ArtsMemphis will present the Stax to the Max music festival Saturday, April 27, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. outside the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, 926 E. McLemore St. Admission to the festival is free; discounted museum tickets are $2 between noon and 5 p.m. Visit staxmuseum.com.

2. New Chassis Pool Co-Op Launches in Memphis - Friday, February 15, 2013

The trucker-formed North American Chassis Pool Cooperative – the first of its kind – is launching its pilot program in Memphis this year.

The announcement follows the U.S. Surface Transportation Board recently approving the cooperative’s chassis pooling agreement, which will allow it to acquire and share chassis for intermodal freight transportation.

3. Soul Fish to Open in Wolf Camera Spot on Poplar - Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Soul Fish Café has selected a prime piece of real estate in East Memphis for its third location.

The catfish and Southern-inspired restaurant has signed a lease for the old Wolf Camera space in the Poplar Avenue/Perkins Road corridor. The 3,100-square-foot freestanding building at 4720 Poplar Ave. will mark Soul Fish’s third location in Memphis, behind its original spot in Midtown’s Cooper-Young district and its Germantown location near Forest Hill-Irene Road.

4. Soul Fish to Open in Old Wolf Camera at Poplar and Perkins - Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Soul Fish Café has selected a prime piece of real estate in East Memphis for its third location.

The catfish and Southern-inspired restaurant has signed a lease for the old Wolf Camera space in the Poplar Avenue/Perkins Road corridor. The 3,100-square-foot freestanding building at 4720 Poplar Ave. will mark Soul Fish’s third location in Memphis, behind its original spot in Midtown’s Cooper-Young district and its Germantown store near Forest Hill-Irene Road.

5. Schools Merger Begins Move Into Parental Reality - Thursday, January 24, 2013

Countywide school board chairman Billy Orgel noticed lots of parents of school children from the county outside of Memphis at the annual camp-out for optional school enrollment over the long weekend.

6. Musical Heritage - Friday, December 14, 2012

There was a moment at the Greater Memphis Chamber’s annual luncheon Wednesday, Dec. 12, when the large crowd at The Peabody hotel got a sense for how much depth the city’s musical heritage has and what a complex story it can be.

7. Events - Monday, December 03, 2012

Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis is accepting nominations for its 2013 Legends Award through Monday, Dec. 10. The awards honor women whose visionary and innovative work is paramount in their area of outreach. Visit wfgm.org for details and a nomination form.

8. Development Accelerator - Friday, November 16, 2012

The city of Millington didn’t have a city engineer until 2008 when it had to have one in order to have local control over the Veterans Parkway road construction project.

“I thought it was kind of my cross to bear since I was hired in 2008,” Millington City Engineer Darek Baskin said this week of the road.

9. Portrait Unveiling Scheduled for Longtime Judge - Thursday, November 08, 2012

George Brown, who graduated from Booker T. Washington in 1956, grew up in a Memphis that still was years away from stamping out the last vestiges of segregation.

10. Election Follows Script in County - Thursday, November 08, 2012

In Shelby County and Tennessee the presidential race stuck to the script both national campaigns expected.

President Barack Obama carried Shelby County and Republican challenger Mitt Romney took the state and its 11 electoral votes.

11. Obama Carries Shelby, Cohen Over Flinn and Two Tax Hikes Defeated - Wednesday, November 07, 2012

President Barack Obama carried Shelby County in unofficial Nov. 6 election returns as his Republican challenger Mitt Romney took the state’s 11 electoral votes.

Voter turnout in the most popular election cycle among Shelby County voters was 61.9 percent, about the same percentage as four years ago. But the 371,256 voters is fewer than 2008 when more than 400,000 Shelby County voters cast ballots. The percentage is about the same because there are fewer registered voters in Shelby County than there were four years ago after a purge by election officials.

12. Shelby Early Vote Shows Cohen Winning - Two Tax Questions Losing - Wednesday, November 07, 2012

Early vote totals from Shelby County were released just before 10 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 6, after the vote count was delayed in part by long lines of voters waiting to vote at the 7 p.m. closing of polls.

13. Corporate Avenue Building Sells for $1.2 Million - Tuesday, November 06, 2012

1721 Corporate Ave. Memphis, TN 38132

Sale Amount: $1.2 million

Sale Date: Oct. 26, 2012

14. County’s Early Vote Total: 38.9 Percent - Monday, November 05, 2012

Nearly 40 percent of Shelby County’s 598,803 voters cast ballots during the early voting period that ended Thursday, Nov. 1.

But the 232,690 early voters – which accounts for 38.9 percent of the total number of registered voters – is fewer than four years ago when 254,362 early votes were cast.

15. A2H Principals File Loan on Lakeland Property - Wednesday, October 31, 2012

MEP Investments LLC, whose members George Edward “Ed” Hargraves and Stephen Patrick “Pat” Harcourt are principals in the engineering and architectural firm A2H, has filed a $1.1 million loan on A2H’s headquarters at 3009 Davies Plantation Road in Arlington.

16. Appeals Court Rules Photo Library Cards Are Voter ID - Friday, October 26, 2012

Photo library cards the city of Memphis began issuing this summer can be used as valid identification for the Nov. 6 elections.

The Tennessee Appeals Court ruled Thursday, Oct. 25, that city of Memphis photo library cards are a valid form of state issued identification for voting under terms of a 2011 Tennessee that requires photo identification in order to vote.

