2017: A storm from eastern Arkansas intensifies as it crosses the Mississippi River into Memphis with winds topping 80 miles an hour. The wind damage uproots trees and knocks off limbs, damaging homes and businesses.
The storm knocks out power to almost half of the homes and businesses in Memphis and the surrounding area on the Memorial Day weekend, and some are without power for more than a week afterward. MLGW president Jerry Collins says it is the third-largest outage in the city’s history behind the 1994 ice storm and “Hurricane Elvis” in 2003.

2. Young Takes Helm at MLGW With Look At Storm Measures, Better Communication - Tuesday, April 3, 2018

The new president and CEO of Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division has seen a storm or two in his career, including hurricanes.

“No two storms are the same,” J.T. Young said of his experience as general manager of customer service and marketing for Gulf Power in Pensacola, Florida.

3. Council Reopens MLGW Rate Hike Consideration, Approves Term Limit Referendum - Thursday, January 25, 2018

Memphis City Council members decided Tuesday, Jan. 23, to take a second look at the gas and electric rate-hike proposals they rejected two weeks ago, but put off any new votes on the matter until February.

4. Council Reopens MLGW Rate Hike Consideration, Approves Term Limit Referendum - Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Memphis City Council members decided Tuesday, Jan. 23, to take a second look at the gas and electric rate hike proposals they rejected two weeks ago. But they put off any new votes on the matter until the first council meeting in February after what is expected to be a lengthy discussion in committee earlier that same day at City Hall.

5. Council Talks With Head of TVA, Votes on Two More Ballot Questions - Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Memphis City Council members talk with Tennessee Valley Authority president Bill Johnson Tuesday, Jan. 23, meet Mayor Jim Strickland’s nominee to replace retiring Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division president Jerry Collins and may renew discussions of electric and gas rate hikes proposed by MLGW that it voted down two weeks ago.

6. MLGW Names Interim Chief Utility Officer - Saturday, January 20, 2018

The vice president and chief financial officer of Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division will serve as the interim leader of the utility when MLGW president Jerry Collins retires at the end of January.

7. Jeanes To Serve as MLGW Chief Utility Officer - Friday, January 12, 2018

The vice president and chief financial officer of Memphis Light Gas and Water Division will serve as the interim leader of the utility when MLGW president Jerry Collins retires at the end of January.

8. City Council Rejects MLGW Gas, Electric Rate Hikes - Thursday, January 11, 2018

Memphis City Council members voted down proposed electric and gas rate hikes Tuesday, Jan. 9, but left the door open to reconsider that.

Approval of Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division’s annual budget, which is based in part on such rate revenue, was delayed for two weeks.

9. Council Rejects MLGW Gas, Electric Rate Hikes, Dumps Frayser Landfill - Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Memphis City Council members voted down proposed electric and gas rate hikes Tuesday, Jan. 9. But they left the door open to either reconsidering that or some shorter term rate hikes by delaying for two weeks approval of Memphis Light Gas and Water Division’s annual budget.

10. Approval of 2 MLGW Rate Hikes Postponed by Council - Saturday, December 23, 2017

Proposed increases in Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division rates for gas and electricity will be considered by the Memphis City Council at its first meeting of 2018.

The council delayed votes Wednesday, Dec. 20, on an electricity rate hike of 2.3 percent for each of the next three years and a 4.5 percent gas rate hike for each of the next two years.

11. Approval of MLGW Rate Hikes Postponed by City Council - Friday, December 22, 2017

Proposed increases in Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division rates for gas and electricity will be considered by the Memphis City Council at its first meeting of 2018.

The council delayed votes Wednesday, Dec. 20, on an electricity rate hike of 2.3 percent for each of the next three years and a 4.5 percent gas rate hike for each of the next two years.

12. MLGW President Delays Retirement Until January - Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division president and CEO Jerry Collins Jr. is postponing his retirement to Jan. 31 to ensure a smooth transition for his successor, the utility has announced.

Collins initially planned to retire Dec. 19.

