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Shelby
By James Coleman Special to The Tri-State Defender
Entering his final year, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris presented the broad strokes of his proposed $1.7 billion fiscal year 2026 budget, with a 66 cent property tax reduction as a central focus.
“If approved, this will be the lowest property tax rate in Shelby County for more than 30 years,” Harris said.
The proposed reduction would represent a 20% decrease in the county’s property tax rate of $3.39 per $1,000 of assessed value. Harris has maintained that rate during his seven years in office.
However, the tax cut is accompanied by a proposal to raise the county’s wheel tax by $5. The increase to $80 would “align” the county’s fee with that of Memphis.
“Right now, there are just over 600,000 registered vehicles in Shelby County, which is about a 100,000 drop from 12 months ago,” Harris said. “We need to make up that difference in revenue this budget cycle.”
The budget also includes a pay raise for the county’s lowest-paid employees, setting a new minimum salary at $40,000 per year. Currently, some workers earn as little as $32,000 annually.
“If adopted, the budget means many thousands of working families struggling in Memphis and Shelby County will pay less in property taxes than they paid last year,” Harris said.
The claim of a “tax cut” was contested by Commissioner Amber Mills, who pointed out that the proposed decrease matched the state’s certified tax rate, which was set earlier this year. She also argued that it would be problematic for the county to accumulate a “windfall” by keeping the rate higher than necessary.
“We have the option to set the tax rate at whatever level we want,” Harris responded.
Mills chose not to continue the debate and deferred to the next commissioner.
The proposed increase in the wheel
tax drew criticism for potentially impacting lower-income families disproportionately. Some also noted that the wheel tax might have a significant effect on homeownership rates in the county’s Black community.
“Only 38% of Black people own homes in Shelby County,” said Commissioner Erika Sugarmon.
Despite concerns, Sugarmon expressed support for most of the proposed budget and highlighted her collaboration with Harris to address employee pay.
Other major priorities in the budget include $500 million for the construction of a new Regional One Health hospital campus, new high schools in Frayser and Cordova, and a $100 million contribution to the county’s pension fund to maintain its AAA
credit rating.
One notable omission from the budget is funding for a new Shelby County Jail, which is part of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office’s proposed $1.4 billion budget.
“There’s no question we need a new jail,” said Commissioner Charlie Caswell Jr. “We’re looking at a murder a day.”
Harris explained the decision to prioritize new schools over the jail by citing the age of county facilities.
“I realize the jail was built in 1980, but you’ve got to realize, of all our facilities in Shelby County, we have many that are much older,” Harris said. “The school buildings, on average, were built in the 1950s.”
Commissioners have until the end of June to approve the budget. The new fiscal year begins on July 1.
By Candace A. Gray Special to The Tri-State Defender
With health care access, rising costs and mental health top of mind, community leaders gathered for an in-depth conversation at The Tri-State Defender’s Health and Wellness Forum, held at the Memphis Health Center Wednesday, May 14. The goal was to connect with readers and explore barriers to health care in the Black community. The event was part of the TSD in the Community Forums series. Moderated by civic leader Lori Spicer Robertson, the panel featured a cross-section of health care and government leaders dedicated to reshaping care for underserved communities.
Panelists included:
• Miska Clay Bibbs, Shelby County commissioner and budget chair
• Tish Towns, executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Regional One Health
• Richard Ransom, strategic communications director at Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare
• Dr. Robert Decolli, chief medical officer at Memphis Health Center
• August White, executive director of the Mental Health Cooperative
From the outset, speakers emphasized their commitment to the health and wellness of the Memphis community, many sharing personal ties and professional missions rooted in service.
“I drive down Jefferson every day to make a difference,” said Towns, a Memphis native and Orange Mound resident. “We’re not just in this work — we’re from the communities we serve.”
The cost of care and chronic disease
The rising cost of care dominated early discussions. Panelists noted that
“We have to listen to people, break it down and meet them where they are. Small steps, like losing five pounds or walking 5,000 steps a day, can add up.”
— Richard Ransom
while programs like the Affordable Care Act have improved access, many families remain underinsured or unable to pay for services. Decolli pointed to flexible models in place at Memphis Health Center to assist patients, including a sliding fee scale, Saturday hours, walk-in availability and mobile units for underserved neighborhoods. Bibbs discussed the significant chunk of the county’s budget spent on health care and highlighted the use of federal opioid settlement dollars to launch
programs like the District Connector Program, a grassroots initiative that trains residents to serve as health navigators to guide people through the health care process. She also mentioned that the top health issues plaguing our community are heart disease, cancer, stroke and unintentional injuries.
