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Drumma Boy, Mentoring Organization Collab For Back-to-School Charity Event

CREDIT: BBMP

When the 2014-15 school year began for Shelby County Schools earlier this month, more than 10,000 kids were reportedly missing in attendance. This was largely attributed to many students lacking school uniforms and supplies.

Building Blocks Mentoring Program (BBMP), a local organization dedicated to empowering inner-city youth, will be providing underprivileged youth with new uniforms, backpacks, and school supplies, during its upcoming “Back-to-School Charity Event.”

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  • BBMP

In collaboration with Grammy-nominated producer Drumma Boy’s Drum Squad Foundation, BBMP seeks to not only supply Memphis youth with school necessities through its charity event, but also to lessen the burden parents have to make ends meet and provide for their kids.

“We usually have this weekend event two weeks after school starts, so that we can really help those families that have to make a choice [of either] buying a backpack or paying a phone bill or putting food on the table,” said BBMP Chairman Stephon Smallwood. “We want to be a true blessing to those families.”

BBMP’s sixth annual back-to-school event will be a three-day affair. It begins with a school supplies giveaway at Airways Middle School (2601 Ketchum) on Saturday, August 23rd. The giveaway will last from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

A community day and charity basketball game will take place later that day at Street Ministries (1304 N. Graham) from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

On Sunday, August 24th, there will be a “Building Lives Fashion Show” that will feature models strutting in brands from local boutiques. Ampro Gel Industries will present the event, which will take place at Street Ministries from 3 to 5 p.m.

That evening, Drumma Boy will host a tasting of Moreno BHLV Luxury Sparkling Wine at Prive’ Restaurant (6980 Winchester) from 5 to 7 p.m.

On the culminating day of BBMP’s charity event, Monday, August 25th, kids will be able to receive free haircuts from 1 to 3 p.m. at Airways Middle.

The organization will present its annual awards ceremony and silent auction at Street Ministries from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday evening. Drumma Boy is slated to be presented with BBMP’s “Entrepreneur of the Year” award. Attendees are encouraged to dress in business casual attire.

“We want the city to know that you have small organizations that do their part, and really want to see the city grow as a whole,” Smallwood said. “We also [want to] let kids know that, ‘Hey, we love you. We’re here.’ We’re going to play our part in seeing the betterment of them in their futures in the community.”

To learn more about the charity event, click here 
or here.

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UTHSC Professor Receives $1.6 Million Grant For Obesity Research

Dr. Kristen O’Connell

  • Dr. Kristen O’Connell

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a cheeseburger and fries or cold milkshake on a hot summer day, but over-indulging in delights like these can lead to an undesirable outcome: obesity. And unfortunately, this medical condition affects one in three adults in America.

A University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) professor has been awarded a million dollar grant to research the causes of obesity.

Kristen O’Connell, assistant professor for UTHSC’s Department of Physiology, along with her research team, received a $1.6 million grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, a subsidiary of the National Institutes of Health.

O’Connell will use the grant, which will be distributed over a five-year period, to support a project titled, “Modulation of AgRP Neuronal Excitability: Role of Diet and Body Weight.” The goal of the project is to identify the changes that high-calorie diets have on the neural circuits that control appetite and food intake.

“We hope to better understand the molecular basis of these changes, as well as how quickly they occur and whether they are reversible,” said Dr. O’Connell in a statement. “Our results will hopefully lead to better, safer therapies for obesity and appetite control. In addition, we would like to learn how environmental factors, such as diet, influence flexibility in these key areas of the brain that control appetite, and ultimately identify ways to restore appropriate control of hunger and food intake.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than one-third (or 78.6 million) of U.S. adults are obese. And 17 percent of children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years old are obese.

Obesity is associated with dramatic changes in the parts of the brain that control appetite, according to the UTHSC. These changes may compound the difficulty that many people have in losing weight and keeping it off, since the brain is effectively telling them they are hungry, even if there is no reason to be.

Obesity-related conditions (also the leading causes of preventable death) include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer, according to the CDC. The estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the U.S. was $147 billion in 2008. The medical costs for people who are obese were $1,429 higher than those of normal weight.

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Stats Show Violent Crime In Memphis, Shelby County Is Up

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New data shows murders, forcible rapes, aggravated assaults, and robberies across Shelby County are on the rise compared to 2013.

The Memphis-Shelby County Crime Commission disclosed countywide crime statistics for January through July 2014 in the latest Operation: Safe Community monthly crime trends report.