13. Last Word: A Centennial, Corker Controversy Goes Wider and Ranked Choice Votes - Tuesday, October 10, 2017

One of the most influential political figures in the city and state in the last half of the 20th century turned 100 years old Monday – Lewis Donelson, cofounder and senior counsel at Baker Donelson. A direct descendant of Andrew Jackson, the president from Tennessee who made the mold of the modern Democratic Party, Donelson started out, of course, as a Democrat. But by the 1950s was shaping the modern local and state Republican parties.

14. Collins Says Smart Grid Era Will Improve MLGW Service - Tuesday, October 10, 2017

At Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division, storms causing power outages that affect more than 30,000 homes and businesses are considered major storms.

There were five major storms by that standard in 2011, making it the worst on record for the utility. So far in 2017 there have been four major storms.

15. Last Word: The Chamber on Forrest, Different Amazon News & More 2018 Dominoes - Friday, October 6, 2017

The Greater Memphis Chamber rolls out its part of the push by the city administration to get a state waiver for the removal of the Nathan Bedford Forrest statue. Next week is the meeting of the Tennessee Historical Commission with Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland showing up to make his pitch. That is even though the chairman of the body has told him the commission will not take up a waiver at the meeting.

16. Harvey's Memphis Remnants Take Out Power to 40,000 - Friday, September 1, 2017

The remnants of Hurricane Harvey “wreaked havoc” in Shelby County Thursday, Aug. 31, according to Memphis Light Gas and Water Division President Jerry Collins.

17. TVA Efforts Related To Contamination Continue - Saturday, August 26, 2017

The Tennessee Valley Authority has installed new monitoring wells near shallow coal ash groundwater monitoring wells at its Allen Fossil Plant that recently showed high levels of arsenic, lead and other contaminants.

18. TVA Continues Remediation To Source Contamination - Friday, August 25, 2017

The Tennessee Valley Authority has installed new monitoring wells near shallow coal ash groundwater monitoring wells at its Allen Fossil Plant that recently showed high levels of arsenic, lead and other contaminants.

19. Last Word: The Orange Mound Way, Midtown Apartments and 'I Am A Man' Plaza - Tuesday, August 8, 2017

First day of school redux on Tuesday for students in Memphis Catholic Schools and it is a half-day. The first day of classes in most of the county’s other schools Monday went smoothly. Shelby County Schools reports more than 6,000 students registered on the first day of school despite another concerted effort at numerous events to register students in advance. That’s in a school system of approximately 96,000 students.

20. Collins Exiting MLGW After 10 Years - Tuesday, August 8, 2017

One of the most scrutinized, criticized and well paid jobs in local government is going to be open at the end of 2017.

Jerry Collins announced Friday, Aug. 4, that he will retire as president and CEO of Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division effective Dec. 19 at the end of a five-year appointed term of office.

21. Last Word: School Days, MLGW Moves Off Beale and Room For Peter Pan To Fly - Monday, August 7, 2017

The K-12 school year begins Monday for most of Shelby County including the state’s largest public school system right here. Some schools have started earlier and some start later. So remember that in your daily travels going forward even if you don’t have school age children.

22. MLGW Moving Forward With Relocation Plans - Monday, August 7, 2017

Officials with Memphis, Light, Gas and Water Division are continuing with plans to expand operations at its North Service Center, despite the concerns of some residents who feel like the industrial facility is encroaching on their neighborhood.

23. Collins To Retire as Head of MLGW - Saturday, August 5, 2017

Memphis Light Gas and Water Division president Jerry Collins will retire as president and CEO of the utility company effective Dec. 19, Collins announced Friday, Aug. 4.

24. 'Let Obamacare Fail,' Trump Says After GOP Plan Collapses - Wednesday, July 19, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump declared Tuesday it's time to "let Obamacare fail" after the latest GOP health care plan crashed and burned in the Senate, a stunning failure for the president, Republican leader Mitch McConnell and a party that has vowed for years to abolish the law.