Ransom shared an overview of Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare’s Healthier 901 campaign, which is tackling Memphis’s high rates of obesity, diabetes and preventable chronic disease.
Ransom stressed the need for simpler messaging.
“We have to listen to people, break it down and meet them where they are,” he said. “Small steps, like losing five pounds or walking 5,000 steps a day, can add up.”
Barriers to access:
More than just insurance
Robertson started with a heavy-hitting question about barriers to health care access. Towns highlighted both visible and invisible challenges: transportation, affordability, health literacy and fear — especially historical mistrust rooted in past injustices put upon African Americans, such as the Tuskegee syphilis study.
“We must wrap care around the whole person,” Towns said, pointing to Regional One’s One Health initiative, which connects patients to food pantries, housing support, cancer screening and other wraparound services.
Decolli echoed that point, emphasizing that literacy, not just reading, but understanding food and medical labels, often determines outcomes.
“Preventive care is the hardest nut to crack,” he said. “If we don’t educate people now, 20 years from now, we’ll still be treating complications like amputations from diabetes.”
Mental health: changing the narrative
Mental health was positioned as being just as important as physical health. White, a licensed therapist, said the stigma in communities of color remains a significant obstacle.
“We’ve been conditioned to believe we can pray it away,” White said. “But true healing starts when we say, ‘I’m not okay,’ and recognize that as strength.”
“Preventive care is the hardest nut to crack. If we don’t educate people now, 20 years from now, we’ll still be treating complications like amputations from diabetes.”
— Dr. Robert Decolli
Panelists agreed on the need to lead with cultural humility, invest in therapists of color and bring resources directly to neighborhoods through churches, barbershops and community centers.
Towns added that emotional and behavioral health must be seen as inseparable from physical health. “There’s trauma just in walking into a hospital,” she said. “We have to recognize and respond to that.”
The role of policy and partnerships
Bibbs and others emphasized the role of policy in driving systemic change. Programs such as ShelbyCares and neighborhood-based wellness hubs in areas like Binghampton and Raleigh are designed to bring primary care,
coaching and mental health support into underserved areas.
Robertson asked panelists how the health care community could build more sincere partnerships. August White responded, “Early intervention can change someone’s whole life. But we need everyone, from schools to churches to salons, to be part of the network.”
questions and call to action
During the Q&A following the panel discussion, community member April Hood shared her story of surviving a hypertensive crisis and finding support at Memphis Health Center.
“They saw me — not as a number, but as a person,” Hood said. She also mentioned still needing mental health
support after having received physical health support, and White offered to point her in the right direction.
Another community member asked why police get called when people are having mental health crises. White recommended asking for involvement from Crisis Intervention Teams (CITs), who are trained to de-escalate during mental health emergencies.
The evening closed with reflections on what a healed Memphis might look like.
“Memphis heals,” Bibbs said, “if we remember we’re all connected.”
“Memphis heals,” Towns added, “when our communities are healthy and have real support for economic mobility.”
Key takeaway: Resources are available. Make and attend preventive appointments, not just for physical health but for mental health, and health providers will meet you where you are.
The next TSD in the Community Forum, focusing on education, is scheduled for July 16 in Hickory Hill, District 11.
By Ancelious Meeks Special to The Tri-State Defender
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The sweet smell of smoked meat filled the air at Tom Lee Park as Rescue Smokers from Sycamore, Georgia, were named the 2025 Grand Champion of SmokeSlam, the premier barbecue competition that wrapped up its festivities Saturday, May 17.
Led by pitmaster Robby Royal, the seasoned team took top honors after clinching first place in Pulled Pork and a strong fourth place in Ribs, solidifying their dominance among the 76 teams vying for a share of the $150,000 prize pool.
“Rescue-style baby, yeah!” Royal shouted, hoisting his trophy triumphantly as he exited the winners’ stage. “This is the same crew we had last year, we brought it back,” he said. “I’ve been doing this style of BBQ since 2002 ... to have the opportunity to get this grand championship in 2025 after messing up last year, it’s the greatest feeling in the world.”
SmokeSlam kicked off May 15, drawing barbecue enthusiasts, families and food lovers from across the country. While the spotlight competitions in Whole Hog, Ribs and Pulled Pork were announced during the May 17 ceremony, Friday, May 16, featured additional creative contests ranging from Duck and Bacon to Cocktails and Dessert.