17. Nightmare Election Scenarios Worry Both Parties - Friday, October 19, 2012

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) – Here in a county that knows a thing or two about Election Day meltdowns, both parties are fretting over what might go seriously wrong before, during or just after the Nov. 6 presidential election.

18. Race to the Finish - Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Republican state Sen. Brian Kelsey walked into the storefront at the Carrefour shopping center earlier this month and liked what he saw of the local effort for the Romney-Ryan presidential ticket.

19. Levine Named President of Southern Growth Studio - Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Mark Levine has joined Southern Growth Studio as president. In his role, Levine leads the firm’s Strategic Analysis team and plays a key part in the company’s culture, business development and client relationship management.

20. AP-GfK Poll: Most See Health Law Being Implemented - Thursday, September 27, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – It still divides us, but most Americans think President Barack Obama's health care law is here to stay.

More than 7 in 10 say the law will fully go into effect with some changes, ranging from minor to major alterations, a new Associated Press-GfK poll finds.

21. Gates, Buffett Again Top Forbes' Billionaires List - Thursday, September 20, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates remains the nation's richest man by far, as the tech and philanthropy giant took the top spot on the Forbes 400 list for the 19th year running, with a net worth of $66 billion.

22. Back to the Gridiron - Monday, August 27, 2012

It was the last day before fall practice would begin. First-year University of Memphis football coach Justin Fuente couldn’t wait to get started.

“This is the longest day of the year,” he said.

23. Shipyard, Mike’s Hard Lemonade Added to Local Brewing Scene - Wednesday, August 01, 2012

Blues City Brewery is now producing two malt beverages for well-known national brand names – Shipyard and Mike’s Hard Lemonade.

The brewery at 5151 E. Raines Road, owned by City Brewing Co. LLC, makes and bottles numerous brand name beverages – alcoholic and non-alcoholic – but doesn’t disclose those names.

24. Senate Passes Cuts for All but Richest Americans - Friday, July 27, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate has debated, sniped and voted on the politically fraught issue of tax cuts, and next week the House is likely to do it all over again. Still, Americans won't know until after the November elections how much more of their paychecks will go to the government next year.

25. Election Commission Admits Ballot Problems - Thursday, July 26, 2012

Challenges to the conduct of the Aug. 2 election may have reached a peak Tuesday, July 24.

The Shelby County Election Commission admitted a “limited number” of voters in some precincts got early voting ballots that included the wrong district races.

26. Bush Talks Post-White House Life - Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Though the main attraction at a private gathering at the Dixon Gallery & Gardens Monday, July 16, included former President George W. Bush, it was a mostly nonpolitical evening.

The 43rd president neither excoriated nor overtly praised President Barack Obama, for example, nor did he wade much into the health care debate despite the occasion of his visit being related to a hospital – specifically, to the 100th anniversary of Baptist Memorial Health Care Corp.

27. Polls Set to Open for Early Voting - Friday, July 13, 2012

Shelby County voters start deciding Friday, July 13, general election countywide races for assessor of property, General Sessions Court clerk, district attorney general and a race for a Shelby County Commission seat. The ballot also includes seven races for district seats on the countywide school board.

28. School Board Looks for Consensus - Tuesday, June 26, 2012

After effectively ruling out Kriner Cash last week as the leader of the consolidated Shelby County school system, school board members now turn to a decision about how to select that superintendent.

29. Harris Named Payroll Specialist At New Patrick Payroll Div. - Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Tammy Harris has been named the payroll specialist at Patrick Payroll, a newly branded division of the certified public accounting firm Patrick Accounting and Tax Services PLLC. Patrick Payroll is housed in Patrick Accounting’s office in Germantown.

30. Girls Night Out Promotes Heart Health for Women - Wednesday, May 02, 2012

The Memphis Chapter of the American Heart Association is gearing up for Girls Night Out, a fundraiser for heart health slated for Thursday, May 3, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Hilton Memphis hotel, 939 Ridge Lake Blvd.

31. 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.

32. 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.

33. Soaring Cost Estimate Prompts Health Law Doubts - Monday, March 05, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Cost estimates for a key portion of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul law have ballooned by $111 billion from last year's budget, and a senior Republican lawmaker on Friday demanded an explanation.

34. New Fed Voters Likelier to Back Help for Economy - Wednesday, January 25, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – If Chairman Ben Bernanke decides the economy needs more help from the Federal Reserve this year, he probably won't face as much resistance as he did last year.

Call it the changing of the guard.

35. Electrolux Touts Local Contracts - Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Electrolux North America executives said Tuesday, Jan. 17, the company has awarded $6.3 million of the $15.3 million in contracts so far for construction of its new Memphis plant to local minority-owned firms.

36. Electrolux Touts Local and Local Minority Contracts - Monday, January 16, 2012

Electrolux North America executives said Tuesday, Jan. 17, the company has awarded $6.3 million of the $15.3 million in contracts so far for construction of its new Memphis plant to local minority-owned firms. And $14.5 million of the $15 million total has been awarded to local companies including the minority-owned firms.

37. CRE Activity Stays Strong During 2011 - Friday, December 30, 2011

Despite hard times, local commercial real estate firms were able to ink plenty of deals in the past 12 months.

