FOR MEMPHIS: GOOD NEWS FROM MEMPHIS - GOOD NEWS FOR MEMPHIS AUGUST 4, 2026

Back to school is here, and I know this year is going to be a great one!

Our students are the future of this city. They are already doing incredible things FOR MEMPHIS. Our schools and educators are impacting the city FOR MEMPHIS. Let’s not forget to share the positive Memphis stories coming from our schools.

Duncan

Keep Reading the Good News For Memphis.

An Update on Public Safety

Everyone keeps saying “crime is down.” Here are two main facts to back it up:

* Violent crime this year is lower than in 2011, making this our best year in the last 20

* Property crime (burglary, car theft, etc.) is the lowest it's been in 20 years

Those FBI numbers that you might see hitting the news are from LAST year. But let’s not forget, our 2025 violent crime numbers were 27% lower than in 2024. And crime in 2026 is already 37% lower than in 2025. Memphis is on the rise in the right direction. Ripple, a Washington Post publication, shared about the partnership between local, state, and federal officials to create a safer Memphis. Read more here. (Shout out to Bill Dunavant and Ben Adams for sharing the good news!)

Fourth of July Crowds Boost Downtown Businesses and Hotels

Over 15,000 celebrated the 250^th anniversary of our nation downtown at the fireworks and drone show in Tom Lee Park. 100,000 visited downtown throughout the day. With the influx of people in our downtown, several local businesses saw an increase in business, from hotel stays to dinner reservations. Just one event has made an impact on our downtown community. Learn more about it here

$4 Million Commitment to Help Expand Health Hubs Across Tennessee

UnitedHealth Foundation and UnitedHealth Group announced a $4 million expansion of the health hubs across the state of Tennessee. This commitment will take the count from 5 health hubs to 13. Currently, three of the health hubs are in the Memphis/Shelby County area while the remaining two are in Hardin County and Decatur County. The health hub model was established by UTHSC College of Medicine. The goal of the expansion is to serve 200,000 residents in the state. Read more here. (Thanks for sharing this piece of good news, Peter Buckley.)

Got Good News? Share it with goodnews@memphischamber.com

Check Out More Good News HERE.

Subscribe to FOR MEMPHIS.

‍