What we do know is this: Southaven resident Chavis Carter was convicted of dealing marijuana and had violated his parole. When Jonesboro police stopped him on the night of Sunday, July 29, they searched him twice and found about $10 worth of drugs in his pocket. They didn’t find a gun. They handcuffed him behind his back and put him in the back of a police car. What happened after that is under investigation, but police claim Carter somehow managed to obtain a gun and shoot himself in the head while handcuffed. Authorities have labeled the case a suicide. The victim’s family and many human rights advocates aren’t so sure. They think the official police report of what happened would
Options if Your Child Is Injured by a Teacher We have so many wonderful teachers in Memphis. But unfortunately teacher abuse happens often enough nationwide that we need to have better discussions about it. As just one example, see this New York Times op-ed. Journalist Bill Lichtenstein describes how a school left his child in isolation and sometimes locked in restraints by teachers and school administrators. He claims it occurred daily for almost three months. These cases don’t happen often, but when they do, they carry permanent consequences. In recent years, we’ve seen news reports detail some other extreme examples. Schools sometimes use bizarre and traumatizing disciplinary measures. The tactics range from stripping children naked and bathing them against their wills
As the nation works to figure out its debt crisis, the government is also facing the fact that it may not be able to pay all the bills come August. If Congress doesn’t raise the debt ceiling, cuts will have to follow – and some might be drastic, including pay for federal employees, grant funding, federal court costs, law enforcement, and housing assistance. Even if they do raise the debt ceiling and are able to pay the bills, they will be doing so on borrowed money and most likely will not address one of the foundational problems with the crisis – that the government is spending more money than it has in its account. Sadly, if you are struggling with
Whether you’re buying a live tree this year or using a fake one, a Christmas tree can create an extra hazard for your household. Follow these tips to celebrate safely: Tips for Buying the Right Tree: Pass on any tree with dry, breaking needles or needles turning brown. If the needles can snap in your finger, they’re too dry. Before buying, check the tree for other signs of freshness. The tree trunk should be sticky and the branches should be flexible when bent. For ultimate safety (and holiday tradition), go in search of a living tree that you can cut (or save the roots to plant again). Those will have the most water and be least flammable. For example Merry
The Institute for Financial Literacy recently uncovered a new, fast-growing group of bankruptcy clients: college graduates. According to The Washington Post, the Institute’s report reflects changes in consumer debt. Bankruptcy clients are increasingly more educated and seemingly well-off. They have bachelor’s degrees and live in affluent neighborhoods, but with the crushing costs of student debt they wind up struggling to make ends meet. Their financial limitations, often due to education loan payments, pushes them to use credit cards more, and eventually the situation spirals out of control. While student loans currently cannot be handled through bankruptcy, other expenses can – offering some relief to overwhelmed graduates. But one thing is certain: it is no longer always a safe financial bet
With Spring settling in here in Memphis, that means school is inching closer to an end for our ambitious high school seniors. For some of these seniors, it means taking the ACT and choosing a college to continue their learning. Is your child getting ready to go to college and making the choice on where to attend? As a parent, there are some things you want to keep in mind. As we all know, college is very expensive. Some students are fortunate enough to receive scholarships, whether it be partial or full, but some aren’t. Just as some parents have been fortunate enough to save for their child’s education, but some haven’t been. And then some parents may be like
By: Darrell Castle How does a person qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance? They must be medically unable to work. Your hands are vital to almost any – if not all – types of employment. Some people may be able to work with an injured hand, and some may not. That’s why a hand injury CAN make you eligible for disability insurance. A few factors will help determine whether or not you qualify. 1. Your injury How severe is your injury? Did you hurt one or both hands? How long will it take you to recover? Is this an injury that will cause chronic pain or will it improve? All of these questions will need to be answered. 2. Your
There was a good article this weekend in the Wall Street Journal titled, “Looking Past a Credit Score.” In this article, AnnaMaria Andriotis, the writer, referenced the push that credit card companies are making towards more easily accessible credit scores. Last month, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau called on credit card companies to provide consumers with their scores in hopes of encouraging borrowers to improve their credit. Some credit card companies like Capital One and Discover are making moves to give consumers their credit scores when they access their account information online or receive their monthly statements. But does easier access to credit scores translate to higher transparency on the benefits of the scores you’re getting? This is where two
The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) has reported a 10% increase in motorcycle crash fatalities during 2015 vs 2014. The study estimated 5,010 deaths in 2015, compared to 4,548 the year before. Why the increase? 30% of the fatal accidents involved the ever-present 2 most common factors: alcohol and speeding. Those numbers have remained relatively stable over the last decade or so. However, there’s also been an increase in distracted driving. Smartphone sales skyrocketed in recent years, and as users become more comfortable with the technology, they’re also more tempted to use social media and text messaging while on the road. GPS apps can also be a distraction, especially when they aren’t properly mounted. Researchers believe those dangerous driver habits,
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has been promising for a while to deal with predatory payday loans. They’ve now started their response, with a proposal to be followed up next year by a final ruling and regulations to go with it. I’m opposed to regulation in general and favor a free market approach, but that only works when the market is truly free. In this instance, the market is full of deception — and there’s nothing wrong with saying deception won’t be tolerated. Payday loans catch people when they have little choice. To combat extortion when people are desperate, the federal government could regulate this niche market out of business, allowing for another market for large, institutional lenders or other organizations with better policies. In other words, if there’s