COVID-19 digital billboards such as this are up for the next two weeks, courtesy of Memphis-based Three(i). (Courtesy photo)
Awareness campaign: ‘Stay home, mane’
Three(i) President Kenneth Worles. (Photo: @blackenterprise/ #be_modernman)
The loose confederation of super-talented young people that periodically intersect my orbit include Kenneth Worles, president at Three(i), a social-impact marketing firm using billboards to flatten the COVID-19 curve throughout Memphis.
Another of those millennial creatives, Brianna A. Smith (the TSD’s All Over Town columnist) actually tipped me about the billboards before I got the official word. In the hubbub of getting this week’s print edition of The New Tri-State Defender published while feeding TSDMemphis.com and our Daily Digital, I lost track of her heads-up.
Then this afternoon, Worles, who shared his creative talent/spirit on staff with the TSD before blasting into the entrepreneurial world, put out the word, officially and widely.
“We’re usually behind the scene helping amazing brands and organizations with their initiatives and campaigns,” Worles, said in his media release. “But we knew we needed to do more. Everyone is affected by this and we all need to work together as a community to flatten that curve.”
The billboards read “COVID-19 won’t bluff – Stay home, mane.”
According to Worles, within two days of the campaign the billboards have been shared on social media by thousands of users, including local elected officials, Academy Award winning film director, Craig Brewer, and Memphis rap legend Gangsta Boo.
The digital billboards are up for the next two weeks at the following locations:
3361 One Place
5916 Macon Cove (next to Southwest Community College
The New Tri-State Defender is among the members of the Tennessee Press Association this week choosing to speak with a common voice to assure readers they are not alone in this "new reality" we are all experiencing.
On two separate occasions shortly before the worst public health crisis in the U.S. in a generation, I was reminded of the role that Robert R. Church Sr. played in there even being a city of Memphis to worry about during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Associate Publisher/Executive Editor Karanja A. Ajanaku
During a taping of the ‘Where Do I Go From Here?” podcast, which I now host on TSDMemphis.com, Church, widely recognized as the first African-American millionaire in the South, was presented freshly to me by the Rev. Dr. L. LaSimba M. Gray Jr., author of “Metamorphosis: Memphis, Beale Street and the Blues (1819-2019).”
Dr. Gray spoke of Church as a person who routinely stepped up to help and meet challenges, including buying the first $1,000 municipal bond to help the Bluff City bounce back from bankruptcy after being reduced to a taxing district in the midst of the yellow fever epidemic.
Days later, Raymond Neal, who has worked 35-plus years as a waiter, approached me at Mahogany Memphis Restaurant. He’d recently secured the Memphis City Council’s embrace of a resolution naming the late “Mr. Church” as the “Father of Modern-day Memphis” for Church’s move(s) to save the city.
Dr. Gray and Neal painted a mental picture of a person who essentially was saying, “I am here for you – and with you.”
Then came the novel coronavirus, COVID-19 and a frightening set of numbers that now serve to project the deaths of 100,000 U.S. citizens, if mitigating measures – read as stay at home, social distancing and wash your hands – are adhered to religiously.
Memphis’ world now is upside down as the numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases rise, with three Shelby County deaths reported at the time I put these thoughts together. The chilling prediction of many, many, many more deaths and thousands in need of acute hospital care, along with virus-response measures that have the economy on lockdown, fill our lives with sorrow and uncertainty.
Whatever happens, whenever it happens, The New Tri-State Defender will be there for you. We’ll be there to let you know how our community is managing through this crisis – from business to government to the health care system and schools to the drastic impact on individuals and families, particularly the most vulnerable among us.
Already, we’ve told you about a 56-year-old caregiver (with two preexisting health conditions) holding steady with the care of her 82-year-old mother, who is in a nursing home. We will continue to bring you accounts of other good and extraordinary things happening in the midst of this crisis, along with basic information to help you survive, stay safe, grow and develop.
