money The 901: Memphis passes a record it’s not proud of: Homicides
Good morning, Memphis, where we begin the final week of 2021 with some warm temperatures.
But, first, we passed a grim milestone in Bluff City. Late last week, Memphis police reported 333 homicides, passing the record set in 2020 of 332 homicides.
Of those 333 homicides, 292 are classified as murders, our Micaela Watts reports. The remainder of the deaths fall into categories like justified homicides or negligent manslaughter.
As a result of the violence plaguing the city, multiple new initiatives from government officials and community members are being set forth.
Neighborhoods with large home-price increase
Frayser, South Memphis, Berclair, Raleigh, and Midtown are among the many Memphis-area neighborhoods that saw a median home price increase in 2021.
Frayser’s rising home values showed the highest percent increase, yet another sign of the neighborhood’s housing market bouncing back from the 2008 recession, our Omer Yusuf reports.
“Even with the increase in prices, it’s still relatively affordable for most families,” said Rodney Tate Jr. with Assured Real Estate Services, which does work in Frayser. “Those homes in those communities are usually a pretty good size. They may be a little bit older, but they’re a good size, you can update them affordably and increase the value on those properties.”
Black businessmen prep children for winter weather
Several business people set out to make sure Memphis-area children stay warm for the coming cold winter days during the Partners in Unity second annual Toys & Coats Giveaway in Hyde Park.
Our Tonyaa Weathersbee writes in her latest column how these business people are using this as an opportunity to ease the suffering and to become an example of how they can eliminate it.
Here’s an excerpt from her column:
For Alfred Washington, a rainstorm last December shed further light on why giving away coats and toys to children for the holidays wasn’t simply about giving them gifts.
For many of the children who showed up, it was about helping them survive the elements.
“It was raining, and we had a lot of kids who came out here who didn’t have coats, and who didn’t have on socks,” said Washington, who owns Top Notch Security, Inc., a security firm in the Hyde Park neighborhood.
“So, we decided to do something that would benefit them through the winter.”
That’s why Washington joined forces with Marvin Coleman, owner of Chelsea AutoMart, and several other businesspeople in that North Memphis neighborhood, to see to it that children there wouldn’t have to face the winter with no armor between them and the weather.
2021 favorite Memphis dishes
Whenever someone needs a new restaurant recommendation in The Commercial Appeal's office, we turn to food writer Jennifer Chandler.
This year Jennifer compiled her list of top dishes. Here’s what she had to say in her story for subscribers:
What a year! I have eaten my way across Memphis and its suburbs, enjoying delicious bites at so many eateries. I can confidently say Memphis has some of the best restaurants anywhere.
The diversity of great eats in Memphis is astonishing. While barbecue may be king for many when they think of Memphis, there is so much more to our city's culinary scene.
With that in mind, it should be no surprise my 2021 list of favorite dishes has a global theme to it.
Each dish listed has its roots in another country. The offerings span across the globe from West Africa to France to Mexico to Asia to Italy.
The five dishes on this list illustrate the variety of cuisines available in our hometown. We are lucky to live in a city that offers so much. Dining out can be a fun adventure that connects you to cultures throughout the world.
Tigers miss out of Hawaii Bowl
Just one day before the Hawaii Bowl in Honolulu, the Tigers learned Hawaii had to pull out of the schedule due to low numbers from positive COVID-19 tests, transfers and injuries, our Evan Barnes reports.
"I'm sad for them. Our players are ready, they prepared, they worked hard. They did everything right. The way they behaved, their actions this week at the bowl game reflect that," coach Ryan Silverfield said. "But we are bowl champions and that's one thing I told them. It's most important that we go home with this trophy and rightfully so.
"Those players, those seniors earned the right to be called champions because they did everything the right way."
Silverfield’s focus now transitions to the offseason with a new hire and re-evaluating his current staff. There are also players who will head into the transfer portal while the Tigers continue recruiting.
While the Tigers’ missed out on a bowl game this year, the city of Memphis plays host for Mississippi State (7-5) and Texas Tech (6-6) at the Liberty Bowl Tuesday. Fans of the two teams, especially Mississippi State, have been streaming into Memphis since Sunday.
The bowl takes place at 5:45 p.m. at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.
The 901 was written today by Ray Padilla, the digital producer for The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at raymond.padilla@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @Ray_Padilla_.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: The 901: Memphis passes 2020 homicide record with over 333 killed