25. Toxins in Water Under Memphis Power Plant Causing Alarm - Monday, July 17, 2017

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – Memphis residents are as proud of their sweet-tasting water as their barbecue and blues. The water – drawn from the Memphis Sand aquifer beneath this Tennessee city – is so revered that a city utility called it a "community treasure" in an online report on its cleanliness.

26. Council Delays Discussion About Future of DMC, RDC - Saturday, July 15, 2017

Memphis City Council members put off a discussion Tuesday, July 11, on a call to look at restructuring or abolishing the Downtown Memphis Commission and the Riverfront Development Corp.

27. Council Delays Discussion About Future of DMC, RDC - Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Memphis City Council members put off a discussion Tuesday, July 11, on a call to look at restructuring or abolishing the Downtown Memphis Commission and the Riverfront Development Corp.

28. Memphis' First Storm Damage Estimate Tops $9 Million - Friday, June 2, 2017

One of the more striking sites Rodney Wakefield has seen since Saturday’s storm that raked the city was a “for sale” sign in a yard where a large tree had fallen after being uprooted from the ground near the sign.

29. Crews Move To Smaller Areas, Storm Damage Estimates Grow - Thursday, June 1, 2017

Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division’s response to the Saturday storm that knocked out power to 188,000 homes and businesses will cost the utility at least $7 million.

“We will spend in excess of $7 million and it could be well in excess of $7 million,” said MLGW president Jerry Collins.

30. Full Restoration After Smaller 'Hurricane Elvis' To Take More Than a Week - Saturday, May 27, 2017

The storm that raked Memphis with 80 mile-an-hour winds Saturday evening was similar to the 2003 storm nicknamed “Hurricane Elvis” but not quite as widespread.

“It did have some similar characteristics to Hurricane Elvis,” said Gary Woodall, warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service Memphis. “Fortunately, this go around it was not quite physically as large as it was.”

31. Full Restoration After Smaller 'Hurricane Elvis' To Take More Than a Week - Saturday, May 27, 2017

The storm that raked Memphis with 80 mile-an-hour winds Saturday evening was similar to the 2003 storm nicknamed “Hurricane Elvis” but not quite as widespread.

“It did have some similar characteristics to Hurricane Elvis,” said Gary Woodall, warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service Memphis. “Fortunately, this go around it was not quite physically as large as it was.”

32. Full Restoration After Smaller 'Hurricane Elvis' To Take More Than a Week - Saturday, May 27, 2017

The storm that raked Memphis with 80 mile-an-hour winds Saturday evening was similar to the 2003 storm nicknamed “Hurricane Elvis” but not quite as widespread.

“It did have some similar characteristics to Hurricane Elvis,” said Gary Woodall, warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service Memphis. “Fortunately, this go around it was not quite physically as large as it was.”

33. Full Restoration After Smaller 'Hurricane Elvis' To Take More Than a Week - Monday, May 29, 2017

UPDATE: As of 9 a.m. Monday, May 29, 125,000 Memphis Light Gas and Water Division customers were without power. And 32 people were staying at the Red Cross shelter at the Orange Mound Community Center. City Public Works has hired more contractors to help clear downed trees and other debris from roads.

34. Storm Damage Leaves 180,000 Without Power, Restoration More than A Week - Saturday, May 27, 2017

It will probably take more than a week to fully restore power across the city in the wake of a Saturday evening storm that raked Memphis with a sudden burst of straight-line winds followed by rain.

35. MLGW Moving Office Off Summer Avenue - Saturday, April 1, 2017

Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division is moving from its North Community Office, 2424 Summer Ave., though the utility says it will no longer pursue a site on East Parkway across from Overton Park as a possible location.

36. MLGW Moving Office Off Summer - Monday, March 27, 2017

Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division is moving from its North Community Office, 2424 Summer Ave., though the utility says it will no longer pursue a site on East Parkway across from Overton Park as a possible location.

