days. Despite the possibility of the inclement weather policy being activated, Carlson said officers and dispatchers will be working around the clock during the storm. If you see downed power lines, downed trees, or flooding, Carlson said to call 311 or the Office of Emergency Management instead of 911 for those issues. Officers will be patrolling throughout the storm — looking for flooding and downed trees or power lines — to ensure that any undriveable roads are properly closed down. Drivers, Carlson said, should be cautious of areas that appear flooded. "Stay off the roadways during the worst of the storm, but if you have to be out, just take it slow," she said. "If your windshield wipers are on, your headlights should be on as well." She also urged caution when approaching water on the roadways. "Remember, it only takes six inches of water to stall a car, so if you see standing water, turn around. Don't drown. Don't stall out your car. Just find an alternative route," Carlson added. The City of Memphis, in a Wednesday afternoon press release, asked residents to help prepare the city for what it called an "unpredictable multi-day weather event." "Our response teams are hard at work preparing our city for the expected extreme weather," the city said in a press release. "But we also need the community's help to stay safe and reduce risk." To help, the city said residents can do the following: Keep trash bags, yard waste and bins off the curb and out of gutters to prevent inadvertently clogging drains; Clear storm drains and gutters near your home to lower your risk of property flooding; Avoid driving through standing water or near downed trees and power lines; Report any blocked drains, street flooding or fallen trees by calling 311 or using the Memphis 311 app; If you use generator power, use only in well-ventilated outdoor areas that are at least 30 feet from homes or structures; In case of after-hours emergencies, call the Office of Emergency Management at (901) 544-6500; and Report power outages by calling Memphis Light, Gas & Water's outage hotline at (901) 544-6500. According to the city, public works crews are working around the city. Drain maintenance teams are inspecting and clearing storm drains and inlets to reduce street flooding, the city said. "Special attention is being given to known flood-prone hotspots to help keep roadways passable," the press release said. "Street maintenance teams are also prepared to quickly respond to reports of downed trees and other hazards blocking roads to ensure emergency services can reach those in need." The Memphis District Army Corps of Engineers said Wednesday afternoon it had begun preparations to address the expected heavy rainfall forecasted for the areas over the Mississippi River. In a press release, the Memphis District Army Corps of Engineers said it had already begun the "Phase 1 floodfight activities" within the St. Francis River Basin. The Corps anticipated activating Phase 1 floodfight activities along the Mississippi River as well. "During Phase I floodfight activities, (United States Army Corps of Engineers) personnel deploy to the affected areas and monitor all federal flood control works including levees, flood walls and pumping stations," the agency said in a press release. "They will also continue to monitor rainfall amounts in the affected areas, and National Weather Service forecasts to determine if further action is warranted. USACE will deploy additional personnel and resources as required to help ensure the safety of life and property." Other material assistance, like portable pumps, plastic sheeting to cover levees and sandbags, could be provided with "close coordination" of state and local authorities. Phase II floodfight activities include United States Army Corps of Engineers personnel "intensively monitor government flood risk reduction works." The United States Army Corps of Engineers personnel also provide technical and material assistance to local communities. "While the flood control structures in Rives, Tennessee, are not owned or managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Memphis District is ready to assist consistent with existing congressional authorizations and appropriations. At the Mayor's request, the Memphis District is providing the City of Rives with two 16-inch pumps," the agency said. The Tennessean contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis weather: What to know about flooding in the Mid-South
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
TN Senator warns of ‘Tesla Takedown' in Memphis this weekend
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Tennessee Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) says a 'radical leftist group' is participating in a 'Tesla Takedown' protest in Memphis on Saturday. 'I have asked them to 'Deal with Dumb****s' at the 'Tesla Takedown protest! We will not accept this leftist terrorism in Tennessee while I'm working to #MakeMemphisMatter to put an end to lawlessness in Shelby County,' said Sen. Taylor in a social media post. This comes as protests and attacks on Tesla vehicles and dealerships are popping up across the U.S. and overseas, in opposition to Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Cybertrucks have been set ablaze, and bullets and Molotov cocktails have been aimed at Tesla showrooms in recent days, according to the Associated Press. President Donald Trump has threatened retribution, stating that Tesla vandalism amounts to 'domestic terror.' Violent attacks on Tesla dealerships spike as Musk takes prominent role in Trump White House The website for an organization called Indivisible Tennessee has a Tesla protest scheduled for Saturday in Memphis, Franklin, Chattanooga and Knoxville. The listing specifies that participants not enter Tesla private property, protest only on public sidewalks and remain non-violent. The Memphis-area dealership is in Bartlett, in the Wolfchase area. 'A core principle behind all Indivisible events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values,' the group's website states. Sen. Taylor said in a social media post that he has been in touch with law enforcement agencies in Memphis and Shelby County, as well as Mayor Paul Young regarding the alleged 'Tesla Takedown' event planned over the weekend. Taylor described the protest as 'evil' and 'illegal,' but noted that city officials are aware of the situation and will be prepared. WREG has contacted city officials to see if they are aware of any planned protest, but we have not heard back. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
