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Beat: Public Safety A dangerous heat wave is settling over Memphis this week with "feels like" temperatures between 103-110°F through the July 4th weekend. The Mid-South is currently under a First Alert heat advisory as a "heat dome" settles over the Mississippi River Valley from June 29 through at least Thursday. With afternoon highs consistently reaching the mid-to-upper 90s and humidity pushing index values to hazardous levels, local officials are urging residents to limit

Memphis library workers are currently classified as "appointed positions" without standard civil service protections, and community advocates are rallying voters for a November ballot measure to change that. Community members, library staff, and labor advocates gathered Sunday to kick off a campaign supporting civil service protections for Memphis Public Library employees. Currently classified as "appointed positions," library workers lack the same protections as other city d

Beat: Education The federal lawsuit challenging Tennessee's takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) has been amended to name all nine state-appointed oversight board members as defendants. MSCS and the Shelby County Government are suing the State of Tennessee over the constitutionality of the School Accountability Act, which created a state-appointed oversight board. The amended 80-page lawsuit now adds the nine individual board members: including prominent local fig

By Dr. Layne McDonald, Founder of Memphis News with a Purpose Beat: Public Safety Direct Answer: A dangerous heat wave is settling over Memphis this week with "feels like" temperatures between 103-110°F through July 4th weekend. The Mid-South is under a First Alert heat advisory from June 29 through at least Thursday, with highs in the mid-to-upper 90s. Local officials and meteorologists urge residents to limit outdoor activity, prioritize hydration, and check on vulnerable n

Violent crime in Memphis has fallen nearly 40% year-over-year, driven by the Memphis Safe Task Force's multi-agency efforts : but officials warn the city cannot become complacent if it wants to sustain the progress. Murders, rapes, aggravated assaults, robberies, vehicle thefts, and burglaries are all down nearly 40% compared to this time last year, according to recent Memphis Police Department (MPD) data. The Memphis Safe Task Force : comprised of approximately 350 federal a

Beat: Sports The Memphis Grizzlies have acquired veteran center Isaiah Stewart from the Detroit Pistons in a trade that sends three second-round picks to Detroit: adding toughness, elite rim protection, and a physical enforcer to a young roster headlined by rookie Cameron Boozer. In a post-draft move, the Grizzlies flipped assets they'd accumulated on draft night to land Stewart, a 6'8" big man with a 7'5" wingspan who finished 5th in block percentage among qualified players

The University of Memphis has dismissed defensive lineman Chris Stokes from the football program after his arrest Thursday for misdemeanor possession of a weapon on school property. Campus police stopped Stokes near the intersection of Goodlett and Douglass after observing two vehicles traveling at high rates of speed. During the ensuing traffic stop, Stokes granted permission for an officer to retrieve his identification from his backpack, leading to the discovery of a Glock

Violent crime in Memphis has fallen nearly 40% year-over-year, driven by the Memphis Safe Task Force, significantly improved homicide clearance rates, and sustained community prevention efforts: but leaders warn these gains could reverse if the city's vigilance fades. This dramatic shift reflects a turning tide in the Bluff City, where data from the Memphis Police Department (MPD) shows murders, rapes, aggravated assaults, robberies, and burglaries all trending downward. The

Memphis Mayor Paul Young appointed new leaders to three key city positions , COO, CFO, and Interim City Engineer , in a sudden shakeup, bringing in private-sector and treasury experience to strengthen city operations. The strategic reorganization introduces Chris Winton, a former executive at FedEx and Tesla, as the new Chief Operating Officer, while elevating Art Davis to Chief Financial Officer. Greg Dotson, a seasoned professional with nearly three decades of engineering

About 120 teenagers from City Hope Church in Centralia, Illinois, spent their week cleaning and clearing the former Union Grove Baptist Church on Frayser Boulevard: now the Legacy Impact Community Resource Center: launching an $8 million restoration project to serve Memphis families. The visiting youth group cleared massive amounts of debris, scrubbed interiors, and prepped the historic site for a total renovation after the building had been shuttered due to severe weather da