“We need every Tennessean on board to beat this pandemic,” Gov. Bill Lee has said. “Success starts with swift, accurate information and we support the efforts of the press to keep every Tennessean informed.”
Our commitment to that includes fact-based, reliable reporting and a commitment to keep an eye on state and local leadership relative to the needs expressed by local communities.
James Cook (behind the counter) continues to man Lenny’s Grill and Subs at the Memphis International Airport. He is proprietor and partner with KC Eatery, which operates Lenny’s Grill and Subs and Runway 901 Bar and Grill. He’s had to shut down Runway in response to COVID-19. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)
by Jerome Wright —
Margaret Cowan works with “her moms,” who are struggling to create a decent life for themselves and their children.
Her moms are single working mothers, who are seeking a better quality of life; struggling to make ends meet while working in low-paying jobs.
Cowan’s weapon for making a difference in the of lives of these mothers is her nonprofit I Am My Sister’s Keeper. She describes herself as the organization’s “founder and keeper.”
Her efforts on behalf of her moms have been curtailed because of the COVID-19 virus, and the havoc it has caused.
William Gandy Jr. is a barber. He comes from a family of barbers. His late father William senior, who everyone simply called Gandy, was a barber, trimming the heads of some of the best-known folks in Memphis.
William, also like his father, is an accomplished singer and musician.
The Whitehaven barber shop where he works, like most barber shops and beauty salons in the area, has closed.
Under “safer at home” mandates from Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland and Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, because of the coronavirus, these businesses are not deemed “essential.”
Some men and women, however, may disagree with the mayors about barber shops and beauty salons being nonessential.
So, William is out to work as a barber and, because of “social distancing,” out of entertainment gigs.
James Cook is proprietor and partner with KC Eatery, which operates Runway 901 Bar & Grill and Lenny’s Grill and Subs at Memphis International Airport.
Because of a lack of passenger traffic through the airport because of virus fears, he has had to close Runway 901 and, Lenny’s is barely holding on.
Cowan, Gandy and Cook are just three of the people here and across the country, who have been impacted – some more than others — by officials’ efforts to slow the spread of the virus. “Stay at home” mandates have closed all kinds of businesses, resulting in thousands of layoffs and furloughs, or reduced services.
Cowan, Gandy and Cook’s virus-related predicaments reflect what is happening to their fellow citizens.
Beginning today, The New Tri-State Defender will check in on them weekly to see how they are doing.
****
Margaret Cowan
Margaret Cowan, the mother of three daughters, ages 19, 17 and 15, works with single mothers who walk along a financial cliff. Their jobs do not pay enough to ensure a good quality of life, but their income precludes them from qualifying for benefits that could ease the strain.
“We provide support and connect the mothers with partnerships and organizations that provide for mom’s who are the working poor,” said Cowan, who moved to Memphis from Orlando, Florida with her mother in 2011.
She currently is working with 20 mothers who are working while attending school.
“We are creating a village, with the ultimate goal of having them own homes and starting to be independent,” Cowan said.
Her work involves a lot of personal contact with her mothers, and interaction among the mothers and their children. “Social distancing” has a put a crimp in that. They have had to cancel their monthly meeting and a horseback-riding excursion scheduled for this month was canceled when the business closed.
“Safe at home” and other business closures have had an impact on “several” of her moms.
For example, one her success stories, who got a job in hotel management, was laid off last Friday. Another mother was laid off from her hotel job as a front desk agent. Cowan said the woman was told she would have to reapply for her job once staff was brought back.
Cowan’s personal experiences help her relate to her mothers.
“In 2015, I was living in an apartment … that I never thought I’d live in – roaches and other stuff. Then my job suddenly ended,” she said.
That is when she got the idea for the nonprofit. “I saw that there were other people living in same conditions.”
A friend gave her the money to apply for a nonprofit charter, which she received on Dec. 31, 2018.
****
William Gandy Jr.
William Gandy Jr. is a passionate advocate for people exercising their right to vote.
His grandmother, Mary Alice Gandy, made national headlines when at age 106, she cast a vote for the first time in her life. She voted for Barack Obama in 2008.