Memphis’ industrial leasing activity kicked off in January when Buena Park, Calif.-based Pacific Logistics Corp. signed a 60,000-square-foot lease in ProLogis Park DeSoto for its first Memphis-area location.

38. SCO’s Steele Receives Optometry Recognition - Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Dr. Glen T. Steele, a professor at the Southern College of Optometry, has received the prestigious William Feinbloom Award from the American Academy of Optometry for his work with InfantSEE.

39. CJ Sits With Sore Ankle, Expects to Play Vs Jags - Thursday, December 22, 2011

NASHVILLE (AP) – Chris Johnson says he originally feared he had hurt his right ankle badly, but says he expects to be able to play Saturday as Tennessee tries to keep its faint playoff hopes alive against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

40. Justice Dept Wants to Put Off AT&T-T-Mobile Trial - Monday, December 12, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Justice Department said Friday it wants to withdraw or postpone its antitrust case against the proposed merger between AT&T Inc. and smaller rival T-Mobile USA now that the two companies pulled their application with the Federal Communications Commission to approve the deal.

41. Republicans Aim to Quash New Union Rules - Thursday, December 01, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Republicans are maneuvering to short-circuit an effort by Democrats on the National Labor Relations Board to approve rules that would quicken the pace of union elections.

42. Memphian Cobb Joins MIFA As Meals on Wheels Director - Wednesday, November 02, 2011

Trentwood Cobb has joined Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association as director of MIFA Meals on Wheels, which provides hot meals to senior citizens in the greater Memphis area.

Hometown: Memphis

43. City Pride - Tuesday, October 18, 2011

“Memphis,” the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, took New York by storm where it started a successful run two years ago.

In Memphis, the popular musical’s namesake city where this weekend at the Orpheum Theatre it kicked off an 80-week tour, it may have to work a little harder to resonate with audiences.

44. Intermodal Cartage Sees 30 Years of Steady Growth - Monday, October 17, 2011

Founded by Mark George in Memphis with one truck driver in 1982, Intermodal Cartage Co. Inc. has grown steadily for nearly 30 years and now has locations in 26 cities nationwide.

45. Wharton, Fullilove & Conrad Re-Elected -- Harris-Ford to Runoff - Friday, October 07, 2011
Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. won a full four-year term of office as mayor Thursday, Oct. 6, two years after he claimed the mayor’s office in a special election.

And all 12 of the Memphis City Council members seeking re-election won new four year terms in the city election cycle, marking the largest return of incumbents to the 13-member council in the 43-year history of the mayor-council form of government.

46. U.S. Court of Appeals Hears Health Care Law Challenge - Monday, September 26, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – A conservative-leaning panel of federal appellate judges raised concerns about President Barack Obama's health care overhaul Friday, Sept. 23, but suggested the challenge to it may be premature.

47. Candidate Central - Friday, September 23, 2011

At one point during his quick stop in Memphis this week, former Massachusetts governor and current Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney quoted a few lines from the poet Sam Walter Foss to a cadre of the city’s business elite.

48. Bill Gates Tops Forbes List of Richest Americans - Thursday, September 22, 2011

LOS ANGELES (AP) – America's economic woes don't appear to be hurting philanthropist Bill Gates, who tops Forbes' list of the 400 richest Americans for the 18th year in a row.

49. Kruger Expansion Long Time Coming - Tuesday, August 23, 2011

The announcement last week that Canadian manufacturer Kruger Inc. will spend $316 million upgrading its plant in North Memphis, bringing 100 additional jobs to the area and preserving 294 jobs, can be traced back to the same starting point as several other multimillion-dollar corporate deals Memphis has recently landed.

50. Open Door - Monday, July 25, 2011

By 2050, it’s projected all minorities combined will represent more than 50 percent of the U.S. population, and as the United States moves closer to becoming a minority-majority nation, the growing Hispanic population is increasingly becoming a major power player in the new economy.

51. 4 Council Members - All 3 City Court Judges To Run Unopposed In Oct. Elections - Friday, July 22, 2011

Four incumbent Memphis City Council members and all three incumbent City Court Judges were effectively re-elected at the Thursday, July 21, noon deadline for candidates to file their qualifying petitions for the Oct. 6 Memphis ballot.

52. Obama Reaps Victory as Judges Uphold Health Law - Thursday, June 30, 2011

CINCINNATI (AP) – In the first ruling by a federal appeals court on President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, a panel in Cincinnati handed the administration a victory Wednesday by agreeing that the government can require a minimum amount of insurance for Americans.

53. The Good, Bad and Ugly - Wednesday, June 29, 2011

The Good FedEx: FedEx had a robust earnings report, as the company announced a 33 percent profit surge for its most recent quarter, with revenues increasing by 12 percent. Rebounding U.S. industrial production and continued growth in India and China caused the company to remain bullish on global economic growth. Could FedEx’s strong showing be a sign of things to come when earnings season kicks off in full force early next month, or will their earnings prove to be the exception, rather than the rule?

54. Budget Deficit Moves Closer to $1 Trillion Mark - Monday, June 13, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – The federal budget deficit is on pace to break the $1 trillion mark for a third straight year. Record deficits are putting pressure on Congress and the Obama administration to come up with a plan to rein in government spending.