Also honored was the World Junior BBQ League Grand Champion, Totally Bodacious BBQ, who walked away with a $5,000 prize after standout performances across multiple categories including Pork, Brisket, Ribs and Chicken.
Attendee Chateaur Shipp, enjoying the festivities with family, said, “I really enjoyed the BBQ fest, it’s a great way to fellowship with people I hadn’t met before, and the food was good. It was my first time attending one, and I didn’t know what to expect, but overall I’m pleased with my experience today.”
Festival vibes were kept high thanks to DJ Superman of Hot 107.1, who provided the soundtrack for a weekend of smoky, saucy celebration.
Grand Champion: Rescue Smokers
Pulled Pork
1. Rescue Smokers
2. Poker Porkers
3. Swine Life BBQ
Ribs
1. Fireside Smokers
2. Rebel Roaster Review
3. Ole Booger Bear’s BBQ
4. Rescue Smokers
Whole Hog
1. Fireman John’s BBQ
2. Grind City Smokers
3. Swineantology
Seafood: I Only Smoke When I
Poultry: Sicilian Smoker’s
Wings: BBQ Team
Dry Rub: Sweet Cheeks BBQ
Duck: Smokin’ On The River
Bacon: Hotty Totty BBQ Dream Team
Beef: Smoked N Spiced
Cocktail: Robinson Smokehouse
Dessert: Hotty Totty BBQ Dream Team
Best Booth: Sweet Cheeks BBQ
Best T-Shirt: Smokestack Lightning
World Junior BBQ League
Grand Champion: Totally Bodacious BBQ
Brisket: LG BBQ
Ribs: Totally Bodacious BBQ
Chicken: Totally Bodacious BBQ
Pork: Totally Bodacious BBQ
As the smoke clears and grills cool down, Rescue Smokers head back to Georgia with hardware in hand and fire in their bellies — ready for the next challenge on the barbecue circuit.
By Lee Eric Smith Special to The Tri-State Defender
It took vision. It took legwork. It took canvassing neighborhoods to collect more than 2,000 petition signatures and nearly 10 years. But now, it’s finally here: Frayser has a brand-new library on James Road. And given the occasion, residents were loud and boisterous in the library and no one complained.
“Frayser’s got it going on!” said County Commissioner Charlie Caswell Jr., acknowledging the recent groundbreaking of Frayser High School as more signs of progress. “They don’t tell these (positive) stories on the news, but Frayser is on the move!”
Caswell was one of several city and county leaders who addressed a standing-room only crowd at the library, with sunlight beaming in through the tall, south-facing windows. At 23,000 square feet, the facility is a drastic upgrade from the previous 6,000 square foot library on Ardmore Street.
The crowd at last week’s grand opening was jubilant and overflowing — a moment of civic pride that many in the room had been fighting for over the better part of a decade.
‘Don’t worry —
We’re going to get this library’
At the heart of that fight was Annar Brown, a longtime Frayser resident and founding member of the Friends of the Frayser Library. Long before any funding was approved, before designs were drawn or sites selected, Brown was doing the quiet but powerful work of community organizing — fueled by a simple belief: Frayser deserved better. She rallied her neighbors, helped
done before,” Moore said. “We want our Moore calls “a vibrant hub for learning, creativity and community connections.”
the library,” she said. “As you see, this is
After nearly a decade of grassroots effort and more than 2,000 petition signatures, Frayser celebrated the grand opening of its new 23,000-square-foot library on James Road. Residents, city leaders, and county officials filled the sunlit space in a standing-room-only crowd—marking a proud milestone in the neighborhood’s ongoing story of resilience and renewal. (Lee Eric Smith/ Tri-State Defender)
During his remarks, Memphis Mayor Paul Young bragged that the Frayser Library is the first government building in Memphis built to LEED Gold standards, a designation that recognizes high achievement in energy efficiency and sustainable design.
“It’s not just any library. It’s a library
reflect the diversity and ambition of the community itself. Among the highlights:
• A Tween Summer Camp that blends reading comprehension with hands-on creativity — participants will express their favorite books by building miniature dioramas.
• A Teen Tech Camp, where students will learn how to safely and responsibly operate the library’s brand-new 3D
the community — for all, for the future. Not just right now, but for the future.
