News

Police: Drug house stocked with guns next door to school

Submitted by Nick Kenney, Reporter

Friday, April 5th, 2013, 5:59pm

MEMPHIS, TN- (WMC-TV) - Elementary school kids are walking past and sitting in class directly next door to what police describe as a drug house stocked with guns.

Melvin Robinson, 56, is locked up at 201 Poplar on a series of drug and gun charges.

Neighbors said he is disabled, and can barely walk.

Police raided the house at Kings Arms and Newberry. Inside they found some weed, some pills, some ammo, and nearly a dozen guns – one stolen, and one with a serial number filed off hidden inside a grill.

Police found six loaded guns in the backyard stashed in a white Oldsmobile, just 20 feet away from Newberry Elementary School."

The class remained uninterrupted. The students were just find.

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Train collides with semi-truck

Submitted by WMCTV Web Staff

Friday, April 5th, 2013, 4:34pm

MEMPHIS, TN- (WMC-TV) - A train and a semi-truck collided on Shelby Drive near Tuggle Road in South Memphis.

The crash happened just before 4 p.m.

So far, no injuries have been reported.

Eastbound and westbound traffic on Shelby Drive is stopped.

Drivers are urged to take an alternate route.

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Memphis Soul to be celebrated at The White House

Submitted by Kym Clark on Thursday, April 4th, 6:55 pm

MEMPHIS, TN- (WMC-TV) - Soulsville Charter School and Stax Music Academy students are headed to the nation's capitol to enjoy and participate in a week of activities highlighting "Memphis Soul" music.

Soulsville Charter School and Stax Academy Senior's Adrian Williams and Stephani Brownlee are two of only 120 middle and high school students from across the country, invited to participate in an interactive workshop in the State Dining Room at The White House.

"It's hard to believe. It's like, I'm going to The White House," said Adrian Williams. "Am I really going to The White House? Maybe not!"

"I'm just so excited. Just to, you know, represent Memphis, the Stax Music Academy and Soulsville Charter School," said Stephani Brownlee.

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'Zombie Title Crisis' costs Memphis taxpayers

Submitted by Kontji Anthony, Action News 5 Anchor/Reporter

Saturday, March 23rd, 2013, 6:52pm

MEMPHIS, TN- (WMC - TV) - A little known foreclosure nightmare is draining money from upstanding taxpayers in Memphis.

When homeowners can no longer afford to pay their mortgage, some institutions that take over are not paying the property taxes. That is when the burden falls on taxpayers.

"It hits every single district," said Memphis Council Chairman Edmund Ford, Jr.

Ford is talking about a new foreclosure horror economists coined the Zombie Title Crisis.

"All of these properties, you can't find the person," he said.

He said the Zombie Title cases have doubled to 1,500 in Memphis over the last two years. That is when banks and realtors leave the foreclosed properties in the homeowners' names so it is hard to track the true owner.

"That's a problem," said Ford explaining how taxpayers are now paying for it. "It's a double-whammy on the city.

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Church to provide free shredding

Submitted by Andy Wise, Chief Consumer Investigator/Andy's Restaurant Scorecard

Thursday, March 21st, 2013, 1:41am

Get your old receipts, investments and tax documents in the car and over to South Memphis for some free shredding!

The lay organization of St. Andrew AME Church, 867 S. Parkway East, will offer free document shredding to the public Saturday, March 23, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The shredder will be set up on the parking lot adjacent to the church.

"We list it as a free event but we do accept donations to help with the cost, but payment isn't mandatory," said church spokesperson Michael Steward.

As a general rule, your debit and credit card receipts should be destroyed immediately after you reconcile them with your statements.

Investment documents should be shredded three years after the investment's sale.

The IRS now recommends shredding tax documents three years after the return date, instead of the conventional seven years.

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Man grazed by bullet in S. Memphis

Submitted by WMCTV Web Staff

Wednesday, March 20th, 2013, 5:12pm

MEMPHIS, TN- (WMC-TV) - Police are investigating a shooting that happened in South Memphis Wednesday afternoon.

One man was grazed by a bullet near the intersection of Goodlett Street and Windy Hollow Circle.

According to police, rounds were fired into a vehicle and the four to five black men they believe are responsible were last seen running on foot.

There is no word yet on the condition of the man who was grazed by a bullet.

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Safer online tax prep

Submitted by Andy Wise, Chief Consumer Investigator/Andy's Restaurant Scorecard

Monday, March 18th, 2013, 3:03pm

Continuing my Your Neighborhood series on tax preparation, the folks at ScamBook.com shared five tips to help consumers protect their financial identities:

* KNOW WHO'S HELPING YOU. That means researching the CPA, tax preparer or online tax service. Check them with the IRS's Office of Professional Responsibility and confirm their tax preparer ID numbers (PTIN). Find those resources inside this story. Also, check their histories with Scambook and the Better Business Bureau.

* FILE YOUR TAXES ASAP. The sooner consumers file, the less time scam artists have to file returns using stolen Social Security numbers.

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