WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh repeatedly stressed the importance of judicial independence on the second day of his confirmation hearing Wednesday as he faced questioning from senators, including Democrats who fear he would be President Donald Trump's man on the high court. But he declined to address whether Trump could be subpoenaed or could pardon himself.

2. Last Word: T.O. Jones, One Beale's Launch and De-Annexation in Trouble - Wednesday, July 25, 2018

You might call it the final act of the MLK 50 observances around our city this year. With very little fanfare at the start of Tuesday’s city council session, the council honored T.O. Jones, the leader of the union representing city sanitation workers and the leader of the 1968 strike by those workers. Jones was a pivotal figure in the strike who soon after lost his position with the local union in the internal politics of AFSCME as the local became a powerful political symbol.

3. In Supreme Court fight, Dems target 2 GOP Senate moderates - Monday, July 9, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) — By themselves, Democrats can't stop the Republican-run Senate from confirming President Donald Trump's pick for the Supreme Court. But they're determined to make it agonizing for a pair of pivotal GOP senators to back the nominee.

4. Senate Leaders Trade Barbed Words Over Supreme Court - Friday, June 29, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate battle over Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee is off to a fiery start — even before the president makes his choice. Republican and Democratic leaders traded accusations and barbed comments Thursday on the new vacancy, abortion rights and the debate to come.

5. Businesses Balance Facebook Privacy Concerns, Ad Needs - Thursday, April 26, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) – Some small businesses that use Facebook ads to promote themselves and attract new customers are wrestling with whether they need to change strategy after the company's data-misuse scandal.

6. Trump Hints VA Pick Might Want to Withdraw Nomination - Wednesday, April 25, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump suggested Tuesday that his pick for Veterans Affairs secretary might want to withdraw after the emergence of allegations about inappropriate workplace behavior, including over-prescribing prescription drugs and drinking on the job.

7. In State of Union, Trump to Make His Case on Economy - Tuesday, January 30, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) – Seeking to move past the shadow of the Russia investigation, President Donald Trump intends to use his first State of the Union address to cite economic progress under his watch while pushing for bipartisanship with Democrats on issues such as rebuilding roads and bridges.

8. Retired Firefighter Killed in House Fire in Jackson, Tennessee - Thursday, October 26, 2017

JACKSON, Tenn. (AP) — Authorities say a retired firefighter has died in a house fire in Tennessee.

Madison County Fire Department Chief Eric Turner told the Jackson Sun that 72-year-old Joe Collins was killed in a house fire on Monday morning. Collins was a retired Jackson firefighter who had lived in the home for over 30 years.

9. Season 3: Time for QB Mariota To Become a Star - Friday, August 25, 2017

If Year 1 was a good start and Year 2 was another step in the right direction, what should we expect of Marcus Mariota in Year 3?

How about a playoff berth for the team he quarterbacks.

Granted, there are many other factors in play that will determine the success, failure or return to mediocrity of the Titans in 2017. Has the defensive backfield been successfully retooled? Can the offensive line remain one of the best in the NFL? Will the additions at wide receiver pay the expected dividends?

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. New Year, New Game - Friday, January 27, 2017

INSPIRING WORDS FOR OUR NEW TEAM. “Sometimes they write what I say, not what I mean.” – former Cardinal, Dodger and major league MVP Pedro Guerrero, who obviously could have been president.

13. Parkside Developers Finish Acquiring Land for Shelby Farms Urban Village - Monday, January 9, 2017

Developers of Parkside at Shelby Farms, a proposed mixed-use project, took another step forward with the purchase nearly 40 acres of vacant property adjacent to Shelby Farms.