37. TVA Drilling Controversy May Change Well Actions - Tuesday, February 14, 2017

The controversy over Tennessee Valley Authority drilling water wells into the Memphis aquifer for the new TVA power plant in southwest Memphis is becoming a push for more public notice of such plans and better mapping of the water supply under the city.

38. Last Word: Little Chairs in Longview, Police Pay Raise and Tiger Football Schedule - Friday, February 10, 2017

The toys are in their cubbyholes. No stray Legos yet. The little chairs tucked neatly under little tables. The tall trees with their bare branches are much in need of little eyes inspecting their twisted branches and the shadows they make on the winter ground.

39. State Sens. Harris, Kelsey Critical of TVA Water Wells - Thursday, January 26, 2017

When Odell Johnson goes on business trips he looks forward to seeing water pumping plants in other cities that use surface water for drinking water.

Johnson is the manager for water and engineering operations at Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division. He made the comment Tuesday, Jan. 24, as his tour of the utility’s Sheahan Pumping Station served as a backdrop for the ongoing debate about the Tennessee Valley Authority’s change of plans to cool its new natural gas-fired power plant in southwest Memphis.

40. Dobbs Had a Great Run, But Manning is Still No. 1 - Friday, January 6, 2017

Tennessee senior Joshua Dobbs has created a quarterback controversy. Dobbs finished his college career Dec. 30 when UT beat Nebraska 38-24 in the Music City Bowl in Nashville. He accounted for 409 total yards – 291 passing and 118 yards rushing – and was chosen the game’s MVP.

41. Last Word: Early Vote Numbers, Crime Q&A and School Suspensions in Memphis - Monday, October 31, 2016

The last weekend of early voting is done and now we get the early vote surge through Thursday, which is the last day for early voting at the 21 polling places across Shelby County.

Through this past Friday, 161,239 early votes had been cast in Shelby County. That compares to 156,645 to the same point in 2008 and 151,809 in 2012.

42. Council Delays MLGW Agenda, Used Car Lot - Saturday, February 6, 2016

The council also delayed for two weeks the entire Memphis Light Gas and Water Division consent agenda after councilman Reid Hedgepeth complained that the utility had done nothing about streetlights that have been out on a street in his district for a month.

43. Council Delays MLGW Agenda, Used Car Lot - Thursday, February 4, 2016

The council also delayed for two weeks the entire Memphis Light Gas and Water Division consent agenda after councilman Reid Hedgepeth complained that the utility had done nothing about streetlights that have been out on a street in his district for a month.

44. Tentative Pinch Development Plan About to Emerge - Wednesday, February 3, 2016

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Bass Pro Shops have agreed on a tentative and general plan for future development of the Pinch District, according to Memphis City Council member Berlin Boyd.

45. After First Meeting, Personality of New Council Emerges - Thursday, January 7, 2016

The judgments began early for the new Memphis City Council, which met for the first time Tuesday, Jan. 5, at City Hall.

State Sen. Lee Harris, on hand to be honored as a former city council member, called the group the “Kumbaya Council,” as it approved 13 appointees by Mayor Jim Strickland, 11 of them with unanimous votes.

46. Memphis City Council Runs Smart Meter Gauntlet - Thursday, December 3, 2015

The Memphis City Council may have six lame ducks on it. But in its last month together, the group of 13 isn’t coasting to the end of its term.

The council approved Tuesday, Dec. 1, a $240 million, five-year contract between Memphis Light Gas and Water Division and Elster Solutions LLC to outfit most of the city with smart meters.

47. Comptroller: Action Needed on MLGW Water Rates - Monday, November 30, 2015

Tennessee Comptroller Justin Wilson has warned city leaders that Memphis Light, Gas and Water’s water division could come under state control if action isn’t taken to make up a $2 million deficit in water revenue.

48. College Football Notebook: Bielema High on the Hog - Wednesday, November 18, 2015

After a 1-3 start, Arkansas has won five of its last six games and last weekend handled then-No. 9 Louisiana State with relative ease in Baton Rouge, winning 31-14.

