The 901: County commissioner Tami Sawyer faced years of threats; Memphis is ‘still recovering’
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Good morning, Memphis, where after years of fighting a global pandemic and a rise in violence, the city is described as being “strong — still recovering — but strong."
But, first, Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer is concerned for her, and her family’s, safety after what she describes as targeted harassment, doxing and a lingering possibility of physical violence.
A hearing for George Johnson is scheduled for late March. He faces misdemeanor harassment charges after an incident in June when Sawyer held a brief press conference to issue remarks as work began for the exhumation of Confederate general and slave trader Nathan Bedford Forrest from Health Sciences Park, our Micaela Watts reports in her story for subscribers.
As Sawyer was on camera, Johnson hurled one expletive after another before eventually starting to sing the unofficial anthem of the Confederacy, “Dixie.” As he sang, Johnson waved a Confederate flag in the background.
"If you were a man, I'd beat your ass," said Johnson, according to both court documents and recorded news footage.
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Strickland says Memphis is ‘still recovering — but strong’
Mayor Jim Strickland delivered his annual state of the city speech Wednesday where he described a city working to stay on course despite the drawbacks from the past two years, our Samuel Hardiman reports.
"Looking back now as I am halfway through my second term, I have to say it has been a long two years. Nearly the entire time since my swearing-in, we have been fighting a war against a global pandemic, fighting a rise in violent criminal behavior...," Strickland said. "I am here to tell you that the state of Memphis is strong — still recovering — but strong."
Samuel provides us with main takeaways from the 30-minute speech.
Sea of Blue held for Memphis police officer killed in crash
A sea of blue lined Memphis roadways Wednesday night as the Memphis Police Department honored officer Corille “C.J.” Jones, the WMC Action News 5 team reports.
Jones, 32, was killed in a multi-vehicle crash Jan. 20 at an intersection on East Shelby Drive.
”Couldn’t nobody be Corille ‘C.J.’ Jones,” said Jones’ brother Joshua Freeman. “That name was just made for him and you can see it. Like I said, just thinking about the times we had, I cried when I initially heard it but I haven’t cried since then. It’s nothing but smiles because that’s what he gave us, smiles and good times.”
Girls on the Run Memphis needs volunteer coaches
Girls on the Run Memphis, a nonprofit organization that empowers elementary and middle school-aged girls, is recruiting volunteer coaches for its spring 2022 season, our Astrid Kayembe reports.
Twice a week for eight weeks, volunteer coaches give girls a safe space to connect with peers, build confidence and stay physically active. As a collective, teams of girls explore different topics related to emotional wellness and participate in activities that empower them to understand and value their physical and mental health.
“Access and inclusion are central to all Girls on the Run chapters,” GOTR Memphis Executive Director Joanna Lipman said. “We want to make sure we aren’t missing out on any opportunity to change someone’s life.”
TBI identifies man shot, killed during standoff with Shelby County deputies
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation identified John Hunt, 20, as the individual killed after a pursuit and standoff with law enforcement in Cordova, our Rachel Wegner and Dima Amro report.
Hunt allegedly exchanged gunshots with law enforcement, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office reported.
However, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation did not report Hunt firing a gun during the confrontation.
If Memphis lose legislative seat, millennials will lose a voice
The Republican-dominated redistricting process will take the state back into the 1950s, where two Black Memphis millennials are two too many, our Tonyaa Weathersbee writes in her column for subscribers.
Here’s an excerpt:
If any two people represent the future of Memphis and, for that matter, Tennessee, those two are London Lamar and Torrey Harris.
At 31, state Rep. Lamar, D-Memphis, is the second-youngest member of the Tennessee legislature, while 30-year-old Rep. Harris, D-Memphis, is the youngest. Both are millennials; the group that comprises the city's median age of 34 and the state's median age of 38.
But in the Republican-dominated redistricting process, a process that has spawned maps that will invariably preserve the rule of rural lawmakers bent on taking the state back into the 1950s, two Black Memphis millennials are two too many.
So, under the new map, Lamar and Harris would share the same district. Meaning that they’d have to run against each other in the next election. Meaning that Memphis would lose a representative.
Ja Morant leads the Grizzlies to a win over San Antonio Spurs
With five minutes left in the fourth quarter and the Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs tied, the game was in the hands of Ja Morant who was bringing the ball up the court.
Morant’s performance throughout the game led to a 118-110 Grizzlies win Wednesday night at AT&T Center, our Damichael Cole reports.
Morant is gifted physically, but his mind isn't too far behind. He has a unique ability to torque his body and get difficult baskets. He also can maneuver through the lane while changing speeds, shielding one defender and having his pick-and-roll teammate shield the other, Damichael wrote.
The Grizzlies will return to Memphis to host the Utah Jazz on Friday and the Washington Wizards on Saturday.
The 901 was written by Ray Padilla, the digital producer for The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at raymond.padilla@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @Ray_Padilla_.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: The 901: Tami Sawyer faced years of threats; Memphis still recovering