14. Last Word: Presidents Day In An Election Year, Minority Business and Spring Training - Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Presidents Day in a presidential election year.
Consider the political kaleidoscope of a foggy office-bound or home-bound Monday in Memphis with former President George W. Bush on the tube in the late afternoon defending his brother’s presidential campaign without once uttering the word Trump.
No further word of a Trump appearance promised for Memphis and some of Donald Trump’s own statements Monday suggested that by the time Memphis is on his schedule, he might be running as an independent.
Then there is the obsession in one corner of social media with Supreme Court history in rich detail.
And heads were turned Monday evening by the excerpt on the Grammys from the Broadway musical about Alexander Hamilton – a founding father born in the West Indies who established the nation’s financial system and the Federalist party. He never became a president, in part, because the vice president killed him. Hamilton wasn’t the only one who had been talking bad about Aaron Burr. The top of the ticket, President Thomas Jefferson, had decided to dump Burr from the ticket in the next election and Burr was trying to transition to become governor of New York.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. Council OKs Strickland's Directors, He Defends Pay Raises - Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Memphis City Council members approved Mayor Jim Strickland’s slate of 12 division chiefs and directors Tuesday, Jan. 5, at the first council meeting of 2016. And Strickland defended the pay raises for some of those positions compared to the salaries those appointed positions paid in the Wharton administration.

19. Arkansas Motors Past Kansas State 45-23 in Liberty Bowl - Monday, January 4, 2016

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – Just in case this ends up being his last college game, Arkansas' Alex Collins made it one to remember.

20. Memphis Chamber Backs Wharton in Mayor’s Race - Friday, August 21, 2015

The political action committee of the Greater Memphis Chamber is backing Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. for re-election.

Wharton faces a strong challenge in his re-election bid from Memphis City Council members Harold Collins and Jim Strickland. And a key issue in the hard-fought campaign is the city's pace of economic development during Wharton’s tenure.

21. Strickland's Memphis Mayoral Bid Heats Up - Friday, July 24, 2015

Just hours after he dropped out of the race for Memphis Mayor, James Harvey endorsed mayoral contender Jim Strickland at the opening of Strickland’s Poplar Plaza campaign headquarters.

22. Memphis Mayoral Field Set at 10 - Friday, July 24, 2015

Shelby County Election Commissioners have certified the Memphis election ballot for Oct. 8.

These are the names to appear on that ballot for the 15 elected offices.

The commission met hours after the noon Thursday, July 23, deadline for candidates to withdraw from the ballot if they wished.

23. Filing Deadline Shapes Field in Memphis Elections - Monday, July 20, 2015

Now that they’ve made the filing deadline for the Oct. 8 Memphis elections, candidates have until Thursday, July 23, to withdraw if they wish before the ballot is set later that day in the 15 city races.

24. Ford Switches Races at Election Filing Deadline - Thursday, July 16, 2015

Darrell Wright cut it about as close as was possible at the noon Thursday, July 16, filing deadline for candidates in the Oct. 8 Memphis elections.

25. Cooper Wants Citizenship Restored to Run for Council - Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Joe Cooper is already running for Memphis City Council this year. He’s campaigning for the Super District 9 Position 2 seat on the October ballot.

26. Chism Political Picnic Offers Pre-Campaign Snapshot - Monday, June 15, 2015

Memphis mayoral contender Jim Strickland saw a face he didn’t recognize Saturday, June 13, in the southwest Memphis crowd at former County Commissioner Sidney Chism’s annual political picnic.

27. Because I Say So - Thursday, April 2, 2015

“Ipsy dipsy!” shouts Ann Marie, Marlo Thomas’ character in “That Girl.” Trying to impress a judge in court, she mispronounces “ipse dixit.” Meaning “he, himself, said it,” this Latin phrase connotes a dogmatic, unsupported assertion.

28. 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.

29. Harris Goes to Nashville - Friday, January 9, 2015

At his last Memphis City Council session, Lee Harris reflected this week on his three years on the council and the group of politicians he joined.

30. City Council Delays Vote on Beale Tourism Authority - Thursday, January 8, 2015

At the first Memphis City Council meeting of 2015, council members delayed for two weeks a vote on a Beale Street Tourism Development Authority to guide future development of the entertainment district through a nine-member appointed board.

31. Council Signals Return to Schools Funding Mediation - Wednesday, January 7, 2015

It’s back to mediation Thursday, Jan. 8, in the six-year long schools funding deadlock between the city of Memphis and Shelby County Schools.

That was the next step several Memphis City Council members pointed to after more than an hour behind closed doors at City Hall Tuesday with their attorney as well as city Chief Administrative Officer George Little.

32. Pension ‘Concept’ Flips Council Script - Thursday, December 4, 2014

For most of her seven years on the Memphis City Council, Wanda Halbert has been the most outspoken member when it comes to last-minute items added to the council’s agenda for a vote.

