Latest news with #MemphisCityCouncil
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Clayborn Temple will be rebuilt, director says; New $1.5 million grant to jump start it
Clayborn Temple will be rebuilt. That was the message on May 28 as hundreds of people — civil rights leaders, Memphis officials, nonprofit directors, tourists and residents — stood before the skeleton of Clayborn Temple. Significant parts of the church burned down in a fire in the early morning of April 28. "For me, this is personal," Memphis Mayor Paul Young said. "I love Memphis to the bottom, like to my core. I love this city. This structure embolizes who we are as a community. And it's really, really, really important that we make sure that we come together and make sure that we turn this into a showcase — a space where a tragedy occurred, but we rise from that tragedy greater than we were before." The sentiment was echoed by Memphis City Council Chairman Ford Canale. It was one echoed by U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen. It was one echoed by Martin Luther King III, the son of the famed civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who was killed in Memphis in 1968. "I can't wait to be back when this masterpiece is done, erected and dedicated once again to stand as a shining light — a shining example — a place of love, a place of bringing people together," King said Wednesday after noting how much of "a daunting task" returning to the city his father was assassinated in can be. And rebuilding Clayborn Temple was the entire message delivered by Brent Leggs — the executive director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund — who put action to the tune of a $1.5 million grant behind his words. The grant is backed by the Ford Foundation and the Mellon Foundation. Design work has already begun for the rebuild, according to Anasa Troutman, the executive director for Clayborn Temple and The BIG We. Though an exact path is not yet clear, she said the new design will incorporate parts of the temple that are left standing. But, aside from that, she said she sees the "possibility" in rebuilding. "Today, collectively as a community, we are turning toward the future. We are going to put away our grief for a few minutes. We might cry tomorrow. We might cry next week. But today, while we're together, we are going to rejoice in the beauty and the power and the possibility of what remains behind us. Clayborn Temple has been damaged, but it has not been destroyed," Troutman told the crowd. After speaking, Troutman told The Commercial Appeal that, despite the process "starting from scratch" in terms of the design plans, they are not "starting from zero" in terms of funding. She said funds gathered from the organization's initial push to reconstruct Clayborn Temple are able to be used for the new rebuild. There is not yet a timeline for the rebuild, but people who wish to donate to fund the new project can do so online at or by emailing rebuild@ Much of Clayborn Temple burned to the ground on April 28. The Memphis Fire Fighters Association, in a post on X, formerly Twitter, said the call came early in the morning, and that firefighters were able to get much of the fire put out within an hour of arriving on the scene. Though much of the fire was put out within that timeframe, crews could be seen suppressing the fire around 7 a.m. that day. The building was left a husk of its former self. On May 1, parts of the remaining church collapsed from strong winds and severe storm conditions. A joint investigation between the Memphis Fire Department and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was opened on April 28. The investigation saw many surrounding streets closed. Some of those streets have remained closed since the investigation was closed on May 21. Investigators concluded the fire was "intentionally set on the interior of the historic church." It also revealed a person of interest. The Memphis Fire Department included pictures of the person, shown walking the streets near Clayborn Temple, in a social media post. An $11,000 reward is being offered by CrimeStoppers for any information that leads to an arrest. Tips can be called in to CrimeStoppers at (901) 528-2274 or the state arson hotline at 1-800-762-3017. Troutman hosted a digital press conference the day after the fire was ruled intentional. During that press conference, she said a fire had happened at her home more than two weeks prior to the Clayborn Temple fire. Another one happened near a family property in East Tennessee, a week before that. "I have spent a lot of time trying to convince myself that this is all a crazy coincidence, but it's just hard to imagine that there's not something there," Troutman said, adding that it was too early to say if the incidents were targeted. 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: Clayborn Temple's post-arson rebuild starts with $1.5 million grant
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Budget missteps may lead to lack of money for city projects