The victory moved the Razorbacks to 6-4 overall, 4-2 in the Southeastern Conference, and coach Bret Bielema had some things to say about that. Of course he did.

49. Strickland Vows to Grow Memphis’ Minority Contract Percentage - Friday, November 13, 2015

Memphis Mayor-elect Jim Strickland says the next month may be the most important of his administration, even though he won’t take office until Jan. 1.

50. Roundhouse Revival 2 Features Mayoral Trash Talk - Tuesday, October 6, 2015

On the last day of the Mid-South Fair Sunday, Oct. 4, several hundred people gathered at the Mid-South Fairgrounds to listen to live music, watch roller derby, buy souvenirs, cheer on a wrestling exhibition or two and, of course, eat.

51. Campaign Strategies Shift As Mayoral Debates Begin - Wednesday, August 12, 2015

It’s been a scrap from the start.

But with the first televised debate in the 2015 race for Memphis Mayor Monday, Aug. 10, more citizens got a first-hand look at what the top contenders have agreed is a milestone political race.

52. First Mayoral TV Debate Features Aggressive Contenders - Tuesday, August 11, 2015

The first televised debate of the 2015 race of Memphis Mayor Monday, Aug. 10, saw incumbent Mayor A C Wharton Jr. and city council member Jim Strickland clash repeatedly while fellow council member and mayoral challenger Harold Collins said Strickland and Wharton were “acting like Tom and Jerry.”

53. Youth Fund Kicks Off With MLGW Partnership - Saturday, May 9, 2015

The city of Memphis’ summer jobs program and its Memphis Ambassadors Program are seeking private donations to expand through regular contributions via the monthly Memphis Light Gas and Water Division bill.

54. Memphis Youth Fund Kicks Off With MLGW Partnership - Friday, May 8, 2015

The city of Memphis’ summer jobs program and its Memphis Ambassadors Program are seeking private donations to expand through regular contributions via the monthly Memphis Light Gas and Water Division bill.

55. Events - Thursday, April 23, 2015

Hattiloo Theatre will present “Purlie Victorious” Thursday, April 23, through May 24 at the theater, 37 S. Cooper St. Buy tickets at hattiloo.org.

56. Events - Wednesday, April 22, 2015

JETS Memphis (Jet & Engine Trading Society) will host its second annual evening reception Wednesday, April 22, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum, 191 Beale St. The commercial aviation business and networking event will include heavy hors d’oeuveres, drinks, and rock and soul music. Visit team.aero/jetsmemphis to RSVP.

57. Size of Mayoral Field Shadows Race - Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Nobody running for election on the Oct. 8 ballot can even pull a qualifying petition to get on the ballot until April, yet February is shaping up as the month when it is determined what kind of challenge and how many challengers incumbent Mayor A C Wharton Jr. will face.

58. Potential Cargill Tenant Puts Rate Hike on Hold - Thursday, November 20, 2014

As Cargill Inc. prepares to close down its Memphis corn mill by the end of the year, there are talks about moving another tenant into the facility. And about 50 of the 440 workers at the corn mill on Presidents Island will remain in Memphis at a smaller operation.

59. Council Votes Down Water Rate Hike, Wharton Hybrid Pension Plan - Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Memphis City Council members voted down a water rate hike of 2.3 percent Tuesday, Nov. 18, proposed by Memphis Light Gas and Water Division. And the council voted down Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr.’s hybrid pension plan change for city employees with under 10 years on the job.

60. Power Play - Saturday, September 13, 2014

When the Tennessee Valley Authority board voted in August to build a new power plant in Southwest Memphis, it was a decision based on factors larger than the power needs in Memphis.

But it was also a decision that is just as important for Memphis as the decision to build the existing Allen Fossil Plant there 55 years ago.

61. Council Approves Graceland Plan, Moves on Sales Tax Hike Referendum - Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Memphis City Council members approved Tuesday, Aug. 5, a tourism development zone application for the 120-acre Graceland campus and the master plan the zone would finance that includes a 450-room resort hotel and an archive exhibition space.