55. Both Parties Helped Run Up US $14 Trillion Debt - Friday, April 15, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Two centuries after America's birth, the national debt was a bit under $1 trillion when Ronald Reagan took office in 1981. Just three decades later, it has soared above $14 trillion, and accusations of blame are flying. Both Republicans and Democrats played major roles in driving the figure sky high.

56. Tenn. Proposal Would Allow Multi-Party Nominations - Tuesday, April 05, 2011

NASHVILLE (AP) – Torn between running as a Republican or a member of the tea party? Under one lawmaker's proposal, Tennessee candidates could do both.

Republican Sen. Stacey Campfield of Knoxville wants to allow candidates to be listed on the ballot as the nominee of more than one political party. Their total votes would then be added up to decide the election.

57. GOP, Dems Clash Over 3rd Parties on Tenn. Ballot - Tuesday, March 29, 2011

NASHVILLE (AP) – Republicans are balking at a Democratic senator's proposal to make it easier for minor parties to be listed on the Tennessee ballot.

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Jim Kyle of Memphis wants to set a threshold of 10,000 signatures from eligible voters for a third party to be recognized in the state, down from a GOP proposal of about 40,000 signatures from registered voters.

58. Bloom Joins Good Advertising - Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Audra Bloom has joined Good Advertising as senior account manager.

Hometown: Delaware, Ohio

59. Conservative Radio Launches in Memphis - Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Two years before the next national election and with fervor for conservative activism, Memphis-based MPS Broadcasting Monday announced the launch of WMPS “The Point” simulcast on 87.7 FM and 1210 AM.

60. Charities Turn Super Sunday into Day of Giving - Friday, February 04, 2011

Several Memphis-based nonprofits are using Super Bowl Sunday as an opportunity to encourage citizens to give back to their community.

For the seventh year in a row, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis, a nonprofit housing ministry dedicated to providing decent housing for all members of the community, is asking football fans to party with a purpose this Sunday for its annual Home Team Huddle.

61. New Members Appointed to MED Board - Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Three new board members were recently appointed to the board of the Shelby County Health Care Corp. by Mayor Mark Luttrell.

62. Schools Merger Expert Urges Less Panic More Transition Planning - Friday, January 07, 2011

The Nashville attorney considered an expert on school system consolidations in the state told the Shelby County school board Thursday to get ready for an unprecedented transition to merging with Memphis City Schools (MCS), work with MCS officials and expect the transition to take at least a year and a half.

63. Obama, Hill Leaders Meet: Taxes, Treaty on Tap - Wednesday, December 01, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – House and Senate leaders from both parties sat down Tuesday for their first postelection meeting with President Barack Obama in an atmosphere charged with tension over taxes and a new nuclear arms treaty with Russia.

64. White House, GOP Look for Middle Ground on Taxes - Tuesday, November 16, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – The White House and Republican lawmakers set the terms for a looming tax debate Sunday, coalescing around a possible temporary extension of existing income tax rates that would protect middle class and wealthy Americans from sharp tax increases next year.

65. Baker Donelson Attorneys Named Super Lawyers - Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Twenty-two attorneys from the Memphis office of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz PC have been named to the 2010 Mid-South Super Lawyers.

The attorneys are Ben C. Adams, Mary L. Aronov, Leo M. Bearman Jr., Sam B. Blair Jr., Michael B. Chance, E. Franklin Childress Jr., Angie C. Davis, Robert J. DelPriore, Gregory G. Fletcher, William H.D. Fones Jr., Grady M. Garrison, Stephen D. Goodwin, James R. “Josh” Hall Jr., Matthew S. Heiter, George T. “Buck” Lewis III, Robert C. Liddon Jr., Eugene J. Podesta Jr., Jackie G. Prester, Jill M. Steinberg, Buckner Wellford, Maurice Wexler and Edward R. Young.

66. Stalemate in Congress Might Not be Bad for Economy - Thursday, November 04, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – Fresh off sweeping gains in Tuesday's elections, Republicans vowed to shrink government and repeal President Barack Obama's health care law.

Yet despite their capture of the House and near-takeover of the Senate, there's little chance they can summon the votes to enact their own prescriptions for the ailing economy. Democrats, with their own economic ideas, will likely fight them to a draw.

67. Lasting Legacies - Monday, September 27, 2010

Consider the continent as it was when Memphis was founded in 1819. No railroads crisscrossed the land and Tennessee roads would not be paved until after World War I.

For a city to thrive and prosper, transportation would be paramount. For Memphis, the Mississippi River, an integral artery of commerce and communication in America, would be its gateway to greatness.

68. Economic Panel Says Recession Ended in June 2009 - Tuesday, September 21, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – The longest recession the country has endured since World War II ended in June 2009.

The National Bureau of Economic Research, a panel of academic economists based in Cambridge, Mass., says the recession lasted 18 months. It started in December 2007 and ended in June 2009. Previously the longest postwar downturns were those in 1973-1975 and in 1981-1982. Both of those lasted 16 months.

69. Events - Thursday, September 16, 2010

Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC will present “How the New National Labor Relations Board Will Impact Your Business” Thursday from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. at its office, 165 Madison Ave., 20th floor. The event is free and breakfast will be provided. To register, contact Nicolette Thomas at 577-2328 or nthomas@bakerdonelson.com.