According to the report, violent crime has increased by 5.7 percent in Memphis and 5.8 percent countywide this year thus far compared to last year.

From January to July 2014, there were 80 murders, 233 forcible rapes, 4,880 aggravated assaults, and 1,987 robberies in Shelby County. Over the same period in 2013, there were 73 murders, 218 forcible rapes, 4,622 aggravated assaults, and 1,872 robberies.

“We are concerned about the increase in reported major violent crimes,” said Bill Gibbons, chair of Operation: Safe Community and commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, in a statement. “It points out the importance of continuing to focus on those parts of the Operation: Safe Community plan designed to curb violent street crime, in particular, data-driven deployment of police resources to areas of high rates of youth crime.”

On the contrary, major property crime decreased by 5.4 percent in Memphis and 5.5 percent countywide from January through July 2014, compared to the same time period in 2013.

In 2014, there were 6,845 burglaries, 16,630 theft offenses, and 1,792 motor vehicle thefts. However, in 2013, there were 7,513 burglaries, 17,446 theft offenses, and 1,781 motor vehicle thefts.

“We are encouraged by the continued decline in reported major property crimes, both in Memphis and countywide,” Gibbons said. “We hope the decline in reported domestic violence offenses is a sign that state and local efforts to address this problem are paying off.”

The Operation: Safe Community monthly crime trends report utilizes data reported by local enforcement agencies to the Tennessee Incident Based Reporting System.

Operation: Safe Community was launched in 2007 and is an initiative to reduce crime in Memphis and Shelby County. Spearheaded by the Memphis-Shelby County Crime Commission, the initiative involves an organized network of more than 100 partner organizations.

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Man Found Not Guilty of Killing Father By Reason Of Insanity

Alexander Shelton

  • Alexander Shelton

A man charged with fatally shooting his father in the head two years ago was declared not guilty by reason of insanity Monday.

On June 16, 2012, Alexander Shelton, 26, shot and killed his father, Lauren, inside of their home, according to the Shelby County District Attorney General’s office. The body of the 55-year-old accountant was discovered on the couch with a gunshot wound to the head.

Shelton was arrested later that day on I-40 near Jackson, Tennessee. He was charged with first-degree murder.

Monday, August 18th, it was declared that Shelton did not understand the wrongfulness of his actions at the time he killed his father, due to suffering from a mental disorder.

In court, a state psychologist who performed a forensic evaluation on Shelton detailed his long history of treatment for mental issues since he was 11 years old, according to the D.A.’s office. After hearing the information, Criminal Court Judge Bobby Carter concurred that Shelton did not understand that he was committing a crime when he shot his father.

Shelton was referred to a state mental facility for further evaluation to determine whether he is committable and poses a danger to himself or others. He will remain in custody until further order of the court.

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Former MPD Officer Charged With Sexual Battery, Son Indicted For Mother’s Murder

Meekose Evans

  • Meekose Evans

A former Memphis Police officer is facing felony charges and years in prison for sexual battery.

Meekose Evans, 30, was indicted on sexual battery this week stemming from an incident in which a motorist said she was groped during a traffic stop in Whitehaven, according to the Shelby County District Attorney General’s office.

A woman said Evans stopped her on February 11th in Whitehaven because her tag lights were out. He later discovered her driver’s license was suspended.

The woman said Evans told her to follow him to an isolated area at the nearby Hillcrest Apartments. She said he then put her in the back of his squad car and asked what she would do for him to avoid getting a ticket.

Evans allegedly requested the woman to expose her breasts and began fondling them. The woman reported the incident to the MPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau and identified Evans in a photo spread.

Evans has also been indicted on charges of official misconduct and official oppression. The charges are felonies that carry one to six years in prison.

Evans was terminated in June from the MPD. He’s scheduled to be in Criminal Court on August 21st. He is presently free on $20,000 bond.

Son Indicted For Mother’s Murder

Alexandre Kim, a 24-year-old Cordova man, was indicted this week on first-degree murder charges in the death of his mother.

On October 7th, 2012, Estelle Carron Kim, was found beaten and strangled inside her burned-out home at 9019 Higden Cove, according to the Shelby County District Attorney General’s office. The 51-year-old woman was a former French teacher at Hutchison School.

Following officers’ arrival to the house, her son, Alexandre, walked up to the scene and told officers he left his mother at the home earlier and had left to get something to eat.