So, when Halbert rolled out a compromise plan on the city’s pension changes Tuesday, Dec. 2, she took some heat from other council members.

33. Marx-Bensdorf Expands in East Memphis - Friday, September 19, 2014

A prominent Memphis realty company has expanded its presence in East Memphis. Marx-Bensdorf Realtors has grown in the office building at 5860 Ridgeway Loop Blvd. by 526 square feet, bringing its total to 4,653 square feet.

34. Green Mountain Consulting Finds Home Along Poplar - Friday, July 18, 2014

Logistics vendor Green Mountain Consulting wasn’t necessarily looking to buy an office building when it began its search for more office space for expansion.

“We’re not getting into the commercial real estate business because we wanted to be in it; we got into it because we have a company to operate and needed the space,” said Jim Jacobs, one of Green Mountain’s co-founders.

35. Budget Changes Include Cooper-Young Garage - Thursday, June 5, 2014

A Cooper-Young parking garage and a pool of capital funding divided equally among the seven Memphis City Council districts are the two biggest ticket items in the way of still-tentative budget amendments proposed by council members.

36. 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.

37. 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.

38. 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.

39. 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.

40. 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.

41. Beauty in the Difficulty for Tigers This Season - Friday, October 18, 2013

Conference USA’s Powers That Be, which is funny just to type, were not happy when the University of Memphis left for what eventually was named the American Athletic Conference.

The best indication of this?

42. Council Grapples With Attrition Plan Reality - Thursday, July 18, 2013

Every version of a city budget the Memphis City Council and Mayor A C Wharton Jr. considered in June included a plan to lose 300 city employees through attrition for long-term savings toward meeting rising future debt obligations.

43. Williams to Lead Marketing at Junior Achievement - Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Priscilla Williams has joined Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South as director of marketing and special events. In her new role, Williams will work to increase the organization’s visibility, funding and branding.

44. 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.

45. Next Goal for City Budget: Consensus - Monday, June 10, 2013

For now, Memphis City Council members have more questions than consensus about which end is up on the proposed city budget for the fiscal year that is three weeks away.

Beyond the questions awaits a significant difference of opinion among council members about the general direction city finances should take with the new fiscal year and beyond.

46. Police Budget Passes Early Council Test - Thursday, May 9, 2013

The Memphis City Council’s budget committee approved the largest budget for any single city division Tuesday, May 7.

But the committee debate before the vote set the stage for what is expected to be more discussion about how much the Memphis Police Department needs to protect and serve.

47. Questions Kick Off City Budget Hearings - Thursday, April 25, 2013

Memphis City Council members opened budget committee hearings Tuesday, April 23, on the clock and with lots of questions about what seemed to some like different budget numbers from last year at this time by the administration of Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr.

48. 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.

49. Council Approves Property Tax Collection Merger - Thursday, December 20, 2012

Timing did what decades of offers and counter-offers couldn’t do when it came to changing who collects current and delinquent property taxes for Memphis.

The City Council approved Tuesday, Dec. 18, an interlocal agreement for Shelby County Trustee David Lenoir to collect property taxes for the city.

50. City Council Mulls Future of Whitehaven Golf Course - Thursday, October 4, 2012

Memphis City Council members will take a second look at plans to close the Links of Whitehaven city golf course in November.

City Parks and Neighborhood director Janet Hooks told council members last month that Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr.’s administration wants to instead close the Davy Crockett city golf course in Frayser despite council approval this past spring to close the nine-hole Whitehaven golf course.

51. MAAR Elects Board Members - Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Members of the Memphis Area Association of Realtors elected six individuals to the 2013-2014 board of directors at its annual meeting and election Sept. 6.

They are: 2013 director/2014 vice president Patty Rainey of Crye-Leike Inc. Realtors; 2013-2014 directors Cassandra Bell-Warren of 4 Success Realty LLC, Allen Green of John Green & Co. Realtors, Joe Steffner of Grubb & Ellis/Memphis, and Hank Hogue of Crye-Leike; and 2013-2014 associate director Jason Gaia of Prudential Collins-Maury Inc.

52. Council Approves Cut of City Funding For Vehicle Inspections - Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Memphis City Council members voted Tuesday, Aug. 21, to end city funding for vehicle inspections at the end of June 2013.

