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In Tennessee, monkeypox vaccine is limited and appointments booked for months
Drew, a Nashville businessman, went to bed early one Sunday night in July, assuming his busy weekend with family and friends had left him exhausted. But the next morning, he woke up with COVID-like symptoms, and — despite a negative home test — off he went to a walk-in clinic. The doctor on duty tested […]
‘You haven’t been a good community partner’: Memphis residents skeptical of TVA promises
The Tennessee Valley Authority promised Wednesday to treat Memphians better if it were kept as an energy provider for the next two decades, but community activists that have long battled for increased transparency and accountability say they doubt TVA will change its ways. As Memphis, Light, Gas and Water continues discussions on whether to leave […]
Memphis Gas, Light & Water likely to stick with TVA for energy
Memphis Gas, Light & Water is considering keeping the Tennessee Valley Authority as its energy provider for another 20 years, to the dismay of community activists critical of TVA’s treatment of low income communities of color. On Thursday morning, MLGW made its “grand reveal” of vendors to potentially replace an 80-year partnership with TVA, whose […]
Public comment: Environmental group leaders say TVA makes input difficult
While the Tennessee Valley Authority, a utility company that provides power to millions in Tennessee and other states, allows for public input into decisions, the process isn’t simple or transparent, say some regular attendees. Take, for instance, Tuesday’s public listening session: Representatives of the Tennessee Chapter of the Sierra Club say they were told they […]
A celebrity chef closes Nashville restaurant, leaving workers jobless
According to managers of Chaatable, an Indian restaurant owned by celebrity chef Maneet Chauhan, Friday was business as usual. But workers were suspicious. For months, rumors spread that Chaatable would be closing after four years in business. Staff members learned from public documents that the management wasn’t renewing the restaurant’s lease and waited to hear […]
Mulroy, ACLU announce changes to Shelby County’s cash bail system
Shelby County District Attorney-elect Steve Mulroy joined leaders from the American Civil Liberties Union-Tennessee on Thursday to announce reform to Shelby County’s current money bail system. On Thursday, a press conference hosted by the ACLU detailed that after extended negotiations with county officials, judges and criminal-justice advocates, Shelby County will be implementing a complete overhaul […]
Amid uncertainty and anger, Tennessee’s abortion ban takes effect
Tennessee on Thursday became the latest state in the nation to ban abortion, implementing a strict new law with no exceptions for rape, incest or fatal fetal anomalies while subjecting doctors who choose to perform lifesaving abortions to the risk of criminal prosecution. The state’s Human Life Protection Act is among the toughest abortion bans […]
Tennessee’s public school systems look for creative solutions to teacher shortages
Tennessee’s public schools are finding creative solutions to solve teacher shortages, a problem not limited to Tennessee, but experienced nationwide. The pandemic exacerbated existing teacher shortages, as school districts across the country struggled to attract and retain staff, especially in critical areas such as special education, bilingual education, science, technology, engineering, math, career and technical […]
Memphis City Council redraws districts
The Memphis City Council approved new district lines on Tuesday while noting that District 4 may see further changes after the special election on the Nov. 8 ballot. After being elected in the Aug. 4 election to serve as the new Shelby County Circuit Court Clerk, city council chairwoman Jamita Swearengen resigned on Aug. 9, […]
2020 report claims new Hickman County wastewater plant unnecessary
A public utility’s proposal to discharge wastewater from heavily populated counties into rural Hickman County would be unnecessary if the utility district maintained its systems, according to an engineer who prepared an analysis of the Water Authority of Dickson County. A 2020 report by George Kurz analyzing the WADC’s annual treated wastewater flow showed that […]
Clean energy coalition urges TVA to take advantage of Inflation Reduction Act funds
Clean energy advocates are urging the Tennessee Valley Authority to use funds provided through the Inflation Reduction Act to deliver environmentally-friendly energy to Tennessee customers. The massive bill Congress passed Friday includes $370 billion for clean energy investments and listed TVA as an entity that is eligible to take advantage of clean energy credits and […]
TIRRC Votes harnesses “Black and brown political power”
Efforts to increase voter participation among immigrant communities led to increased turnout and elections of immigrant-rights candidates, said advocates. Following the August 4 primary election, the Tennessee Immigrant and Rights Coalition’s affiliate TIRRC Votes celebrated the election of several pro-immigrant candidates among school board races, district attorney races and other elected positions. “Our TIRRC Votes […]