Since then, Gandy has written a children’s book “Grandma’s Big Vote,” and has written songs that encourage people to vote.
The shop where he worked closed last week. It employed six barbers, who have lost a big chunk of their incomes.
Gandy said some of his clients have tried to get him to come to their homes to cut their hair, but to protect them and himself, he has refused.
He said the stimulus package recently passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump “is going to be helpful” in preventing him from having to “rob all my savings.”
Asked how he planned to spend his time with the barbershop closed and his music gigs dried up, Gandy said, “I’m getting familiar with my house.”
By that he meant he will be doing some serious spring cleaning.
****
James Cook
James Cook has operated businesses at the airport for more than 10 years. He said KC Eatery is not the only business owner in the airport that has had to close its shops and restaurants.
Another company shut down six of its seven airport businesses at the same time because of lack of passenger traffic, Cook said.
“The lack of traffic has hurt us tremendously,” he said.
Gallery: Photos by Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises
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Cook had to lay off the Runway 901 staff, but unsuccessfully tried to keep the bartender.
“There wasn’t enough business to keep him. Even the passengers who are flying, aren’t in the mood for a drink,” explaining that he sees many passengers wearing masks and rubber gloves.
Cook has kept Lenny’s open, although he had to reduce staff. He said he is working the night shift on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to prevent further layoffs.
Asked about “safe distancing” between customers and staff, he said, “We’re trying to do a no contact thing with customers, where there is no personal contact. To be honest, there are really no people to touch.
“The one thing that is keeping us afloat are the airport employees. … That’s 75 percent of our business right now,” but it does not compensate for the lost passenger business.
“They (airport employees) thank us everyday for staying open,” Cook said.
He added, “I’ll be in there by myself (if necessary) to keep the gates open. As long as there are (airport) employees, we will be open.”
(Jerome Wright is deputy editor for The New Tri-State Defender.)
A reopened Collins Chapel Connectional Hospital is the goal of a $5 million renovation project. Now the CME church has suggested making it available to handle a COVID-19 patient surge.
The Christian Methodist Episcopal Church has offered Collins Chapel Connectional Hospital for extra bed space during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Bishop Henry M. Williamson.
The church is offering to partner with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other government agencies to complete an ongoing renovation of the historic hospital so it is ready to treat COVID -19 patients.
Collins Chapel was the only local hospital that accepted African-American patients during the Jim Crow era.
“We have an unprecedented worldwide crisis and that would include Memphis and Shelby County,” Williamson said Wednesday. “We are available and we want to once again provide for the needs of all citizens.”
The hospital is undergoing a $5 million renovation that is 40 percent complete.
Williamson said the two-story hospital, located at 409 Ayers St., could accommodate 100 beds and more could be placed in a nearby clinic.
Williamson said he has spoken with Gov. Bill Lee concerning other matters, before this pandemic.
Patricia Rogers, who is handling public relations ion the project, said copies of the proposal to make use of Collins Chapel has been sent to public officials, including Gov. Bill Lee and Mayor Jim Strickland.
“We are aware that the federal government has the money to build out the rest of the hospital for this public health crisis,” Rogers said.
Jim Pogue, spokesman for the Memphis District of the Army Corps of Engineers, said the information has been passed on to the decision makers.
“What everyone needs to understand is we don’t make the decisions about what facilities will be assessed. Those decisions are being made by the State of Tennessee and FEMA.”
Pogue said the engineers are given a list of places to assess to see if they meet the need for additional bed space.
Collins Chapel’s roots date back to 1910 when the facility was located at 418 Ashland Court. In February and in observance of African American History Month, the hospital had a Reunion Day for persons who were born there, including patients and medical.
Williamson is chairman for Collins Chapel Connectional Hospital and is spearheading the renovation project. He said the CME Church has already invested $2 million in the project and that Mayor Strickland and Paul Young, the city’s director of Housing and Community Development, had identified $100,000 for a new roof on the clinic.
