Dearest Blog Groupies,
Memphis is a little sister figure to me. Its many problems and short-comings have been a frustration; however, the first mention of such issues by an outsider and I become a chamber of commerce spokesperson. In honor of my love-hate relationship with the home of the blues I am highlighting the top ten local media stories of 2011, according to a poll conducted by News Channel 5.
Number 10: Frayser High School becomes the next in line among high schools across the nation experiencing disturbing new pregnancy highs.
During the 2010/2011 school year, 90 students (20% of the female population) either gave birth or were pregnant at Frayser High. The Memphis City School board told officials that there were big plans being made to tackle the teen pregnancy crisis. A local non-profit will fund the proposed after and in-school programs in addition to the existing sex education program. MCSB member Stephanie Greenwood said the board already provided programs for those students who were pregnant or raising children. When asked why they believe there is such a pregnancy epidemic, students explain that some think that getting pregnant will make them appear cute or popular. There has also been speculation of pregnancy pacts; clearly prevention is first and foremost, but schools like Frayser have a long road ahead of them in improving the status quo.
Number 9: The Grizzlies make it deep into the NBA playoffs for the first time during their 10-year term in Memphis.
After putting up a strong fight through the finals, the Grizzlies eventually fell Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals--105, 90. Franchise history was an incredible feat, but the more impressive development seemed to be the fan support. As someone who was in Memphis at the time, specifically downtown in the midst of the madness, the excitement was palpable and contagious. Memphis needed something somewhat child-like to be proud of, especially during the flooding and multitude of other ills that had plagued the city that year.
Number 8: Doctors at Le Bonheur save conjoined twins in a rare and complex surgery.
Adrienne Spate gave birth on August 29th to twin boys, connected at the spine but with separate hearts, brains and circulatory systems. John and Jacob are the first set of twins within the last 10 years throughout the entire world to suffer from this type of attachment. Dr. Roy Bors-Koefoed, a local doctor specializing in birth defect operations at Mid-South Maternal Fetal Medicine. Additionally, being male twins always lessens the odds that surgery will be an ultimate success. For the Spate boys, however, it appears that Le Bonheur’s talented surgery staff has given them the chance to lead relatively normal lives.
Number 7: Holly Bobo, a Parsons Tennessee nursing student, goes missing after being abducted from her yard.
The incident took place on the Wednesday morning before Palm Sunday, with her brother as a direct witness. Almost 1,000 volunteers joined the search effort the following weekend, tracking the town and its surrounding areas, near Interstate 40 and Natchez State Park. With over 250 tips received during the first week following Bobo’s disappearance, officials were inundated with leads. Unfortunately, Bobo still remains missing at this time.
Number 6: Memphis City police Officer Timothy Warren was killed in the line of duty.
Warren patrolled the downtown Memphis area for 11 years, and he not only kept the streets safe but also frequently visited the homeless shelter. Memphis Police Director Toney Armstrong spoke out about Warren’s courage following the domestic dispute call that tragically ended his life. Sheriffs and Officers from Tipton County down to Jackson, Mississippi were present at Warren’s funeral held by Hope Presbyterian Church. The Officer was laid to rest in his hometown of Cleveland, Mississippi. A ceremony was held with flags, a horse drawn carriage and a large police cruiser convoy. An additional parade took place downtown to honor the life of the fallen hero.
Number 5: Memphis City and County School Districts to merge via referendum in 2013.
Despite the strong feelings sparked by the issue, only 17% of city residents turned out to vote. Voters ultimately chose the merger by a 2 to 1 majority. The City School Board voted in December of 2010 to give its charter over to the county, meaning that the budgets of both institutions would also become a single entity. One main argument of those opposing the merger is the notion that with any consolidation also comes job cuts. Further, the voting was closed to non-city residents living in the county, even though the decision will have just as much an impact on their children and lives. As the only venue for input from the county government, Republican politicians were quick to pass a three-year delay clause. The county school board will be increased over that time from seven to 25 members.
Number 4: Record high floods hit the Mid-south in May.
The levees surrounding the Mississippi River held steady, but the Army Corps of Engineers had to contend with sand boils in West Memphis and Missouri. These ‘boils’ form when pressure of the water is great enough not to break it, but to form a sort of geyser on the land. The erosion caused by the movement of water can cause the levees to sink however, which was the cause of the flood damage. North Memphis and the Tunica County area were among the hardest hit in the region, the latter with nearly 350 homes under at least a foot of water. The Mississippi reached levels it had not since the 1930s.
Number 3: President Barack Obama gives the commencement speech at Booker T. Washington High School.
The school won Obama’s appearance through a national academic achievement competition. Some of the students fight such conditions as drastic as homelessness but are managing to prevail and graduate despite this. BTW High improved its graduation rate by almost 30 percent over three years through changes in course offerings and teaching methods. Male and female students are separated during their freshman year and there are more AP classes available, relatively simple acquisitions.
Number 2: The West Memphis three are released after almost two decades behind bars.
Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jesse Misskelley were found guilty of murdering three young boys in the early 1990s in a brutal, even satanic killing. Lofty evidence, lacking DNA and the absence of any direct witnesses had plagued the case from the beginning: prosecutors were facing the possibility of staging a second trial in 2012. However, in August 2011 an unusual legal provision allowed the men to enter pleas stating that there was evidence to convict them but they were innocent regardless. This seemingly sudden turn of events was the result of the prosecution’s concern of impossibility in staging a trial 18 years after the incident occurred. Witnesses have changed their testimony, key crime scene investigators have passed away and family members have shown newfound support for the three men since the time of the killings. The guilty pleas that the three men entered deny them the right to file any later lawsuit against the state for juror misconduct or other mis-conviction bases. The 1996 HBO documentary titled "Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills" was what first attracted celebrities Eddie Vedder and Natalie Maines, among others, to the case. With the help of these figureheads, the three were able to pay the legal team backing the demands for a new trial.
Number 1: The Memphis Animal Shelter’s year of staff problems and lawsuits culminates with the reappearance of Kapone, the 11-year old pit bull.
An $8,000 reward and the involvement of the entire city (‘missing dog’ signs appeared across the mid-south) created a feeling of sympathy and solidarity among the city’s dog lovers. Kapone’s owner, Brooke Shoup of Cordova, had not seen her dog since June. It was not until mere weeks ago that a tip from CrimeStoppers lead police to Senatobia. Animal shelter employee Demetria Hogan picked up Kapone immediately before he went missing and has been fired and charged with animal cruelty. The homeowners in Senatobia refused to open the door and when police questioned them they claimed Kapone had simply wandered onto their property. While a multitude of questions still go unanswered, a family has their beloved dog back where he belongs.
What do we think? I have to say that the order seems a tad skewed on [some] of these, but consider the source…a pool of random Memphians. Love y’all.
P.s. I leave you with a favorite from The Office, since this is the life I'm currently living haha
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