The 10-2 council vote followed months of discussion among council members about Shelby County government or the state of Tennessee assuming responsibility for the car and truck inspections.

53. Proposed Gas Tax Advances to November Memphis Ballot - Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Memphis City Council members gave final approval Tuesday, Aug. 7, to a second ballot question for the Nov. 6 ballot in Memphis.

On an 8-3 vote, the council approved on third and final reading the referendum ordinance that puts a one-cent-a-gallon local gas tax to Memphis voters. The same ballot will also include a referendum on a proposed half percent local sales tax hike the council approved in July.

54. Council Lowers Property Tax Rate, Approves $609M Budget - Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Memphis City Council members approved a $3.11 city property tax rate Tuesday, June 5, to fund a city operating budget of $609,802,357 and Memphis City Schools to the tune of $64,819,307.

The split council vote came nearly 14 hours after the council’s day started at City Hall with a budget committee session in which the basic elements of the ultimate budget compromise were mapped out before noon.

55. Council Rejects 18 Cent Property Tax Hike - Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Memphis City Council members voted Tuesday, March 20, to reject a one-time, 18-cent property tax hike to mop up an estimated $13 million in red ink for the current fiscal year.

Instead the council voted to use $10 million from the city’s reserve fund and cut $3.2 million in the existing budget including money for a voluntary buyout program of some sanitation workers that the Wharton administration has yet to activate.

56. Lawmakers Debate Pay Cutoff for Budget Gridlock - Thursday, March 15, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Even the top sponsor of a bill that would cut off lawmakers' pay if they can't – or won't – pass a budget blueprint admits many of his colleagues think it's just a political talking point instead of a serious idea.

57. Local QR Real Estate Usage Grows Slowly - Tuesday, February 21, 2012

First seen in Japan in the mid-1990s, quick response codes could add momentous efficiency in the residential real estate world, allowing virtual tours of houses to take place on mobile devices.

But only 14 million American mobile device users have interacted with a QR code, according to recent study by digital business analytics firm comScore Inc. That means less than 5 percent of the American public has scanned a QR code.

58. Council Weighs In on Electrolux Incentives - Thursday, January 5, 2012

Some Memphis City Council members want to at least slow the appropriation of local government funding to Electrolux North America Cooking Products if the company isn’t more responsive to hiring local for the construction of its Memphis manufacturing plant.

59. Senators Offer Plan to Keep Postal Service Solvent - Thursday, November 3, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Senators announced a bipartisan plan Wednesday to help keep the financially ailing Postal Service solvent and continue six-day mail delivery for at least two more years.

60. Wharton, Fullilove & Conrad Re-Elected -- Harris-Ford to Runoff - Friday, October 7, 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.

61. Vote for Me - Monday, September 12, 2011

Four years after the biggest turnover on the Memphis City Council, the Oct. 6 city elections could see the biggest return of incumbents ever on the council. Early voting begins Friday, Sept. 16.

Twelve of the 13 incumbents are seeking re-election. It would have been 13 had Barbara Swearengen Ware not taken a plea deal on an official misconduct charge.

62. 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.

63. On the Right Path - Monday, August 8, 2011

Greenlines, greenbelts and greenways are already under way and are expected to grow and converge across the city in the years to come.

And while property owners should see increasing values as the Shelby Farms Greenline and other green assets become community fixtures and expand throughout the area, so far the depressed housing market is keeping all property values – no matter their location – in check.

64. Debt-Limit Votes: Senate Momentum, House Concerns - Tuesday, August 2, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – The House began debate Monday on the hard-bargained plan to avert a national financial default, even as the White House and congressional leaders struggled to round up enough votes to approve it. Supporters said momentum for the deficit-reduction compromise was on their side, but resistance from both liberals and conservatives made the outcome unclear.

65. 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.

66. Bridging the Gap - Friday, July 8, 2011

Between now and the end of the year, transportation planners in the tri-state area and beyond will round up the final work product that will go into the preliminary search for a new Mississippi River bridge at or near Memphis.

67. Budget Issues Resurface at City Council - Thursday, July 7, 2011

The Memphis City Council this week ventured back into the just closed budget season via a city charter amendment for the November 2012 ballot.