70. Events - Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Center City Development Corp. Board of Directors will meet Wednesday at 9 a.m. in the CCC conference room, 114 N. Main St. For more information, call 575-0574.

71. Mercer Capital Promotes Heinz to Senior VP - Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Nicholas J. Heinz has been promoted to senior vice president at Mercer Capital. Heinz joined Mercer Capital in 2000 and is a senior member of the Mercer’s investment banking corporate valuation division.

72. Boyle Investment Files Loan on Ridgeway Center Office Building - Tuesday, July 27, 2010

889 Ridge Lake Boulevard
Memphis, TN 38120
Loan Amount: $6.9 Million

Loan Date: July 19, 2010
Maturity Date: Jan. 1, 2020
Borrower: Boyle-889 RLB Partnership
Lender: Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Society

73. Back on the Air - Tuesday, July 13, 2010

After being silent and nearly forgotten for more than 50 years, the radio station that helped launch the careers of such music pioneers as B.B. King, Johnny Cash, Howlin’ Wolf, Ike Turner, Carl Perkins, Albert King – and even Elvis Presley – is back.

74. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac to Delist Shares from NYSE - Thursday, June 17, 2010

NEW YORK (AP) - Government-sponsored mortgage purchasers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac plan to delist their shares from the New York Stock Exchange. Both stocks tumbled in Wednesday morning trading.

75. Ford Wins Democratic Mayoral Primary - Wednesday, May 05, 2010
 

Interim County Mayor Joe Ford became the Democratic nominee for mayor in the August county general elections Tuesday night.

And the August sheriff’s race will be a contest between Democrat Randy Wade and Republican Randy Wade.

All three were among the winners in Tuesday’s low turnout county primaries.

Approximately ten percent of Shelby County’s nearly 600,000 voters cast ballots in early voting and election day polling.

Ford, who was appointed interim mayor in December, beat County Commissioner Deidre Malone and General Sessions Court Clerk Otis Jackson in the Democratic primary. He will face Republican Mark Luttrell who had only token opposition in the Republican primary from perennial contender Ernie Lunati.

Luttrell has raised more money than all three of the Democratic primary contenders combined and began running television ads in the last week runup to election day.

The final unofficial totals in the Democratic mayoral primary are:

Ford 20,360 57%

Malone 12,916 37%

Jackson 2,168 6%

The pair of primaries for Sheriff featured eight candidates, seven of whom either currently work for the sheriff’s department or are past employees. Only Reginald French, in the Democratic primary was not a former or current department official.

Wade was the 2002 Democratic nominee, losing to Luttrell who is leaving as Sheriff after serving two terms. French was the Democratic nominee in the 2006 elections.

Oldham is Luttrell’s chief deputy, the number two position in the department. He is also a former director of the Memphis Police Department.

The final unofficials totals in the Republican primary are:

Bill Oldham 13,821 48%

Dale Lane 7,981 28%

Bobby Simmons 5,886 21%

James Coleman 943 3%

In the Democratic primary:

Randy Wade 22,643 67%

Reginald French 6,777 20%

Larry Hill 2,738 8%

Bennie Cobb 1,814 5%

Voters in the primary elections decided to return six Shelby County commissioners to new four year terms with Tuesday’s results. They also elected six new commissioners. The winner of the thirteenth commission seat will be decided on the August general election ballot in a contest between district 5 Democratic incumbent Steve Mulroy and Republican challenger Dr. Rolando Toyos. The winner of the match up will determine whether the commission remains majority Democrat or goes majority Republican.

Mulroy easily defeated Jennings Bernard in Tuesday’s Democratic primary.

Republican incumbent Mike Ritz ran unopposed as did new Democratic commissioner Walter Bailey.

In the remaining ten contests, the primaries decided who gets the seats since no one ran in the opposing party’s primary.

The most hotly contested contest among the commission races was for District 4 Position 1. Outgoing Probate Court Clerk Chris Thomas beat John Pellicciotti, appointed to a commission seat last year but running for a different position in the same district. Jim Bomprezzi, the former mayor of Lakeland, was the third contender in the contest.

The final unofficial totals in the Republican primary:

Thomas 7,631 52%

Pellicciotti 4,871 33%

Bomprezzi 2,298 15%

In position 2 of the same district incumbent Republican Wyatt Bunker easily overcame two challengers with former Lakeland alderman John Wilkerson finishing second and Ron Fittes finishing third.

Millington businessman Terry Roland claimed the third position in the district that takes in all six of Shelby County’s suburban towns and cities.

Roland beat George Chism to take the seat Pellicciotti was appointed to but opted not to run for in deference to Roland.

Heidi Shafer, an aide to outgoing County Commissioner George Flinn, claimed Flinn’s District 1 Position 2 seat over Albert Maduska.in the GOP primary.

District 1 incumbent Republican Mike Carpenter easily beat businessman Joe Baier.

In the Democratic commission primaries, Melvin Burgess claimed Malone’s District 2 Position 3 seat in a field of six contenders. His closest contender was Reginald Milton. Burgess, a city school system audit manager, had run for the seat before. He brought in 54 percent of the vote.

The other hard fought Democratic commission primary saw Justin Ford, son of the interim mayor, claim his father’s District 3 Position 3 seat.

Ford beat Edith Moore, a retired IBM executive, whom the commission appointed to the seat after the elder Ford became mayor.

