The xAI supercomputer under construction in Memphis has blown into a full scale civic war of words after it was discovered that the company had violated a temporary permit from the Shelby County Health Department (SCHD) to install 15 portable methane gas turbines to power the site, but had actually put in 35 of the machines without permission. Owned by billionaire Elon Musk, the space age inventor and industrialist currently said to be the wealthiest man in the world, and a Trump Administration employee heading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the information was brought to light by the Southern…
Author: Tony Jones
Memphis, TN — The historic Clayborn Temple, listed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1979 for its architectural splendor, has now been reduced to rubble after a raging fire engulfed the former headquarters of the striking sanitation workers in 1968. Witnesses like M. Martin, an entrepreneur, couldn’t believe that the historic temple is now reduced to the dustpan of history, where age-old relics are swept aside and laid to rest. Clayborn Temple is its newest casualty. Martin said he literally gasped when he turned the corner at Fourth and Linden and noticed the structure — which was ground…
The presidents of Southwest Tennessee Community College (SWTCC) and HBCU Lemoyne-Owen College (LOC), Dr. Tracey D. Hall and Dr. Christopher B. Davis, recently confirmed a dedicated drive to give more students a chance to earn a four-year degree. Cemented with a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing ceremony at SWTCC’s Macon Cove campus Thursday, Jan. 23, the partnership was created to help students decipher the maze some face when entering college; and perhaps more importantly, strengthen their ability to earn a four-year degree at Lemoyne if they choose, essentially creating a streamlined dual-degree process for those choosing to opt-in. The…
Newly elected Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) Board Commissioner Tamarques Porter, representing District 4, is already focused and eager to get to work. Porter, along with three other new members—Natalie McKinney (District 2), Towanna Murphy (District 7), and Sable Otey (District 5)—was elected to the nine-member school board in the August 1 election. All four are set to be sworn in on August 29. The school system also welcomed a new superintendent, Dr. Marie Feagins, who began leading MSCS in April. According to the MSCS website, the leadership team is responsible for guiding decision-making, policy development, and implementation for the district’s…
By Tony Jones The 39th Annual Legislative Conference of the National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women (NOBEL) could prove to be one of the most important in the organization’s 39 year history, and House Minority Leader Karen Camper admits to a heightened sense of excitement in her plans to attend. Slated for August 6-10 in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, it’s not the location that’s giving her the extra energy, but the potential impact the organization could have in the 2024 presidential election. According to NOBEL’s website, the organization has 380 politically active, mostly Democratic Party members whose groundwork…
By Tony Jones MEMPHIS, TN — For 24 years now, Sidney Chism’s Community Picnic has been a priority stop for the city’s political body, especially for Democrats. Hosted by M.C. Stan Bell, this year’s edition was held June 22, 2024 in the sprawling fenced in yard behind the Chism-owned Horn Lake Road Learning Center, located at 3657 Horn Lake Road; near the Westwood community. As it has been for a generation now, a stop at Chism’s could prove to be the right choice for candidates as the election cycle begins. The state and federal primary and county general elections will…
Gleeful Democrat leaning voters elated over the news that former president Donald Trump was convicted on thirty-four counts of falsifying business records were given a swift reality check the very next daywhen Fox News reported that the Trump campaign had raised more than $50 million overnight after his history making trial and conviction. A jury of twelve unanimously handed down a guilty verdict, making him the first president to be tried for criminal charges in American history. Sentencing is scheduled for July 11, and he has six months to file for appeal, meaning he can still run for president. The…
The month of June is Black Music Month, and four years ago my small entertainment publicist firm – Tony Jones, INK! – created a promotion called “From Memphis To The World” to highlight it. Designated by former president Jimmy Carter in 1979, the month was rededicated by President Barack Obama as African American Music Appreciation Month. I prefer the original better, but either is correct. Thanks to the generous support of W.C. Handy House Museum Executive Director Elaine Turner, who also owns Heritage Tours and the Slavehaven Underground Railroad Museum in Memphis, the lineup for this soulful month dedicated to Black…
By Tony Jones MEMPHIS, TN — Recently retired educator and computer whiz David Page has launched a website targeted at giving teachers and school support staffs throughout the nation a sounding board without fear of reprisal. Page launched the National School Leaders Performance Registry (NSLPR.com) site after abruptly retiring from the Shelby County School (SCS) system in March after 25 years. He claims his action was prompted by alleged repeated personal attacks questioning his work by the principal of the last school where he worked, while students were present. He says he took the matter to the board but decided…
As a lifelong politics junkie, and chief politics reporter at the Tri State Defender back in the day, I’ve seen too many developments in politics to get personally excited about much. But thankfully, a refreshing breeze of change in Memphis’s civic matters stokes the old passion into a blaze of real interest, even glimmers of hope, from time to time. The first spark was watching Justin Pearson’s organic development as an actual citizen politician. Then, seeing more Black women in the seats of power, followed by cautiously enjoying new mayor Paul Young’s terrific campaign execution and first quarter moves. And…