Memphis

MEMPHIS — U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche visited Memphis on Oct. 17 with Sen. Marsha Blackburn, the Republican nominee for governor, and U.S. Marshals Director Gady Serralta. They marked a little over a year since President Trump created the Memphis Safe Task Force. Blanche said overall crime is at a 25-year low and credited the task force with reductions in violent crime, robberies and vehicle thefts. He offered no timetable for ending the deployment and did not define what success would look like. Local officials point out that crime began falling the year before the task force arrived. WREG reported in late September that the task force had made more than 13,000 arrests. Mayor Paul Young has said he did not ask for the deployment, but he credits it with helping MPD. Four Black men have been fatally shot by task force members this year, and no member has been charged.

MEMPHIS — Council Chairwoman Jana Swearengen-Washington suspended Councilwoman Yolanda Cooper-Sutton for 30 days from her committee leadership roles. The letter, dated Oct. 8, cites her conduct at the chaotic Oct. 6 meeting on the data center moratorium, where she argued with audience members and criticized Councilman JB Smiley. She chairs the Libraries and Neighborhood Improvement Committee and is vice chair of the Public Services, Arts and Youth Initiatives Committee. The suspension covers committee meetings on Oct. 20 and Nov. 10. City Attorney Allan Wade said the council cannot lawfully suspend an elected member from regular meetings or votes. Council lawyers corrected an earlier statement in federal court that had suggested a broader suspension. Cooper-Sutton was absent from Tuesday's moratorium vote, which failed 6-6. Colleagues told FOX13 she was dealing with a family matter.

MEMPHIS — Mayor Paul Young spoke Friday at the Cities United Fireside Chat at the Renasant Convention Center. He said Memphis must put resources on both ends of the violence problem. Offenders should be arrested and held accountable, he said, and the city should also work to change circumstances for people at risk of going down the wrong path. He called public safety his top priority. Earlier in the week, MPD Chief C.J. Davis described the Gun Violence Reduction Initiative to WREG. It was partly launched in 2025 and fully implemented this year, and it adapts the city's 2021 group violence intervention program. MPD reviews every shooting to head off retaliation and connect high-risk individuals with services. Young and Davis say the approach has contributed to the city's 25-year low in crime. Both acknowledge more work remains.

MEMPHIS — The National Civil Rights Museum will hold a free Trick or Vote event on Halloween evening, from 5 to 7 p.m. The Daily Memphian reports that the event is designed for families to trick-or-treat at the museum and leave with a plan for voting. It falls three days before the Nov. 3 Election Day. The museum lists the event on its website as the next item on its calendar, ahead of a December program on protest strategies. The museum sits in the South Main district, and its visitor page says free parking is available for guests. The museum has not published a detailed program in the material available, so families who want specifics on activities should check its events page. The event is nonpartisan in format: the stated aim is to help voters prepare, not to promote any candidate.

MEMPHIS — Halloween weekend begins Friday, Oct. 30, with South Main Trolley Night. A local events guide lists live music, specials, happy hours and family activities along South Main from 5 to 11 p.m. On Saturday, Oct. 31, adult-oriented costume events spread across the city. Eventbrite listings show Nightmare at the Pink Palace Museum, billed as a 21-plus costume party with DJs, a $1,000 costume contest and a zombie brunch. The Hotel Pontotoc marks its 120th anniversary with a Halloween party featuring the band Devil Train and Prohibition-era cocktail specials. Promoters also sell multi-bar Halloween crawls from Thursday, Oct. 29, through Saturday, Oct. 31, with wristbands starting at $15 and a $65 weekend pass. These are promoter claims, and ticket tiers rise as dates approach. Check each organizer's page for current prices.

MEMPHIS — Several events fill the rest of Saturday, Oct. 24, beyond the evening concerts. Ticketmaster lists Chêne Fest 2026 at Radians Amphitheater at the Memphis Botanic Garden, starting at 2 p.m. Ticketmaster's listing gives no lineup. Choose901 reports that rapper Project Pat headlines LeMoyne-Owen College's homecoming Saturday. The venue and time were not given in its summary, so readers should confirm with the college. For families, the Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County is bringing back its free Candy Coated Trunk or Treat Festival, with decorated trunks, a bounce house, a petting zoo, face painting, games and a firefighting simulator, according to a local Halloween guide. The start time was not listed in that guide. Check the organizers' pages before heading out.