Malvin Massey guided the WUMR ship for years and it was him that many thanked for memories and wisdom as the station entered a period of transition.
There is some science indicating that white noise – that staticky hiss (or hissy static?) you get while flipping through stations – helps with relaxation and sleep. That’s all well and good, but it’s NOT what I want to hear when I tune my FM dial to 91.7.
TSD columnist Lee Eric Smith.
When I tune to WUMR – “The Jazz Lover” – I want jazz. Not just the music of Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Ramsey Lewis or Sarah Vaughn. I want a mellow voice telling me the story behind the music.
But noise is all we get now. The Jazz Lover – one of the last over-the-air all jazz stations in America – is off the air as of Tuesday, March 31. Late last year, the University of Memphis announced a new partnership with Crosstown Concourse and The Daily Memphian. Apparently, an inevitable format change was accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic.
“In light of the unprecedented coronavirus situation, WUMR 91.7 will discontinue broadcast operations before 4/1/2020,” read a statement on WUMR’s website. “In the very near future, we look forward to resuming broadcasting through the new partnership between the University of Memphis, Crosstown Concourse and TheDaily Memphian.”
Chuck O’Bannon
Chuck O’Bannon, who has hosted “Chuck’s Place” on Sundays for four years, just wishes he’d had a chance to say goodbye. His final show was on Sunday, and the announcement that the station would go dark caught him and a community of jazz lovers by surprise. He learned about Monday via email.
“We didn’t get a chance to say thank you and goodbye to our listeners,” O’Bannon said in a baritone voice made for jazz radio. “And that’s, you know, that’s something special. Chuck’s Place is all about the people. It’s about entertaining them.”
So what’s the big deal? Listening to crystal clear jazz is as simple as telling Siri or Alexa to play it on your phone or smart speaker. But O’Bannon said that streaming radio misses a key component of what people could get from terrestrial stations like The Jazz Lover.
“Jazz radio has always included a personality or personalities to introduce the music, the artist, the album, the record company and say a little something about it in order to inform the listening audience,” he said. “It takes their personalities, it takes entertainment, as well as the music to create a show.
“Jazz radio is a show,” O’Bannon said. “And I think people are gonna want to hear a more authentic version of jazz radio.”
Music will return to that frequency, eventually. But when it does, it won’t be what jazz aficionados around the world are used to. A Nov. 2019 statement announcing the change says the station “will expand its music, culture and news content to have broad appeal to the UofM student body and the wider Memphis community.”
Let’s face it: Jazz is not known for attracting younger listeners. Crosstown will give the station more visibility, while a close partnership between The Daily Memphian and the UofM journalism school should mean great opportunities for students to get real-world experience.
“I am delighted that this new partnership and its expanded programming will create further opportunities for our students and the wider Memphis community to engage with the station,” said Dr. Anne Hogan, dean of the College of Communication and Fine Arts in the November statement.
I reached out to Dr. Hogan by phone and email for this piece, to find out more about when programming would return, what it would look like, etc. I got an email back from Chuck Gallina in UofM media relations: “ Sorry, Dr. Anne Hogan is not able to do an interview with you in the near future. Thanks for your understanding …” Gallina also declined to comment as well.
But it’s a safe bet that jazz will have a limited role, if any, going forward. And that will leave a gaping hole in the history and culture of African Americans, said Tony Nichelson, a long time radio exec who hosted “Back in Jazz” and “The Jazz Life” before the abrupt cancellation.
Tony Nichelson
“Jazz is as important as the civil rights movement, as important as any era of urban life,” Nichelson said. “Back in the 1920s, jazz was not ‘honky tonk.’ This was black people dressing up and going to a jazz club. It was a whole different thing.
“That’s why it’s important. It’s a part of our culture,” he said. “I’ll let it go kicking and screaming.”
Shown here with his family, Dr. William H. Sweet enjoyed a 37-year career with Memphis City Schools, including having served as a teacher, football coach, principal and an area superintendent. (Courtesy photo)
William Herman Sweet, a retired influential legacy Memphis City Schools administrator, died March 28 after a brief illness. He would have celebrated his 94th birthday April 13.