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Brace yourself — it could be a rough upcoming budget season for the City of Memphis and it could affect you, the taxpayer. Some Memphis City Council members say budget missteps could mean there won't be additional money for projects like the Memphis Zoo and Mud Island Amphitheater renovations. It could also have an impact on public safety and pay raises. 'I think that we, as a council, probably messed up when we did not raise taxes enough (last year),' said Councilman Jeff Warren. 'The last time we raised taxes we were looking at one rate, and we backed it down, and I think that in retrospect that was a mistake.' Right now, there's a projected $883 million budget for fiscal year 2026 that the council will have to consider. Young presents budget with no tax increase; hotel tax passes 'It's very confusing to me that the council, not myself, but others, voted last year to increase property taxes so high, and we don't have a Regional One or a Frayser High School, or something like that, to show for it,' Councilwoman Jerri Green said. When it comes budget shortfall problems, Green says one of them is because of Clerk Wanda Halbert's delay in collecting Memphis' increased car-registration fees. 'I definitely think Clerk Halbert left us in a hole, looks like about a $10 million hole, and that is incredibly problematic,' she said. 'It was revenue that we were expecting. Doubling the wheel tax was not something that we wanted to do.' City says county clerk failed to collect $7M in fees for months Warren points at MATA funding issues and spending, which your News Leader recently investigated. 'We were hurt when we tried to continue to fund MATA and put $20 million here and $20 million there out of our reserve fund into trying to keep it going as a loan, that at this point looks like it's not going to be paid back,' he said. So, what does this possibly mean for you, the taxpayer? There's speculation there won't be additional funding for the Memphis Zoo, the Mud Island Amphitheater, and possibly city pay raises. Memphis Zoo says attendance dropped after 2022 crimes, leading to deficits 'There will be things that will be left out,' Green said. 'But our priorities need to be what the priorities of Memphians are. That means, you know, taking care of crime, so helping our police officers boost their numbers. It means cleaning up our streets.' 'We don't want to have our services drop,' Warren said. 'I know Mayor Young and the Council have been very vocal about wanting to make sure that we keep increasing the number of potholes we're filling and that we keep bringing down the crime rate.' Another expense the city is looking at is buying police body cameras costing an estimated $11 million. Right now, the city says there are no plans to dip into the general-fund tax dollars to make that purchase. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Yahoo
2 killed, 1 critically injured in domestic violence shooting
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Developing tonight, Memphis Police are searching for a suspect in a deadly domestic violence shooting. The deadly shooting unfolded in a Frayser neighborhood on Tuesday night. Memphis Police said three people were shot in the 1700 block of Cleoford Avenue. Sadly, two victims died and another is in critical condition. At a Memphis City Council meeting in March, Memphis Police Chief CJ Davis mentioned an uptick in domestic violence cases. 'Of course we see more cases of domestic violence than we care to see and we're really thinking hard about how do we work with our partners in reducing domestic violence cases in the city,' Davis said. Multiple shootings reported across Memphis overnight So far this year, there have been 597 reports of aggravated assaults involving domestic violence. In 2024, there were 646 reports of those incidents. The Family Safety Center served as a resource for domestic violence victims. However, its abrupt closure has created a gap within the Memphis community. 'This can be a very confusing time for victims, not knowing where to go, not knowing you know, who to call, not knowing what agency to reach out to,' Gwen Turner said. 'So, I must say that it is a full-team effort that's going forth.' Turner, the Shelter Coordinator for the YWCA of Greater Memphis, said the organization is working with others to fulfill the needs of domestic violence victims. For instance, orders of protection are now being handled by the Shelby County Crime Victims and Rape Crisis Center. No charges for pregnant woman who shot husband dead in attack Turner told WREG that legal assistance and a safety plan are usually the resources domestic violence victims need the most. 'Everybody needs a safety plan because sometimes you have to remain safe in the situation you're in until you can get to a point where you can get [out] and possibly come to a safe place like this,' Turner said. She also said it's important for people to be aware of the signs of domestic violence. As Memphis Police piece together Tuesday's deadly shooting, they're working closely with the YWCA and other organizations to protect victims and hold abusers accountable. In January, Memphis Police launched its joint 'Domestic Violence Prolific Offender Initiative.' Its Fugitive Unit has arrested 105 domestic violence suspects this year, while its Domestic Violence Unit has made 953 arrests. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Memphis Zoo says attendance dropped after 2022 crimes, leading to deficits