A referendum ordinance by council member Kemp Conrad and council chairman Myron Lowery would require the city administration to submit a five-year operating budget plan to the council along with a five- to 10-year capital improvements budget plan and consolidate the two budgets into one presentation.

68. Pieces of the Puzzle - Monday, June 27, 2011

Memphis City Council members left the city property tax rate at $3.19 Tuesday, June 21, as they ended their budget season.

But they added 18 cents to the tax rate on a one time basis with a separate resolution.

69. City Council Rejects 18-Cent Property Tax Hike - Wednesday, June 8, 2011

The city of Memphis operating budget for the fiscal year to come July 1 is $11 million from being balanced.

The Memphis City Council voted on a series of 16 budget amendments Tuesday, June 7 in a marathon council session that began at 9 a.m. with the budget committee and ended shortly after 10 p.m.

70. Council to Consider Sewer Fee, Postponing Layoffs - Tuesday, May 3, 2011

A voting majority of Memphis City Council members seem to have reached an early agreement on lowering the city sewer fee.

At a 10 a.m. council committee session Tuesday, council members will discuss the proposed ordinance sponsored by eight of the 12 council members to cut the maximum monthly residential sanitary sewer fee from $50 to $25.

71. On the Go - Tuesday, February 1, 2011

From seasoned veterans to young agents, smart phone technology enables real estate professionals to work from virtually anywhere.

But with new applications incessantly hitting the market, it can be a challenge to keep up with the latest trends.

72. Swearengen Ware Faces Council Suspension - Friday, October 29, 2010

For the fifth time in the Memphis City Council’s 42-year history, one of its sitting members has been charged with felony misconduct.

And the charge against council member Barbara Swearengen Ware raises the same questions the other cases did about whether an indicted council member should remain in elected office.

73. Brown Says He Will Vote for Regulation Overhaul - Tuesday, July 13, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – Republican Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts helped move sweeping financial legislation closer to passage Monday, announcing that after some misgivings he will support the regulatory overhaul after all.

74. Council Battles Funding Issues - Thursday, February 25, 2010

As Memphis political leaders made another trip to Nashville this week seeking money for The MED, others questioned the hospital’s life expectancy.

Memphis City Council members this week delayed a vote on $2 million in emergency funding for The MED until April.

75. MED MCS Funding Swap Proposal Emerges - Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Some Memphis City Council members are working with Shelby County Mayor Joe Ford on a deal in which county government would become the single source of local funding for the Memphis school system. In exchange for that the city would contribute some amount of funding to the Regional Medical Center.

76. UPDATE: MED MCS Funding Swap Proposal Surfaces - Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Some Memphis City Council members are working with Shelby County Mayor Joe Ford on a deal in which county government would become the single source of local funding for the Memphis school system. In exchange for that the city would contribute some amount of funding to the Regional Medical Center.

77. Brown's Independence Could Face Senate Test - Monday, February 8, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) - Scott Brown says he's a different kind of Republican, a centrist willing to work with Senate Democrats to fix health care and the ailing economy.

78. MED Funding a State Issue, Leaders Say - Friday, January 29, 2010

The issue of double taxation reared its head this week as a plan to provide $12 million in local emergency funding for the Regional Medical Center at Memphis scored $10 million.

The county funding cleared the Shelby County Commission on a 9-3 vote after lots of debate Monday.

79. School Funding Debate Marches On - Thursday, January 28, 2010

The city of Memphis is pursuing a last appeal in the Memphis school funding court case, and the City Council this week came up with a plan to provide $50 million in court-ordered funding to the school system.

80. 3 Democrats – 2 Senators, 1 Governor – to Retire - Thursday, January 7, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) - With the 2010 election year barely under way, two senators and one governor – all Democrats – ditched plans to run for re-election in the latest signs of trouble for President Barack Obama's party.

81. MLGW to Restore Power In Light of Frigid Temps. - Thursday, January 7, 2010

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr., interim Shelby County Mayor Joe Ford and Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division President Jerry Collins have announced that power will be restored to residents in Memphis whose utilities have been cut off for lack of payment.

82. 2009 Year In Review - Monday, December 28, 2009

2009 was a year without a script – and plenty of improvising on the political stage.

It was supposed to be an off-election year except in Arlington and Lakeland.