Dr. William H. Sweet (Courtesy photo)
He was a beloved mentor for the development of numerous African-American educators and administrators.
“Dr. Sweet was very instrumental to my development as a school principal in Memphis City Schools,” said Dr. Willie Herenton, Memphis’ first elected African-American mayor and former MCS superintendent of schools.
“I was later privileged to call him a dear friend. He was a highly respected educator, and a caring husband and father. I knew he loved his family very much. Dr. Sweet leaves behind a wonderful legacy.”
Additional highlights of his MCS career included sitting on the planning committee for integrating the schools and initiating the South Area Honors Award for Memphis City Schools. This medal for academic excellence was renamed the W.H. Sweet Honors Program upon his retirement in 1986, and is awarded at this time throughout the current Shelby County Schools system.
He also was a member of the Commission on Secondary Schools for Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the National Alliance of Black School Educators.
Dr. Sweet was the youngest of five children born to Chester and Stella Sweet.
Dr. William H. Sweet was in good hands on his 90th birthday. (Courtesy photo)
He graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in 1944 and earned his bachelors and masters from Tennessee A&I, (now Tennessee State University).
He earned his doctorate in education from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, in 1972.
After completing college, he joined the Memphis City Schools as a teacher and football coach at Melrose High School in 1949. Over his 37-year career with MCS, he rose through the ranks as principal at several schools and became the South Area Superintendent before retiring in 1986.
Dr. Sweet was a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and was a communicant of St. Augustine Catholic Church.
Some of his fondest memories were from when he worked as a Pullman porter on the Canadian Railroad while on summer break at TSU.
He enlisted in the U.S. Navy and the Army, both from which he was honorably discharged.
His post-retirement positions included executive director of Jobs for Tennessee Graduates, program director of the Southeast Mental Health Center, director of a rehabilitation center for alcohol and drug addiction, principal at Father Bertrand Elementary School and adjunct professorships at LeMoyne-Owen College, Shelby State Community College and the University of Memphis.
Other organizations he served in included the Memphis Urban League, NAACP, Delta Boule’ of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Knights of Columbus Catholic Fraternity, the Memphis Chapter of the TSU Big Blue Club and Boy Scouts of America-Shelby County district.
He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, Timothy Sweet and Fred Sweet and two sisters, Christine Sweet Robinson and Cordia Sweet Strong.
He leaves his wife, Lockey Mae Jenkins, whom he met while they attended TSU and married in 1955; three daughters, Karen Sweet of Florissant, Mo. and V. Chrisdia Sweet and Dr. Stephanie Sweet, both of Memphis, and a son, retired Memphis Police Lt. W. Chester Sweet, (Laritha) of Cordova.
N. J. Ford and Sons Funeral home has charge of arrangements.
According to a Fraud Alert issued by The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, there has been an increase in reports of fraudulent schemes related to the coronavirus.
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee is warning members that scammers are taking advantage of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and to be alert.
Reported scams include unsolicited phone calls that could be an attempt to fraudulently gain personal information.
“We want to advise all of our members to be wary of phone calls or emails asking for their health plan and personal information for coronavirus testing kits and vaccinations,” said Julie Boerger, vice president and chief compliance officer. “BlueCross will not call you to schedule testing or vaccinations for the coronavirus – and if you receive a call, it’s a scam.”
According to a Fraud Alert issued by The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, there has been an increase in reports of fraudulent schemes related to the coronavirus. Examples of possible scams include:
Phone calls asking members for their subscriber ID/bank account information for free testing and/or services to cure or prevent coronavirus (COVID-19)
Door-to-door solicitation for coronavirus testing and prescribing products to cure or prevent COVID-19
Bogus advertisements for vaccinations or medications to treat COVID-19
Phishing emails from impersonators of the World Health Organization or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevent (CDC) to solicit personal information
Advertisements offering health products such as teas, supplements or oils that are ineffective against COVID-19
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not authorized any test that is available to purchase for COVID-19 testing at home.