A new 23-unit middle-income cottage court called Belle Mont has officially opened in Memphis' Crosstown neighborhood, offering "missing middle" housing options between single-family homes and large apartment complexes. City leaders, including Mayor Paul Young, cut the ribbon on the Belle Mont development Wednesday afternoon at the North Montgomery Street site. Located less than half a mile from the bustling Crosstown Concourse, this project serves as a cornerstone for the cit

Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) and Shelby County Government have filed a federal lawsuit against the state of Tennessee, challenging the constitutionality of a new law that authorizes a state takeover of the district. This legal challenge, filed on June 18, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, aims to halt the implementation of Public Chapter 1057. The plaintiffs argue the law unfairly targets the majority-Black school district and viol

More than 120 teenagers from City Hope Church in Centralia, Illinois, traveled to Memphis this week to kick off the restoration of the Legacy Impact Community Resource Center in the Frayser neighborhood. The group spent hours clearing thousands of pounds of trash and debris from the former Union Grove Baptist Church building on Frayser Boulevard. The building, which had fallen into disrepair, is being transformed into a community resource center for local youth and families.

The Memphis Grizzlies made a massive splash in the 2026 NBA Draft, selecting Duke forward Cameron Boozer with the No. 3 overall pick and adding Mexican forward Karim Lopez at No. 21 : then acquiring veteran center Isaiah Stewart from Detroit in a flurry of trades. This aggressive series of moves signals a definitive "new era" for the franchise as they look to blend elite young talent with physical, veteran leadership. With the addition of a foundational offensive piece in Boo

Memphis-Shelby County Schools students are showing steady improvement in reading on state TCAP tests, but math proficiency : especially in middle school : remains a significant challenge as a state-appointed takeover board prepares to assume control July 1. Preliminary results show MSCS third graders posted the strongest gains, with just under 32% achieving reading proficiency, up from 29.2% last year. District-wide reading proficiency rose by 1 percentage point to 25.7%, tho

Beat: Sports The Memphis Grizzlies have finalized a high-stakes NBA draft week by landing Cameron Boozer and trading for Isaiah Stewart, while the Redbirds celebrate a historic playoff berth and the community rallies to house 82-year-old Christine Marshall. This week’s news highlights a season of transition and triumph for the Bluff City. From the hardwood of FedExForum to the baseball diamond at AutoZone Park and the heart of our neighborhoods, Memphis is seeing a blend of h

The new Memphis Art Museum: scheduled to open its doors Downtown in December 2026: will offer free general admission to all Shelby County residents, ensuring that the city’s premiere cultural destination remains accessible to every member of the local community. The Memphis Art Museum announced this landmark decision as construction nears completion on its expansive new facility overlooking the Mississippi River. Supported by a significant philanthropic push led by Barbara an

The Fourth Annual Small Business Expo kicks off today at the Renasant Convention Center in Downtown Memphis, highlighting a program that has invested $9 million into local businesses and created more than 600 jobs. EDGE (Economic Development Growth Engine) is hosting the Fourth Annual Small Business Expo at the Renasant Convention Center starting at 11 a.m. today. The free event connects Memphis entrepreneurs with resources, networks, and support systems. EDGE President Joann

A new 23-unit middle-income cottage court called Belle Mont officially opened Wednesday in Memphis' Crosstown neighborhood, part of the city's innovative MI-Pilot program aimed at closing the housing gap between traditional single-family homes and large apartment complexes. City leaders cut the ribbon on Belle Mont, a 23-unit cottage court on North Montgomery Street less than half a mile from Crosstown Concourse. Each home features a front porch designed to encourage neighbor

A South Memphis nonprofit is transforming a red brick house into the Heart of Opportunities House : a permanent community resource hub and transitional housing program for young men facing homelessness, unemployment, and trauma. Keedran Franklin, executive director of the Community Unity Council, is renovating a home in South Memphis to serve as both a resource hub and transitional housing for young men. The Heart of Opportunities House will offer trauma support meetings, aft