62. Council Approves Music Hall of Fame Funding - Saturday, May 10, 2014

Memphis City Council members have approved $250,000 in funding for a Memphis Music Hall of Fame at Hard Rock Cafe’s new location at Beale and Second streets.

The funding from the federal money turned over to the city when federal officials abandoned plans for Interstate 40 through Overton Park is the first of two funding requests organizers of the Hall of Fame plan to make of the city for the $1.2 million project, which will also include private funding.

63. City Council Approves Music Hall of Fame Funding - Friday, May 9, 2014

Memphis City Council members have approved $250,000 in funding for a Memphis Music Hall of Fame at Hard Rock Cafe’s new location at Beale and Second streets.

The funding from the federal money turned over to the city when federal officials abandoned plans for Interstate 40 through Overton Park is the first of two funding requests organizers of the Hall of Fame plan to make of the city for the $1.2 million project, which will also include private funding.

64. Beale Street Music Festival Offers Diverse Lineup - Friday, February 28, 2014

The lineup for the three-day Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival features a new night of late-night dance music from a stage in Tom Lee Park and a 69-act lineup in which Memphis artists are nearly a third of the diverse set of performers.

65. Beale Street Music Festival Lineup Announced - Thursday, February 27, 2014

The bill for the three-day Memphis in May Beale Street Music this year features a new night of late night dance music from a stage in Tom Lee Park and a 69-act lineup in which Memphis artists are nearly a third of the diverse set of performers.

66. Harris to Lead Council’s Budget Committee - Saturday, January 4, 2014

Memphis City Council member Lee Harris will be chairman of the council’s budget committee for 2014.

67. Harris to Lead City Council Budget Committee - Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Memphis City Council member Lee Harris will be chairman of the council’s budget committee for 2014.

68. Council Rules Could Change in 2014 - Monday, December 23, 2013

Memphis City Council members are already starting to adapt some items in a set of proposed changes in how they conduct business.

The proposal took a bit longer to formulate than originally anticipated.

69. Crosstown Funding Mix of Local, State and Federal - Thursday, December 5, 2013

The $15 million in funding Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr.’s administration put together as the last piece of financing for the Sears Crosstown building redevelopment is not just a combination of state and federal grant money.

70. Council Approves Crosstown Funding, Delays Redbirds Decision - Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Memphis City Council members approved $15 million in city funding that is a combination of federal grants, bonds and stormwater funding Tuesday, Dec. 3, as the last piece of financing for the Crosstown revitalization project.

71. Council OKs Crosstown, Debates Schools Lawsuit - Thursday, November 21, 2013

Memphis City Council members approved the Crosstown planned development Tuesday, Nov. 19, marking the latest move through local government for the $180 million project with construction scheduled to begin late this year or early next year.

72. Council Approves Crosstown Plans and Water Rate Hike - Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Memphis City Council members approved the Crosstown planned development Tuesday, Nov. 19, marking the latest move through local government for the $180 million project with construction scheduled to begin late this year or early next year.

73. Council Keeps Southbrook Mall Renovation Alive - Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Memphis City Council members voted Tuesday, Nov. 5, to start over again in plans to find a legal use for city funds in renovating the Southbrook Mall in Whitehaven.

And the administration of Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. gave a qualified endorsement through what amounts to a new feasibility study on the mall due before the council in a month.

74. Council Rules - Friday, November 1, 2013

Three Memphis City Council members continue to look at the council’s rules of procedure and how those rules are enforced as the council prepares for the annual election of a new chairman for the new year.

75. Council Committee Looks Broadly at Council Rules - Thursday, October 24, 2013

A trio of Memphis City Council members weighing possible changes to the council’s way of conducting business has more questions at the outset than answers about what kind of conduct is allowed and what shouldn’t be on the elected body.

76. Fullilove’s Funding Push Raises Legal Questioning - Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Memphis City Council member Janis Fullilove pushed hard for $1.5 million in city funding for the renovation of Southbrook Mall in Whitehaven.