BlueCross’ COVID-19 resource website is bcbstupdates.com. Anyone receiving a suspicious call should report it to the BlueCross Fraud Unit at 1-888-343-4221.
This information is provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee, in partnership with the New Tri-State Defender. To visit our COVID-19 Resource Center, click on the logo above.
By John Hawbaker, BCBSTUpdates.com
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee will waive all member cost-sharing for COVID-19 treatments, including hospitalizations, through May 31, 2020.
“As part of our mission, our first priority is the health of our members and the communities we serve,” said JD Hickey, M.D., president and CEO. “And since the COVID-19 pandemic is unlike anything our members have faced in recent memory, we want to make sure we remove any barriers to receiving the care they need.”
If a BlueCross member is diagnosed as having COVID-19, they will not have to pay any out-of-pocket costs for testing and treatment administered through in-network providers, including at a doctor’s office, urgent care facility and emergency room, as well as related inpatient hospital stays, through May 31, 2020.
This benefit is available for BlueCross members in fully insured group, individual, Medicare Advantage and BlueCare Tennessee plans. BlueCross will encourage its self-funded employer group customers to participate in waiving cost sharing for COVID-19 treatments for their employees during this health crisis. However, self-funded groups will have the ability to opt-out of this decision.
This move builds on a number of steps by BlueCross to offer enhanced member support in recent weeks:
Allowing early prescription refills and 90-day prescriptions to avoid increased risk of exposure
Expanding access to telehealth services by making PhysicianNow visits available at no cost and by covering virtual visits with network providers
Waiving member costs for any appropriate FDA-aligned test
The BlueCross Foundation donated $3.25 million to food banks across the state to meet increased needs related to the COVID-19 pandemic. BlueCross has also made donations of personal protective equipment (PPE) to some Tennessee health systems.
BlueCross has been monitoring developments of COVID-19 and preparing to support its customers and communities since the disease entered the United States in January. The company is following its established pandemic plan with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with local and state health departments, and adapting its approach as the situation evolves.
“Our clinical teams have been in close communication with public health officials so we can support our communities and any members affected by COVID-19,” said Dr. Andrea Willis, senior vice president and chief medical officer. “And we know our members are concerned, so we’re focused on acting and sharing information quickly to help bring them peace of mind.”
BlueCross continues to maintain normal hours of operation and service levels for its members and network providers as a result of shifting virtually all of its 6,700 employees across the state to work from home last month.
For ongoing updates about the BlueCross response to COVID-19, visit BCBSTupdates.com.
Shelby County currently has 497 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including three deaths.
The Health Department’s investigation of an outbreak at Carriage Court of Memphis assisted living facility continues. The Health Department has tested 22 persons at the facility, including residents and staff.
Of that number, 20 results have been returned, and 2 are still pending. Four tests showed positive and 16 were negative.
Prior to the Health Department’s involvement, 2 residents were tested by other health providers and found to be positive for COVID-19.
To date, there are a total of 6 positive cases at the facility, including 5 residents and 1 employee.
The employee who tested positive is recovering at home in isolation.
Here is a breakdown of current cases in Shelby County by age range:
County offers free teletheraphy services to county employees in response to COVID-19
After a public health emergency update, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris (center) and Shelby County Commission Chairman Mark Billingsley visited the Health Department Operations Center, where they talked with staff members involved in the #COVID19 response. (Photo: SCHD Twitter)
Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris has announced the expansion of employee benefits to include virtual counseling services for all Shelby County employees. The new program allows employees to receive unlimited video, phone, or in-person counseling services as they continue to provide critical services to residents in Shelby County.
Employees are not required to have health insurance through Shelby County Government to receive free counseling. In-person and urgent appointments remain available for anyone who needs them.
“We must slow the spread of COVID-19. In addition, we must protect our mental health during this harrowing time,” Harris said. “Employees may be anxious about contracting the virus, fearful about exposing their loved ones to the disease, or navigating the unique stressors that have arisen during this public health emergency.”