“It’s just awesome. We are a close community. We really are,” Brown said. “And I’m just … I’m at a loss for words, really. But I am so happy.”
The Frayser Library, located at 2200 James Road, is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more info, visit https://memphislibrary.org.
Troutman:
‘This act of violence is painful, but it will not break our spirit’
By Lee Eric Smith Special to The Tri-State Defender
Investigators confirmed Wednesday what many Memphians feared ever since Historic Clayborn Temple went up in flames late last month: That the building had been intentionally set ablaze.
In a joint statement, the Memphis Fire Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) announced the conclusion of their investigation, stating the blaze originated inside the building and was deliberately ignited.
MFD also released SkyCop images of a person of interest — a young black male dressed in black and carrying a backpack, walking down Martin Luther King Blvd. near FedExForum.
Clayborn Temple, a national civil rights landmark and former base of operations for the 1968 Sanitation Workers Strike, had been undergoing a years-long restoration. Its famed stained glass windows — recently completed by Memphis artist Lonnie Robinson in collaboration with Pearl River Glass Studio in Jackson, Mississippi — were among the most celebrated aspects of the building’s renewal. The announcement comes just weeks after community leaders, artists, and clergy gathered to mourn the loss and express hope for rebuilding. Now, that
hope is laced with a demand for justice.
“We are deeply grateful to the Memphis Fire Department, the ATF, and all agencies involved for their careful, ongoing investigation,” Anasa Troutman, executive director of Historic Clayborn Temple, said in the statement Wednesday..
With the investigation’s onsite portion complete, the fire department has relinquished control of the property back to the Historic Clayborn Temple management team. Authorities emphasized that the investigation remains active.
Troutman is set to address media during a virtual press conference set for today at 1:30 PM.
In the hours and days after the fire, many feared it might be an act of racial hatred — an echo of church bombings from an earlier era. And while a motive and suspect are still unclear, Troutman isn’t — not when it comes to the future of Clayborn Temple.
“Clayborn Temple is sacred ground — home to generations of struggle, resilience, and creativity. This act of violence is painful, but it will not break our spirit,” Troutman said. “Memphis has shown it is ready to heal and to lead.
Troutman also is founder and CEO of the nonprofit organization The BIG We. “Under The BIG We’s stewardship, Clayborn Temple will rise again — not
just as a building, but as a center for cultural, economic, and civic renewal.
Thank you for standing with us,” her statement concluded.
Anyone with information about
the fire or suspect is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 901-528-CASH (2274) or the Tennessee Arson Hotline at 1-800-762-3017. Tipsters may be eligible for an $11,000 cash reward.
By Alicia Rancilio Associated Press
When CBS’ soap opera “Beyond the Gates” premiered in February, soap opera fans and veterans alike hailed it as a win for Black history and culture.
Now, the first soap to feature a majority Black cast has been renewed for a second season. Its creation was both a savvy business move and an acknowledgment of Black viewers’ passion for the genre as overall broadcast ratings have declined.
George Cheeks, the CBS chief, told Vulture magazine last year the show was born out of crunching numbers: “One of the things that the data made very clear is that daytime soap operas over index with Black women.”
“I think there’s kind of a renewed appreciation for the audiences that do still engage in broadcast programming, and a recognition that one of those audiences are Black women, and this was a way to serve that audience,” says Elana Levine, a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee professor and author of “Her Stories: Daytime Soap Opera and US Television History.”
The Drucilla effect
Victoria Rowell’s “Young and the Restless” character, Drucilla Barber Winters, was introduced in 1990 as “an illiterate thief,” she says. Rowell worked with co-creator and then-head writer William J. Bell to give the character dimension. Drucilla became a ballet dancer, like Rowell herself, a storyline that showed “it is possible to be in a lower socioeconomic environment and be aspirational.”
She still receives letters from fans who cite Drucilla as inspiration.
The feeling, Rowell explains is, “Oh my God, I can be a ballet dancer through Drucilla, a pull-up-by-thebootstraps kind of chick that’s rough around the edges and that can learn how to read and write, perhaps, and meet a Neil Winters and get married and improve her life.”
Rowell’s tenure with the show, though, has been up and down. She has only glowing things to say about Bell, who died in 2005. But she sued CBS and producers in 2015 after she says she pushed for the casting of more Black actors and wasn’t hired back on the soap as a result. They later settled. After “Beyond the Gates” was announced, Rowell says she received a letter from CBS acknowledging her place in the show’s DNA.