However, officers noticed blood on his clothing and noted that Kim became nervous, according to reports. In addition to that, a witness informed investigators Kim had walked to the house before the fire, left a short time later wearing different clothes, and that the house caught fire about 10 minutes after he left.

Kim is being held without bond. A court date has not been set.

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MPD Director Armstrong, Mayor Wharton Comment On Bloody Beale Street Video

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Footage of a man, unconscious and lying in a pool of blood on Memphis’ world-renowned Beale Street, has gone viral.

Around 2 a.m. Sunday, August 10th, Johnathan Parker was discovered with blood flowing from his head and his pants pulled down past his knees. A video posted online displays several people standing around Parker as they record him with their cell phones. But what’s not shown in the video is anyone contacting 911 or alerting law enforcement.

So far, the video has been shared more than 1,800 times on Facebook.

According to the Memphis Police Department (MPD) report taken at the scene, Parker was discovered by law enforcement around 2:25 a.m., unconscious and bleeding from the head.

After he gained consciousness, an officer spoke to Parker, who was reportedly inebriated. The victim provided his name and replied “I’m straight” when asked what happened. He wouldn’t tell officers what happened or who hurt him. Due to Parker’s intoxication, officers were unable to gather enough information to produce a full report.

Following the interview, Parker was transported to the Regional Medical Center in critical condition. He was later upgraded to non-critical condition.

“At this time, it is not clear if this individual was in a fight or if he passed out or fell,” read a statement provided by MPD’s Sgt. Karen Rudolph. “According to the report on file, this individual was intoxicated and was unable to provide any information pertaining to a fight. I spoke with the South Main Station supervisor who advised that investigators followed up with the victim, who is currently in non-critical condition at Regional One, who advised that he doesn’t remember what happened.

“I checked with Communications regarding possible calls for help in connection with this incident and was advised that no calls were received from citizens on the scene. Officers who were in the area conducted a self-initiated call to Communications advising that they located one male down and additional officers were needed. Officers were not neglectful in responding to this call due to the fact that they never received a call.”

Rudolph’s statement acknowledged that this is an ongoing investigation; investigators are checking for any additional video that may have been captured. It stated that MPD are following up with several postings that have been placed on Facebook. Anyone with footage that shows an actual fight or any additional footage that may assist with this investigation are encouraged to forward it to the MPD’s PIO Office (pio@memphistn.gov).

MPD director Toney Armstrong provided his take on the incident: “It is disheartening to see an injured person laying on the ground with spectators capturing photos and video; but not calling for assistance,” stated Director Armstrong. “MPD Communications did not receive a call concerning this wounded individual; however, officers who were assigned to Beale Street responded immediately once they witnessed a large crowd and a man down. This is an ongoing investigation and we are trying to put the pieces together to determine what actually occurred.”

Mayor A C Wharton, Jr. has also released a statement in response to the incident, labeling it “a truly regrettable situation all the way around.”

“I guess I’m not so shocked by the fact that even in a city known for helping people in need that a person in obvious distress would not be immediately assisted by those who saw the situation,” Wharton said. “I’m reminded that even in the Biblical story of the Good Samaritan, two people passed by the man on the roadside bleeding before the Samaritan stopped to help. What is, however, more upsetting to so many of us is that instead of ignoring this individual’s need for help, some people actually stopped and took the time to use their phones to record the incident. These are the same phones that people could have used to call for help given that the initial team of Memphis Police Officers arrived on the scene despite having not received a report of the incident.”

The police report taken at the scene can be read below. And click here to view footage of the incident.

On 08/10/2014 at 02:25 hours, Officer N Payne (12593) reported a ‘Precinct GIB’ memo at 877 Jefferson Ave where victim Johnathan Parker was transported by MFD #11 from Beale St in critical condition. Officers on Beale St. found a male unconscious bleeding from the head. Officer Payne spoke to the victim, that smelled strongly of intoxicants. The victim only provided his name. Officers had to research the victim’s name in Shelby County wasp system to identify him. Officers asked the victim Johnathan Parker what happened he only replied, “I’m straight.” The victim would not tell officers what happened, or who hurt him. The victim Johnathan Parker was under a state of intoxication that prevented officers from gathering enough information to produce a full report. Officer captured photos of the victim’s injuries. The nurse Kerry Lyons, PACE RN advised his condition was non critical. A supervisor, Lt. Tucker (5605) was advised. There was no crime scene. There is video on Beale St, but it was not immediately available.