Access to professional teletherapy services is one way to ensure that employees have access to counseling and mental healthcare, Harris said.
“We encourage other employers to be proactive and do what they can to support the mental health of their employees.”
“Our counseling services are confidential, last about an hour, and can take place via webcam, phone, or in-person,” said Melissa Donahue, licensed therapist and program director.
“When you’re stressed or emotionally drained, your ability to perform at home or work suffers tremendously. Now is an appropriate time for organizations to take a look at what they are doing to provide a mentally healthy workplace to their employees.”
Shelby County Government, according to a media release, also has implemented its first Alternative Work Solutions program, expanded paid sick leave opportunities for employees and is reducing the jail population to reduce spread
Knox to release arrestees; Memphis canceling court dates
KNOXVILLE (AP) — Knox County’s judges have ordered the sheriff’s office to book and release all arrestees charged with misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies in an effort to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, while Memphis has canceled all out-of custody court dates in April.
The moves come after the Tennessee Supreme Court last week ordered local judges to submit plans on how to reduce jail and prison populations.
A group led by former Davidson County public defender Dawn Deaner has petitioned the Tennessee Supreme Court to go even further and order the release of a number of prisoners from the state’s jails and prisons to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The court has not responded to the emergency petition was filed last week by Deaner’s Choosing Justice Initiative and other groups, including the Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys….
In Memphis, District Attorney General Amy Weirich announced Monday that all April court dates for General Sessions criminal division and Criminal Court cases involving people who are currently not jailed have been canceled…. , The Commercial Appeal reports. There are also no jury trials for April, and Weirich said the county is working to ascertain whether grand jury hearings will take place. READ MORE
ArtsMemphis sets up fund to help artists cope with COVID-19
ArtsMemphis today launched its Artist Emergency Fund, a $50,000 emergency granting process to help individual artists’ recovery from lost income due to cancelled events, job layoff or furlough.
ArtsMemphis was designated as a beneficiary of $25,000 from the Mid-South COVID-19 Regional Response Fundby the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis. The Community Foundation is collectively contributing over $415,000 to community agencies across sectors to provide flexible funding to those impacted by novel coronavirus and the economic consequences of the pandemic in the region.
The ArtsMemphis staff compounded the $25,000 into $50,000 thanks to a matching gift from the Assisi Foundation.
“This is an honor that we do not take lightly, particularly as we navigate this unprecedented period,” said Elizabeth Rouse, ArtsMemphis President & CEO.
ArtsMemphis will immediately redirect funds to individual artists to support recovery from lost income due to cancelled events, job layoff, or furlough. Self-employed artists of all arts disciplines as well as individual artists employed/contracted by nonprofit arts and culture organizations in Shelby County are eligible to apply.
Applications received from musicians of all genres and types will be reviewed in conjunction with and administered by Music Export Memphis (MEM).
“We’re glad to be partnering with ArtsMemphis on this grant process, which will leverage more than $35,000 in additional funds we’ve raised through our partners specifically to support musicians,” said MEM Executive Director Elizabeth Cawein.
“Our longstanding relationship with ArtsMemphis has allowed for a process that is transparent and equitable for artists of all disciplines, at a time when the musicians we serve have seen their livelihoods disappear.”
Fare is free on all MATA service vehicles until April 30. MATA also is offering prorated refunds to fixed-route bus customers who purchased 7-or 31-day passes prior to the start of temporary free fares on March 25. Customers eligible to receive a refund must show either the pass or receipt that was purchased from March 17-24 and visit the William Hudson Transit Center (located at 444 North Main) from 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. on April 2-4 to receive their refund. (Photo: Karanja A. Ajanaku)(Photo: Karanja A. Ajanaku)
After working a 10-hour shift at a local chemical processing company, Camara Slappy was forced to walk more than an hour to get home.
