After much speculation about resistance from other parts of the state to lifting the statewide ban on special school districts statewide, the bill to do that sailed through the Tennessee House and Senate Monday, April 15.

2. Senators Press to Allow Student IDs for Voting - Wednesday, March 27, 2013

NASHVILLE (AP) – The Senate sponsor of a bill to allow people to display student IDs to vote said Monday he plans to press ahead with the matter even through the version approved by the House would not allow the practice.

3. Back to Work - Friday, January 11, 2013

The Shelby County legislative delegation to Nashville returned to the capital Tuesday, Jan. 8, with three fewer members – one state senator and two state representatives – all Democrats – but with no new faces.

4. Governor Signs Parent Grading Bill - Friday, May 25, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) – Gov. Bill Haslam has signed a proposal that allows parents to grade themselves on how involved they are in their children's schooling.

The measure sponsored by Democratic Rep. Antonio Parkinson of Memphis and Republican Sen. Brian Kelsey of Germantown was approved 94-2 in the House and unanimously passed the Senate 27-0.

5. Muni School District Bill Goes To Conference - Wednesday, April 25, 2012

An amended bill that would permit suburban citizens to vote this year on forming municipal school districts is on its way to a Tennessee Legislature conference committee in the closing week of the legislative session.

6. New District Lines Lead to New Races - Monday, April 09, 2012

“This time I waited to be sure,” Ian Randolph said just before the Thursday, April 5, deadline for candidates to file in the Aug. 2 elections.

7. Cohen-Hart in Congressional Race at Filing Deadline - Friday, April 06, 2012

The chairman of the countywide school board, Billy Orgel, was effectively elected to his District 7 school board seat without opposition at the Thursday, April 5, filing deadline for candidates on the Aug. 2 primary and general election ballot in Shelby County.

8. Deadline Looms for Complex Aug. Elections - Thursday, March 29, 2012

The August elections were already going to be more complex than usual. There are the changes from this year’s drawing of new district lines for the Tennessee Legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives.

9. Following Primary, Races Point to August - Monday, March 12, 2012

Two days after all the votes were counted in the Tennessee presidential primary, state Republican Party leaders had already worked out how many of the state’s at-large delegates would go to their top three candidates.

10. Lawmaker Tries to Ink Tough Tenn. Tattoo Law - Tuesday, February 14, 2012

The sponsor of legislation that seeks to strengthen a Tennessee law prohibiting the tattooing of minors says the measure would also help fight gang activity, even though critics lament the proposal could be burdensome.

11. Memphis Democrats Squeezed in State Redistricting Plan - Thursday, January 05, 2012

Tennessee Senate Democratic leader Jim Kyle of Memphis and Republican state Sen. Brian Kelsey of Germantown are in the same Senate district under a redistricting proposal unveiled by Republican legislative leaders Wednesday, Jan. 4, in Nashville.

12. Memphis Democrats Squeezed in State Redistricting Plan - Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Tennessee Senate Democratic leader Jim Kyle of Memphis and Republican state Sen. Brian Kelsey of Germantown are in the same Senate district under a redistricting proposal unveiled by Republican legislative leaders Wednesday, Jan. 4, in Nashville.

13. Immigration Bills Advance in Tenn. House - Thursday, April 14, 2011

NASHVILLE (AP) – Opponents of a proposal that would allow law enforcement agents in Tennessee to question suspects about their immigration status are concerned it will hurt the state's image.

14. Turner Stays on To Lead Local Democrats - Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Van Turner Jr. remains the Shelby County Democratic Party chairman after a weekend local party convention.

And Turner, who ran unopposed for the chairmanship, is hoping for a reversal of party fortunes in the next two years.

15. Election Commission Certifies Election - Tuesday, March 29, 2011

The Shelby County Election Commission Tuesday certified the results of the March 8 special election.

The results confirm that the schools consolidation question on the ballot passed by a two-to-one margin.

16. Schools Election Day Arrives as Questions Remain - Tuesday, March 08, 2011

An election on Fat Tuesday wasn’t planned in the regular election cycles of Memphis politics.

The last time Mardi Gras coincided with the election cycle was the 2008 Tennessee Democratic presidential primary.

17. Early Voting Begins in Schools Consolidation - Wednesday, February 16, 2011

The lawsuits just got started last week and the rhetoric surrounding the schools consolidation issue is sure to continue.

Now add voting to the mix of the city’s dominant political controversy.

18. Democrat Parkinson Sworn in to Tenn. House - Wednesday, February 09, 2011

NASHVILLE (AP) – Democratic Rep. Antonio "2 Shay" Parkinson of Memphis has been sworn in to the state House.

Parkinson was appointed by the Shelby County Commission to replace longtime Rep. Ulysses Jones Jr., who died in November.

19. Complete Shelby Delegation Preps for Expanded Leadership - Wednesday, January 26, 2011

When the Tennessee Legislature returns on Feb. 7 from its three-week recess, the 22-member Shelby County legislative delegation will be at full strength.

The newest member, District 98 Democrat Antonio Parkinson, won appointment by the Shelby County Commission to the seat he claimed in this month’s special Democratic primary election.

20. County Commission Questions Then Approves Electrolux Deal - Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Shelby County Commissioners approved the agreement and $22 million in bond financing Monday to bring the Electrolux plant to the Pidgeon Industrial Park.