77. Council Approves Beale Deal, Delays Highland McDonald's - Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Memphis City Council members sent a plan Tuesday, Oct. 15, to settle the last barrier to direct day to day city control of the Beale Street entertainment district to a federal bankruptcy judge.

The council approved a resolution that would use $400,000 from a dormant city fund related to the abandoned Midtown interstate corridor and $100,000 in revenues it has collected from the Beale Street district to pay off a loan Beale Street developer John Elkington took out for improvements he made to Handy Park.

78. Funding for Untested Rape Kits Sparks Debate - Thursday, August 22, 2013

The Memphis City Council’s sharpest debate during a Tuesday, Aug. 20, council agenda with several major issues wasn’t about Smart Meters or changes in garbage pickup.

It was about “several thousand” rape kits Memphis Police have – some dating back to the 1980s – that investigators never processed.

79. Council Approves Smart Meters, Delays Vote on Solid Waste Fee and Plan - Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Memphis City Council members approved a $10.1 million contract Tuesday, Aug. 20, for Memphis Light Gas and Water Division to buy 60,000 Smart Meters.

And the council delayed a final vote on setting a solid waste fee that is the starting point for changes over several years to the way the city collects garbage. The two-week delay in setting the fee also delays acting on a plan to provide sanitation workers with a retirement supplement of up to $1,000 a month funded with the savings from the changes in the services.

80. Electrical Workers Union Speaks Out Against Smart Meters - Wednesday, July 10, 2013

The union representing Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division employees, including meter readers, plans to take its problems with Smart Meters to the road – the side of the road.

Leaders of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1288 said Monday, July 8, they intend to put up billboards warning the public of what they say are the dangers of the new meters the utility plans to seek city funding for later this year.

81. Council Approves $24.2 Million In Budget Cuts - Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Memphis City Council members tallied $24.2 million in city operating budget cuts Tuesday, June 18, in a marathon seven-hour session before an overflow crowd of angry city employees.

But the council adjourned before taking a final vote on the operating budget as amended or setting a city property tax rate.

82. City Council Delays Sales Tax Votes - Saturday, March 9, 2013

Memphis City Council members delayed Tuesday, March 5, final votes on an ordinance to put a half-percent sales tax hike to Memphis voters sometime before Sept. 30 and a resolution outlining how the estimated $47 million in revenue from the tax hike would be used.

83. Council Delays Sales Tax Votes - Thursday, March 7, 2013

Memphis City Council members delayed Tuesday, March 5, final votes on an ordinance to put a half-percent sales tax hike to Memphis voters sometime before Sept. 30 and a resolution outlining how the estimated $47 million in revenue from the tax hike would be used.

84. Sales Tax Hike Headed to Ballot - Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Memphis City Council members take final votes Tuesday, March 5, on a half-percent city sales tax hike referendum and the use of the estimated $47 million in revenue the tax hike will produce.

The council, which meets at 3:30 p.m. at City Hall, 125 N. Main St., is expected to pass the referendum and send it to voters this year.

85. City Council Approves Fairgrounds TDZ Request - Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Memphis City Council members approved Tuesday, Feb. 19, plans for a tourism development zone to capture sales tax revenue in a large area for a renovation of the Fairgrounds property at first.

The boundaries of the zone go to the state for approval and city Community and Housing Development division director Robert Lipscomb said such a proposal could be at the state building commission in Nashville in April.

86. Payne Joins Fulton CPAs as Senior Accountant - Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Tarasha Payne has joined Fulton CPAs PLLC as a senior accountant in the areas of taxation, compilation and reviews, and client services. Payne has more than 15 years’ experience in the field and is working toward CPA certification. The announcement comes on the heels of big changes at the accounting firm, including new ownership and a name change from Polsgrove & Fulton. (See The Daily News’ Monday, Dec. 17, edition for more information.)

87. Solar Energy Gets Boost With Two New Arrays - Monday, April 16, 2012

April is proving to be a banner month for alternative energy as two solar arrays formally opened within days of each other last week.