Camara Slappy (Courtesy photo)
The normal 40-minute route from his North Memphis home to his Downtown employer had turned into an almost two-hour commute after changes to the Memphis Area Transit Authority’s schedule amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
“I hope I don’t have to do this tomorrow,” he said between deep breaths as he spoke to The New Tri-State Defender during his lengthy trek home, Monday. “But I don’t know.”
Last week, MATA announced that it would reduce its services beginning March 30 until further notice. The changes were due to the number of businesses across the city that have closed under executive orders issued Mayor Jim Strickland and Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris.
As of Monday — during Slappy’s commute — MATA was operating on a Sunday schedule daily for fixed-route bus services, along with a few additional routes to essential services.
However, changes were made Tuesday evening when the public transit company announced it will add buses to key routes in an effort to lessen wait times. The changes are set to take place Wednesday (April 1).
“This process is evolving as we continue to hear from customers,” said MATA’s Chief Communications Officer Nicole Lacey. “We began the initial changes March 30, but we will continue to adjust as we garner feedback.”
Lacey acknowledged that the addition of buses is not a perfect solution – emphasizing that MATA was already financially struggling before the COVID-19 outbreak.
In February, the Shelby County Commission voted to allot at least $1 million of the Capital Improvement (CIP) budget to transit every year.
Still, MATA officials, along with County Mayor Harris, have asked for additional funds for more resources, including additional buses.
Shelby County Commissioners are expected to take on the issue during Wednesday’s (April 1) committee meetings.
In the meantime, MATA leaders hope the addition of buses will alleviate some riders’ issues.
Passengers, who can now ride free, enter buses at the rear as an additional safety precaution. (Photo: Karanja A. Ajanaku)
The transit service will begin staging buses at the William Hudson, Airways and American Transit Centers to quickly serve more customers like Slappy, who may be left waiting due to the new 10-passenger limit in compliance with social distancing guidelines.
Officials said by using this process, wait times should lessen greatly and MATA operators should be able to respond faster.
For Slappy, the announcement came too late to make his Monday any better. He was number 11 in line. As a result, he wasn’t able to get on the bus, prompting his long walk home.
“I know we have to practice safety. I understand that, but there should have at least been another bus to come shortly after it,” he said. “Because of the new schedule I knew it wouldn’t come until the next day. So that’s why I began walking.”
Under the Sunday schedule, buses arrive once every hour, with most of the last bus routes ending between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.
For bus riders like Slappy, the need for MATA is essential. It’s his primary means of transportation. The 25-year-old college student and full-time worker said he depends on it to get to and from work and school.
“If I didn’t get on the bus, I would have to go door-to-door to my neighbors to ask people to take me to work or school, and it’s not easy to find someone to do that, especially now because people are trying to be safe because of the coronavirus.”
Cynthia Bailey, an organizer for the Memphis Bus Riders Union, hopes MATA makes more adjustments sooner than later before people lose their jobs due to lack of transportation.
“I’m concerned about the inconvenience this causes bus riders,” she said, adding that she’s a longtime MATA rider.
“I’ve been riding public transportation for 28 years, and this Sunday schedule isn’t going to work. I get that they need to cut back, but they should reconsider how it’s affecting riders.
“I just hope people can get to where they need to go and don’t lose their jobs or can’t make it to an appointment because there is no bus available.”
MATA officials have asked employers to take into consideration the changes in bus services.
“We are doing everything that we can do with the resources that we have” Lacey said. “And we will adjust as we can, based on the needs of our riders.”
With the possibility of an extension of the “Safer at Home” executive orders, Slappy has adjusted his schedule, waking up two hours earlier each morning, hoping that it will increase his chances of getting a bus to and from work.
The transportation situation is far from ideal, but Slappy said he’s glad that he has a job when thousands of others in the city and county are being laid off.
“I’m grateful and just have to focus on God,” he said. “But I am concerned about being able to take care of a child, my livelihood and where my future is going.
“The coronavirus has put a halt on my plans. And right now, I just need to make sure I can get to work so I can keep my job. I’m glad that at least the buses are still running.”
