News Staff Five people, an album, five singles and a book have been chosen to join this year’s Blues Hall of Fame class. The Memphis, Tennessee-based Blues Foundation said the 12 newest honorees of the Blues Hall of Fame will be celebrated at an event on May 4. Singers Lucille Bogan, Little Willie John and Johnnie Taylor … Read more
Marvis LaVerne Kneeland Jones, an educator and activist who was one of eight Black students who integrated Memphis State University when they first attended class in 1959, has died at age 81, a funeral home said. Jones died Sunday, E.H. Ford Mortuary in Memphis said in an an obituary Tuesday. No cause of death was … Read more
Despite already enacting one of the strictest abortion bans in the U.S., Tennessee Republicans on Tuesday began advancing yet another anti-abortion measure strategically written to sidestep federal court challenges. The proposal is almost a direct copycat of legislation currently enacted in Texas, which not only prohibits doctors from performing abortion before most people know they’re … Read more
A couple of local residents are planning Olive Branch’s first rodeo event. It’ll be called Bucking in the Branch, and it’s scheduled for May 21st. It’s believed to be the first outdoor bull riding rodeo ever held in Olive Branch. Jeff Cupp and Chris Milliorn both live in the city and they are continuing to … Read more
Opening statements were set for Tuesday in the trial of a man charged with killing former NBA player Lorenzen Wright, whose body was found in a swampy field nearly 12 years ago in Memphis, Tennessee. A 15-person jury was seated Monday in the trial of Billy Ray Turner, who has pleaded not guilty to charges … Read more
Tennessee’s GOP-controlled General Assembly has advanced legislation banning local officials from requiring police officers to live in the county they patrol. House and Senate lawmakers had gone back and forth whether the ban should apply statewide or only in Memphis, where the police chief has argued the region’s residency requirement has hindered recruitment efforts and … Read more
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves says he is not ruling out the possibility of calling a special legislative session to seek elimination of the state income tax if the House and Senate reach an impasse on the issue. Legislators face deadlines late this month to agree on tax and budget bills for the year that begins … Read more
Some West Tennessee lawmakers are speaking out about a proposal to halt the state’s gas tax temporarily. The proposal has been floated as a way to provide relief to consumers amid skyrocketing gasoline prices. State Representatives Bo Mitchell and John Ray Clemmons, both of the Memphis area, wrote a letter to goever Bill Lee, asking … Read more
Tennessee’s two U.S. Senators and nine members of the U.S. House have sent a letter to President Joe Biden asking him to approve Gov. Bill Lee’s request for a major disaster declaration for a February winter storm. Lee requested federal public assistance for Crockett, Fayette, Haywood, Lauderdale, Shelby, Tipton, and Weakley counties following an ice … Read more
Memphis Police are investigating the death of a newborn baby found alongside a roadway in Memphis. The infant appeared to be full term and had been wrapped in a towel and placed in a bag, Memphis police said in a statement. Officers located the child on Sunday, the statement said. No further information was released. … Read more