The West Tennessee Solar Farm in Haywood County is the largest in the state with 21,000 panels.

88. State Cuts to Medicaid Affect Patients, Providers - Wednesday, December 28, 2011

ATLANTA (AP) – Just as Medicaid prepares for a vast expansion under the federal health care overhaul, the 47-year-old entitlement program for the poor is under increasing pressure as deficit-burdened states chip away at benefits and cut payments to doctors.

89. Council Cautious About City Finances - Thursday, December 8, 2011

Memphis City Council members set the tone for the beginning of a new four-year term of office at their next to last meeting of 2011.

And the message is the council intends to be an equal partner with Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. in setting the city’s fiscal priorities, not waiting and then voting his proposals up or down.

90. Orpheum Looks South For Expansion Plans - Monday, November 7, 2011

The show must go on even if the stage isn’t big enough, but The Orpheum Theater hopes to change that very soon.

Executive director Pat Halloran has announced plans to buy a Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division parking lot adjacent to the historic theater as the site for its new Performing Arts and Leadership Academy.

91. City Council Delays MLGW Insurance Contract - Monday, September 26, 2011

A fight for a $122 million health insurance contract that began last year continued last week as the Memphis City Council delayed approval of the contract between CIGNA and Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division.

92. Let There Be Light - Monday, August 29, 2011

This fall, a group of 1,000 Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division customers move deeper into a three-year, futuristic-sounding “Smart Grid” test project that began this past January.

They volunteered last year to get new automated meters for their homes, and half of them got a wireless digital counter top readout for inside their homes that allows them to watch their electricity usage. With a computer dashboard readout they can also follow trends for energy usage over time, and the device even suggests scenarios for cutting costs.

93. Harding's Convocation to Inaugurate New Name - Tuesday, August 16, 2011

The 10th annual convocation celebration at Harding School of Theology is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 22, when area leaders are scheduled to help inaugurate the school’s name change.

Prior to July 1, the school was called Harding University Graduate School of Religion. Harding School of Theology is associated with Churches of Christ.

94. Mayors Launch Office of Sustainability - Tuesday, May 24, 2011

When Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. and Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell launch their joint office of sustainability this week, it will be the latest move in a continuing realignment of both local governments.

95. MLGW's Collins Receives U of M Engineering Award - Monday, March 21, 2011

Jerry R. Collins Jr., president and chief executive officer of Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division, was honored with the Herff Honor Award for Distinguished Service in Engineering by the University of Memphis Herff College of Engineering.

96. Hybrid Luxury - Thursday, February 24, 2011

With gas selling at $3 a gallon, the staff at Lexus of Memphis gathered earlier this month for a training session.

The East Memphis dealership had just taken delivery of a first for the luxury carmaker – a five-door hybrid hatchback Lexus. The CT200h is the fifth hybrid Lexus has offered, but the first hybrid car classified as a luxury car that promises to top 40 miles per gallon of gas.

97. Memphis Closer to Electric Vehicle Technology - Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division should have 10 locations up and running by September for public charging stations for electric vehicles.

And Tennesseans who buy a Nissan Leaf, the all-electric vehicle coming to the market in 2012, will get a free home charging station as part of federal government incentives in six states and Washington as well as state government incentives in Tennessee.

98. Business Sense - Monday, November 1, 2010

Mark Luttrell has a little more than eight weeks under his belt as Shelby County mayor, and he’s spent much of that time on things that shouldn’t come as a surprise.

99. City Council Gives UDC Green Light - Thursday, August 12, 2010

It is complex. It is tedious. Some of its proponents even call it boring. And it took six years to create.

This week the Memphis City Council gave final approval to a new Unified Development Code that won final approval the day before by the Shelby County Commission.

100. BBB of the Mid-South Elects New Officers, Directors - Tuesday, April 6, 2010

The Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South has elected officers and new directors for 2010.

Pierre T. Landaiche III of SMG Management and the Memphis Cook Convention Center has been re-elected chairman of the board.