The final unofficial vote totals are:

Ford 7,342 66%

Moore 3,822 34%

Democratic incumbent commissioners Henri Brooks, Sidney Chism and James Harvey were all re-elected over primary challengers.

The county-wide primaries for seven clerk’s positions saw the return of former Criminal Court Clerk Minerva Johnican 16 years after Republican challenger Bill Key took her job. Johnican decisively beat Ralph White and Vernon Johnson in her first bid for office since the 1994 defeat. She will face Republican Kevin Key, the son of Bill Key in the August general election.

The final unofficial vote totals are:

Johnican 16,381 51%

White 10,170 31%

Johnson 5,954 18%

Former Juvenile Court Clerk Shep Wilbun easily won the Democratic primary with 76 percent of the vote to face Republican Joy Touliatos in August for the office being vacated by Republican Steve Stamson. Touliatos was unopposed in the primary.

Democrat Coleman Thompson is back for another go at incumbent Republican Register Tom Leatherwood.

Aside from Leatherwood, Jimmy Moore is the only other of the seven clerks seeking re-election. Moore ran unopposed in the GOP primary. He will face Democrat Ricky Dixon in August.

Trustee Regina Newman was appointed to her office following the death last year of Paul Mattila. Newman easily overcame M LaTroy Williams in Tuesday’s Democratic primary. She will face David Lenoir, who beat former Shelby County Commissioner John Willingham in the Republican contest.

The final unofficial vote totals are:

Lenoir 15,922 58%

Willingham 11,569 42%

The other six candidate field on the ballot was in the Democratic primary for Probate Court Clerk. Sondra Becton posted impressive vote totals over her rivals, bringing in 35 percent of the vote with Peggy Dobbins her closest rival. Becton, who is making her fourth bid for the office, will face Republican Paul Boyd, who ran unopposed in his primary.

The final unofficial vote totals are:

Becton 10,929 36%

Dobbins 5,366 18%

Annita Hamilton 4,848 16%

Clay Perry 3,549 12%

Danny Kail 3,120 11%

Karen Tyler 2,782 9%

The closest contest of the evening was in the Democratic primary for County Clerk. Wrestling promoter and television personality Corey Maclin won his political debut by less than 1,400 votes over Charlotte Draper and LaKeith Miller. He will face Republican Wayne Mashburn who beat Steve Moore in the companion primary.

Early voting in advance of the Aug. 5 election day begins July 16. The August ballot will also feature state and federal primary elections including the statewide primaries for governor and the primaries for all nine of the state’s Congressional districts.

76. Commission Races Hinge on Public Issues - Monday, April 19, 2010

Two issues figure in to the 11 competitive races for the Shelby County Commission – the future of the Regional Medical Center and local government consolidation.

Any push card for a credible candidate includes either something about how to save The MED or the candidate’s opposition to consolidation – or both.

77. St. George’s to Host Education Symposium - Monday, March 22, 2010

St. George’s Independent School has commemorated its 50th anniversary in traditional ways, such as publishing a book on the school’s history and printing posters with the slogan “Celebrating Our Stories, Inspiring Our Tomorrows.”

78. Candidate Filing List -- The Final Version - Friday, February 19, 2010

Shelby County Sheriff Mark Luttrell appeared on his way to the Republican nomination for Shelby County mayor at Thursday’s noon filing deadline for candidates on the May 4 primary ballot.

79. MED’s Future Becomes Muddier - Friday, February 19, 2010

The Regional Medical Center at Memphis’ future grew more tenuous this week as Gov. Phil Bredesen and the Memphis political community staked out differing political stances.

However, Bredesen and Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. began discussing the future of the county-owned and -funded hospital – even as Bredesen appeared to dismiss efforts by interim Shelby County Mayor Joe Ford to get emergency state funding.

80. UPDATE: Mayor's Race Grows At Filing Deadline - Thursday, February 18, 2010

Shelby County Sheriff Mark Luttrell appeared on his way to the Republican nomination for Shelby County mayor at Thursday’s noon filing deadline for candidates on the May 4 primary ballot.

Luttrell faces only token opposition from perennial candidate Ernie Lunati.

Meanwhile, the Democratic primary for mayor grew to three contenders as General Sessions Court Clerk Otis Jackson filed his qualifying petition just before the deadline. He joins interim County Mayor Joe Ford and Shelby County Commissioner Deidre Malone.

Luttrell ruled out a bid for Shelby County mayor last year (2009). But when Harold Byrd decided not to run in the Democratic primary, some local GOP leaders asked Luttrell to reconsider.

The result touched off a scramble of candidates from both parties for the open sheriff’s office. But before the noon deadline, the initial field of over a dozen possible contenders was narrowed to ten – six Democrats and four Republicans.

The other surprise at the filing deadline was the return of attorney Walter Bailey to the District 2 Position 1 seat he gave up in the 2006 elections. Bailey sought re-election then to another term despite a two term limit on commissioners. Bailey lost to J.W. Gibson who decided not to seek re-election. He also lost a court fight to overturn the term limits.

Bailey was the only candidate who had filed for the seat at the Thursday deadline.

Only one incumbent county commissioner – Republican Mike Ritz -- was effectively re-elected at the deadline because he had no opposition.