“I have been contacted with great respect from the powers that be at CBS, thanking me for all of my hard work, recognizing the work that I have done that has influenced this moment, and I appreciate that,” she said.
She was “astounded” to be asked to audition for the matriarch role of Anita Dupree, but says she didn’t hear back after submitting her tape. The role went to Tamara Tunie, whom Rowell describes as “a brilliant actress.”
CBS did not respond to a request for comment.
More soap veterans weigh in
Darnell Williams was cast as teen Jesse Hubbard on ABC’s “All My Children” in 1981 to capitalize on younger fans who fell in love with Luke and Laura on
“General Hospital.” His fan base exploded after Debbi Morgan was cast as Angie Baxter. Jesse and Angie are regarded as daytime’s first Black supercouple.
“Before that, we didn’t see Black love, and what message does that send? It said that it did not exist because it was not reflected,” said Sherri Williams, an assistant professor at American University who studies Black representation in media.
Darnell Williams says he was surprised by the audience reaction.
“I think about the first time we realized the impact we’d had on the audience, we had gone to a movie in Times Square one night, and after the movie, the lights had come back up and we heard this rumbling. We were looking around and all of a sudden we heard our names being chanted,” he said.
When he thinks about “Beyond the Gates,” Williams says he’s hopeful about the job opportunities the show can provide.
For years, Veronica Redd played Mamie Johnson — Drucilla’s aunt — on “The Young and the Restless.” When she tuned into the premiere of “Beyond the Gates,” what she saw got her attention, but what she heard blew her away.
“I was not prepared,” laughs Redd. It begins with a woman driving a Mercedes-Benz through the gates of an exclusive country club. The Emotions’ “Best of My Love” is playing — something that told Redd the production value was top notch.
Daytime isn’t usually Redd’s favorite
genre even though she acknowledges “it’s paid the bills for many decades.” “Beyond the Gates,” though, has earned a spot in Redd’s TV time.
“They got me hooked,” she says.
Enlightenment through entertainment
If “Beyond the Gates” can open the doors to new conversation, that’s a good thing, says Kimberly McGhee, a Tennessee viewer.
McGhee appreciates how one of the main characters is a psychiatrist. Mental health can be viewed as taboo within the Black community, and McGhee believes incorporating it into storylines could help beat the stigma.
The soap also addresses Black history: Clifton Davis plays the Dupree family patriarch, a civil rights activist whose advocacy efforts are often mentioned. Bringing in the civil rights generation is “pretty significant,” said Sherri Williams, but “not surprising” given the NAACP’s producing credit.
Some have critiqued how the main cast primarily includes light-skinned Black actors, though.
“Beyond the Gates” may have been created with a Black audience in mind, but a diverse one is tuning in.
Charlene Polite Corley, Nielsen’s vice president of diverse insights and partnerships, says 52% of the total audience is Black.
By Terri Schlichenmeyer Special to The Tri-State Defender
Mom never had to worry.
After she reminded you to look out for your siblings, she didn’t have to tell you again. From then on, you had one another’s backs, you were a team that nobody messed with. And all these years later, you still watch out for them because, in your house and in “Blair Underwood Presents: Sins of Survivors,” by Joe McClean, family comes first. Every now and then, Benjamin Carter woke up, remembering.
He was a youngster when white men killed his father in a way that still caused nightmares. It’d been decades since then — decades since his oldest brother, Jasper, took charge and moved Benjamin, their sister and their half-brother away from Alabama to the safety of Ohio, then to Detroit. Decades, but the memories never went away.
Still, Benjamin and Jasper had done well for themselves. It was 1937, the Detroit suburb of Black Bottom was mostly thriving despite hard times, and the Carter brothers were important men in the areas of business, industry and entertainment.
As long as they paid the bribes required to the police force and to the other powerful organized crime groups that ruled the Black Bottom section of Detroit, there’d be no trouble. As long as Benjamin’s sons and Jasper’s children could keep the family businesses running smoothly, everything was good. Still, there was trouble. Tensions were heating up between the automakers and the unions, and Benjamin’s connections with corrupt politicians were complicated by racism and grift from outside forces. His son, the one who ran the Carter brother’s most profitable business, a night club, was involved with a Russian prostitute at a brothel run by a
c.2025, Amistad $19.99 288 pages
woman who Benjamin didn’t want to admit was his cousin. His youngest son was a dreamer. His daughter was fast becoming invested in women’s rights. And it was possible that his half-brother, Lance, a man Benjamin hated, might not be on the Carter brothers’ side.