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New Grant Helps Shelby County Correctional Facility Go Green

CREDIT: State of TN

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  • State of TN

Operating 24 hours a day, the Shelby County Correctional Facility is currently the largest energy user of all the county government buildings. But this is slated to change thanks to a new $250,000 grant awarded to the Shelby County Division of Corrections (SCDOC) to make its facility more eco-friendly.

Late last month, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation awarded the SCDOC with a $250,000 “Clean Tennessee Energy Grant.” With the funding, a roof-mounted solar thermal hot water system and an ozone laundry system will be installed at the facility to reduce domestic hot water usage. Inmates will be trained to install the systems.

“Corrections has installed its first roof-mounted solar collector and is heating water for one housing unit,” said SCDOC’s David Barber. “The device is on inmate housing building P, with a capacity of about 160 beds. It is working as advertised, providing a continuous heat source through a circulating closed circuit providing 350 degree Fahrenheit to the heat exchanger feeding a 1,000-gallon domestic hot water storage tank. It works on ultraviolet radiation, so it performs in any weather conditions.”

Utilizing the grant from TDEC along with additional funds from their budget, SCDOC plans to install at least six more solar systems as well as LED lighting retrofits in office and housing areas.

LED outdoor lighting in the front yard of the main compound will also be installed at the facility. Barber said this would cut the facility’s wattage use by about half while providing more lumens and a pure blue/white light on its grounds. There will also be more LED fixtures installed around the remaining perimeter to increase security at night.

“We are retrofitting high security fluorescent fixtures in housing areas with LED tubes, usually reducing the number of bulbs from four to two in each fixture while providing more light,” Barber said. “These housing and office area retrofits will be accomplished in the course of normal bulb replacement, and should be completed by June 30, 2015. In addition to the wattage decrease with attendant lower electrical costs, the reduced labor cost for bulb replacement will be substantial over the 40,000 average life of LED bulbs.”

SCDOC has also implemented recycling of cardboard, paper, plastic, and metals in its facility, which has reduced trash hauling fees by nearly $1,500 per month so far.

“More savings will be achieved as housing areas begin to recycle inmate commissary waste plastic and paper,” Barber said. “We have shipped one load of recycled material, with a payment of $1,275.00. A second load is scheduled next week. Additionally, we recycle wooden pallets through a local entrepreneur at $1.00 per re-useable pallet.”

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Voters Rally Targets Local Millennials

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Research shows that “millennials,” typically categorized as people born in the 1980s up to the early 2000s, are the least likely to vote. But many of the decisions made by elected officials will impact them significantly now and in the future.

A group of local millennials are holding a rally Tuesday, July 29th to encourage their peers to register to vote and/or pledge to participate in upcoming local, state, and national elections.

The “Millennial Voters Rally” will take place in front of downtown’s Civic Center Plaza at 5:30 p.m. The event is a part of the WhyVote Initiative, a movement created to inform locals about the importance of voting and how refraining from doing so can adversely impact them.

Brent Hooks, one of the rally’s coordinators, said the goal is to attract at least 100 millennials to register to vote and/or agree to participate in upcoming elections as well as and spread the word about the significance of voting.

“This is going to be the most powerful thing that we can present … it’s power in unity,” said Hooks, associate project manager for Allworld Project Management. “If we go out there and show them that we have a mass of people who are down for the cause, we can make a difference.”

WhyVote representatives will conduct a press conference in front of the Civic Center Plaza at 6 p.m. And at 6:15 p.m., the group will march to the Shelby County Election Commission and help participants register to vote or submit ballots for the upcoming county election.

According to WhyVote data, millennials make up nearly a quarter of Shelby County’s population (more than 196,000 people), but only around 460 had cast votes during the early voting period of the current county election as of last week.

“This is an opportunity to show unison amongst the millennials, to send the message that we’re interested in political decisions that are being made and really want to impact the change for the future,” said Ryan Carson, project manager for The Redwing Group and another coordinator of the Millennial Voters Rally.

To find out more information about the WhyVote Initiative, contact Brent Hooks at (901) 292-1873.

Check out this week’s issue of The Memphis Flyer to read more about millennial voting.

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GoFundMe Page Created For Slain Army Vet

Justin Davis

  • Justin Davis

On Tuesday night, Justin Davis, a 24-year-old Army veteran, sat in his car in the parking lot of Germantown’s Cameron-Brown Park frustrated, depressed, and armed with a rifle.

Davis, who battled post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, had been reportedly having suicidal thoughts and was going through a divorce. To make matters worse, he had been unable to find employment upon his return from the military.

