LOCAL NEWS

JW Gibson: City and County Must Collaborate to Fight Crime
JW Gibson, running for Memphis mayor, joined KWAM's "Wake Up Memphis" to talk about his campaign and combat the rising crime in the Bluff City. "There needs to be more collaboration between the city and the county around this judicial system," Gibson told KWAM. Listen...

EXCLUSIVE: Family of Slain ‘Watermelon Man’ Speaks Out
The family of John Materna, who was fatally shot May 15 while selling his local produce, spoke exclusively to KWAM Friday morning about his impact on the community and the issue of juvenile crime. Materna's sons, Daniel and Steve, told "Wake Up Memphis" they are...

Downtown Memphis Hard Rock Cafe Closing Amid Rise in Crime
The Hard Rock Cafe on Beale Street in Memphis is closing its doors. The popular restaurant has been on Beale since 1997, and there's no word at this time on what exactly caused the restaurant to close. KWAM radio host Todd Starnes pointed to "off the charts" crime in...

Mayoral Candidate Jennings Bernard: I’ll Save Memphis from Violent Crime
CEO of the National Probation of America Jennings Bernard joined "Wake Up Memphis" to talk about his platform for running in the Memphis mayoral race. With violence out of control, Bernard said that the city has "cancer" that needs to be eradicated. "The city of...

Carpenter: Candidates for Memphis Mayor are Too Accustomed to Crime
Jordan Carpenter joined KWAM's "Wake Up Memphis" to talk about the crime that happened over the Memorial Day weekend in Memphis and how families are being affected by crime in the city. Download the KWAM app for the latest news, traffic and weather in the Mid-South....
Germantown School Board Set to Vote on Limiting Free Speech
The Germantown Municipal School District is about to take a vote on a measure that would crack down on public comments at school board meetings. The board is considering a new rule that would only allow comments that are on their school board agenda. Many fear this...

PLAY STUPID GAMES, WIN STUPID PRIZES: Memphis Police Shoot Carjacker
A Memphis carjacker picked the wrong day to steal a car. Memphis Police say the carjacker stole a Chevy Trailblazer in Berclair. Officers tracked down the stolen vehicle and gave chase. The suspect bailed out of the vehicle on Eastern Drive and fired a shot at one of...

Newborn Placed in Tennessee’s First ‘Baby Box’
A healthy newborn estimated at about 30-minutes old was the first to be placed in a Tennessee "Safe Haven Baby Box" in Knoxville on Saturday, the city's fire department reported. According to a post on the Knoxville Fire Department's Facebook page, the male newborn...

FOUL FOWL: Chick-fil-A Embraces Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
So Chick-fil-A has joined the ranks of national companies that have a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion department. Which explains why they are serving cauliflower sandwiches and kale salad. “Chick-fil-A, Inc.’s commitment to being Better at Together means embedding...

Rep. Tim Burchett: I’m a ‘NO’ Vote on Debt Limit Deal
Now that President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R) have come up with a deal to present Congress and avoid a default on paying the nation's bills, both now trying to get their parties on board. However, a number of Republicans have already voiced that...