Starting about thirty pages in, “Sins of Survivors” is rough. There are way too many characters in it — some come and go on a page and never return — and there are large chunks of book in which you might not completely know what’s going on. It’s a struggle.
That doesn’t mean that it’s a total waste of your time, though.
As the screenwriter-director that he is, author Joe McClean offers an action-packed story that’s based in part on real history, with touches of crime and corruption that will appeal to readers of 1930s-type noir fiction or fans of the Francis Ford Coppola trilogy. The side-stories in which the Carter brothers’ children partake is a nice touch, too, because plot-threads like those don’t often appear in gangster novels.
But do those good things overshadow the roughness? That’ll be determined by your need for clarity, because it’s not always here in this novel.
Sealed bids will be received by the Shelby County Government in the Department of Housing online until 9:30 a.m. on Friday, June 6, 2025, as shown below:
MULTIPLE AND ENTIRELY DIFFERENT LEAD HAZARD REDUCTION AND REHABILITATION JOBS ARE CONTAINED IN THIS BID NOTICE. BIDDER(S) MAY ELECT TO BID ON ANY OR ALL OF THE JOBS IN THE NOTICE.
SEALED BID I000935 DUE ONLINE AT 9:30 a.m. Friday, June 6, 2025
1. Rehabilitation of Owner-Occupied Housing Units throughout Shelby County some of which may require the use of lead-safe work practices and techniques, and 2. Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Jobs.
Detailed specifications for the items above may be obtained through the Neighborly Portal beginning Friday, May 23, 2025 All bids will be opened and publicly read by the Shelby County Government at the time mentioned above at the Department of Housing, 6465 Mullins Station Road Memphis, TN 38134, (901) 222-7600; TTY Number (901) 222-2301; or for information in Spanish 901-222-7601. Award recommendations will be posted at the following website https://www.develop901.com/ housing upon review of the bid opening results.
As a condition precedent to bidding, each bidder must apply and qualify for a Vendor Number and Equal Opportunity Compliance (EOC) Eligibility Number prior to submitting your response.
We have now transitioned to conducting bids online through Neighborly. If you have not already signed up, you can do so at https://portal. neighborlysoftware.com/SHELBYCOUNTYTN/ contractor. All documents submitted must be current and uploaded into your Neighborly account. Bids submitted without all required documentation will be unacceptable. Paisley Pogue (Paisley.Pogue@shelbycountytn.gov or 901-222-7611) will be assisting with any questions you may have regarding uploading the documents.
All new contractors will need to register with the Neighborly portal in order for their bids to be accepted on projects. Interested contractors not currently on the contractor list should contact the Department of Housing in order to schedule a meeting with the Housing Site Inspector.
Paper copies of bids are no longer available. The Department of Housing encourages participation from WBE, MBE, LOSB, and Section 3 Contractors under these rehabilitation programs.
The Shelby County Government reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive any informalities therein.
By order of LEE HARRIS, MAYOR SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT
Scott Walkup, Administrator
STATE OF TENNESSEE
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION
DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES Davy Crockett Tower
500 James Robertson Parkway, 9th Floor Nashville, Tennessee 37243-1102
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOPH25-004 May 19, 2025
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN; The Division
1509 Madison Ave. Memphis, TN 38104
PH (901) 523-1818
HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
DEADLINES:
Display ads Friday 5
STANDARD RATES: $8.00 per line for 1 column ad.
Rates are non-commissionable and are quoted at the net rate. No refund for early cancellation. For additional information contact Sales Dept. at (901) 746-5201 or email: advertising@tsdmemphis.com.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
The Tri-State Defender reserves the right to edit all copy or to reject or cancel any ad at any time. Copy change during ordered schedule constitutes new ad & new changes. Deadlines for cancellation are identical to placement deadlines.
of Water Resources will hold two (2) public hearings pursuant to Rule 0400-40-06-.04 (10) on the proposed issuance of SOP-24025 CTC Properties LLC, Colossus Water Recycling Plant (CWRP). The Division public noticed intent to issue this permit on April 15, 2025. Multiple persons requested a hearing to ensure transparency on this activity.