All but one of the eleven contested County Commission races will be decided with the May 4 primaries. The only general election battle for the August ballot is the district 5 contest between GOP challenger Dr. Rolando Toyos and whoever wins the May Democratic primary between incumbent Steve Mulroy and Jennings Bernard.

Former County Commissioner John Willingham also returned to the ballot among a field of Republican contenders in the primary for Shelby County Trustee.

And former Criminal Court Clerk Minerva Johnican joined the Democratic primary field for her old job. Incumbent Republican Bill Key pulled petition to seek re-election but did not file at the deadline.

Here is the list of races and contenders from The Shelby County Election Commission. All candidate have until noon Feb. 25 to withdraw from the ballot if they wish.

D-Democrat

R- Republican

I- Independent

Shelby County Mayor:

Deidre Malone (D)

Joe Ford (D)

Otis Jackson (D)

Mark Luttrell (R)

Ernest Lunati (R)

Leo Awgowhat (I)

Shelby County Sheriff:

James Coleman (R)

Bobby Simmons (R)

Bill Oldham (R)

Dale Lane (R)

Larry Hill (D)

Bennie Cobb (D)

Randy Wade (D)

James Bolden (D)

Elton Hymon (D)

Reginald French (D)

County Commission Dist 1 Pos 1

Mike Ritz (R) (incumbent)

County Commission Dist 1 Pos 2

Albert Maduska (R)

Heidi Shafer (R)

County Commission Dist 1 Pos 3

Mike Carpenter (R) (incumbent)

Joe Baire (R)

County Commission Dist 2 Pos 1

Walter Bailey (D)

County Commission Dist 2 Pos 2

Henri Brooks (D) (incumbent)

David Vinciarelli (D)

County Commission Dist 2 Pos 3

Eric Dunn (D)

Norma Lester (D)

Tina Dickerson (D)

Melvin Burgess (D)

Reginald Milton (D)

Freddie Thomas (D)

County Commission Dist 3 Pos 1

James Harvey (D) (incumbent)

James Catchings (D)

County Commission Dist. 3 Pos 2

Sidney Chism (D) (incumbent)

Andrew "Rome" Withers (D)

County Commission Dist. 3 Pos 3

Edith Moore  (D) (incumbent)

Justin Ford (D)

County Commission Dist 4 Pos 1

Chris Thomas (R)

John Pellicciotti (R)

Jim Bomprezzi (R)

County Commission Dist 4 Pos 2

Wyatt Bunker (R) (incumbent)

John Wilkerson (R)

Ron Fittes (R)

County Commission Dist 4 Pos 3

Terry Roland (R)

George Chism (R)

Edgar Babian (R)

County Commission Dist 5

Steve Mulroy (D) (incumbent)

Jennings Bernard (D)

Rolando Toyos (R)

Shelby County Clerk

Charlotte Draper (D)

Corey Maclin (D)

LaKeith Miller (D)

Wayne Mashburn (R)

Steve Moore (R)

Criminal Court Clerk

Vernon Johnson (D)

Minerva Johnican (D)

Ralph White (D)

Michael Porter (R)

Kevin Key (R)

Jerry Stamson (I)

Circuit Court Clerk

Jimmy Moore (R) (incumbent)

Steven Webster (D)

Carmichael Johnson (D)

Ricky W. Dixon (D)

Juvenile Court Clerk

Joy Touliatos (R)

Charles Marshall (D)

Sylvester Bradley (D)

Shep Wilbun (D)

Julia Roberson Wiseman (I)

Probate Court Clerk

Paul Boyd (R)

Sondra Becton (D)

Danny Kail (D)

Annita Sawyer Hamilton (D)

Peggy Dobbins (D)

Clay Perry (D)

Karen Tyler (D)

Shelby County Register

Tom Leatherwood (R) (incumbent)

Coleman Thompson (D)

Lady J. Swift (D)

Carlton Orange (D)

Shelby County Trustee

Regina Newman (D) (incumbent)

M. LaTroy Williams (D)

John Willingham (R)

Jeff Jacobs (R)

David Lenoir (R)

81. Surprises Possible as Primary Filing Deadline Nears - Thursday, February 18, 2010

Although today marks the filing deadline for the May 4 Shelby County primaries and independent candidates on the Aug. 5 county general election ballot, plenty of political drama remains.

In fact, the filing deadline is often just as important – and surprising – as election day.

82. Ford Expected to Run for County Mayor - Friday, February 05, 2010

After a tumultuous year of political upheaval in 2009, the 2010 campaign season has belatedly come to life.

Democrat Harold Byrd’s decision not to run for Shelby County mayor late last month and Republican Mark Luttrell’s decision this week to get in the race have shaken the political atmosphere out of its post-New Year doldrums.

83. Luttrell to Run for County Mayor - Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Shelby County Sheriff Mark Luttrell is running for county mayor in the May 4 Republican primaries.

“Probably the toughest part of this decision process was deciding to leave the sheriff’s office,” he said. “I have a very deep, abiding loyalty to the sheriff’s office.”

84. Not So Easy - Monday, January 25, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – Trimming back the 2,000-page, trillion-dollar Democratic health care bills to the parts that average Americans understand and like may not be as simple as it sounds.

A complete ban on insurance companies denying coverage to people with medical problems would be out of the question. Forget about guaranteed health insurance for all Americans – it costs too much.

