As City Council debates firefighter raise, one member compares it to rape
The comments came as the City Council debated an additional 2% raise for the Memphis Fire Fighters Association.
Samuel Hardiman
Reporter
Samuel Hardiman is an enterprise reporter who focuses on government and politics. He began his career at the Tulsa World where he covered business and K-12 education. Hardiman came to Memphis in 2018 to join the Memphis Business Journal, covering government and economic development.
There are 645 articles by Samuel Hardiman :
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December 2025
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City of Memphis -
Public Safety TBI finds nothing unusual in MPD audit
A TBI audit of MPD’s crime statistics yielded no real findings, TBI Director David Rausch wrote in a letter to two Memphis-area legislators.
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State Government State challenges National Guard ruling
The state argues that a judge was wrong when she ruled that Gov. Bill Lee sent the Tennessee National Guard to Memphis illegally.
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City of Memphis City, Police Association edge toward resolution over second lieutenant position
The two sides have fought in court since early 2024.
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November 2025
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State Government State now has until December to appeal National Guard ruling
The Tennessee National Guard is likely to remain in Memphis until at least early December, as the state has yet to appeal an injunction blocking the deployment.
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City of Memphis Pam Bondi, Bill Lee tout crime decline 56 days into Memphis Safe Task Force
“The numbers tell the story themselves. They are undeniable,” said U.S. Attorney General Bondi, who traveled to Memphis on Monday, Nov. 24.
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State Government Sexton says funding for new jail ‘up on the locals to do that locally’
The Tennessee House speaker, who attended U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi’s news conference Monday, Nov. 24, was asked what the state’s appetite was for funding a replacement to 201 Poplar.
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Shelby CountyIs Shelby County’s cash crunch really about the Task Force?
While the Memphis Safe Task Force has had some impact on the county’s finances, the county is typically in this situation each year.
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State Government Memphis politicians, state tussle in Nashville court
The Monday hearing was the Tennessee version of a legal fight that has played out in U.S. courts over the past few months as Trump has sought to use the military in U.S. cities run by members of the opposite political party.
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Public Safety More than 850 National Guard personnel in Memphis
The boost in the National Guard’s presence comes as State of Tennessee plans to appeal a Nashville chancellor’s blocking of the deployment to Memphis.
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State Government State to appeal National Guard injunction
A Davidson County chancellor blocked the guard’s deployment in a Monday ruling.
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City of Memphis Memphis raises minimum salary for city employees
The Memphis City Council voted to change the minimum salary for City of Memphis workers.
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City of Memphis Memphis delays firefighter pay raise
The Memphis City Council delayed voting on the 2% raise during an occasionally fractious committee hearing.
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Public Safety Nashville judge blocks Memphis National Guard deployment
A judge has blocked the current deployment of the Tennessee National Guard to Memphis as part of President Donald Trump’s Memphis Safe Task Force, but the state still has time to appeal.
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Public Safety National Guard deployment has already cost millions
The state has contracts to feed and house the National Guard for well more than $6 million — to be paid by the federal government — according to court documents filed Friday.
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City of MemphisMemphis Safe Task Force has seized more than 400 illegal guns. But, what is an illegal gun in Tennessee?
For the Task Force, the confiscation is a sign of progress in lowering crime. But, in a state where most adults can carry weapons without a permit, what constitutes an illegal gun?
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Public Safety 100+ more National Guard members coming to Memphis
“Over the next few days, we anticipate the total presence will increase to roughly 350,” the Memphis Police Department said in a statement.
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City of MemphisWhat could be the long-term impact of the Memphis Safe Task Force? Community leaders weigh in.
The Daily Memphian asked a selection of community leaders what, in their opinion, the long-term impact of the Memphis Safe Task Force could be.
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City of MemphisWhat happens after the Task Force leaves?
The Memphis Safe Task Force could help deliver Memphis its lowest crime rate in years, but it remains unclear what the temporary law enforcement surge has done to the city’s trajectory.
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City of Memphis Council approves $2.5M loan for meals along with fire chief, general services head
Both appointments received standing ovations at City Council chambers. The 0% loans will go to Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association (MIFA), the Hospitality Hub, the Mid-South Food Bank and Feed the Needy.
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Public Safety2 men electrocuted at xAI’s Southaven power plant
The September event sent one of the men to a hospital, where he remains.
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October 2025
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City of Memphis Young commits to giving firefighters another 2% raise
The raise comes after the Young administration and Memphis City Council gave all employees a 3% raise at the start of the fiscal year in July.
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Update
City of MemphisCity appeals key piece in Tyré Nichols’ case
Attorneys for Tyré Nichols’ estate and the City of Memphis have spent much of the year wrangling over certain aspects of discovery.
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State Government State argues National Guard is army, not ‘militia.’ Why it matters
Recent legal filings and a statement from the governor’s office shows that the legality of the guard’s Memphis deployment could hinge on whether the Tennessee National Guard is an army or a militia.
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EducationJudge in Feagins case scolds attorneys for lack of communication
In a court hearing, Shelby County Circuit Judge Chris Frulla urged attorneys for Marie Feagins and the school district to move quickly during discovery so he could set a trial date.
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