Ways to Participate: (Either Format Gives Participants Equal Standing)
1: Virtually: June 25, (Wednesday) Mid-day 2: In-Person: June 26, (Thursday) Evening Date 1: June 25, 2025, Virtual ONLY (See Date 2 for In-Person Hearing Details) Time 1: 11:30 – 12:00 PM CDT, Informational Session 12:00 – 1:00 PM CDT, Public Hearing (Receive Comments)
Microsoft Teams Need help? https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_MDc3NDdhMTUtZTNlOC00MzZjLWEyOGQtN2Q2ZGM1NmE1YmE4%40thread. v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22f345bebf-0d71-4337-928124b941616c36%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%221f7e56a8-7756-4aa1-8bfba88d451e7842%22%7d
Meeting ID: 220 770 017 712 1 Passcode: vV364d75
-or-
Dial in by phone
+1 629-209-4396,908845620# United States, Triune
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Phone conference ID: 908 845 620# -or-
Join on a video conferencing device
Tenant key: stateoftn@m.webex.com
Video ID: 114 792 788 4
Date 2: June 26, 2025, In-Person Only (See Date 1 for Virtual Hearing Details)
Time 2: 5:00 – 6:00 PM CDT, Informational
Session
6:00 – 7:30 PM CDT, Public Hearing (Receive Comments)
Meeting Location:
Riverside Missionary Baptist Church
3590 South 3rd St Memphis, TN 38109
TDEC will receive public comments concerning the proposed permit action described below:
Permit Name: CTC Properties LLC
Permittee Address: Paul R Lowry Rd., Memphis, between xAI and T.E. Maxson POTW
Permit Number: SOP-24025
Permit Writer: Wade Murphy County: Shelby
Description of Activity: Operation of wastewater reuse system for restricted urban reuse. The applicant proposes taking up to 13.5 MGD of treated effluent from the Memphis T.E. Maxson wastewater treatment plant and providing additional activated sludge biological treatment with nutrient removal and membrane treatment to produce up to 13 MGD of water for the xAI Colossus data center, TVA Allen Combined Recycle Plant and Nucor Steel Memphis Facility to use for evaporative cooling.
Receiving Stream: No Discharge Allowed; Mississippi is 1 mile away from the site.
The meeting moderator may limit the length of oral comments to allow all parties an opportunity to speak and will require that all comments be relevant to the proposed permit action and the DWR issues. TDEC staff considers written
comments accepted at the hearing and through July 6, 2025, to be part of the hearing record. Written comments can be emailed to water. permits@tn.gov or to Wade Murphy at wade. murphy@tn.gov.
Interested persons may obtain additional information, including a copy of the draft permit by contacting Wade Murphy at wade.murphy@ tn.gov. These documents may also be found on the Division’s dataviewer: https://dataviewers.tdec.tn.gov/dataviewers/ f?p=2005:34051:3659965226878:::34051 :P34051_PERMIT_NUMBER:SOP-24025
Individuals with disabilities who wish to participate in these proceedings (or review the file record) should contact TDEC to discuss any auxiliary aids or services needed to facilitate such participation. Contact may be in person, by writing, telephone, or other means, and should be made no later than Monday, June 16th, to allow time to provide such aid or services. Contact the ADA Coordinator (1-866-253-5827) for further information. Hearing impaired callers may use the Tennessee Relay Service (1-800848-0298). If it is hard for you to read, speak, or understand English, TDEC can provide translation or interpretation services free of charge by contacting Brian Canada at 615-532-0660 or brian.canada@tn.gov.
Si le resulta difícil leer, hablar o comprender inglés, TDEC puede proporcionarle servicios de traducción o interpretación sin cargo comunicándose con Brian Canada al 615-532-0660 o brian.canada@tn.gov.
For further information, you may reach Wade Murphy, the permit writer, at 615-532-0666 or wade.murphy@tn.gov. From Page 10
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By Associated Press
After Marcus Thompson’s resignation this month, Mississippi lawmakers and Jackson State University alumni are calling for more transparency and accountability from the state’s governing board that oversees and selects its college presidents.
The Institutions of Higher Learning Board met in a closed door executive meeting for two hours on May 7 to discuss a personnel matter regarding the job performance of an employee at the state’s largest historically Black university — the second time in three weeks the board did so. After the meeting, board officials told media representatives there was nothing to report.
The IHL later released a statement saying Thompson resigned but provided no information about what happened or why. Mississippi Today (a digital news publication based in Jackson) asked for a resignation letter but due to state public record laws it cannot be shared publicly. A spokesperson for the board said in an email statement they requested permission from Thompson to release his letter but the request was denied.
