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San Luis City appointed city Council Member Gloria Torres as the city's new vice mayor on December 14, 2023, representing her first promotion since her conviction for a misdemeanor ballot harvesting scheme in June of last year. Her colleague and longtime critic, Council Member Gary Garcia Snyder, told The Arizona Sun Times his constituents "are at a loss" following Torres' appointment. Torres (pictured above) pleaded guilty to her role in a ballot harvesting scheme after she was indicted following the release of camera footage obtained by Garcia Snyder and David Lara, a San Luis Republican who was elected to a school board seat in 2016, as the result of a "sting" operation.

A section of the Cheshire Bridge Road will remain closed to traffic for up to 10 weeks after a fire that may have started in a homeless encampment under the bridge, an Atlanta City Council member confirmed in a December 29 newsletter to his constituents. Atlanta City Councilmember Alex Wan told his constituents in his newsletter that the bridge is slated to be repaired, all at once, over a period that may take up to 10 weeks. Wan explained, "it has been determined that it is better long term to complete the entire rehab work at once" rather than partially opening the bridge to accommodate some traffic while repairs are finished.

The City of Tucson claimed it is legally immune to consequences of its public policy as part of its defense in a lawsuit claiming the city's decision to allow a homeless camp is causing damages to local residents and businesses. Bernardo Velasco, an attorney representing the city in the lawsuit, reportedly argued on Friday that Tucson "is immune from liability for its policy determinations, according to The Arizona Daily Star. That policy determination, the outlet explained, was to allow homeless individuals to camp in a "pocket park" known as the Navajo Wash.

Tennessee State Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis) claimed the new letter grades assigned to every Tennessee school are "flawed." Akbari represents Memphis, where more than 40 percent of schools did not receive passing grades. Akbari released a statement on Thursday declaring the "flawed letter grades will never define a school, their students and families, or their teachers and staff." She asserted the grades instead reflect what she claimed is inadequate state funding for education.

Shelby County Commissioner Mick Wright promised a formal complaint about County Clerk Wanda Halbert on Wednesday following a December 21 letter from Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp (R) stressing the need for a document formally notifying her office of the clerk's alleged failures. Halbert is being investigated over claims of mismanagement, and allegations include hours-long lines for basic services, a backlog in license plate registrations, and alleged unpaid back rent on a satellite location that purportedly resulted in the court's eviction, reported Action News 5.

The Murfreesboro Police Department (MPD) released new details about its Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) on Tuesday, revealing the new system will rely on Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs), Public Safety Camera systems, and potentially "gunshot detection technology" to more quickly locate and respond to crime. The agency revealed on its website that MPD "is taking the final steps" toward completing its RTCC, with ALPRs already "installed in various locations" selected "based on historical crime trends and traffic patterns" throughout the city, and cameras coming soon to areas hit with violent crime or another "specific need" identified by police.

It was confirmed on Friday that a $5 million "rapid transitional housing" project in Atlanta is on pace to accept 40 residents from the city's homeless population beginning in January as city officials consider cracking down on homeless encampments. The report came after Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens (D) toured the project, known as The Village, which WSB-TV reported "could house up to 40 people in individual units with private baths, social services," and a "dog park" in "donated converted shipping containers and modular units."

The city-appointed Metro Nashville Airport Authority board voted unanimously on Wednesday to ratify 19 actions taken during the tenure of the previous board, which state officials appointed some of its members in accordance with a new Tennessee law. After the Tennessee General Assembly passed a law in June, the Nashville mayor, Tennessee governor, and top two lawmakers in the Tennessee General Assembly would each select two members for the board. The board was selected and began operating, but a ruling by a panel of three judges at the Tennessee Chancery Court agreed with Metro Nashville's argument that the law violates the Tennessee Constitution because it only applied to one Tennessee city.

Tennessee State Senator Heidi Campbell encouraged her supporters to make political donations to her campaign in the name of "abortion rights" to celebrate Christmas, even declaring that a certificate explaining the donation would make a "great stocking stuffer." Campbell declared it "the season for saving abortion rights" in a post on X, formerly Twitter. She urged her supporters to donate a "gift" to her campaign "in honor of a loved one" for the "Holiday season."

Abe Hamadeh holds a commanding, 23-point lead in the Republican primary race for the election for the House seat being vacated by Representative Debbie Lesko (R-AZ-08) according to an internal poll published on Wednesday. The pollsters suggest Hamadeh's early endorsements from former President Donald Trump and U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake may prove instrumental in securing the support of Arizona Republicans. The National Public Affairs poll, published by German-owned Politico, found Hamadeh, who last ran to become Arizona Attorney General, has the support of 37 percent of Republicans in the district. Former Senate candidate Blake Masters was the only other candidate to reach double digits, polling in second with 14 percent.

The budget Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) proposed on Wednesday includes nearly $95 million in funding for the Norfolk Coastal Storm Risk Management Project, also known as the Norfolk Sea Wall, but tied $21 million of the funding to the completion of a long-delayed casino. Youngkin's budget includes $73.8 million for the project, a series of improvements that includes levees, storm surge barriers, pump stations, and other improvements to manage the flow of water during storms. However, the budget calls for an additional $21 million in funding that is "contingent upon the City applying revenues generated by a casino gaming establishment."

The Memphis City Council voted on Tuesday to pass a resolution to formally transfer the Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium to the University of Memphis, but the vote was only held after Memphis City Councilor JB Smiley withdrew a second resolution that would have established city oversight over the stadium under the university's ownership. Additionally, Memphis will direct $120 million of funds granted by the Tennessee General Assembly to the university to improve the stadium's facilities. The Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium hosts the University of Memphis Tigers, Southern Heritage Classic, and AutoZone Liberty Bowl. 

A 206-page audit of public and private prisons in Tennessee was released last week, revealing both state and private facilities in the state remain understaffed and face high employee attrition rates while struggling to offer sufficient beds and services for inmates. The audit, conducted by the Tennessee Comptroller's Office, found that the Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) "has taken action to address critical staffing shortages," but warned both TDOC and CoreCivic, which manages private prisons in Tennessee, "are facing an ongoing and deeply rooted challenge of attrition within their ranks."

The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) is investigating after reports of shots fired at the LEAD Brick Church Middle School during a basketball game on Friday night. Police were called to the middle school due to a fight that began inside, where students were competing in a basketball game, before the participants eventually left the building and continued the altercation outside, according to WKRN. Quoting law enforcement present at the scene, the outlet reported "one person shot at the victim," who was not struck by the bullet.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis asserted in a Tuesday interview that Georgia state senators investigating the conditions at the Fulton County Jail should instead investigate the state prison system, though she said she "is not responsible" for the jail. Willis made the remarks to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in response to an investigation launched in the Georgia Senate earlier this year over the conditions at the Fulton County Jail, where 10 inmates have died in 2023. One of the defendants in Willis' high-profile Young Slime Life (YSL) racketeering case was stabbed in the jail this week, delaying the ongoing trial until 2024.