2008 ended with voters in the city and county approving a series of changes to the charters of Memphis and Shelby County governments. Those changes were supposed to set a new direction for both entities, kicking into high gear in 2010 and ultimately culminating two years later.

83. City’s Dilemma: Fight Crime or Bust Blight? - Thursday, December 3, 2009

Some Memphis City Council members question whether the city’s crackdown on crime is coming at the expense of efforts to eliminate or prevent blight in neighborhoods.

That sentiment surfaced in a council committee session this week. It came the same week that Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. talked of an emerging anti-crime strategy at his first town hall meeting.

84. Commission To Interview Ford Replacement Applicants - Wednesday, December 2, 2009

For the second time in a year, Shelby County Commission members are about to change the makeup of the 13-member body.

Commissioners today will interview applicants for the District 3, Position 3 seat Joe Ford is giving up to become interim Shelby County mayor. The meeting is set for 10 a.m.

85. A City in Transition - Monday, November 9, 2009

Just before sunrise on a rainy Tuesday morning, the armed officers raided the city office. They didn’t make any arrests, but they took files, interviewed employees and served search warrants. And they temporarily closed the Memphis Animal Shelter.

86. Council Chairman Collins Readies For New Regime - Monday, October 26, 2009

Memphis City Council Chairman Harold Collins will have a very good seat for today’s swearing-in ceremony of Memphis Mayor-elect A C Wharton Jr.

87. Chaotic Council Welcomes Wharton To ‘Land of Fire’ - Thursday, October 22, 2009

Memphis Mayor-elect A C Wharton Jr. got an early welcome to the ways of City Hall in the week before he took the oath of office.

It came from the City Council he will serve with for the next two years.

88. City Attorney Dispute Moves Into Chancery Court Today - Wednesday, August 5, 2009

A turbulent turn of office at City Hall moves into a courtroom two blocks away this afternoon.

Memphis Mayor Myron Lowery delayed a City Council vote Tuesday on Veronica Coleman Davis as his nominee to be city attorney.

89. UPDATE: Council Vote On City Attorney Delayed - Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Memphis Mayor Myron Lowery today delayed a City Council vote on Veronica Coleman Davis as his nominee to be city attorney.

Lowery told council members he wanted the delay to let a Chancery Court hearing tomorrow resolve any legal issues.

90. Election Commission to Consider Mayoral Deadline - Thursday, July 9, 2009

The Shelby County Election Commission today is setting the stage for the next step in the coming special election for Memphis mayor.

The commission will meet at 4:30 p.m. to consider setting a deadline for candidates to file and a date for the election itself sometime in late October. In setting the dates, the commission would abide by terms of the Memphis Charter. The charter calls for a special election three months after a vacancy in the mayor’s office if there is no regularly scheduled election within six months of the date the office becomes vacant.

91. City Council Declares Mayoral Vacancy At End Of July - Wednesday, July 8, 2009

The Memphis City Council approved Tuesday on a 7-6 vote a resolution declaring the mayor’s office vacant as of July 31.

The vote came after a debate in which council members questioned each other’s motives, Mayor Willie Herenton’s word and several legal opinions.

92. UPDATE: Council Approves Mayoral Vacancy Effective July 31 - Tuesday, July 7, 2009

The Memphis City Council approved Tuesday on a 7-6 vote a resolution declaring the mayor’s office vacant as of July 31.

The vote came after a debate in which council members questioned each other’s motives, Mayor Willie Herenton’s word and several legal opinions.

93. Money Cut From Schools Considered for City Pay Raises - Friday, June 12, 2009

When City Council members voted earlier this year to cut all funding to the Shelby County Health Department, the Herenton administration followed up.

It proposed and the County Commission accepted a plan to provide one last dose of city funding for the county agency in exchange for a buyout of the county’s share of The Pyramid.

94. Pyramid Funding Details Shift to Legal Front - Thursday, May 7, 2009

Now the attorneys begin drafting a contract.

This week, the Memphis City Council signed off on a three-part deal that gives the city of Memphis complete ownership of The Pyramid and continues city funding of the Shelby County Health Department for one more fiscal year.

95. Pyramid-Health Dept. Deal Approved By Council - Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Memphis City Council members Tuesday approved an $8.5 million deal giving the city complete ownership of The Pyramid and providing a last installment of city funding for the local Health Department.