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis Zoo is asking city and county governments for $3 million in operational support, saying attendance has seen a 'tremendous drop' due to visitors' perception of safety in the city after some high-profile crimes. Zoo officials shared attendance and revenue numbers with Memphis City Council members Tuesday, showing more than 1 million visitors to the zoo in 2019, and again in 2022 after attendance rebounded following the COVID pandemic closure. But those numbers dipped by close to 20% beginning in 2023, leading to operating deficits the past two years. 'We saw a tremendous decrease in our attendance,' said Matt Thompson, president and CEO of the Memphis Zoo. 'If people aren't coming through our gate, then we aren't making revenue.' State commits $20M for Memphis Zoo expansion Thompson told council members the decline was directly related to the kidnapping and killing of Eliza Fletcher and the mass shooting carried out by Ezekiel Kelly. Both crimes struck in the Midtown area in late 2022, and Thompson said they scared away visitors who have never come back. 'We were told directly by our members that people were nervous to come back into the city,' Thompson said. 'We've seen some people leave the city, we've seen that kind of thing. Our numbers have been very, very slow to come back.' The revenue decline is creating a need for an additional $3 million, Thompson said, and the zoo is asking both the city and county for $1.5 million each. The zoo plans to use that money for deferred maintenance. The city's management fee for the zoo is currently $1.2 million, the same as it was in 1989, Thompson said. Still, there were many positive notes in the zoo's presentation. The Memphis Zoo is the top attraction in West Tennessee and was rated the No. 2 zoo in the country, with 52% of visitors coming from outside the region, creating an economic impact of $89.4 million. SCSO says mom who drove into pond in Cordova was not drugged The Memphis Zoo is undertaking a $250 million campus plan that will add an Africa exhibit featuring elephants, and an Oceans to Forests exhibit with both aquarium and rain forest habitats over the next three years. Council members were supportive of the zoo's efforts and offerings, though they asked for more details on the zoo's finances. 'Our zoo is one of the best zoos in the world, and it's one of the treasures of our city, so it's budget season, we'll get through this, and you have my support,' Councilman Philip Spinosa said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Congressman Cohen encourages people to get into ‘good trouble' during town hall
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Hundreds of people flooded a town hall in Midtown hosted by Congressman Steve Cohen on Tuesday evening. Congressman Cohen coined the event as 'one of the largest recent town halls in the country.' The issues discussed centered around the changes brought about by the Trump Administration. And with so much public concern, the town hall lasted an hour and a half longer than it was expected to. 'There are a lot of people in this room and around the country who ask right now, what can I do,' one attendee said. More than 800 people from both sides of the aisle shared their concerns, including air traffic controllers. Local IRS employee waits to see if she'll return to work 'The only thing keeping us is our pension,' one said. 'We're all very, very tired.' The concerns come as the Trump Administration cut several federal jobs and increased the mass exodus of immigrants in the country. 'I know people are upset,' Cohen said. 'I'm upset too but we heard them.' Congressman Cohen wasn't alone. Other officials like Max Richtman, the President and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, spoke with people about the importance of preserving their benefits. Memphis City Council approves Elon Musk's xAI land deal 'I've seen polls of younger people saying they are more likely to see a UFO or Big Foot than to ever get a social security check,' Richtman said. 'And that's wrong.' The Trump Administration last week, maintained their stance, saying cutting waste fraud and abuse from the federal program is essential. 'President Trump has been unequivocally clear on this. He is going to protect Social Security and Medicare benefits and Medicaid for hardworking Americans who paid into these entitlement programs and deserve those hard-earned benefits,' said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. Congressman Cohen urged his constituents to remain hopeful and to act. 'People need to be activised and mobilized, demonstrate,' Cohen said. 'Get into good trouble sometimes in the future.' Congressman Cohen is set to speak before a democratic caucus on Wednesday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