85. Crimson Tide - Monday, January 25, 2010

Twelve days into the new year, Gov. Phil Bredesen stood in the well of the state House in Nashville and talked about leading the nation in education reform.

Later this year, Bredesen will return to address legislators on a less lofty but more immediate topic – a pool of red ink in the state budget unprecedented at least since the Depression years of the 1930s. For more than a year and a half, Tennessee has failed to meet its monthly revenue projections.

86. 2010 - Monday, January 04, 2010

Is it over yet? That may be the most frequently asked question in the New Year. “It” is the worst national economic recession since the Great Depression.

Accurately reading the indicators will not be easy. Some will predict the recession is about to end, just as new indicators point to continuing economic agony for thousands of Memphians.

87. Cordova AT&T Store Sells for $2.4 Million - Friday, November 27, 2009

An investment group known as Memphat Partnership has bought the AT&T store at 1684 N. Germantown Parkway in Cordova. The partnership paid $2.4 million for the 3,952-square-foot standalone building that was completed in 2008. The Class A structure sits on 0.74 acres along the east side of North Germantown Parkway.

88. Commercial Sales See Bump in October - Friday, November 27, 2009

High-dollar transactions involving a wide range of properties – vacant land, a strip center, an apartment complex and a couple of warehouses – helped Shelby County’s commercial market register a relatively decent month by 2009 standards during October.

89. Building Permit Brings Wally Joe Restaurant Closer to Reality - Tuesday, November 03, 2009

690 S. Perkins Road
Memphis, TN 38117
Permit Amount: $800,000

Project Cost: $800,000
Permit Date: Applied October 2009
Completion: Summer 2010
Owner: Wally Joe Realty LLC
Tenant: TBA
Contractor: Day Construction LLC
Architect: Doug Enoch

90. Southeast Shelby County Acreage Sells for $5.1M - Friday, October 30, 2009

Mark and Melinda George, owners of Intermodal Cartage Co. Inc., have bought 609.33 acres of vacant land in Southeast Shelby County for $5.1 million. The land was acquired in three parcels of land that is zoned farm and residential. The largest parcel – of which just a portion was bought – is on the south side of East Holmes Road. The other two are on the west side of Forest Hill-Irene Road.

91. Job Losses Mar Recovery, Create Woes for Dems - Tuesday, October 13, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) - A distressed economy is widely blamed for President George H.W. Bush's re-election defeat in 1992, and a decade earlier, for the loss of 26 House seats in midterm elections by Ronald Reagan's Republicans. Yet in both instances recession had already ended or was winding down.

92. Events - Friday, October 02, 2009

The Greater Memphis Chamber will hold a Small Business Council summit Tuesday from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Memphis Marriott, 2625 Thousand Oaks Blvd. Featured speakers will include Don Hutson, Austin Baker, Amy Howell and Dr. George Deitz. Cost is $50 for members and $100 for nonmembers. Deadline for reservations is today. For reservations, contact Ericka Milford at 543-3518 or emilford@memphischamber.com.

93. Dixon’s Civil War Exhibit Punctuated by Whitman’s Poetry - Monday, August 24, 2009

The Dixon Gallery and Gardens is attempting to tackle the environment of the American Civil War through the eyes of an unconventional poet in the current art exhibition “Bold, Cautious, True: Walt Whitman and American Art of the Civil War Era.” The exhibit, which opened last month, includes American masterpieces of the 1860s from collections across the country.

94. Braking Point: Inside MATA's identity crisis - Monday, August 24, 2009

The bus system in Memphis has an undeserved “mythology,” according to the people who run it. However, some who ride Memphis Area Transit Authority buses everyday – and many who don’t – contend the system is far from perfect.

95. AP Source: White House Projects Lower Deficit - Friday, August 21, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House plans to announce the federal deficit will be about $262 billion less than officials predicted earlier this year, but it still will total a massive $1.58 trillion and pose a tremendous obstacle for a president seeking policy overhauls in health care and the environment.

96. Ford to Boost Production of Focus, Escape - Friday, August 14, 2009

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) - Ford said Thursday it will build more of its popular Focus and Escape models and boost total vehicle production later this year to help dealers restock depleted showrooms.

97. Senate Confirms Sotomayor for Supreme Court - Friday, August 07, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate confirmed Sonia Sotomayor Thursday as the first Hispanic justice on the Supreme Court.

The vote was 68-31 for Sotomayor, President Barack Obama's first high court nominee. She becomes the 111th justice and just the third woman to serve.

98. Baldwin Joins Visible School As Department Chair, Professor - Wednesday, July 29, 2009

George Baldwin has been hired by Visible School as department chair and assistant professor of music business ministry and audio production.

99. Fogerty Joins Jackson Lewis In Of Counsel Role - Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Whitney King Fogerty has joined Jackson Lewis LLP as of counsel.

Fogerty was previously a shareholder at Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart PC, where she specialized in labor and employment litigation. She has practiced law for 10 years and has been named among Chambers USA’s Leading Lawyers for Business the past two years.

100. Gov’t Medical Plan Would Offer Cut-Rate Premiums - Tuesday, July 07, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) – What if a new health plan set up shop in your town offering coverage at a much lower price than other insurers?

If you could save $2,500 on the $12,700 it costs for an average family plan through an employer, would you take it? That’s not small change.