96. City Council Approves Pyramid - Health Dept. Deal - Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Memphis City Council members tonight approved an $8.5 million deal giving the city complete ownership of The Pyramid and providing a last installment of city funding for the local Health Department.

97. Calipari Tapped to Rally Real Estate Community - Thursday, January 8, 2009

For many local sports fans, the lasting image of 2008 was the University of Memphis men’s basketball team suffering a heartbreaking loss to Kansas in the national championship game.

For many local Realtors, the lasting image of 2008 was the housing market suffering a continued slump.

98. Council Again Rejects Lee Legal Fees - Tuesday, December 2, 2008

The Memphis City Council this evening affirmed its vote in Oct. to reject paying the legal fees of former Memphis Light Gas & Water Division president Joseph Lee.

The bill for Lee’s legal defense in a grand jury probe that led to his indictment as well as a hearing before the council came to $426,422. The corruption charges were later dropped by federal prosecutors.

The 7-6 vote came at the end of a day in which MLGW president Jerry Collins told council members talks between the utility and Lee’s attorney, Robert Spence, failed to reach any terms for a lesser amount.

Council members voting against the proposed settlement were: Bill Boyd, Kemp Conrad, Shea Flinn, Reid Hedgepeth, Myron Lowery, Bill Morrison and Jim Strickland. Those voting for it were: Joe Brown, Harold Collins, Edmund Ford Jr., Janis Fullilove, Wanda Halbert and Barbara Swearengen Ware.

Spence told The Daily News an announcement on a decision by Lee about pursuing the legal fees in a lawsuit against the city could be made as early as Tuesday.

The council has also given final approval this evening to an ordinance regulating the location of financial services, payday loan and title loan businesses.

The council vote was unanimous on third and final reading. Third and final vote before the Shelby County Commission is scheduled for Dec. 8.

The council passed an amended version that emerged as a compromise during today’s council session.

The ordinance bans the businesses from being with 1,000 feet of each other. The compromise worked out by council member Bill Morrison, with agreement from the payday loan industry, deals with a 90 day grace period for existing businesses to apply for a waiver.

Council member Barbara Swearengen Ware argued the location of the businesses isn’t the problem. It’s the high interest rates the companies charge – up to 264 percent annually.

“We need to deal with the root of the problem,” she said. “And if we could regulate how much (of an) interest rate is charged or how much the fees are, then we would be doing a service to the community,” Ware said. “I know we mean well here, but it’s supply and demand that is driving these businesses.”

But usery rates are regulated by the state and not the city council.

Morrison said the businesses cluster in his district which covers Frayser and Raleigh. Frayser is among the areas of the city hardest hit by home foreclosures.

Council member Harold Collins, whose district includes Hickory Hill – also hit hard by home foreclosures – said there is a connection. He counted at least 20 pay day lenders along one stretch of Winchester.

“Maybe they’re not contributing to the fact that many of the people in my district are losing their homes. But they are sure out there,” he said. “There needs to be some kind of line drawn that will keep the people in Hickory Hill from losing their homes.”

Steve Lockwood, head of the Frayser Community Development Corporation, said the close proximity of the lenders allows people in desperate financial straits to get around a limit of two loans totaling $500 from a particular lender by simply going to the payday lender next door.

He termed the location limits “an opening shot across the bow.” He said his organization’s financial counselors see a connection between the lenders and foreclosures.

“I think that the neighborhoods that are really going to benefit from this are in Cordova,” Lockwood said. “If you want Cordova to look like Winchester or Frayser, don’t pass this.”

In other action, a Fairgrounds development agreement is tentatively set to have the first of three Memphis City Council votes in two weeks.

The city picked Fair Ground LLC to develop a master plan for the property that includes the Mid-South Coliseum, The Liberty Bowl and The Children’s Museum of Memphis. What is still being worked out is a contract with the terms for drawing up that master plan.

There are still several formidable obstacles to putting a development agreement in writing.

Shelby County government owns some of the Fairgrounds land including some of the land under The Liberty Bowl.

City Housing & Community Development director Robert Lipscomb told City Council members he will again pursue an agreement in which the county would sell its share in The Fairgrounds as well as The Pyramid.