According to reports, the Germantown Police Department (GPD) Communications Center received a “Be On The Lookout” (BOLO) message stating Davis was “unstable, possibly suicidal, armed and dangerous” on Tuesday, July 15th, around 9 p.m. The GPD Communications Center was notified by the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office around 9:45 p.m. that Davis was located at Cameron-Brown Park (8626 Farmington Boulevard).

GPD officers arrived on the scene shortly after and located Davis in a parking lot near a baseball field. After evacuating the area, officers communicated with Davis via phone and through a squad car public address system, according to reports.

What transpired during the conversation up until the seconds before bullets were fired remains unclear. According to reports, Davis “escalated” the situation during his communication with GPD officers. This resulted in three officers firing their weapons, striking Davis. He was pronounced deceased on the scene.

“As officers were continuing their effort to communicate, the situation was escalated by the subject, who was armed with a rifle, resulting in three Germantown police officers discharging their weapons,” stated a police news release regarding the incident.

Justin and his daughter

  • Facebook.com
  • Justin and his daughter

Names of the three officers involved in the shooting have yet to be released, but are on paid administrative leave, pending an investigation from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, according to reports. Where and how many times Davis was shot has yet to be announced. He leaves behind a young daughter.

Not only are Davis’ family and friends deeply saddened by the occurrence, members and veterans of various branches of the U.S. military have been touched by the situation. Local veteran Jerome Hardaway is among these people.

Hardaway has created a GoFundMe page to help raise money for Davis’ burial. He was motivated to start the fundraiser after receiving messages from friends and family of Davis’ who were hurt by the situation and concerned with how his burial would be financed.

After discovering the local Veterans Administration would not be able to cover the expenses, he organized a GoFundMe account in the hope that small donations would be made to help Davis’ family put him to rest at the West Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery (4000 Forest Hill Irene). The fundraiser’s goal is $2,500.

“Hopefully, the community will come together and help this family,” Hardaway said. “The fundraiser will go on until the family has the resources to put him properly to rest.”

Hardaway is an Air Force vet and fought in the Iraq War, also known as Operation Iraqi Freedom. He said he can relate to Davis’ battle with post-war issues and is disheartened by the fact he was unable to find employment after returning home from the military.

“As an OIF veteran, I do suffer from combat stress, and I’ve worked hard to learn how to manage it,” Hardaway said. “I’m personally saddened by the situation, because I know how he felt. [To] go to Iraq and manage to survive a war zone, only to come home and be told that you have no skills is demoralizing. The government spends hundreds of thousands of dollars turning young people into more than fighters; [they become] effective learners, thinkers, capable of working harder and being more mentally agile than their civilian counterparts in order to complete missions. It’s horrible that people tend to choose to only see veterans in a certain light, but we are working hard to change that.”

Hardaway is in the beginning stages of creating his company, FRAGO, an entity that will take a proactive approach to helping veterans receive the services they need before it’s too late.

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Mayor Wharton Launches “Inspiring Young Men of Color” Initiative

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Memphis Mayor A C Wharton stood at a podium in the FedExForum’s plaza Wednesday and introduced a new initiative that will help improve the success rates of young African-American men.

Entitled “Inspiring Young Men of Color,” the program aims to bridge the opportunity gap that young black males face by lessening the disparities they experience in education, employment, health, and justice.

The effort will be spearheaded by an executive steering committee that’s composed of numerous business and community leaders, many of whom were on hand at the press conference. The collective will develop long-term strategies to combat the identified issues that hinder high success rates of young Memphis minorities.

“Generally, when you focus on young men of color, the first thing you look for is ‘Okay, where are the police officers? Where are the folks in charge of the prisons and jails?” Wharton said. “We’re flipping the script on this. We’re focusing on the opportunity side of it, the preparation side of it. We’re going to change the language. As opposed to saying ‘What are we going to do to them,’ it’s ‘What are we going to do with them, to make them much more productive young men of color?'”

The program is aligned with Pres. Barack Obama’s recently launched “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative, an approach that seeks to improve outcomes of young men of color in health, education, employment, and criminal justice nationally.

Wharton said improving the literacy rates of young black males in Memphis is one of the most important objectives of the initiative.

“One of the most starving issues facing our young men is low literacy,” Wharton said. “Simply put, many of our young men and boys of color are not reading proficiently, and the lack of this fundamental skill prevents them from reaching their full potential.”

For more information on the Inspiring Young Men of Color initiative, check out next week’s issue of The Memphis Flyer.