But the votes for the plan came after a lot of debate about the larger subject of government subsidies used to compete for and lure corporations to locate in the city.

21. Parkinson Wins District 98 Primary - Monday, January 24, 2011

The Raleigh-North Memphis state house seat held by firefighter Ulysses Jones Jr. passed to another firefighter in last week’s special Democratic primary election.

Antonio Parkinson claimed the party’s nomination for the District 98 seat vacated last Nov. when Jones died.

22. Parkinson Wins St. Rep. Dist. 98 Primary - Friday, January 21, 2011

Antonio Parkinson is the newest member of the Shelby County legislative delegation to Nashville.

Parkinson won Thursday’s Democratic primary in State House district 98, beating three other contenders for the seat vacated by the Nov. death of veteran Democratic legislator Ulysses Jones Jr.

23. District 98 Primary to be Decided Thursday - Thursday, January 20, 2011

The race to fill the seat in the Tennessee legislature representing Raleigh and North Memphis will be decided Thursday.

Four candidates are on Thursday’s ballot in state House District 98’s Democratic primary.

24. Early Voting Kicks Off for Vacant District 98 Seat - Tuesday, January 04, 2011

Here comes the new election year. Early voting opens Tuesday in the special election primaries for state House District 98. Election Day is Jan. 20.

The seat representing North Memphis, Frayser and Raleigh became vacant with the November death of Democratic state Rep. Ulysses Jones Jr.

25. Commission to Choose Jones’ Successor - Monday, December 20, 2010

Shelby County commissioners pick a new state representative at Monday’s session to round out the 22-member Shelby County delegation to Nashville.

The commission meeting begins at 1:30 p.m. at the Vasco Smith County Administration Building, 160 N. Main St.

26. Treadway Joins Thomas & Betts as Senior VP for Electrical Business - Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Charles L. Treadway has joined Thomas & Betts Corporation in the newly created position of senior vice president, group president – electrical. Treadway will provide strategic and operational leadership to the company’s electrical products businesses on a global basis. The electrical segment of Thomas & Betts has approximately 60 manufacturing and distribution facilities in 11 countries and employs approximately 8,000 associates worldwide. The electrical segment reported $2.1 billion in revenues in 2008. Treadway previously served as president and chief executive officer for the Custom Sensors and Technology unit of Schneider Electric.

27. Council Ballot Whittled to Four - Tuesday, September 02, 2008

When union leader Paul Shaffer and Midtown neighborhood activist Mary Wilder had lunch last week, the two had something in common to discuss.

They both are among the 11 candidates who had filed to run in the Nov. 4 special election for a seat on the Memphis City Council.

28. Memphis School Board Race In Limbo - Friday, August 29, 2008

It looked like Memphis school board member Stephanie Gatewood was on her way to re-election without opposition on the Nov. 4 ballot.

That was until Wednesday (Aug. 27) – the day before the Shelby County Election Commission certified the local portion of the ballot.

29. Memphis School Board Race In Limbo - Thursday, August 28, 2008

It looked like Memphis school board member Stephanie Gatewood was on her way to re-election without opposition on the Nov. 4 ballot.

That was until Wednesday (Aug. 27) – the day before the Shelby County Election Commission certified the local portion of the ballot.

30. Eleven File For Council Seat - Friday, August 22, 2008

A field of 11 candidates had filed by Thursday’s noon deadline for an open seat on the Memphis City Council on the Nov. 4 ballot. Four of the contenders ran for the council just a year ago. Also at the deadline, three Memphis school board members were effectively re-elected when they failed to draw any opposition.

31. Eleven File For Council Seat - Thursday, August 21, 2008

A field of 11 candidates had filed by today's noon deadline for an open seat on the Memphis City Council on the Nov. 4 ballot. Four of the contenders ran for the council just a year ago. Also at the deadline, three Memphis school board members were effectively re-elected when they failed to draw any opposition.

32. Tutor Receives Transplant Nursing Excellence Award - Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Dr. Ruth Tutor has received the 2007 Transplant Nursing Excellence Award from the International Transplant Nurses Society. Tutor is a Critical Care/Transplant Advance Practice Nurse at Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute. She has worked with transplant patients since 1985. She joined the nursing staff at the Transplant Institute in 2004.

33. City Council Races Overflow With 83 Candidates Filing - Monday, July 23, 2007

It's the year of the open seat on the Memphis City Council.

With seven incumbents not running for re-election and the resignation last month of an eighth, it is already the biggest turnover of council seats in the 40-year history of the mayor-council form of government.

34. Things Go From Hot To Smoking Hot In Election Contests - Thursday, July 12, 2007

With one week to the filing deadline for the Oct. 4 Memphis city elections, 124 citizens have thought seriously enough about running for the 15 offices on the ballot to check out qualifying petitions. Nearly 40 had filed by the end of the first week.

35. Community Encouraged to SupportFamilies Affected by Apt. Blaze - Monday, April 16, 2007
     ABetterMemphis.com, a community-based Web site, is leading an effort to help families that were affected by the fire at the Avery Park Apartments.
     Last Tuesday, a fire at the Raleigh ap

36. Music Foundation BeginsSearch for President - Friday, October 20, 2006
     The Memphis Music Foundation's board of directors has formed a search committee that is now accepting applications for the position of president.
     Former president Rey Flemings resigned