The Shelby County Commission rejected such a sell-off by the county during consideration of a development agreement for The Pyramid involving Bass Pro Shops.

The commission eventually approved the development agreement after the agreement won approval from the city council.

Without a sell-off, the Fairgrounds development agreement appears on its way to the same dual track debate and voting process.

Lipscomb also told The Daily News there are conflicting legal opinions on the amount of public infrastructure financing the city would have to put up to leverage private investment.

He said the amounts vary from $75 million to $200 million. The city is seeking legal opinions on the public amount required under terms of Tourism Development Zone (TDZ) financing. If the amount is $200 million or close to it, Lipscomb said it makes the Fairgrounds renovation much harder to accomplish.

Henry Turley, one of several developer partners in Fair Ground LLC, said he considers the city’s contribution to be $75 million. Turley was instrumental in drafting the state legislation that allowed for the Tourism Development Zones.

The TDZs allow for financing of bonds through sales tax revenue generated in the designated area or zone.

Turley wants to include a big box retail store on the site and possibly a hotel according to tentative plans that are fluid on the location of those and other parts of an overall plan. The sales tax revenue from the store would go to pay off the TDZ bonds. No local government general fund revenue would be used.

99. Stretch In MPD Residency Requirement Rejected By Council On 6-7 Vote - Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Memphis City Council members Tuesday voted down a proposed loosening of residency requirements for police officers.

The 6-to-7 council vote rejected a resolution which would have allowed the police department to hire applicants who live within 20 miles of Shelby County.

The department is currently able to hire applicants who live within Shelby County including Memphis under a provision that allows the council to waive the requirement that all city employees must live in Memphis. The Shelby County waiver expires in February.

The council vote, which was along racial lines, came after four hours of debate among council members and citizens who filled the chambers. Most of the citizens who filled out cards to speak, over 70, were in favor of hiring outside Shelby County. But opponents, including several retired Memphis police officers, were also vocal in their opposition.

Council member Wanda Halbert argued that Memphians who apply for jobs as police officers are being rejected because they are being discriminated against.

Council member Bill Boyd termed Halbert's comment "trash".

Other council members said they respected council members with opposing viewpoints. But the disagreements were over issues other than the need to hire more police officers. They were over the best way to do that.

Those voting yes were: Boyd, Kemp Conrad, Shea Flinn, Reid Hedgepeth, Bill Morrison and Jim Strickland.

Those voting no were: Halbert, Joe Brown, Harold Collins, Edmund Ford Jr., Janis Fullilove, Myron Lowery and Barbara Swearengen Ware.

Read more about the issue in Thursday's edition of The Daily News.

In other action, the council elected Myron Lowery as its chairman for 2009. Lowery has been chairman since the resignation of chairman Scott McCormick.

Council member Harold Collins was elected vice chairman for the coming year.

Tuesday was also the first council meeting for Kemp Conrad who was elected on the Nov. 4 ballot to fill the vacancy created by McCormick's resignation.

100. Council Rejects Police Residency Stretch Outside Shelby County - Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Memphis City Council members have voted down a proposed loosening of residency requirements for police officers.

The 6-to-7 council vote rejected a resolution which would have allowed the police department to hire applicants who live within 20 miles of Shelby County.

The department is currently able to hire applicants who live within Shelby County including Memphis under a provision that allows the council to waive the requirement that all city employees must live in Memphis. The Shelby County waiver expires in February.

The council vote, which was along racial lines, came after four hours of debate among council members and citizens who filled the chambers. Most of the citizens who filled out cards to speak, over 70, were in favor of hiring outside Shelby County. But opponents, including several retired Memphis police officers, were also vocal in their opposition.

Council member Wanda Halbert argued that Memphians who apply for jobs as police officers are being rejected because they are being discriminated against.

Council member Bill Boyd termed Halbert's comment "trash".

Other council members said they respected council members with opposing viewpoints. But the disagreements were over issues other than the need to hire more police officers. They were over the best way to do that.

Those voting yes were: Boyd, Kemp Conrad, Shea Flinn, Reid Hedgepeth, Bill Morrison and Jim Strickland.

Those voting no were: Halbert, Joe Brown, Harold Collins, Edmund Ford Jr., Janis Fullilove, Myron Lowery and Barbara Swearengen Ware.