Thompson’s departure officially marks the university’s third leadership turnover in ten years. It was deja vu for many who had watched the board announce the resignation of Thompson’s predecessor, Thomas Hudson, two years ago with no public explanation
The news of Thompson’s exit came as a disappointment to JSU alumni, including Mississippi Rep. Chris Bell, D-Jackson. Speaking about the repeated resignations creates a double-bind for JSU alums: It can bring unwanted, negative attention to the university, but staying silent could lead to IHL repeating the same pattern.
“We got a lot of great things going on at Jackson State University,” Bell told Mississippi Today in a phone call last week. “It just speaks again to the need
for transparency and accountability through the presidential selection process and IHL.”
In 2020, Bell was one of 10 Democrats who introduced a bill to abolish IHL. The bill would have allowed the state’s eight public universities to appoint their own board of trustees to oversee the universities finances and executive leadership. The board is currently appointed by the governor with the advice-and-consent of the Senate.
If established, each 12-member board would have included three representatives from the following groups associated with the respective university: members of college alumni association, student government and university faculty senate and state residents to serve a five-year term.
The bill was tripled-referred, a rare legislative tactic used by House Speaker Philip Gunn at the time, to ensure the bill’s death.
Mississippi Today reached out to Jackson State University National Alumni Association President Patrease Edwards for a comment.
Leaders of the group did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication but shared a statement with other publications that in part asked alumni to only speak positively about the university.
Mark Dawson, a lifetime member of JSU National Alumni Association, was one of many who sat on an open panel for the university’s presidential candidate process in spring 2023, which ultimately resulted in Thompson. Dawson said it did not seem like IHL took the panel’s feedback into account. Rather than using alumni on these panels as a “dog and pony show,” Dawson said, there’s a need for a “unified approach” for stakeholders and supporters of the university to be more involved in the search — so they can
help IHL select a president who will last more than a couple years.
“It’s about the opportunity to come together and get some things right,” Dawson said. “How can you have a vision for long-term stability for student housing, fundraising, academic programs and a new stadium when you have a new administration every few years. It needs to be corrected.”
State Senate Minority Leader Derrick T. Simmons said the board’s lack of diversity hurts JSU. The state’s 12-member board currently includes only one alumnus from a Mississippi HBCU. With the state’s African American population standing at 37.8%, JSU and other universities play a pivotal role in educating Black professionals, many of whom are Mississippi natives, Simmons added.
State Sen. Hillman Frazier, D-Jackson, said he doesn’t have confidence with IHL when it comes to selecting the university’s presidents. In the last three presidential processes, the board has continued to overlook recommended resumes and stakeholders and supporters choices for president.
Before Thompson, there was Hudson, who lasted two years. His predecessor, William Bynum, was gone after three years following his arrest in a prostitution sting at a suburban hotel. Bynum was appointed Jackson State’s president in 2017 after serving as president of Mississippi Valley State University for about four years. He was not a popular pick. The board’s announcement of his selection inspired several Black lawmakers to file a lawsuit to prevent his appointment
“They’ve wasted taxpayers and the JSU family’s time, energy and resources,” Frazier said.
A spokesperson for IHL said the trustees have not held any formal discussions regarding a presidential search for Jackson State University.
“The Board of Trustees is committed to a clear and transparent process,” a
Jackson State University President Marcus Thompson’s sudden resignation in May has sparked renewed calls from Mississippi lawmakers and alumni for greater transparency from the state’s Institutions of Higher Learning Board, which oversees leadership at public universities.
spokesperson for the board said in an email to Mississippi Today.
IHL hired Thompson in November 2023 after Thomas Hudson. The board had placed Hudson on administrative leave, but did not share with the public the reason for the personnel issue that motivated its decision.
When the board began its search a few months later, members of the JSU community asked the board to “stop hiring your friends.” The board conducted a national search, interviewing 79 applicants, but Thompson was the epitome of an internal hire, having worked at IHL since 2009.
Denise Jones Gregory, former JSU provost and vice president of academic affairs, who was named interim leader of the university, shared a personal statement on the university’s social media.
“I ask for your patience, your partnership and most of all, your prayers as we move Jackson State University forward together,” Jones Gregory said. Going forward, the repeated resignations could make it hard for the state legislature to invest in the university. It could also lead to a less-qualified candidate pool, Frazier added.
(By Candice Wilder, Mississippi Today. Molly Minta contributed.)
This story was originally published by Mississippi Today and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.