Politics

"A Taste of Hunger" Opens Minds, Hearts

Submitted by Joe Birch, Anchor

Friday, November 9th, 2012, 10:11pm

Let this number wash over you for a moment - 130,000 families in Shelby County now receive food stamps.

Travis Williams, Program Director for the Tennessee Department of Human Services, revealed the astounding number at “A Taste of Hunger,” an effort to address food insecurity in the Memphis area in a new and creative way.

“We believe there are more people who qualify for the food stamps program in the Memphis area, but the current total of families represents 265,000 people in Shelby County,” Williams told a crowd of 200 community leaders.

Nearly one million people live in Shelby County, the vast majority in the city of Memphis.

Based on Williams’ figures, more than one quarter of Shelby County’s 927,644 residents now receive food stamps.

The eight county metro Memphis area was ranked first in the nation in food insecurity by the Gallup Organization in 2010 in a survey conducted for the Food Resource Action Center.

Table facilitators at "A Taste of Hunger" helped lead creative brainstorming conversations on resolving the nutrition crisis in the Mid-South.

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Early voting comes to an end for Shelby County

Submitted by WMCTV Web Staff

Wednesday, October 31st, 2012, 3:12pm

Early voting comes to an end for Shelby County

Early voting ends in Tennessee Thursday, Nov. 1

Tennessee election officials expect to break another record when the early voting period is over.

As of now officials are reporting the second highest early voting turnout in Tennessee history.

The numbers show 1.2 million people have voted early in this election.

Wintry weather may be a drag on the last day of early voting. Some parts of East Tennessee with 22 inches of snow may keep some people from the polls.

Find a list of early voting locations on the Shelby County Election committee's website by clicking here. Voters may vote at any early voting location during the early voting process.

Need more information on early voting? Find it on WMC-TV's website here.

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Tennessee Equality Project applauds Memphis City Council

Submitted by Ashli Blow, New Media Content Producer

Wednesday, October 17th, 2012, 1:02pm

Tennessee Equality Project applauds Memphis City Council

Tennessee Equality Project’s success Tuesday night for Memphis' non-discrimination ordinance to include LGBT-inclusive protections was more than five years in the making.

“It’s a good day in Memphis,” said TEP vice president Jonathan Cole.

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U of M Presidential Watch, Debate & Discuss

Submitted by Alorien Sadler on Wednesday, October 3rd, 8:15 am

The University of Memphis is having a Presidential Watch, Debate and later Discuss tonight at the University of Memphis Rose Theatre from 7-10:30 p.m. for all students.

They ask for you to bring your cell phones and laptops to participate in polling before and after the debate.

Also, don't forget that the University of Memphis is having a student vote drive today on campus.

The University of Memphis is pushing to have 1,000 students register to vote. Deadline to register to vote is October 8.

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Enjoy Presidential Burgers at BGR

Submitted by Michael Phillips

Tuesday, September 25th, 2012, 5:24pm

The Burger Joint is wading into the political waters this election season with presidential burgers.

This is not just a sales ploy, though.

The proceeds will go to benefit The "Share Our Strength No Kid Goes Hungry" campaign.

The Mitt Romney and Barack Obama burgers went on sale today.

BGR founder Mark Bucher has announced plans for the contest’s return.

“We had such a great response to the Presidential Burgers four years ago, it really was a no-brainer for it to return for this election,” Bucher said.

“Just like last time, we’ll provide regular updates on how many votes each burger gets and we will release our results on Election Day.”

Both burgers are an ode to their hometowns.

The Obama burger will feature a signature BGR patty toppy with a Chicago “Vienna Beef” hot dog with neon green relish and sport peppers.

The Romney burger, a nod to New England surf and turf will include a signature BGR patty topped wit

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Make your vote count! Go register today!

Submitted by Karen Bray on Tuesday, September 25th, 5:29 am

(WMC-TV) - If you haven't registered to vote, you still have time. Tuesday is national registration day.

In Memphis, the Central Labor Council will be registering voters at the IBEW Labor Hall on 1870 Madison Avenue from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m.

This is one of the largest movements around voter registration on a single day to date.

According to the official website for National Registration Day 2012, 6 million Americans did not vote in 2008 because they missed a registration deadline or simply did not know how to register. One of the goals Tuesday is to make sure that no one is left out.

This day was organized to accomplish four goals; register voters, mobilize volunteers, educate eligible voters, and change the conversation. The groups and volunteers involved in this day are all non-partisan. They are not affiliated with any political party.

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Mayor Luttrell, Gov. Haslam, developing Japanese business relationships

Submitted by John Phelps, Community Blogger

Friday, September 14th, 2012, 2:54pm

Mayor Luttrell, Gov. Haslam, developing Japanese business relationships

(WMC-TV) - County Mayor Mark Luttrell and Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam are visiting Tokyo, Japan this week, exploring new business opportunities for Shelby County as well as the entire state of Tennessee.

The governor and mayor were joined by members of the Greater Memphis Chamber and 60 other state and local business officials.

“It’s been an exciting week,” said Mayor Luttrell. “We’ve met with the CEOs of Mitsubishi Electric, Mitsubishi Chemical, Brother Industries, Sharp and other businesses. Our goal is to establish new relationships and encourage more companies to locate in our community,” he added.

In 2011, Mitsubishi broke ground on a new transformer manufacturing plant in Memphis, which should create approximately 300 full-time jobs. The plant will also create opportunities for subcontractors.

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